Admissions FAQ's

* overhead of south campus.

The School of Dental Medicine provides a wide range of opportunities for students to get involved. Student organizations have an important impact in providing efficient learning environments for students, and can serve as an intermediate for academics, leadership involvement, and building friendships with peers.

Major and GPA FAQ DAT FAQ CDAT FAQ

Do I need to have all of my prerequisites completed before applying?

  • No. You do not need to have all of your prerequisites completed before applying. 
  • If admitted, you must have completed all of your prerequisites before matriculating. 
  • Applying prior to completion of all prerequisites will not disadvantage your application.

Does your school prefer students who graduated from UB?

  • No. Our DDS admissions committee does not give preferential consideration to those candidates who have graduated, or will be graduating, from the University at Buffalo.

Does pursuing a Biology or Chemistry major increase my chances of getting accepted to the dental school?

  • No. While many students major in biology or chemistry, many do not. 
  • There is no required undergraduate major area of study for admittance. 
  • However, given our academically rigorous science curriculum, we encourage applicants to complete higher level science courses beyond the prerequisites if they are not pursuing a science major.  

I am thinking about completing my undergraduate degree in business before going to dental school. I’ll complete my business degree along with the science prerequisite classes. Do you get many applicants who do this?

  • We admit students from a variety of backgrounds who have taken multiple paths to enrolling. 
  • Although most applicants choose to concentrate their academic efforts in the sciences, there is no required undergraduate major area of study. 
  • Students are encouraged to pursue a major in an area of interest. 
  • Students who do not major in the sciences are strongly encouraged to pursue additional coursework in biology and chemistry beyond the minimum required courses..  

GPA FAQ

What GPA do I need for admission consideration?

  • You must have a minimum 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.0 minimum Science GPA, as calculated by ADEA AADSAS, for admission consideration.

What GPA do I need to be considered competitive?

How does AADSAS calculate my GPA?

When considering my grades to meet GPA and Science minimums for admission requirements, do you look at grading with +/- grades, or without +/- grades?

  • We only consider AADSAS grading with +/- grades.

I am planning to apply to the program in 2025. I repeated a course for a higher grade, I would like to know if the school will average both grades into my GPA.

  • We receive all grades directly from AADSAS, the centralized application service. AADSAS will show both grades, and both will be a part of your overall GPA. Please refer to the AADSAS Application Instructions Page for details.

Should I repeat courses in which I did not do well, even though I passed them?

  • No, this is rarely helpful. Any student should be expected to do well in a course the second time. The Admissions Committee will not often be impressed by such action.

I have a 2.99 Overall GPA or Science GPA, because I’m so close to your minimum, can I still be considered?

  • No. You must have both an overall GPA & Science GPA of 3.0 or better indicated in the AADSAS portal by December 1, 2025. If these averages aren’t met by the deadline, your application will not be considered. The only exception is for those students who have the equivalent of two full-time semesters of graduate coursework (18 credit hours).

I didn’t meet your undergraduate GPA minimums for consideration. To strengthen my application, is it better to pursue a Masters Degree or enroll in a post-baccalaureate program?

  •  If your GPA did not meet our minimum requirements for consideration, we would encourage you to assess whether or not dentistry is the correct career path as our curriculum is built on a strong science foundation.
  • When choosing between a Masters or Post-Bacc program, we recommend candidates pursue a Masters degree. If in the event dental school does not work out, you will have a Masters degree in hand.
  • We also encourage candidates to choose a program that will further their educational goals regardless of whether or not they gain admittance to our program.

I didn’t meet your undergraduate GPA minimums for consideration. Should I complete a Masters Program or enroll in additional undergraduate courses?

  • When choosing between a Masters degree and additional undergraduate courses, we recommend candidates pursue a Masters Degree. If dental school doesn't work out, then the candidate still has a Masters degree in hand.

Is there a minimum grade required for your prerequisite course credits?

  • No, we do not have minimum grades for any course. Applicants just need to meet overall 3.0 GPA and science 3.0 GPA to be considered.
5 Year Prerequisite Exemption Form

There may be unique circumstances in which a potential applicant might be considered for an exemption. One example is a candidate who has remained academically active even though their prerequisites are older than five [5] years.

If you believe you qualify for an exemption, you are welcome to submit a five-year waiver request form: https://ubsdm.formstack.com/forms/sdm_5_year_exemption_request_form

Once submitted, our admissions committee will review the request.