Dentists and dental hygienists need to gain specialized training in their field at the university level. Public and private universities offer pre-dental programs that help you prepare for post-graduate work. You must learn how to apply to dental college to gain the best educational experience before entering the job market.
Instructions
- Complete appropriate testing for dental college before you begin the application process. Satisfactory scores on the Dental Admission Test (DAT) as well as tests specific to a college can push your application into the next level of consideration.
- Assemble a packet of high school and college transcripts as supplementary material for your dental college application. You should make sure your transcripts reflect your complete educational experience to demonstrate your knowledge of dentistry.
- Seek letters from internship advisors in the dental industry as you begin to apply for college admission. A semester of working at a dentist’s office can help get your foot in the door at a dental college if your other qualifications are satisfactory.
- Expedite the transition into dental college by applying to a school within a public school network. You can simplify the process of finding transcripts and filling out administrative forms by finding a dental college connected directly with your undergraduate university.
- Fill out scholarship and grant applications from dental organizations as you apply for admission to a dental college. You should consult the admissions website of a college to access scholarship information to help you pay for your studies.
- Meet with the dental faculty at the colleges at the top of your list to get a feeling for each school’s curricula. Your discussions with a faculty advisor can help you determine if a school is right for your needs while demonstrating your interest in the school.
- Line up admission requirements like grade point averages and DAT scores for each dental college at the top of your list. You should look through your admissions matrix to find the best balance between high academic standards and reasonable price.
- Generate a budget for your first year of dental college as part of the application process. You should look at next year’s tuition as well as housing and miscellaneous costs to determine your financial need before accepting an admissions decision.
Tips & Warnings
Craft a personal statement identifying your interest in dentistry before you apply to dental college. Admissions professionals in specialty schools look for students with strong commitments to their vocation before entering school. You should use an anecdote about your experiences with dentistry to grab the attention of application reviewers.
