Booster Prep

Dentistry Admissions
School Statistics

Southern Illinois

Admissions Statistics and Requirements for Southern Illinois Dental School

Background Information

  • Location: Alton, IL
  • Institution Type: Public
  • Campus Setting: Suburban
  • Dental Doctoral Degree: Doctor of Dental Medicine
  • Mission Statement: “Our mission is to educate dentists and improve the oral health of the region through patient care, research/scholarship and service.”
  • Year Opened: 1972
  • Number of Months to Earn Degree: 44
  • Campus Housing Available: No
  • Class Size: 50
  • Term Type: Semester

Combined degrees offered:

B.A./B.S.
M.B.A.
M.P.H.
M.S.
Ph.D.
Other Degrees

International Dental Graduate Programs:

Traditional Predoctoral Program for IDGs
Advanced Standing Program for IDGs
No
Yes

Admissions Statistics: (2024 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

  • Mean Age of First-Time, First-Year Enrollees: 23

Acceptance Rates by Location:

Number of Applicants
Number of Enrollees
Enrollment Rate
Overall
774
50
6.46%
In-State
330
43
13.03%
Out-State
426
7
1.64%
International
18
0
0.00%

Class Breakdown by Residency:

Number of Enrollees
Percentage of Incoming Class
In-State
43
86.00%
Out-State
7
14.00%
International
0
0.00%

Academic Averages for Acceptance:

DAT Academic Average
DAT Natural Science
DAT Perceptual Ability
Cumulative GPA
Science GPA
20.5
19.9
20.3
3.68
3.59

Range of Academic Averages for Acceptance:

5th Percentile of Enrollees
95th Percentile of Enrollees
DAT Academic Average
17
24
Cumulative GPA
3.11
4.00
Science GPA
3.04
4.00

Prerequisites

Preferred
Strongly Preferred
Required
Baccalaureate is:

Required Coursework:

Required Course
Credits (Semesters/Quarters)
Required Lab
Biology
8 semesters/12 quarters
General Chemistry
8 semesters/12 quarters
Organic Chemistry
8 semesters/12 quarters
Physics
6 semesters/9 quarters
Biochemistry
3 semesters/5 quarters
English
6 semesters/9 quarters
  • Recommended courses include: Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Histology, Immunology, Genetics, Neural Science/Neural Physiology

Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:

Prerequisites
Electives
AP Credit Accepted
No
Yes
Community College Coursework Accepted
Yes
Yes

Maximum number of Community College Credit Hours:

  •  60

Required Shadowing Hours:

  • Not required, but highly recommended; most students enter with 50-100 hours 

Letters of Recommendation: 

  • Option 1: Two science professor letters and one letter of choice
  • Option 2: One pre-health professions committee letter

Dental Admissions Test Requirements:

Mandatory DAT
Canadian DAT Accepted?
Applicants Evaluated Before Official DAT Submission?
DAT Score Considered
Yes
No
No
All scores, but the most recent is most important

Supplemental Information:

Mandatory Casper
Participation in ADEA AADSAS
Required Supplemental Application
Supplemental Application Fee
No
Yes
No (only fee)
Yes: $60 for all students

Interview Format

  • Your scheduled visit to SIU SDM will consist of a writing exercise, interview, a tour of our school and student panel session with lunch/refreshments. You can expect to be on campus for approximately four and a half hours.

Finances and Application Logistics

Financial Estimations for students starting Fall 2024:

Year
In-State Tuition
Out-State Tuition
Additional Fees
Estimated Living Expenses
D1
$41,202
$41,202
$19,525
$17,250
D2
$41,202
$41,202
$17,814
$17,250
D3
$40,058
$40,058
$10,939
$17,250
D4
$31,198
$31,198
$7,903
$17,250

University Offerings

1. Academic Offerings 

  • Pre-Dental Opportunities
    • Pre-dental program for Illinois residents allows students to obtain a certificate or a Master’s degree
    • BS/DMD Honors Program: 3-years of undergrad at SIU Edwardsville, followed by 4-years at the School of Dental Medicine in Alton, Il. 
  • Research
    • Summer research program allows students to gain research and extra clinical experience
    • Annual SIU School of Dental Medicine Research Day includes public activities for students, alumni, faculty, and residents

2. Clinical Experiences

  • Clinical Curriculum Overview
    • D1-D2: Students learn in the simulation laboratory and focus on the biomedical sciences.
    • D3-D4: Students focus on advanced aspects of dental patient treatment and begin practicing at patient care stations.
  • Postdoctoral and Residency Programs
    • Graduate Endodontics
    • Graduate Orthodontics
    • Advanced Education in General Dentistry
    • Fellowship in Implant Dentistry
Take your application to the next levelUse our expertise to give yourself the best shot achieving your dreams of becoming a dentist.
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