As a prospective student, you must take the Dental Admission Test (DAT). Plan to complete the DAT no later than August preceding the year for which you are seeking admission. You may wish to link to relevent pages on the American Dental Education Association AADSAS Dental School Application.
You also must file an American Dental Education Association (AADSAS) application (follow link listed above). This should be submitted to ADEA beginning June 1 of the year preceding the year for which you are seeking admission. If your application is approved, you will be asked to complete a final application to the College of Dentistry and arrange a personal interview.
The College's admissions committee selects the applicants it considers best qualified for the study and practice of dentistry from the pool of applicants who meet the basic requirements. The committee considers the cumulative grade-point average, science grade-point average, DAT scores, and letters of recommendation. Also considered are the college attended, year in school, any trend in grades, degrees attained, awards, and such characteristics as motivation and social awareness. An interview is a requirement of the admission process. In cases where candidates present equivalent academic preparation, residents of the state of Iowa are given preference. Notification of acceptance begins December 1.
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry takes pride in its Deferred Admit Program (DAP). Students may be admitted to the College of Dentistry as early as the first year of undergraduate study, but they postpone enrollment to the college until they have completed at least four years of undergraduate course work. Students study a liberal arts curriculum that incorporates dental prerequisite courses. Once selected for the program, students must maintain an appropriate level of academic progress to enroll in Iowa's College of Dentistry.