UNLV will give the student the opportunity to start fresh, create new curriculum, and expose the students with past promise and failure.
Enough of the introduction
First of all, being a Nevada resident cuts your competition in half. UNLV is looking for people who have an interest in Las Vegas, considering the fact that there is a drought in dentists alone.
Second: Always apply early. People think that if you have the best grades, you would be able to sneek in a slot for yourself, wrong. You must treat this opportunity like a job; for example, you can't be late for your job, right?
You must be prompt.
Third: Make the grades and DAT scores of course, but most importantly have the experience of dental knowledge; ex. dental experience like assisting, dental programs like HCOP (dental preparation and exposure program), and talk to dentists. There are many ways to get exposure, it just take you to open the door.
Fourth: Well round yourself, instead of taking upper division biology and Chem. The school want to know if you enjoy other things. Take classes like sculpture, ceramics, and other forms of art and craft. These subjects show the schools that you are applying more than basic requirements to dental study, your showing them coordination; working with your hands.
These are just a few things that you could work on to become a more competitive applicant. Obviously there is more than this to be considered to a dental school, but keep in mind that you will become a dentist if you have it in your heart to be one.
As for the school itself, I thought it was good considering that I have take some classes there in my undergrade study. The dental school is actually going to be held by UMC medical center on 1700 W. Charleston if you are familiar with LV streets. I haven't been inside because they are remodeling the existing building which was once and employment center of some sort. The building looks very ugly, it has a rustic brown look to it which is very repelling, but on the brighter side of all this, it isn't in a bad neighborhood like most dental schools.
Hope this helped.