Applying to Dental School: AADSAS 2017 Is Now Open!

As of June 1st the 2016 – 2017 cycle of the AADSAS is officially open!

The time has arrived. You’ve been working hard keeping up that GPA, getting gleaming DAT scores, and all those extracurriculars, well now it’s time to put it all on the line! The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) has officially opened the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service aka the AADSAS for the 2017 cycle!

 

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*Now just because the application is open until February doesn’t mean it goes on the back burner. It is highly suggested by everyone (schools, advisors, DAT Cracker, and me) that you get your completed application in the summer time aka ASAP!

 

Check out the full official ADEA AADSAS Application Instructions here.

For now we’ll focus on the highlights…

 

DENTPIN®

First thing’s first you need a DENTPIN, a unique identification number assigned to each applicant. You’ll use the same DENTPIN login info you used when signing up for the DAT. If you have applied using the AADSAS before you use the same DENTPIN login and good news is most of the application fields are saved and ready to use again. But not everything transfers so be sure review, add, and update as needed.

So if you need to register for a DENTPIN go here.

 

Application Sections

This application is dense and filling it out is a task not to be taken lightly. 

Take your time and get it right.

Here’s a glimpse at the big sections of the AADSAS you’ll soon be completing:

  1. Fee Assistance Program (if applicable)
  2. Applicant information
  3. Education
  4. Professional experience
  5. Personal statement
  6. Evaluators
  7. Release statements
  8. Dental school designations

 

$ Cost $

The total application cost truly lies in the number of dental programs you are planning on applying to. Upon completely the AADSAS the fee is $245 and includes submission to one school then it’s an additional $98 for each additional school. The application process as a whole can quickly become expensive with the cost of taking the DAT, completely the AADSAS, then individual schools secondary application fees, traveling to interviews, etc. so you really want to do your research and narrow down the programs you really want to apply to!

 

TMDSAS

If you are applying to any of the three dental programs in Texas AND you are a state of Texas resident then you need the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service aka the TMDSAS, which already opened up May 2nd! Applicants from Texas MUST use this application while non-Texas residents can apply with either the TMDSAS or the AADSAS! FYI the $150 app fee covers you to apply to all three dental schools! Get on it because the TMDSAS closes September 30th!

 

Check out the Blog!

Be sure to take a gander at the other DAT Cracker blog posts covering the big application such as Letters of Recommendation, The Interview, and stay tuned for much more!

 

HAPPY APPLYING! 🙂

Choosing The Dental School For You

It’s never too soon to begin your search into prospective dental programs to apply to and it goes without stating that the choosing of your dental school cannot be taken lightly! The decision process can be exciting and fun but also a little nerving and stressful. During the application process you’ll really want to do your research and be efficient in picking where to apply because applying to a lot programs can get costly.

 

So how do you choose?

 

Let’s take a look at some things to consider and questions to ask yourself when choosing the dental school for you…

 

Decisions

 

Location Location Location

Would you prefer a rural setting or a bustling city? Think about your time in undergrad, did that work for you or do you need a change of pace? A school visit is the wisest choice before finalizing your decision on location to get a real feel and glimpse into your future stay there. The importance of living in a cool city may take a back seat when keeping in mind the cost of living expense differences in locations too.

 

Tuition Costs

When thinking about tuition cost there are several factors to consider such as private vs public school or in-state vs out of state tuition, cost of living depending on the location choice etc. The cost of tuition is always (and forever it seems) on the rise. Just as a quick example check out the projected cost of attendance from the University of Washington’s School of Dentistry here. This is just one program but it gives you primarily example of what to expect.

 

Program Specs

Be sure to take a look at program specifics like specializations and what kind of research opportunities are available to you. How important is class size to you? These all examples of things to look for when doing your homework on all the optometry schools you are considering!

The key to making your final decision will depend how you prioritize these topics of consideration.

 

So research and think it over carefully because these are very important next four years for you!

The Benefits of Joining a Pre-Dental Organization!

You may have seen a Pre-Dental table at a student organization fair and thought something along the lines of…

“Hey I know all about applying for dental school and I got a pretty good handle on the DAT so I don’t need those meetings and membership fees”

…but let’s take a closer look, shall we?

 

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Gaining Relevant Experience

Simply putting down on your resume that you were a part of a pre-dental society isn’t much help but there are plenty of ways to get involved in events and programs put on by the organization. Pre-dental clubs offer a wide range of opportunities to be proactive in bettering yourself through things like for instance mentoring programs or gaining experience volunteering in the dental health world.

 

Leadership Opportunities

Within the ranks of the organization you can lead peers and drive the club to success.

Taking on a leadership role can be challenging but you gain the very valuable skills for a future in dentistry in communication, negotiating, and problem solving just name a few. Besides leadership positions always look great on a resume.

 

Access to Resources

These organizations have resources you may not even be aware exist and in order to take advantage of them you have to be in the know! One of the perks of a pre-dental organization is that school representatives from the different dental programs will schedule more visits should they anticipate an audience of pre-dental students. That means many clubs will host these representatives to come and talk to the group and answer any specific questions or even host a whole panel of representatives to speak!

