ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service

AMERICAN DENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

(ADEA AADSAS

) Application Instructions

2019

Contents

Overview: 2019 ADEA AADSAS

..................................................................................................................... 1

Create an Account ............................................................................................................................................ 1

Review Required Components ........................................................................................................................ 2

Fee Assistance Program (optional) .................................................................................................................. 2

ADEA AADSAS FAP Launch Date ............................................................................................................. 3

Fee Assistance Benefits .............................................................................................................................. 3

Processing ADEA AADSAS FAP Requests................................................................................................ 3

How to Submit the Application After Having Been Granted Fee Assistance .................................. 4

Manage My Programs....................................................................................................................................... 6

Personal Information .................................................................................................................................. 6

Release Statements .............................................................................................................................. 6

Biographic Information ........................................................................................................................ 7

Contact Information ............................................................................................................................. 7

Citizenship Information ........................................................................................................................ 7

Family Information ................................................................................................................................ 7

Socioeconomic Status and EO Indicator ............................................................................................ 8

Environmental Factors.......................................................................................................................... 8

Race and Ethnicity ................................................................................................................................ 9

Other Information ................................................................................................................................. 9

Academic History ...................................................................................................................................... 10

High School Attended ....................................................................................................................... 10

Colleges Attended ............................................................................................................................. 10

Study Abroad and Overseas U.S. Institutions ...................................................................... 11

Sending Transcripts Electronically ........................................................................................ 11

U.S. and Canadian Transcripts .............................................................................................. 12

Transcript Entry ................................................................................................................................... 13

Preparing for Transcript Entry ............................................................................................... 13

Entering Coursework ............................................................................................................. 13

Transcript Review ................................................................................................................... 15

Use Paid Transcript Entry ......................................................................................................................... 20

Report ALL Colleges Attended. ........................................................................................................ 20

Complete any Coursework Ineligible for Professional Entry ........................................................... 20

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Select the Professional Transcript Entry option ............................................................................... 20

Make Your Payment ........................................................................................................................... 20

Request Transcripts Be Sent to ADEA AADSAS .............................................................................. 21

Submit and COMPLETE Your Application ....................................................................................... 21

Professional Transcript Entry Begins ................................................................................................. 21

Review Your Coursework, Enter Prerequisites, and Submit Your Approval ................................... 21

Standardized Tests ............................................................................................................................. 21

Self-Reported Canadian DAT ............................................................................................... 22

Other Tests ............................................................................................................................. 22

Supporting Information ............................................................................................................................ 24

Evaluations .......................................................................................................................................... 24

Preparing for Evaluations ...................................................................................................... 24

Requesting Evaluations ......................................................................................................... 24

Evaluator Instructions ............................................................................................................ 25

Experiences ......................................................................................................................................... 27

Achievements ..................................................................................................................................... 28

Certifications ....................................................................................................................................... 29

Personal Statement ............................................................................................................................ 29

Applicant Summary ............................................................................................................................ 30

Program Materials ........................................................................................................................................... 30

Submit ADEA AADSAS Application .............................................................................................................. 31

Application Fees ............................................................................................................................................. 33

Verification Process and GPA Calculations ................................................................................................... 34

Manage Your Application .............................................................................................................................. 36

Updates After Submission........................................................................................................................ 36

Application Status ..................................................................................................................................... 37

Academic Update ..................................................................................................................................... 37

Supplemental Applications ...................................................................................................................... 38

Criminal Background Check .................................................................................................................... 38

ADEA Policies .................................................................................................................................................. 39

ADEA Application Services Refund Policy .............................................................................................. 39

ADEA Privacy/Confidentiality Statement ................................................................................................ 39

Contact ADEA AADSAS ................................................................................................................................. 40

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Overview: 2019 ADEA AADSAS

The American Dental Education Association Associated American Dental Schools Application Service

(ADEA AADSAS) is the centralized application service for dental school. ADEA AADSAS simplifies the

application to dental school process by providing one standard application. Applicants save time and

energy by completing one application for multiple dental schools. ADEA AADSAS is open from early

June through February each year. New for this cycle, ADEA AADSAS “soft opens” on

May 15, 2018,

allowing applicants to start the 2018-2019 application three weeks prior to the official opening.

