Frequently asked questions
Dentistry is an incredibly
competitive course. What are my chances of being offered a place?
It
is difficult for us to confirm what percentage of applicants will be accepted
as the number of applications we receive changes year to year.
For
our dental programme, we have 58 places, including 2 places for international
students.
Application
statistics for previous years can be found below:
2021
Entry:
A Level (Home): 743 applications, 319 interviews, 150 offers
Biomedical Science/Human Biosciences Transfer (Home): 2 applications, 1 interview, 1 offer
GAMSAT and School of Biomedical Science Graduate (Home): 54 applications, 10 interviews, 8 offers
International: 73 applications, 33 interviews, 7 offers
Total: 872 applications, 363 interviews, 166 offers
2020 Entry:
A Level (Home): 677 applications, 509 interviews, 199 offers
Biomedical Science/Human Biosciences Transfer (Home): 1 applications, 0 interview, 0 offer
GAMSAT and School of Biomedical Science Graduate (Home): 67 applications, 16 interviews, 6 offers
International: 34 applications, 21 interviews, 6 offers
Total: 779 applications, 546 interviews, 211 offers
I am unable to obtain
predicted grades for my qualifications. Will my application still be
considered?
We
are unable to consider any applicant who cannot provide predicted grades for
pending qualifications.
Do you consider late
applications?
We
are unable to consider any applications that are received by UCAS after the
deadline, which is typically 18:00 (GMT) on the 15th October
annually. To ensure your application is considered, please do not leave it
until the last minute to apply, as you will need to allow time for your school
or college to add your reference and officially submit your application.
If
you applied on time but changed your mind about your university choices, we
will consider your application assuming you are within the 14 day cooling off
period set by UCAS and your application was submitted prior to the deadline.
I will be turning 18 after
the course has commenced. Will my application be considered?
For
insurance purposes, we are unable to send any student who is under the age of
18 on placement. Placements begin very early into the school year, so we will
be unable to enrol any candidate who has not turned 18 prior to the induction
period finishing. We will still consider your application, but you would be
offered deferred entry if successful.
Do you consider transfers
from other dental programmes?
We
are unable to consider any transfers, or degree study from any university other
than the University of Plymouth.
When will interviews take
place?
Interviews
typically take place between December and February. You will be given the
opportunity to choose your preferred interview date through our online booking
system, and we endeavour to provide as much notice of interview dates as
possible.
Where will interviews take
place?
While
we typically require all applicants to attend an interview in Plymouth, in
response to the coronavirus pandemic and in the interest of keeping our
applicants and staff safe, interviews took place online for 2021 entry. We
expect interviews to remain online for 2022 entry but will keep our applicants
updated if this changes.
I have personal issues
that I am worried could have affected my interview/exam performance. Do you
consider extenuating circumstances?
Whilst
we sympathise with the unfortunate situation you have experienced, in the
interest of fairness to all our applicants we are unable to consider any
extenuating circumstances at any stage of the admissions process.
Will you have places
available through Clearing?
Although
we very rarely have places available through Clearing, you are more than
welcome to call us from early August to check if there are places available.
I have been given an offer
but I am worried that I will not meet the academic criteria. What will happen
if I don’t achieve the required grades?
We
understand that applying for university and sitting exams is an incredibly
stressful time. We will be unable to confirm whether we can accept your
application if you do not meet the required grades until A Level results day.
At this point, we will know how all of our applicants have performed and the
Admissions Advisory Panel will advise whether reduced grades will be
considered.
While
we have softened on entry requirements in the past, there is no guarantee that
this will be the case.