How to Apply to the DDS Program
We begin taking applications for the next entering class beginning in June. You must have all application materials completed and submitted to us by October 1 to be considered for admission.
There has never been a better time, nor a better place to pursue a career in dentistry. Dentistry is consistently ranked as one of the 100 Best Jobs in the US News & World Report's ranking and the Bureau of Labor and Statistics is anticipating a growth of 9,800 new dentist jobs through the year 2030.
As a dental student at The Ohio State University you will gain the skills and expertise necessary to be an excellent oral health care provider in today's ever-changing world. As the only state-supported dental school in Ohio, our college serves the oral health needs of patients throughout the Buckeye State. Annually, we have nearly 130,000 patient interactions in our College where we see and serve a diverse patient population. Additional experience is gained through the OHIO Project, where our fourth-year dental students spend 50 days providing care in community clinics throughout Ohio under the direct supervision of associated faculty. The program benefits both the individuals who need care and the dental students who gain patient-care experience in a variety of settings. Students also have numerous opportunities to volunteer in community-based activities such as Give Kids a Smile, La Clinica Latina, Smiles for Schools and Give Vets a Smile.
Our 450 dental students are educated alongside 64 dental hygiene students by 191 faculty members. We are home to seven of the nine ADA recognized specialties providing our DDS students with insight and exposure to unique learning opportunities.
We invite you to learn more about our program by exploring our webpages, following us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or by attending an admissions overview session. There is no better time than now to be a Buckeye!
Questions? Visit the Office of Admissions page to view our contact information.
Your AADSAS application must be complete, verified and sent by AADSAS to us by the October 1, deadline. If all minimum qualifications are met, you will be eligible to receive the supplemental application and be considered for an interview (so long as you have met the minimum academic requirements).
How to Apply
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To be eligible to apply to Ohio State’s DDS program, you must complete 9 of the 13 prerequisite courses prior to submitting your application. If you are accepted, all prerequisite courses must be complete before the start of classes. You must receive a grade of a C or better in all prerequisite courses for the course to be counted as complete.
Note: These prerequisites must be completed at an accredited, educational, English-speaking institution within the United States or Canada.
If you are unsure whether a course at a specific school is equivalent to the course offered by Ohio State, you can utilize the following tools:
- First, check the Course Evaluation Website: This website contains equivalencies for numerous Ohio schools.
- If you cannot find the course on the Course Evaluation Website, then you will want to visit Transferology.
- If you cannot find the course on either the CE website or Transferology, you will need to request an evaluation of your course. Please see the Program Prerequisite Evaluation Form. Each prospective applicant may request one evaluation for one professional program. Please allow one month for processing. If you have already applied, please don't use this form. Instead, contact the Graduate and Professional Admissions Office to find out the result of our evaluation of your course work.
If you are taking an Anatomy and Physiology "combo" course, you must complete both sections/semesters of the course to satisfy both the Anatomy and Physiology requirements.
Ohio State’s course numbers for the prerequisite classes are listed below.
Ohio State Required Course Numbers
- Anatomy 2300 or 3300 or EEOB 2510
- Physiology 3200 or EEOB 2520 or PHR 3100
- Biochemistry 4511 or PHR 3200
- Biology 1113 & 1114
- Chemistry 1210 & 1220
- Organic Chemistry 2510 & 2520
- English/Comp 1110.01
- Second Writing Course
- Microbiology 4000
- Physics 1200
*Labs: If a lab is required as part of the specific course number, then the lab IS required. If the lab is listed as a separate course number, it is NOT required.
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- Complete the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS) application (the earlier the better!)
- Have your recommendation letters, official transcripts and required observation hours ready to add to your application.
- Your DAT scores will automatically be reported to AADSAS.
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A candidate must meet certain minimum criteria. A student's application will not be reviewed unless it meets the minimum standards.
