Your undergraduate major is not a significant factor in the admissions process. You must do well in your major and other courses that contribute to your overall grade point average and you must do well in the required science courses. Our pre-dental course requirements are purposely kept at a minimum to allow participants maximum flexibility in selecting a major and choosing elective courses. But, do allow yourself opportunity to earn a solid academic background in science courses.
You must complete at least 135 quarter hours (90 semester hours) at an accredited
American college or university before you are eligible to enter The Dental College
of Georgia. Therefore, the earliest you can apply for admissions is after June 1 between
your sophomore and junior years.
Most students enter dental school after completion of a four-year baccalaureate degree.
Very few students are accepted after completing only three years of college work.
Generally, these applicants are mature, academically highly qualified or have significant
life experiences prior to application.
You should keep in mind the fact that many applicants are not accepted each year.
We advise all applicants to plan their program taking into account the fact that they
may take several years to gain acceptance to dental school, or they may never be accepted.
To get the most out of the undergraduate program, you should plan on obtaining a bachelor's
degree or completing whatever course work is necessary to enter another field of your
choice. This way, if you are not accepted into dental school, you can follow your
alternative plans without spending a lot more time in school.
No, all the prerequisites do not have to be completed at application time, but must be completed prior to matriculation as a dental student. This means while applicants are going through the admissions cycle during summer and Fall semesters, they can be in the process of taking the remainder of their required courses during the Fall semester as well as the following Spring semester. If necessary, accepted applicants are still eligible to be completing prerequisites course the summer semester before they are due to begin dental school. However, keep in mind that among other factors, the committee is making decisions about an applicant’s academic performance during review of their application; especially in the required courses. So, the more required courses that are completed prior to applying, the better perspective the committee has about how well an applicant will perform in the rigorous science courses that make up the dental school curriculum.
While C’s are not considered competitive, they are acceptable results in reference to the prerequisite courses. Since The Dental College of Georgia does not acknowledge the + and – grade point system, the Admissions Committee reviews a C+ and a C- as simply a C.
Yes, you may make an advising appointment with someone in our office. To set up an
appointment via phone or in person, contact us at (706) 721-3587.
An applicant's DAT scores and grade point average provide the admissions committee
with important predictors of success. Therefore, the DAT is important with emphasis
being placed on both the academic portion and the perceptual ability tests. Both need
to be high, as you will be competing with other applicants.
The average admitted students in the past had 19 on the academic portion and a 20
on the PAT portion of the DAT.
Applicants must take the DAT no later than September 30th of the year preceding the
academic year for which they are seeking admission. For example, applicants for the
2017 entering class must take the DAT no later than September 30, 2016.
As a general rule, students interested in applying to dental school should plan to
take the DAT early enough to have a second opportunity to take the test before the
test deadline for a particular year. It is a good idea to take the DAT during the
spring of your junior year, so you have another chance to take the test during the
summer or early fall of your senior year, if your scores from your first attempt at
the test were not as high as you would have liked.
Since the DAT has sections related to biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry,
it would be beneficial to have completed as many of the required courses as possible
before taking the DAT. Since there is no physics section, this required course can
be taken later if scheduling permits or dictates.
The Dental College of Georgia will accept unofficial DAT scores by email for the purpose of moving forward for review of a candidate’s application. An applicant can scan their unofficial scores which they receive from the testing center and email them to oaas@august.edu. These scores are temporarily valid in deciding if an application is to move forward in our admissions process. However, all official DAT scores must still be forwarded with your ADEA AADAS application and are usually available to the DCG within several weeks after the DAT has been taken.
The TOEFL exams is required if any applicant's native language is not English. The internet-based version of TOEFL (iBT TOEFL) is the only option available for current testers. The four-hour exam will cover all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Applicants must achieve a minimum score of 100, with 26 in the speaking component. Test must be taken by the Sept 30, deadline.
If you feel that your English is sufficient and you do not need the TOEFL, you can
make an appointment via phone with our director to try to have it waived. Contact
us at (706) 721-3587.
Apply online at http://portal.aadsasweb.org beginning June 2, 2016 for the Class of 2017.
Yes. The application deadline is September 30. Classes begin the upcoming August, more
than nine months prior to the date of enrollment. This deadline is for AADSAS applications
and test scores (DAT and TOEFL). Supplemental applications are due two weeks after
the link is emailed to an applicant.
The AADSAS application for Augusta University is available the first week of June to September 30th. Once the AADSAS application is complete, AADSAS then verifies information. This could take up to four weeks depending on when they receive transcripts. Once verified, AADSAS then sends the DCG the application. Once received, a link to the supplemental application is emailed to all Georgia and select out-of-state applicants. Once an application is considered complete (AADSAS application, supplemental application, letters of recommendation, and DAT scores received), a decision about granting an interview is made. Interviews are conducted from late Augusta to early December. All decision are made soon thereafter.
Generally speaking, the committee will select the best applicants for admission from
all who apply each year. This means you will be "competing" with all other applicants.
Each applicant for next year's class will be assessed by the committee based on the
following factors (not in priority order): overall grade point average (GPA), science
GPA, pattern of grades, Dental Admission Test scores, letters of recommendation, interviews,
proficiency in English and communication skills, motivation for becoming a dentist,
unusual educational experiences or background, life experiences, work experiences,
demonstrations of leadership in activities, involvement in community and extracurricular
activities, volunteer work, honors and awards received, residence in a health professions
shortage (underserved) area, research experiences, and experience in an oral health
care setting. While all applicants may not have experiences in all of these areas,
the committee considers achievement in all of these areas as part of the student selection
process.
High grades and DAT scores alone do not guarantee acceptance. However, the dental
school curriculum is demanding and rigorous, therefore high grades indicate the applicant's
potential ability to successfully complete our program.
