Current-cycle decision support
Turn confirmed information into a first practice
Clinic appointment access and fairness
Practise making a fair decision when access is limited. Review whether you identify missing information, weigh both patients' needs, and explain the next step clearly; then record the scenario again with one improvement.
Quick facts
- Degree: four-year Doctor of Dental Surgery, not DMD. DDS admissions
- Location: Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, Washington Heights.
- Education: bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or Canadian institution plus specified prerequisites.
- Academic thresholds: no minimum GPA or DAT score; entering 2025 averages are descriptive.
- Assessment: selected applicants complete an online asynchronous Kira video assessment.
- Dates: ADEA's 2026-27 cycle dates are current, but Columbia does not publish a school-specific Fall 2027 deadline on its current DDS pages.
Admission requirements
Columbia requires a bachelor's degree from a U.S.-accredited college or Canadian institution. Prerequisites are six credits of English composition, literature or a writing-intensive course; at least eight credits each of physics, biology, general or inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry, all including lab; and one semester of biochemistry without lab. Mathematics, sociology, history, fine or industrial arts and foreign languages are recommended. Current requirements
Columbia evaluates DAT scores but publishes no minimum GPA or DAT. Its entering 2025 averages of 3.8 GPA and 24 DAT are descriptive, not thresholds. The current regular-DDS pages do not publish score-age rules, Canadian DAT policy, letter configuration, shadowing minimum, supplemental fee, citizenship/visa eligibility, AP/community-college/online-course policy or prerequisite completion date.
Important dates
ADEA's 2026-27 AADSAS application opened May 12, 2026, first accepted submissions June 2, sets the national first acceptance notification date at December 15, 2026 and closes February 5, 2027. ADEA dates
Columbia's current DDS admissions pages do not publish a school-specific Fall 2027 application deadline, supplemental deadline, assessment window, offer schedule, orientation date or first day of class. Treat the ADEA close as the service boundary, not a Columbia deadline, and verify any invitation-specific dates directly in the applicant portal.
How selection works
Columbia names academic achievement and rigor, DAT, higher-level science experience, leadership, community service, integrity, collaboration and motivation for oral health as selection factors. The school enrolls about 92 students and says there are no minimum GPA or DAT scores. Selection factors
Designated applicants are invited to an online asynchronous Kira Talent Assessment after the application is received and meets requirements. Columbia does not publish initial-screen logic, numerical weights, how Kira is scored or used, further interview stages, committee mechanics, wait-list ordering or residency preference.
Interview details
Confirmed
Designated applicants complete an online asynchronous Kira Talent Assessment described by Columbia as a video interview that lets applicants provide more information about programme match. Details are sent after a qualifying application is received. Applicant assessment
Not published
Columbia does not publish the current cycle's number of prompts, response or preparation time, retake policy, question domains, scoring rubric, reviewer roles/file access, numerical weight, assessment dates, or whether a live or in-person interview follows for regular DDS applicants.
Who this program may suit
Columbia's DDS integrates the first 18 months with medical students at Vagelos and emphasizes biomedical depth, critical thinking, collaboration, research, community engagement and care for northern Manhattan. A fit response should connect rigorous science to a concrete service or team experience and show how the applicant changed their approach. DDS curriculum
This page covers the regular four-year Washington Heights DDS only. It excludes advanced standing for internationally trained dentists, dual degrees, residencies, specialties and postgraduate admissions.
Practice and next step
Record an asynchronous video response about a team or service experience that changed how you approach oral-health leadership. Ask a reviewer to identify whether your role, decision and learning are concrete. Make one adjustment, record a second attempt and compare structure, specificity and reflective depth.
Frequently asked questions
Does Columbia Dental award a DDS or DMD?
The regular four-year programme awards the DDS.
Where is Columbia Dental located?
At Columbia University Irving Medical Center in Washington Heights, New York City.
Does Columbia have minimum GPA or DAT scores?
No published minimums. The current page provides prior-class averages only.
What is Columbia's interview format?
The school confirms an asynchronous Kira video assessment for designated applicants. It does not publish prompt timing, scoring or whether another interview follows.
Sources
Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: DDS admissions requirements, selection and Kira assessment, four-year DDS identity, DDS curriculum, Admissions Office Washington Heights address and ADEA dates.
Recommended preparation
Structured Interview Essentials
Build a repeatable spoken-answer loop across five common structured-interview skills: fair decisions, ethical reasoning, using feedback, teamwork under pressure, and explaining your motivation. Record each response once, choose the weakest one, review one observable weakness, and answer it again with one deliberate adjustment.
Page history
- Published