Looking for the easiest dental schools to get into? Look no further! Dental school acceptance rates are extremely competitive, but there are schools out there that accept students with lower GPA, DAT, and gaps in their journey to dental school. There are very few, but they do exist! In this article, we go over the easiest dental schools to get into and give advice on how to choose the right dental schools to apply to!
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Easiest Dental Schools to Get into Based on Acceptance Rate
Easiest Dental Schools to Get into Based on GPA
Easiest Dental Schools to Get into Based on DAT
How to Get into the Easiest Dental Schools: Overview and Tips
1. Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University
Admission Requirements
Minimum Overall GPA Score: 2.8
DAT Academic Average and Perceptual Ability: 21
Degree Required: Bachelor’s up to 90 credits; full bachelor’s preferred
Acceptance Rate
In-State Acceptance Rate: 10.2%
Out-of-State Acceptance Rate: 0.9%
The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University may be easy for Georgia residents to get into, but it is highly competitive program for out-of-state applicants. The school has a stated mission to train and graduate Georgia residents so every class it matriculates is up to 90% in-state residents, and for them, the school is not that difficult to get into. The school also accepts international students from outside the US or Canada so long as they have a visa or permanent residency, and have had their grades verified.
They ask for the typical dental school admission requirements like official transcripts, DAT scores, and letters of recommendation. The prerequisite coursework is not that lengthy either, as you must cover four subjects, chemistry, biology, physics and English and you must achieve at a least a C grade in your course work to be considered. You do not even have to have complete a full bachelor’s degree (up to 90 credits) to apply, but you must have completed all the requisite course work and submit a DAT score from before September of the previous year.
Working on your dental school personal statement?
2. East Carolina University School of Dentistry
Admission Requirements
Average Overall GPA Score of Incoming Class: 3.4
DAT Academic Average: 19.73
Degree Required: Bachelor’s degree or higher
Acceptance Rates
In-state Acceptance Rate: 13.09%
Out-of-State Acceptance Rate: 0%
The picture does not look good for out-of-state applicants to the East Carolina University School of Dentistry. It receives many out-of-state applicants but has yet to admit one. The school has a very strict residency requirement for all applicants to the dental school and you must have a Residency Certification Number even to apply to the dental school.
To get an RCN you must have lived for the past 12 months in North Carolina and be able to have established your home address in the state. It must also be clear that you plan to permanently reside in the state and not only because you want to attend the dental school and pay resident tuition fees.
All these admission requirements are to give residents an advantage so they can eventually graduate and practice where they are needed, in and around the rural parts of North Carolina. For residents, the dental school is easy to get into since you can apply with only a bachelor’s degree without a stated GPA requirement.
But the school does consider your grades and transcripts, along with letters of recommendation, DAT scores and everything else that comprises your AADSAS application. The school will also take a look at what dental school extracurriculars you have participated in, and whether your values align with the school’s mission to provide oral health care to underserved groups in North Carolina.
3. A.T. Still University - Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health
Admission Requirements
Minimum Overall GPA Requirements: 2.75; 3.0 or higher preferred
Average GPA of Incoming Class: 3.5
DAT Academic Average: 19.08
Degree Requirement: Bachelor’s degree or higher; 90 credits accepted; full bachelor’s preferred
Acceptance Rates
Overall Acceptance Rate: 13.8%
The Arizona School of Dental Health at A.T. Still University is not that competitive for in-state or out-of-state applicants, since it has more relaxed admission requirements than other similar sized schools. You need only a minimum GPA of 2.75 to apply, but a higher GPA score is always recommended to make your application competitive.
The school will also consider your dental school application experiences section, where you can detail things outside of your academic history that have helped prepare you for dental school. You only need to have completed 90 credits of a bachelor’s degree or three years to apply, which is another relaxed admission requirement.
However, the school does require more prerequisite courses than other programs, and you must have completed course work in up to seven courses including Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Physics, Biochemistry, and English Composition. You can submit pass or fail grades, if those were the only grades given.
You must submit your DAT scores, but the school takes a holistic approach to admitting students and considers other factors like volunteer work and community service. You can also submit a letter from one of your volunteer positions for your dental school letters of recommendation, although you must also submit letters from previous instructor or a dentist.
4. LSU Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry
Admission Requirements
Minimum Overall GPA to Apply: 3.6
DAT Academic Average: 21
Degree Requirement: Bachelor’s degree or higher; 90 credits accepted; full degree preferred
Acceptance Rate
In-State Acceptance Rate: 9.33%
Out-of-State Acceptance Rate: n/a
The LSU School of Dentistry does show a preference for in-state applicants, but it reserves a certain number of spots for out-of-state applicants, especially if they are from neighboring states like Arkansas or other states nearby. The school also offers different degree programs under the dentistry umbrella, so you can study dental hygiene by taking a bachelor of science degree and then enter dental school or go straight in the four-year doctorate of dental surgery degree.
