Listed below and are a number of frequently asked questions,
or FAQ's, about the DDS program at College of Dental Medicine. Please note that these are designed as responses to
general inquiries, and may differ slightly depending on the type
of admission that you are seeking. If you are a transfer student,
physician, medical student, or foreign-trained dentist, please
contact your specific admissions office if you have additional questions.
Foreign-trained dentists (Advanced Standing office): jmm10@columbia.edu
Transfer students: (212) 305-6318; jmm10@columbia.edu
Physicians/medical students: 212-305-8334; lm23@columbia.edu
Does Columbia award a DDS or a DMD degree?
Though there is no difference between the DDS and DMD, Columbia
awards the traditional DDS degree.
Do you accept out of state applicants?
Columbia is a private school, and as such we make no distinction
between in state and out of state applicants.
What is the application deadline?
The admissions office considers applications on a rolling basis
beginning in July of the year prior to entry and concluding on February
15 of the year of matriculation. For example, a student wishing
to enroll in September 2005 may submit their application from July
2004 until February 15, 2005. It is always in the applicant's best
interests, however, to apply as early in the process as possible.
Can I take a tour of the school?
Tours are given most Fridays, October - March, Friday afternoons
at 1 p.m. Email the admissions office at aed1@columbia.edu for reservations.
How many applications does the school receive? How difficult
is it to get in?
The School of Dental and Oral Surgery received 1360 applications
for the DDS program in 2003-2004. Nearly one in five AADSAS applications
filed nationally was sent to Columbia. Of that number approximately
two hundred fifty-six were interviewed and 75 were enrolled
Is work experience in a dental office required
for admission to the school?
Work experience is not required for consideration or admission,
but all, applicants are expected to have strong background knowledge
of and demonstrated interest in the dental profession.
What type of undergraduate degree do I need to apply?
Applicants are not required to major in the biological sciences
as undergraduates. For specific information, see the DDS Admissions
Requirements section
Can I take my prerequisite courses at another school?
We accept course credit from any accredited U.S. college or university.
Will you accept my credits from a college or university
in another country?
If these credits have been accepted already by a U.S. school (typically
undergraduate) and appear on your official transcript, we will accept
them. If you have not presented them yet for consideration, we will
need to see a course-by-course evaluation from the World Education
Service, www.wes.org
I have taken a number of advanced science courses.Can
I expect some of my CDM basic science classes to be waived?
No coursework will be waived with the exception of epidemiology
for entering CDM students who have already earned an MPH degree.
Will CDM accept Canadian Grade 13 English to satisfy
the English requirement?
Yes.
What about standardized test scores?
All applicants must take the Dental Admission Test (DAT).
Can I waive the DAT if I have taken the MCAT
No.
Do you accept the Canadian DAT
Yes, but we prefer the U.S. DAT
What undergraduate GPA do you require for admission?
There is no minimum GPA requirement, however 3.0 and above is desirable.
The average GPA of the 2003-2004 enrollees is 3.4.
What is the minimum DAT score of an incoming student
at CDM?
We have no minimum or cut-off scores. The mean DAT score of the
class entering in 2004 is 21, (the national average is roughly 17),
however the range varies from year to year.
I currently work for a dentist. Can she write one
of my letters of recommendation?
While we will accept a letter from a dentist, it will not satisfy
the requirement. We require three academic references.
Do I have to send my letters and transcripts to
Columbia and AADSAS?
No. Letters of recommendation and transcripts can be submitted either
through AADSAS, or directly to CDM.
What is the size of the student body?
There are approximately 75 students enrolled in each DDS class.
What is the average age of your students?
The current average age of an entering CDM student is 24.
I have been out of school for quite some time,
but would like to attend dental school. Is that frowned upon?
CDM encourages applications from non-traditional students.
Do I have to begin study in the fall? What about
the spring?
All enrolled students must begin the DDS program in September; there
is only one sitting for each academic year.
When can I expect to receive a decision on my application?
Because applications are considered on a rolling basis, there is
no set date for releasing application decisions. All applicants
are notified by postcard when the admissions office receives the
AADSAS Application. This postcard will indicate what materials have
been received, and which ones are still outstanding. A candidate
can expect to hear from the admissions office within 2 weeks of
the application being complete.
How can I check on the status of my application?
Email the admissions office at aed1@columbia.edu, or call (2121)
205-3478 on Wednesdays between 10 AM EST and 4 PM EST. Status will
not be checked on the phone outside of those.
I have a dental degree from another country. Can
I be admitted to Columbia?
See Admission with Advanced Standing
I have a medical degree from another country. Can
I be admitted to Columbia?
See Admissions: Physicians/Medical Students
Can I transfer into Columbia from another dental
school?
See Admissions: Transfer Students
What about financial aid?
In-depth information about the School of Dental and Oral Surgery's
financial aid policies and procedures can be found at:
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/student/finaid
Will Columbia guarantee me housing?
In-depth information about the School of Dental and Oral Surgery's
health science housing policies and procedures can be found at:
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/hshousing/
|
