WVU Dental School Requirements

The West Virginia University School of Dentistry is one of 66 dental programs in the United States of America. The WVU Dental School Requirements are categorized here in the priority of what an applicant must submit to be considered:

Academic

1. Pre-requisite courses
2. Minimum number of years of undergraduate study required
3. GPA

Non-Academic 

1. Dentistry Admission Test (DAT)
2. Dental Shadowing
3. Letter of References
4. Personal Essay
5. Interview

WVU Dental School Requirements: Prerequisite Courses

All students applying to the West Virginia Dental School must have completed at least a minimum of 3 years of study (90 semester hours / 135 quarter hours). Students must also complete the following prerequisite courses listed below:

Prerequisite Course	Required	Lab Required	Credits (Semester/Quarter)
Biology	✓	✓	8/12
General Chemistry	✓	✓	8/12
Organic Chemistry	✓	✓	8/12
Physics	✓	✓	8/12
Anatomy	✓	X	3/5
Biochemistry	✓	X	3/5
Composition	✓	X	6/10

College credits are accepted for both prerequisite and elective courses. AP credits are accepted for elective courses but will only be accepted for the English prerequisite.

All science prerequisites must have a letter grade. No online courses will be accepted toward the required prerequisite courses. If your college or university transitioned to mandatory online courses be aware that all prospective dental school applicants must document a letter grade for all courses completed online.

Grades of Pass/Fail or Satisfactory will not be accepted. Applicants impacted by mandatory pass/fail grading who complete non-science prerequisite courses under the pass/fail grading system will not be evaluated negatively.

West Virginia Dental School 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	3.62	3.17	3.51	2.98

WVU Dental School Requirements: Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and Shadowing

DAT and Shadowing Overview:

Dental Shadowing Hours	DAT Required	CAD DAT Accepted	DAT Scores Considered
NR	✓	✓	All Scores

Applicants are required to have some dental shadowing experience, however, no exact number of hours is specified. Applicant shadowing experience will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

WVU Dental School Requirements: 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
19.2	16	19.4	15	18.5	16

Applicants are required to take the DAT. If an applicant has completed the DAT more than once all scores on the DAT will be assessed holistically 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!

West Virginia Dental School Requirements: Letters of Recomendation

There are two options for completion of letters of recommendation:

• Pre-Health Professions Committee (if available)

OR

• Science majors should obtain the following recommendation letters: A letter should be obtained from instructors in each of the required sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• Non-science majors should obtain: Recommendations from 2 instructors within the major and one recommendation from an instructor in one of the required 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.

WVU Dental School Requirements: Interview

Mandatory	By Invitation	Number of Applicants Invited	Entering Class Size
✓	✓	N/A	48

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. Those looking to compare the costs of dental schools can click here.