Updated October 24, 2026

Harvard Dental School Interview (HSDM): Format, Dates and Tips

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

Harvard School of Dental Medicine interviews by invitation from September 2026 to February 2027. Each interview is one-on-one with an admissions committee member and is meant to be conversational. In the fall the first interview is virtual and a second, if offered, is virtual or in person. In the spring both are virtual on one day. HSDM has 35 seats.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Format: One-on-one interviews with an admissions committee member, designed to be conversational. Up to two interviews, and not everyone gets a second.
Online or in person: Fall: the first interview is virtual, and the second is virtual or in person, as you prefer. Spring: both interviews are virtual on the same day.
When: September 2026 to February 2027, by email invitation with scheduling details.
Before the interview: Invited candidates get the HSDM Supplemental Questionnaire by email. It is not available online and is due before the interview.
Who is picked: Well over 1,000 applications a year for 35 seats. HSDM does not publish how many it interviews.
How it counts: HSDM gives strong interpersonal and communication skills equal weight with grades, the DAT and letters. It does not publish an interview score or weight.
Offers: From December 15, 2026, on a rolling basis. The selection process is usually done by the end of February.

What happens on the interview day

HSDM's interviews are one-on-one and conversational, and the day also lets you meet faculty, alumni, students and staff.

One-on-one. Each interview is with one member of the admissions committee. HSDM does not publish how long an interview lasts.
Conversational. HSDM says its interviews are designed to be conversational, so you can engage with faculty, alumni, students and staff.
Up to two interviews. Invited candidates get a supplemental application before the first of two possible interviews. Not all candidates get a second interview.
Virtual day. A one-on-one interview plus a virtual student panel and a financial aid information session.
In-person day. A one-on-one interview, lunch, a campus tour with current students and time with faculty and staff. HSDM also lists a virtual student panel and financial aid session.

Fall and spring interviews

Fall, two days. The first interview is virtual. The second may be virtual or in person, depending on what you prefer.
Spring, one day. Both interviews are virtual and take place on the same day.

Fill in the questionnaire with care. The Supplemental Questionnaire only reaches invited candidates and is due before your interview, so give it the same care as your personal statement.

How offers are decided

HSDM makes offers on a rolling basis from December 15, 2026 until the class is full. It does not publish how the interview is scored.

Rolling offers. First acceptances go out December 15, 2026. The selection process is usually done by the end of February, and more offers go out if seats open.
Waitlist. Waitlisted candidates hear by March and stay under consideration until the class starts in early August. The waitlist is not ranked.
What a strong candidate shows. HSDM says a successful candidate shows civility, engages thoughtfully with others, practices tolerance and empathy, and cherishes the chance to learn.

How you get an interview

HSDM reviews each complete application as a whole. It receives well over 1,000 applications a year for 35 seats.

Grades, DAT and letters. Important, but HSDM gives strong interpersonal and communication skills equal weight.
Personal qualities. Motivation, empathy, maturity, capacity for civil discourse and constructive engagement, resiliency, integrity and a passion for patient care.
Beyond the classroom. Familiarity with the dental profession, extracurricular interests, leadership potential and career goals.
Letters. Three individual letters, at least two from science professors, or one pre-health committee letter, all through AADSAS. You can add an optional fourth letter through AADSAS.
DAT. For 2026-27, HSDM accepts DAT scores from tests taken after June 1, 2024. It also accepts the Canadian DAT.

Dates and other details

HSDM applies through ADEA AADSAS, which opened on May 12, 2026 for this cycle.

Dates for 2027 entry

June 2, 2026. First day to submit an AADSAS application.
Mid-June 2026. HSDM starts processing applications and emails you about receipt, missing materials and when your file is complete.
September 2026 to February 2027. Interviews for selected candidates.
December 15, 2026. HSDM's deadline to apply, and the day first acceptances are released.
January 1, 2027. Applications must be complete. Incomplete applications after this date are denied. The $95 application fee is also due.
By March 2027. Waitlisted candidates are told.

Fee waivers

HSDM waives its $95 fee for AADSAS fee waiver holders, US military members and veterans, and CSTEP students at the University at Buffalo.

How to prepare

A conversational one-on-one rewards real stories and real listening more than rehearsed speeches.

Know your own file. Expect to talk through your experiences, shadowing and goals. Pick three or four stories you can tell in about two minutes each.
Practice disagreeing well. HSDM names civil discourse and constructive engagement. Prepare an example of a time you disagreed with someone and kept it respectful.
Show you know dentistry. Familiarity with the profession counts, so be ready to describe what you saw dentists actually do and what surprised you.
Rehearse on video. Your first interview is virtual in the fall and both are virtual in the spring. Test your camera, light and sound, and look at the camera when you speak.

Treat it like a conversation. Answer the question, then stop. Leave room for follow-ups, and ask your interviewer something you really want to know.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a One-on-one (virtual or in person) station, written for applicants to Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

Tell me about a time you got feedback from an advisor or mentor that you disagreed with at first. How did you handle it?

Show that you listened, weighed it fairly, and explain what you changed or why you kept your view.

Tell me about a time you disappointed a mentor or supervisor. How did you rebuild their trust?

Own the mistake plainly, then focus on the specific steps you took and what changed afterward.

As a dentist, your clinical focus is mostly the mouth, head and neck. Did you ever worry that you'd miss caring for the whole person the way a primary care physician does?

Use a real example of how oral health connects to overall health, and show you have thought about the trade-off honestly.

A lot of dentistry is about managing chronic conditions like decay and gum disease over a lifetime, rather than curing something once. How does that long-term focus fit your personality?

Tie your answer to something you already do with patience over time, and show you see value in long relationships with patients.

A local politician says licensing dental therapists to drill and fill cavities will solve the rural access-to-care crisis. What do you think?

Give a balanced view of access and quality, avoid a one-sided rant, and land on a clear, reasoned position.

You've spent a lot of time shadowing. What's the most tedious or repetitive part of a dentist's day, and how do you know you'll be happy doing it for thirty years?

Name something real you observed, then explain honestly why it does not put you off.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Harvard dental school interview virtual?

Partly. In the fall the first interview is virtual and the second can be virtual or in person, as you prefer. In the spring both interviews are virtual on the same day.

What type of interview does Harvard School of Dental Medicine use?

One-on-one interviews with a member of the admissions committee, designed to be conversational.

How many interviews does HSDM give?

Up to two. Invited candidates complete a supplemental questionnaire before the first, and not everyone receives a second interview.

When does Harvard dental send acceptances?

First acceptances go out December 15, 2026 and continue on a rolling basis until the class is full, usually by the end of February. The waitlist is not ranked.

How many students does HSDM admit?

HSDM has 35 seats in each DMD class and receives well over 1,000 applications a year.

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.

Harvard School of Dental Medicine: DMD Admissions · read October 24, 2026
ADEA AADSAS Applicant Help Center: Application Cycle Dates · read October 24, 2026