The dental school admissions process: What to expect on Decision Day

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You’ve submitted your dental school applications, and for the past several months, you’ve been waiting patiently (or impatiently!) to hear back from schools. You may have already had interviews, or you may still be waiting for interview invitations. Regardless of where you are in your process, one thing is likely to be true: you’re counting down the days until Decision Day. This year, Decision Day is Dec. 15, 2020. Read on for an overview of what to expect and how to prepare!

What is dental school “Decision Day”?

On this day, many dental schools will release decisions to their applicants (specifically, to those applicants who they have already interviewed). Although it is possible to receive a rejection with no interview offer during any part of the applications cycle, it is not possible to receive an official acceptance before Decision Day. Schools aren’t allowed to notify you earlier!

In the past, Decision Day landed on Dec. 1. This year, because the earliest submission date for the ADEA AADSAS application was extended by two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Decision Day was also pushed back by two weeks, to Dec. 15.

So: If you’ve already interviewed at a dental school, on Dec. 15, you may be accepted, waitlisted, or denied at that school. This is why so many dental school applicants excitedly and nervously await this day!

What should I expect?

Many dental schools will call applicants to extend offers of admission on Decision Day. If you’ve already interviewed with at least one dental school, it’s a good idea to have your phone by you throughout the day if you can. Keep in mind that some schools will begin making calls quite early in the morning, so be prepared! Although phone calls are common practice, other schools will send acceptance emails first, and nearly every school will send an official follow-up acceptance email and will leave a voicemail if you aren’t able to answer the phone.

Of course, not all news received on Dec. 15 can be good news. You might also receive denials on Decision Day. Although this can be discouraging, realize that you will be able to reach your goal of becoming a dentist, no matter what path you take. Everyone is different. Some people receive waitlist offers, then get off the waitlist. Some applicants receive decisions substantially later in the admissions cycle — remember, Dec. 15 is the FIRST notification day, but the admissions cycle extends through the next year. Others will receive post-December interviews and acceptances from a school that originally did not extend an interview invitation. And yet others make it to dental school after applying during two or more admissions cycles. If dentistry is your dream, you can make it your reality. Decision Day can be an incredibly exciting day, but it is just one day in what is truly a lifelong journey.

How can I prepare for Decision Day?

1. Check your phone’s voicemail box. Have a friend call you and try leaving a voicemail. This way, if you miss an acceptance call on Decision Day, you can check for a voicemail later.
2. Check your contact information. Be sure that the mailing address and contact information listed on your ADEA AADSAS application are up-to-date.
3. Know how and when each school you applied to releases decisions. Some schools release the majority of their acceptances on Decision Day, while others will leave plenty of vacant spots for post-December interviewees. Each school varies in its method, so find out the policy at each school you applied to so you can know what to expect and can estimate your odds of later acceptance if you don’t hear back on Dec. 15.
4. Try to learn as much about your programs as possible. If you already interviewed with a dental school, you probably learned a lot about the program, facilities, and student body. However, particularly during this period of virtual interviews, it can be difficult to gather all the information you need to make a decision. While you’re waiting for Dec. 15 to roll around, reach out to current students and try to find answers to your questions. Of course, you’ll also have time to gather information after receiving your official acceptance, but this time period is fairly short (more on this in the next section).
5. Complete your second Academic Update (if applicable). The Academic Update period will be open from Dec. 4. to Feb. 3. During this time, you can add new grades or input new planned/scheduled coursework into your ADEA AADSAS application.

Decision Day has passed — what now?

If you didn’t receive any acceptances, try your best to continue moving forward—plenty of time remains in the admissions cycle. If you did receive an acceptance, congratulations! Take a moment to celebrate this achievement. If you received multiple acceptances, it will be time to start making a decision.

Per the ADEA website, you’ll have 30 days to respond to the offer of admission (either by declining the offer, or by placing a deposit that will secure your spot in the class). During this time, you’ll face the challenging but exciting task of deciding where you’d like to receive your dental education.

Here are the response periods if you are accepted later in the cycle (post-Decision Day):

For applicants who will be given a provisional or final acceptance between Dec. 15, 2020 and Feb. 14, 2021, the minimum response period shall be 30 days.
For applicants accepted on or after Feb. 14, 2021, the minimum response period may be reduced to 15 days.
The response period may be lifted after April 1, 2021, or two weeks before the beginning of the academic year — whichever comes first.

If you have any remaining questions about Decision Day, feel free to leave them in the comments. Wishing you the best of luck in your admissions process from Crack the DAT!

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