Applying to dental school this cycle? Here’s our timeline for what to expect
This pre-dental blog is brought to you by Crack the DAT. Crack the DAT offers all the resources you need to ace your Dental Admission Test, all in one place! Try it today: CrackDAT.com
The process of applying to dental school can be a convoluted one — after all, you’re simultaneously gathering letters of recommendation, deciding where to apply, writing a personal statement, keeping track of application fees… and the list goes on. With everything that goes into applying to dental school and all the deadlines to stay on top of, it’s natural to feel confused! We’re here to take away the confusion and provide a clear timeline of what you can expect (and when). Read on!
First things first, dental school admissions are rolling.
What exactly does that mean? It means that schools will review applications in the order the applications are received. As a result, it benefits you to apply as early as possible — ideally by the end of this month (June) if you’re applying this cycle. Schools will review your application earlier rather than later, when they’ve already extended many interview spots, so applying early can increase your chances of ultimately being admitted.
However, it’s not worth rushing your application if it still needs to be polished or if you’re waiting on a component of your application (like DAT scores or a final letter of recommendation). Take the extra time to make sure you’re proud of your application, and submit when you’re ready to go.
Phase 1: Application fees and supplementals
Once your application is ready to go, the first phase of your application timeline will involve paying application fees (unfortunately). Many schools will require you to pay the standard AADSAS fee as well as a supplemental fee. Currently, the standard AADSAS app fee is $264 for the first dental school and $115 for each additional school.
Once you’ve submitted and paid, double-check whether your schools require supplemental applications. Some schools have extra supplemental questions that they ask all applicants to fill out after submitting. Others will email you a supplemental after they’ve received your AADSAS application, or will only send you a supplemental (starting in late summer to fall) if they’re considering you for an interview. Other schools have no supplemental application at all. It can be confusing, but check online or reach out to Admissions if no info is available online. Keep track of supplementals on a spreadsheet, and you’ll make the process so much easier.
Phase 2: The waiting game
At this point, it’s time to wait! Enjoy this time of quietness, and congratulate yourself for all the hard work you put into your dental school application. If you applied early in the application summer (May — June), you might not hear anything until at least mid to late August.
Phase 3: Interview season begins
Interview season starts in the fall. Keep an eye out on your email — most schools send interview invites via email, though others may contact you via phone call. If you’re invited to interview, you will be given a date and all the logisitics information you need to know. At this point, you’ll want to prepare for interviews. Check out some of our past blog posts about dental school interviews here.
By the way, if you haven’t heard back from some or all of your schools yet, that’s okay. Many people receive interview invites later, including into spring of the next year.
Phase 4: Countdown to Decision Day
“Decision Day” is the first day that dental schools can extend offers of admission. This year, it falls on December 15, 2023. On December 15, you might receive acceptance emails or calls from the dental schools to which you applied — which is incredibly exciting! If you don’t hear back on that day, that doesn’t automatically mean you won’t be admitted. You very well could be accepted or waitlisted later, in the spring. Decision Day is just the first day of admissions offers. For a full run-down on what to expect, check out our blog post about decision day.
Phase 5: Deciding where to attend
Once you have one or more admissions offers, it’s time to decide where to attend! Dental schools will give you a limited window of time (usually around a month) to either accept or decline their offer of admission. During this time, you will want to think carefully about the pros and cons of each school to figure out the best fit for you. We have two blog posts about choosing a dental school: “7 tips for deciding on your best dental school fit” and “How to pick a dental school!”
If you received your offers of admission on Decision Day, you might be all done with the dental school admissions process in January or February. If you’re still waiting to hear back from schools, you can absolutely still interview and hear back from schools in the winter/spring, so don’t lose confidence!
That’s a wrap!
Just like that, you will have made it through the dental admissions cycle and are ready to enter the next phase of your journey to becoming a dentist! The cycle may be a long and difficult one, but if this is the career you want to pursue, it will be more than worthwile. One day, you will look back at the application process and realize how far you have come.
Questions about studying for the DAT or applying to dental school? Let us know in the comments. We hope this was helpful, and we wish you the best of luck!
—
Join the Crack the DAT community, connect with other pre-dental students, and ask questions! Join the Facebook group here.
Crack your Dental Admission Test! Visit our website at CrackDAT.com.
