Updated October 24, 2026

BU Dental School Interview (GSDM): Zoom Format, Dates and Tips

What happens at the Boston University dental school interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.

Boston University's Goldman School of Dental Medicine interviews invited DMD applicants on Zoom, from September through March. You meet a member of the admissions committee in a structured, calibrated interview scored with a standard rubric. BU seats 117 students, and applicants who finish in July and August have a better chance of an invitation.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Format: A Zoom interview with a member of the admissions committee. BU uses structured, calibrated interviews and a standardized scoring rubric.
Online or in person: All interviews are online via Zoom. Interviewed and invited applicants can also attend an in-person Visit Day.
When: September through March, by invitation by email. A few are invited outside this window.
Who is picked: Holistic review of grades, DAT, fitness for dental study and personal qualities. Complete applications in July and August have a better chance of an interview.
Class: 117 seats. State of residence does not matter, since BU is private.
Deadline: December 15, 2026 through AADSAS, with an $80 GSDM application fee.
Offers: From December 15, the ADEA AADSAS notification date, on a rolling basis.

What happens on the interview day

BU runs a remote interview experience. The core is a Zoom interview with one member of the admissions committee.

Zoom interview. With a member of the admissions committee. BU does not publish how long it lasts.
Structured and calibrated. BU says it uses structured, calibrated interviews and a standardized scoring rubric to promote fairness and consistency.
Other Zoom sessions. Sessions with student Admissions Ambassadors, Student Affairs, and Student Financial Services and Housing Resources.
September to March. Selected candidates are told by email. A few are invited outside these months.

Visit Days

BU does not give tours to prospective applicants. Interviewed and invited applicants can come to a Sunday Visit Day, held throughout the interview cycle.

About six hours. Breakfast and lunch, a talk by the Dean of Admissions, and Q&A panels with deans, alumni and current students.
Tour and tech. A student organization fair and technology demos in the Simulation Learning Center during the tour.

Expect consistent questions. A structured interview usually means set questions for every applicant. Answer each one directly and back it with a real example.

How offers are decided

BU combines academic data with its assessment of your personal qualities and mission fit. It does not publish how much the interview counts.

From December 15. Initial decisions start on the ADEA AADSAS notification date and continue on a rolling basis.
Through July. BU sends decisions from December 15 through July. If you haven't heard, you are still under consideration.
Files are re-reviewed. GSDM re-reviews applications through the cycle for new letters, transcripts and DAT scores.
Awards. Some admitted students get financial awards with the offer, with no separate application.

How you get an interview

BU uses a holistic review that weighs academics alongside personal qualities and experiences. Timing matters too.

Apply early. BU says applicants who submit and complete in July and August have a greater chance of an interview than later applicants.
Academics. GPA, DAT and course rigor. Successful applicants typically have a science GPA above 3.4 and a DAT Academic Average of 420 or higher.
Personal qualities. Leadership, resilience, empathy, integrity, and commitment to service and diversity.
General dentist experience. No set shadowing hours, but competitive applicants have experience with a general dentist. Paid or volunteer dental work counts. Online or virtual experience does not.
Letters. Three letters, two from faculty and one more academic or personal reference, or a pre-health committee evaluation.

Course rules to check

Bachelor's degree. Required before you start the DMD.
In-person science. All science courses and labs must be taken in person, and pass/fail grades are not accepted.
No AP or IB. AP, IB and test-exemption credits do not count toward prerequisites.

Dates for 2027 entry

BU names December 15, 2026 as this cycle's deadline, but early applicants have the edge.

May 12, 2026. The AADSAS cycle opens.
June 2, 2026. First day to submit an AADSAS application.
July and August. The best months to complete your application.
September to March. Zoom interviews.
December 15, 2026. AADSAS deadline for BU, and the first day of decisions.

How to prepare

A structured Zoom interview rewards clear, specific answers and a good setup.

Match BU's list. BU names leadership, resilience, empathy, integrity, and service and diversity. Prepare one short story for each.
Know the curriculum. BU's curriculum is competency-based, so students progress as they show mastery of each procedure. Be ready to say how you handle being assessed one skill at a time.
Think whole patient. BU treats oral health in the context of overall health. Have an example of how a mouth problem connects to someone's wider health or life.
Set up for Zoom. Use a quiet room, steady light in front of you and a stable connection. Look at the camera when you speak.

Go to Visit Day if you can. It is the only way to see the school, since BU does not give tours to prospective applicants.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a Structured interview (Zoom) station, written for applicants to Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM). They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

You've practiced a hands-on skill for weeks, but during the evaluation your hands start shaking from adrenaline. How do you get control of your hands back in the moment?

Give practical steps like breathing and resetting your grip, and show you can stay calm under assessment.

Imagine you are doing a wax carving exercise. Your instrument slips and destroys a detail you spent an hour on, with twenty minutes left. Walk us through your reaction and next steps.

Be honest about the frustration, then show a calm plan to use the time well and learn from the slip.

A patient asks you to record cosmetic bonding as a cavity filling so Medicaid will pay for it. They say their mental health depends on a better smile. What do you do?

Refuse the false record clearly, but take the patient's distress seriously and look for honest options.

You are a dentist. A pregnant patient needs an extraction but refuses local anesthetic with epinephrine because of something she read online. How do you proceed?

Listen to her worry, explain the evidence in plain words, and respect her choice while keeping her safe.

You are a new associate dentist. Your lead dental assistant tells you they often see the senior partner skipping sterilization steps between patients. Respond to the assistant.

Thank them, take it seriously, and explain how you will check the facts and act to protect patients.

A patient refuses the high-speed drill because the noise triggers their PTSD, but they have decay that can't be removed with hand instruments alone. How do you work through this with them?

Show empathy first, then offer real options like breaks, signals or referral, and decide together.

Frequently asked questions

Is the BU dental school interview virtual?

Yes. All BU DMD interviews are conducted online via Zoom, with a member of the admissions committee.

When are BU dental interviews?

From September through March, by invitation. Selected candidates are notified by email, and a few are invited outside this window.

How many students does BU dental admit?

BU seats 117 students in each DMD entering class. As a private school, it does not set in-state or out-of-state quotas.

What GPA and DAT do you need for BU dental school?

Successful applicants typically have a science GPA above 3.4 and a DAT Academic Average of 420 or higher (20 on the old scale). BU reviews the whole application.

Can I tour BU dental school before I apply?

No. BU is a working clinical facility and does not give tours to prospective applicants. Interviewed and invited applicants are invited to Sunday Visit Days.

Sources

Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.

Boston University GSDM: Admissions FAQ · read October 24, 2026
Boston University GSDM: DMD Application Process · read October 24, 2026
Boston University GSDM: DMD Applicants · read October 24, 2026
Boston University GSDM: DMD Requirements · read October 24, 2026
ADEA AADSAS Applicant Help Center: Application Cycle Dates · read October 24, 2026