UNMC Dental School Interview (Nebraska): DDS 2026-27

UNMC DDS guide from its own pages: interviews Aug–Nov by invitation, format unpublished, Nebraska preference, a DAT recommendation and an Oct 1 early deadline.

UNMC invites applicants under serious consideration to interview with its admissions committee from August to November; the pages we read don't give the interview's format or setting. Here is what UNMC publishes, where its pages disagree, what applicants report, and how to prepare. return ( <> UNMC DDS Requirements and Class Profile The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry is in Lincoln, Nebraska, on the east campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and traces its history to the Lincoln Dental College, started in 1899. Its DDS is a full-time, four-year program, and “The Dental Program begins each August.” You apply through AADSAS, and UNMC adds a $60 processing fee, which you pay through a link it emails after you submit. Its admissions page calls October 1 “the early application deadline”; its catalog gives February 1 (see the box on deadlines below). UNMC's class profile page still describes the class that

entered in 2025 (it says “incoming class of 2029”), and its newsroom reports the next class's size: Figure. What UNMC publishes. Class size. 56 in the incoming Class of 2029 (its class profile: “Of 803 applicants, 56 were accepted”; its newsroom counts “56 dental students matriculating this fall”); 60 incoming dental students in the Class of 2030 (its newsroom, August 2026). Applications and interviews, Class of 2029. “803 verified applications received and reviewed”; “240 applicants interviewed”; “56 dental students matriculating this fall” (its newsroom, 27 August 2025). GPA, Class of 2029. 3.82 average GPA and 3.76 average science GPA. Average DAT, Class of 2029. 21.8, a figure only the old 1–30 scale produces; UNMC names no section. Where the Class of 2029 comes from. “Forty are from Nebraska, with 16 coming from eight other states”; 33 from rural areas and 23 from urban areas. Pathway programs. “Six of the incoming students are

graduates of Nebraska colleges and universities through our Rural Health Opportunities Program and our Kearney Health Opportunities Program”. Minimum GPA or DAT. None required; its catalog says “DAT scores of 390 or above on all sections are recommended”. The Class of 2029 figures describe the class that entered in 2025 (our reading of UNMC's “incoming class of 2029”; its newsroom story of 27 August 2025 lists “56 dental students matriculating this fall” for the incoming dental class of 2029). UNMC publishes counts, not an acceptance rate, and we don't compute one. When we read its class profile page on 9 October 2026, it had not been updated for the Class of 2030. Which DAT scale are 21.8 and 390 on?. UNMC's class profile gives the Class of 2029's average DAT as 21.8 (“average dental admissions test score”), and its newsroom repeats it. A number like that exists only on the old 1–30 scale: since 1 March 2025 the DAT has been scored on

a 200–600 scale in 10-point steps, and the ADA reports every score to AADSAS on it, older attempts converted. UNMC names neither the scale nor the section for 21.8, gives no new-scale equivalent, and we don't convert an average. (For orientation only, the ADA's Table 1 puts an old Academic Average of 21 at 440 and 22 at 460; UNMC doesn't say 21.8 is an Academic Average.) The one 3-digit DAT figure on the UNMC pages we read is in its catalog: “DAT scores of 390 or above on all sections are recommended.” A 3-digit figure in a 10-point step is a score on the 200–600 scale, though UNMC doesn't name the scale or give an old-scale equivalent. The ADA's guide says an old Academic Average of 18 is approximately a new 390, but sections convert differently: in its Table 1, 390 is also an old 18 in Biology and Perceptual Ability, an old 20 in Reading Comprehension, and falls between an old 17 (380) and an old 18 (400) in Survey of Natural

Sciences, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Quantitative Reasoning. Those conversions are the ADA's, not UNMC's, and “recommended” is not a minimum. In state or out of state? UNMC's catalog says the college “is a state institution and preference is given to legal residents of the State of Nebraska.” It adds: “A dental education contract presently exists with Wyoming whereby a limited number of state-approved legal residents are accepted to satisfy contract quotas. A limited number of students from states other than Nebraska or contract states may be accepted for the freshman class. All students must be legal residents of their states at the time of application.” Its admissions page lists “State of residence” among its important selection factors: “One of our missions is to develop Nebraska’s oral health workforce. However, 40% or more of our enrolled students come from across the country.” That factor links to a university-wide

page titled “Nebraska Residency Classification for Tuition Purposes,” which says an individual who moves to Nebraska and enrolls at any college or university within 12 months “will remain a nonresident for the duration of their enrollment.” How many students come from outside Nebraska? UNMC's pages don't agree. Its admissions page says “40% or more of our enrolled students come from across the country.” Its Programs and Admissions page says “Of our dentistry students, 78% are from Nebraska, with 38% from rural areas.” And its class profile counts the Class of 2029 as “Forty are from Nebraska, with 16 coming from eight other states,” which is 16 of the class's 56 from other states (our arithmetic). UNMC doesn't reconcile them. Take the stricter reading for an out-of-state applicant, the lower out-of-state figures rather than “40% or more,” and ask sara.klein@unmc.edu how residency figures in UNMC's review. Prerequisite and predental

