The Rutgers School of Dental Medicine is one of 66 dental programs in the United States of America. The Rutgers Dental School Requirements are categorized here in the priority of what an applicant must submit to be considered:
Academic
- Pre-requisite courses
- Minimum number of years of undergraduate study required
- GPA
Non-Academic
- Dentistry Admission Test (DAT)
- Dental Shadowing
- Letter of References
- Personal Essay
- Interview
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine Requirements: Prerequisite Courses
All students applying to the Rutgers University dental school must have completed at least a minimum of 8 semester hours / 12 quarter hours. They must include the following courses:
| Prerequisite Course | Required | Lab Required | Credits (Semester/Quarter) |
| Biology | ✓ | ✓ | 8/12 |
| General Chemistry | ✓ | ✓ | 8/12 |
| Organic Chemistry | ✓ | ✓ | 8/12 |
| Physics | ✓ | ✓ | 8/12 |
| English | ✓ | X | 6/12 |
AP credits are not accepted, however, community college credits will be accepted for both required courses and electives.
Exceptions and Pass/Fail grades will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine Requirements: GPA Calculation and Requirements
| Minimum Overall GPA to Apply | Average Overall GPA of accepted applicants | Lowest Overall GPA Admitted | Average Science GPA of accepted applicants | Lowest Science GPA Admitted |
| NR | 3.61 | 3.03 | 3.55 | 2.95 |
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine Requirements: Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and Shadowing
DAT and Shadowing Overview:
Prior to application, applicants must have a required minimum of 50 dental shadowing hours. Exceptions regarding shadowing/experience hours will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Rutgers University Dental School DAT Admission Score Statistics:
| Mean Academic Average Score | Minimum AA Score Given Admission | Mean Perceptual Ability Test | Minimum PAT Score Given Admission | Mean Total Science | Minimum Total Science Score Given Admission |
| 21.5 | 19 | 20.2 | 17 | 21.4 | 19 |
Applicants are required to take the DAT. If an applicant has completed the DAT more than once the most recent DAT scores will be considered when calculations are made.
Students looking to test their knowledge in preparation for the DAT can click on this link to access our free practice tests for both the Canadian DAT and American DAT. Additionally, check out our 10 tips to Ace the DAT from a 25+ AA test taker!
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine Requirements: Letter of References
Letters of Evaluation are required by the Rutgers Dental School. There are two options that are accepted by this school:
- ONE Pre-Health Advisors Committee letter (preferred)
OR
- Three letters from faculty (two must be from the sciences)
AADSAS Personal Essays
This University may take into account the AADSAS personal essay you submit to the ADEA. Your personal statement is a one-page essay (not to exceed 4,500 characters, including spaces, carriages, numbers, letters, etc.) that gives dental schools a clear picture of who you are and, most importantly, why you want to pursue a career in dentistry. For more information on the personal essay click on the link above.
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine Requirements Interview:
| Mandatory | By Invitation | Number of Applicants Invited | Entering Class Size |
| ✓ | ✓ | N/A | 95 |
Shortlisted candidates will be required to partake in an interview with the admissions team. The interview process for this dental school is unknown. If you are looking for interview practice check out our posts on both MMI Practice Questions and Standard Interview Practice Questions.
Requirements for other Dental Schools in America:
If you would like an in-depth analysis of the dental school requirements for other dental schools in the United States of America click on this link.