DCG

Click below to find answers to frequently asked question categories.


Before Applying

No, all the prerequisites do not have to be completed at application time, but must be completed prior to matriculation as a dental student. This means while applicants are going through the admissions cycle during Summer and Fall semesters, they can be in the process of taking the remainder of their required courses during the Fall semester as well as the following Spring semester. If necessary, accepted applicants are still eligible to be completing prerequisites course the summer semester before they are due to begin dental school. However, keep in mind that among other factors, the committee is making decisions about an applicant’s academic performance during review of their application; especially in the required courses. So, the more required courses that are completed prior to applying, the better perspective the committee has about how well an applicant will perform in the rigorous science courses that make up the dental school curriculum.

While C’s are not considered competitive, they are acceptable results in reference to the prerequisite courses. Since The Dental College of Georgia does not acknowledge the + and – grade point system, the Admissions Committee reviews a C+ and a C- as simply a C.

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REQUIRED TESTING

An applicant's DAT scores and grade point average provide the admissions committee with important predictors of success. Therefore, the DAT is important with emphasis being placed on the academic average, perceptual ability and total science portions. These scores need to be high, as you will be competing with other applicants.

The averages of admitted students in this past cycle had 21 on the AA portion, a 20 on the PAT portion and a 21 on the TS portion of the DAT.

Applicants must take the DAT no later than September 30th of the year preceding the academic year for which they are seeking admission. For example, applicants for the 2024 entering class must take the DAT no later than September 30, 2023.

As a general rule, students interested in applying to dental school should plan to take the DAT early enough to have a second opportunity to take the test before the test deadline for a particular year. It is a good idea to take the DAT during the spring of your junior year, so you have another chance to take the test during the summer or early fall of your senior year, if your scores from your first attempt at the test were not as high as you would have liked.

Since the DAT has sections related to biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry, it would be beneficial to have completed as many of the required courses as possible before taking the DAT. Since there is no physics section, this required course can be taken later if scheduling permits or dictates.

The Dental College of Georgia will accept unofficial DAT scores by email for the purpose of moving forward for review of a candidate’s application. An applicant can scan their unofficial scores which they receive from the testing center and email them to dcgadmissions@augusta.edu. These scores are temporarily valid in deciding if an application is to move forward in our admissions process. However, all official DAT scores must still be forwarded with your ADEA AADAS application and are usually available to the DCG within several weeks after the DAT has been taken.

The TOEFL exams is required if any applicant's native language is not English. The internet-based version of TOEFL (iBT TOEFL) is the only option available for current testers. The four-hour exam will cover all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Applicants must achieve a minimum score of 100, with 26 in the speaking component. Test must be taken by the September 30th application deadline.

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Application Process

Apply online through the AADSAS application portal by clicking here.

The AADSAS application is typically available the first week of June through September 30th.  Once the AADSAS application is complete, AADSAS then verifies information.  This could take up to six weeks depending on when they receive your official transcripts. 

Once verified, AADSAS sends your application to the DCG. After receiving the AADSAS application, all applicants will be emailed a link. Here, applicants will be prompted to choose if they want the DCG Admissions Committee to review the supplemental component of their application for further consideration.

The supplemental information processing fee is $40. It is non-refundable and must be paid electronically in order for the DCG Admissions Office to receive an applicant’s supplemental component.

A candidate’s packet is not considered complete until the supplemental information has been submitted and received by the DCG Admissions Office. Once an application is considered complete (AADSAS application, supplemental application, letters of recommendation and DAT scores received), a decision about granting an interview is made. 

Interviews are conducted from mid August to early December.  All decisions are made soon thereafter.

The Admissions Committee will select the best applicants for admission from received applications in a given application cycle. This means you will be "competing" with other applicants.

Each applicant will be assessed by the Committee based on the following factors (not in any particular order): overall grade point average (GPA), science GPA, pattern of grades, Dental Admission Test scores, letters of recommendation, interviews, proficiency in English and communication skills, motivation for becoming a dentist, unusual educational experiences or background, life experiences, work experiences, demonstrations of leadership in activities, involvement in community and extracurricular activities, volunteer work, honors and awards received, residence in a health professions shortage (underserved) area, research experiences and experience in an oral health care setting. While all applicants may not have experiences in all of these areas, the Committee considers achievement in all of these areas as part of the student selection process.

High grades and DAT scores alone do not guarantee acceptance. However, the dental school curriculum is demanding and rigorous, therefore high grades may indicate the applicant's potential ability to successfully complete our program.

The ideal applicant will have performed very well in all categories, but many are accepted because they show exceptional promise in certain areas.

The Admissions Committee strongly encourages applicants to shadow a dentist in order to learn as much as possible about the practice of dentistry from a practitioner. On average, successful applicants accrue about 300 hours of exposure in a dental setting. It is important to have some first-hand knowledge of dental practice prior to a decision to pursue a career in dentistry.

The entering classes are scheduled for 96 students; up to 10 percent of accepted students will be non-Georgia residents.

As you will be compared with other applicants, it is impossible to tell at the outset just how high your grades have to be. Much depends on how good the other applicants look in comparison to you. It is possible to have high grades and not be accepted due to other factors that the committee considers important. DAT scores, references and interviews all provide information about you that will be considered in an admissions decision.

Minimum requirements are as follows:

- Overall GPA: 2.8

- Science GPA: 2.8 
- DAT: Academic – 16, Perceptual – 16, Total Science – 16

 

*Average for entering class of 2023 - overall GPA 3.75; science GPA 3.69

*Average for entering class of 2023 - Academic Average: 21; Perceptual Ability: 20; Total Science: 21

 

Students accepted with grades below the average generally had poor beginnings in undergraduate school, but then performed at a very high level their last several semesters, both overall and in the required science areas, or as part of a Master’s degree or courses taken beyond their undergraduate degree. While many of these so-called "late bloomers" were not accepted, several are taken each year.

All letters of recommendation to The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University must be submitted through the AADSAS service. The applicants for the entering class have two options for submitting (4) letters of recommendation:

Option 1: 
  1. Packet or composite/committee letter (counts as one letter). A committee letter can be one letter that is collaboratively written by a group of people or a collection of letters submitted on behalf of an institution or office.
  2. A dentist (whom you have shadowed)
  3. Personal letter*
  4. Personal letter*

Option 2: 
  1. An academic professional (science instructor, advisor, department chair, etc.)
  2. A dentist (whom you have shadowed)
  3. Personal letter* 
  4. Personal letter*


*academic advocate, another dentist, a supervisor or someone who knows the applicant well enough to speak positively on the applicant's behalf

You should not use members of your family as references and we suggest that you try to select people in responsible positions or professions, if possible. Of course, it is very important that the person knows you personally. Recommendations from political figures or other well-known personalities are fine, provided the person knows you personally and can comment on your abilities from first-hand experience. Otherwise, a recommendation from someone who can comment about you from direct knowledge would carry much more weight.

As applications are received, they are screened by the Admissions Committee based on pre-set admission criteria. Applicants who are judged to be qualified based on grades, DAT scores, letters of recommendation and other non-cognitive factors such as community involvement, leadership in extracurricular activities, experience in oral health care or health care, awards and honors and residency in a health professions shortage area, are invited to visit the campus for admission interviews. 

Because the Admissions Committee is interested in the personal qualities of the applicants as well as their grades and DATs, interviews play an important part in the admissions process. While the shortcomings of interviews are well-understood, they do provide the Committee with useful, though subjective, information. The interviews also provide the selected applicants with a chance to present themselves on a personal basis.

Acceptance into The Dental College of Georgia is recommended to the Dean by the Admissions Committee appointed by the Dean of the DCG. The Office of Students, Admissions and Alumni has the administrative responsibility of advising applicants on admissions procedures and preparing applicant files for Committee decisions.

Dental school acceptance notification dates are set by ADEA AADSAS®. This year, Decision Day is December 15, 2023. A letter will be sent to you notifying you of the committee's decision.

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Out-of-State Applicants and Residency

Around 90 percent of the incoming class to The Dental College of Georgia will be Georgia residents. Up to10 percent will be residents of states other than Georgia.

Out-of-state applicants will not receive the supplemental application automatically.   Their AADSAS application is reviewed.  Depending on the results, out-of-state applicants are invited to complete the DCG supplemental application on a case-by-case basis.

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International Applicants/Credits and Foreign Trained Dentists

Unfortunately, DCG does not have an advanced-standing program for internationally trained dentists. There are several residency programs where internationally-trained dentists are eligible for consideration at DCG. Otherwise, internationally-trained dentists are encouraged to visit adea.org to learn of the dental schools that have advanced-standing programs for internationally-trained dentists.

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Diversity

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Age Limit


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