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Applying to Dental School: ADEA AADSAS


ADEA AADSAS® (ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service) is a centralized application service that allows applicants to apply to multiple schools utilizing one online application. The service supports students seeking dental education in the United States and Canada, including both D.D.S. and D.M.D. degrees.

ADEA AADSAS also serves dental schools by providing tools to efficiently identify candidates for admission.

Most U.S. dental schools participate in ADEA AADSAS and require it as the primary application. Texas residents applying to Texas dental schools, though, will need to apply through the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS).

Foreign-educated dental graduates interested in completing an advanced standing program at a U.S. dental school will need to apply through the ADEA Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists (CAAPID).

Dental School Applicant Quick Guide

ADEA AADSAS Application

Applicant Portal

All applicant portals are undergoing significant improvement of the mobile user experience (UX). The updated mobile UX design offers a more modern look and feel with optimized workflows for mobile devices.

The core intent is a more intuitive, user-friendly experience for applicants using smartphones and tablets. The data collected from applicants and the WebAdMIT experience will not change.

New Questions

  • Secondary Email: Question added for another way to communicate with an applicant.
  • Academic Infraction: Question added to read, “Are there any factors that may have affected your academic record?”
  • Other Information: Question added to read, “Please explain any other responsibilities you may have outside of being a student.”

Race and Ethnicity

To align with the 2024 U.S. Census Bureau’s standards for collecting and maintaining race/ethnicity data, ADEA’s Centralized Application Services have implemented new categories.

The seven new categories include:

  1. American Indian or Alaska Native
  2. Asian
  3. Black or African American
  4. Hispanic or Latino
  5. Middle Eastern or North African
  6. Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
  7. White

Note: Subcategories and write-in responses will not be included.

First Generation

The instructions have been clarified to ensure the question is answered accurately.

Occupation List

Updated list using the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Previous Applications to U.S. Dental Schools

Applicants may now enter prior years in a drop-down format instead of open-box text.

Likert Scale for Letters of Evaluation

Added 10 attributes for letter writers to rate and comment on the applicants. Introductory questions will be added. Letter upload will remain.


Attributes

  • Critical thinking
  • Didactic knowledge
  • Integrity
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Professional demeanor
  • Maturity
  • Motivation to pursue dentistry
  • Organizational skills
  • Reaction to criticism
  • Self-awareness

Ratings

  • Exceeds expectation
  • Meets expectation
  • Not ready at this time
  • Not observed

Agreement Statement

A small adjustment requires applicants to acknowledge all work is their own, even if feedback is received from others, including artificial intelligence (AI).

Highlights and Important Notes

 
Important Notes on the Application Process

Important Notes on the Application Process

  • Read all of the ADEA AADSAS application instructions carefully before you apply. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your advisor.
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  • Regarding advisors, you should make sure to meet with your health profession advisor before beginning the application, as he or she can provide guidance for all areas of the application, facilitate the process of gathering letters of evaluation and help you manage your application timeline.
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  • ADEA AADSAS applications will not be processed until all official paper and electronic undergraduate transcripts are received. Please view the U.S. and English-Canadian transcripts requirements page for more information.
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  • After the ADEA AADSAS application, fee payment and official transcripts are received, it usually takes about four to six weeks to process an application. Check the status of your application regularly to make sure there is nothing holding up the process.
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  • Check with your designated dental schools to make sure you fulfill all of their individual supplemental application requirements.
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  • APPLY EARLY! Each dental school has its own application deadline. We suggest submitting your application during the summer; do not wait until deadlines approach. ADEA AADSAS will not send your application to a school if it is received by ADEA AADSAS after the school's deadline.
Important Note About Evaluation Responses

Important Note About Evaluation Responses

  • Each school will use the evaluation responses and ratings differently. Admissions committees will continue to use school-specific admissions processes that fit each school’s mission.
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  • The dental school admissions community anticipates many letters will have all “NA/Not Observed” responses, especially as the ADEA AADSAS® Advisory Group recommends this action for committee/composite letters and letters submitted via Interfolio.
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  • Applicants should not be overly concerned. Just as some (not all) applications include committee/composite evaluations, some evaluations will include responses to the new questions. Dental school admissions committees account for differences in evaluations.
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  • For more details, see additional FAQs.
Important Note for Committee/Composite Letters

Important Note for Committee/Composite Letters

  • Committee (many authors of one letter) and composite (multiple letters in one file) letters are encouraged and the submission process will remain the same.
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  • The primary evaluator will receive an email with a link to the Liaison Letters portal, where they can accept the request, complete the evaluation form by responding to the questions and upload the evaluation.
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  • If the committee has agreed on responses and ratings, the primary evaluator should enter those; if not, the primary evaluator should select “NA/Not Observed” for all questions. Committees may also choose to address some or all 10 characteristics as part of their evaluation narrative.
Important Note for Interfolio Users

Important Note for Interfolio Users

  • Evaluations stored by Interfolio can be submitted to ADEA AADSAS.
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  • Applicants can include a combination of evaluations from Interfolio and directly via ADEA AADSAS.
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  • When submitting through Interfolio, they will respond “NA/Not Observed” to all 13 new relationship and characteristic questions and upload the original evaluation on the applicant’s behalf.
    •  
  • The original letter writer does not need to be contacted or take any additional action.
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  • For more details, visit Interfolio.

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Questions

ADEA AADSAS Applicant Customer Service
Phone: (617) 612-2045
Email: support@adeaaadsas.myliaison.com
Available M-F, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET (except Fed holidays)

ADEA AADSAS Important Dates

2026-27

March 21, 2026 | ADEA GoDental Recruitment Event, a free in-person event, takes place.

April 15, 2026 | 2026-27 ADEA AADSAS Fee Assistance Program (FAP) application opens.

May 12, 2026 | 2026-27 ADEA AADSAS application opens.

TBD | ADEA GoDental Virtual Fair, a FREE online event, takes place. Applicants can chat with over 60+ dental schools.

June 2, 2026 | First day to submit your 2026-27 ADEA AADSAS application.

Aug. 13 – Sept. 29, 2026 | Academic Update period (1st academic period)

Dec. 1, 2026 – Feb. 5, 2027 | Academic Update period (2nd academic period)

Dec. 15, 2026 | 2026–27 dental school acceptance notification date

Feb. 5, 2027 | 2026–27 ADEA AADSAS closes.

Feb. 11, 2027 | Last day to submit all official documents to ADEA AADSAS.