coursework Course. Credit hours per semester in the catalog's plan. English composition. 3, in each semester of the first year. Inorganic chemistry (general chemistry) with lab. 4, in each semester of the first year. General biology (life sciences) with lab. 4, in each semester of the first year. Organic chemistry with lab. 4, in each semester of the second year. General physics with lab. 4–5, in each semester of the second year. Humanities or social science electives. 5 in each semester of the first year; 8–9 in each semester of the second year. That is the catalog's two-year plan of study, which totals “64-68” credit hours. The catalog says “predental students are encouraged to take the following courses during their first two undergraduate years,” and UNMC's admissions page points to the catalog for “our prerequisites and recommended courses” without saying which are which. The catalog also suggests electives: “anatomy, biochemistry,

cell biology, comparative anatomy, embryology, genetics, histology, immunology, microbiology, physiology, psychology, scientific Greek or Latin, statistics.” The pages we read give no minimum grade and say nothing about AP credit or online labs. Hours and a degree: “students must complete 90 semester hours and are strongly encouraged to complete a four-year degree program prior to matriculation,” and “Predental work may be completed at any accredited university, college or community college in the US or Canada.” The DAT: the catalog says “Applicants are required to take the Dental Admission Test (DAT),” and adds “Special attention is given to science scores. Should the applicant obtain scores below the national average, counseling is recommended before retaking the test.” UNMC's admissions timeline lists the DAT first, in May, and says to “Take the test early so that results are available prior to the early application deadline of Oct.

1.” It also says “Do not wait for your scores, transcripts or other application materials before submitting the online application. Applicant files are updated as these materials are received.” The pages we read don't say how long a score stays valid or how scores reach UNMC. Letters: “Letters of evaluation are strongly encouraged,” UNMC's admissions page says, and evaluations by “a predental adviser or committee are appreciated”; they go through AADSAS. The catalog says “It is recommended that applicants submit two to three letters of recommendation.” Neither page calls letters required. Shadowing and involvement: UNMC lists “Campus, community and dental career involvement, such as shadowing” among the “Important factors in selection.” It publishes no hour counts for shadowing or service. Citizenship and visas: the catalog says students who are “United States citizens or resident aliens at the time of application” may be considered.

“Nonimmigrant foreign students who want to be issued Form I-20” must also supply official or certified transcripts, evidence of adequate financial resources and, if their first language is not English, a TOEFL score of at least 575 (paper-based) or 95 (internet-based) “with no individual score lower than 20,” and must have “completed at least one academic year at an accredited college or university of the United States,” before they can be considered. Technical standards: the catalog's technical standards apply to “any student or applicant seeking admission,” who “must be able to meet the following technical standards with or without reasonable accommodations.” Some are quoted in the section on what UNMC looks for, below. Pathway programs: UNMC says its Rural Health Opportunities Program and Kearney Health Opportunities Program are “designed to address the needs of rural Nebraska,” and that selected students “are guaranteed admission to

the UNMC College of Dentistry upon satisfactory completion of all requirements.” Its catalog says a participant must have “Submitted a COMPLETE application to the UNMC College of Dentistry no later than October 1.” Hours: UNMC's pages word it two ways. Its admissions page says students “must complete 90 semester hours”; its catalog says “Applicants for admission are encouraged to have completed a minimum of three years (90 semester hours) of college preparation.” Take the stricter reading: treat 90 semester hours as a requirement, and a four-year degree as strongly encouraged, as the admissions page puts it. Confirm with sara.klein@unmc.edu. CASPer or Kira?. UNMC's DDS admissions page, its program page and the DDS pages of its 2026–2027 catalog (the pages we read) don't mention CASPer, Acuity Insights, Altus, Kira, a situational judgment test or a bench test. What they describe is AADSAS with your letters, a $60 processing fee, the DAT,

your coursework and, if you are invited, an interview. To confirm a rule where UNMC's pages disagree, write to the admissions contact its admissions and program pages list for the DDS: sara.klein@unmc.edu, 402-472-2542. The UNMC Interview: What the College Says By invitation, August to November. UNMC's admissions page says “Candidates under serious consideration will be invited to interview with the admissions committee during this time. Interviews are offered by invitation only.” The page gives no year; for this cycle we read it as August to November 2026. You can't request one. The catalog says “Applicants under serious consideration will be contacted to arrange personal interviews. Interviews will not be granted at the request of applicants.” It adds: “Applicants who are not interviewed may counsel with their predental advisers or the Admissions Committee coordinator.” With whom, and how many times. UNMC's words are “the admissions

