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Dental Assisting Selective Admissions

Dental Assisting Program Information and Information Session

 

Dental Assisting Fall 2027 Application Criteria

Application Period: February 1, 2027, to March 19, 2027

Thank you for your interest in the Dental Assisting (DA) program at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Please read this information thoroughly. We want to make sure you have the best possible chance of being selected by completing all processes and submitting all necessary application documents completely, correctly, and by the deadline. Please email admissions@abtech.edu if you have questions regarding enrolling at A-B Tech, or email advising@abtech.edu if you have questions about applying for the Dental Assisting program.

You must be a high school graduate or have an Adult High School or High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma to be eligible to enter the program and have self-certified this requirement on your A-B Tech College application.

Dates and Deadlines

  • Application Period Opens: February 1, 2027
  • Application Period Closes: March 19, 2027
  • Deadline to take the TEAS: March 26, 2027
  • Deadline to submit TEAS scores: April 2, 2027, at 5:00 p.m.

(Note: Do not schedule the TEAS before meeting with a Student Advisor to complete a Program Application)

All deadlines and requirements in this document must be met to be eligible to apply.

Please note: Alternates may be accepted after the application deadline of March 19, 2027, if deemed necessary to fill the class. Notification of this will be posted on the Selective and Limited Programs Application Period Information page after the application deadline.

Program Information Session Requirement

Prior to application to the Dental Assisting program, applicants must complete a mandatory information session provided by the department. Details for the information session will be posted at the top of this webpage as the application period approaches.

Online Readiness

Readiness to enroll in 100% online classes is required for Dental programs. You must complete the Moodle Online Orientation prior to the start of the Fall 2027 term.

 

How To Apply

  1. Complete the mandatory Information Session provided by the Dental department prior to application to the allied health program. Information Session PowerPoint and Assessment can be found at the top of this webpage. It will be posted as the application period approaches.
  2. Complete and submit the general A-B Tech Application. (This is not an application to a Selective Program. The Program Application to the Dental Assisting program will be done separately after you meet with a Student Advisor and are approved as eligible to apply.)
  3. Applicants must certify on their college application that they are a high school graduate from a valid institution, an adult high school graduate from a valid institution, or have a valid High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma. High school graduation or the equivalent from a regionally accredited, valid institution is required for Financial Aid purposes. You must have a high school diploma or equivalency by the first day of classes for the Fall 2027 term to enter the selective allied health programs.
  4. Applicants must complete New Student Orientation. Waivers may apply.
  5. Eligible applicants must document college readiness in English and Math. Visit Placement Overview for detailed information or contact a Student Advisor to learn about the acceptable options. Placement must be completed prior to the Fall 2027 term.
  6. Once you meet the minimum requirements to apply to the program, you will meet with a Student Advisor to complete the Program Application and be given permission and instructions to schedule the ATI TEAS Exam. You must complete this step and the Program Application by the deadline listed above. Applicants must ensure ATI TEAS scores are received by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline. No exceptions.

 

Admission to the Program Once Minimum Requirements Have Been Met

  1. Applicants will be ranked based on ATI TEAS exam cumulative score (the maximum ATI TEAS score is 100).
  2. If accepted into the program, all new students and waitlist students must attend the mandatory program orientation session held by the department. Program orientation details will be provided by the department after acceptance to the program. Failure to attend the program orientation session will result in the loss of a seat in the class.

Important: It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure TEAS scores are received by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline. Scores for the TEAS after the deadline to take the TEAS will be rejected. Email testingcenter@abtech.edu to check if scores were received.

 

Important ATI TEAS Information

Please ensure that the name on your ATI score report matches the name in your student record. Mismatched names may result in your scores being rejected.

Applicants should Not schedule the ATI TEAS until after meeting with a Student Advisor and having been approved as eligible to apply.

To be eligible for admission to the Fall 2027, all qualified Dental Assisting applicants will be required to take the ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) exam. The ATI TEAS exam may only be completed at a location within the United States of America per ATI guidelines.

Important Note: Admissions only permits students to test once during the application cycle. Students who test multiple times and submit score reports will have their later score reports rejected.

The ATI TEAS exam will be paid for by the student at the time of online registration on the ATI website. Information on the ATI TEAS exam and associated costs can be found at ATI Testing.

Applicants may select only one of the following at the time of completion of the Program Application:

  1. Testing during the application period at the Testing Center at A-B Tech Asheville Campus on Victoria Road in Asheville, NC.
  2. Testing at an approved testing facility in another location. Admissions only permits students to test once per application cycle. Submission of multiple score reports will result in the earliest composite score being used (regardless of the reason for or source of the error). Students must submit an official score report from ATI.
  3. Use an existing score already on file at the College, provided the score is 5 years old or newer.
  4. Submit only one score report from a testing session that occurred prior to the application period at another testing facility. Scores must be 5 years old or newer. Students must submit an official score report from ATI.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to take the ATI TEAS exam by the deadline to test and to follow up and ensure scores are received by the deadline.

