Updated October 26, 2026

Ohio State Dental School Interview: Format, Dates and Tips

What happens at the Ohio State dental school interview, how you get one, and how offers are decided.

For 2027 entry, Ohio State's October 1 deadline has passed and interviews run through October and November. The College of Dentistry expects to interview over 250 applicants, by invitation only, for an entering class of about 120. Offers go out on or after December 15. Ohio State does not publish the interview format.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Next step: Interviews for invited applicants through November, then offers on or after December 15.
Format: An interview by invitation only. Ohio State does not publish whether it is one-on-one, a panel or an MMI, how long it lasts, or whether it is in person or online.
When: October and November. Invitations arrive by email about 4 to 5 weeks before your interview date.
Who is picked: Over 250 applicants are expected to interview. You must meet the GPA, DAT and shadowing minimums to get the supplemental application and be considered.
Class: 120 students entered in the Class of 2029, with an average total GPA of 3.73 and a DAT Academic Average of 20.9.
Deadline: October 1 for a complete, verified AADSAS application and all letters. It has passed for 2027 entry.
Offers: Communicated on or after December 15.

What happens on the interview day

Ohio State interviews by invitation only. Its pages say little about the day itself, so read your invitation email closely.

Invitation email. It arrives about 4 to 5 weeks ahead, with scheduling instructions, the location and any pre-interview programming.
October and November. Interviews run through these two months this cycle.
Over 250 interviewed. Ohio State expects to interview more than 250 applicants for about 120 seats.
Format not published. Ohio State does not say whether the interview is one-on-one, a panel or an MMI, who interviews you, or how long it lasts.

Prepare for any format. Since the format isn't public, practice both a conversation about your application and short scenario questions out loud.

How offers are decided

Offers are communicated on or after December 15. Ohio State does not publish how the interview is scored or weighted.

Late items don't count. Anything submitted after the October 1 deadline is not used to evaluate applicants.
Re-applying. Ohio State welcomes re-applicants who show how they improved, including 20 more observation hours and one new letter.

How you get an interview

Ohio State checks hard minimums first. Only applicants who meet them get the supplemental application and a chance at an interview.

GPA and DAT minimums. 3.0 total and science GPA, and DAT scores of at least 370 Academic Average, 360 Perceptual Ability and 380 Survey of Natural Sciences. The Canadian DAT is not accepted.
GPA exception. An advanced degree with at least a 3.5 GPA, or a 3.5 in your last 45 hours, can still be considered for an interview.
40 hours of dental experience. Required before you apply. Admitted students average about 120 hours, usually with 5 or 6 practitioners.
Two to four letters. One from a college faculty member and one from someone who knows your character, such as an advisor, coach, manager or shadowing dentist.
Supplemental application. Emailed once your verified AADSAS file meets the minimums, and due 2 weeks after you receive it.
Experiences outside class. Ohio State calls these a very important part of your profile, such as service, research, leadership, sports, work and teaching.

Course rules to check

8 of 12 prerequisites. Done before you apply, with a C or better, and all of them before classes start.
10-year limit. Science prerequisites taken before Fall 2016 do not count this cycle.
60 semester hours. Completed at an accredited institution before you apply.

Dates for 2027 entry

Ohio State's deadline is early, so most of the cycle is now interviews and decisions.

June 2, 2026 (passed). First day to submit an AADSAS application.
October 1, 2026 (passed). AADSAS application, letters and all materials due.
October and November 2026. Interviews.
December 15, 2026. Offers communicated on or after this date.
Next cycle. Ohio State opens applications each June. It has not posted 2028-entry dates.

Other routes. Ohio State has an International Dentist Track within the DDS, a one-year post-baccalaureate program, DDS/PhD and DDS/MPH dual degrees, and transfer entry.

How to prepare

Ohio State stresses varied dental experience and community care. Its fourth-year students spend 50 days in community clinics across Ohio through the OHIO Project.

Compare your settings. If you shadowed several dentists, be ready to say what was different about each office and what you learned.
Community care. Think about patients who struggle to get care, and what you would do about it as a dentist in Ohio.
Your life outside class. Have one or two stories from service, work, sports or teaching that show who you are.
Re-read your supplemental. Know every experience and essay you sent so you can expand on it.

Know the clinic. Ohio State has nearly 130,000 patient interactions a year with a diverse population. Be ready to talk about serving patients from many backgrounds.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a By invitation (format not published) station, written for applicants to The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

In rural areas without a local dentist, people with toothaches often end up in the emergency room, where they may get pain relief or antibiotics but no dental treatment. If you practiced in a nearby town, what steps could you take to reach these patients before they end up in the ER?

Offer a few practical steps, such as working with local doctors and the ER, and keep them realistic for one practice.

Suppose a state program offered to forgive all of your dental school loans in exchange for ten years of practice in an isolated, underserved community. What personal and professional factors would you weigh before accepting?

Be honest about both sides, then show how you would decide.

Tell me about a day while shadowing when the schedule fell completely apart. How did the dentist keep the team's morale up and the patients happy?

Use a real day, focus on what the dentist did, and say what you would copy.

During your shadowing, you may have seen a patient disagree with a dentist's diagnosis. Tell us exactly how the dentist calmed the situation without backing down clinically.

Describe the words and actions you saw, and why they worked.

You work at a community clinic that sets fees on a sliding scale by income. A patient who qualifies for the lowest fee tier casually mentions they just bought a luxury car. How do you handle this?

Avoid jumping to conclusions, check the clinic's rules, and keep the patient's care and dignity first.

You are a dental student. A classmate assisting you in the clinic today seems completely checked out and keeps handing you the wrong instruments while your patient is in the chair. Address the issue with them.

Keep the patient safe in the moment, then talk privately and ask what is going on before you judge.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Ohio State dental interview format?

Ohio State does not publish it. Its admissions page says interviews are by invitation only, and the invitation email gives scheduling, location and pre-interview details.

When are Ohio State dental interviews?

Interviews run through October and November, and invitations arrive by email about 4 to 5 weeks before your date.

How many applicants does Ohio State dental interview?

Ohio State expects to interview over 250 applicants this cycle. Its Class of 2029 had 120 students.

When does Ohio State send dental school offers?

Offers are communicated to candidates on or after December 15.

How many shadowing hours does Ohio State dental require?

At least 40 hours of dental experience before you apply. Admitted students average about 120 hours, usually with 5 or 6 practitioners.

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.

Ohio State College of Dentistry: How to Apply to the DDS Program · read October 26, 2026
Ohio State College of Dentistry: Doctor of Dental Surgery · read October 26, 2026
Ohio State College of Dentistry: Re-Applicant Checklist · read October 26, 2026
ADEA AADSAS Applicant Help Center: Application Cycle Dates · read October 26, 2026