For applicants, this added preparatory time ends the pressure to submit same-day, resulting in

applications at-the-ready for submission on

June 5, 2018.

All 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 trained 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 (ADEA CAAPID

Create an Account

To create an account, select “Create an Account” beneath the log in information on the ADEA

AADSAS homepage. Applicants will be asked to create a username, password and security question,

as well as to supply valid contact information, release statement, before selecting the “Create My

Account” button to activate a new account and be assigned an ADEA AADSAS identification number.

For security, applicants should not share the password or account information with anyone.

Applicants may only create one account per application cycle. Creating more than one account will

lead to delays and difficulty in handling the receipt of transcripts and letters of reference. Any

applicant who creates multiple accounts will have their duplicate accounts terminated, including any

documents associated with those accounts.

Reapplicants – Applicants who applied in the 2017-2018 ADEA AADSAS cycle will be able to carry

over their information to the 2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS. All application information and documents

will need to be update including official transcripts, test scores and letters of evaluation.

FAQ

How do I reset my password?

The ADEA AADSAS staff do not have access to applicant password information. To retrieve

your password, please click the “Forgot your username or password?” under the log in

prompt, and an email will be sent to you prompting you to reset your login information. Please

note that password and username are case sensitive.

When can I start my application?

The 2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS application will open on May 15, 2018. Applicants should

request all postsecondary transcripts as early as possible. ADEA AADSAS will not process any

document that is received prior to May 15, 2018.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Review Required Components

The sections each applicant needs to read/complete include:

1. Fee Assistance Program (optional),

2. Add Programs, Submit Application and Check Status tabs,

3. Personal Information,

4. Academic History,

5. Supporting Information, and

6. Program Materials.

The documents each applicant needs to submit include:

1. Official Transcripts from every postsecondary institution attended.*

2. Letters of Evaluation.*

*Transcripts and letters of evaluation can be received after the application is submitted.

Dental schools may require additional information in addition to a complete ADEA AADSAS

application. To ensure all the necessary requirements have been completed, be sure to review each

school’s website and profile in the 2017-2018 ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools.

Fee Assistance Program (optional)

ADEA AADSAS FAP is designed to assist students who demonstrate extreme financial need while

applying to ADEA AADSAS. ADEA AADSAS FAP is an independent program offered by ADEA

AADSAS, and is not affiliated with any government, college or university, scholarship, grant or

fellowship program. Approval for a fee assistance is at the sole discretion of ADEA.

Any applicant requesting to be considered for the ADEA AADSAS FAP must be a U.S. Citizen or

Permanent Resident. The income for the applicant, parent/guardian

and/or

spouse (if married) must

not exceed 200% of the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

ADEA AADSAS FAP Launch Date

The 2019 ADEA AADSAS will initiate a soft launch of the 2019 ADEA AADSAS application starting

May 15, 2018. During this time, applicants can submit a request for fee assistance. Applicants that

submit request for FAP during soft launch of 2019 ADEA AADSAS will not receive a decision until June

5, 2018, at the start of the 2019 ADEA AADSAS application cycle. ADEA AADSAS FAP will be

available until February 1, 2019, or until all funds have been expended.

Required Supporting Documents (

these documents must be accompanied by the ADEA AADSAS FAP

Cover Form

) located on the last page of the 2019 ADEA AADSAS FAP Instructions:

• Applicants born after January 1, 1993 must submit self, parents/guardians, and spouse (if

married) 2017 1040 tax returns, W2s/1099s, and Schedule A (if itemizing deductions).

