12 Months Out: Foundation
The year before AADSAS opens, focus on what cannot be rushed:
- Complete prerequisites (vary by school but commonly include 1 year of bio, gen chem, organic chem, physics, biochemistry, English)
- Continue dental shadowing across 2+ practice types
- Build relationships with science faculty for LOEs
- Begin DAT prep (target 2–4 months of dedicated study)
Spring: DAT and Letters
Spring is the heaviest preparation phase:
- February–March: Ask for letters of evaluation. Provide writer packets with deadlines.
- March–April: Take the DAT. Aim for completion 4–6 weeks before you submit AADSAS so scores arrive with the application.
- April: Polish personal statement (4,500 characters). Build school list. Send transcripts to AADSAS.
May–June: Submit
AADSAS opens in mid-May. Submission begins in early June. Schools begin receiving applications in mid-June.
- Submit AADSAS in early to mid-June if your application is polished.
- Order transcripts immediately — transcript delays are the most common cause of late verification.
- Verification typically takes 3–6 weeks during peak season.
July–October: Secondaries
Most dental schools send supplemental applications within 2–6 weeks of AADSAS verification. Supplementals vary widely: some are short fee + form, others include multiple essays.
Return each supplemental within 2 weeks of receipt. Track due dates carefully — a few schools have hard deadlines as early as October 1, while most are December 1.
Fall–Winter: Interviews
Most dental school interviews run from August through February. Many schools use rolling admissions, so earlier completion produces earlier interview offers. Acceptances begin December 1 (the earliest most dental schools may issue acceptance offers per ADEA Policy on Acceptance and Confirmation).
The ADEA Traffic Rules govern timing of acceptances and deposits across most US dental schools. Review them carefully so you do not lose deposits or holding positions by accident.
