Admissions

Penn Dental Medicine looks for 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, predental and research experience, as well as academic preparation. Because Penn Dental Medicine is a private institution, it is not bound by agreement to limit the number of out-of-state or international students in its program, and therefore, seeks a diverse student body.

Although there is no minimum grade-point-average or Dental Admission Test score requirement, careful consideration will be given to candidates with overall and science grade point averages (G.P.A.) of 3.2 or higher. The average scores for the August 2019 incoming class were as follows: mean overall G.P.A. of 3.73, mean science G.P.A. of 3.66, mean DAT academic of 22.2, the mean DAT PAT of 21, mean DAT reading comprehension of 22.6, and mean DAT total science of 21.8.

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, 2020

Note: Due to the large number of applicants (1,992 for the class entering August 2020), 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 (80%) 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 2018 and later are required for admission.Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, 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 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. Although it is preferred that all letters be sent directly to AADSAS, letters sent directly to Penn Dental Medicine’s Office of Student Admissions will also be accepted.

• 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– The Supplemental Application should be submitted electronically to the Penn Dental Medicine Office of Student Admissions as early as possible.
• Application Fee -The $60 non-refundable application fee should be submitted directly to the Penn Dental Medicine Office of Student Admissions. Electronic payment is available by completing the Payment Form. No application fee waivers are available. It is recommended that the application fee and the supplemental application are submitted at the same time well in advance of the application deadline.

Although the U.S. DAT is preferred, Canadian citizens and residents may submit Canadian DAT scores. Applicants who submit November CDAT test results reduce consideration due to test results arriving after the December 1 application deadline.

Course work from students 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, translated transcripts from ECE transcript service must be submitted to the Penn Dental Medicine Admissions Office in order to review the student’s academic performance. Although international students 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.

Currently, Penn Dental Medicine is not considering transfer applications into the DMD program.

In addition to completing all application procedures, reapplicants may submit a reapplication statement describing any changes from previous applications relating to course work, grades, DAT scores, employment, and predental experience. This reapplication statement may be included in the section provided for additional information related to your application in the Penn Dental Medicine Supplemental Application for Admission. Serious consideration will be given to reapplicants who have completed additional courses (full course loads) with exceptional academic records or completed an advanced degree. In situations where the Admissions Committee has concerns about vocational orientation, students should demonstrate extensive predental experience. DAT scores from test dates starting January 2018 and later are required for admission. Additional letters of support should be submitted from employers or professors familiar with recent work experience or course work.

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 2020, until the class reaches capacity. Accepted candidates are obliged to make a deposit of $500 to an offer of admission within the following schedule:

• 45 days after notification if received on or after 12/1
• 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 $500 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 $1,000.

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.

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