The school’s admission requirements are somewhat more stringent than other programs, but at least you can apply with only three years of bachelor’s degree. The prerequisite courses are more extensive and the GPA requirement is much higher than other programs. You must have completed at least all the prerequisites before applying, which cover the typical subjects like chemistry, biology, physics and anatomy. The school suggests you take more than the prerequisite courses to be a competitive candidate.
But the other programs associated with dentistry at LSU are open to all applicants, and do not have residency requirements, such as the associate degree in dental laboratory technology. All of these other degree programs can help prepare you to enter the main dental school program, as successful completion of these other programs will make it easier for you to enter the main dental school program.
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5. NYU College of Dentistry
Admission Requirements
Minimum Overall GPA to Apply: 3.5
DAT Academic Average: 21
Degree Requirement: Bachelor’s degree or higher; 90 credits accepted; full degree preferred
Acceptance Rate
Average Acceptance Rate: 11.0%
The New York University School of Dentistry does not have any residency requirements for its applicants. The program receives up to 3400 applications every year and out-of-state applicants are encouraged to apply. The things that make the school one of the easiest to get into include the fact that you do not have to have completed a full bachelor’s degree, but at least 90 credits of one. The school has a short list of prerequisite courses, mostly in the sciences that students can complete with at least a C grade.
If you are applying from outside of North America, you must complete at least 60 credits of your bachelor’s degree in the US or Canada. Students from Canada and international students are encouraged to apply, so long as they meet the visa requirements and have their foreign grade transcripts verified by an accreditation agency, along with answering all the dental school manual dexterity questions. You must also submit your DAT scores with your application along with submitting other supporting documentation such as dental school personal statements.
The school also has non-academic requirements that could make it easier for you to get in, if your academic scores are not as high as they should be. You have to at least 100 hours of shadowing experience to apply to the program, while you can take the DAT exam several times, as the school will accept DAT scores that are no older than three years.
6. Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Admission Requirements
Minimum Overall GPA to Apply: 3.0
DAT Academic Average: 17
Degree Requirement: Bachelor’s degree or minimum of 90 credits completed at an accredited institution
Acceptance Rate
Overall Acceptance Rate: 12.55%
The Ohio State University College of Dentistry does not have any hard residency requirements and does not show preference from students who are residents or not. One of the things that makes the dental school one of the easiest to get into are the lowered minimums to apply, which are much lower than other school’s criteria.
These lowered standards do not mean you should be satisfied if you have the bare minimum. You should always strive to have competitive scores and even those are the minimum to apply, the average scores for the incoming class of the dental school are a total GPA of 3.65 and a DAT score of 21.
The lowered minimums do mean that you can still apply even if you have tried to increase your GPA or DAT scores, but have not been successful. You can also apply with only three years of a bachelor’s degree rather than having to completed a full bachelor’s degree. Another thing that makes the dental school easier to get into is that you only need to have complete 9 or the 13 prerequisite courses rather than having to complete all of them, such as with other programs.
7. University of Minnesota
Admission Requirements
Minimum GPA to Apply: 2.79; 3.0 or higher preferred
Minimum DAT Score to Apply: 17
Degree Requirement: Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred; 87 credits of a full bachelor’s degree also accepted
Acceptance Rates
Overall Acceptance Rate: 10.2%
The University of Minnesota has one of the most popular dental programs in the US, as it has a set of admission requirements that are easy to meet. For example, there are no preferences for in-state or out-of-state residents, as the school looks at all applications without any regard to an applicant’s origin.
Another relaxed entry requirement of the program is that you do not have to have completed a full bachelor’s degree to apply, but up to 87 credits of a full degree. The school will also accept up to 64 credits completed toward a bachelor’s degree at a junior or community college, which is another accommodation that makes the school one of the easiest dental schools to get into.
One hard requirement that the school does put on its applicants is that all required coursework must be completed with a C grade or higher. Courses completed with less than a C, even a C- will not be considered. The school includes mathematics as a required course, which is not something all dental schools do, but one thing that stands out about the university’s admission requirements is that you are allowed to submit a letter explaining academic difficulties. If you have tried and failed to increase your GPA, for example, the school will accept a letter from you explaining the situation.
8. University of Mississippi
Admission Requirements
Minimum GPA to Apply: 3.0
DAT Academic Average: 20
Degree Requirements: Bachelor’s degree preferred; 90 credits toward a bachelor’s degree accepted
Acceptance Rate
Overall Acceptance Rate: 29.4%
The University of Mississippi is one of those schools that shows preference for residents of its home state, but the dental school has admitted out-of-state students so it is not impossible to get in if you are an out-of-state student. Another admission requirement that makes the school easier to get into than others is the 90-credit degree requirement that does not have to be a full bachelor’s degree to qualify.
