Admissions

What We're Looking for in a D.D.S. Applicant

The Admissions Committee selects the incoming class from many qualified applicants. The committee strives to select those candidates who are best qualified academically and hold promise of being outstanding graduates. Many factors are considered in the admissions process.

Academic Skills and Requirements

• Pre-dental science courses
• A well-rounded college education that includes humanities and social sciences
• Competitive GPA and DAT scores
• The conceptual, integrative and quantitative skills needed to study and practice dentistry

Personal Characteristics

• Altruism, compassion, honesty, integrity
• A commitment to care for the disadvantaged and underserved
• Excellent observational, communication and motor functions
• The physical capacity and emotional maturity to complete dental school and practice dentistry independently

Our Application Review Process

The application process is competitive and each applicant is subject to an individual, flexible holistic review. Admission criteria are not weighted. Visit our Academic Requirements section for more info on pre-requisites and technical standards.

A candidate will not be denied admission on the basis of any legally prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

An Emphasis on Diversity

Strongly motivated students from educationally deprived and historically underrepresented backgrounds are actively sought and encouraged to apply. It is the policy of the TCDM to seek to admit a diverse class with respect to gender, race, ethnicity, cultural and economic background, and life experience. The TCDM believes that a diverse student body provides a valuable educational experience that prepares the dental student for the real world of dental practice in a multicultural society.

How to Apply

Applications and materials required for admission must be submitted through the ADEA AADSAS (ADEA's Associated American Dental Schools Application Service)

Pre-Clinical & Clinical Practice Location(s)

In the 1st & 2nd years you will take your pre-clinical courses on the Valhalla, NY campus. Within the school-specific section on the AADSAS application, you will indicate where you are applying to complete your clinical practice years – the Valhalla, NY campus, Albuquerque, NM campus, or no preference, with the understanding that if you are accepted as an Albuquerque, NM cohort you will spend your 3rd and 4th year of dental school in Albuquerque, NM.

You should not contact TCDM about your application. The admissions department will contact select qualified applicants with an invitation for an in-person or virtual interview (see below).

You can expect to be notified approximately 6 to 8 weeks after your interview date and no earlier than December 15 of the academic year prior to the academic year of matriculation. TCDM follows the ADEA traffic rules.

If any admissions information submitted is discovered to be inaccurate or misleading, Touro College of Dental Medicine has the right to rescind or revoke any offer of admission, administer disciplinary action or dismiss the student while in dental school, or revoke his/her dental degree.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Individuals who previously matriculated to any dental school and for any reason either withdrew or were dismissed are ineligible to apply.

The Admissions Interview

The goal of the interview is to assess the applicant’s suitability for dentistry. The interviews are designed to evaluate non-cognitive domains considered critical to becoming an effective dental practitioner, such as empathy, critical thinking, moral reasoning and ethical grounding, open-mindedness, ability to collaborate as well as interpersonal skills.

Interviews are 30 minutes, one-on-one, and conducted in an open file holistic format; the interviewer has access to the applicant’s file prior to or during the interview. 

The applicant is evaluated based on communication skills, flexibility, leadership, team experience, intellectual ability, learning skills and motivation and preparation for dentistry. 

Interviews are conducted from September through March. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.

International Students

International students are welcome to apply. As an international applicant, you will generally need to have successfully completed undergraduate college work leading to a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college of arts and sciences in the United States or Canada.

All courses taken in satisfaction of the requirements for admission must be taken at or accepted as transfer credits by an accredited college in the United States or Canada, and must be acceptable to that institution toward a baccalaureate degree in arts or sciences.

Federal law mandates that only US citizens or permanent residents are eligible to receive financial aid. (Permanent residents must provide a copy of their unconditional Green Card upon request when applying for financial aid.) Applicants who are non-US citizens or do not obtain permanent resident status by July 1st of the year entering dental school, must deposit an amount equal to four year’s tuition and fees OR two years’ tuition and fees with a creditworthy US co-signer into a bank escrow account in advance of their matriculation to TCDM.

You can reach out to Touro International Student Services if you have additional questions.

If you already have a degree in dentistry and want to practice in the US, you can apply to our International Dentist Program, and earn your D.D.S. degree in only two years. Visit our International Dentists Program page for more info.