How do interviews differ between Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental?

Adelaide Dental uses: Multi-Mini Interview (minimum 6 stations × 10 minutes). Charles Sturt Dental uses: In-person panel interview at Orange campus (5 consecutive days, late November). Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: November-December (Adelaide Dental); November-December (Charles Sturt Dental).

When does each school release decisions?

Adelaide Dental typically releases dentistry offers January. Charles Sturt Dental releases dentistry offers January. AU MD offers run through GEMSAS (graduate consortium) or direct school portals; if one is earlier than the other you may need to defer a decision while waiting for the second.

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Australian Dental school comparison

Adelaide Dental vs Charles Sturt Dental

Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental are both Australian dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Adelaide Dental is in South Australia while Charles Sturt Dental is in New South Wales. State of origin matters here: several schools rank local applicants ahead of interstate ones.

Both select on UCAT-ANZ, so a single sitting can support both applications. The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Panel — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental.
Comparison field	Adelaide DentalAdelaide	Charles Sturt DentalOrange
Quick comparison
Location	Adelaide, Australia	Orange, Australia
Entry pathway	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Admission tests	UCAT-ANZ	UCAT-ANZ
GAMSAT	-	-
UCAT-ANZ	Same UCAT thresholds as for MBBS: ~2730 SA applicants / ~3140 interstate (old /3600 scale, 2024-2026 entry; MedView aggregator). Threshold then composite ranking — Admission weighting: Academic 40% + UCAT 20% + Interview 40%.	UCAT required for non-Indigenous applicants; First Nation applicants exempt. No published numerical cut-off — used to rank for interview alongside ATAR.
ATAR	Minimum entry ATAR 90.00. Successful applicants typically ~98-99+ (Adelaide does not officially publish a cut-off).	CSU does not publish a minimum ATAR for BDS. Used in combination with UCAT and interview for final ranking.
Interview format	Multi-Mini Interview (minimum 6 stations × 10 minutes)	In-person panel interview at Orange campus (5 consecutive days, late November)
Post-interview chance	~35% interview-to-offer.	~35% interview-to-offer.
Decision date	January	January

ATAR	Minimum entry ATAR 90.00. Successful applicants typically ~98-99+ (Adelaide does not officially publish a cut-off).	CSU does not publish a minimum ATAR for BDS. Used in combination with UCAT and interview for final ranking.
Contextual ATAR	Wirltu Yarlu Access Pathway and Educational Access Scheme adjustments available.	≥50% of places reserved for applicants with significant rural background or First Nation applicants.
GAMSAT	-	-
UCAT-ANZ	Same UCAT thresholds as for MBBS: ~2730 SA applicants / ~3140 interstate (old /3600 scale, 2024-2026 entry; MedView aggregator). Threshold then composite ranking — Admission weighting: Academic 40% + UCAT 20% + Interview 40%.	UCAT required for non-Indigenous applicants; First Nation applicants exempt. No published numerical cut-off — used to rank for interview alongside ATAR.
CASPer	-	-
ISAT	-	-
GPA	-	-
Prerequisites	-	-
Place types	38 domestic places annually (Adelaide degree finder). ~300 applicants invited to interview annually. Bachelor of Oral Health (separate program): 32 domestic places, ~90 interviews.	Annual intake not publicly disclosed (small program). Aggregator estimates ~30-50 places/year.
Indigenous pathway	Wirltu Yarlu Aboriginal Education Access Pathway — same as for Adelaide BMS. No quota disclosed.	First Nations applicants do not need UCAT. Culturally appropriate panel interview format.
Bonded / rural	BMP available; specific BDS-stream breakdown not publicly published.	≥50% of places reserved for applicants with significant rural background or First Nation applicants — the most aggressive rural quota of any dental program in NSW. Rural applicants submit a Rural and…

Interview window	November-December	November-December
Interview details	Adelaide Dental uses an MMI with minimum 6 stations × 10 minutes each, with clinicians and academics from the Adelaide Dental Hospital network. The MMI probes ethical reasoning, communication, manual…	Charles Sturt Dental runs an in-person panel interview at the Orange campus over 5 consecutive days in late November, assessing communication, motivation, rural commitment, problem-solving, and spatia…

Specialities	Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Public Dental Health, Indigenous Oral Health, Restorative Dentistry	Rural Dentistry, Community Oral Health, Indigenous Oral Health, General Dental Practice
Established	1920	2009
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Adelaide runs South Australia's only dental school (est. 1920) as a 5-year undergraduate Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). Co-located with the Adelaide Dental Hospital — one of Australia's oldest dent…	Charles Sturt was established with an explicit rural workforce mission — the first Australian dental program designed primarily for rural practice. Placements anchored at Orange and Wagga Wagga campus…
Official course page	https://www.adelaide.edu.au/study/undergraduate/dental-surgery	https://study.csu.edu.au/courses/bachelor-dental-science

