How to get into Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) DentistryYour 2027 Entry step-by-step guide
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Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) expects a competitive the DAT score and GPA (cumulative and science) for its 4-year Dentistry (DDS/DMD) program and uses Traditional one-on-one faculty interview for interviews in the 2027 Entry cycle.
Applications go through ADEA AADSAS and are read on a holistic, rolling basis against a limited number of seats, so submitting a complete primary early in the cycle materially improves your odds.
This guide is written for 2027 Entry applicants and updated annually before each ADEA AADSAS cycle. Sources include Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry's official admissions page, the ADA (DAT) and ADEA (AADSAS), and direct conversations with current students. Read time: ~12 minutes.
Compiled from Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry's published admissions material and checked for internal consistency. Not independently re-checked against the official course page for 2027 entry — confirm the figures with the school before you rely on them.
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) at a glance
| DAT / GPA | Bachelor's |
|---|---|
| Interview format | Traditional one-on-one faculty interview |
| Interviews (2027 entry) | September 2026–February 2027 |
| Decisions (2027 entry) | Rolling admissions |
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) entry requirements
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) is a US DMD program that evaluates applicants holistically via ADEA AADSAS. The core academic filters are DAT and GPA (cumulative + science).
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) admissions profile
- GPA median:
- 3.58 overall / 3.52 science (BCPM)
- Acceptance rate:
- 6.5%
- Class size:
- 140
- In-state preference:
- None
- CASPer:
- Not required
- Holistic review emphasis:
- Dental experience, community health awareness, academic preparation, diversity of background.
- Notes:
- Estimates from ADEA AADSAS and Temple Kornberg class profiles; verify for current cycle.
MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures are taken from Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry's published admissions data. Class profiles are republished each year — confirm which entering class these numbers describe before you rely on them.
DAT
The DAT is a roughly 4.5-hour computer-based test run by the American Dental Association, covering the Survey of the Natural Sciences (biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry), the Perceptual Ability Test (PAT), Reading Comprehension and Quantitative Reasoning. Each section is reported on a 1–30 scale alongside an Academic Average; the national average sits around 19–20, and competitive applicants generally present an Academic Average and PAT above that. Register through the ADA at ada.org/dat, and check the retest rules before you book — there is a mandatory wait between attempts.
AADSAS personal statement
Your ADEA AADSAS primary carries one personal statement of about 4,500 characters that goes to every school you apply to - so it must answer "why dentistry?" without naming a specific school. Lead with a concrete scene, build a reflective arc through your clinical, research and service experience, and close with a forward-looking sense of the physician/dentist you want to become. After the primary, each school sends secondary (supplemental) essays - this is where school-specific "why us?" and mission-fit content belongs. Treat the personal statement and the secondaries as two distinct writing jobs.
The primary personal statement runs to about 4,500 characters including spaces (ADEA AADSAS ~4,500). On top of that you will write many secondary essays - often 3-8 prompts per school, frequently with their own word or character caps. First drafts are always too long, so plan to edit the personal statement down and to reuse a pre-written secondary bank.
Five things that win
Four things that lose
Worked-example opener (do not copy — for shape only)
"During my time shadowing at a community dental clinic, I watched a dentist coach a nervous teenager through her first restoration. The procedure took ten minutes; the trust-building took the other twenty. That ratio - patient-facing care woven through technical skill - is what made me commit to dentistry…"
Notice: a specific scene rather than a cliché, a precise detail (the nine-minute conversation), and a closing sentence that bridges to the next paragraph. We have a step-by-step AADSAS personal statement service if you want a tutor to help shape yours.
The Traditional interview at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD)
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) uses Traditional one-on-one faculty interview. For 2027 entry, interviews typically take place in September 2026–February 2027. Final decisions are released Rolling admissions.
At Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD), expect the following from the traditional interview. Traditional or Panel-style interview - typically 30-60 minutes, either one-on-one (open- or closed-file) or with 2-4 interviewers (faculty, clinicians, sometimes a current student or admissions staff). Questions probe in depth; expect follow-ups that test how you reason rather than what you've memorized. Most US interviews run August-March on a rolling basis.
How the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) Traditional actually runs
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry conducts traditional one-on-one faculty interviews at its North Philadelphia campus, typically September through February. Interview days include a faculty session of 30–45 minutes assessing motivation for dentistry, oral-systemic understanding, ADA ethics, and community health values.
As a Temple University institution serving Philadelphia's North Philadelphia community, interviewers probe candidates' awareness of and commitment to dental care in underserved urban populations. Candidates tour Kornberg's large clinical facilities and interact with current DMD students. Post-interview rolling decisions are typically issued within 4–6 weeks.
What they assess
What Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) assessors are scoring: Interviewers want to understand how you think - not just what you say. They're looking for professionalism, intellectual humility, structured reasoning, evidence of reflection on real experience (not theoretical), genuine fit with the school's mission, and a realistic awareness of the demands of dentistry and US training.
Common station / question themes
- Personal statement and Work & Activities deep dive (multiple follow-ups on every claim)
- Motivation for Dentistry (with realistic awareness of the career and US training pathway)
- Clinical / research experience reflection (what you learned, what surprised you)
- Ethical scenarios with multiple follow-ups
- Academic curiosity (a faculty member may probe a research project or biomedical concept)
- Knowledge of the school, its mission, and in-state vs out-of-state fit
- US health-system topics (access, cost, insurance, health disparities, public health)
- Hypotheticals that test reasoning under pressure
Sample questions you might face at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD)
Tell us about a moment in your clinical experience that changed how you think about dentistry.
You've written about [X] in your personal statement - tell us more about that.
If you read about a new study claiming [biomedical fact], how would you decide whether to trust it?
