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Collegiate I Program

Program Objectives

SPEP Collegiate I is a five-week program that will provide graduating high school students with an interest in dentistry an opportunity to:

  • Become familiar with the college environment
  • Learn more about and broaden their interest in dentistry
  • Start preparing for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT)
  • To be eligible for this program, applicants must:
    • Have an interest in dentistry
    • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a social security number
    • Attend a Dallas-area school
    • Complete an interview with program staff
    • Provide an official high school transcript documenting a grade point average of 2.75 out of 4.0 (or 77.5 out of 100) or higher
    • Submit an application, including an essay explaining why they want to participate in the program
    • Submit two letters of recommendation from science or math teachers and/or counselors
    • Sign a contract committing to participate in all required project activities
    • Demonstrate a strong desire to work with underserved populations or in communities with limited access to dental health care
    • Have been accepted into college at time of selection (must provide copy of acceptance letter)
    • Be a member of a dentally underserved population and/or be from a *disadvantaged background
    • Demonstrate a strong potential of working with underserved populations or in communities with limited access to dental health care 
  • *Note: an ' academically disadvantaged' individual is one who comes from an environment that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skill and ability to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school (Examples: 1st generation to earn baccalaureate degree; English is a second language; resident of financially poor school district, attended low-performing high school; middle or high school home responsibility; single parent family; non-traditional student, including older age; employment while attending college; overcame or is experiencing extreme hardship; resident of a country designated as underserved by health professionals; resident of lowest 10% per capita income country). An ' economically disadvantaged' individual is one who comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low-income thresholds according to family size, published by the U.S. Census Bureau in the Federal Register, and adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index.
  • Two courses at Dallas College/Mountain View Campus
  • Observing/shadowing dental students
  • Pre-Clinical Dentistry Course
  • Pre-DAT Course
  • Learning Strategies Seminars
  • Cultural Competence Seminar
  • Feedback Sessions
  • A stipend to cover food, transportation and miscellaneous expenses
  • Tuition, fees and books for 2 college courses
  • Clinic and laboratory supplies
  • Notebooks and other instructional material
  • Students not living in Dallas County will pay a higher tuition fee for courses at Mountain View Community College. Texas A&M College of Dentistry will pay the in-county tuition fee and the student will be responsible for the difference
  • Immunization fees

A selection committee, composed of the Program Director and Program Faculty, will review all applications and interview up to 25 applicants.

Students must have applied to college before applying to SPEP Collegiate. To be selected, applicants must have been accepted into college.

Preference will be given to applicants with a minimum of 8 hours of volunteer/observation in a dental environment (i.e. office, clinic, dental school).

All applicants must complete and submit an application and all supporting documents by February 24, 2025.

Contact jmvillarreal@tamu.edu for application.

A minimum of ten (10) applicants will be selected.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a part of an award totaling $3,425,785 with ~30% financed with non-governmental sources (Texas A&M College of Dentistry). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

Shaneka Marks, DDS
Director, SPEP Collegiate I

Mrs. Janie Villarreal 
Administrative Coordinator
Phone: (214) 828-8385
Fax: (214) 874-4502 
Email: jmvillarreal@tamu.edu 

Texas A&M College of Dentistry
Office of Student Development
3302 Gaston Avenue, Room 365
Dallas, Texas 75246

START DATE:  June 2, 2025
END DATE:      July 3, 2025

APPLICATION DEADLINE
FEBRUARY 24, 2025

INTERVIEWS (via Zoom)
MARCH 10 - 12, 2025

NOTIFICATION DATE 
NO LATER THAN 
March 28, 2025

ORIENTATION DATE 
June 2, 2025

Mrs. Janie Villarreal 
Phone: (214) 828-8385 
Fax: (214) 874-4502 
Email: jmvillarreal@tamu.edu 

Shaneka Marks, DDS
Director, SPEP Collegiate I