Adelaide Dental

Adelaide

Quick comparison

Location: Adelaide, Australia
Entry pathway: Undergraduate
Admission tests: UCAT-ANZ
GAMSAT: -
UCAT-ANZ: Same UCAT thresholds as for MBBS: ~2730 SA applicants / ~3140 interstate (old /3600 scale, 2024-2026 entry; MedView aggregator). Threshold then composite ranking — Admission weighting: Academic 40% + UCAT 20% + Interview 40%.
ATAR: Minimum entry ATAR 90.00. Successful applicants typically ~98-99+ (Adelaide does not officially publish a cut-off).
Interview format: Multi-Mini Interview (minimum 6 stations × 10 minutes)
Post-interview chance: ~35% interview-to-offer.
Decision date: January

Charles Sturt Dental

Orange

Quick comparison

Location: Orange, Australia
Entry pathway: Undergraduate
Admission tests: UCAT-ANZ
GAMSAT: -
UCAT-ANZ: UCAT required for non-Indigenous applicants; First Nation applicants exempt. No published numerical cut-off — used to rank for interview alongside ATAR.
ATAR: CSU does not publish a minimum ATAR for BDS. Used in combination with UCAT and interview for final ranking.
Interview format: In-person panel interview at Orange campus (5 consecutive days, late November)
Post-interview chance: ~35% interview-to-offer.
Decision date: January

Compare different schools

Adelaide Dental vs Charles Sturt Dental - in detail

Admission tests compared

UCAT-ANZ cut-offs. Adelaide Dental — Same UCAT thresholds as for MBBS: ~2730 SA applicants / ~3140 interstate (old /3600 scale, 2024-2026 entry; MedView aggregator). Threshold then composite ranking — Admission weighting: Academic 40% +… Charles Sturt Dental — UCAT required for non-Indigenous applicants; First Nation applicants exempt. No published numerical cut-off — used to rank for interview alongside ATAR.

Timing shapes the choice as much as the score. GAMSAT is graduate-only and sits in March and September; UCAT-ANZ is mostly undergraduate and sits in July. A few schools run their own selection model with no national test at all.

ATAR and academic profile

Adelaide Dental requires ATAR 95.00+ (lowest selection rank 2025) plus UCAT-ANZ plus structured panel interview; English and Chemistry prerequisites; rural and Indigenous pathways available.

Charles Sturt Dental requires ATAR not formally published; UCAT-ANZ aggregate + portfolio + structured rural-engagement application drive selection. Estimated competitive ATAR ~93-95 based on aggregator reports.

ATAR. Adelaide Dental — Minimum entry ATAR 90.00. Successful applicants typically ~98-99+ (Adelaide does not officially publish a cut-off). Charles Sturt Dental — CSU does not publish a minimum ATAR for BDS. Used in combination with UCAT and interview for final ranking.

Read every ATAR figure as a selection rank, not a raw score. Educational access bonuses, rural-origin uplift and Indigenous pathways all adjust it, so the published number is rarely the one that decides your application.

Interview formats

Adelaide Dental uses MMI (Multi-Mini Interview (minimum 6 stations × 10 minutes)); Charles Sturt Dental uses Panel (In-person panel interview at Orange campus (5 consecutive days, late November)). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Panel rewards depth and consistency.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, Charles Sturt Dental may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Adelaide Dental is the better fit.

Interview windows: Adelaide Dental interviews in November-December; Charles Sturt Dental in November-December.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a Integrated-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: 5-year undergraduate Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). Years 1-2 foundations and pre-clinical simulation at North Terrace. Years 3-5 clinical placemen 5-year undergraduate Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) at the Orange campus with clinical placements at Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Wagga

Intake size: Adelaide Dental — 38 domestic places annually, ~300 interviews (Adelaide degree finder; health.adelaide.edu.au). Bachelor of Oral Health separately offers 32 places + ~90 interviews.; Charles Sturt Dental — Annual intake not publicly disclosed by CSU; aggregator estimates ~30-50 places/year (CSU BDS handbook). One of the sparsest publicly-available admissions datasets in the NSW/ACT cohort..

A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Adelaide Dental: ~35% interview-to-offer. Charles Sturt Dental: ~35% interview-to-offer.

Post-interview odds give you the clearest signal of how competitive each school is at the final stage — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%, even if the interview thresholds look identical on paper.

What makes each distinctive

Adelaide Dental: Adelaide runs South Australia's only dental school (est. 1920) as a 5-year undergraduate Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). Co-located with the Adelaide Dental Hospital — one of Australia's oldest dental teaching hospitals. From January 2026, Adelaide merges with UniSA to form "Adelaide University"; both schools stopped accepting applications on 4 August 2025.

