Guidelines for Admission Consideration
All about degree requirements, grades, required/recommended coursework and the Dental Admission Test
Degree requirements
A four-year, baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or a Canadian University is required for matriculation into the NEOMED dentistry program. Candidates may apply and be accepted while baccalaureate degree completion is in progress.
Consideration of international coursework
If prospective students meet the U.S. / Canadian University baccalaureate degree requirement but coursework includes some international classes completed, that international coursework may be considered for acceptance to fulfil prerequisite requirements if supported by a World Educational Services (W.E.S.) evaluation supplied at the candidate’s expense and verified through AADSAS.
Does NEOMED offer an advanced placement dentistry program for practicing dentists holding international credentials?
We do not intend to have an advanced placement program at the start of the dentistry program, but we have an interest in exploring that plan at a future, unspecified, date.
Does NEOMED intend to limit acceptance by immigration status?
At this juncture, NEOMED plans to accept U.S. citizens and candidates holding United States Legal Permanent Resident status. This may change in the future for international students once NEOMED is successfully empowered to enroll international students by the U.S. government. NEOMED offers no admission program for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students currently.
Grades
Grading Standards to Fulfill Prerequisite Requirements
Candidates are expected to present grades indicating subject level attainment of “C” or better for each pre-requisite course. A limited number of individual “pass/fail” grades may be considered and evaluated according to institutional grading policy. Pre-requisite coursework may be in progress at the time of application and acceptance but must be completed before matriculation into the dentistry program.
Is there a minimum GPA for admission?
NEOMED practices holistic admission. This means that each candidate’s application is first reviewed to ensure the proper academic preparation to excel in the rigors of dental school. Next, each application is evaluated through a review of candidates’ experiences, attributes, and activities in full compliance with State of Ohio and federal laws and regulations. Since we anticipate dentistry will attract a competitive admission pool where there are many more qualified candidates that spaces in the class, each candidate’s application credentials will be holistically evaluated in a stratified manner under the direction of a duly appointed faculty admission committee. All of this means that NEOMED plans to share recommended minimum academic metrics. Once we have matriculated an inaugural class we will share additional class profile data. Only grades and calculated grade averages presented in AADSAS as verified will be used in admission decisions.
What is the minimum recommended undergraduate GPA for full consideration for admission?
In most cases students should plan to present no lower than a 3.00 overall undergraduate GPA and a 3.00 undergraduate GPA when science classes alone are averaged. We project an average undergraduate GPA of around 3.50. However, candidates who have completed applicable post-baccalaureate and/or graduate coursework at high attainment levels may wish to consider application even with undergraduate grades somewhat lower than shared above.
If my overall or science GPA is under 3.5, should I apply when the application becomes available?
Of course! Many factors go into shaping GPAs. Trends showing that a student improved her or his grades after college adjustment, changes of major and career goals, the challenging 2020 Covid enrollment year, and individual student circumstances. As we like to say in admission, every application tells a story – if you know how to read it!
Advanced Placement and College Credit Plus
NEOMED accepts Advanced Placement (A.P.) credit and college credit completed in secondary school (such as Ohio’s College Credit Plus) as posted to college/university transcripts verified in AADSAS. There will be no need to send A.P. documentation to NEOMED separately.
NEOMED does not screen pre-requisites for instructional modality (in person, hybrid, online) or type of post-secondary institution (community college, college, university).
All pre-requisites are to be completed at regionally accredited higher education institutions if completed in the United States or at a Canadian university. International coursework may be considered to fulfill pre-requisites if supported by a World Educational Services (W.E.S.) evaluation supplied at the candidate’s expense and verified through AADSAS.
Required and recommended coursework
The purpose of requiring successful completion of pre-requisite coursework is to increase the certainty that all accepted candidates will demonstrate adequate subject knowledge to thrive in dental school. We understand that undergraduate curriculum and degree requirements may vary from our prerequisites listed below and accommodations are often available. We recommend consulting with NEOMED admission staff in advance about prerequisites.
The required pre-requisite courses and recommended pre-requisite courses are:
Required pre-requisites
Required pre-requisites include:
- 8 semester credit hours of biological/life sciences foundations courses and labs. In many cases this is presented as Biology I and lab and Biology II and lab in curriculum.
