Admissions

The Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine- Arizona considers for admission those students who possess the academic, professional, and personal qualities necessary for development as exemplary dental professionals. To select these students, the College uses a rolling admissions process within a competitive admissions framework.

Admission Requirements

To be competitive, an applicant should have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and possess both a science (biology, chemistry, and physics) and total GPA of 3.00 or more on a 4.00 scale.

Prerequisite courses:

Course:	Semester/Hour Requirements
Biology with lab	8 Semester/12 Quarter hours
General Chemistry with lab	8 Semester/12 Quarter hours
Organic Chemistry with lab	4 Semester/6 Quarter hours
Anatomy	3 Semester/4 Quarter hours
Microbiology	3 Semester/4 Quarter hours
Physics	8 Semester/12 Quarter hours
Physiology	3 Semester/4 Quarter hours
Biochemistry	3 Semester/4 Quarter hours
English Composition/Technical Writing	6 Semester/9 Quarter hours
Bachelors Degree Preferred

In order to be considered for admissions, an applicant must:

1. Complete the above prerequisite courses.
2. Submit competitive Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores.
   • A total DAT score (summative scores less total Science and Academic Average) should be 110 or above to be competitive.
   • A score of 18 or higher will be expected for the Academic Average, Reading Comprehension, Perceptual Ability and Total Science sections.
   • The DAT test must have been taken no more than 3 years prior to the anticipated matriculation date.
   • Note: The Canadian DAT can be substituted for the U.S. DAT.
3. Submit two letters of recommendation.
   • One must be from either a predental advisory committee or a science professor.
   • The other preferentially should be from either someone with a D.O./M.D. or D.D.S./D.M.D. degree and/or someone who can testify to the integrity and ethical standards of the applicant.
   • Letters written by immediate family members will not be accepted.
   • All letters of evaluation must be submitted directly from the evaluators. The Office of Admissions will not accept letters submitted by students.
4. Demonstrate a sincere understanding of, and interest in, the humanitarian ethos of health care and particularly dental medicine.
5. Reflect a service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities.
6. Reflect proper motivation for and commitment to health care as demonstrated by previous salaried work, volunteer work, or other life experiences.
7. Possess the oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues.
8. Agree to abide by the Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy.
9. Pass the Midwestern University finger printing and criminal background check.

Competitive Admissions

Within the competitive admissions framework, the College uses multiple criteria to select the most qualified, diverse group of candidates from an applicant pool that greatly exceeds the number of seats available. Applicants are evaluated on academic coursework, performance on the Dental Admission Test (DAT), their application (AADSAS) essays, letters of evaluation, and interviews. Demonstrated community service through volunteerism or service-oriented employment is preferred.

Rolling Admissions

Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine- Arizona uses a rolling admissions process. Applications are reviewed and decisions to interview individual candidates are made at regular intervals during the admissions cycle. Interviews are conducted and the selection process of each candidate for College admission is made until the class is filled. Applicants are notified of their selection status as soon as possible after their interview date, but not prior to December 15 of the year preceding matriculation which is the earliest date the U.S. and Canadian dental schools have agreed to extend a position in the class.

Application Process

To initiate the application process, prospective students must apply directly to AADSAS electronically:
1400 K Street NW Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005; Phone: 202/289-7201; Fax: 202/289-7204

Students may apply online. Students may access an AADSAS application in mid- May of the academic year preceding the year in which they plan to matriculate.

Please note: Status of the application can be tracked on the MWU website. Instructions for accessing accounts are available from the Office of Admissions. Please send notification of any changes in your mailing address and e-mail address. All requests for withdrawal an application must be done in writing; contact the Office of Admissions via e-mail at admissaz@midwestern.edu.

Application Deadline

The official Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS) application deadline is January 1st; however, to be competitive within the rolling admissions process, prospective students should submit their AADSAS applications as early as possible after June 1 of the year prior to their desired matriculation. Even though the AADSAS deadline is January 1 of the matriculation year, typically 75 percent of all admissions offers will be made by the end of December of the year prior to matriculation. The Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine- Arizona completion deadline (meaning all necessary parts of the application including DAT test scores) is March 1 of the expected matriculation year.

Interview and Selection Process

To be considered for interviews, applicants must meet the admissions requirements listed previously. They must also submit all the materials necessary to complete their files, e.g., AADSAS applications, DAT scores, and two letters of recommendation written by a predental advisory committee, a faculty member, a dentist or physician, and by someone who knows the applicant very well.

After the Office of Admissions receives these materials, applicant files are reviewed to determine whether applicants merit interviews based on established criteria of the Admissions Committee. Applicants who receive invitations to interview must respond within four weeks. The Chair of the Admissions Committee, with the approval of the Dean, may also place a large number of students on an interview "wait list" pending possible interview openings toward the end of the interview cycle.

When applicants accept interviews, they join several other interviewees to meet with members of an interview panel, which is selected from a volunteer group of dental faculty. Team members and students question applicants about their academic and healthcare preparedness for dental school, and they rate the applicants on a standardized evaluation form relative to each of these variables. At the conclusion of the interviews, team members forward their evaluations for each applicant to the Admissions Committee. The Committee may recommend to accept, to deny, or place applicants on the alternate list.

Recommendations are then forwarded to the Dean for final approval. The Dean, via the Office of Admissions, notifies applicants of their status after the interviews, but not before December 15 of the year preceding matriculation, which is the date that all dental schools have agreed would be the first notification date.

The interview process typically begins in the summer prior to matriculation and ends in April or May of the matriculation year.

Reapplication Process

After receiving either denial or end-of-cycle letters, or letters of dismissal from the College, applicants/students may reapply for the next enrollment cycle. Before reapplying, however, applicants should seek the advice of an admissions counselor.

To initiate the reapplication process, applicants must submit their applications to AADSAS. Applications are then processed according to standard application procedures.

Transfer Admission

Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine- Arizona may elect to accept transfer students from other dental schools as long as these students remain in good academic standing and have (an) acceptable reason(s) for seeking transfer.

To be considered for transfer, students must meet the College's general requirements for admission. Students must also observe the following procedures:

1. All inquiries for transfer to Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine- Arizona must be submitted to the Office of Admissions.
2. Completed applications are returned to the Office of Admissions and must include transcripts from the previous dental school, class rank, a statement of the reason for transfer, a Dean's letter of Good Academic Standing.
3. The Admissions Committee reviews all completed applications and interviews selected applicants.
4. Applications also are reviewed by the Dean, who will conduct interviews with the selected transfer applicants.
5. Applicants are notified by the Dean of final transfer admission decisions.