As a participant, you will:

• Receive personalized academic advising tailored to your goals
• Complete a rigorous year of upper-division science coursework through UC Berkeley Extension to demonstrate readiness for dental school
• Access dental application assistance and learning skills development
• Use Dental Admission Test (DAT) preparation resources
• Benefit from faculty mentoring and peer mentorship from UCSF dental students who have successfully completed the program
• Collaborate with peers in UCSF’s medical and pharmacy post-baccalaureate programs
• Earn an automatic UCSF School of Dentistry interview if you complete the program with a GPA of 3.5 or higher

Please note: Completion of the program does not guarantee admission to UCSF or any other dental school.

To apply, you must:
Students are eligible for campus housing and may apply for financial aid. Participants are responsible for tuition, relocation, and living expenses.

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Hold a bachelor’s degree
• Be economically, educationally, or environmentally disadvantaged, or demonstrate a commitment to serving underserved communities*
• Have completed all dental school prerequisites
• Have engaged in around 100 dental shadowing hours
• Have previously taken the DAT (preferred, not required)
• Commit to full-time participation (employment is not permitted during the program)

Students are eligible for campus housing and may apply for financial aid. Participants are responsible for tuition, relocation, and living expenses.

• A disadvantaged individual is one who, from an early age, resided in a low-income community or experienced enduring family, societal, or other hardship that significantly compromised educational opportunities.  An underserved community is a geographic location or an identified population that is determined medically underserved based upon the U.S. Census data.

• Application window opens: February 1, 2026
• Application window closes: March 31, 2026 (rolling review, apply early)

You will be asked to provide:

• Unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
• One letter of recommendation (up to three accepted)
• A copy of your ADEA AADSAS application (if you previously applied to dental school)
• Unofficial DAT scores (if taken within past two years)

Applications must be complete to be considered. A virtual interview is required for selected candidates.