committee” and “personal interviews.” The pages we read don't say how many people you will meet, whether you will meet them one at a time or together, or how many interviews you will have. Notifications start in December. “December: First-round admission notifications are sent.” ADEA lists December 15, 2026 as the 2026–27 dental school acceptance notification date. The pages we read don't say what follows the first round. What the committee looks at. The catalog says “Decisions by the College of Dentistry Admissions Committee are based on prior scholastic achievement, personality and emotional characteristics, motivation, industry, resourcefulness, and personal health,” and that “Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interests, and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions and educational processes.” It doesn't say which step assesses them or how much the interview

counts. In person or virtual? UNMC doesn't say. Neither UNMC's admissions page nor the DDS pages of its catalog, nor any other UNMC DDS page we read, says whether the interview is in person or virtual, how long it lasts, what is asked, whether your interviewers will have read your application, or whether the day includes a tour. The forum's invite tracker, which a volunteer compiles from applicants' reports, lists UNMC's interviews as in person in both recent cycles (below). Go by your invitation, and ask sara.klein@unmc.edu if anything is unclear. What UNMC reported about interviews for the Class of 2029. A UNMC newsroom story published on 27 August 2025 about the incoming dental class of 2029 listed “803 verified applications received and reviewed,” “240 applicants interviewed” and “56 dental students matriculating this fall.” That is 240 of 803 interviewed, about three in ten (our arithmetic), and 56 matriculating. It is an older

count, for the class that entered in 2025: the pages we read don't say how many UNMC will interview this year, how many offers it extended, or what its acceptance rate was. Other routes into UNMC have their own admissions steps. UNMC's Advanced Standing Dental Program, for internationally trained dentists, is a separate program with its own application, through CAAPID, and its own interview: its page says “The applicant must take a psychomotor skills assessment as part of the interview process.” The pages we read don't say how that interview relates to the DDS interview, so don't prepare from it. Its DDS-MBA dual degree with the University of Nebraska Omaha says “You will be evaluated by each degree program in separate admissions processes.” The pages we read don't say whether students in its Rural Health Opportunities Program or Kearney Health Opportunities Program interview. Mock interviews at UNMC's Pre-Dental Day. UNMC's newsroom

says its annual Pre-Dental Day in April 2026 “welcomed more than 100 undergraduate students” from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, who “took part in simulation exercises and mock interviews.” The event is “nearly fully UNMC dental student-organized.” The story doesn't say that attending is part of admissions, or when the next one is. What applicants report These come from a public applicant forum and its invite tracker, which a volunteer compiles from applicants' reports. They are not UNMC's words: This cycle (2026–27): the tracker, last updated 25 September 2026, lists UNMC's first invitations on 15 July and a first interview date of 31 August, in person. In the forum's UNMC thread for this cycle, the member who opened it, who also compiles the tracker, wrote on 16 July 2026: “first batch interviews sent out, interview dates TBD, sometime in August is the earliest, with dates through November.” As of 9

October 2026 that thread held only its opening post and that one, and no applicant had reported an invitation or an interview there. Last cycle (2025–26): the tracker, last updated 22 October 2025, listed first invitations on 15 July 2025 and a first interview date of 26 September, in person. In the forum's UNMC thread, one in-state applicant posted on 15 July 2025 that they had been notified by email that day, quoted the line “Formal scheduling will begin in August, and we’ll be reaching out soon with more details,” and listed the interview as in person. On 27 August they wrote “I received a call to schedule. Mine is now scheduled for 9/26,” and on 7 October “Mine was on 9/26.” A second applicant, notified by email on 3 September 2025, also quoted a scheduling line: “Formal scheduling will begin in September, and we’ll be reaching out with more details.” They listed “In-person Interviews.” A third, in state, notified by email on 6

September 2025, wrote “Email then phone call a few days later to schedule,” listed “In-Person,” and on 7 October gave the interview date as “10/31.” The three applicants in the thread who described the setting all wrote in person. None described the format: how many interviewers, how long, or what was asked. On 7 November 2025 one applicant who had interviewed wrote that UNMC “said interviews will continue until the end of November”; UNMC's pages give August to November. On 15 December 2025 one applicant posted “Accepted at 12:03 am!” and on 16 December another posted “Waitlisted”; the UNMC pages we read describe no waitlist. Our 2026–27 interview tracker sets UNMC's row beside every other US and Puerto Rico school on the forum's tracker. What UNMC doesn't publish. The pages we read don't say how its interview runs: in person or virtual, how many people you will meet and how many interviews you will have, for how long, whether your

interviewers have read your application, and what is asked. They also give no acceptance rate, no hours for shadowing or service, no word on how long a DAT score stays valid, and nothing on what happens to an application received after October 1. UNMC does say which personal qualities it assesses during admissions and education, including compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills and motivation, and its technical standards for admission also cover communication, problem solving and the ability to function under stress. Reread your whole AADSAS application before the day, and be ready to tell its story yourself. Practice Your UNMC Answers Out Loud. UNMC interviews by invitation from August to November and doesn't publish its format, so know your whole application well enough to tell its story. Answer motivation, behavioral and ethical questions out loud and get instant AI feedback on structure and clarity.. Start

