Good grades and high DAT scores are not enough to get you into dental school. It is important that you are a well-rounded applicant that participates in meaningful activities on your college campus and within your community. Dentistry is a service-focused profession and dental school admissions officers look for students who demonstrate their promise to serve the community throughout their lifetimes. Many dental schools include community service in their mission statements and often have partnerships within their communities to provide care to underserved populations in school clinics. 

There are a number of opportunities for community service available. Some include:

• Habitat for Humanity
• College clubs and service organizations
• Church involvement
• Community centers
• Soup kitchens
• Homeless shelters

There are endless options for community service work, but you should find a project that fulfills you and motivates you to continue your work in the community. Your passion for community service will be clear to admissions officers if you genuinely enjoy what you are doing, and this will ultimately help your application to dental school.