What do you understand about the challenges of health-care access and cost in the US?
A 16-year-old asks for confidential contraceptive advice without involving a parent. How do you approach this?
Why our school specifically, and why do you think you're a good fit for our mission?
Describe a setback you've had and what you learned.
How would you cope with a patient dying during your training?
Model-answer guidance: “Why dentistry?”
Our panel-interview prep covers ethics frameworks (SPIES, the four pillars), structured behavioral answers (STAR), and live mock interviews with admissions specialists.
Practise the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) interview
Rehearse the real format before the day — on demand with our AI interviewers, or live with a tutor.
Sit a mock with photoreal AI interviewers — any time
A timed MMI circuit or panel interview on video, with interviewers who listen, react and press with follow-ups. Rubric-scored feedback and a replay the moment you finish.
Live mocks with a tutor who’s been in the room
A full Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD)-style mock with a medic or dentist tutor — honest scoring against real marking criteria, a station-by-station debrief and a written action plan.
Book a mock interviewMonth-by-month timeline for 2027 Entry
The cycle runs roughly January 2025 (start of prep), ADEA AADSAS opens in May 2026 with primaries submitted from June 2026, secondary applications over summer 2026, interviews from August 2026 through March 2027, and rolling decisions to course start in August 2027. Here are the milestones you cannot miss.
Decide and build clinical + research experience
Confirm medicine or dentistry as your career direction. Start banking the experience US schools expect: clinical exposure (scribing, EMT, hospital volunteering, shadowing MDs/DOs or dentists), research, and community service. Admissions committees review holistically, so depth, reflection and longitudinal commitment matter more than a long list of one-off activities.
Open your MCAT / DAT prep window
Begin structured prep 4-6 months before your test date. The MCAT (medicine) is a ~7.5-hour exam across four sections including CARS; the DAT (dentistry) tests sciences, perceptual ability and reading. Aim to test in spring of your apply year so a verified score is ready when the primary opens.
Sit the MCAT / DAT
Take the MCAT (medicine) or DAT (dentistry) by spring so scores post before you submit. MCAT scores release ~30-35 days after the test and are valid for 3 years (AAMC policy). Leave a contingency retake window only if you must - a later score delays your whole rolling application.
Primary application opens
AMCAS (MD), AACOMAS (DO) and TMDSAS (Texas public schools) open in early May; ADEA AADSAS (dentistry) opens in early May too. Begin entering coursework, experiences, and your personal statement immediately - verification of transcripts takes weeks, so an early submission protects your place in the rolling queue.
Submit your primary
Submit your verified primary in late May or June. This is the single most important deadline you control: in a rolling cycle, a complete June application is materially stronger than the same application in August. Request transcripts and letters of recommendation early so verification is not the bottleneck.
Secondary (supplemental) applications begin
Schools send secondary applications soon after receiving your verified primary. Turn each around within ~1-2 weeks - schools track responsiveness. Pre-write answers to common prompts ("Why our school?", diversity, adversity, future goals) so you can localise quickly. CASPer and AAMC PREview are required by some schools - schedule them now.
Interview invitations begin
Complete files (primary + secondary + letters + any CASPer/PREview) move to committee, and interview invitations start going out from August. Invitations and offers are issued on a rolling basis, so completing files early in summer puts you in front of committees while the most seats remain open.
Interviews + first rolling acceptances
Interviews run from August through March (MMI, traditional one-on-one, or panel). MD schools may begin releasing acceptances around October 15 under AMCAS Traffic Rules. Many programmes have an October 15 primary deadline for MD - but applying that late in a rolling cycle is a disadvantage, not a target.
Interviews continue + manage offers
Interview season peaks. Acceptances, waitlists and holds accumulate on a rolling basis. Track each school's deadline to commit, and use AMCAS / AACOMAS "Plan to Enroll" and "Commit to Enroll" tools (and TMDSAS / AADSAS equivalents) as instructed.
Final interviews + waitlist movement
The last interviews wrap up around March. From spring onward, schools work their waitlists as accepted applicants narrow their choices. Stay responsive: a strong letter of intent and updated achievements can move you off a waitlist.
Commit to one school
Narrow to a single acceptance by the AAMC "Commit to Enroll" date (typically late April) for MD; AACOMAS, TMDSAS and AADSAS have parallel deadlines. Withdraw from other schools promptly so seats free up for waitlisted applicants.
Matriculation
US medical and dental school begins in August. Orientation, white-coat ceremony, and the first pre-clinical (or integrated) coursework start the 4-year programme.
What makes Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) different
Applications via ADEA AADSAS. Kornberg's extraordinary clinical volume in North Philadelphia — one of the highest-volume dental school clinics in the country — is a genuine training advantage. Students gain experience with complex, underserved urban patient cases that many smaller dental schools cannot replicate.
Notable research areas
Curriculum (Traditional)
4-year DMD curriculum with early clinical exposure. Patient care begins in Year 2 at Kornberg's large North Philadelphia clinic. The extraordinary clinical volume — hundreds of thousands of patient visits annually — gives students unmatched breadth of patient care experience. Years 3–4 involve comprehensive patient management and elective specialty rotations.
Location: Philadelphia, PA, United States
Founded in 1863. Whether the city suits you matters - four years is a long commitment. Visit on an open day if you can; current students will be the most honest assessors of culture and clinical placement quality.
Application statistics for Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD)
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) intake
Approximately 140 students per year — one of the larger dental school classes in the US.
How Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) selects, at a glance
Source: Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry admissions data; the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools; school-reported class statistics.
Six mistakes that derail dentistry applications
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) — frequently asked questions
Sources for this Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) guide
Apply to Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (DMD) with confidence
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