Applying to medical/dental
schools is a time consuming and somewhat tedious process.
While students should begin preparing themselves the
moment they enter college by taking the required course
work and obtaining practical experience in their chosen
field, the formal application process begins approximately
15-16 months prior to the date they intend to enter
the professional schools. It is imperative that students
be organized and aware of deadlines and requirements
for the application process. Students should also be
aware of the costs involved in taking the tests and
submitting the applications. Timeliness is crucial in
every step of the application process.
LSU students planning to begin the application process
the following spring should make every effort to attend
informational meetings presented by the counselors
in the College of Basic Sciences. These meetings are
held in November and provide a wealth of vital information
regarding the application process and information
about the LSU Premedical/Predental Review Committee.
Students must register with the LSU Premedical/Predental
Review Committee by May 1 and submit all required
committee forms by June 15 of the year prior to anticipated
entry to medical/dental school.
Typically in the spring of the junior year (or year
prior to anticipated entry date) students register
for and take the admission test for their chosen field
(MCAT, DAT, OAT, etc.). These standardized tests cover
the information from the prerequisite coursework and
are a major factor in admission decisions.
Applicants then register with and complete a primary
application with the centralized application service
for that particular health profession (AMCAS, AADSAS,
etc.). This national application is submitted in the
summer prior to the anticipated entry date. Students
identify the individual schools to which they wish
to submit application on the national application
service. The application service verifies all information
supplied by the applicant and then forwards the information
to the specified schools. The LSU Dental School
does not participate in the national application service.
Once the national application has been completed,
the next step is the secondary application. This is
the individual application from each of the medical/dental
schools in which the student has requested application.
These secondary applications should be completed and
submitted as soon as possible. Once the individual
medical/dental schools have received the secondary
application, students are eligible for interviews.
Interviews typically run from August to April. LSU
Dental School applications are available beginning
in September for admission the following July. Students
should contact the Dental School directly to obtain
an application.
The links to this page will provide further information
about the application process and the agencies involved.
It is strongly recommended that students thoroughly
review the guidelines and deadline dates for each
step of the application process. Counselors in the
College of Basic Sciences are available to answer
questions from any LSU student about their application
and the procedures involved in applying to medical/dental
school.
