Advanced Standing, Transfer Admissions, and International Students

Advanced Standing Admissions

Depending upon the availability of class positions, VCU School of Dentistry will consider qualified applicants for admission to this program. Advanced Standing applications will only be accepted from January 1 through April 1 of each year.

Applications received after April 1 will not be reviewed and will be returned. Incomplete applications will not be considered and will be returned to the applicant for completion. Interviews are conducted in May of the same semester to invited applicants only. An interview does not guarantee admission to the program even if a class position becomes available.

The minimum qualifications are:

1. Completion of a dental education program with an appropriate curriculum
2. Successful Part I National Board Dental Examination scores (Minimum score 85)

For application to our Advanced Standing Program, candidates are required to provide the following in support of their applications:

1. Non-refundable application fee of $70 - check made payable to VCU School of Dentistry (US Dollars only)
2. Proof of legal residency in the United States of America
3. Curriculum vitae (résumé)
4. A copy of your dental degree from a foreign dental institution
5. Evaluation of dental transcript(s) from Educational Credentialing Evaluators or World Education Services or similar evaluation agency (official report/not a copy)
6. National Board Dental Examination Part I scores (official report/not a copy)
7. Three (3) letters of recommendation presented in the English language from a:
   1. Faculty member(s) from your foreign dental school
   2. Faculty member from a United States college, if applicable
   3. US dentist recommendation if employed by him/her or volunteered at the dental practice
8. TOEFL scores (official report/not a copy) Minimum score 100 - Internet-based, 600 Paper-based. The VCU Institution Code is 5570.
9. VCU School of Dentistry application to the Advanced Standing Program (see link below).

Advanced Standing students are admitted on a probationary status during their first year of enrollment. Specific probationary requirements are provided to the student with the offer of acceptance.

NOTE: Pre-admission evaluation of skills and knowledge by performance testing may be required prior to consideration for admission.

Please send your completed application, along with all the documents listed above, to:

Office of Admissions
School of Dentistry
Virginia Commonwealth University
P.O. Box 980566
Richmond, VA 23298-0566

To apply, please download the Advanced Standing Application.

Transfer Admissions

On rare instances the school will consider the transfer of students from a U.S. or Canadian dental school if the following criteria are met: It would be necessary for a space to be available in the desired class and a perfect match to exist between the curricula of both schools. Furthermore, the student must be in excellent academic standing at that school and would be required to have letters of recommendations from that school's Academic Dean and other faculty. In addition, the student must have a valid reason for his or her desire to transfer to the VCU School of Dentistry and the student must not be involved or have been involved in any academic or honor code violations. The Admissions Committee will judge each case on individual merit.

International Students

Throughout the years, the VCU School of Dentistry has had contracts with foreign countries to train their young people for dental careers in their homelands. These students are contracted to attend VCU’s Academic Campus for their English Language Program and their pre-dental courses. The time duration for this segment is three to four years. Then these students apply to the VCU School of Dentistry through the AADSAS application service.

The VCU School of Dentistry does not consider candidates who are residing in countries outside of the United States or Canada. Only under unusual circumstances will the school consider candidates who have not had an undergraduate college education in these two countries. Each case is considered individually.