UCLA Dental School Interview: Format, Dates and Who Gets In
What we know about the UCLA dental school interview, how you get one, and how offers are decided.
UCLA School of Dentistry interviews by invitation only, between July and January, and picks candidates from the AADSAS application and its supplemental questions. The personal interview is one of UCLA's listed decision criteria. UCLA does not publish the format, length or setting. It admits 88 students a year and decides on a rolling basis from December to late April.
Key facts (2027 entry)
- Format
- Not published. UCLA lists a personal interview among its decision criteria but does not say whether it is one-on-one, a panel or an MMI.
- Online or in person
- UCLA's DDS pages do not say.
- When
- Interviews are scheduled between July and January.
- Who is picked
- By invitation only, based on your AADSAS application, including UCLA's supplemental questions. Review starts in July.
- How it counts
- The personal interview is one of five listed criteria, with grades, the DAT, experiences and letters. UCLA does not publish a weight.
- Class size
- 88 students a year. The Class of 2028 averaged a 3.87 overall GPA and 3.84 in science.
- Decisions
- Rolling, from December to late April. Alternates may hear after April.
What happens at the interview
UCLA confirms that it interviews by invitation and that the interview counts. It does not describe the day itself.
- By invitation only. UCLA's FAQ says interviews are by invitation only.
- July to January. Interviews are scheduled between July and January.
- Format not published. UCLA's DDS pages do 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.
- Questions about the process. UCLA asks applicants with questions about the interview process to call its Office of Student Services.
Check your invitation. With no public format, your invitation email is the best guide. Prepare for a conversational interview and for short scenario questions too.
How offers are decided
UCLA reads files and makes decisions on a continual, rolling basis. It does not publish how the interview is scored.
- Five criteria. Scholastic record, DAT scores, a holistic review of your experiences, letters of recommendation and the personal interview.
- December to late April. Applicants hear between December and late April. Alternates may be told after April.
- Date doesn't decide it. UCLA says decisions are not based on when your application arrived, but it urges you to complete your file early.
- Earliest offers. ADEA's traffic guidelines say schools may not tell applicants of acceptance before December 15.
The Class of 2028
- 88 students. 60 women and 28 men, by self-reported data.
- GPA. Average 3.87 overall and 3.84 in science.
- DAT. Average 23 overall, 23 science and 22 perceptual ability.
How you get an interview
UCLA starts reviewing applications in July and picks interviewees from the AADSAS application, including its supplemental questions. There is no separate secondary application.
- Grades. Science GPA and overall GPA. The Class of 2028 averaged 3.87 overall and 3.84 in science.
- DAT. No minimum, but 420 and above on the new scale (20 on the old) is competitive. You must take it by December 31, and scores can post later.
- Experiences. A holistic review of shadowing, volunteering, research, academic enrichment and employment. UCLA does not publish a minimum number of hours.
- Letters. At least three and up to four, with four recommended, all through AADSAS. They can come from any objective source, such as employers, volunteer supervisors or professors.
- $60 fee. UCLA emails you after you apply. Pay the $60 fee online, ideally within three weeks, or your file is not complete.
What else UCLA weighs
Beyond grades and the DAT, UCLA considers significant work experience, community involvement, graduate study, economic or educational disadvantage, the rigor of your major and course load, and signs of growth and maturity. It reads your personal statement and letters carefully.
Dates and other details
UCLA lists its dates without naming a cycle. Here they are beside the AADSAS dates for 2027 entry.
Dates for 2027 entry
- June 2, 2026. First day to submit an AADSAS application. UCLA says the earliest date is early June.
- July. UCLA starts reviewing applications, and interviews can begin.
- December 1, 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Last day to submit AADSAS to UCLA. Late applications are not accepted.
- December 31. Last day to take the DAT.
- January. Interviews end.
- December to late April. Rolling decisions.
The program
UCLA's DDS runs 45 months, in twelve ten-week quarters plus three nine-week summer sessions. Direct patient care starts early in the second year.
UCLA says it gives special attention to delivering care in a socially sensitive and responsible manner. It does not accept transfer students.
How to prepare
UCLA tells you what it values, so build your answers around those things.
- Show growth. UCLA looks for growth and maturity. Prepare a story where you started behind, struggled, and improved.
- Use your work experience. Significant work experience counts at UCLA. Be ready to say what a job taught you about people, pressure or responsibility.
- Talk about community. UCLA weighs community involvement and socially responsible care. Have a clear example of serving people with less access to care.
- Practice both styles. Rehearse a calm personal conversation and a few ethics scenarios, out loud and timed.
Own your obstacles. If you faced economic or educational disadvantage, you can talk about it plainly. Focus on what you did and what you learned.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a Interview (format not published) station, written for applicants to UCLA School of Dentistry. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake you couldn't fix right away, and you had to live with the consequences for a while before you could make it right.
Be specific about the mistake, how you handled the wait, and what you did once you could fix it.
Tell us about a time you tried a hands-on craft, sport or hobby and realized you didn't have the natural coordination for it. How did you improve?
Show steady, deliberate practice and how you measured your progress.
A patient comes into your 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?
Put the patient's safety first, then look for realistic options like payment plans, community clinics or reduced-cost care.
In rural areas without a local dentist, people with toothaches often end up in the emergency room, where they get pain relief but no dental treatment. If you practiced in a nearby town, what could you do to reach these patients first?
Offer concrete ideas, like partnering with the hospital or holding outreach clinics, and be realistic about limits.
Suppose a state program offered to forgive all your dental school loans in exchange for ten years of practice in an isolated, underserved community. What would you weigh before accepting?
Name both personal and professional factors honestly, and show what serving that community would mean to you.
A patient asks you to remove all of their silver amalgam fillings because of an online article about toxicity, even though the fillings are intact. How do you handle this?
Listen to the worry, explain the evidence and the risks of removing sound fillings, and respect the patient's final choice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UCLA dental interview format?
UCLA does not publish it. Its pages say interviews are by invitation only, scheduled between July and January, and that the personal interview is one of its decision criteria.
Does UCLA dental have a secondary application?
No. UCLA's supplemental questions are part of the AADSAS application. You pay a $60 fee online after UCLA emails you.
What DAT score do you need for UCLA dental?
There is no minimum, but UCLA calls 420 and above on the new scale competitive. You must take the DAT by December 31.
When does UCLA dental send decisions?
On a rolling basis between December and late April. Alternates may be told after April.
How many students does UCLA dental admit?
88 a year. The Class of 2028 averaged a 3.87 overall GPA and 3.84 in science.
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.
- UCLA School of Dentistry: DDS Admission Selection Process · read October 24, 2026
- UCLA School of Dentistry: DDS FAQs · read October 24, 2026
- UCLA School of Dentistry: DDS Application Process · read October 24, 2026
- UCLA School of Dentistry: D.D.S. Program · read October 24, 2026
- ADEA: Traffic Guidelines for offers of admission · read October 24, 2026
- ADEA AADSAS Applicant Help Center: Application Cycle Dates · read October 24, 2026