Dental Decision Day: 7 tips on how to prepare and what to expect

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Believe it or not, dental school Decision Day — the first day that applicants can be notified of application decisions — is right around the corner! According to the ADEA website, this year, Decision Day falls on Dec. 15, 2022. In other words, if you applied to dental school this cycle, Dec. 15 is the first day that you could receive an admissions offer (or be notified of a waitlist spot or denial). Below, we offer 7 tips for Decision Day from a former applicant who has gone through the process. Read on for our advice about what to do before Dec. 15 rolls around, and what you can expect on the big day!

1. Learn what to expect.

Knowing what to expect on Decision Day can go a long way in making you feel prepared. Check out our blog post from the 2020–2021 admissions cycle here. In this post, we go into detail about exactly what you can expect on Decision Day and offer more advice on how to prepare!

2. Submit your Academic Update, if applicable.

The second Academic Update period spans from Dec. 1, 2022 to Feb. 2, 2023. If you have new grades or changes to your scheduled coursework since initially submitting your application, now is a great time to submit an Academic Update to keep your application as current and accurate as possible. Plus, for schools still undecided on your decision status, seeing some strong grades definitely can’t hurt!

3. Check the status of your phone’s voicemail.

Most schools will contact you on Decision Day via phone call. If you miss the call, some schools might opt to leave you a voicemail. Ensure that your voicemail is properly set up and functional. Have someone call you and leave you a message. That way, if you miss any calls on Decision Day, you’ll be able to accept a voicemail without any problems.

4. Do your best to ease your nerves while you wait.

This is absolutely easier said than done, but we encourage you to keep yourself busy and make time for self-care during the waiting period. Realize that the most difficult part of the admissions process is now behind you and out of your control. You’ve taken the DAT, filled out the lengthy ADEA AADSAS application, and gotten experience with interviews. Trust in the work and dedication you put into this admissions cycle! While you wait, do things you enjoy — whether it’s keeping active, spending time with friends and family, spending time in nature, or pursuing a hobby — to ease your nerves.

5. Research the decision-notification processes of the schools you applied to.

Schools differ in how they release decisions and what percent of their decisions they release on Decision Day. They also differ in when they offer interviews (so if you haven’t received an interview offer from a school yet, don’t lose hope — you very well might get one after Decision Day). Not all of this information is publicly available, but see what you can find online. Doing so will give you an even clearer sense about what to expect on Dec. 15 and beyond.

6. Know that Decision Day is just one day in a long admissions process.

So many of my current dental school classmates received admissions offers after Decision Day — even months later. It made no difference whether someone was accepted earlier or later in the cycle, since we all ended up in the same place! If you don’t hear back on Dec. 15, don’t lose hope. You are still being considered for admission until and unless you receive a denial. Decision Day is just the very first day that you can hear back from a school, but it is by no means the last day.

7. Come up with a game plan.

While you’re waiting for Dec. 15 to roll around, you can start thinking about some possible scenarios. What if you get accepted to a school, but not one of your top or favorite schools? What if you don’t hear back from a few schools you were really interested in? Some applicants choose to send letters of intent, in which they re-affirm their commitment to choosing a certain school if admitted. Don’t get too caught up on the possibilities, but thinking through some possible next steps can give you some peace of mind and help you feel more prepared.

If you have any questions about Decision Day, or any advice for current applicants, please feel free to share in the comments! Wishing you the best of luck in your admissions process from Crack the DAT!

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