Successful Dental School Applicants

What do Dental Schools Look For?

    Dental schools seek candidates with high levels of scholastic achievement and intellectual potential, as well as the motivation and humanistic concern neccessary for success as a dentist. These qualities are measured by college grades, particularly science grades; recommendations from undergraduate faculty, including predental advisers; Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores; interview assessment; an applicant's personal statement and application; and the ability to work with your hands.

The profile of a successful applicant might look like this:

• GPA: 3.5 or better
• DAT: Average 19
• Outside Activities: Hobbies and Recreational Activities
• Community Service: Volunteer work, church or related activities
• Experience in the Dental Field: Volunteering, shadowing, or paid experience

Applicant must also have good:

• Letters of evaluation: review Health Sciences Advising Committee letter packet (available in 387 Cramer Hall) and meet with a pre-dental adviser to learn more
• Interview: see Career Center for mock interview

    Note: This is simply a composite of an applicant, guidelines do not guarantee acceptance.

Personal Qualities and Attributes

The personal statement is a very important part of the dental school application. It is your first opportunity to introduce yourself to the dental schools on a personal level and to illustrate that you are highly motivated, mature, academically capable, socially conscious, and knowledgeable about the profession of dentistry. The personal statement should be no more than 4500 characters, including spaces.

You may want to address the following:

•  Why you are interested in becoming a dentist.
•  How your outstanding qualities and characteristics have been demonstrated.
•  What information about you indicates that you understand the profession of dentistry and are highly motivated to pursue a career as a dentist.
•  What is unique and interesting about you.

    While it is common (and encouraged) to reference experiences or lessons learned from work and volunteering activities in the personal statement, it is not necessary to list and provide descriptions of all relevant activities in the personal statement. There is a separate "work and activities" section of the dental school application specifically designed to give you an opportunity to list and describe these activities. In other words, avoid writing a personal statement that is essentially a prose version of your resume.

    Dental schools expect letters of evaluation from both academic and non-academic evaluators. Academic evaluators are instructors from whom you have taken a class. You may collect letters from other postsecondary institutions you have attended, but at least two of your academic letters from be from PSU faculty. Non-academic evaluators are individuals such as work, volunteering, and research supervisors; dentists you have shadowed; and extracurricular/leadership activity advisers. Be sure to utilize the academic and non-academic evaluation forms available in 387 CH when requesting letters of evaluation.                                                                                       Academic Letter Request Form
Non-Academic Letter Request Form

    When it comes time for interview season in your application year, be sure to schedule a mock interview with the Career Center (503-725-4613). Prepare in advance by scheduling a mock interview in late summer or early fall, whether you have been invited to interview at a dental school or not.

Packet for Students Applying to Dental School (PDF)