If you’re looking into how to become a dentist, you might be wondering what the easiest dental schools to get into in Canada are. With dental school acceptance rates being so low, it makes sense to consider all your options. If you’re an American student, you might want to apply to schools that accept the US DAT, and if you’re a Canadian, you have some advantages based on where you live, your background, and the languages you speak. Overall, however, candidates for dental school must fulfill similar criteria, so any benefit you can leverage to boost your application will improve your chances of acceptance. This article will explore the options you should consider.


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Easiest Dental Schools to Get into in Canada Top 5 Easiest Dental Schools to Get into in Canada by Acceptance Rate What Makes a Dental School the Easiest to Get into in Canada Conclusion FAQs

Easiest Dental Schools to Get into in Canada

The following list of dental schools is ordered from highest to lowest acceptance rate.

  1. University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry Acceptance rate: 17.14%
  2. University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry Acceptance rate: 15.87%
  3. Western University College of Dental Medicine Acceptance rate: 12.99%
  4. University of Manitoba Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry Acceptance rate: 12.45%
  5. McGill University Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences Acceptance rate: 11.07%
  6. University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry Acceptance rate: 10.42%
  7. University of Saskatchewan College of Dentistry Acceptance rate: 10%
  8. Dalhousie University Faculty of Dentistry Acceptance rate: 8.9%

Two universities offer dentistry degrees with instruction in French in Canada:

  1. Université Laval Faculty of Dentistry
  2. Université de Montréal Faculty of Dentistry

Watch this video to learn about dental school interview questions you must know, with expert answers:

Entry to dental schools in Canada and the US depends on a set of common factors. For one, you will need to take science-based courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. You will need to take the DAT, so a DAT study schedule will be a big part of your activities in the period leading up to your dental school application. Ideally, you will have a bachelor’s degree when you begin dental school (or at least 90 credits); a complete degree is preferred. There are no dental schools without prerequisites, even if some have fewer required courses. Interviews are mandatory, by invitation, for virtually every dental school, so you will need to learn how to prepare for your dental school interview.

The overall timeline to become a dentist is 8 years: a 4-year undergrad plus a 4-year DMD or DDS. Some schools offer degree options or pathways that allow you to complete your schooling in fewer years, but not by much.

Therefore, when considering the easiest dental schools to get into in Canada, you would not be looking for schools without the requirements listed above, as you are bound to encounter them in some form.

So, what are the criteria to look for when exploring the easiest dental schools to get into in Canada? You will need to look beyond the obvious to weigh the requirements and benefits and choose among options with subtle differences. Ultimately, the easiest dental school to get into in Canada will be the one that suits your academic and professional objectives the best.

Top 5 Easiest Dental Schools to Get into in Canada by Acceptance Rate

1. The University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry

The University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry might well be considered the easiest dental school to get into in Canada based on acceptance rate (17.14%) alone. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for admission. In a recent year, the average GPA was 3.94, and the lowest admitted GPA was 3.85. Prerequisites include an undergrad degree (at least 3 years of undergraduate study), Life Sciences, General Biochemistry, Physiology, Humanities or Social Sciences, with no required labs. The school will drop your worst year from your GPA if you have 4+ years of undergrad study.

The school shows no preference for in-province applicants, but this can be a mixed blessing – possibly enhancing your chances if you’re from out of the province and lessening the opportunities for Ontario residents.

Despite having the highest acceptance rate among the schools on our list, the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry also has a high GPA average and DAT average score of 21.71.

The perceptual ability test mean score was 21.0 in a recent year. For your DAT result, your highest score in the past 24 months is considered. The US DAT is accepted by this school.

In addition, the CASPer test must be taken, and the required Canadian Professional Health Sciences test CSP-10201 is likely used as a cut-off.

These additional conditions suggest that it is not that easy to get into this school.

2. The University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry

The University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry can be considered one of the easiest dental schools to get into in Canada based on acceptance rate (15.87%). A minimum GPA of 2.8 is required for admission. In a recent year, the average GPA was 3.90. Prerequisites include at least 3 years of undergraduate study (90 credits) with Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, English, with no required labs. The school will drop your worst year from your GPA, provided it is not your most recent year.

Individuals who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada may apply, but only 2.5% of accepted students are out-of-province, so being from outside of British Columbia is a significant disadvantage. However, domestic applicants from the Yukon, Nunavut, or Northwest Territories are considered in-province candidates. Up to 3 seats per application cycle are reserved for eligible Indigenous candidates, who must meet the minimum average but may still be considered if below the competitive cut-off.

The University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry has a high average GPA and average DAT score of 21.71, with the best score from the last 4 years being considered. The US DAT is accepted by this school.

Although the school does not require that you know how to shadow a dentist, it recommends at least 30 shadowing hours. No special consideration is given to applicants with graduate degrees or to mature students. The CASPer test is not required, but nevertheless, this school is still not that easy to get into.

3. Western University College of Dental Medicine

 The Western University College of Dental Medicine can be considered one of the easiest dental schools to get into in Canada based on acceptance rate (12.99%). A minimum GPA of 3.7 is required for admission. In a recent year, the average GPA was 3.9. Prerequisites include at least 4 years of undergraduate study, including Organic Chemistry with lab, Biochemistry, and Physiology (or the Physiology Challenge Exam). Only the 2 best years in a 4-year undergrad are considered for your GPA.

