SIU Dental School Interview: Half-Day Visit, Writing & Prep

SIU SDM uses rolling admissions, and early filing matters. The 2026-2027 ADEA AADSAS and SIU SDM application cycle opened on May 12, 2026, and AADSAS must receive your application no later than November 15.

2 official pages list slightly different end months for file review and interviews. The Application Process page states that the Admissions Committee reviews files from August to February and conducts interviews from September to February. The DMD Applicant Interviews page and the application brochure state that email invitations and interviews run from September to January, and the brochure lists file review from August to December. Plan around the earlier January cutoff so you are not caught late in the cycle.

If you are still building your school list alongside SIU, read our guide on how many dental schools you should apply to.

Supplemental steps for SIU SDM applicants

• May 12, 2026: ADEA AADSAS and SIU SDM application cycle opens.
• Before September 15: Recommended DAT completion date to be considered for the 1st round of interviews.
• August to December/February: Admissions Committee reviews verified files.
• September to January/February: Interview invitations go out by email and half-day campus interviews take place.
• November 15: Final deadline for ADEA AADSAS applications and official DAT scores.
• December 15: 1st round of acceptance offers is sent.
• January to May: Final admissions decisions go out on a rolling basis.
• 1st Monday in August: DMD classes begin.

SIU SDM reviews DMD applications holistically and sets no fixed minimum GPA or DAT scores. Each application is evaluated on its composite scholastic record, BCP (biology, chemistry, and physics) GPA, quality of preprofessional education, DAT performance, and recommendations, and preference is given to applicants demonstrating exemplary academic performance in additional higher-level science courses while taking full academic loads. As a state-supported institution established to provide dentists for Illinois, the school gives admission priority to Illinois residents.

In the 2024 applicant cycle table published in SIU SDM's application brochure, the school processed 526 applicants, conducted 200 interviews, and enrolled 50 students (48% male, 52% female). By our calculation from SIU SDM's application brochure, 38.0% of processed applicants were interviewed (200 of 526), 25.0% of interviewed applicants enrolled (50 of 200), and 9.5% of total applicants enrolled (50 of 526). Because more applicants are accepted than the 50 who enroll, your post-interview acceptance chance is at least 25%.

Beyond grades and DAT scores, SIU SDM's Technical Standards and Policy on Diversity name the personal qualities assessed during admissions. Use these as the checklist for the stories you prepare.

SIU SDM enrolled class academic averages (from SIU SDM Academic Statistics and Brochure)

• Compassion and concern for others: Bring a specific story where you noticed a patient, client, or coworker struggling and stepped in to help.
• Integrity: Have an example ready where you owned a mistake or held to an ethical standard when taking a shortcut would have been easier.
• Interpersonal skills and managing apprehensive patients: SIU SDM notes that candidates must manage apprehensive patients with a range of moods in a tactful, congenial, personal manner.
• Functioning under stress and uncertainty: Prepare a story about handling a heavy academic or work load or adapting when a plan fell apart.
• Accepting criticism: SIU SDM expects candidates to accept criticism and respond by modifying their behavior.
• Tolerance, sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect: From SIU SDM's Policy on Diversity, which commits the school to serving a diverse community and recognizing the worth and dignity of each person.

When committee members ask why you want to attend SIU School of Dental Medicine, generic praise about small class sizes will not set you apart. Every class has 50 students, so every applicant in Building 273 knows the class size.

Anchor your answer in what SIU SDM's curriculum and admitted-student pages highlight. First, SIU SDM involves students in the care of patients as early as the 1st semester of the curriculum (Year I includes Intro to Pre-Clinic and Intro to Clinical Care, which is why admitted students must complete Basic Life Support training before fall classes). Second, the 4-year progression builds from pre-clinic and intro to dental specialties in Year II to clinic and internal rotations in Year III, and external rotations and practice management in Year IV.

Third, talk honestly about why you want to train in Alton and serve Illinois communities. SIU SDM was established to provide dentists for Illinois, and on the Academic Statistics page, its Integrated National Board Dental Exam pass rate was 100% in 2020 and 2021 and 98% in 2022.

• If you are an Illinois resident: Connect your background to the Illinois communities you want to serve after graduation, whether in Southern Illinois, Central Illinois, the Metro East area, or underserved towns across the state.
• If you are applying from out of state: Know that Illinois residents get priority. Be ready to explain your ties to Illinois or the Midwest, why Alton (near St. Louis and SIU Edwardsville) fits your training goals, and why you would stay or serve similar communities.
• Connect shadowing to general dentistry: SIU SDM notes that the DMD prepares graduates to practice all disciplines of general dentistry upon licensure. Mention what you observed while shadowing a general dentist or dental specialist.

Your time on campus tests both how you speak with committee members and how you organize your thoughts in writing. Use this checklist and schedule written by our team to prepare for both before you drive to Alton.

For a broader set of prompts across all dental programs, pair this section with our guide to common dental school interview questions.

