Steve's Ultimate Dental School Application Guide & artist2022's AADSAS guide

[samstar1]

I've created a spreadsheet with the averages for enrolled students at US schools. It's color coded and you can organize it using the drop down menus.

Great list - thanks.
What year(s) do these stats cover?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[artist2022]

Hello Pre-dents!

Although it’s been a while since the 2019 cycle opened up, and how there is invaluable advice in Scumbag_Steve’s legendary thread, there are a few updates that need to be added, especially since the application system completely changed last year!

• Regarding questions: Please use the search box. People hate it when the same topic is posted over and over again. If you have a question about something, chances are someone has had it too - this is the purpose of the search function. Find it and either your question will be answered there, OR bump that thread with your question! Also, here is the thread for questions related to the current cycle.
• Regarding batches:Since everything is handled electronically now, there aren’t batches anymore. As soon as you submit your application, it goes into a queue for verification, and schools receive it immediately. Don’t worry about first batch/second batch etc, just focus on getting your application in asap (or not, totally up to you)!
  • If you’re still working on secondaries, submit to one completed school so that it can start getting verified. Also, you can submit even if your letters/official scores aren’t in, but schools won’t count you as complete.
• AADSAS Categories changed slightly: Refer here for details
  • Experiences: Each has a 600 character limit! Bullet points or paragraphs are okay- your preference, but keep it short & sweet. There are no limits (that we know of), so it’s suggested to have no more than 6 activities per section, but yes, you can put your 20 EPICachievements down.
    • Academic Enrichment: SHPEP, Study Abroad, etc.
    • Dental Experience: Shadowing, Dental Volunteering or Employment; Pre-Dental Days. No med stuff please (even if you think you can relate it to dentistry - don’t!).
    • Employment: All non-dental work for which you were paid, e.g. restaurant or retail work, or that random summer job you had a few years ago.
    • Extracurricular Activities: Such as sports, clubs, or other interesting activities. Does not include clubbing and other fun activities during your college career. GAMING DOES NOT COUNT EITHER.
    • Research: Research projects/publications- please don’t list the same project multiple times (lump all your presentations together).
    • Volunteer: Such as hospitals, nursing homes, soup kitchens, shelters, or anything with a “volunteer” title etc.
  • Achievements:Each have a 600 character limit. Bullet points or paragraphs are okay- your preference, but again, keep it short & sweet.
    • Awards: Things like Emerging Leader, Community Leader, other recognition, etc.
    • Honors: Dean’s/President’s list; degree honors (cum, magna, summa)
    • Scholarships: Any extra monetary sums you have received during your college career
  • Licenses:
    • Things like RDH, RDA, CDA, CDT, CPR, BLS/ALS go here; simply upload a copy of your license!
• Personal Statement: This is 4500 symbols (this includes wingdings) and characters withspaces. Keep this in mind!
  • Also, stick to the prompt. Your PS should not focus on explaining drops in grades, your passion for food (or whatever), etc. You can discuss these a little, but do make sure the majority of your PS is about your passion behind pursuing a career in dentistry.
  • Find a reader here when you're all done
• Career Changers (Pre-med, pharm, opto, or anything else):
  • Congrats on choosing the best career ever...dentistry! While there are many things from your experiences that can be included on your app, your focus should be on dentistry. It would be helpful to discuss things from your prior career aspirations that propelled you to instead pursue dentistry, but again, the majority of your PS should not be bashing your previous occupation. Instead focus on what led you to this path and how you intend on becoming a passionate dentist.
• Manual Dexterity: Guitar Hero, League of Legends (Silver V and above only), etc. All jokes aside, video games don’t count; if you have experience in baking/cooking/cake decorating, needle/thread work, calligraphy, playing an instrument, soldering, model kit building, which are only a few examples, put it here!
• Important: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read things over and over! Check for typos, or grammar, or awkward phrasing! Have other people read it! Thankfully, AADSAS isn’t as brutal as AMCAS, where some people withdraw due to typos, but still, it isn’t in good taste to have errors. That being said, if you do come across things, don’t freak out! Take a breather, and try to determine how screwed you are -not very- everyone makes mistakes, just make sure everything else in your app, like secondaries, are in tiptop shape.
• Helpful links/stuff:
  • One of the best threads out there regarding residency (thank you @arkenstone)
  • One of the best threads out there regarding DS Stats(thank you Cluubias2)
    • Created using some info from the ADEA Guide (not all! There’s TONS); you can purchase either the guide ($40) or the online Explorer ($25) here.
  • One of the best threads out there regarding interview prep (thank you Faux)
  • One of the best threads out there regarding DAT, and of course, the entire forum(thank you 8_man)
    • Tread carefully - use the search box. People don’t like to see the same question over and over)
  • One of the best threads out there regarding Post-Baccs/Masters (thank you thenextcarnegie)
  • Regarding secondaries/supplemental fees
  • Regarding school-specific threads

Good luck everyone! We know applying can be/is a stressful process, but we'll all get through it

 

[thenextcarnegie]

SO PUMPED! LET'S DO THIS!

 

[DrHJ]

Hi. I am wondering if I have to update my application regarding my transcripts in this summer. And if yes doesn't put my application at the end of the line for the school reviews again since it's already under review?

 

[beeepbooop]

Hi. I am wondering if I have to update my application regarding my transcripts in this summer. And if yes doesn't put my application at the end of the line for the school reviews again since it's already under review?

I believe you have to wait until the academic update period in order to update the grades if you submitted them as in progress.

 

[941635]

Hi everyone,

I want to share a resource that has helped me stay organized throughout the past application cycle. It is basically a more personalized one-stop-shop for everything related to applying for dental school (submission, pre-interview, post-interview, comparing acceptance offers, budgeting for interviews, etc). When I started applying, I searched for a template like this but did not find one readily available. I hope this helps future applicants!

It is available as a google sheet (view only). If you're signed in, you can make a copy of it to your google drive to adapt this for your needs (add as many columns that you want).

https://docs*google*com/spreadsheets/d/1fFVo8_YLRE3Vr53ZkUS017I8E-G7FVcB4Af-af4LiD4/edit?usp=sharing

just replace the * with a period.

(if there is a more appropriate thread for me to post this to, please message me)