Loma Linda DDS Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Entry cycle: Summer 2027; application opens June 1, 2026 and closes November 1. Current programme page
• Programme: regular four-year, 262-unit DDS.
• Academic expectations: current central page lists science GPA 3.2 or higher; the School of Dentistry page separately recommends 3.3 and reports a 2.7 general minimum.
• DAT: required within three years of matriculation; current central page lists 19 or higher and completion by October, while the school page recommends 20 or higher.
• Experience: at least 50 dental-setting hours; 100 are recommended.
• Interview: invitation-only personal interview at LLUSD; current modality and structure are not published.

Admission requirements

The current Summer 2027 programme page lists a science GPA of 3.2 or higher, prefers a bachelor's degree and lists DAT scores of 19 or higher taken by October. The School of Dentistry's detailed page separately says a 2.7 minimum GPA, recommends a 3.3 science GPA and advises DAT scores of 20 or higher in all areas. Preserve the cycle-specific 3.2/19 entries as current stated requirements while recognizing the detailed page's higher competitive guidance. Current programme page Detailed DDS admissions

Applicants need one year each of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics with labs; one semester or two quarters of biochemistry; and one year of English composition. Required science courses must be in person, completed within five years of admission and taken in the United States or Canada. AP science prerequisites are not accepted. At least 96 semester or 144 quarter units from an accredited school are required, with C or higher in prerequisites. English is automatically satisfied by a bachelor's.

The DAT must be within three years of matriculation. LLUSD accepts the Canadian DAT. At least 50 hours of dental observation or shadowing are required and 100 are recommended. Three recommendations from roles such as an employer or dental professional, pre-professional committee or science professor are submitted through AADSAS; a spiritual recommendation accompanies the LLUSD supplemental.

Applicants need verbal and written English proficiency. The regular DDS page describes financial conditions for F-1 students and other non-citizens, so international applicants are not categorically excluded; prerequisites still must be taken in the United States or Canada. International students must document funds and, if neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents, pay first-year tuition and fees before first-term registration.

Important dates

For Summer 2027, Loma Linda's current programme page lists June 1, 2026 as the application opening and November 1, 2026 as the final deadline. Current programme page The 2026-27 ADEA AADSAS system actually opened May 12 and accepted submissions June 2; applicants should use the live AADSAS portal while preserving LLU's November 1 deadline. AADSAS dates

LLUSD says supplemental invitations arrive about four to six weeks after AADSAS receipt and should be returned within 30 days; its timeline broadly places supplements July-February. Preference is given to applicants completing the DAT by October. Acceptance notices are sent December-March. Detailed DDS admissions

The current sources do not publish the exact Summer 2027 orientation or first-class date, interview season, per-applicant decision date, wait-list schedule, deposit or Commit-to-Enrol deadline. An incoming-student page showing 2026 dates is not the Summer 2027 calendar and should not be reused.

How selection works

LLUSD reviews the completed supplemental, DAT, transcripts and recommendations before deciding whom to invite for a personal interview. The current pages publish academic and experience expectations, English proficiency, recommendations and interview as admissions inputs. Detailed DDS admissions

The university's stated values are compassion, excellence, humility, integrity, justice, teamwork and wholeness, within a Seventh-day Adventist environment that integrates faith and health. These are material context for fit, but current sources do not state a numerical religious-affiliation preference or selection weight. Current programme page

LLUSD does not publish the current screening rubric, academic-versus-experience weights, interview scoring, committee composition or vote mechanics, rolling decision formula, wait-list order or residency preference. The 3.2 science GPA and DAT 19 on the cycle-specific page should not be silently replaced by the detailed page's higher competitive recommendations.

Interview details

Confirmed

Applicants may be invited to Loma Linda University School of Dentistry for a personal interview after review of the completed supplemental, DAT scores, transcripts and recommendations. The interview is formal and by invitation only. Detailed DDS admissions

Not published

Current regular-DDS sources do not publish the Summer 2027 interview season, whether the interview is fully in person or offers a virtual option, number or duration of encounters, panel size, interviewer roles or file access, question domains, faith/mission discussion structure, manual-dexterity activities, scoring anchors, interview weight or post-interview decision formula. Invitation instructions control.

Who this program may suit

Loma Linda frames dentistry around preventive, comprehensive, biologically grounded care and service, within a university that explicitly integrates faith and health. Its published values include compassion, excellence, humility, integrity, justice, teamwork and wholeness. DDS admissions Current programme page

A fit answer should use one specific service or dental-care experience to explain how the applicant would combine technical responsibility, respect for the patient's beliefs and whole-person care. This page covers the regular four-year DDS. The International Dentist Program and DH-to-DDS Bridge have separate requirements and should not be imported.

Practice and next step

Record a response about serving someone whose priorities, background or beliefs differed from your own. Review the recording for assumptions, vague mission language and whether you show respectful action under real constraints. Adjust one weak point, record a shorter second attempt and compare empathy, evidence and alignment with whole-person care.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Summer 2027 application deadline?

November 1, 2026. The current programme page lists June 1 as opening and November 1 as final deadline. Programme page

What GPA and DAT numbers does LLU publish?

The cycle-specific page lists a 3.2 science GPA and DAT 19 or higher taken by October. The detailed admissions page separately recommends 3.3 science and DAT 20 or higher and reports a 2.7 general minimum; do not treat the competitive guidance as a hard cutoff.

What recommendations are required?

Three AADSAS recommendations from accepted roles plus a spiritual recommendation with the LLUSD supplemental. Detailed admissions

Is this the International Dentist Program?

No. This page covers the regular four-year DDS. LLUSD's advanced-standing International Dentist Program is separate.

Sources

Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: cycle-labelled Summer 2027 programme page, dates, requirements and programme length, detailed regular DDS prerequisites, application, recommendations, international conditions and interview boundary, School of Dentistry admissions identity and 2026-27 ADEA AADSAS dates.