• Applicants born before January 1, 1993 must submit self and spouse (if married) 2017 1040 tax

returns, W2s/1099s, including schedule A (if itemizing deductions).

• Applicants enrolled in a college/university for the 2017–2018 academic year, and receiving

financial aid, must submit a

Financial Aid Award Notification (downloaded from the institution’s

website).

• Applicants must submit a “2019 ADEA AADSAS Income Verification Form” if the applicant have

additional income that may not show on the 2017 1040 tax returns.

If the applicant is unable to submit any of the required supporting documents listed on the 2019 ADEA

AADSAS FAP Cover Form,

including the 2017-2018 Financial Aid Award Notification, the applicant

must write a letter of explanation. If a letter of explanation is not included, the applicant will be denied

fee assistance automatically.

Note: Tax return transcripts will not be accepted.

Fee Assistance Benefits

Applicants approved for fee assistance will receive a total of $449 in fee waivers which will cover the

initial ADEA AADSAS Program designation ($245) and two additional program designations ($102 each)

for a total of three designations. The amount of fee assistance granted will be subtracted from the total

fees the applicant must pay.

If the applicant chooses to submit the ADEA AADSAS application with

fewer than three dental program designations, the applicant will only receive fee assistance for the

number of programs designated initially. The remaining funds are forfeited and cannot be used in the

future. Applicants must click the “

Submit All

” button when submitting the ADEA AADSAS application

to receive fee assistance for all three dental programs designated.

Processing ADEA AADSAS FAP Requests

Applicants are responsible for mailing the “2019 ADEA AADSAS FAP Cover Form” and all required

supporting documents. Applicants have only one opportunity to submit all documents, and all

documents must be received at one time. Any documents received without the “

2019 ADEA AADSAS

FAP Cover Form” will be automatically denied.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

• Upon the receipt of the applicants’ 2019 ADEA AADSAS FAP Cover Form, along with the

CAS id#, email address, and all required supporting documents, processing starts and will

take approximately four to five business days for applicants to receive a decision.

• If an ADEA AADSAS application is submitted before the ADEA AADSAS FAP request has

been processed, the individual seeking fee assistance will no longer be eligible to receive

ADEA AADSAS FAP and the ADEA AADSAS FAP request will be withdrawn.

• ADEA AADSAS FAP Decisions:

o Approved – applicants approved for a fee waiver will have 14 calendar days from the

date of the FAP approval to submit the 2019 ADEA AADSAS Application.

o Denied – applicants denied for fee assistance can submit the ADEA AADSAS

Application at any time until February 1, 2019.

• How to Submit the Application After Having Been Granted Fee Assistance

Applicants approved for fee assistance will receive a total of $449 in fee assistance which will

cover the initial ADEA AADSAS dental school designation ($245) and two additional dental

school designations ($102) for a total of three designations. The amount of fee assistance (three

designations) granted will be subtracted from the total fees you must pay.

In order to redeem the full amount of FAP granted, THREE (3) designations must be ready for

submission at the time you submit your application. If you choose to submit with fewer than

three dental school designations, the remaining funds are forfeited and cannot be used in the

future.

When you select the Submit Application tab in your application, you will find a large blue

“Submit All” button near the top of the page and individual submit buttons for each program

that is complete and ready to submit. For example:

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Do not use the individual submit buttons.

Click on the blue “Submit All” button. You will then

be prompted to select the designations to which you wish to submit. Only the dental school

designations that are ready for submission will appear on this page. Click the blue buttons

to add the desired designations to your cart.

This applicant only has two dental school designations ready for submission

. If you see only one

or two designations available to select, but you intend to apply to three or more, DO NOT

SUBMIT!

Go back to My Application and complete the Program Materials for additional dental

schools. Once you have three dental school designations ready to submit, you will be able to

redeem the full amount of your FAP.

After clicking on the buttons to select your designations, a blue “Continue” button will

appear. Above it, the Fee Total will reflect your total application fees. If you have designated

more than three schools, your Fee Total will reflect fees for the number of schools you have

designated minus three (3).

