What do you need to be a strong candidate for dental school?
3 key factors that dental schools are looking for:
- Strong academic performance: high GPA in prerequisite and upper division science coursework can show dental schools that you are prepared for their curriculum.
- Evidence of experience and personal development: experience in the dental field can help you determine whether dentistry is the right fit for you. Your experiences (both related and unrelated to health) can also show dental schools that you have the qualities they are looking for in a future dentist.
- Strong entrance exam scores: like your GPA, your entrance exam score can suggest that you are ready for the rigor of dental school.
More information on each factor can be found within their respective sections below.
Most importantly, remember that requirements vary from school to school! You must research the prerequisites you will need to apply to the schools you are interested in attending.
Dental Prerequisites: This is a compiled some information on the dental programs in the US. Please note that we still recommend you to do your own research alongside this guide.
- American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Official Guide to Dental Schools: A one year subscription to the online directory of dental schools (the ADEA dental school explorer) and A PDF publication.
More than 25% of the programs in this field require the following UHM courses for admission:
BIOL 171/171L and 172/172L | Introduction to Biology I and II | 8 cr. |
BIOC 141 or higher | Biochemistry | 3 or 4 cr. |
CHEM 161/161L and 162/162L | General Chemistry I and II* | 8 cr. |
CHEM 272/272L and 273/273L | Organic Chemistry I and II | 10 cr. |
ENG 100 and 200 | Composition I and II | 3-12 cr. |
MATH 140 or higher | Precalculus or higher* | 3 cr. |
MICR 130 or higher | Microbiology** | 3 cr. |
PHYL 141/141L and 142/142L (or PHYL 301/301L and 302/302L) | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II*** | 8 cr. |
PHYS 151/151L and 152/152L (or PHYS 170/170/L and 272/272L) |
College Physics I and II (or General Physics I and II) |
8 or 9 cr. |
Additional requirements may include courses such as calculus and upper-division biology. It is also recommended that non-science majors take additional upper-division or advanced science electives beyond the prerequisites listed above.
For a list of other general recommended pre-health courses, click here.
ART 113, ART 116, ART 242, and ART 344 are recommended to take in preparation for the perceptual ability section of the DAT.
CHEM 171/171L might not be accepted by dental schools in place of CHEM 161/161L and 162/162L. Students should double-check with the schools they are interested in if the schools would accept CHEM 171/171L in place of CHEM 161/161L and 162/162L.
*If you are planning on taking a chemistry or math course for the first time, please make sure to fulfill the placement exam requirement prior to registration.
**Some schools may require a microbiology lab.
***It is strongly recommended to check with each school for specific requirements.
Please note that if you are retaking courses because dental schools may not accept Advanced Placement (AP), online, or community college credit, your financial aid and/or scholarship status may be affected.
Applicant Undergraduate GPA Statistics
Category | UH Mānoa Applicants | UH Mānoa Accepted | National Applicants | National Accepted |
2023 | ||||
Cumulative Undergraduate | 3.26 | 3.47 | 3.52 | 3.64 |
Cumulative Undergraduate BCP | 3.14 | 3.45 | 3.42 | 3.57 |
2022 | ||||
Cumulative Undergraduate | 3.28 | 3.56 | 3.48 | 3.61 |
Cumulative Undergraduate BCP | 3.17 | 3.48 | 3.38 | 3.53 |
2021 | ||||
Cumulative Undergraduate | 3.2 | 3.47 | 3.44 | 3.58 |
Cumulative Undergraduate BCP | 3.07 | 3.34 | 3.33 | 3.5 |
Based on data acquired by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA).
*BCP stands for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The GPA is calculated using the courses in those subject areas.
To calculate the ADSAS GPA, please see the ADEA GPA Calculation website and PAC's ADSAS GPA Calculation spreadsheet for more help. This guide is for reference. Please do not enter any estimates calculated from this guide into your application. Enter course information as it appears on transcripts only.