Identification of Factors Influencing Matriculation Decisions by Dental School Applicants

Abstract

Recent dental school surveys have indicated a slight decrease in the overall number of dental school applicants. As a result, competition for the most highly qualified students is increasing among dental schools. A number of factors may contribute to an applicant's decision on where to matriculate, such as tuition costs, cost of living in an area, location of the dental school, reputation, availability of financial aid, and the school's facilities. Identifying the reasons why students choose to attend a specific school may be an important first step in formulating a strategic plan for recruitment. As a result, a survey was sent to all students (250) interviewed at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine for the 2000-01 admissions cycle. The results of this survey were compared to a similar survey sent following the 1994-95 admissions cycle. In addition, the results of the University of Pittsburgh surveys were compared to a similar survey conducted by a different northeastern dental school. The factors rated most important in 1994-95 were reputation, facilities, and location, in order. In 2000-01, location, curriculum, tuition, and reputation were rated the most important factors, in order. This information may assist admissions officers in formulating an effective recruitment strategy for the most highly qualified applicants.

Factors that influenced students to matriculate at a northeastern dental school: A comparative study

“…The framework that guided the development of this survey was initially given to the Class of 2013 and later the Class of 2023 was based on a similar study conducted at a different institution, the University of Pittsburgh, published in 2001. This study of a single dental school at one point in time found that location, curriculum, and financial aid were the three most important factors affecting matriculation 6 . These results differ from the results from both the Class of 2013 and 2023 in this study 10 .…”

“…The Dental Admissions Test, various grade point average (GPA) calculations, and structured interviews along with other admissions variables guide schools in choosing which students to accept 1–5 . Determining the most useful factors for schools to consider when selecting a potential dental student has been the subject of research for many years, but far less research has been done to determine which factors applicants themselves consider when choosing a specific dental school 6–8 …”

Underrepresented Minority Students’ Experiences at Baylor College of Dentistry: Perceptions of Cultural Climate and Reasons for Choosing to Attend

“…Critical to developing a culture of inclusion at a health professions school are the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body. School characteristics and strategies proven to influence URM student recruitment and retention include school reputation, 8 , 9 scholarships/financial aid/lower tuition costs, 10 a critical mass of URM students, 8 and participation in pre–enrollment (pipeline) programs 11 . According to Price and Grant–Mills, mission–driven holistic admission practices have resulted in the most improvement in URM enrollment for the dental pipeline programs 12 .…”

Motivation and Career Perceptions of Dental Students at the School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb, Croatia

“…Every human being has an inherent desire to progress and, also, to experience social, intellectual and moral advancement or growth. Students' motivation in choosing a career in the health professions is of great interest for educators and high school students who are faced with the most important decision so far -what to study (1)(2)(3). Health care studies are usually considered to be complex, demanding and time consuming (4,5).…”