General Admissions Information | Academic Coursework and Prerequisites | AADSAS | DAT Information | Letters of Recommendation/ Transcripts | Application Review Fee | Supplemental Application | Interviews | Final Decisions | Miscellaneous
Q1. I am interested in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program at the University of Maryland Dental School and want to apply. How do I begin the application process? A. Applicants applying to the University of Maryland Dental School must apply through the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS), http://www.adea.org/dental_education_pathways/aadsas/Pages/default.aspx. Admissions information specific to the University of Maryland Dental School can be found on our website, http://www.dental.umaryland.edu/admissions/dds/ddsinfo.html. Q2. What is the address for the Office of Admissions at the University of Maryland Dental School? A. University of Maryland Dental School Office of Admissions Dean’s Suite - 6th Floor South, Room 6410 650 W. Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21201 Q3. How can I contact the Office of Admissions? A. Contact information for the University of Maryland Dental School is listed below. Phone: 410-706-7472 Fax: 410-706-0945 Q4. May I stop by to schedule a meeting or tour? A. We do not provide tours on a routine basis. If you are invited for an interview, you will be given a tour as part of the interview day. If you are seeking admissions information, please refer to our website, www.dental.umaryland.edu. Q5. How many students are admitted into the DDS Program each year? A. We currently admit 130 students into the dental program each year. Q6. Is it harder to get admitted to your school as a non-resident? A. There are no specific residency requirements for admissions; although, Maryland residents receive preferential consideration. Q7. Do you accept Canadian residents? A. Yes, however all international students should understand that they are ineligible to receive financial assistance from federal or state programs and must meet all University-monitored visa requirements. Q8. Where can I find information regarding campus safety? A. Like any other city, living and going to school in Baltimore requires each individual to practice appropriate safety measures. Our campus is fortunate to have its own police force. For information regarding the University of Maryland Baltimore Police Force, please visit http://www.umaryland.edu/police/.
Q9. What was the average overall GPA of your most recent incoming class? A. The average overall GPA for the most recent incoming class was 3.5. The average overall science GPA was 3.4. Q10. Do I need a bachelor’s degree for admission into the DDS program? A. The Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions strongly encourages applicants to earn a bachelor’s degree prior to dental school matriculation. However, applicants who have successfully completed at least three academic years (90 credit hours) in an accredited university may be considered for admission. No more than 60 of the minimum required credits will be accepted from a community college or junior college. Furthermore, these credits must have been validated (i.e., accepted for transfer credit) by an accredited college of arts and sciences. Q11. Do I have to major in Biology, or one of the sciences? A. While the majority of students applying do major in biology or one of the sciences, students who are majoring in either science or non-science disciplines are encouraged to apply. Q12. What are the prerequisites? A. The prerequisites are listed below. - Eight semester hours of general biology (including laboratories)
- Eight semester hours of inorganic chemistry (including laboratories)
- Eight semester hours of organic chemistry (including laboratories)
- Eight semester hours of physics
- Six semester hours of English composition
- Three semester hours of biochemistry
Q13. Do the prerequisites have to be taken within a certain time frame in order to still meet the requirement? A. We prefer that the prerequisites are taken within a certain time frame (within 5-7 years) and are not older than 10 years. Q14. Do I need to have completed all of the required coursework prior to applying? A. It is not necessary for you to have completed all of the required prerequisites prior to applying; however, all admission requirements must be completed by June 30th of the desired year of matriculation. Q15. Do you accept AP credit or credits received from distance learning courses? A. These are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may be accepted at the discretion of the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions if certain criteria has been met. Q16. In addition to the required undergraduate courses, are there any other suggested courses? A. Examples of other suggested courses include anatomy and physiology, cell physiology, microbiology and genetics. Q17. Is there a minimum grade point average I must attain? A. To be competitive, the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions recommends a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
Q18. How early should I apply? A. The 2010 AADSAS Application becomes available June 1st. Although our deadline for applying is not until January 1st, applicants are urged to apply much earlier due to the rolling basis of the admissions process. Q19. What is the deadline for applications? A. Your AADSAS application must be received by AADSAS no later than January 1st. Q20. How will I know once the Office of Admissions has received my application from AADSAS? A. It generally takes around four weeks for us to receive your application after you have applied through AADSAS. Once the Office of Admissions has received your AADSAS application, you will be notified via email.
