Early Assurance Admission Program to Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM)

The Early Assurance Admissions Program allows for exceptional students who are in their fourth semester in the B.S. Biology program at Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (HCLAS) with the opportunity to apply for provisional early acceptance into the D.M.D. program at RSDM.  Students accepted into the Program are given provisional acceptance into RSDM, which becomes final when students complete the requirements for their baccalaureate degree at HCLAS and meet RSDM standards.

I. Eligibility and Application to the Program

1. Eligibility. In order to apply for the Early Assurance Program, students must meet the following criteria:
   1. Students must be in the fourth semester of their studies at HCLAS. 
   2. Students must have completed or have the following courses in progress (IP):
      1. WSC 001 and WSC 002 or LT courses to total 6 credits
      2. General Biology I and II with laboratory: 8 credits
         BIOL 112 - (NS) General Biology I Semester Hours: 4
         BIOL 113 - (NS) General Biology II Semester Hours: 4
      3. General Chemistry I and II with laboratory: 8 credits
         CHEM 003A - (NS) General Chemistry I Semester Hours: 3-4
         CHEM 003B - (NS) General Chemistry Laboratory I Semester Hours: 1
         CHEM 004A - (NS) General Chemistry II Semester Hours: 3
         CHEM 004B - (NS) General Chemistry Laboratory II Semester Hours: 1
      4. Organic Chemistry I and II with laboratory: 7 credits
         CHEM 131 - Organic Chemistry I Semester Hours: 3
         CHEM 132 - Organic Chemistry II Semester Hours: 3 (IP during fourth semester
         CHEM 137 - Foundations of Organic Chemistry Laboratory Semester Hours: 1 (IP during fourth semester)
      5. In the event of advanced placement (AP), international baccalaureate (IB), or advanced standing credit in the aforementioned courses, applicants will still be required to take substituted upper-level science courses with same amount of credit weight.
      6. Students must be on track to complete Physics I and II with laboratory (8 credits) in year three (registration IP during fourth semester)
         PHYS 001A - (NS) Elementary Physics Semester Hours: 3
         and
         PHYS 001B - (NS) Elementary Physics Laboratory Semester Hours: 1
         OR
         PHYS 011A - (NS) General Physics Semester Hours: 4
         and
         PHYS 011B - (NS) General Physics Laboratory Semester Hours: 1
          
         PHYS 002A - (NS) Elementary Physics Semester Hours: 3
         and
         PHYS 002B - (NS) Elementary Physics Laboratory Semester Hours: 1
         OR
         PHYS 012A - (NS) General Physics Semester Hours: 4
         and
         PHYS 012B - (NS) General Physics Laboratory Semester Hours: 1
   3. Students must have a cumulative science grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
2. Executive Committee. An Executive Committee made up of HCLAS faculty will review and select qualified applicants from for application.
3. Application. A complete RSDM application for admission into the Early Assurance Program shall be submitted to the Program Director and shall include: (1) a personal statement, (2) official college transcripts, (3) at least three letters of recommendation (at least two must be from instructors of science courses), and (4) any other information required by the HCLAS Executive Committee.
4. Admissions Committee. RSDM Admissions Committee shall retain final authority to admit students into its D.M.D. program.
5. Interviews. Each Committee will conduct an interview with the selected applicants.  Following these interviews, the RSDM Admissions Committee will compile the evaluations of all interviews and make final selection of students to be admitted to the Early Assurance Program.  RSDM reserves the right to make independent acceptance decisions and to require additional evaluations and interviews at any time.
6. Notification of Admission Decision. The RSDM Admissions Committee will notify students of their admission decisions in writing as early as possible after the interviews.  Students who are not invited for an interview, or not selected for admission to RSDM, shall be notified of the decision as early as possible, and can reapply for regular admission the following year through the American Dental Education Association Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS).
7. Provisional Offer. Students who are offered and accept a position in the Program are expected to honor their commitment and matriculate to RSDM.  However, students are not bound by law and are free to apply to other dental schools.
8. Accepted Students. Accepted students in the Early Assurance Program must satisfy all HCLAS and RSDM requirements, including, but not limited to, student immunization and health requirements, disciplinary disclosure forms, and criminal background checks.

II. Program Requirements

1. In order to maintain good standing in the Early Assurance Program and receive a formal offer of admission into RSDM, students must meet the following criteria:
   1. Complete their baccalaureate degree in HCLAS;
   2. Receive a recommendation by the Executive Committee;
   3. Achieve minimum scores on the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and submit scores to RSDM Office of Admission by January 1st of the year they seek to enroll at RSDM;
   4. Submit an application to RSDM through the AADSAS by December 1st of the year preceding the year they seek to enroll at RSDM; and
   5. Any other information required by the Executive and/or Admissions Committees.
2. Formal Acceptance. Formal offer for admission into RSDM becomes final when the student has met all Early Assurance Program standards and receives a favorable admissions decision from RSDM.

For more information, contact the Executive Committee in the Department of Biology:

• Dr. Brittany Miller
• Dr. Nick Santangelo
• Dr. Lisa Filippi

For more information about the School of Dental Medicine at Rutgers go to:
https://sdm.rutgers.edu/early-assurance-admissions-program