- 8 semester credit hours of general or inorganic chemistry foundations courses and labs. In many cases this is presented as Chemistry I and lab and Chemistry II and lab in curriculum.
- 8 semester credit hours of Organic Chemistry I and lab Organic Chemistry II and lab.
- 3 semester credit hours of biochemistry
- 3 semester credit hours of physics (either algebra-based or calculus-based).
Recommended pre-requisites
Recommended pre-requisites include:
- 3 semester credit hours of statistics/health-studies related statistics
- 3 or 4 semester credit hours of math at the college algebra or calculus level
- 3 semester credit hours of microbiology
- 3 semester credit hours of cell biology
- 3 semester credit hours of biochemistry II
Dental Admission Test
NEOMED will require all candidates to complete the Dental Admission Test for admission consideration.
Over time we will study the DAT results that corollate to student success at NEOMED. This will allow us to make better holistic decisions, as we do with our other programs.
As we begin to evaluate candidates, we recommend a minimum score of 16 or 17 on the Dental Admission Test with higher scores predicting better on-time progression to graduation.
AADSAS will be the official source for all GPA and DAT reporting. Grades and DAT scores will not be accepted outside of AADSAS.
Candidate must present DAT scores from tests taken within 3 years from February 1st of their admission cycle. For example, candidates planning to matriculate in 2025 should plan on presenting current DAT results from tests not administered prior to February 1, 2022. Interested candidate with older DAT score should plan to re-take the DAT.
Q: How can I learn more about the Dental Admission Test, including how my perceptual ability may be assessed to project compatibility with dental practice?
A: See an overview of the the Dental Admission Test.
Outside the classroom
Building co-curricular experiences & recommendations
Successful candidates for acceptance to the D.D.S. program in the Bitonte College of Dentistry are strongly encouraged to add experiences, activities and recommendations in the form of evaluations to their academic achievements and DAT results as part of a holistic set of application credentials.
Dentist shadowing
Candidates are strongly encouraged to shadow several dentists, either in-person or virtually, to gain a nuanced appreciation for patient-facing dental practice. Between 40 to 80 hours of shadowing and volunteer experiences in a dental setting are recommended if employment in a dental clinic setting is not realistic. NEOMED will not require an affidavit statement attesting to shadowing experiences but will refer to candidate information provided in AADSAS.
Dental-related employment
Dental-related employment is encouraged if practice and can occur in a variety of forms. Dental hygienists, dental assistants, front office administrative assistants all provide candidates with a more advanced understanding of dental practice. While not required of all candidates, these employment experiences are excellent co-curricular options.
Research & academic enrichment
Both campus-based science research and clinical research are not required for all successful candidates but do provide a more advanced application of the role of scientific inquiry in the health professions. Conferences and summer programs for dentistry and other health professions also bolster candidates co-curricular resumes. We recommend that candidates present some form of research or academic enrichment as part of a comprehensive co-curricular resume. Note: we also understand that employment in support of family or basic self sufficiency may present barriers to some students applying to dental school. We encourage candidates to list all employment experiences for us to review.
Extracurricular activities, leadership and volunteering
Whether community or campus-based, active service in clubs, organizations, or service entities are encouraged of all candidates in some form to indicate a sense of service and giving back to the community. Clinically based service at non-profit health settings may be of great value in building patient-facing experiences.
Achievements, honors and awards
While not required for acceptance to dental school, candidates should plan to share any of the above with us in the application process.
Personal statement
All candidates should plan to submit a thoughtful personal statement explaining why she or he wishes to pursue a dental career. The admission committee will value statements that address the primary motivations to one day practice dentistry, appropriately provides insight into the authentic candidate, and reflects a level of professionalism in composition quality. There is a 4,500 character limit. Important note: Plagiarizing any part of your essay is a violation of the code of conduct and may subject you to sanctions.
Evaluations/recommendations
Candidates are highly encouraged to line up two trusted individuals to complete a candidate evaluation for a total of two recommendations. Candidates should plan to submit evaluation recommendations using the integrated evaluation tool in AADSAS. We recommend that at least one evaluation is completed and submitted by a dental practitioner and the second is completed by an academic professional such as a faculty member or co-curricular advisor.
Bitonte College of Dentistry
Inside the college