Please mail the 2019 ADEA AADSAS FAP Cover Form and all required supporting documents to:

American Dental Education Association

ADEA AADSAS FAP

655 K Street, NW

Suite 800

Washington, DC 20001

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Manage My Programs

To create an application, each applicant must first select at least one dental school to apply to.

Selections can be edited while the application is in-progress and new selections, also called

designations, can be added after the initial submission.

“Manage My Programs” contains three sections: Add Program, Submit Application and Check Status.

• Add Program: This list includes all participating dental schools and includes their deadline

dates. Schools can be filtered by state where the dental school is located and by the name of

the dental school applicants are interested in applying to. Applicants may filter for all

programs, any past programs whose deadlines have already passed, and any future programs

whose open dates are in the future. Select the blue plus symbol (+) to the left of a program’s

name to add this dental school. Select “UNDO” button to the right of the dental school to

remove it. Please note that the application requires applicants to have at least ONE program

selected at all times. When a school is selected, its profile will appear in the Program Materials

section.

• Submit Application: This list includes all programs selected. Applicants can submit and make

changes in this section.

• Check Status: This list includes the status of an application after submissions occurs and is

listed for each school. Applicants may also download a copy of their Full Application PDF,

Applicant Summary Page, and Academic Audit in the Program Status section.

After creating an application, it is encouraged that applicants request all postsecondary transcripts. To

avoid an unnecessary delay, requesting an official transcript from the institution(s) should be

completed as early as possible in the application cycle. To obtain a Transcript Request Form,

applicants should first complete the “Colleges Attended” section in Academic History.

FAQ

How many schools should I apply to?

It is important to determine the best fit in advance of applying by looking at each school’s

mission statement, focus, location, size and other relevant factors. On average, ADEA AADSAS

applicants apply to about ten schools.

Personal Information

• Release Statements

Provide responses to three required releases:

Pre-Submission Release of Information

Selecting “Yes” authorizes ADEA AADSAS to release the applicant’s name and contact

information to the designated programs BEFORE the submission of the final application. This

will allow the dental schools to send the applicant important information about the local

admissions process before the application is completed.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Advisor Release

Selecting “Yes” authorizes ADEA AADSAS to release applicant’s selected information

regarding ADEA AADSAS application and admission status to the health professions advisory

committee of the postsecondary institution(s) the applicant has attended. By releasing this

information, the applicant’s advisor is better able to assist in the admissions process, as well as

better guide other students in the future. The applicant cannot make changes to this item after

the application is submitted to ADEA AADSAS.

This is an optional release, and the applicant may select “No.” ADEA AADSAS encourages

applicants to authorize this release, as it is useful to advisors assisting applicants with the

application process; however, it will not affect the consideration given to the application.

ADEA AADSAS Release

This statement serves as a contractual agreement between the applicant and ADEA AADSAS.

Each applicant is required to agree to these terms in order to submit the application. Part of

these terms indicates that the applicant agrees to all of the ADEA AADSAS instructions, so it is

important to read and understand these instructions.

FAQ

What happens if I say no to the release statements?

By selecting “No” to the pre-submission release, dental schools will not be able to view your

name and contact information until you submit the application. Conversely, if you select “Yes,”

only your name and contact information will be displayed. By selecting “No” to the advisor

release, the health professions advisor on your campus will not be able to view your application

to assist you in your application. By selecting no to the ADEA AADSAS release statement, the

application is terminated and no further information can be supplied.

• Biographic Information

Provide alternate names, and birth information.

• Contact Information

Provide current address and contact information.

