Dental Hygiene Schools Easy to Get Into
So, you've done your research and you've decided dental hygiene life is the life for you. Nice! You've made an excellent choice. So, what do you do now? Where do you start? In this post I'll share my simple 5-step guide for applying to dental hygiene school.
Discover the Simple 5-Step Guide for Applying to Dental Hygiene School
Dental hygiene is an incredibly attractive career and is in very high demand. Because of this, dental hygiene programs around the United States attract hundreds of hopeful applicants every year.
The downside is that most programs only accept a limited number of students each year. And I do mean limited. My program only accepted 30 students, and other programs accept even less. So how can you increase the likelihood of getting accepted on your first try?
While it's essential that you have an impressive application, the likelihood of you being accepted depends much on how you go about applying. Certain steps completed out of order could be the difference between getting that coveted acceptance letter & having to take an unwanted gap year.
The application process for dental hygiene school can seem overwhelming at first. But these following 5 steps break it down into bite size pieces. Now, this list is a general outline. Each school will have its own specific list of requirements, so please take that into account.
In future posts, you'll learn how to prepare for dental hygiene school once you get accepted (positive thinking, eh?), how to survive and thrive once you get there, and supplies that will make your time in dental hygiene school much easier.
Let's get it poppin'!!
5 Steps for Applying to Dental Hygiene School
1) Research and Select Accredited Dental Hygiene Programs
The first step is to research which programs are available in your area or nearby. In my state there is only one accredited Dental Hygiene Program, and other states have limited program availability also.
So you need to determine how far you're willing to travel for dental hygiene school. Or if you'd be willing to move, like even to another state.
The Program you apply to must be an accredited program. An accredited program is one that has been officially recognized or authorized. As of right now, CODA (Commission on Dental Accreditation) is the only agency that the U.S. Department of Education has approved to accredit dental hygiene programs.
The American Dental Hygiene Association provides a downloadable list of all CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs in the United States that you can find here.
Select a few programs that interest you, and check out their websites. Some questions to ask yourself when considering a program are:
- What are the attrition rates for the last 5 years? (i.e. program drop-out rate)
- In the past 5 years, what percentage of graduates passed the national board exam after the first try?
- In the past 5 years, what percentage of graduates passed the clinical licensing exam after the first try?
- In the past 5 years, how many students found full-time employment shortly after graduating?
- What resources does the program provide to ensure program completion and job placement?
With some investigation, you can determine which programs would be a good fit for you. But now is not the time to apply just yet. Before you take any action….
2) Prepare and Take Admissions Test
Most schools require at least some type of admissions test before considering any student for a dental hygiene program. These tests include:
- The ACT for the SAT test
- The Test for Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)
- The Health Education Systems,INC (HESI)
A program may require an ESL (English as a Second Language) test if you're not a native English speaker.
Most colleges require one of these tests for general admissions. Your desired dental hygiene program will want to know what your passing score was. Most likely, documentation showing your marks will be required as part of your application packet.
3) Take, Complete, and Pass All Prerequisite Classes
Most programs only consider accepting students that have completed and passed all prerequisite courses. Of course, this isn't a hard and fast rule; exceptions may be made depending on certain circumstances. But generally, having those prerequisite classes out of the way will give an edge.
Especially if you make good grades in those classes. So make good grades your goal. A's if you can, B's if you must, C's…. I don't know. These programs are highly competitive, and dental hygiene programs tend to attract over-achievers.
Meaning the most attractive applicants have rock-solid GPAs. That should be your goal also. It's not play time.
Having your pre-requisite courses out of the way will benefit you in another way. Let me tell you a little story. So, I was one of those students that got accepted to my program 2 classes shy of having completed my required prerequisite classes. Thankfully, I had a 4.0 GPA, and I believe that is the only reason I got accepted at that particular time.
Yay me! But that also meant that I would somehow have to find the time to complete those classes before the end of my first year. If you haven't heard by now, the first year is the most intense.
Imagine sitting in class for 6 hours learning about dental hygiene theory for 5 days a week, then having to take a Human Anatomy and Physiology class 2 nights a week. For 3 hours. For 2 semesters.
This is a recipe for burnout. Which I almost did. The moral of the story: finish your pre-requisite classes before starting the program so you can devote your time and energy to the program. And to rest. You're going to need it.
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Here at TDHL, we offer one-on-one coaching for dental hygienists and dental hygiene students. We also offer practice management consulting services for dental practices on a case-by-case basis. For details or to see if you or your practice qualifies, click here for more information !
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4) Meet Observation Hours
Some programs require that you observe, or shadow, in a dental office for a set number of hours. This will expose you to the goings-on of a real dental setting.
It will also help confirm that dental hygiene is something you really want to commit to. This is especially important if you've never had a chance to work in a dental setting.
Use this opportunity to ask questions. Make a list beforehand. Bring a small notebook to take notes.
So, we've got most of our preliminary steps out of the way. Now, to the big one!
5) Complete and Submit Application As Early As Possible
This step is pretty straightforward. Fill out that paperwork!. Include any and all important requested documentation.
Apply as early as humanly possible. Early application means early consideration. As mentioned earlier, any dental hygiene program is going to be extremely competitive. With a possibility of applicants from your state of residence, from out-of-state, even from another country.
Early application will allow the admission committee to be wow'd by your impressive application first. Early submission will also help you avoid even flirting with that scary cut-off date.
Add sufficient postage, pop it in the mail. And, breathe for a bit. You've done all you can do at this point.
The Simple 5 Step Guide to Applying for Dental Hygiene School.
Congratulations! You've submitted your dental hygiene school application. Good for you! It took a lot of effort, but you made it happen. Phase 1 of your application process is now complete.
Now, comes Phase 2. Ideally, after submitting your application, you will receive a request for an in-person (or in-zoom) interview. We'll talk later about how to nail your very first dental hygiene interview.
But for now, just relax. You've completed a very intense process. Bask in that post-application afterglow. You've earned it.
~C.
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Source: https://thatdentalhygienelife.com/blog/applying-to-dental-hygiene-school/