The ideal applicant will show up very well in all categories, but many are accepted
because they show exceptional promise in certain areas.
The Admissions Committee strongly encourages applicants to shadow a dentist in order
to learn as much as possible about the practice of dentistry from a practitioner.
It is important to have some first-hand knowledge of dental practice prior to a decision
to pursue a career in dentistry.
The entering classes are scheduled for 94 students; up to 10 percent of accepting students will be non-Georgia residents.
As you will be compared with other applicants, it is impossible to tell at the outset
just how high your grades have to be. Much depends on how good the other applicants
look in comparison to you. It is possible to have high grades and not be accepted
due to other factors that the committee considers important. DAT scores, references,
and interviews all provide information about you that will be considered in an admissions
decision.
Minimum requirements are as follows:
- Overall GPA 2.8 & Science GPA 2.8 (average overall GPA 5; average science GPA 3.5)
- DAT Academic Average & Perceptual Ability 13/14 or 14/13 (average Academic Average
19; Perceptual Ability 20)
Students accepted with grades below the average generally had poor beginnings in
undergraduate school, but then performed at a very high level their last several quarters,
both overall and in the required science areas, or as part of a Master’s degree or
courses taken beyond undergraduate degree. While many of these so-called "late bloomers"
were not accepted, several are taken each year.
There are two options in submitting letters of recommendation.
As applications are received, they are screened by the admissions committee based
on criteria set up by the committee. Applicants judged to be qualified based on grades,
DAT scores, letters of recommendation, and other non-cognitive factors such as community
involvement, leadership in extracurricular activities, experience in oral health care
or health care, awards and honors, and residency in a health professions shortage
area are invited to visit the campus for admission interviews. At its option, the
committee may decide to invite some additional applicants who it believes have good
potential for success in our program.
Because the admissions committee is interested in the personal qualities of the applicants
as well as their grades and DAT's, interviews play an important part in the admissions
process. While the shortcomings of interviews are well-understood, they do provide
the committee with useful, though subjective, information. The interviews also provide
the selected applicants with a chance to present themselves on a personal basis.
Acceptance into The Dental College of Georgia is recommended to the Dean by an Admissions Committee appointed by the Dean of the DCG. The Office of Students, Admissions and Alumni has the administrative responsibility of advising applicants on admissions procedures and preparing applicant files for committee decisions.
Normally, the admissions committee completes filling the entering class sometime in January of each year. As soon as a decision is reached on your application, a letter will be sent to you notifiying you of the committee's decision.
The admissions committee considers each applicant on his or her merits, including
motivation. If you are well-motivated for the study of dentistry, the fact that you
are interested in other professions at the same time will not adversely affect your
chances. However, if the admissions committee members are aware that you have applied
to other programs, they may question your interest in dentistry.
Around 90 percent of the incoming class to The Dental College of Georgia will be Georgia residents. Up to10 percent will be residents of states other than Georgia.
Out-of-state applicants will not receive the supplemental application automatically. Their AADSAS application is reviewed. Depending on the results, out-of-state applicants are invited to complete the AU supplemental application on a case by case basis.
You must be a resident of the State of Georgia for 12 months prior to enrollment into
the dental program. For instance, if you were going to apply for the entering class
of 2017, you would have to establish residency in Georgia during the first week of
August 2016. You will have to have resided in the State of Georgia for 12 months
prior to matriculation. Some of the ways that you might be asked to provide proof
of residency could be a Georgia driving license, a statement of property taxes, voter
registration, automobile registration, etc. If your relatives that already live in
Georgia are your parents, spouse, or court-appointed guardian and you are a dependent,
then there is an exception to the rule and you may claim Georgia residency.
For additional information on Student Residency, please visit the Board fo Regents policy manual.
The Dental College of Georgia considers students applying to the DMD program who are U.S. citizens, or have proof of permanent residency in the U.S. Applicants who hold specific VISA credentials will have their application considered for admissions. You can learn if your VISA is considered by DCG by inquiring at osaas@augusta.edu. However, all of our candidates must complete at least 90 semester hours of course work at an American accredited institution (giving them a GPA). It usually takes about 3 years to get 90 semester hours completed. Furthermore, because the applicant pool is so competitive, our candidates are advised to be working towards a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. accredited institution instead of being satisfied with receipt of the required 90 semester hours.
Unfortunately, DCG does not have an advance standing program for internationally trained dentists. There are several residency program that international-trained dentist would be eligible for consideration at DCG. Otherwise we advise them to visit adea.org to learn of the dental schools that have advanced standing program internationally trained dentists
Unfortunately, any courses taken in another country will not be considered when applying
to The Dental College of Georgia. While there are some dental schools that do accept
the results of professional evaluations of foreign transcripts, the DCG does not.
All coursework, including prerequisites, must be taken at a U.S. accredited college
or university. Prospective students who have degrees from foreign colleges and universities
have been able to attend the DCG, but they each had to take at least 90 semester hours
of additional college course (including the required courses) at a U.S. accredited
institution.
Augusta University is an equal educational opportunity institution and The Dental
College of Georgia is committed to enrolling minority and women students. Those judged
to have promise as future dentists are given every consideration for admission. There
are a number of minority and women students enrolled in the dental school. We encourage
students with diverse backgrounds to apply, including minorities, women, and other
non-traditional students, because we believe that a diverse student body is an asset
to the education of all students at the DCG, as well as an asset to the dental profession
and the State of Georgia.
Age is generally not a factor, so long as you are competitive with other applicants.
We have accepted applicants as young as 19 and as old as 47. Individuals in the workforce
who desire a career change are also encouraged to apply as long as they can substantiate
their reasons for desiring a career in dentistry.
