CrackDAT’s guide to Decision Day 2023

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“Decision Day”: a day awaited by pre-dental students with a mix of uncertainty, excitement, and nervousness. Decision Day is the first day of each application cycle that dental schools are allowed to contact applicants with official admissions decisions. This year, Decision Day falls on Friday, December 15, 2023. We know you may have lots of questions as this day approaches, so read on for our guide about what to expect!

What happens on Decision Day?

On December 15, schools can begin extending offers of admission. Make sure you are available to take phone calls on this day since most dental schools will call admitted applicants. Other schools will email admissions offers.

You might also receive notices of denial or waitlisting. Or, you might not hear anything from all or some of the schools you applied to.

What if I don’t hear from any schools?

First things first, don’t panic! Although this is not a great feeling, it is incredibly common. Remember that Decision Day is the first — not last — day that dental schools can admit applicants. If you don’t receive any denials on this day, it is safe to assume that you are still being considered for admission. Plus, even if a school has extended a full set of admissions offers, not everyone will accept, so spots will open up later in the admissions cycle in the late winter and spring.

If you find yourself in this situation, you can consider writing a letter of continued interest to your top school (not to every school you applied to — often, these letters are viewed as informal commitments that if you are accepted to the program, you plan to attend). A letter of interest expresses your strong desire to attend a program and may help push your application in the right direction (though this is debatable, for many applicants, it is still worth a shot).

Is there anything I can do before Decision Day?

There isn’t much for you to do besides wait — which, admittedly, is much easier said than done. If you have upcoming interviews scheduled, you can use this time to continue preparing. Check out some of our past blog posts on dental school interview prep here. Otherwise, all there is to do is wait for December 15 to roll around and then plan your next steps depending on the outcome.

What happens after Decision Day?

If you hear back from one or multiple schools, amazing! You will have approximately one month to notify each school about your decision (whether you choose to accept or decline the offer of admission). If you are deciding among schools, check out our article “7 tips for deciding on your best dental school fit.” Weigh the pros and cons of attending each school depending on the factors that are most important to you, such as cost, location, and clinical experience.

If you did not get into any of your top schools, you will need to weigh the pros and cons of accepting one of your less-desired offers (usually by paying a non-refundable security deposit) versus waiting to hear back from other schools on your list, which can be risky.

If you did not get into any dental schools, remember that after Decision Day, schools will continue to send interview invites and offers of admission throughout the late winter and spring. Countless dental students get accepted to dental school after December 15, so do your best to stay optimistic about your chances of admission, especially if you’ve already interviewed with at least one school.

What if I don’t get in after Decision Day?

If you hadn’t heard back from any school by the end of the spring, it would be time to consider re-applying during the subsequent cycle. If you find yourself in this position, we’ve got you covered with our article on bouncing back stronger when re-applying to dental school or re-taking the DAT. You can read it here.

We wish you all the best of luck in your dental school admissions process! Believe in yourself — you’ve already done the hard work of taking the DAT and completing your dental school applications, and this is one more aspect of your journey.

Questions? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading!

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