Frequently Asked Questions 

Tours of the dental college are offered during our annual Predental Forum. DMD applicants are also invited for tours of the college. During these events, we give a fully-guided tour, including our newly renovated clinics and simulation lab.

Regretfully, we cannot offer individual tours of the college at other times. The UF College of Dentistry is located on the main campus of the University of Florida. For more information the the entire campus, you can take a virtual tour.

The entering class of Fall 2007 had an overall average GPA of 3.60, a science GPA of 3.5, an academic average score on the DAT of 20 and a PAT average score of 19.

Keep in mind that high GPAs and DAT scores are not a guarantee of admission. While both are important, they are only part of the characteristics the Admissions Committee is looking for. Read our tips for getting into Dental School to see how other factors like dental experience are also important.

The Admissions Committee does not give preference to certain majors. Committee members encourage students to major in an area of interest and are most concerned with the successful completion of prerequisite courses.

You should apply one year before you plan to enroll in dental school and should apply early in the application cycle for your application to receive the fullest consideration (e.g. To start in Fall 2009, you should apply to AADSAS in May of 2008).

AADSAS applications open annually around May 15th. Waiting until the December 1st application deadline is a poor strategy and is not recommended. For information on admissions cycle dates, visit the AADSAS Applicant Information page.

Take the DAT late in the spring one year before you plan to apply to dental school (e.g. Take it in late spring 2008 if you are applying for the entering class of 2009). You must wait a minimum of 90 days to retake the exam if you are not satisfied with your scores. So taking the DAT in late spring will allow you plenty of time to retake it and still have your new scores available in late November when the Admissions Committee is making decisions about the entering class.

We highly recommend that you complete the courses that are covered on the DAT before taking it. Visit www.ada.org for more details.

Yes. However, we give preference to Florida residents. Approximately 10% of each class comes from outside of Florida.

No. We can only accept U.S. Citizens or permanent residents (green card holders).
Note to Canadian students: although we can only admit US Citizens and permanent residents we do accept Canadian course work and DAT scores.

In general, Florida residents typically reside in the state for 12 consecutive months. As residency status is determined by the University of Florida's Admissions Office, further residency questions can generally be answered by visiting their website or calling (352) 392-1365.

We do not give preference to any schools, including UF. The only preference given is to residents of the state of Florida.

December 1st is the last date that applications can be submitted to AADSAS. Our admissions cycle will continue interviewing and processing applications until March 1st, but we do not accept any applications submitted after this date.

The Office of Admissions does not recommend waiting until December 1st to apply. You will be competing for far fewer spots in the entering class and your chances of being accepted decrease accordingly. Remember, AADSAS can take up to eight weeks to process and disburse applications, so timing is an important factor.

December 1st is the earliest date that AADSAS schools can notify applicants about their status. Keep in mind that while we send out a majority of our acceptance letters in December, we continue to interview applicants in January and February.

Please note that the Admissions Office cannot give out final decisions over the phone or by email. To check the current status of your application, visit www.adea.org and go to the "status" section.

We enroll approximately 80 DMD students each fall.

The increase in dental school applicants at UF over the past 4 years has been nearly exponential. In addition, applicants are applying earlier in the admissions cycle. To put this in perspective, consider the following:

Despite these increases, the size of our entering class remains constant; around 80 students are accepted each year. Most who apply have very strong applications and show promise for careers in the field of dentistry. Unfortunately, we just cannot accommodate everyone who applies.

Yes. We only accept applications for our DMD program through AADSAS.

You need to submit either three individual letters of evaluation or one composite letter from the pre-professional committee at your school. To strengthen your application, two of the letters should be from college-level science professors who can speak personally of your work. The third letter should be from a dentist or other qualified person who knows you and your accomplishments. It can also be from another professor.

If you are invited to submit a supplemental formal application, we will also provide you with optional clinical observation and research experience forms. These forms can be used to provide us with additional information about your clinical and research activities.

Due to the near-exponential increase in dental school applicants in recent years, we recommend that you apply to AADSAS as early as possible. Letters and transcripts should be sent to AADSAS at the same time that you submit your application. You may submit your application before taking the DAT, but we recommend taking it as soon as possible afterward.

Keep in mind that your application will be put on hold if we do not receive your DAT score report or other important documents. Applicants will be informed of holds by email.

No. Since our dental school's curriculum is based directly upon the course material covered in those prerequisite courses, you must complete them before matriculating into the College.