• Days 7 to 5 (Audit your AADSAS file): SIU SDM asks applicants to report dates, hours, descriptions, and supervisor details for work, volunteering, research, clubs, athletics, and dental shadowing. Pick 4 entries and practice telling 1 focused story from each, plus 2-sentence outlines for 'Why dentistry?' and 'Why SIU SDM?'
• Days 4 to 3 (Run timed mock interviews): Match 1 real example each to compassion, integrity, functioning under stress, teamwork, and modifying your behavior after criticism. Have a partner or AI interviewer ask at least 1 follow-up question on every story.
• Day 2 (Practice the on-campus writing exercise): Sit down with a blank sheet of paper and a timer to write 2 structured responses on ethical or professional dilemmas without spellcheck. State your main point in the 1st sentence, use 2 concrete reasons in the body, and leave time at the end to check grammar and handwriting.
• Day 1 (Lock in Alton logistics and panel questions): Confirm your morning (8:30 a.m.) or afternoon (11:30 a.m.) session in your invitation email and map your drive to the Visitor Parking Lot off Seminary Street at 2800 College Avenue. Prepare 2 questions for the student panel and clinic tour about 1st-semester patient care, simulation lab practice, and Year IV external rotations.

Verify your course and letter rules against SIU SDM's Admission Requirements and FAQ pages. While 90 semester hours (or 135 quarter hours, with the FAQ noting 120 quarter hours for US/Canadian coursework) is the minimum to apply, 120 semester hours and a bachelor's degree are preferred and make you more competitive. No more than 60 semester hours can come from a community or junior college.

All prerequisites must be completed with a C or better by July of your entering year, and AP credit is not accepted for required subjects. Pass/fail grades are accepted for Spring 2020 coursework only. You can compare these rules with national norms in our guide to dental school requirements.

Want to rehearse your answers out loud and get rubric feedback before interview day? Start your free week.

SIU SDM required prerequisite courses (must earn C or better, no AP credit)

• Required letters of recommendation (uploaded to AADSAS): 3 letters total, consisting of science letters from university science professors who taught and graded you (with course name, number, and signature) and a letter of choice (professor, mentor, or dentist, on letterhead with signature). Alternatively, a Pre-Health Professions Committee letter or packet satisfies the requirement.
• Recommended upper-level science courses (1 semester each): Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Histology, Immunology, Genetics, and Neural Science/Neural Physiology (the SIUE undergraduate catalog also lists 1 semester of Statistics).
• Shadowing and extracurriculars: Highly recommended though not required. Observing a general dentist and a dental specialist must be completed without compensation or volunteer hours.
• 2026-2027 estimated expenses: On the Estimated Expenses page, Year 1 fall/spring tuition is $33,420, mandatory fees are $7,415, instruments are $12,630, and total fall/spring educational expenses are $53,465. Summer semester tuition and fees add an estimated $9,381 for Year 1 and Year 2 and $9,095 for Year 3. Annual living expenses in Alton are estimated at $17,250, and student health insurance is $2,583 per year unless waived.

Is the SIU dental school interview virtual or in person?

The SIU School of Dental Medicine interview is held in person at the Alton, Illinois campus. You choose a morning or afternoon half-day session lasting about four and a half hours, and you must attend unaccompanied.

What happens during the SIU School of Dental Medicine interview day?

Your half-day visit includes 4 parts: an on-site writing exercise, an interview where you meet with committee members, a tour of the school and modern dental clinic, and a student panel session with lunch or refreshments.

When does SIU send dental school interview invitations and acceptance letters?

The Admissions Office sends interview invitations by email starting in September (running through January or February, depending on the official page). 1st-round acceptance offers go out on December 15, and rolling decisions continue from January through May.

What is the SIU dental school interview and acceptance rate?

In the 2024 cycle reported in SIU SDM's application brochure, 38.0% of applicants were interviewed and 25.0% of interviewees enrolled (9.5% overall yield, by our calculation). Because more students are accepted than enroll, the post-interview acceptance rate exceeds 25%.

Does SIU Dental School prefer in-state Illinois applicants?

Yes. SIU SDM states that as a state institution established to provide dentists for Illinois and supported by Illinois taxpayers, it gives admission priority to Illinois residents.

What GPA and DAT scores do I need for SIU School of Dental Medicine?

SIU SDM sets no fixed minimum GPA or DAT scores and reviews files holistically, recommending that you take the DAT before September 15 for 1st-round interview consideration. For the Class of 2027 (50 students), averages were a 3.69 cumulative GPA, 3.60 BCP GPA, 20.0 DAT Academic Average, 20.3 PAT, and 19.6 Total Science.

Sources, checked November 3, 2026:

• SIU SDM: DMD Applicant Interviews
• SIU SDM: Application Process (2026-2027)
• SIU SDM: Admission Requirements
• SIU SDM: Application Brochure (PDF)
• SIU SDM: Academic Statistics
• SIU SDM: Technical Standards for Admissions and Matriculation
• SIU SDM: Frequently Asked Questions (DMD)
• SIU SDM: Admitted Students
• SIU SDM: Estimated Expenses (2026-2027)

Confetto isn't affiliated with Southern Illinois University. Everything here about the school comes from its public pages, checked in November 2026.

Formats and dates can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.