Admissions

Penn Dental Medicine seeks students who will advance the profession and gives preference to those who demonstrate a commitment to any of the following: excellence and leadership as demonstrated among others through extracurricular activities, community service; exposure to the dental profession through activities including but not limited to in-person observation, review of dental procedures online or attending dental related informational programs through pre-dental organizations; research experience as well as academic preparation.

Although there is no minimum grade-point average or Dental Admission Test (DAT) score requirement, special consideration will be given to candidates with overall and science grade point averages of 3.2 or higher. We seek students who will be successful in our demanding curriculum due to solid academic preparation, the flexibility to adapt to changing technologies, and the interpersonal skills to interact with diverse populations. Grades and DAT scores are only part of the review process and viewed in the context of the entire application.

The Office of Student Admissions at Penn Dental Medicine is excited to recruit the most motivated, engaged, diverse, and compassionate individuals to our program. Our students advance the profession through leadership, academic achievements, community and campus involvement, participation in research, participation in the arts or in sports, and pre-dental activities among their many qualities and accomplishments that they bring to our School.

Penn Dental Medicine students are as diverse in their backgrounds as they are in their interests. As a private school we seek to enroll individual from all 50 states and many countries and our student body reflects that. Through our many student organizations such as SNDA, HSDA, ISDA, Penn Pride, Penn Firsts, all students find homes within our Penn Dental Medicine community in which they prosper. Penn Dental Medicine feels strongly about the need for the most diverse health care teams and through its enrollment of an enriched student body advances that objective directly.

Penn Dental Medicine participates in the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS), a centralized application service sponsored by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). The AADSAS application must be completed via the ADEA web site, www.adea.org. For more information regarding this application, contact: ADEA / AADSAS, P.O. Box 9110, Watertown, MA 02471, e-mail: aadsasinfo@aadsasweb.org, or phone: 617-612-2045 (applicant inquiries only).

Application Deadline: December 1, 2022

Note: Due to the large number of applicants (2,211 for the class entering August 2022), it is highly recommended that candidates apply well in advance of the December 1 deadline date. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Although the majority of the PDM applicant pool submit applications by September 1, all applications completed by the deadline date will be reviewed for interview consideration. Decisions to review late applications are at the discretion of the Admissions Selection Committee. All application materials and documents become the property of Penn Dental Medicine and will not be returned to the applicant.

The following documents must be submitted along with the AADSAS application to the application service:

• Dental Admission Test (DAT) Scores — Applicants must submit DAT scores by the December 1 deadline. Scores reported through ADEA AADSAS are considered official. DAT scores from test dates starting January 2020 and later are required for admission. The Admissions Committee may invite applicants to interview based upon academic preparation, pre-dental experience, extracurricular activities, work experience and/or research prior to the receipt of official DAT scores.

• Letters of Evaluation — A minimum of two letters from professors (preferably from your major course of study) or a committee letter prepared by the school’s prehealth advisor and/or a committee familiar with the applicant’s academic abilities is required. Penn Dental Medicine does not require letters from science faculty, unless you are a science major. Letters should be on letterhead and include a signature and title. Please refer to the AADSAS application instructions for submitting letters of evaluation.

• Official Transcripts — All applicants must submit official transcripts to the AADSAS application service for verification. AADSAS applications will not be processed and sent to the individual schools until transcripts are received and verified. The Penn Dental Medicine Admissions Office requires official transcripts only from candidates who have been accepted for admission. Please do not forward transcripts to Penn Dental Medicine’s Office of Student Admissions until notified to do so.

It is recommended that applicants submit the Penn Dental Supplemental Application and application fee as soon as possible after submitting the AADSAS Application. In addition to the AADSAS application, applicants are required to complete and submit the following documents to Penn Dental Medicine for interview consideration.

• Supplemental Application for Admission – Upon submission and verification of the AADSAS application all applicants will be invited to complete our Supplemental Application via the Penn Dental Medicine applicant portal.
• Application Fee – A $60 non-refundable application fee must be submitted directly to the Penn Dental Medicine Office of Student Admissions. You may pay the application fee electronically via the Penn Dental Medicine applicant portal. No application fee waivers are available.

Only complete applications will receive consideration.

Applicants to Penn Dental Medicine are required to submit official DAT scores no more than two years old. No unofficial scores will be accepted. Although the U.S. DAT is preferred, Canadian citizens and residents may submit official Canadian DAT scores.  

Applicants taking the U.S. DATs must have their official scores submitted to ADEA AADSAS directly from the American Dental Association. Requesting DAT scores to be sent to any dental school will result in scores being sent to ADEA AADSAS.

Applicants taking the Canadian DAT must request official scores from the Canadian Dental Association and have official scores mailed to:

Office of Admissions
Robert Schattner Center
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
240 South 40th Street, Room 122
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6030

Our official DAT scores deadline is December 1.

Course work from applicants who complete their degrees in countries other than the U.S. and Canada will be considered provided they include the foreign course work on their AADSAS applications. In addition, an ECE Course-by Course evaluation must be submitted to the Penn Dental Medicine Admissions Office in order to review an applicant’s academic performance. Although international applicants are not required to meet their minimum course prerequisites at a U.S. educational institution, preference will be given to those who have taken some course work in the U.S. TOEFL scores are not required for admission to the four-year predoctoral program.

Penn Dental Medicine does not consider transfer applications into the DMD program.

The Admissions Selection Committee begins reviewing applications in July. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview day based upon information from the AADSAS application, the Penn Dental Medicine Supplemental Application for Admission, and letters of evaluation. Interviews (by invitation only) are held weekly from September through March. In accordance with ADEA notification guidelines, the Admissions Selection Committee will issue acceptances on a rolling basis beginning December 15, until the class reaches capacity. Accepted candidates are obliged to make a deposit of $1,000 to an offer of admission within the following schedule:

• 30 days after notification if received on or after 12/15
• 30 days after notification if received on or after 1/1
• 15 days after notification if received on or after 2/1
• 10 days after notification if received on or after 3/1*

An additional deposit of $1,000 is due on April 1 to continue to reserve a place in the class entering in August. Both deposits are non-refundable and are credited toward the first semester tuition payment.

*Candidates accepted on or after March 1 are obligated to make one deposit totaling $2,000.

Applicants will be notified of status changes via email and the U.S. Postal Service. Interview invitations will be emailed beginning in August and will continue through February on a rolling basis. Acceptance notification will begin December 1 on a rolling basis until the class reaches capacity. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified beginning October until completion of the admissions cycle. It is highly recommended that applicants update the ADEA AADSAS web portal with changes to their contact information as soon as they occur. Currently, the Office of Student Admissions does not update the ADEA AADSAS web portal with status changes.

Criminal Background Checks – All matriculating students are required to complete a criminal background check prior to matriculation. It is possible that infractions as a result of a background check could prevent an accepted applicant from matriculating at Penn Dental Medicine. Please note that professional licensure requirements may prohibit individuals with criminal convictions from ultimately obtaining a professional license. Licensure requirements vary by state. Prospective students are encouraged to consult state licensing agencies for more information.

Health and Immunization Requirements – All admitted students must meet The University of Pennsylvania and Penn Dental Medicine’s health and immunization requirements prior to matriculation. Matriculating students will be asked to provide Student Health Services and Penn Dental Medicine with proof of immunizations prior to matriculation. Students must remain in compliance for the duration of their enrollment at the University of Pennsylvania.

Office of Admissions
Robert Schattner Center
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
240 South 40th Street, Room 122
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6030
Telephone: 215-898-8943 (M-F 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
Fax: 215-573-9648
dental-admissions@dental.upenn.edu