The school shows no preference for in-province applicants, but this can be a mixed blessing – possibly enhancing your chances if you’re from out of the province and lessening the opportunities for Ontario residents. Indigenous applicants who want to be considered for one of two designated seats must indicate this in their application and provide official confirmation of Indigenous status. International applicants will be considered for up to four seats in the DDS program.

References, shadowing, and volunteer hours are not admission requirements, which could make this an easier dental school to get into for some candidates. The Western University College of Dental Medicine has a high average GPA and DAT average score of 21.0, with the most recent score being considered. There are slightly lower mean scores for the perceptual ability test (20.0) and total Science score (20.0). The US DAT is accepted by this school. The CASPer test is also required, so getting into this dental school is still a challenge.

4. University of Manitoba Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry

The University of Manitoba College of Dentistry can be considered one of the easiest dental schools to get into in Canada based on acceptance rate (12.45%). In a recent year, the average GPA was 3.92. Prerequisites include at least 2 years of undergraduate study Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics (all with lab), Biochemistry, Humanities or Social Sciences, and English. The school will drop your worst year from your GPA if you have 4+ years of undergrad study.

Admission to the University of Manitoba College of Dentistry is restricted to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents. Only 2.1% of accepted students are out-of-province. Most spots go to Manitobans. Numerous services and opportunities are available for Indigenous applicants.

The University of Manitoba College of Dentistry has a high average GPA and DAT average score of 20.6, with the highest score in the last 3 years being considered. The perceptual ability test mean score in a recent year was 21.1. A much higher minimum average is required for out-of-province (22.50) vs in-province (18.75) applicants. The US DAT is NOT accepted by this school.

The CASPer test is not required.

Therefore, with these high standards, modest acceptance rate, and the fact that applicants from Manitoba are prioritized, this school is only easy to get into if you are a Manitoban resident with excellent academic performance.

5. McGill University Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences

The McGill University Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences is not considered one of the easier dental schools to get into in Canada based on acceptance rate (11.07%). In a recent year, the average GPA was 3.84. Prerequisites include at least 4 years of undergraduate study Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics/Calculus (all with lab).

Approximately 75% of accepted students are in-province.

With a slightly lower average GPA than other schools on our list, this might make McGill slightly easier for some students to get into. Moreover, the only DAT score considered is your latest perceptual ability score, and it must be a minimum of 15.0. The US DAT is accepted by this school. The CASPer test is required. So, even if the acceptance rate is lower, McGill seems to be somewhat less demanding in its admission process.

What Makes a Dental School the Easiest to Get into in Canada

As shown by our top 5 examples above, the acceptance rate only tells part of the story. All dental schools in Canada have high GPA standards and averages among matriculants. Moreover, they have high DAT score thresholds. Some schools value different sections of the DAT more than others, but it remains a key factor in the evaluation of a student’s application. With dental schools competing at a high level in these areas, it is necessary to look for other points of comparison.

Prerequisites

The number and type of prerequisites is a consideration for every dental school hopeful. All applicants need science prerequisites, such as biology, chemistry, and physics, but schools also require other very specific advanced science courses or courses in other subject areas, such as humanities and social sciences. It’s natural to want to match the courses you have already taken with a dental school’s required courses. In fact, this will enhance your chances and make it easier to get into a school.

Province of Residence

What becomes clear in our list is the importance of the province of residence. In several provinces, if you wish to attend dental school in your province of residence, you will have an advantage in applying there. However, in Ontario, as a resident you are at a disadvantage because in-province applicants are not prioritized, so you are competing with more applicants. If you are an American looking to attend dental school in Canada, you will notice that several Canadian dental schools accept the US DAT, so that would make those dental schools easier to get into for those students.

Situational Judgment Tests

Some schools require that applicants take the CASPer test, a situational judgment test, so we could potentially consider those schools harder to get into, as you will need to learn how to prepare for CASPer in addition to preparing your other application components. On the other hand, a really strong performance on the CASPer test could boost an otherwise lacklustre application. Dental schools in Canada use a wide range of testing and interview methods, including the multiple mini-interview (MMI), which is used in some form by most dental schools in Canada. Because all the schools use interviews, it is not possible to compare whether they make it easier or harder to get into a dental school in Canada.

Personal Statements

Most dental schools in Canada require some form of dental school personal statement. This can be an essay or a series of answers to questions, such as “why do you want to be a dentist?”. As a key component of your application to dental schools, it shows admissions committees who you are and why you want to study dentistry. Writing such a text may not be easy, and it may not make it easier to get into a dental school in Canada, but devoting plenty of time to writing this essay can pay off by capturing the interest of admissions committees and making your application stand out. Consider medical school personal statement editing services, which can be adapted to dental school documents, if you need help with this form of writing. Your personal statement puts a name and a story to your GPA, academics, DAT score, and CV.

Language Competency Testing

A unique requirement of dental schools in Canada is the existence of language competency testing. You may need to show proof of prerequisites in English or take language tests as part of the application process. Similarly, if you are applying to a French-language school, such as the Université Laval Faculty of Dentistry of Université de Montréal Faculty of Dentistry, you will need to prove your competency in French.

Conclusion

When all is said and done, it is hard to identify the easiest dental schools in Canada to get into based on a given set of criteria. While some have a higher acceptance rate, they also have high GPA averages, high DAT scores, and numerous other criteria, such as advanced science prerequisites, situational judgment tests, language competency tests, and complex interview processes.

To find the easiest dental school in Canada for you, first look for programs that inspire and interest you. Then, check whether what you already have (GPA, DAT score, prerequisites) matches their expectations. If you’re missing something important, you can include it in your academic plan with the help of a dental school advisor.

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