There are a number of activities that can help prepare applicants for an education and career in dentistry. Aspiring dental students are encouraged to explore any predental clubs in place at their university. Visit ASDA to see if your school already has a chapter in place. In addition, experience in other non-dental organizations, community service, and/or research can be valuable qualities in an application.

Students at the University of Florida have plenty of opportunities to volunteer, shadow, and participate in dental-related extracurriculars. We encourage students to explore UF's Predental ASDA Chapter and Predental Society.

Additionally, there are a number of research opportunites through Shands and the UFCD. Information regarding research programs and faculty mentors is available here. For volunteering availabilities, please visit Shands Volunteering.

No. You must let the ADA know which schools you would like your scores distributed to. Since it takes approximately two to four weeks for us to receive your scores, you may send an unofficial copy to our office to expedite the review of your application. Keep in mind, however, that our office must receive an official report before any final decision is made.

Yes. In fact, the University of Florida Health Science Center is a major referral center for health care treatment in this region. It currently attracts more potential patients from Gainesville and the surrounding counties than our dental students can treat, and there is a continual list of applicants interested in becoming dental student patients.

No. UFCD faculty will screen, examine, and interview potential patients, before accepting them for student treatment. All dental students are assigned patients appropriate to their level of experience (e.g. Patients with simple dental needs are assigned to beginning clinical students and patients with more complex needs are assigned to upper-level students). Patients are also distributed to students in such a way as to give each student a well-rounded patient body. On average, a junior-level student will have about 15 patients, and a senior-level student will have about 25 patients.

Dental students are permitted to treat patients they have self-identified, providing the patient has dental needs appropriate to the student's level of experience and that the patient would be accepted into the student program using our patient screening guidelines. In other words, students are given dental patients by the school but are not prohibited from treating patients they identify, so long as the patient has appropriate dental needs.

The conditions permitting a transfer between dental schools are rare. Provided that space is available in the appropriate class, we generally accept transfer students who are (at a minumum):

1. currently enrolled and in good standing at an accredited dental school;
2. in the upper 50% of their dental class; and
3. a US citizen or permanent resident.

For a complete description of transfer requirements, visit our Transfer Students page. Acceptance is granted on a case-by-case basis when an opening becomes available, and preference is given to Florida residents. Candidates must spend a minimum of two years in residence at the UF College of Dentistry and must also be prepared to take the National Dental Board Examinations with the class in which they enter.

Transfer students must provide:

1. a UFCD transfer application;
2. a UF formal application;
3. official DAT scores;
4. a $30 application fee made out to University of Florida;
5. official undergraduate transcripts;
6. official dental school transcripts;
7. a letter of evaluation from the dean of your current dental school; and
8. a written narrative expressing the circumstances for your transfer request.

Application packets must be completed at least 45 days prior to the beginning of the entering term. Qualified candidates will be invited to the UF College of Dentistry for an interview and may be required to take a supplemental written and practical examination. Pre-dental college and DAT materials will be evaluated and expected to meet the minimum standards of the entering class to which the transfer candidate is applying.

No. Since the instrument leasing program began several years ago, both students and the College have come to the realization that instrument purchasing is not a significant advantage to the student, and this option is not available.

We do not require a certain amount of hours, however, you do need a substantial amount of first-hand dental observation so that you are familiar with the in's and out's of the dental field. This is going to be your career for the next couple of decades! Make sure this is what you want to do. It helps give evidence to the admissions committee in selecting our class, but most of all it benefits you.

No. Although you should have the majority of the prerequisites completed, you may still take the remaining courses during the application cycle so long as they are completed before enrollment. You should document all remaining courses in the "Planned Courses" section of your AADSAS application for the committee's awareness.

We do not require a certain amount of hours, however, you do need a substantial amount of first-hand dental observation so that you are familiar with the in's and out's of the dental field. This is going to be your career for the next couple of decades! Make sure this is what you want to do. It helps give evidence to the admissions committee in selecting our class, but most of all it benefits you.

Yes, we do accept AP/IB credit if the college you are attending accepted it towards your Bachelor's degree and it shows on your transcript. However, we strongly recommend that you take all prerequisites at the university-level, even if you have received credit. This is especially true in regards to science courses.

Note: we do NOT accept any AP/IB credit for applicants to the Honors Combined BS/DMD program.