Overview

ADMISSION SELECTION
Admission is on a competitive basis. The DCG Admissions Committee seeks applicants who, in the judgment of the Committee, are best qualified for admission.

TRANSFER STUDENTS
The Dental College of Georgia does not accept advanced-standing or transfer students.

FOREIGN-TRAINED DENTISTS
The Dental College of Georgia does not have a program in which foreign-trained dentists can participate in order to become licensed in Georgia.

Minimum Requirements

All D.M.D. applicants for admission must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for admission.

Georgia residents, as well as out-of-state residents and eligible international candidates, are eligible for acceptance. To establish Georgia residency, an applicant must show proof of residing in Georgia for at least twelve consecutive months before enrollment. International applicants must present valid U.S. Permanent Resident documentation or other valid Visa documentation. All applicants who are granted an interview must show additional documentation as proof of lawful presence in the United States before being offered acceptance.

90 semester hours (135 quarter hours) at an accredited American college or university with preference given to students who earn a baccalaureate degree

Minimum overall GPA: 2.8; science GPA: 2.8

*Average for entering class of 2023 - overall GPA 3.75; science GPA 3.69

 

Minimum Dental Admission Test: Academic – 16, Perceptual – 16, Total Science – 16

 *Average for entering class of 2023 - Academic Average: 21; Perceptual Ability: 20; Total Science: 21

 

One academic year** of principles of biology with labs

One academic year** of principles of chemistry with labs

One academic year with labs** of advanced chemistry

     - Organic Chemistry I with lab

     - Biochemistry I with or without a lab

*Organic chemistry II is optional, but highly recommended.

One semester (or two quarters)** with lab

One academic year** (or the portion of an academic year required for the baccalaureate degree at an accredited American college or university)

Required; Cost $525 ; Must have taken the Dental Admission Test (DAT) within three years of applying. The DAT must be taken by September 30, 2023. The DAT may be re-taken after 60 days. However, examinees will be limited to three opportunities to take the test.


For more information, contact the American Dental Association by phone at 1-800-232-2162 or by visiting the ADA website. 

The TOEFL exam is required if you were not born in the United States and/or your native language is not English. The cost to take the exam in the United States is $255 but ranges from $150-$300, depending on the region where the test is taken.

  • - an internet-based version of TOEFL (iBT TOEFL) is the only option available for current testers
  • - a four-hour exam, which covers all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing
  • - required minimum total score of 100, with a required minimum score of 26 or greater in the speaking component
  • - Test Deadline for 2024 entry - September 30, 2023
  • - DCG (Augusta University) TOEFL Institution Code - 5425

Click here to get more information on the ETS TOEFL website.

DMD candidates can only apply to The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University through the ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS).

The ADEA AADSAS application for the entering class of 2024 will be available for download and completion on May 09, 2023, allowing applicants to start their application three weeks prior to the official opening.

Applicants can submit their application starting on May 30, 2023.

For more information about the ADEA AADSAS application, click here. You may submit your AADSAS application to DCG from May 30 through September 30, 2023, DCG's deadline for application.

Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, official DAT scores, and letters of recommendation are to be submitted to AADSAS. Once AADSAS has received all of these components, they will be compiled and made available to DCG within several weeks.

Applicants will receive an email once DCG has received their application. This email will contain further instructions about supplemental information and fees.

*** PLEASE NOTE: AADSAS will not send applications to the DCG until they have received all transcripts needed to calculate GPA.***

After receiving the AADSAS application, all applicants will be emailed a link. Here, all applicants will be prompted to choose if they want the DCG Admissions Committee to review the supplemental component of their application for further consideration.

The supplemental information processing fee is $40. It is non-refundable and must be paid electronically in order for the DCG Admissions Office to receive an applicant’s supplemental component.

A candidate’s packet is not considered complete until the supplemental information has been submitted and received by the DCG Admissions Office.

All letters of recommendation to The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University must be submitted through the AADSAS service. The applicants for the entering class have two options for submitting (4) letters of recommendation:

Option 1: 

  1. Packet or composite/committee letter (counts as one letter). A committee letter can be one letter that is collaboratively written by a group of people or a collection of letters submitted on behalf of an institution or office.
  2. A dentist (whom you have shadowed)
  3. Personal letter*
  4. Personal letter*

Option 2: 

  1. An academic professional (science instructor, advisor, department chair, etc.)
  2. A dentist (whom you have shadowed)
  3. Personal letter* 
  4. Personal letter*


*academic advocate, another dentist, a supervisor or someone who knows the applicant well enough to speak positively on the applicant's behalf

Once an applicant has begun an AADSAS application and lists their recommenders and contact information, each recommender will receive a link via email with instructions on how to submit their letter on behalf of the applicant.

The recommender will receive the link as soon as the applicant adds and saves their name and contact information. The applicant's AADSAS application does not have to be finished or submitted before the recommendation links are sent.

Applicant Interviews

An applicant may be invited for an interview by the DCG Admissions Committee following a review of the completed application.

Interviews are:

  • by invitation only
  • conducted by DCG faculty and professional staff
  • designed to help assess the applicant's personality, motivation and ability deemed pertinent to the successful study of dentistry

 

Lawful Presence Verification

For Lawful Presence Verification, all interviewed applicants are required to submit one of the following documents:

  • A Certified U.S. Birth Certificate showing the student was born in the U.S. or a U.S. territory (A photocopy is not acceptable. Must bring original for review by the DCG Admissions Office staff.)
  • A U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (USCIS form N-550 or N-570)
  • A U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (USCIS form N-560 or N-561)
  • A U.S. Certificate of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (DS-1350) or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240)
  • A current U.S. Passport (Photocopy must include the photo page and the following page) 
  • A current Driver's License issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008
  • A current Driver's License issued by the State of Alabama after August 1, 2000
  • A current Driver's License issued by the State of South Carolina after November 1, 2008
  • A current ID issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008
  • A current Military ID (Service member only, not dependent)

If an applicant has a valid permanent resident (green) card, he/she is required to bring the card to the interview, where it will be copied by admission office personnel. There are several other forms of documentation that may be acceptable for international applicants to verify lawful presence. Click here for a complete list.

The Committee considers other factors such as health care and research experiences, leadership, community services or programs, family responsibilities, national recognition, ethnic or cultural backgrounds and commitment to practice in Georgia or health shortage areas.  

* All required courses must be taken on a graduated grading scale (A, B, C, D, F); required courses may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. Applicants must earn a grade of C or better in all required courses. The DCG does not acknowledge the +/- system at this time.

** An academic year equals two semesters or three quarters or one semester and two quarters.

 All published fees are subject to change.

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