• Citizenship Information

Provide citizenship, residency, visa, and DACA status information. DACA, or Deferred Action

for Childhood Arrivals, is an American immigration policy that allows certain undocumented

immigrants who entered the country before their 16th birthday and before June 2007 to

receive a renewable two-year work permit and exemption from deportation. For further

information, visit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website, DACA

• Family Information

Provide information about each parent/guardian. If an applicant adds a parent/guardian,

information about that person’s relationship to applicant, name, gender, occupation, residency,

education and status as a member of the applicant’s primary household is required. By

providing information about family, schools are better able to understand an applicant’s

background.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

• Socioeconomic Status and EO Indicator

The EO indicator is derived from an applicant’s parental education and occupation information.

Four education levels and two aggregate groups of occupations provide the schema that is

used to determine the EO indicator for each parent of each applicant.

One of the following EO indicators will be displayed for each parent of each applicant on the

ADEA AADSAS application: EO-1, EO-2, EO-3 or EO-4, NC (not calculated). The lowest

socioeconomic group is EO-1 and the highest is EO-4. As shown on the chart below, the

occupational categories are aggregated into service, clerical, skilled and unskilled labor; and

executive, managerial, and professional. These categories are based upon the U.S. Department

of Labor Standard Occupational Classification scheme. The educational categories are

aggregated into less than a bachelor’s degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and

doctorate/professional degree.

Parental Occupation

Service, clerical,

skilled and

unskilled labor

Executive,

managerial,

professional

position

Parental Education

Level

Doctorate/professional

degree

EO-3

EO-4

Master’s degree

EO-3

EO-4

Bachelor’s degree

EO-2

EO-3

Less than Bachelor’s

degree

EO-1

EO-2

The EO indicator is based upon having complete information for each parent. An indicator of

NC (not calculated) will display when the parental occupation is listed as retired, military,

homemaker, other, unknown or not applicable. Additionally, when the parent is deceased

and/or the education/occupation information data is not available, NC will be the EO indicator

listed.

The EO indicator is a tool that is intended to provide additional information on an applicant’s

socioeconomic status which can aid a dental school’s review of applicants as part of a holistic

review process. It is intended to help schools more accurately identify individuals who may be

from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background. Dental schools can use these data along

with other important factors to identify which applicants best help them to achieve their

institutional goals and support their core missions.

• Environmental Factors

Provide information about childhood residency location and description, family and limited

financial situation during childhood, disadvantaged consideration and relatives in dentistry.

The childhood residency section will ask for the following information: county, city and state of

residency, whether the area was medically underserved, income levels of the family during

childhood, and the family’s receipt of federal or state assistance. Questions about high school

situations regarding graduation rates, matriculation into college rates, and free or reduced

prices lunches are also included.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

The relatives in dentistry section will request this information of all family members in dentistry:

relationship to applicant, name, school attended and graduation or anticipated graduation

date. Applicants can include a maximum of four family members.

• Race and Ethnicity

Provide information on race and ethnicity. Dental schools recognize the importance of diversity

in their student body and in the profession. Accordingly, programs strongly encourage

applications from persons from all socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, religious, and educational

backgrounds and persons from groups underrepresented in health care. This section is

optional to complete.

• Other Information

Provide DENTPIN number, language proficiency, felony and misdemeanor convictions,

academic and license infractions, military status, previous applications to dental school,

previous attendance at a health professions program and any education interruption.

Applicants who have felony or misdemeanor convictions or academic or license infractions will

be asked to provide an explanation including a brief description of the incident, specific

charges made, related dates and a reflection on the incident. Applicants should carefully

review their responses to these questions. This section cannot be edited post-submission.

Applicants who have previously applied to dental school will be asked to indicate the year(s), to

which schools and what has changed since last applying.

Applicants who have previously attended a health professions program will be asked to

indicate which type of program, the school and degree, related dates and eligibility to return.

FAQ

How do I update my contact information?

You may update your contact information at any time, even if you have already submitted your

application. Once you have made the necessary changes, return to your application home

screen and click on the blue “Update My Application” button near the top of the screen. This

will send all the new information to your dental schools.

Do I have to report an arrest, a charge that did not result in a conviction, traffic violations,

convictions that have been expunged, records that are sealed, or campus policy violations?

