Rutgers Dental School Interview (RSDM): Format, Dates and Tips
What happens at the Rutgers dental school interview, how you get one, and how offers are decided.
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine interviews by invitation only, and no candidate is accepted without an interview. Acceptance notices start December 15, and admission is rolling after January 1. Rutgers does not publish the interview format or dates. Last cycle it had 4,656 applications for 97 traditional DMD seats.
Key facts (2027 entry)
- Next step
- Acceptance notices begin December 15, through AADSAS. After January 1, admission is rolling.
- Format
- An interview at the invitation of the Admissions Committee. Rutgers does not publish its format, length, dates or who interviews.
- Who is picked
- Chosen after an individual file review of grades, DAT, leadership, compassion for others and extracurriculars. There is no minimum GPA or DAT.
- How the interview counts
- Required. No candidate is accepted without an interview. Rutgers does not publish a weighting.
- Class
- 97 traditional DMD seats for the Class of 2030, from 4,656 applications.
- Deadline
- Rutgers points applicants to AADSAS for the filing deadline. The AADSAS cycle closes February 5, 2027.
What happens on the interview day
Rutgers invites applicants to interview and notifies them electronically. Its pages do not describe the interview itself.
- By invitation only. An interview will not be granted at an applicant's request.
- Confirm your spot. Invited candidates are notified electronically and are expected to confirm they will attend.
- Hotels listed. The FAQ suggests hotels near the Newark campus for invited applicants.
- Format not published. Rutgers does not say whether the interview is one-on-one, a panel or an MMI, how long it lasts, or when interviews are held.
Prepare for any format. Since the format isn't public, practice a conversation about your file and a few short scenario questions out loud.
How offers are decided
Rutgers selects students on scholastic achievement, fitness and aptitude for dentistry, and personal qualities. The interview is required for every admitted student.
- From December 15. Acceptance notices go out from this date, and every candidate hears through AADSAS.
- Rolling after January 1. Admission continues on a rolling basis.
- Background check. An offer is not final until the enrollment certification and criminal background check come back favorable.
- Recent class. The 2024 entering class averaged a 3.7 science and overall GPA and a DAT Academic Average of 22.
How you get an interview
Rutgers calls admission highly selective. Applicants are picked for interview after an individual review of the whole file.
- What is reviewed. Academic performance, DAT scores, leadership, demonstrated compassion for others and a broad range of activities.
- Beyond grades. The committee also weighs your use of language, special aptitudes, manual dexterity, motivation and perseverance.
- DAT before interview. Interviews cannot be granted until your DAT scores arrive. Scores up to 3 years before the cycle are accepted.
- Most prerequisites done. Most pre-dental courses should be complete to be considered. AP courses do not count toward them.
- No supplemental. Rutgers has no supplemental application, but charges a $125 fee when the Admissions Office contacts you.
- In and out of state. Both New Jersey and out-of-state applicants are welcomed and encouraged to apply.
Course rules to check
- Sciences with lab. 8 credits each of biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, all with lab.
- English. 6 credits.
Dates for 2027 entry
Rutgers does not post its own deadline or interview dates. Use AADSAS for the filing deadline.
- June 2, 2026 (passed). First day to submit an AADSAS application.
- December 15, 2026. Acceptance notices begin.
- January 1, 2027. Admission becomes rolling.
- February 5, 2027. The AADSAS cycle closes. Check Rutgers' deadline under Deadline when you add the program in AADSAS.
Other routes. Rutgers has BA/DMD programs with partner colleges such as Montclair State, NJIT and Ramapo, an Early Assurance program, and a DMD for internationally educated dentists.
How to prepare
Rutgers says a dentist plays many roles: diagnostician, clinician, artist, engineer, architect, teacher, communicator and business manager. Show you have thought about them.
- Hands. Rutgers names manual dexterity. Have a story about fine hand skills, such as art, music, crafts or lab work.
- Perseverance. Pick a time you kept going after a setback, and what you changed.
- Compassion. Have an example of caring for someone that went beyond what was expected.
- Many kinds of patients. Rutgers trains students to be culturally sensitive and to care for aging patients. Be ready to talk about serving patients unlike you.
Mouth and body. Rutgers teaches students to spot systemic disease in the mouth. Know a simple example of how oral health links to overall health.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a By invitation (format not published) station, written for applicants to Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
Dentistry is often described as a blend of art, science, and patient care. Which of those three do you expect will be the hardest for you to master, and why?
Pick one honestly, explain why, and say what you are already doing to improve.
Imagine you are a dental student doing a wax carving exercise. Your instrument slips and destroys a detail you spent an hour perfecting, and there are twenty minutes left in the session. Walk us through your immediate internal reaction and your next steps.
Admit the frustration, then show a calm, practical plan for the time left.
Tell us about a time your hands let you down, like a cramp, a tremor or real fatigue, in the middle of a delicate, time-sensitive physical task. How did you adapt?
Give a real example and show how you adjusted in the moment and practiced afterward.
You are a dentist. An older patient keeps calling you 'kid' and questions your clinical judgment because of your age. Talk with them.
Stay respectful, don't get defensive, and earn trust by explaining your plan clearly.
As a dentist, your clinical focus is mostly the mouth, head and neck. During your shadowing, did you ever worry that you'd miss out on caring for the whole person the way a primary care physician does?
Show how dentists notice signs of wider health problems and work with doctors.
Tell us about a time you were on a team where the members had very different work ethics. How did you establish a common standard?
Show how you set shared goals without blaming anyone, and what the result was.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rutgers dental require an interview?
Yes. Rutgers interviews only at the invitation of the Admissions Committee, and no candidate is accepted without an interview.
What is the Rutgers dental interview format?
Rutgers does not publish it. Invited applicants are notified electronically and asked to confirm their attendance.
When does Rutgers dental send acceptances?
Acceptance notices go out beginning December 15, through AADSAS. After January 1, admission is on a rolling basis.
Does Rutgers dental have a minimum GPA or DAT?
No. Rutgers uses a holistic file review. The 2024 entering class averaged a 3.7 GPA and a DAT Academic Average of 22.
How competitive is Rutgers dental school?
For the Class of 2030, Rutgers received 4,656 applications for 97 spots in its traditional DMD program, about a 2 percent acceptance rate.
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.
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine: Predoctoral Admissions · read October 26, 2026
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine: Application for Admissions · read October 26, 2026
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine: Pre-Dental Requirements · read October 26, 2026
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine: Predoctoral Admissions FAQ · read October 26, 2026
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine: BA/DMD Program · read October 26, 2026
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine: Admissions · read October 26, 2026
- Rutgers School of Dental Medicine: Welcome, Class of 2030 · read October 26, 2026
- ADEA AADSAS Applicant Help Center: Application Cycle Dates · read October 26, 2026