Practicing Free →. UNMC's Admissions Timeline UNMC's admissions page and program page give these dates without years. The years below are ours, for the 2026–27 cycle; the catalog is UNMC's 2026–2027 edition, and ADEA's AADSAS page gives its own dates for this cycle. When. What UNMC says. May. “Take the test early so that results are available prior to the early application deadline of Oct. 1.” UNMC's timeline lists the DAT first, in May. June 1. “Application Opens: June 1” (program page); the catalog says the application service “opens in June for class beginning 15 months later” (ADEA: the first day to submit is June 2, 2026). June to October. “Submit the online application to the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service,” with the $60 processing fee; “Do not wait for your scores, transcripts or other application materials”. October 1 (2026: passed). “The early application deadline is Oct. 1” (admissions page);

“Application Deadline: Oct. 1” (program page); “early application submission prior to October 1 is strongly encouraged!” (catalog). August to November (2026). “Candidates under serious consideration will be invited to interview with the admissions committee during this time. Interviews are offered by invitation only.”. December (2026). “First-round admission notifications are sent.” (ADEA's 2026–27 acceptance notification date is December 15, 2026). February 1 (2027). “The AADSAS application deadline is February 1” (catalog; ADEA: AADSAS closes February 5, 2027). August (2027). “The Dental Program begins each August.” The pages we read give no 2027 start date; its 2026–2027 calendar ran student orientation programs August 17–21, 2026 and began first-semester classes and clinic on August 24, 2026. UNMC's 2026–2027 catalog estimates first-year tuition at $47,385 for Nebraska residents and $98,785 for nonresidents (“All other fees remain

the same as for a resident student”), and its cost-of-attendance sheet puts first-year fees at $9,155 and the first-year budget at $88,670 for residents and $140,070 for nonresidents. UNMC calls the catalog's figures “guidelines only,” says tuition and fees “may be changed at any time,” and says its budgets “DO NOT reflect your costs for future years”: they are for students enrolled in 2026–27. October 1 or February 1? UNMC's pages disagree. UNMC's admissions page says “The early application deadline is Oct. 1,” and its program page says “Application Deadline: Oct. 1.” Its 2026–2027 catalog says “The AADSAS application deadline is February 1, however early application submission prior to October 1 is strongly encouraged!” Take the stricter reading and treat October 1 as the deadline, because a deadline that closes in October excludes more applicants than one in February. For 2026–27 (UNMC gives no years) it has passed, and the pages we

read don't say whether UNMC reviews applications received after it. ADEA says AADSAS “will not send your application to a school if it is received by ADEA AADSAS after the school's deadline.” If you haven't applied, ask sara.klein@unmc.edu what applies to you before you decide. What UNMC Looks For UNMC's admissions page lists the “Important factors in selection”: GPA and science GPA, DAT scores, “Campus, community and dental career involvement, such as shadowing,” state of residence, and letters of evaluation. Its catalog's technical standards for admission add the personal qualities it says it assesses. With its mission and values, they make the best checklist for the interview: Communication: a student must be able to “communicate effectively and sensitively with patients; convey or exchange information at a level allowing development of a health history; identify problems presented; explain alternative solutions; and give directions

during treatment and post-treatment.” Practice explaining something technical in plain words. Problem solving: the standards ask for the ability to “measure, calculate, reason, analyze, integrate, and synthesize,” and say “Problem solving, a critical skill demanded of dentists, requires all of these intellectual abilities.” Practice talking through a problem out loud: the options, what you would weigh, and why you would choose one. Composure and flexibility: a student must be able to “tolerate intellectually and physically-taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress” and to “adapt to changing environments to display flexibility, and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of patients.” Have an example of a demanding stretch you planned your way through, and of a change you did not expect. Personal qualities: “Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills,

interests, and motivation,” in the catalog's list, and the Admissions Committee's decisions rest on “prior scholastic achievement, personality and emotional characteristics, motivation, industry, resourcefulness, and personal health.” Prepare a specific example for each quality you can. Taking criticism and calming patients: a student must be able to “manage apprehensive patients with a range of moods and behaviors in a tactful, congenial, personal manner so as not to alienate or antagonize them” and “reasonably be expected to accept criticism and respond by appropriate modification of behavior.” Have an example of each. Involvement you can talk about: “Campus, community and dental career involvement, such as shadowing.” Pick moments from more than one setting and say what each changed in how you see dentistry. Nebraska and the people it serves: “One of our missions is to develop Nebraska’s oral health workforce,” and the college's

