AADSAS Application Guide: What Pre-Dental Students Must Know

What Is the AADSAS Application?

The ADEA AADSAS—short for the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)—is the centralized application for most U.S. dental schools. Instead of sending separate applications to each school, you fill out one detailed form and ADEA distributes it for you.

Just about every dental school in the U.S. uses AADSAS, but there are a few exceptions. The most common ones are Texas schools, which use TMDSAS instead. If you’re applying to both, you’ll need to complete both applications separately.

Check each school’s website to confirm. Also, keep in mind that Canadian dental schools generally do not use AADSAS—you'll need to apply directly to those programs.

What ADEA Is and Why This Matters

ADEA stands for the American Dental Education Association, the organization that oversees AADSAS. You can learn more about them at adea.org. They run the AADSAS system, set the application timeline, and handle the central processing. They're not part of any dental school — they’re just the middleman.

Knowing this helps when something goes wrong (like a missing transcript). AADSAS can’t “fix” issues with your target schools. And dental schools can’t fix problems with AADSAS. So you'll often need to speak to both sides.

Important Application Cycle Dates

• Application opens: Early May
• First date to submit: Early June
• Soft deadline: July
• Hard deadlines: Vary by school — typically fall through early winter the following year

Don't wait. Submitting early can give you a real advantage.

AADSAS Application Sections, Explained

The application is split into four core sections. You have to complete all of them before submitting.

1. Personal Information

This is the basic stuff—name, contact info, citizenship, languages spoken, family background. Nothing tricky here. Just be accurate.

You’ll also indicate any previous applications or disciplinary actions. Don’t skip this—schools will see your history either way.

Some applicants wonder whether language skills or cultural background impact admissions. They might. Bilingual or multilingual applicants can highlight their ability to communicate with diverse patient populations.

2. Academic History

This is where you’ll enter:

• Every college/university you’ve attended
• All your coursework, term-by-term
• Your planned future courses
• Your transcript requests

Pro tip: Order your official transcripts before entering grades. AADSAS will cross-check everything. If there's a mismatch, it can delay your app.

There’s also a Grade Point Average (GPA) section. AADSAS calculates multiple GPAs:

• Overall
• Science
• Non-science
• By academic year

Some schools look closely at trends—like an upward GPA in your final year—so it helps to understand how you’re being assessed.

Want to double-check your science GPA? Try plugging your courses into an online GPA calculator using the BCPM categories (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math).

Also keep in mind: repeated courses, withdrawals, and pass/fail grades can have different effects depending on the school. If you're unsure, reach out to admissions offices directly.

3. Supporting Information

This is where your story comes together.

1. Experiences: Shadowing, research, employment, volunteering, extracurriculars. You can enter up to 600 characters per entry—so focus on clarity.
2. Achievements: Awards, scholarships, honors.
3. Licenses and Certifications: Most applicants leave this blank.
4. Personal Statement: We'll break this down below.

You’ll also report your hours for each experience. It doesn’t need to be exact, but don’t guess wildly. Schools want to see meaningful involvement—not inflated numbers.

Be honest and organized. If you volunteered for 3 hours a week over 6 months, estimate 72 hours—not 150. Admissions committees can spot inflated numbers easily.

Some applicants wonder if it’s better to list more experiences or focus on a few strong ones. Focus on impact over quantity. A few thoughtful entries are better than ten vague ones.

4. Program Materials

Each school can ask for extras—like custom questions, documents, or links to portfolios. This section looks different depending on which programs you choose.

Check school-specific requirements before submitting. Some may ask for short answers or custom essays here. Some schools even require applicants to answer “Why this school?” questions. Be thoughtful—don’t copy-paste the same answer for each one.

Do your homework. Look up the school’s mission, curriculum model, class size, and community service opportunities. Referencing these specifics makes your response stronger.

Key Documents You’ll Need

You can’t just fill out the application and hit send. You'll also need to upload or request several outside documents.

Writing the AADSAS Personal Statement

This is the only part of the application that sounds like you. It’s also where most people freeze.

• Limit: 4,500 characters (including spaces)
• Format: Plain text, no bold/italic/underline
• No footnotes, no hyperlinks

Write it in a separate document. Then copy and paste it into AADSAS once you’re done proofreading.

What Makes a Statement Strong

Good statements are simple and honest. You don’t need to sound like a poet. You just need to show that:

• You’ve thought seriously about dentistry
• You know what the job involves
• You’ve had meaningful experiences that confirm it’s the right fit
• You can communicate clearly and professionally

Avoid overused lines (“I’ve wanted to be a dentist since I was a kid.”). Instead, be specific. What moment or experience made this path real for you?

What Admissions Committees Actually Want to Read

• That you understand what dentists do
• That you’ve seen it in action (through shadowing, volunteering, etc.)
• That you can reflect and connect the dots

And most of all—they want to hear your voice. Not ChatGPT’s. Not your friend’s. Yours.

AADSAS Tips from the Pros

You can’t “hack” the process, but you can avoid common errors.

Mistakes That Delay Your Application

• Listing classes incorrectly (triggers manual review)
• Uploading unofficial transcripts
• Mixing up DAT vs GPA reporting sections
• Missing deadlines for letters or transcripts

Choosing Schools Strategically

You don’t need to apply to 20 programs. But applying to just 2 or 3 is risky. Most applicants choose 8–12 schools.

Make sure your list includes:

• A few schools at or below your GPA/DAT stats
• A few in your range
• Maybe 1–2 that are more competitive

Also look at each school’s residency bias. Some state schools don’t accept many out-of-state applicants.

Use the ADEA Dental School Explorer to compare program stats, requirements, and costs.

When to Submit for the Best Chance

As early as you can. AADSAS opens in May and starts accepting submissions in June. If you’re ready by then, submit. Schools don’t wait for the final deadline to start interviewing.

Applicants who apply in June or July have a much better shot than those who wait until September.

What Happens After You Submit

Submitting your application isn’t the end. Here’s what comes next.

AADSAS Verification

Once you submit, AADSAS reviews your academic history against your transcripts. This is called verification.

It can take 1–4 weeks, depending on the time of year. During peak times (June–July), it’s slower.

You’ll get an email once verification is complete.

Until then, you can monitor your application status through your ADEA account.

Secondary Applications

Some dental schools send supplemental applications after your primary app is verified, but not all. Always check with each school to confirm what they require. These often include:

• Additional essays
• Fee payments
• Questionnaires

Deadlines vary. Some secondaries arrive right away, others take weeks.

Answer every question seriously—even the optional ones. These responses may be read by the admissions committee before your interview.

Interviews and Timelines

If a school likes your application, they’ll invite you to a dental school interview. These may be virtual or in-person.

Interviews for the admissions cycle typically run from August through February, depending on the school. Some use rolling admissions, so earlier is better.

After interviews, some schools send offers quickly. Others wait until December 1—the first official day to release acceptances.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting