“Make sure you have a good science foundation, which is 30 hours to 40 hours of science credits,” said Dr. Alicia Spence, the dental college’s director of recruitment and admissions. “The first year of dental school is tough.”
Nearly 1,500 students applied to A&M Dentistry last year. The dental college’s enrollment is capped at 106 dental students for each entering class, and last year’s applicants had a 3.8 grade-point average overall. Volunteering hours, leadership activities, job shadowing and internships are important too.
UTHealth Houston, UT Health San Antonio and Texas Tech University Woody L. Hunt School of Dentistry in El Paso, the three other state-supported dental schools, have similar caps.
Applicants can apply to any or all Texas dental schools through a single application. The application fee is $235, and it’s the same whether a student applies for one or four schools. Students are welcome to submit their applications as early as May 15, and the application deadline is Oct. 1.
“Students should apply as early as possible,” Spence said.
A&M Dentistry also requires a secondary application available for electronic submission on the Texas A&M Health Science Center Application. After the TMDSAS application is received, each applicant will receive an emailed invitation to complete the secondary application.
Ninety percent of the students accepted must come from Texas, Spence said. There are several ways to qualify as a Texas resident, and TMDSAS has detailed information on its website. Dental colleges will begin extending offers Dec. 15.
More information about Texas A&M’s dental college admissions process is available here.