mission is “to continually improve the oral health of the people of Nebraska and beyond through a humanistic approach to education, extraordinary patient care, and innovative research.” If you are from Nebraska, have your story; if you are not, be ready to say honestly what draws you to UNMC. Hand skills: the standards include the ability to “operate high- and low-speed dental movements of less than one millimeter and utilize hand instrumentation (including scalpels for surgical procedures).” Be ready to describe one activity concretely. UNMC's values and competencies make a good ethics checklist. UNMC's values say “We demonstrate integrity, accountability, intellectual curiosity, and passion in everything we do,” and its catalog expects a graduate to be able to “appropriately apply ethical reasoning, professional values, and legal and regulatory concepts in the provision and/or support of health care services” and to “self-assess

professional knowledge, skills, and values to support self-directed lifelong learning.” Those are expectations of graduates, not admissions criteria. A university-wide sentence on the College of Dentistry's catalog page adds: “The objective of the University of Nebraska Medical Center is to recruit and retain persons of high moral and ethical character.” Measure your answers to ethical questions against these. The best Why UNMC material is in its clinics and its state. UNMC says “Our highly effective clinical model closely resembles providing comprehensive care within a private practice,” with students “assigned to a team that provide patients with all the care they need.” It says students build clinical skills in a “Clinical and Virtual Simulation Lab” and a “Digital Design Studio,” and its home page adds “high-fidelity haptic simulators like the Simodont.” It says “Every student has a research experience.” The college “forms part of

the dental safety net for the state of Nebraska, conducting 88,200 patient visits in 2024-25” and “traditionally provides more than $6.1 million of free and reduced fee care each year to underserved populations.” On its graduates' reach, UNMC says 67% of all Nebraska dentists and 81% of all rural Nebraska dentists are UNMC graduates, and its rural pathway programs recruit students “committed to returning to Nebraska to practice dentistry or dental hygiene.” Connect one of these to how you want to learn and whom you want to serve. The practice questions below are ours, built on these criteria. The UNMC pages we read don't publish interview questions. Internationally trained dentist? UNMC's Advanced Standing Dental Program is a separate program with its own application, through CAAPID, and its own interview. This guide doesn't cover it; to compare advanced standing programs, see our CAAPID program finder . ); }; export default

NebraskaDentalSchoolInterview; nebraska-dental-school-interview University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry UNMC UNMC Dental School Interview (DDS) 2026- Interview Window Nebraska Preference & Requirements UNMC Dental School Interview (Nebraska): DDS 2026-27 UNMC DDS guide from its own interviews Aug–Nov by invitation format unpublished Nebraska preference a DAT recommendation and an Oct 1 early deadline. UNMC dental school interview University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry interview Nebraska dental school interview UNMC DDS interview UNMC DDS requirements UNMC dental school requirements UNMC dental school acceptance rate UNMC dental school DAT UNMC dental school out of state 2026-10-09 2026-10-09 Domestic Program Interview with the admissions committee by invitation August–November (format not published) UNMC invites applicants under serious consideration to interview with its admissions committee from

August to November; the pages we read don t give the interview s format or setting. Here is what UNMC publishes where its pages disagree what applicants report and how to prepare. UNMC says “Candidates under serious consideration will be invited to interview with the admissions committee” from August to November and publishes no format; as “a state institution ” its catalog says “preference is given to legal residents of the State of Nebraska.” Degree DDS (four years full time) Lincoln Nebraska; “The Dental Program begins each August” Interview Format Not “invited to interview with the admissions committee” File Type Not published Interview Setting Not published; the forum s invite tracker compiled by a volunteer from applicants reports lists in person in 2025–26 and 2026–27 (reported not UNMC s words) Interviews August to November by invitation only (UNMC gives no year) Deadline October 1 “the early application deadline” (for 2026–27

passed); its catalog says February 1 Processing Fee $60 paid through a link UNMC emails after you submit AADSAS Notifications “First-round admission notifications” in December (ADEA s December 15 2026) CASPer / Kira Not on UNMC s DDS pages Class Size 56 (Class of 2029 per its class profile); 60 (Class of 2030 per its newsroom) GPA / DAT 3.82 average GPA 3.76 average science GPA; DAT average 21.8 on the old 1–30 scale no section named (Class of 2029) Minimums No minimum GPA or DAT score; its catalog recommends DAT scores of 390 or above on all sections (200–600 scale) Residency “preference is given to legal residents of the State of Nebraska”; 16 of the Class of 2029 s 56 came from other states requirements Requirements & Class Profile 2 prerequisites Prerequisite Coursework 3 interview-format What UNMC Says About the Interview 2 what-applicants-report What Applicants Report 3 timeline UNMC s Admissions Timeline 2 what-unmc-looks-for

