Deferred Entry to Study Dentistry
This article discussed everything to do with deferring entry to Dental School
Everything You Need to Know About Deferred Entry
Deferring your Dental School entry simply means you wish to take time out before commencing Dentistry. This is where you get your place to dental school confirmed and they await you to start the following year. So for instance, those applying for Dentistry in 2020, you may defer entry till 2022. Usually you can only defer entry for Dental School by one year, with some Schools not considering deferring at all.
Will I be allowed to defer my entry?
Certain Dental Schools will warmly welcome deferred entry. In fact, most Schools do consider deferred entry however it is important to ensure that you discuss your individual circumstances with your prospective School. Our standard entry table lists some details related to schools accepting deferred entry.
Your confirmed decision to defer entry should be listed on your point of application via the UCAS form. Usually a request for deferral once an offer is received may not usually be considered.
How will my application differ if I wish to defer?
Some schools may wish for a clear plan of action detailing how you wish to use this year productively, with some indications embedded into the personal statement.
It is important to note that it should not dissuade the judgement of the admission team should you wish to defer entry.
You will need to ensure that you meet the conditions of your offer at the time of application. For instance, if you receive a conditional Dentistry offer in 2019/20 to start a course in 2021, you must have the academic qualifications to meet the conditions of your offer i.e. AAA by 31 August 2020 (unless the School informs your differently).
Why defer?
Deferring can have many benefits, especially for those students who are finishing college or school. Embarking on a ‘gap year’ can offer the first ‘academic break’ for students who have been in education since secondary school. This can be a chance to recharge and refresh. Many students actively engage in travelling, volunteering, pursuing hobbies, whilst for others it allows time to gather financial reserves to begin their studies or engage in personal commitments prior to starting.
Final considerations
If you are committed to take a year out, you should think about exactly how the year will be utilised. As discussed earlier, Universities may wish to see clear forward thinking about how this time will be used enhance your career aspirations. It may be worth contacting the School’s to determine exactly what they require and how you can evidence this - should detailing this in the personal statement be suffice? Be sure that Dentistry is for you! By accepting the offer and deferring you are committed to embarking the subsequent year. In this time you will not be able to re-apply to other courses until the university agrees to withdraw your place. With dentistry being so competitive, you should aim to relinquish your place should this not be for you, offering that opportunity to someone who is keen to gain that space.
How to defer your Dentistry application
It is strongly advised that you first contact the University to ascertain the eligibility and details for deferral.
Once you have established the prospective schools that allow this, you will need to log in to your UCAS application and select to defer your start date for Dentistry by a year.
In order to do this you will need to select the ‘deferred entry start date’ when adding your Dentistry choices on your application.
In your personal statement, you may need to give indications why you wish to defer, and plans for the year out. These will be taken into account by dental admission when assessing your application.
Your application will then go through the same process, at the same time, as those applicants wishing not to defer and to start in 2020.
As with a normal application, you can use UCAS to track your status and you will undergo the same admission process as those who do not wish to defer.
Learn more about gap years in these related articles
Life of a dental student.
Listen to Jasleen’s story of her journey to dental school. Jas didn’t quite achieve the grades necessary for her original offers, so she took a gap year and retook 2 exams to get the required grades and get in!
Gap years.
Learn about things to consider when undertaking a gap year and how to maximise your chances of gaining an offer on re-application.