Please Note: Test scores will not be accepted, and applicants may not schedule the ATI TEAS exam until after the applicant has completed the Program Application with a Student Advisor.

If an applicant does not follow through and take the ATI TEAS exam, they will be disqualified from moving forward in the admission process.

Applicants in need of testing accommodations should contact Support Services at supportservices@abtech.edu at least three weeks prior to testing.

Important: Students who submit TEAS exam scores must ensure scores are received by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to email the Testing Center at testingcenter@abtech.edu to confirm scores were received prior to the testing deadline listed at the top of this page.

 

Notice to non-U.S. Citizens

A-B Tech welcomes non-citizens with work authorization through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to our Selective Allied Health programs. Clinical site eligibility is determined by the sites and can be impacted by immigration status. Non-citizens should discuss their non-citizenship status with their Selective program advisor as soon as they are accepted so that accommodations can be made.

As stated above, non-citizens who are eligible for the Selective programs may not be eligible for certain clinical sites. Successful completion of clinical rotations is required for program completion. If a student drops the program after being denied clinical site privileges, the college's refund policy will apply. Non-citizens are encouraged to contact the appropriate licensing/certifying agency to determine if they are eligible for licensure/certification upon graduation–decisions regarding licensure/certification are solely the responsibility of the licensing/certifying agency.

Questions regarding program admission for non-citizens may be directed to advising@abtech.edu.

 

Other Important Information – Read Carefully

  • Applicants should be aware that North Carolina State or National Boards may deny licensure or certification to individuals “convicted of a felony or any other crime involving moral turpitude”. Questions regarding this issue should be directed to the NC State Board of Dental Examiners at (919) 781-4901.
  • Applicants for the Selective Allied Health Programs must demonstrate the ability, with or without reasonable accommodations, to meet certain technical standards critical to the successful completion of the program. These standards include skills and abilities essential for such things as the operation of equipment (as related to hand-eye coordination and visual acuity); evaluation and manipulation of patients; evaluation of microscopic components and color reactions; and communication with patients, families, and other medical personnel. For an explanation of specific physical and cognitive requirements for the DA program, refer to the Program Technical Standards. For further clarification, contact the Dental Assisting Program Chair at (828) 398-7256.
  • Any Allied Health student deemed to have violated the College Student Code of Conduct may not be eligible for application or re-admission to Allied Health programs.
  • If you are not selected for the DA program beginning Fall 2027 and wish to apply for the Fall 2028 class, you may reapply during the next application cycle.
  • All documents that you submit with your application for the DA program must be true, correct, and complete. Falsification of documentation may result in denial of admission or dismissal after admission.
  • Admission criteria are subject to change from year to year.
  • Allied Health students will be required to complete clinical rotations, which may require them to travel more than one hour from campus. Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation.

 

Selective Allied Health Readmission Policy

The following readmission policy applies to students who receive an unsuccessful grade in a selective allied health program or who voluntarily withdraw from such a program. Unsuccessful grades are defined as “D” or “F”.

  1. If you receive an unsuccessful grade in a selective allied health program, you may not proceed to any subsequent course that has the course in question as a prerequisite. You must repeat the course in question before proceeding to the next higher course in the program.
  2. Most allied health courses are offered only once annually.
  3. Since a new class of students is admitted to each program annually, it will be necessary for the students who have received an unsuccessful grade in a major course during their first semester to reapply for admission to the program for the following fall.
  4. Students who do not successfully complete a subsequent semester may seek approval from the department chairperson to ask special permission from the division dean to be directly re-admitted to the program (without participation in the selective admissions process) for the next academic year if the application deadline has passed. Requests will be taken and considered on an individual basis.

 

Important Notes Regarding Financial Aid

  1. Students applying for financial aid must complete the FAFSA at fafsa.gov. Please submit all subsequently requested documentation to the financial aid office as soon as possible.
  2. Students in the Dental Assisting Diploma program receive financial aid differently from many other programs at A-B Tech. Financial aid awards are based on contact hours rather than credit hours. This often results in a smaller overall financial aid award relative to the number of registered credit hours.
  3. Coursework taken outside of the Dental Assisting program may impact financial aid eligibility. It is essential to make contact with the financial aid office as soon as possible to understand how these classes will affect financial aid eligibility.

 

We appreciate your interest in A-B Tech and the Dental Assisting program.
Updated July 8, 2026