Q21. What was the average overall DAT score of your most recent class? A. The average DAT score (for all enrolled DDS students) is an academic average score of 20. DAT scores are one of many factors assessed when evaluating an applicant for consideration for admission. Q22. What is the minimum DAT score that will be considered for acceptance? A. To be competitive, applicants are encouraged to achieve a competitive score of 18 or higher in each section of the DAT. The Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions will review all DAT scores on an individual basis. Q23. When should I take my DAT? A. All applicants are encouraged to take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) no later than December of the year prior to desired matriculation. Please keep in mind that taking the test earlier may give you the opportunity to retake the test if necessary. Applicants will not be considered for an invitation for an interview without DAT scores. Q24. How long are my DAT scores valid? A. DAT scores are valid for three years. Q25. Do you accept Canadian DAT scores? A. Yes, we accept Canadian DAT scores. Q26. How many times may I take the DAT? A. According to the American Dental Association’s Council on Dental Education and Licensure, a Dental Admissions Test examinee will be limited to three opportunities to participate in the testing program. For more information regarding the DAT, please refer to http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/index.asp. Q27. What does the committee do with my file if I am retaking the DAT after I have submitted my application? A. If you have indicated on your AADSAS application that you intend to retake the DAT, your file will remain on hold until our office receives your new scores. If you indicated on your application that you are retaking the DAT and decide not to retake the DAT, please notify our office in writing. Q28. If I took the DAT more than once, will the committee look at all scores, the average of the two, the highest, or the most recent? A. The Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions will review all scores, but emphasis will be placed on the most recently taken DAT scores.
Q29. How many Letters of Recommendation are required? A. The Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions strongly prefers to receive a recommendation package, or committee letter, from the applicant’s institutional pre-professional committee. If an applicant does not provide a committee letter, the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions may request an explanation as to why the pre-professional committee at the applicant’s undergraduate school was not utilized. If a pre-professional committee is not available, letters of recommendation from one professor each in the departments of biology and chemistry may be substituted. Q30. May I submit more than the required number of Letters of Recommendation? A. Yes, please feel free to submit additional letters that you feel will give the committee a greater sense of your accomplishments and eligibility. Q31. Where should I have my letters of recommendation sent? A. Letters should be sent directly to AADSAS. Q32. Do I need to have an official transcript sent directly to your office? A. No, academic transcripts should NOT be sent directly to the University of Maryland unless specifically requested by the Office of Admissions.
Q33. Who do I make my $75 application fee payable to? A. Please make your $75 check or money order payable to: The University of Maryland Q34. What should I send with my $75 application fee? A. The application fee should be accompanied by the applicant’s full name, AADSAS number or social security number, current mailing address and telephone number. Q35. Where do I send my $75 application fee? A. University of Maryland Dental School Office of Admissions Dean’s Suite - 6th Floor South, Room 6410 650 W. Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21201
Q36. Where will I find the supplemental application for the University of Maryland Dental School and do I need to complete it? A. Candidates whose applications meet preliminary screening criteria will be invited to continue with the admissions process and will be emailed an invitation to complete the University of Maryland supplemental application.
Q37. When will the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions begin conducting interviews for the upcoming admissions cycle? A. Our interview cycle generally begins in early October and concludes in March. Q38. How will I know if I’m invited for an interview? A. Applicants advancing in the admissions process will be notified via email if they have been invited for an interview with members of the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions. A personal interview does not guarantee admission. Q39. Who will interview me? A. You will be interviewed by two members from the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions.
Q40. When will I be notified as to whether or not I am accepted? A. Although the first offers of admission can go out on December 1st, additional offers are made on a rolling basis until the class is filled. Applicants will be notified in writing once the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions has made a final decision regarding their application.
Q41. Where can I find housing information? A. The Residence Life Office, http://www.housing.umaryland.edu/, will be able to assist you with helpful information pertaining to housing options. Q42. Where can I find information regarding directions (to the campus), parking and public transportation? A. Please visit http://www.umaryland.edu/prospective/index.html#getting for information regarding directions, parking and public transportation. Q43. How can I learn more about Baltimore and the UMB campus? A. The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) consists of 61 acres with almost 5 million gross square feet of space in 62 buildings. The campus is bounded by Saratoga Street on the north, Pratt Street on the south, Eutaw Street on the east, and Schroeder Street on the west. Just five minutes from Baltimore’s vibrant waterfront, UMB is easily accessible and strategically located within a half-hour of Washington, D.C., where the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and more than 50 federal labs are based. The Baltimore-Washington corridor represents the fourth wealthiest market in the United States and is home to the highest concentration of scientists and engineers in the country. If you are looking for more information specific to Baltimore, you may want to visit http://www.umaryland.edu/prospective/index.html#downtown. Source: UMB Fact Book | 
