Timetable for Dental School Applicants

1st Year

• Meet with your advisor to discuss your academic plan.
• Begin taking the pre-requisite courses.
• Meet with a Career Counselor about dental school preparation, resume preparation, interviewing skills, etc.
• Attend dental school presentations.

2nd Year

• Begin volunteering in dental settings (general dental practice as well as specialized dental practice) to confirm your interest in dentistry.
• Begin researching dental programs.
• Attend dental school presentations.

Summer after 2nd Year

• Prepare and register for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT).
• Review academic progress with an academic adviser to ensure that you have either completed or when you will complete all of the dental pre-req's.
• Research potential dental programs.

3rd Year

• Renew and establish contact with professors and dental professionals for letters of recommendation.
• Review and prepare the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS).
• Take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT).
• Begin researching financial aid resources.

Spring of 3rd Year

• Attend Graduate/Professional School Workshops.
• Begin writing drafts of your personal statement.
• Request your letters of recommendation.

Summer After 3rd Year

• Review and prepare your AADSAS. Early application submission is strongly advised.
• Complete secondary applications as requested by dental schools.

Fall of 4th Year

• Attend interview workshops.
• Consider making an appointment with a counselor for a mock interview if you are unable to attend an interview workshop.
• Dental school interviews occur during the semester.

Spring of 4th Year

• Interviews are completed and dental schools inform applicants of admission status. Admissions decision processes and timelines vary between dental programs but you may learn of an acceptance as early as December/January.