Charles Sturt Dental: Charles Sturt was established with an explicit rural workforce mission — the first Australian dental program designed primarily for rural practice. Placements anchored at Orange and Wagga Wagga campus dental clinics with strong community engagement across Central West and Riverina NSW. Many places carry rural-bonded service expectations.

Which is right for you?

Check your state of origin before you apply — Adelaide Dental draws heavily on South Australia applicants and Charles Sturt Dental on New South Wales, and an interstate application often faces a materially higher bar.

Your preference list should ultimately weight: which admission test you can realistically score well in, whether your state of origin gives you a bonus at either school, and where you'd actually want to live for four to five years.

Common questions

Adelaide Dental uses UCAT-ANZ. Charles Sturt Dental uses UCAT-ANZ. Both schools share the same test stack — your single sitting can support both applications. GAMSAT is graduate-only and sat in March/September; UCAT-ANZ is undergraduate-leaning and sat in July; some schools (notably Bond and JCU) run their own selection model with no national test.

Adelaide Dental — Same UCAT thresholds as for MBBS: ~2730 SA applicants / ~3140 interstate (old /3600 scale, 2024-2026 entry; MedView aggregator). Threshold then composite ranking — Admission weighting: Academic 40% + UCAT 20% + Interview 40%. Charles Sturt Dental — UCAT required for non-Indigenous applicants; First Nation applicants exempt. No published numerical cut-off — used to rank for interview alongside ATAR. UCAT-ANZ cut-offs are cohort-dependent, so the headline number from one cycle is not guaranteed for the next — use it as a planning anchor, not a guarantee.

Adelaide Dental — Minimum entry ATAR 90.00. Successful applicants typically ~98-99+ (Adelaide does not officially publish a cut-off). Charles Sturt Dental — CSU does not publish a minimum ATAR for BDS. Used in combination with UCAT and interview for final ranking. Selection rank typically includes Educational Access Scheme bonuses, rural-origin uplift, and (where applicable) Indigenous-pathway adjustments — your raw ATAR is rarely the final figure used.

Adelaide Dental — 38 domestic places annually (Adelaide degree finder). ~300 applicants invited to interview annually. Bachelor of Oral Health (separate program): 32 domestic places, ~90 interviews. Charles Sturt Dental — Annual intake not publicly disclosed (small program). Aggregator estimates ~30-50 places/year. CSP (Commonwealth Supported Place) is the lowest student contribution; BMP (Bonded Medical Program) adds a 1-year return-of-service obligation in a Modified Monash Model 2-7 area after Fellowship; Full-fee places carry no bond but the highest tuition.

Adelaide Dental — Wirltu Yarlu Aboriginal Education Access Pathway — same as for Adelaide BMS. No quota disclosed. Charles Sturt Dental — First Nations applicants do not need UCAT. Culturally appropriate panel interview format. Both schools accept ATSI applicants through the standard pathway as well; the dedicated pathway typically offers adjusted academic thresholds plus wrap-around academic support.

Adelaide Dental — BMP available; specific BDS-stream breakdown not publicly published. Charles Sturt Dental — ≥50% of places reserved for applicants with significant rural background or First Nation applicants — the most aggressive rural quota of any dental program in NSW. Rural applicants submit a Rural and Indigenous Pathway form with their UAC application. The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.

Adelaide Dental runs a Integrated curriculum. Charles Sturt Dental runs a Integrated curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Adelaide Dental specifics: 5-year undergraduate Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). Years 1-2 foundations and pre-clinical simulation at North Terrace. Years 3-5 clinical placements at the Adelaide Dental Hospital and across SA H Charles Sturt Dental specifics: 5-year undergraduate Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) at the Orange campus with clinical placements at Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Wagga Wagga. Interview is an in-person panel at Orange i

Yes — AU medical applicants typically lodge preferences across multiple schools via GEMSAS (graduate) or direct-undergraduate portals + state TACs (UAC for NSW, VTAC for VIC, QTAC for QLD, etc.). The two schools' selection mechanics differ enough that listing both is a legitimate diversification strategy. A common mistake is over-indexing on schools with the same test-and-interview profile; Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.

Where to go next

Adelaide DentalEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full Charles Sturt DentalEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Adelaide Dental vs Charles Sturt Dental

Side-by-side comparison

Adelaide Dental vs Charles Sturt Dental - in detail

Admission tests compared

ATAR and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

Post-interview offer rate

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What admission tests do Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental use?

What UCAT-ANZ score do I need for Adelaide Dental vs Charles Sturt Dental?

What ATAR do I need for Adelaide Dental vs Charles Sturt Dental?

How do interviews differ between Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental?

What place types (CSP / BMP / Full-fee) do Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental offer?

What Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathways do Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental offer?

Does Adelaide Dental or Charles Sturt Dental offer bonded / rural-entry places?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental use?

Should I apply to both Adelaide Dental and Charles Sturt Dental?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons