WAMC Dental 2025-26: New Applicant Without a Bachelor's Degree

[Rafaella Silveira]

Hello everyone!

I am applying for the 2025-2026 dental school cycle and would appreciate some feedback on my application. I do not have a bachelor's degree, but I graduated from a dental assisting program and have completed all required prerequisite courses at a community college.
I want to apply to at least 12 schools but am still researching which ones accept community college coursework without requiring a bachelor's degree. I'd love recommendations on which schools I might have the best chance at!

Shadowing Experience: 8 months (Dental Assisting Externship – Dental Clinic at Nova Southeastern University (2 months) + four more dental offices (6 months)

Volunteering Experience: 100 hours in a dental office

Employment: temporary assistant during summer classes

Research: No

Other Extracurriculars: Professional Memberships & Leadership
American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA)
Colgate Professional
Crest Professional
The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)
The National English Honor Society Sigma Kappa Delta
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Honor Society.org: A Tradition of Success

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? Yes. Community Service at Nova Southeastern University – Give Kids A Smile (GKAS)

Relevant Honors or Awards:
Graduated with High Honors – Associate in Science, Dental Assisting, Broward College, Dec 2023
Graduated with Honors – Associate in Arts, Broward College, May 2022
Dean’s List (3 semesters) – Recognized for academic excellence at Broward College
President’s List (3 semesters) – Achieved highest academic distinction at Broward College
Overall Honors at 261.53 credits – Recognized for maintaining a strong academic record
Writing Credit Recognition – Demonstrated proficiency in advanced writing courses at Broward College

Relevant Honors or Awards (Scholarships & Grants)
Broward Dental Research Clinic Scholarship – Awarded twice ($1,000 each) for excellence in dental education, Broward College.
Seese Annual Scholarship – Competitive $1,000 academic scholarship, Broward College.
Broward Dental Scholarship – $522.24 merit-based award for dental students, Broward College.
American Rescue Plan Scholarship – Recognized for academic resilience during COVID-19 ($1,200, twice), Broward College.
Broward College Book Award – $209.29 scholarship for academic excellence.
Attain Success Grant – $1,630 achievement-based grant, Broward College.
FL Student Assistance Grant – State-funded merit-based grant ($978 + $1,305), Broward College.

LOR type and strength:
Dentist (Externship Site #1) – Strong to Exceptional
Dentist & Professor (Nova University) – Exceptional
Anatomy Professor #1 – Strong
Anatomy Professor #2 – Strong
Dental Assisting Program Director – Strong to Exceptional

School list:
UF
NSU
LECOM
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry

I truly appreciate any advice, feedback, or school recommendations to help strengthen my application!

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[Mr.Smile12]

Some dental schools have a cap on the number of community college credits they would consider (usually max 60 credit hours, or two years). Do the ones on your list not have an explicit limit?

 

[Rafaella Silveira]

Some dental schools have a cap on the number of community college credits they would consider (usually max 60 credit hours, or two years). Do the ones on your list not have an explicit limit?

Hi Mr.Smile12, thank you for your response!
I appreciate the insight. You’re right—some schools have a cap on the number of community college credits they accept or strongly prefer coursework from a four-year university.
I’ve researched this further and compiled a list of schools and their policies regarding community college credits and degree requirements.

