Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many people apply each year?
A. Over 500 applications were received for the 2010 application cycle.

Q. How many people are accepted each year?
A. 65

Q. Are Louisiana residents given preference?
A. Yes.

Q. What are the residency requirements?
A.  Admission is restricted to legal residents of the United States.  Admission preference will be given to residents of Louisiana. Residents of Arkansas will be considered under the guidelines of the Arkansas Health Education Loan program. Up to five students may be accepted from states other than Louisiana and Arkansas.  Residents of other countries will not be considered for admission.

Q. Are three college years enough to gain acceptance?
A. Technically, yes. However, an applicant completing only three years of college would generally not be competitive against degreed applicants.

Q. Are out-of-state residents considered?
A. Yes, we accept up to 5 out of state applicants per year, and up to 4 Arkansas residents per year.

Q. What kind of GPA does the average accepted applicant present?
A. The average is about 3.6 on a 4.0 scale.

Q. What is the average DAT score?
A. 19

Q. What other items are of importance to the Admissions Committee?
A. Many things, DAT score, letters of recommendation, your essay, your interview, extracurricular activities, knowledge of dentistry as a career, and work history.

Q. Is the GPA the most important thing?
A. No, the overall academic record is more important. Some very important factors that are taken into consideration are where you went to school, the courses you took and how many courses you took each term, and how well you did.

Q. Do I need to get a job in a dental office to be considered?
A. No. Although any dental experience is useful in helping determine whether this is a good career choice for you, applicants do not commonly work in a dental office prior to entering dental school. It has been our experience that such opportunities are limited and it is not realistic to emphasize "employment". It is important for you to shadow in a number of dental offices to get a feel for what the profession involves. We recommend a minimum of 30 hours in the offices of at least two different general dentists. The committee will not consider applicants for admission who have not shadowed in a general dentist's office.

Q. When should I take the DAT?
A. This decision is probably best made in conjunction with your school's pre-dental advisor. However, most people take it in their junior year after they have completed the prerequisite courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology, although physics is an important prerequisite course. It is strongly recommended that the applicant take the DAT prior to the June AADSAS application process.

Q. How will I know if I should retake the DAT?
A. We generally advise students to retake the DAT if their score is 18 or below.

Q. When will I hear if I get accepted?
A. The first acceptances are given after December 1st and are given throughout the interview year when final decisions are made about individual applicants. This can occur through March.

Q. Are applicants with an international dental degree considered?
A. No.

Q. How do I apply?
A. Applications are available from ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (ADEA AADSAS).