- Total GPA Minimum: 3.0
- Science GPA Minimum: 3.0
- DAT AA Minimum: 17
- DAT PAT Minimum: 17
- DAT TS Minimum: 17
- Minimum of 60 semester (90 quarter) hours completed at an accredited institution
Minimum GPA Exceptions: Candidates that do not meet the minimum GPA requirements but have a completed an advanced degree with a minimum of a 3.5 GPA or have a minimum GPA of a 3.5 in their last 45 hours of coursework may be considered for an interview.
You must take the American Dental Admissions Test (DAT) before your application can be considered complete. Registration and preparation can be found on the ADA's DAT website.
Oldest DAT Considered: Two years from the date in which the application is received.
Note: We do not accept the Canadian DAT.
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- Submit at least two recommendations directly to AADSAS. We will accept no more than four letters within AADSAS.
- One letter must be from a college faculty member (While committee reviewers prefer letters from PhD-level science professors, it is up to your best judgment to select your faculty letter writer). They should be able to speak highly of your academic performance. The other letter can come from someone who knows you well but is not a relative. Examples include an academic advisor, additional faculty member(s), coach, manager, or shadowing dentist. These are examples of individuals who can speak directly toward your character, so use that to guide your selection.
- If the letter is a committee letter, we will accept it if one of the members of the committee teaches in the area of science.
- Please Note: Do not include personal letters of recommendation from family members or friends. We also only accept letters through the AADSAS system - do not have any letter sent or emailed to the Office of Admission or any other office within the College of Dentistry.
- All letters must be received before the October 1 deadline. Items submitted after the deadline will not be used to evaluate applicants.
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- Submit all official transcripts to AADSAS.
- Include all transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions where you received credit toward your bachelor’s and/or graduate degree.
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- Complete your required 40 hours of dental experience and report them on your AADSAS application.
- Prior to applying, every candidate must complete a minimum of 40 hours of dental experience. However, the average number of hours for students that are admitted is about 120.
- It is important to diversify your experiences (typically 120 hours is completed with 5 or 6 practitioners).
- Dental experience can be either paid or unpaid work in a dental field where you observed patient care (i.e., shadowing), interacted with practitioners, or had responsibility for patient care.
- Be sure you have completed your dental experience hours prior to submitting your application. If you have not completed the minimum 40 hours, your application will be considered incomplete and you will not be considered for an interview.
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List your non-academic experiences on your AADSAS application. These are a very important part of your profile. To be a good fit for dentistry, you need to have outside interests, other than academics. Please report your experiences in any of these categories:
- Volunteer experience
- Community service
- Research activities
- Leadership experience
- Sports
- Co- and extra-curricular activities
- Work experience
- Military experience
- Teaching experience
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Once we have received your verified/completed AADSAS application, you will receive an email from Ohio State's Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions with the link to the supplemental application if you meet our admissions minimums. The supplemental application is due 2 weeks after receiving your invitation.
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- Make sure you meet the minimum requirements.
- Submit your Supplemental Application as soon as possible.
- Follow the Supplemental Essay Formatting instructions.
- Include your non-academic experiences in your AADSAS application
- Interested in the DDS/PhD Program, Research or the DentPath
- Add the Ohio state (@osu.edu) to your email safe list
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The rationale for admitting transfer candidates is to fill open positions in the dental classes with highly performing and qualified students. Transfer candidates are expected to be strong contributors to the quality of the class they join and the College of Dentistry’s predoctoral dental program as a whole. Transfer candidates should be aware that, due to curricular differences, they are likely to repeat a year or more of the program and that their original anticipated graduation date may be delayed. Read our Dental Student Transfer Protocol to learn how such requests are managed, how decisions are made on whether to accept a transfer candidate and for which courses an accepted transfer candidate is given credit.
Interviews
Dental school applicants are selected to interview by invitation only. Notifications are sent via email approximately 4 – 5 weeks prior to the designated interview date. Emails will provide all interview related details regarding scheduling instructions, location, and pre-interview programming. We anticipate interviewing over 250 applicants this admission cycle. Interviews will take place throughout the months of October and November with offers being communicated to candidates on or after December 15th.
Additional Information
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Information about the cost of attendance, electric handpieces, financial aid and more.
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The DDS curriculum includes 11 semesters of instruction.