Admissions

College of Dental Medicine-Illinois

The Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Illinois (CDMI) considers for admission those students who possess the academic, professional, and personal qualities necessary for development as exemplary dental professionals. To select these students, the College uses a rolling admissions process within a competitive admissions framework.

Admission Requirements
To be eligible for enrollment, an applicant must earn a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university and must possess a science and cumulative GPA over 2.75 (although 3.20 will generally be competitively necessary) on a 4.00 scale. A minimum biology/chemistry/physics (BCP) science and cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale, as calculated by AADSAS, is required to receive a supplemental application. A bachelor's degree must be completed before starting the program.

Prerequisite Courses:

Students seeking admission to CDMI must submit the following documented evidence:

No grade lower than a C will be accepted for any prerequisite courses (i.e., a grade of C- will not be acceptable).

1. Completion of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university prior to matriculation.
2. Completion of the prerequisite coursework.
   • Grades of C or better (grades of C- are not acceptable
   • To receive a supplemental application, students must have minimum cumulative and BCP science GPAs of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale, as calculated by AADSAS
3. Competitive exam scores on the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT).
   • Scores on the DAT must be submitted directly to AADSAS
   • Scores in the area of 18 or higher will be expected for the Academic Average, Reading Comprehension, and Perceptual Ability section
   • Only DAT exam scores earned from tests taken no more than 3 years prior to matriculation are acceptable
4. Two letters of recommendation.
   • One must be from either a predental advisory committee or a science professor
   • The CDMI prefers other letters from either someone with a D.O./M.D. or D.D.S./D.M.D. degree and/or professionals who can testify to the integrity and ethical standards of the applicant
   • Letters written by immediate family members are not acceptable
   • All letters of evaluation must be submitted directly by the evaluators to AADSAS
5. Demonstration of a sincere understanding of, and interest in, the humanitarian ethos of healthcare and particularly dental medicine.
6. Demonstration of a people or service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities.
7. Motivation for and commitment to health care as demonstrated by previous salaried work, volunteer work, or other life experiences.
8. Oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues.
9. Agreement to abide by the Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy.
10. Passing the Midwestern University fingerprinting and criminal background check.
    • Applicants will be subject to a criminal background check. The results of the background check are reviewed by the Dean of Students to determine whether there is a record of misdemeanor or felony convictions. If there is a positive record, the Dean of Students will inform the appropriate Academic Dean and the University's Director of Risk Management to determine whether the criminal history will negatively impact the student's admission status or ability to complete the practical training/rotation requirements of the degree program.

Competitive Admissions
Within its competitive admissions framework, the College uses multiple criteria to select the most qualified, diverse group of candidates from an applicant pool that greatly exceeds the number of seats available. Applicants are evaluated on academic coursework, performance on the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT), their application (AADSAS) essays, letters of evaluation, and interviews. Demonstrated community service through volunteerism or service-oriented employment is preferred.

Rolling Admissions
Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Illinois uses a rolling admissions process. Applications are reviewed and decisions to interview individual candidates are made at regular intervals during the admissions cycle. Interviews are conducted and the selection process of each candidate for College admission is made until the class is filled. Applicants are notified of their selection status as soon as possible after their interview date, but not prior to December 1 of the year preceding matriculation which is the earliest date the U.S. and Canadian dental schools have agreed to extend a position in the class.