What UNMC Looks For 2 sample-questions Practice Interview Questions 2 preparation-tips Expert Preparation Tips 2 admissions-stats Admissions Statistics 2 prep-checklist Prep Checklist 2 faq FAQ 2 Traditional / Motivational Tell me about yourself. UNMC does not publish its interview questions; these are practice questions built on what it says it weighs. UNMC says candidates are invited “to interview with the admissions committee”; the pages we read don t say how many people you will meet or whether they will have read your application so build a 90-second answer that stands on its who you are the experiences that led you to dentistry and why UNMC is the next step. Its catalog says “Compassion integrity concern for others interpersonal skills interests and motivation” are assessed “during the admissions and educational processes”: let your story show them. Why dentistry? UNMC lists “Campus community and dental career involvement such as

shadowing” among the “Important factors in selection.” Anchor your answer in something specific you saw a dentist do with a patient say what it taught you about the profession and how it shaped your plans. Why UNMC? Use what UNMC says about its a clinical model that “closely resembles providing comprehensive care within a private practice ” with students “assigned to a team that provide patients with all the care they need ” a Clinical and Virtual Simulation Lab and a Digital Design Studio and in its words “Every student has a research experience.” Connect one of them to how you want to learn and whom you want to serve; cost or location alone is not a reason. Where do you see yourself practicing and why? UNMC s mission is “to continually improve the oral health of the people of Nebraska and beyond ” its admissions page says “One of our missions is to develop Nebraska’s oral health workforce ” and its catalog gives preference to Nebraska

residents. Name a place you know a need you have seen there and what you would bring to it. If you are from out of state be honest about your plans and what draws you to UNMC. Behavioral Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a change you didn t expect. UNMC s technical standards say a student must be able to “adapt to changing environments to display flexibility and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of patients.” Keep the setup short show what you did to adjust and say what you would do again or differently. Describe a time you received critical feedback. What did you change? UNMC s standards say a student must “reasonably be expected to accept criticism and respond by appropriate modification of behavior.” Name the feedback what you changed and the evidence that it worked. Tell me about a time you worked under sustained pressure. UNMC s standards ask students to “tolerate

intellectually and physically-taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress.” Describe one demanding what you were carrying how you planned it what you set aside or shared and what you would do differently. Tell me about your community involvement. What did it teach you? UNMC lists “Campus community and dental career involvement” among its important factors in selection and publishes no hour counts. Pick one experience describe the people you served with respect and say what it taught you and how it shapes the dentist you want to be. Ethical / Scenario A patient is anxious and upset before treatment. How do you handle it? UNMC s standards ask students to “manage apprehensive patients with a range of moods and behaviors in a tactful congenial personal manner so as not to alienate or antagonize them.” Show that you would acknowledge the fear explain each step in plain words agree on a signal to pause and involve your

supervising dentist if the patient wants to stop. A patient can t afford the treatment they need. What do you do? UNMC says its college “forms part of the dental safety net for the state of Nebraska” and “traditionally provides more than $6.1 million of free and reduced fee care each year to underserved populations.” Acknowledge the patient without judgment explore legitimate options with your supervising faculty member and never lower the standard of care. Show your reasoning; a question like this rarely has a single right answer. You see a classmate cheating on an exam. What do you do? UNMC s values say “We demonstrate integrity accountability intellectual curiosity and passion in everything we do.” Describe an escalation path from a direct conversation to the proper channels and say why integrity matters when patients trust your license. How would you explain a treatment option to a patient who has little health knowledge? UNMC s

standards include the ability to “explain alternative solutions” to patients. Show how you would avoid jargon lay out the options and their risks check that the patient understood and respect the patient s decision. Apply October 1 is UNMC s early deadline UNMC s admissions page says “The early application deadline is Oct. 1. Applicants are encouraged to apply early.” Its catalog says the AADSAS deadline is February 1 but “early application submission prior to October 1 is strongly encouraged!” The pages give no year; for 2026–27 October 1 has passed (the year is ours). In a later cycle treat October 1 as the deadline don t wait for your DAT scores or transcripts before you submit (UNMC says “Do not wait for your scores transcripts or other application materials”) and write to sara.klein@unmc.edu if you are unsure. Prepare for a format UNMC doesn t publish UNMC s pages say only that candidates under serious consideration “will be

invited to interview with the admissions committee” from August to November. They don t say how many people you will meet for how long in person or online or whether they will have read your application so know your whole AADSAS application well enough to tell its story yourself. The forum s invite tracker which a volunteer compiles from applicants reports lists UNMC s interviews as in person in 2025–26 and 2026–27 and the three applicants in the forum s 2025–26 UNMC thread who described the setting all wrote in person (reported not UNMC s words); go by your invitation. Be ready to talk about your shadowing and community involvement UNMC lists “Campus community and dental career involvement such as shadowing” among its important factors in selection and publishes no hour counts. Prepare one specific story from each what you saw or did and what it taught you. Show the qualities UNMC says it assesses UNMC s catalog says “Compassion

