Updated October 24, 2026

Penn Dental School Interview: Format, Dates and Who Gets In

What happens at the Penn Dental Medicine interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.

Penn Dental Medicine invites selected applicants to an interview day, held weekly from September through March. Invitations go out by email from August through February, and acceptances roll out from December 15. Penn does not publish the interview format. About 3,400 people applied for the class of 178 that started in 2026.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Format: An interview day, by invitation only. Penn does not publish whether it is one-on-one, a panel or an MMI, or how long it lasts.
When: Interviews weekly from September through March. Invitations by email from August through February, on a rolling basis.
Online or in person: Penn's admissions page does not say.
Who is picked: Selected from the AADSAS application, Penn's Supplemental Application and letters. The Class of 2030 had 3,421 applicants and 178 enrollees.
Shadowing: At least 100 hours of dental observation before you apply, with 50 in general dental practice. The Class of 2030 averaged 255 shadowing hours.
Deadline: December 1, 2026. Most applicants submit by September 1, and review starts in July.
Offers: Rolling from December 15 until the class is full. Penn does not consider deferral requests.

What happens on the interview day

Penn invites selected applicants to an interview day. Its admissions page gives the schedule but not the format.

By invitation only. Interviews are held weekly from September through March.
Format not published. Penn does not say whether the interview is one-on-one, a panel or an MMI, who interviews you, how long it lasts, or whether it is online or in person. Your invitation email is the place to check.
What Penn looks for. Students who will be successful in a demanding curriculum, with the flexibility to adapt to changing technologies and the interpersonal skills to work with diverse populations.

Prepare for any format. Since the format isn't public, practice both a conversational one-on-one and short scenario questions, so nothing on the day catches you off guard.

How offers are decided

Penn's Admissions Committee makes offers on a rolling basis from December 15 until the class is full. It does not publish how the interview is scored.

Rolling offers. Acceptances start on December 15, following ADEA guidelines. Unsuccessful applicants are told from October until the cycle ends.
Deposit timing. A $1,000 deposit is due within 30 days for offers on or after December 15, and within 15 days for offers on or after February 1.
Second deposit. Another $1,000 is due March 1. Both deposits are non-refundable and go toward first-semester tuition.
No deferrals. Penn does not consider requests to defer.

The Class of 2030

178 students. From 3,421 applicants, with an average age of 22.
GPA. Average 3.88 overall and 3.85 in science.
DAT. Average Academic Average of 483.85.
Experience. Average 255 dental shadowing hours and 495 dental experience hours.

How you get an interview

Penn picks applicants for interview from the AADSAS application, its own Supplemental Application and your letters. Only complete applications are considered.

100 observation hours. At least 100 hours before you apply, with 50 in one or more general dental practices. Paid experience counts. Volunteering, pre-dental clubs and mission trips go on your application but do not count toward the 100.
Grades and DAT. No minimum GPA or DAT, but overall and science GPAs of 3.2 or higher get special consideration. DAT scores must be from January 2024 or later for this cycle.
Supplemental Application. Sent by email once AADSAS verifies your application. It comes with a $100 non-refundable fee and no fee waivers.
Two letters. At least two letters from professors, preferably in your major, or a committee letter. Science faculty letters are needed only if you are a science major.
Credits. At least 64 semester credits when you apply, 32 of them in basic sciences and math, and 96 by the time you start. A bachelor's degree is preferred but not required.

Who Penn gives preference to

Penn says it seeks students who will advance the profession. It prefers applicants who show excellence and leadership through extracurriculars and community service, exposure to dentistry, research experience and academic preparation.

Apply early. Penn says most of its applicants submit by September 1, even though the deadline is December 1. Its review starts in July.

Dates for 2027 entry

Penn names December 1, 2026 as this cycle's deadline. Its other dates are listed without a year, so expect them to repeat.

June 2, 2026. First day to submit an AADSAS application.
July. Penn starts reviewing applications.
August to February. Interview invitations by email, on a rolling basis.
September to March. Weekly interview days.
December 1, 2026. Application deadline. DAT scores should be in by December 1.
December 15. Rolling acceptances begin.

How to prepare

With the format unpublished, prepare your stories and your thinking, not a script for one style.

Know your observation hours. Penn sets a firm 100-hour minimum, so expect to talk about where you shadowed and what a general dentist's day looked like.
Bring a leadership example. Penn gives preference to leadership and community service. Have one clear story where you led, and what you would do differently.
Show you can work with anyone. Penn names interpersonal skills with diverse populations and a culturally competent care team. Prepare an example of caring for or working with someone unlike you.
Think about technology. Penn mentions adapting to changing technologies. Be ready to say how you learn new tools and where you think dentistry is going.

Ask a real question. Use the end of your interview to ask about something you care about, like clinical training or research.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a Interview day (format not published) station, written for applicants to University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (Penn Dental Medicine). They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

Shadowing shows you the clinical side, but running a practice means leading a team. What was the most effective thing you saw a dentist do to lead their assistants or front desk staff?

Describe one specific moment, why it worked, and how you would use it yourself.

What challenges do you think an immigrant who doesn't speak English faces when trying to get dental care, and how could a dental practice reduce them?

Go beyond language to cost, trust and paperwork, and offer practical steps a practice could take.

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?

Pick one realistic plan and show you have thought about time, money and team morale.

Describe a time you had to hand a critical task to someone whose skills you didn't fully trust yet. How did you manage it without micromanaging them?

Show how you set clear expectations, checked in at the right moments and helped the person grow.

More dentists, especially recent graduates, now work in practices tied to dental support organizations rather than independent offices. How do you think that shift affects the dentist-patient relationship?

Give a balanced view of the pros and cons, then say what you would protect for patients in either setting.

While shadowing, did you see a treatment plan change once the dentist had started on a tooth? How did they explain the change to the patient?

Focus on how the dentist communicated and kept trust, and what you learned from it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Penn Dental interview format?

Penn does not publish it. Its admissions page says selected applicants are invited to an interview day, held weekly from September through March.

When does Penn Dental send interview invitations?

By email from August through February, on a rolling basis. Invitations are based on your AADSAS application, Penn's Supplemental Application and your letters.

How many shadowing hours does Penn Dental require?

At least 100 hours of dental observation before you apply, with 50 in general dental practice. Volunteering, pre-dental clubs and mission trips do not count toward the 100.

What GPA do you need for Penn Dental?

There is no minimum, but overall and science GPAs of 3.2 or higher get special consideration. The Class of 2030 averaged 3.88 overall and 3.85 in science.

Is there a fee for Penn's supplemental application?

Yes. It is $100, non-refundable, with no fee waivers. Wait for Penn's email invitation before you submit it.

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.

Penn Dental Medicine: DMD Admissions · read October 24, 2026
Penn Dental Medicine: DMD Class Profile (Class of 2030) · read October 24, 2026
ADEA AADSAS Applicant Help Center: Application Cycle Dates · read October 24, 2026