Prerequisites are classes that you must take in order to get into dental school. Every school has different requirements so I recommend making a list of every school that you may be interested and then look at what classes they require.

Most schools require 2 semesters of biology with lab, 2 semesters of general chemistry with lab, 2 semesters of organic chemistry with lab, and 2 semesters of physics with lab. Other requirements may include math, english, biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy, or a certain credit number of science electives

To be totally honest I hated almost every part of the DAT. Studying so much information for one test was really draining and exhausting. However it a must do to get into dental school, and the hard work is 100% worth it!!

My recommendation for when to take the DAT is the summer after your sophomore year because that way if it doesn’t go well you can always retake it the summer after your junior year

As far as which resource to use I recommend DAT Booster , I loved their crash courses and even had multiple of their biology questions on my actual DAT. No matter what recourse you decide to use, I know you will do great! Just remember to stay positive and take time for yourself each day.

My biggest piece of advice when it comes to extracurriculars is to find something that you are PASSIONATE about and spend your time devoted to that. It could be volunteering, student government, greek life, a pre-dental club, anything that you enjoy doing! I always say a strong involvement in one organization is better than weak involvement in many organizations!

Personally, something I have always been very passionate about is leadership. In undergrad I enjoyed participating in my sorority and student government. So I decided to focus my extracurricular activity on those two groups. My sophomore year I served as President of my sorority and junior year I served as Student Body Vice President of my university. Most of my dental school interview questions were actually about my leadership experience.

I had 4 letters of rec, 2 science professors, 1 dentist, and my student government advisor. Check the requirements for schools you are interested in to see what they require.

My recommendation is to ask a professor at the end of the semester you had them. Then, in April before you apply ask again and collect the letters.

I asked my professors for letters or recommendation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I had to email them to ask. Below is an example of one of the emails that I sent. I would suggest asking for your letters in person but if you must email is always an option.

Dear Dr. X,

I hope you are doing well!

As you may recall, I am a former student of your Principles of Epidemiology class in the fall of 2020. Your class sparked my interest in public health and helped me to better understand the importance of what the world was going through during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, what you may not know is that I am moving towards my next chapter of education, and have begun the application process for dental school!

As my experience in your class has been a pivotal part of my pre-dental journey here at the University of South Carolina, I would love for you to become an even bigger part of this process through your formal letter of recommendation. Is this something you feel comfortable writing?

I am happy to discuss this further with you over a zoom call, or send extra information your way via email. Thanks for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Warmly,