Updated October 24, 2026

USC Dental School Interview (Ostrow): Format, Dates and Tips

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

USC's Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry interviews DDS applicants on its campus, by invitation only. Interviews typically run from October through April. USC does not publish the interview format or length. Applications are evaluated as they arrive from AADSAS, and the deadline is February 1. The Class of 2030 has 144 students.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Format: An interview by invitation only. USC does not publish whether it is one-on-one, a panel or an MMI, who interviews you, or how long it lasts.
Online or in person: In person. USC's steps to apply say to visit the USC campus for an interview.
When: Interviews typically begin in October and continue through April.
Who is picked: Applications are evaluated as they are received from AADSAS. USC does not publish how many applicants it interviews.
Deadline: February 1 for AADSAS, and the DAT must be taken by February 1. USC lists the date without a year.
Class of 2030: 144 students with an average total GPA of 3.81, science GPA of 3.76 and DAT Academic Average of 450.
Fee: An $85 processing fee to USC, or $150 for Canadian students.

What happens on the interview day

USC asks invited applicants to come to its campus for the interview. Its admissions page gives the months but does not describe the day.

By invitation only. Only applicants USC selects are asked to interview.
On campus. Ostrow is on USC's University Park Campus, a few miles from Downtown Los Angeles.
October to April. DDS interviews typically begin in October and continue through April.
Format not published. USC does not say whether the interview is one-on-one, a panel or an MMI, who is on it, or how long it lasts. Check your invitation for details.

Prepare for any format. Since the format isn't public, practice both a conversational interview about your file and short scenario questions.

How offers are decided

USC does not publish how the interview is scored or when offers go out. Its class profile shows who got in last cycle.

The Class of 2030

144 students. 59% female and 41% male, aged 20 to 36.
GPA. Average 3.81 total and 3.76 in science.
DAT. Average 450 Academic Average, 450 PAT and 460 science.
Where they came from. California plus 15 other states and territories, 61 undergraduate universities and 42 majors.

How you get an interview

USC evaluates applications as they are received from AADSAS, so a complete file early in the cycle gets read sooner.

Three letters. One from a dentist, general or specialist, and two from lecture-based science professors in biology, chemistry or physics. Letters from lab instructors or research PIs do not count. A committee letter can replace them.
DAT. Taken no later than February 1 of the year you apply, and no more than three years old. USC recommends taking it before you submit.
60 semester units. At least 60 semester units with a C or better must be done or in progress when you apply, and you need a bachelor's degree before you start.
Science prerequisites. A year each of general biology, general physics, general chemistry and organic chemistry, each with a year of lab. Labs must be in person, and AP or IB credit does not count toward them.
Humanities too. A year of English composition and a year of philosophy, history or fine arts. Both are waived if you finish a US or Canadian bachelor's degree before dental school.

Upper-division science helps. USC strongly recommends courses like biochemistry, anatomy, histology and physiology on top of the prerequisites.

Dates for 2027 entry

USC applies through ADEA AADSAS. USC's own dates are listed without a year, so expect them to repeat.

May 12, 2026. The AADSAS cycle opens.
June 2, 2026. First day to submit an AADSAS application.
October to April. Interviews on campus, by invitation.
February 1. AADSAS deadline for USC, and the last day to take the DAT.

How to prepare

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

Know the Sim Lab. USC says DDS students spend nearly two years in the Simulation Lab refining their hand skills. Have a story about learning a precise skill with your hands.
Know the curriculum. USC describes a learner-centered curriculum, and a student on its admission page praises its problem-based learning. Be ready to say how you learn on your own.
Think about service. A student on USC's admission page describes mobile clinics serving underserved communities in rural Southern California. Know what draws you to that work.
Use your humanities year. USC asks for philosophy, history or fine arts. If a course like that shaped how you see patients, it makes a good answer.

Plan the trip. The interview is on campus in Los Angeles, so book travel early and arrive with time to spare.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a In person (format not published) station, written for applicants to Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

Describe a time you were halfway through a detailed hands-on project and realized your technique was flawed. How did you correct it?

Show how you noticed the problem, stopped instead of pushing on, and what you changed next time.

At many dental schools, students practice on each other, including giving local anesthetic injections. How would you build enough trust with a classmate to let them practice on you?

Talk about clear communication, preparation and supervision, and show you can be both a good partner and a good patient.

A patient wants all of their healthy front teeth ground down and covered with bright white crowns for a 'Hollywood smile,' and can pay in cash today. How do you respond?

Respect the patient's goal, explain the harm to healthy teeth plainly, and offer safer options instead of a flat no.

A social media influencer with a million followers offers to post a video praising your practice in exchange for free porcelain veneers. You have never examined them. Do you accept?

Put the clinical exam and the patient's interest first, then explain why the marketing deal can't drive treatment.

While shadowing, did you ever see a patient ask the dentist a question they couldn't answer right away? How did the dentist handle it, and what did it teach you?

Describe the real moment, then link it to honesty and humility in your own future practice.

You are volunteering at a free dental clinic. The director asks you to help with fillings using composite that expired a year ago, saying there's no budget for new supplies. What do you do?

Weigh patient safety against access to care, and suggest practical ways to get safe supplies without abandoning patients.

Frequently asked questions

Is the USC dental school interview in person?

Yes. USC's steps to apply say to visit the USC campus for an interview, by invitation only.

When are USC dental interviews?

DDS interviews typically begin in October and continue through April.

What is the USC dental interview format?

USC does not publish it. Its admission page says interviews are on campus and by invitation, but not whether they are one-on-one, a panel or an MMI.

What is the USC dental school application deadline?

February 1 through AADSAS, and the DAT must be taken by February 1. USC evaluates applications as they arrive, so applying early helps.

What GPA and DAT do you need for USC dental school?

USC does not publish a minimum. The Class of 2030 averaged a 3.81 total GPA, a 3.76 science GPA and a 450 DAT Academic Average.

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.

Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC: Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) admission · read October 24, 2026
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC: Admission · read October 24, 2026
ADEA AADSAS Applicant Help Center: Application Cycle Dates · read October 24, 2026