integrity concern for others interpersonal skills interests and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions and educational processes.” Prepare a specific example for each practice explaining something technical in plain words and have an answer ready for how you take criticism. Requirement Detail Degree awarded DDS four years full time in Lincoln Nebraska; “The Dental Program begins each August” Application AADSAS (UNMC s catalog says it “does not provide its own application form”) and a $60 processing fee paid through a link UNMC emails after you submit; UNMC says not to wait for scores or transcripts before submitting Deadline October 1 is “the early application deadline” (its admissions page; for 2026–27 passed); its catalog says “The AADSAS application deadline is February 1”; UNMC gives no years Interview By invitation only August to November (no year given) “with the admissions committee”;

the pages we read do not give the format setting length or number of interviewers Notifications “ First-round admission notifications are sent.” ADEA s 2026–27 acceptance notification date is December 15 2026 Class size 56 in the incoming Class of 2029; 60 incoming dental students in the Class of 2030 (UNMC newsroom August 2026) Applications and interviews Class of 2029 803 verified applications; 240 applicants interviewed; 56 matriculating (UNMC newsroom 27 August 2025) Average GPA Class of 2029 3.82 (3.76 science) Average DAT Class of 2029 21.8 a figure only the old 1–30 scale produces; UNMC names no section Acceptance rate Not published; the class profile says “Of 803 applicants 56 were accepted” Minimum GPA or DAT None required; the catalog says “DAT scores of 390 or above on all sections are recommended” (a 3-digit figure so on the 200–600 scale) Hours 90 semester hours (“must complete” on its admissions page “encouraged” in its

catalog); a four-year degree is “strongly encouraged” Courses The catalog s two-year English composition; general chemistry general biology organic chemistry and general physics each with lab; humanities or social science electives Letters Letters of evaluation are “strongly encouraged” (admissions page) through AADSAS; the catalog recommends “two to three letters of recommendation” Shadowing and involvement “Campus community and dental career involvement such as shadowing” is a listed selection factor; no hours published CASPer / Kira Not on UNMC s DDS pages Residency State “preference is given to legal residents of the State of Nebraska”; a Wyoming contract takes “a limited number of state-approved legal residents”; 40 of the Class of 2029 s 56 were Nebraskans Citizenship US citizens or resident aliens may be considered; nonimmigrant students who want an I-20 meet further requirements including if their first language is not English a

TOEFL score of at least 575 (paper-based) or 95 (internet-based) Tuition first year (2026–27) Estimated $47 385 for residents and $98 785 for nonresidents plus $9 155 in fees (guidelines only; for students enrolled in 2026–27) What UNMC asks for or weighs (its timeline starts with the DAT in May) 90 semester hours from an accredited university college or community college in the US or Canada (“must complete” on its admissions page; its catalog says “encouraged”) and a four-year degree which its admissions page says you are “strongly encouraged” to complete The courses in the catalog s two-year English composition and general chemistry general biology organic chemistry and general physics with labs plus humanities or social science electives The UNMC says to take it early so results arrive before the early deadline and also says “Do not wait for your scores transcripts or other application materials before submitting the online

application” Campus community and dental career involvement such as shadowing (UNMC publishes no hour counts) Letters of evaluation through “strongly encouraged” on the admissions page with two to three recommended in the catalog (UNMC says not to wait for other application materials before you submit) Apply (June to October on UNMC s timeline; AADSAS only) Submit AADSAS “Applicants are encouraged to apply early” Pay the $60 processing fee through the link UNMC emails after you submit Keep your AADSAS file UNMC says applicant files “are updated as these materials are received” Don t ask for an “Interviews will not be granted at the request of applicants” Interview season (August to November on UNMC s timeline; by invitation only) Watch your email and UNMC says applicants under serious consideration “will be contacted to arrange personal interviews” Prepare for a format UNMC doesn t reread your whole application and be ready to tell its

story Prepare a Why UNMC answer examples of the qualities in its technical standards and an ethical dilemma to talk through UNMC s catalog says applicants who are not interviewed “may counsel with their predental advisers or the Admissions Committee coordinator” Hard dates (UNMC gives no years; the years are ours for the 2026–27 cycle) October 1 “the early application deadline” (passed) August to November interviews by invitation only December “First-round admission notifications” (ADEA s December 15 2026) February 1 the AADSAS deadline in UNMC s catalog August the program begins each August (the pages we read give no 2027 start date) What is the UNMC dental school interview format? UNMC doesn t publish it. Its admissions page says “Candidates under serious consideration will be invited to interview with the admissions committee” from August to November and “Interviews are offered by invitation only.” Its catalog says applicants “will