 

Figure Out Exactly What You’re Doing

Orthodontists, pedodontists, and periodontists OH MY!
So what exactly is the difference and what exactly do you really want to do? Student orgs may bring in a wide range of people in the dental profession to talk on what they do and offer advice and help you discover exactly what you’d like to do someday!

 

Misery Loves Company

You’ll meet other pre-dental hopefuls to share the woes of preparing for dental school. With everything from the AADSAS, the DAT, letters of recommendation, etc making connections with fellow students that know exactly what you’re going through can be both comforting and helpful! You can even share your wisdom about how great DAT Cracker is ☺

 

Your school may have a pre-dental society/club/organization of its own but there’s also the option of joining the American Student Dental Association! Learn more here.

 

In review, pre-dental clubs both spread awareness of the dental profession as well as help members stay on the track and offer things like career panels and mentoring programs!

So why would you want to join? The better question is why not?

Applying to Dental School: The Interview!

The admissions process is long, stressful, and at times it feels like a lot of waiting and uncertainty. During this trying time there’s one clear sign in the process before a rejection or a congratulations letter that your doing well… getting the call or email about setting up an interview!

Reaching this point in the admissions process is exciting and promising but don’t blow it now!

You’re not in yet!

You look good enough on paper to make it this far but are you really what dental schools want?…

prove it

 

So let’s talk about the interview and how to ace it!

 

Professional Basics

You know these things but they are important enough to drill into your head some more now…

BE ON TIME. DRESS PROFESSIONALLY. BE POLITE. Easy enough, right? DO IT!

 

Projecting “FOMO”

FOMO = Fear Of Missing Out and you basically need to instill in a admissions committee the fear of missing out on what an awesome prospect you are! The interview is a two-way conversation and you not only what to be prepared to answer their questions, you want to be engaging and have questions of your own. You are interviewing them as a potential school as much as they are interviewing you as a potential student and you gotta make them want you. This may be your top choice school… but hey, you’re a catch and half and got other options too so you want them to win YOU over too. Note that this kind of confidence isn’t cocky but reflects a genuine and avid interest in what the program has to offer. You are evaluating the school as much as they are evaluating you.

 

Be Honest

Besides your Personal Statement, the interview is the only place to speak of yourself in your own words. The school is trying to further get to know YOU and understand your motivations towards dentistry. Be prepared for pitfalls and flaws in your application, like a less than stellar GPA or DAT score, to come up in the interview. This is your chance to shine and reassure them of any doubts and reservations they may have about you as a candidate. Speaking openly and honestly in the interview is always to way to go.

 

Be “On” At All Times

Each dental program’s admission interview is unique. Some schools do one-on-one interview while others opt for a committee-style set up. Most include all day visits with tours of the school, meeting professors, etc. and it’s important to understand that the entire you’re there is essentially your interview. While you’re on campus act as if you’re always being watched and examined by the admissions committee because you basically are. Making a good impression all day can lead to another professor mentioning something to the committee for instance like, “hey that candidate seemed great and asked really interesting questions on the tour earlier”; keep in mind that this works vise versa too! So you gotta be on at all times!

 

With these things in mind you can have a winning interview and be one step closer the congratulations acceptance letter! Until then you can work on getting a winning DAT score to get you to the interview step with DAT Cracker. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions or advice to add on interviews!

 

Happy Practicing!

Applying to Dental School: Letters of Recommendation!

Applying to dental school is a long, trying process and while the ADEA AADSAS application for the Fall 2016 cycle doesn’t even open until June 1st, it’s time to start thinking about your application now! By the way, if you’re planning on applying to a dental school in Texas the TMDSAS open May 1st!

Summertime and these applications may seem like a ways away but…

RIGHT NOW is the time to be making the connections and developing relationships with future letters of recommendation writers!

 

You can’t just go around asking like this, “I’m great! Write about it!” *self-five*

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Anyway here’s the lowdown letters of rec:

 

Who to Ask?

Professors are bombarded with students asking for letters so the key is to ask the people who know you best in order to get the best letters. This is the time to be making nice with future potential letter writers and develop the kind relationships that make for compelling letters.

Basically you are recruiting for your dental school application team, so choose them wisely!

Schools sometimes ask for specific letter writers (like one from a professor, one from an employer, etc.) so research your potential dental schools’ requirements and plan accordingly.

 

Ask In Person.

Everyone really harps on this, as they should! You can set up an initial meeting through email to discuss the possibly of them writing a letter for you but you shouldn’t ask outright over the internet; that’s an in person question! Plus what’s that saying, “it’s harder to say no to someone in person”, right?

 

Ask Early.

As mentioned before professors are getting flooded with requests and you want a good letter not a rushed one! The absolute least amount of time is three weeks to ask for a good letter.

 

Go Asking Prepared.

This last tip will really set you apart from what could be many letter of recommendation a professor has to write. Go to your letter writers with all the materials they may need when writing a beautiful letter about you. These things can include your resume, CV, and at least a draft or bullet points from your personal statement. You want to set them up and make it easy for them to write a great letter so they can get a feel for exactly what you’re going for your application.

 

With these things in mind go forth and prosper setting yourself up for the best letters of recommendation possible. P.S. If you’re stressing about the DAT fast approaching, practice and ace it with DAT Cracker of course and stay tuned for more of our DAT Breakdown series!