Marquette Dental School Interview: Virtual Format and Dates
What happens at the Marquette dental school interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.
Marquette holds virtual interviews for 2027 entry. The nonresident days ran in September and October, resident days follow on October 30 and November 2 and 6, and two more days are set for January 2027. Marquette admits 100 students a year, 50 from Wisconsin and 50 from other states, and sends first offers on December 1.
Key facts (2027 entry)
- Next step
- Resident interview days on October 30, November 2 and November 6, 2026. First offers and denials go out December 1.
- Format
- A personal interview held virtually. Marquette does not publish its length or who interviews you.
- Online or in person
- Virtual for the 2026-27 cycle.
- When
- Nonresident days ran September 18 to October 16 (passed). Resident days are October 30 and November 2 and 6. Two more days are January 22 and 25, 2027.
- Who is picked
- The Admissions Committee chooses whom to interview, by invitation only. Being admitted without a fall interview is extremely difficult.
- Class
- 100 students a year: 50 Wisconsin residents and 50 nonresidents.
- How the interview counts
- The personal interview is one of the listed admission factors, with grades, the DAT and suitability for dentistry. Marquette does not publish a weighting.
What happens on the interview day
Marquette's interview is held online this cycle, on fixed days for residents and nonresidents. Its pages do not describe the session itself.
- Virtual. Marquette says it will hold virtual interviews during the 2026-27 application cycle.
- Resident and nonresident days. Nonresidents interviewed in September and October. Wisconsin residents interview on October 30 and November 2 and 6.
- January days. Two more interview days are listed for January 22 and 25, 2027. Marquette says spring interviews are held only if needed.
- Format not published. Marquette does not say how long the interview lasts, whether it is one-on-one or a panel, or who interviews you.
Set up for video. Test your camera, sound and lighting the day before, and pick a quiet room with a plain background.
How offers are decided
The committee accepts applicants on scholarship, DAT scores, the personal interview and overall suitability for dentistry. Once the main seats fill, it builds an alternate pool.
- December 1. The FAQ says initial offers and denials go out December 1, then decisions are rolling.
- Alternate pool. It is possible to join the alternate pool without an interview. The class fills and pools form by March.
- $1,000 deposit. Nonrefundable, and credited to your first-semester tuition.
- Background check. Accepted applicants must consent to a criminal background check.
- Deferral. Granted case by case, and not common.
How you get an interview
Marquette starts reviewing as applications arrive in June. It says the decision is largely academic, but it also looks at your talents, values and motivation.
- Academic record. Quality of the college you attended, how rigorous your courses were, and the trend of your GPA.
- DAT. Required. The Canadian DAT is accepted, and only your most recent score is considered.
- Who you are. Orientation to the profession, motivation and values, and your extracurricular, leadership and service background.
- Three letters. Two from science professors and one of your choice, or a committee letter instead.
- $45 fee. Paid online after AADSAS sends your application. Marquette emails the payment link.
Next cycle, finish by September 1. Marquette says your full file should be complete by September 1 for the best consideration.
Dates for 2027 entry
Most of Marquette's fall interviews are done, but resident days and decisions are still ahead.
- June 2, 2026 (passed). First day to submit an AADSAS application.
- September 1, 2026 (passed). Marquette's date for a complete file for optimum consideration.
- September 18 to October 16 (passed). Nonresident interview days.
- October 30, November 2 and 6, 2026. Resident interview days.
- December 1, 2026. Initial offers and denials.
- January 22 and 25, 2027. Additional interview days.
- February 5, 2027. The AADSAS cycle closes.
Other routes. Marquette has a seven-year Pre-dental Scholars program from high school, and an Advanced Standing Program for foreign-trained dentists (apply through CAAPID by January 1, 2027).
How to prepare
Marquette names orientation to the profession and motivation and values as factors, and ties its mission to service to others. Build your answers around them.
- Orientation to the profession. Show you know what a dentist's day is really like, the dull parts included, from what you saw yourself.
- Motivation and values. Have a specific story for why dentistry, and one about a hard choice where you did the right thing.
- Service. Be ready to talk about service you have done and how you would keep serving as a dentist.
- Practice on camera. Record answers on video, then check that you look at the camera and keep each answer under two minutes.
Know the class. The Class of 2030 had an average overall GPA of 3.77 and science GPA of 3.70, from colleges across many states.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a Virtual interview station, written for applicants to Marquette University School of Dentistry. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
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 a real dull task you saw, then show why the purpose behind it keeps you engaged.
You are a dental student. A classmate accidentally broke an expensive handpiece in the lab and plans to quietly put it back in the shared drawer so they don't get billed for it. Talk with them.
Be kind but clear, explain the risk to the next user and to patients, and offer to go with them to report it.
A patient comes into your private practice in terrible pain from an infected tooth, but tells the front desk they just lost their job and have no money at all. How do you handle this?
Treat the urgent problem safely first, then look at payment options, community clinics and follow-up.
As a dentist, you will present treatment plans that patients have to agree to and often pay for out of pocket. How do you balance being a healthcare provider with the reality that, in a sense, you are also selling your services?
Show that you put the patient's need first, give honest options and let the patient choose.
Tell me about a time you got feedback on your dental school application, or from a pre-dental advisor, that you disagreed with at first. How did you handle it?
Show you listened, tested the advice fairly and changed what you needed to.
If your future practice is in a wealthy neighborhood, what is a sustainable way you could still serve underserved communities without burning out your staff?
Give a concrete plan that is realistic for a small practice, and think about your team's limits.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Marquette dental interview virtual?
Yes. Marquette says it will hold virtual interviews during the 2026-27 application cycle.
When are Marquette dental interviews?
Nonresident days ran from September 18 to October 16, 2026. Resident days are October 30 and November 2 and 6, and two more days are set for January 22 and 25, 2027.
Can you get into Marquette dental without an interview?
Marquette says it is extremely difficult to be admitted without a fall interview, though it is possible to be added to the alternate pool without one.
How many students does Marquette dental accept?
Marquette enrolls 100 first-year students a year: 50 Wisconsin residents and 50 nonresidents.
When does Marquette send dental school decisions?
Initial offers and denials go out on December 1, and later decisions are made on a rolling basis.
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.
- Marquette University School of Dentistry: Prospective Students · read October 26, 2026
- Marquette University School of Dentistry: Application Requirements · read October 26, 2026
- Marquette University School of Dentistry: Admissions Process · read October 26, 2026
- Marquette University School of Dentistry: Frequently Asked Questions · read October 26, 2026
- Marquette University School of Dentistry: Class of 2030 Profile (PDF) · read October 26, 2026
- ADEA AADSAS Applicant Help Center: Application Cycle Dates · read October 26, 2026