Most Selective Dental Schools

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theroadshow

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I was going through some of the materials that I put together for the app process, and I came across this list of the most selective dental schools factoring in DAT and GPA. (based on most recent public figures) Might be useful for people in the application process. (Equal ranking means a tie in case you don't know)

1 Harvard University School of Dental Medicine
2 University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry
3 University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
3 University of Washington-Health Sciences School of Dentistry
5 University of Colorado Denver
5 Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
7 State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine
7 University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry
7 University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
10 University of Maryland Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
10 University of Michigan School of Dentistry
10 Oregon Health and Science University School of Dentistry
10 University of Southern California School of Dentistry
10 University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
15 Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine
16 Louisiana State University School of Dentistry
16 University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine
16 State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
16 University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
16 Ohio State University College of Dentistry
16 Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry
16 Case Western Reserve Univ. School of Dental Medicine
16 University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry
16 Creighton University School of Dentistry
16 Temple University The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry
26 University of North Carolina School of Dentistry
26 University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine
26 Baylor College of Dentistry Component of Texas A & M Health Sci Ctr
26 University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry
30 University of Texas Hlth Science Cnt-San Antonio Dental School
30 Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine
30 University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
30 University of Iowa College of Dentistry
30 University of Alabama School of Dentistry at UAB
30 Indiana University School of Dentistry
30 Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
30 Univ. of Texas Hlth Science Cnt-Houston Dental Branch
30 University of Florida College of Dentistry
30 University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey Dental School
30 A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health
30 Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
30 University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry
30 Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry
44 Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine
44 Loma Linda University School of Dentistry
46 University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry
47 Marquette University School of Dentistry
47 University of Tennessee College of Dentistry
47 University of Kentucky College of Dentistry
50 West Virginia University School of Dentistry
50 University of Louisville School of Dentistry
52 New York University College of Dentistry
53 University of Mississippi School of Dentistry
54 Howard University College of Dentistry
55 Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry
 
I was going through some of the materials that I put together for the app process, and I came across this list of the most selective dental schools factoring in DAT and GPA. (based on most recent public figures) Might be useful for people in the application process. (Equal ranking means a tie in case you don't know)

1 Harvard University School of Dental Medicine
2 University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry
3 University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
3 University of Washington-Health Sciences School of Dentistry
5 University of Colorado Denver
5 Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
7 State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine
7 University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry
7 University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
10 University of Maryland Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
10 University of Michigan School of Dentistry
10 Oregon Health and Science University School of Dentistry
10 University of Southern California School of Dentistry
10 University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
15 Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine
16 Louisiana State University School of Dentistry
16 University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine
16 State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
16 University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
16 Ohio State University College of Dentistry
16 Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry
16 Case Western Reserve Univ. School of Dental Medicine
16 University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry
16 Creighton University School of Dentistry
16 Temple University The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry
26 University of North Carolina School of Dentistry
26 University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine
26 Baylor College of Dentistry Component of Texas A & M Health Sci Ctr
26 University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry
30 University of Texas Hlth Science Cnt-San Antonio Dental School
30 Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine
30 University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
30 University of Iowa College of Dentistry
30 University of Alabama School of Dentistry at UAB
30 Indiana University School of Dentistry
30 Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
30 Univ. of Texas Hlth Science Cnt-Houston Dental Branch
30 University of Florida College of Dentistry
30 University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey Dental School
30 A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health
30 Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
30 University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry
30 Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry
44 Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine
44 Loma Linda University School of Dentistry
46 University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry
47 Marquette University School of Dentistry
47 University of Tennessee College of Dentistry
47 University of Kentucky College of Dentistry
50 West Virginia University School of Dentistry
50 University of Louisville School of Dentistry
52 New York University College of Dentistry
53 University of Mississippi School of Dentistry
54 Howard University College of Dentistry
55 Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry

Did you take a look at this?
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602109
 
Well you have to understand that not everything is statistics driven. I know that ASDOH for example focuses more on ones ECs than any other school, a 3.7 and a 22 won't mean that much to them (of course your GPA and DATs need to be at least decent to get into any school). Agree with you that Harvard and UoP are super selective, with UoP only handing out ~200 interviews a year. I think UConn should be up top a little more, their class size is pretty small and their average stats are pretty high.
 
There seem to be A LOT of ties. Which is why dental schools are often replied to as "tiers" as in Harvard would be a first tier school while Howard would be a third tier school. I wouldn't say there are fourth or fifth tiers. But the majority of schools are second tier.
 
I would say Howard and Meharry. You can change your DAT or GPA to a certain degree, but becoming an URM is pretty difficult.
 
One thing I don't really understand about UoP is the fact that their average stats of accepted students is relatively low (3.3ish GPA) while they are still regarded as a very selective school. Are they looking more at ECs or something? What's going on here?
 
One thing I don't really understand about UoP is the fact that their average stats of accepted students is relatively low (3.3ish GPA) while they are still regarded as a very selective school. Are they looking more at ECs or something? What's going on here?

They give out under 200 interviews a year for 143 spots. As far as the lower GPA, the school doesn't consider GPA a reliable statistic so they weigh DAT scores, EC's, life experience and academic trends more heavily.
 
I didn't think USC would be 10-14..

From 2008 stats on predents, they are #41 in GPA, #13 in DAT, and #30 in terms of applicants per seat.
 
Sorry for the noob question, but I've been seeing URM posted in quite a few of the thread that I've been visiting, what exactly does it stand for?
Also, what exactly makes one school more selective than the next? Is it due to the coursework being more rigorous at one institution inn comparison to another?
 
Sorry for the noob question, but I've been seeing URM posted in quite a few of the thread that I've been visiting, what exactly does it stand for?
Also, what exactly makes one school more selective than the next? Is it due to the coursework being more rigorous at one institution inn comparison to another?
URM = UnderRepresented Minority

A school's admissions board determines admissions standards, which in turn determines a school's selectivity. It is likely based on what kind of student (in general) they want at their school: high GPA, high DAT, volunteer experience, life experience, research experience, a little bit of everything, etc.

I really have no idea how coursework compares between dental schools.
 
This is stupid because you can't compare public to private schools.

For example, UW and UC-Denver select majority of instate or WICHE students. They're class sizes are also extremely small. Let's just say you're a 3.8, 24 DAT student for out of state. Your chance of getting into one of these schools is lower than your overall chance of getting into Harvard.

Using statistics to determine probablity of acceptance is rather useless because it depends on your application submit date, # interviews open, how well your interview goes, and how lucky you are to be selected over a lot of other people with similiar scores as you. LUCK is all you need lol

Edit: An applicant that wants to have the best chance of getting into dental school should apply to his or her's state school and every private dental school. If stats are very high, apply to large public schools like UMich, UCSF, UNLV, etc. Don't bother wasting money applying to colorodo, new jersey, UW if you're under a 3.5 22 DAT.
 
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