USC Ostrow DDS Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Entry cycle: Fall 2027; orientation is August 23-27 and classes start August 30, 2027. Academic calendar
• Application: ADEA AADSAS; USC's recurring deadline is February 1, mapped to February 1, 2027 for this entry cycle. DDS admissions
• Degree: a bachelor's from a U.S.-accredited college or Canadian institution is required before matriculation.
• DAT: required within three years of the year admission is sought; take it no later than February 1.
• Letters: one dentist and two lecture-based biology, chemistry or physics professors; a committee letter may substitute.
• Interview: invitation-only on the USC campus, typically October through April.

Admission requirements

Applicants must earn a bachelor's degree before matriculation from a U.S.-accredited college or Canadian institution. At application, at least 60 semester units must be completed or in progress, with C or better grades. Prerequisites from accredited U.S. or Canadian institutions are one year each of biology, physics, general/inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry, all with lecture and laboratory; one year of English composition; and one year of philosophy, history or fine arts. English and humanities are waived with a qualifying U.S. or Canadian bachelor's before dental school. DDS admissions

All basic predental sequences except humanities must be sequential and terminal. Community-college coursework is accepted, though four-year institutions are preferred. Hybrid courses are allowed, but laboratories must be in person; online labs and accelerated science programmes are not accepted. USC strongly recommends upper-division sciences such as biochemistry, anatomy, histology and physiology.

The DAT is required and must be within three years of the year admission is sought. For Fall 2027, the school says take it by February 1, 2027. USC publishes no minimum GPA or DAT. Applicants submit one dentist letter and two letters from lecture-based biology, chemistry or physics professors; lab instructors and research principal investigators do not satisfy the two science-letter roles. A committee letter may substitute.

The regular DDS page publishes a $85 processing fee, or $150 for Canadian students. It does not clearly publish eligibility for applicants educated outside the United States or Canada, visa requirements, AP/CLEP/pass-fail policy, a shadowing-hour minimum or the complete-file consequence of material received after February 1.

Important dates

The 2026-27 ADEA AADSAS application opened May 12, 2026 and first accepted submissions June 2. USC's current regular DDS page describes recurring availability from June 1 and a February 1 school deadline; for Fall 2027, use February 1, 2027. Applications are evaluated as received. AADSAS cycle USC DDS admissions

USC says interviews typically begin in October and continue through April, corresponding to October 2026-April 2027 for this cycle. The current academic calendar confirms new DDS orientation August 23-27, 2027 and Fall classes beginning August 30. Academic calendar

The school does not publish an exact complete-file deadline separate from February 1, interview dates by applicant, first offer date, rolling-decision cadence, wait-list timing, deposit amount/deadline or final decision date on the current regular DDS page.

How selection works

USC says applications are evaluated as they are received through AADSAS. Published required inputs are academic preparation, DAT, the application, three specified recommendations, the processing fee and an invitation-only campus interview. The current class profile reports averages and demographics, but these are descriptive and are not selection thresholds. DDS admissions

The school does not publish a current step-by-step screen beyond receipt and interview invitation, holistic factor list, quantitative GPA/DAT/experience weights, residency preference, interview scoring, committee vote mechanics, wait-list order or decision formula. Applicants should not treat the published class averages as minimums.

Interview details

Confirmed

Regular DDS interviews are by invitation only on the USC campus in Los Angeles and typically run from October through April. The current page does not identify a virtual option. DDS admissions

Not published

USC does not publish the Fall 2027 number or duration of interview encounters, panel size, interviewer roles or file access, whether MMI or problem-based elements are currently used, question domains, manual-dexterity activities, scoring anchors, numerical interview weight or post-interview committee formula. Old virtual-event and pandemic-era interview materials do not establish the current format; invitation instructions control.

Who this program may suit

Ostrow describes a learner-centred DDS curriculum with comprehensive clinical training and preparation for advanced oral-health care. The curriculum includes substantial simulation before clinical practice and community-service opportunities. Regular DDS programme

A useful fit answer should connect a specific learning or patient-facing experience to disciplined skills practice, feedback and comprehensive care. This page covers the regular four-year DDS. The Advanced Standing Program for International Dentists and all postgraduate certificates or degrees have separate requirements and should not be imported.

Practice and next step

Record a response about a time you received technical or interpersonal feedback and changed how you worked. Ask a reviewer to identify whether you show deliberate practice, patient awareness and evidence of the improvement rather than simply describing success. Make one adjustment, record a shorter second attempt and compare specificity, reflection and relevance to clinical training.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Fall 2027 application deadline?

February 1, 2027 through ADEA AADSAS. USC evaluates applications as they are received. DDS admissions

Is a bachelor's degree required?

Yes, before matriculation, from a U.S.-accredited college or Canadian institution.

What letters are required?

One from a dentist and two from lecture-based science professors in biology, chemistry or physics; a committee letter may substitute.

Is the interview on campus?

Yes. The current regular DDS page identifies an invitation-only USC campus interview, typically October through April. It does not publish the detailed format.

Sources

Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: regular DDS admission requirements, application, letters, DAT and interview boundary, Fall 2027 orientation and first class date, regular four-year DDS identity and 2026-27 ADEA AADSAS dates.