UConn Dental School Interview: Format, Dates, Questions

UConn describes the interview as part of a day-long orientation that includes:

• An overview of the School of Dental Medicine and its curriculum from the Associate Dean for Admissions.
• Your faculty interview.
• Lunch and a tour of the facilities, both run by students.

The same page says that during the visit you get information about the curriculum, talk with dental students and faculty, and explore the school's facilities. It doesn't give the start time, the length of the day or whether the day is held in person or online this cycle, so read your invitation carefully.

1. ADEA AADSAS application by December 1, 2026. UConn advises completing it before November 1. You can apply before finishing your prerequisites and the DAT.
2. No secondary application. UConn's own step is a $75 application fee, which you can pay online at any time.
3. File review. The Associate Dean for Admissions checks each file against minimum science GPA and DAT standards that the committee sets at the start of each cycle. Applicants who meet them may be invited, and applicants below them who show strong potential may still get an interview.
4. Interview and committee rating.
5. Offers go to the highest priority scores in line with the ADEA AADSAS notification date guidelines. Everyone else goes on a wait list ranked by priority score. A $1,500 non-refundable deposit, applied to tuition, holds your seat.

UConn doesn't print the date itself, but ADEA's AADSAS page lists December 15, 2026 as this cycle's acceptance notification date. ADEA's admissions guidelines ask schools not to notify applicants of acceptance before December 15. UConn's admissions pages don't publish interview dates or when invitations go out as of November 2026.

The selection factors it names

UConn lists what the full Admissions Committee weighs for interviewed applicants: the strength of your predental academic record, DAT scores, your personal statement, commitment to learning, motivation for a career in dentistry, general impressions formed at the interview, and the quality and objectivity of your references. Two of those, motivation and commitment to learning, are things the interview can show better than paper.

Connecticut and New England

UConn is the only public dental school in New England. It gives preference and reduced tuition to residents of Connecticut and the rest of New England. Typically 50 to 60% of a class is from Connecticut and about 25% from other New England states. The August 2026 UConn Today story on the Class of 2030 reports 52 students from 1,857 applications, the most in the school's history, with 65% Connecticut residents. If you are from outside New England, expect to explain why UConn.

Medicine and dentistry side by side

UConn's fast facts say dental students share a biomedical sciences curriculum with students in the School of Medicine, and the program is pass/fail with no class rank. More than 95% of UConn's DMD graduates pursue advanced education, compared with about 45% nationally, the school says. If you are interested in a residency or specialty, this is a fair thing to raise.

Team clinics and community care

In the clinic years, students work in practice groups of junior and senior students, each with a faculty team leader and a patient care coordinator. UConn calls itself the largest provider of dental care to the underserved in Connecticut and lists 17 affiliated community sites. Its Urban Service Track selects nine to ten dental students a year as Urban Health Scholars committed to Connecticut's urban underserved communities. The school also holds two white coat ceremonies, one at the start and one in the second year as students enter the clinics.

• Prepare to be summarized. Your interviewer will present your record to the committee. Give them clear, specific stories they can repeat: one for why dentistry, one for teamwork, one for service.
• Clarify your record before you are asked. List anything that might need explaining and practice a two-sentence answer for each.
• Show motivation with detail. Talk about what you actually saw while shadowing or working near dentistry, not a general love of science.
• Know the curriculum. Be ready to say why learning biomedical sciences alongside medical students appeals to you.
• Have a New England answer. Residents can say where they want to practice. Others need a specific reason for UConn.
• Bring questions. UConn says the interview is a chance for you to ask questions. Ask about the team clinics or the community sites.

1. Write down the three stories you most want the committee to hear about you.
2. Ask a friend to interview you for 20 minutes using five questions from the list above.
3. Afterward, have your friend summarize you in three sentences, the way your interviewer will to the committee.
4. If the summary misses your three stories, tighten those answers so the point comes first.
5. Repeat two days later with a different friend and new questions.

Practicing alone? Confetto's dental school interview prep runs AI mock interviews that ask follow-up questions based on what you actually said and give rubric-based feedback afterward.

Is the UConn dental interview required?

Yes. UConn says interviews are mandatory for consideration for acceptance, and they are by invitation of the Admissions Committee.

Who interviews you at UConn?

Basic science and/or clinical faculty. Your interviewer later presents a summary of your record to the Admissions Committee.

Is the UConn dental interview MMI?

UConn describes a faculty interview. Its DMD admissions pages don't mention an MMI as of November 2026.

When does UConn send acceptances?

UConn says offers follow the ADEA AADSAS notification date guidelines. ADEA lists December 15, 2026 for this cycle.

What is UConn's deadline?

December 1, 2026 for the ADEA AADSAS application, with completion before November 1 advised. There is no secondary.

Applying to other dental schools? See our guides to the NYU College of Dentistry and University of Michigan School of Dentistry interviews, or UConn's dental school acceptance rate and class stats.

Sources: UConn School of Dental Medicine Predoctoral Program, Fast Facts and Special Programs pages, UConn Today, and ADEA's Apply to ADEA AADSAS and admissions guidelines pages.

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

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