Leeds vs Queen Mary (QMUL)

Leeds's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1850, while Queen Mary (QMUL) sits at approximately 2070.

The 220-point spread matters: Leeds offers slightly more headroom for an average-strong UCAT, while Queen Mary (QMUL) expects performance closer to the national 75th-90th percentile.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Leeds: ~1670+/2700; Queen Mary (QMUL): not separately disclosed. Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

Leeds requires AAA including chemistry and biology. One resit attempt accepted (full A-levels), unless mitigating circumstances. If re-sitting Level 3 qualifications, extenuating circumstances should be highlighted in the reference.

Queen Mary (QMUL) requires A*AA in single sitting, no more than 2 years. Must include biology or chemistry + second science from chemistry/biology/physics/maths. Resit only with extenuating circumstances under Equality and Diversity Act 2010.

Queen Mary (QMUL) is the stricter A-Level offer; Leeds is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Leeds carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Leeds: AAA at A-Level including Chemistry and Biology. 8 GCSEs scored - strong profile expected. Queen Mary (QMUL): AAA at A-Level including Chemistry and Biology. Min 6 GCSEs at grade 6+.

Leeds uses MMI (Five-station MMI (online)); Queen Mary (QMUL) uses Panel (Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February)). 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, Queen Mary (QMUL) may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Leeds is the better fit.

Interview windows: Leeds interviews in December – February; Queen Mary (QMUL) in January – February.

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

Specifics: Five-year BChD with integrated science and clinical practice. Clinical placements at Leeds Dental Institute and Yorkshire community sites. Five-year BDS at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Clinical placements at Royal London Dental Hospital and East London community

Intake size: Leeds — ~80 home + ~10 international places per year for BChD Dentistry.; Queen Mary (QMUL) — ~80 home + ~20 international places per year for BDS Dentistry (Barts and The London).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Leeds: All applicants (2025): 76/547 = 14% headline, but ~25% in reality (the 547 includes Dental Hygiene & Therapy applicants - likely ~400 dentistry interviews for 76 places + waitlist offers). Queen Mary (QMUL): 2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.

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.

Leeds: Total score combines UCAT, academic record (achieved/predicted A-levels + GCSEs) and personal statement. Personal statement is also scored, so it is worth tailoring specifically for Leeds.

Queen Mary (QMUL): QMUL-specific 4th decile minimum (2361 for 2024 + 2025). Anyone exceeding the UCAT cut-off gets an interview - higher predictions don't change anything. SJT band 4 automatically rejected.