Frequently Asked Questions

Candidates can begin applying online in June by completing the required AADSAS application.

Yes, candidates should complete their Meharry Supplemental Application when they complete their AADSAS Application and pay the $65.00 Supplemental Application Fee before their applications will be considered complete.

You will be able to check the status of your application online through AADSAS. Meharry will also send you regular email notifications updating your application status. Please be aware that it is each candidate’s responsibility to regularly check with AADSAS to ensure that his/her application is complete.

The review of applications for admission begins August 1 annually and continues until the class is filled.

No. We have a rolling admissions policy and students will be interviewed and accepted until the class is filled.

Meharry offers tours of the college campus year-round for groups and individuals. Campus tours for individuals or groups of fewer than 5 people can schedule tours only on Fridays at 10:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. Candidates may call 615.327.6223 to schedule a tour. However, a specific visit to the School of Dentistry should be scheduled between May 1 and September 15 to avoid conflicts with campus interviews. Call 615.327.6076 to schedule a visit to the School of Dentistry.

Community college courses are acceptable; however, the prerequisite, upper-level basic science courses (organic chemistry and biochemistry) and the recommended courses— microbiology, anatomy, physiology and cell biology—should be taken at an accredited four-year college or university.

Advanced Placement (AP) credit from high school may be accepted, as long as it is listed on the college transcript and the grade for the AP coursework is B level or better. While there is no defined limit to the number of hours accepted, we strongly advise that no more than 16 credit hours of basic science and prerequisite courses be taken for advanced placement.

Average of Applicants – 2578
Grade Point Average – 3.25
Basic Science Average – 3.03

Three letters of recommendation are required, two must be from science professors.

The recommendations should be sent to AADSAS and not to Meharry. Note: A Pre-Health Committee recommendation from the candidate’s college or university will meet the recommendation requirement.

The personal statement is very important and is carefully reviewed. Candidates should spend time writing their personal statements—writing error-free essays without redundancy, run-on sentences, clichés, embellishments, fancy words, and spelling errors—and avoid inserting their own names in the text.

Candidates should take the DAT only after preparing for it—not “just for practice,” as candidates are allowed to take the DAT a maximum of three times.

Preparation and review should be on-going, beginning after completing the first year of college Biology and Chemistry. The latest date candidates should take the DAT the first time is August 1 the year prior to the year they plan to enroll in dental school.

Yes, an interview is required. All candidates invited for an interview will receive two interviews from: Meharry Medical College basic science faculty, Meharry School of Dentistry faculty (active and retired), Meharry School of Dentistry alumni or dentists from the Nashville community.

Candidates should dress in professional business attire:

• Men—suit or sports jacket with a tie
• Women—a solid blouse and suit (pants suit, or a jacket with knee-length skirt, heels or pumps no higher than three inches)

By agreement, all dental schools affiliated with AADSAS have agreed to initially notify candidates of acceptance on December 1st. After December 1st, acceptances are ongoing with the goal of making final decisions by April 1 prior to matriculation.

Candidates are selected based upon academic performance in undergraduate and, DAT scores, personal characteristics, awareness of the dental profession, leadership experience, community service, and potential for success in dental school as expressed in the letters of recommendation and a personal statement.

Candidates re-applying to dental school after having been denied admission should have demonstrated significant improvements in their applications since their previous applications were submitted. These improvements may include:

Additional coursework in the basic sciences (especially graduate level basic science coursework)

• Improved DAT score
• Shadowing
• Community service
• At least one (1) new letter of recommendation

Candidates who have been out of school for more than two (2) years and/or who have not had science courses for three years or more should take review courses before taking upper-level science courses and before taking the DAT. (Note: many dental schools have a five-year window; candidates must have completed prerequisite coursework within five (5) years of matriculation to dental school).

The Meharry School of Dentistry will consider transfer requests from an enrolled dental school student only after the second year of dental school.

The transfer process will take a significant amount of time, and the applicant should submit the request to transfer in writing to the Office of Admissions & Recruitment, along with an $800.00 application fee.

• $500.00 of the application fee will be applied to the transfer student’s tuition and fees if the transfer is approved.
• $300.00 of the application fee is non-refundable.
• Transfer requests must be made no later than December 1 of the year prior to matriculation to the Meharry School of Dentistry.

The following policies apply to dental student requests for transfer:

• Transfer students must be reviewed and accepted by the Admissions Committee. There must be a space available in the class to which the transfer student is requesting admission. The recommendation for transfer must then be approved by the Dean.
• A transfer student can be accepted only at the end of his/her second year in dental school, and must be in good academic standing. He/she must also have taken and received a score on the National Dental Board Examination, Part 1 of at least 80.
• The Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs will assess the comparability of curricula between the Meharry School of Dentistry and the transferring institution and shall seek approval of all coursework for from course directors regarding the acceptability of coursework form the transferring institution.No courses will be accepted with a grade of D, F, N, nor I.
• The transfer student must submit copies of official transcripts to the Meharry Medical College Director of Admissions & Recruitment prior to matriculation to the Meharry School of Dentistry.
• The transfer student must be evaluated by the preclinical course directors prior to entering into comprehensive patient care.

Yes. The Ph.D./D.D.S. Program is designed to prepare outstanding clinical and research professionals who are capable of identifying and addressing significant problems in oral health. The Ph.D. adds three to four years to the D.D.S. education so that a student will graduate with both degrees in seven to eight years.

Candidates must first be admitted to the Meharry School of Dentistry and then express his/her interest in writing to the Dean of the Meharry School of Dentistry. After an interview with the Dean, the Dean will recommend a candidate to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Students must also apply to the Graduate School for Admission and must take the GRE in addition to the DAT. Click here to review the Graduate School’s admission requirements.

Dental school graduates have a variety of career choices. Many dental graduates go to graduate school for additional or specialized training; many graduates work in the military or in community health centers to work off student scholarships or accrued student loans; and many go to work in a private practice.

The post-graduate programs for the DDS class of 2021 are distributed as follows:

Yes. Meharry has a two (2) year advanced standing program for foreign trained doctors. Candidates must apply online through ADEA CAAPID. Additional information regarding the program may be found on our website under the School of Dentistry International Track Program.

The deadline for submitting all materials through AADSAS is December 15.