1. UF – In general, students may transfer up to 60 credits from public/state colleges as part of the credits needed for your UF degree,.
2. East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine - requires applicants to complete a minimum of 90 semester hours of prerequisite coursework.
3. University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry - accepts applicants who have completed 90 semester hours of college preparation.
4. University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry - accepts applicants who have completed at least 90 semester hours of prerequisite coursework
5. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry - A minimum of 87 semester credits or 130 quarter credits of courses from an officially accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university is required.
6. University of Utah School of Dentistry - requires a minimum of 90 semester hours of undergraduate coursework for admission.
7. Ohio State University College of Dentistry - accepts applicants who have completed at least 60 semester hours of prerequisite coursework. Applicants must have completed at least 90 credit hours and have 9 of the 13 prerequisite courses completed when they apply.
8. Indiana University School of Dentistry - accepts students who have completed 90 semester hours of prerequisite coursework. Complete 30 of the 90 semester credit hours at a 4 year college or university.
9. NSU - Prior to matriculation, applicants must have completed a minimum of 90 semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited college or university. Not more than 60 semester hours from community or junior college will be applied to the 90-semester-hour minimum.
10. LECOM - will consider coursework from accredited community colleges to meet any of the 90-credit course hour requirements for prerequisites and electives.
11. High Point University School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health - requires no degrees, prerequisite courses, standardized tests (e.g., DAT), or shadowing hours. Nor are there any application or supplemental fees. The school does require the CASPer and Duet assessments, part of the Altus Suite, each of which has a fee.
12. University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry - accepts applicants who have completed at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter credits
13. New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry - We strongly recommend applicants to the DDS program have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university. However, applicants who do not have a bachelor's degree, but who have a GPA of 3.5 and have completed 90 or more credits at the time of matriculation will be considered.
14. Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine - Students must have completed a minimum of 60 semester credit hours (90 quarter hours) to be eligible for consideration.
15. Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine - Requires a minimum of 90 semester hours; a bachelor’s degree is strongly recommended. Applicants must complete 6 semester hours of English or similar reading/writing-intensive coursework in the humanities.
16. University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry - accepts students who have completed at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate coursework. This is equivalent to three years of predental coursework.
17. Creighton University School of Dentistry - requires applicants to have completed at least 64 semester hours of college coursework. This includes two years of study at an accredited college of arts and sciences.

My Next Steps & Questions for You​

I want to make sure my school list is strong and that I focus on schools that will seriously consider an applicant without a bachelor's degree but with strong academic performance, shadowing, and extracurriculars.

Are there any other schools you recommend that might be a better fit for my situation?

Thanks again for your help—I really appreciate the feedback!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

The next step is to ask schools you want to attend about whether they anticipate problems. There's not much more one can comment on after that; you'll know which programs will take your application relatively seriously.

 

[macsak]

Hello everyone!

I am applying for the 2025-2026 dental school cycle and would appreciate some feedback on my application. I do not have a bachelor's degree, but I graduated from a dental assisting program and have completed all required prerequisite courses at a community college.
I want to apply to at least 12 schools but am still researching which ones accept community college coursework without requiring a bachelor's degree. I'd love recommendations on which schools I might have the best chance at!

Shadowing Experience: 8 months (Dental Assisting Externship – Dental Clinic at Nova Southeastern University (2 months) + four more dental offices (6 months)

Volunteering Experience: 100 hours in a dental office

Employment: temporary assistant during summer classes

Research: No

Other Extracurriculars: Professional Memberships & Leadership
American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA)
Colgate Professional
Crest Professional
The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)
The National English Honor Society Sigma Kappa Delta
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Honor Society.org: A Tradition of Success

Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? Yes. Community Service at Nova Southeastern University – Give Kids A Smile (GKAS)

Relevant Honors or Awards:
Graduated with High Honors – Associate in Science, Dental Assisting, Broward College, Dec 2023
Graduated with Honors – Associate in Arts, Broward College, May 2022
Dean’s List (3 semesters) – Recognized for academic excellence at Broward College
President’s List (3 semesters) – Achieved highest academic distinction at Broward College
Overall Honors at 261.53 credits – Recognized for maintaining a strong academic record
Writing Credit Recognition – Demonstrated proficiency in advanced writing courses at Broward College

Relevant Honors or Awards (Scholarships & Grants)
Broward Dental Research Clinic Scholarship – Awarded twice ($1,000 each) for excellence in dental education, Broward College.
Seese Annual Scholarship – Competitive $1,000 academic scholarship, Broward College.
Broward Dental Scholarship – $522.24 merit-based award for dental students, Broward College.
American Rescue Plan Scholarship – Recognized for academic resilience during COVID-19 ($1,200, twice), Broward College.
Broward College Book Award – $209.29 scholarship for academic excellence.
Attain Success Grant – $1,630 achievement-based grant, Broward College.
FL Student Assistance Grant – State-funded merit-based grant ($978 + $1,305), Broward College.

LOR type and strength:
Dentist (Externship Site #1) – Strong to Exceptional
Dentist & Professor (Nova University) – Exceptional
Anatomy Professor #1 – Strong
Anatomy Professor #2 – Strong
Dental Assisting Program Director – Strong to Exceptional

School list:
UF
NSU
LECOM
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry

I truly appreciate any advice, feedback, or school recommendations to help strengthen my application!

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