Closest to Leesburg among the four, Howard University College of Dentistry sits in the heart of Washington, about 32 miles from downtown Leesburg. Founded as an institution to provide training to African-Americans, Howard today boasts an ethnically diverse dental student population. The fifth-oldest dental school in the United States, it participates in the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service, a central clearinghouse to which applicants can send their documentation.
The Howard College of Dentistry accepts applications from June of the year prior to expected enrollment to the following January. Successful applicants maintain overall and science GPAs of 2.7 or above and average a score of 17 in all categories of the Dental Admission Test. As a private school, Howard charges $21,065 annually for tuition as of 2011. If a doctor of dental surgery wishes to pursue specialized education, Howard offers postgraduate programs in oral surgery, orthodontics, pediatrics and a general practice residency.
The oldest dental school in the world, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery of the University of Maryland system is, at 52.5 miles, second-closest in distance from Leesburg. Also an AASDAS participating institution, Maryland expects all applications to be filed between May of the year before anticipated entry and the first day of the following year.
Like all other accredited dental schools, Maryland requires applicants to have completed a year's worth of study in each of the core sciences: physical chemistry, organic chemistry, biology and physics. It likewise mandates a year of English and a semester in biochemistry. The admissions committee looks for an overall GPA of 3.5 and a science GPA of 3.4; DAT scores must be at least 18. As out-of-state students, Virginia residents paid $43,378 for annual tuition in 2009. Postgraduate offerings include general dentistry, endodontics, oral surgery, orthodontics, pediatrics and periodontics.
The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry dates to 1893 and is today the product of the merger of two dental schools. Operating in the capital city of Richmond, VCU is 107.9 miles from Leesburg. While it fully operates within the AASDAS system, VCU does impose an earlier application cutoff in November of the year preceding enrollment.
Its admission prerequisites reflect those standard courses required by accredited dental schools nationwide. In addition to the science classes, most dental schools, like VCU, condition admission on a year of English as well. Admitted students usually show a 3.3 GPA in science and average 3.4 in all their undergraduate coursework. Moreover, VCU applicants of late average a 20 on their DAT scores.
As in-state applicants, Leesburg residents can expect to pay about $19,656 for a year at VCU Dental. Should they wish to specialize after the DDS degree, VCU has programs in general dentistry, endodontics, oral surgery, orthodontics, pediatrics and periodontics.
The West Virginia University School of Dentistry is about 130 miles from Leesburg. The WVU dental school is part of the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences complex in Morgantown. Applicants must file with AASDAS by November 1 for starters. Success also is conditioned on an overall GPA of 3.5, a science GPA of 3.39 and DAT scores hovering around 18. Although WVU sits in a neighboring state, it will charge Leesburg students the out-of-state rate, at $36,377 as of 2009. Postgraduate students can study oral surgery, endodontics, orthodontics or prosthodontics.