be contacted to arrange personal interviews” and “Interviews will not be granted at the request of applicants.” Neither says how many people you will meet or how many interviews you will have for how long in person or virtual whether they will have read your application or what is asked. UNMC s catalog does say that “Compassion integrity concern for others interpersonal skills interests and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions and educational processes”; it doesn t say which step assesses them. Is the UNMC dental interview virtual or in person? UNMC s pages don t say. The forum s invite tracker which a volunteer compiles from applicants reports lists UNMC s interviews as in person in both 2025–26 and 2026–27 with first interview dates of 26 September 2025 and 31 August 2026. In the forum s 2025–26 UNMC thread the three applicants who described the setting all wrote in person. Go by your

invitation and ask sara.klein@unmc.edu if anything is unclear. Does UNMC use the MMI? UNMC s DDS pages we read don t mention an MMI stations a panel or any interview format; they say only “invited to interview with the admissions committee” and “personal interviews.” No post in the forum s 2025–26 or 2026–27 UNMC threads describes how the interview runs. UNMC s Advanced Standing Dental Program for internationally trained dentists has its own interview with a psychomotor skills assessment; the pages we read don t say how it relates to the DDS interview. Know your whole application well enough to tell its story yourself and go by your invitation. Does UNMC require CASPer or Kira for dental school? UNMC s DDS admissions page its program page and the DDS pages of its 2026–2027 catalog (the pages we read) don t mention CASPer Acuity Insights Altus Kira a situational judgment test or a bench test. What they describe is AADSAS with your

letters a $60 processing fee the DAT your coursework and if you are invited an interview. What GPA and DAT do I need for UNMC dental school? UNMC sets no minimum for its admissions page says it “does not require a minimum grade point average or Dental Admissions Test score.” You are still “required to take the Dental Admission Test ” and its catalog says “DAT scores of 390 or above on all sections are recommended” (a 3-digit figure so on the 200–600 scale the DAT has used since March 2025; UNMC prints no old-scale equivalent). For the incoming Class of 2029 UNMC s class profile reports a 3.82 average GPA a 3.76 average science GPA and a 21.8 average DAT a figure only the old 1–30 scale produces; UNMC names no section. Those are class averages not minimums. Does UNMC accept out-of-state applicants? Some students come from other UNMC s class profile counts 16 of the Class of 2029 s 56 as coming from eight other states. But its catalog

says the college “is a state institution and preference is given to legal residents of the State of Nebraska ” that a Wyoming contract accepts “a limited number of state-approved legal residents ” and that “A limited number of students from states other than Nebraska or contract states may be accepted for the freshman class.” Its pages disagree on how many come from outside “40% or more of our enrolled students come from across the country” (admissions page) “Of our dentistry students 78% are from Nebraska” (Programs and Admissions page) and “Forty are from Nebraska with 16 coming from eight other states” (class profile). Plan on the lower out-of-state figures and ask sara.klein@unmc.edu how residency figures in its review. When is the UNMC DDS application deadline? UNMC s pages disagree. Its admissions page says “The early application deadline is Oct. 1 ” and its program page says “Application Oct. 1.” Its 2026–2027 catalog says “The

AADSAS application deadline is February 1 however early application submission prior to October 1 is strongly encouraged!” Take the stricter reading and treat October 1 as the deadline; for 2026–27 (UNMC gives no years) it has passed and the pages we read don t say whether UNMC reviews applications received after it. ADEA says AADSAS “will not send your application to a school if it is received by ADEA AADSAS after the school s deadline.” Ask sara.klein@unmc.edu. UNMC adds a $60 processing fee payable through a link it emails after you submit AADSAS. How many applicants does UNMC interview and how big is the class? UNMC publishes counts not rates. For the incoming Class of 2029 its newsroom listed “803 verified applications received and reviewed ” “240 applicants interviewed” and “56 dental students matriculating this fall” on 27 August 2025 and its class profile says “Of 803 applicants 56 were accepted.” In August 2026 its newsroom

reported 60 incoming dental students in the Class of 2030 but the pages we read give no application or interview counts for that class. UNMC doesn t publish an acceptance rate and we don t compute one. Creighton Dental School Interview Guide (DDS) Also in Creighton s virtual interview with a member of the admissions committee plus a mandatory in-person presentation and tour in Omaha; AADSAS by December 1. Domestic Program /schools/creighton-dental-school-interview Iowa Dental School Interview Guide (DDS) Next door in Iowa timed “one-on-two” interviews each with a different pair of interviewers in person from August to November 2026 plus one virtual day. The September 30 deadline has passed. Domestic Program /schools/iowa-dental-school-interview CU Anschutz (Colorado) Dental School Interview Guide (DDS) In Aurora CU s on-campus “formal interview and tour” by invitation no CASPer and an October 15 filing deadline (complete and verified by

October 22). Domestic Program /schools/colorado-dental-school-interview