Students are also encouraged to apply with whatever bachelor’s degree they have, regardless of the topic, but you will be given stronger preference if you complete up to 15 credits at your “home institution”, which can be an accredited university either in the US or Canada. The list of prerequisite courses for the University of Mississippi program is longer than for other similar programs, and you must complete courses in statistics, mathematics, and biochemistry, among the more typical ones like chemistry, biology, and physics.
The school also has non-academic requirements that are just as important to meet as the academic ones. You must have completed at least 70 hours of shadowing of 4 different doctors to be considered for the school. You must also have at least 80 hours of some kind of proven experience in a volunteer or community service project not only to be considered, but to be accepted as well.
9. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry
Admissions Requirements
Minimum GPA to Apply: 3.0; higher considered preferable
DAT Academic Average: 16
Degree Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher; 90 credits toward a bachelor’s degree accepted
Acceptance Rate
Overall Acceptance Rate: 12.8%
The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry is not a program that shows preference for in-state residents, and accepts applications from all applicants, regardless of their geographic origin. The program has lowered minimum basic requirements and asks that students only have a minimum 3.0 GPA or a 17 on their DAT scores. But the school does have other dental school requirements such as taking the CASPer exam, which a good dental school advisor can help you prepare for.
The school also asks that students only complete at least 90 credits toward a bachelor’s degree rather than having had completed a full degree. You must submit all your application materials via the AADSAS service and also submit a minimum of three letters of recommendation with your application.
Some of the non-academic requirements that you must submit with your application include having a minimum amount of shadowing and volunteering hours. You are asked to complete at least 100 hours in five different settings related to dentistry as well as complete 100 hours of community service again in five different settings.
10. University of Puerto Rico School of Dentistry
Admission Requirements
Minimum GPA to Apply: 2.0
DAT Academic Average: 15-16
Degree Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred; 90 credits of a complete bachelor’s degree acceptable
Acceptance Rate
Overall Acceptance Rate: 10%
The University of Puerto Rico School of Dentistry is an attractive option for students who do not have the highest academic scores, but who excel in other areas like community service and dedication to dentistry. However, the school has a stated mission to accept and train Puerto Ricans to become dentists, so it shows preference for native residents of Puerto Rico, although out-of-state applicants can apply, even though there are a limited number of spots for non-resident applicants. If you are applying as an out-of-state applicant, you must also meet other requirements such as being fluent in both English and Spanish.
The school has very relaxed admission requirements and you can apply with only 90 credits of a bachelor’s degree rather than having a full degree. The GPA and DAT score thresholds are also low and you can apply if you have lower than usual scores, although the school recommends that you aim for higher than the bare minimum to be a more competitive candidate. You must also complete a set of prerequisite courses that include subjects like biology, physics and chemistry and you must have completed them with a C grade or higher.
Conclusion
The easiest dental schools to get into are still competitive, even if they have more relaxed requirements. No one should think that getting into any dental school is easy and the number of different admissions requirements for these programs should illustrate that. You should know that almost all of these programs require DAT scores and high GPA averages, but their other requirements can differ, which is something you can use to your advantage.
Academics and test scores are not the only aspects of your application that matter to an admissions committee. They want to see how you’ve prepared for this challenge, whether it be through shadowing hours or volunteer work, and those are things that anyone can do, regardless of their aptitude for health sciences.
FAQS
1. What are the easiest dental schools to get into?
Some of the easiest dental schools to get into are the University of Mississippi, A.T. Still University - Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health, East Carolina University School of Dentistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry, and Ohio State University College of Dentistry. Please review the article for more schools!
2. Are easiest dental schools worth pursuing?
Yes, these schools are not academically inferior to schools with low acceptance rates.
3. How many people usually get into dental school?
Dental schools in the US have an acceptance rate of between 40-50%. Dental schools in Canada have a lower rate since there are fewer dental schools, but the latest figures show that the Canadian acceptance rate is about 15%.
4. Is it easy to get into dental school?
Getting into any professional health care school is not easy and it takes a lot of hard-work and dedication to get into any of them. Dental school is no different and you must meet or exceed many different criteria to enter, such as having high DAT scores or a minimum GPA average.
5. How can I improve my chances of getting into dental school?
In addition to having strong application components, try to at least meet the GPA and DAT score ranges required by the school. This will increase the chances of the rest of your application being reviewed.
6. What should my GPA be?
Many schools make their minimum GPA score a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. That is the lowest acceptable GPA for many schools and any score lower than 3.0 can disqualify your application. However, a competitive score should be much higher, at least somewhere near 3.5 or more.
7. Should I apply to one of these schools?
You should apply to any school that you feel reflects your goals and interests. None of the schools listed here are easy to get into, but they are easier to get into compared to others. But you should not apply to a school only because it has a low acceptance rate, as that demonstrates you are more interested in status and prestige than wanting to become a dentist. You should apply to the dental schools that meet your needs and share your values rather than which ones are easiest to get into.
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