You should use your judgment in including criminal and campus arrests and convictions on the

application. Remember, dental schools conduct criminal background checks on applicants who

have been accepted so if it will appear on the record, it is best to disclose it early to avoid

appearing to hide the information.

I have a felony or misdemeanor on my record. Can I still apply to dental school?

Many dental schools look to state licensing board policies to determine if they can accept an

applicant with a felony or misdemeanor on record. If the state will not allow a person in that

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

situation to become licensed, it is unlikely you will be considered. Check with the state

licensing board and individual dental schools for more information on each one’s policy.

What is the EO indicator and what will it be used for?

The EO indicator is a tool that is intended to provide additional information on an applicant’s

socioeconomic status which can aid a dental school’s review of applicants as part of a holistic

review process. The indicator- EO1, EO2, EO3, EO4, or NC- is derived from your parent’s

occupation and highest level of education obtained. It will be used by the dental schools as

part of a holistic review and is intended to provide the school more information about your

background.

Academic History

• High School Attended

Provide the name, location and graduation date.

• Colleges Attended

Provide the name, location, dates of attendance and graduation, and type of degree earned or

in-progress. Send in all official U.S. and Canadian Transcripts. Applicants should enter each

school attended only once.

Applicants are required to report all postsecondary institutions attended, including but not

limited to: Courses taken for college credit in high school; summer courses; community college

courses; military institutions; postbaccalaureate, graduate and doctoral work; study abroad and

foreign work. Report each institution once, regardless of the number of degrees earned or

gaps in the dates of attendance.

When adding a college, type the beginning of the name in the box so that several options

display. If the name is not immediately available, try different spellings or punctuation (i.e. Saint

James or St. James). If the name is still not available, check with the institution to see if it has

had a name change. If all options have been exhausted and it does not appear, select “Non-

Listed” from the list.

Add the degree type earned or in-progress. Multiple degrees may be added by selecting

“Add Another Degree.” Enter the in-progress or most recent degree first. Include the degree

type, the date earned or expected graduation, and the major and minor.

Add the term system used (semester, quarter or trimester). Transcripts specify the term type on

the back of the page; term type refers to the type of hours the credits are worth.

Add the dates of first attendance and the final term unless the coursework is still in-progress.

When all of the required information has been completed, click “Save this College” to

complete this section. When complete, a Transcript Request Form will be generated.

Repeat all the steps for each institution attended. Applicants are required to report every U.S.

and Canadian postsecondary institution from which credit has been received, regardless of

whether or not the work is relevant to the pursuit of a dental education. This includes but is not

limited to: Schools which granted credit while the applicant was a high school student; schools

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

whose credits transferred to a primary university; doctorate classes, summer classes,

community college classes or technical/vocational classes; military; massage and/or alternative

medicine classes, etc. If the applicant attended schools within a college consortium, each

school must be reported separately.

Study Abroad and Overseas U.S. Institutions

Please use the checklist below to determine how best to report the study abroad and/or

overseas college transcript and coursework:

1. If coursework was completed at a U.S. institution overseas (i.e. American University Beirut

or Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar), report the institution from the dropdown list and

proceed to enter in all related information, including coursework in the Transcript Entry

section. In Transcript Review, mark the courses as study abroad.

2. If coursework was completed using another school’s program to study abroad, i.e.

Semester at Sea (University of Virginia), SIT, or a CEA Global Campus Network (University

of New Haven), report the U.S. school whose program was used and proceed to enter in all

related information, including coursework in the Transcript Entry section. In Transcript

Review, mark the courses as study abroad.

3. If coursework was completed via a study abroad company such as IES, ISA, CIEE, or DIS,

directly via the undergraduate institution, or by any other method proceed with the options

below:

 If your FULL CREDITS AND GRADES for these courses appear on your

undergraduate transcript, then you should list these courses normally with the

rest of your undergraduate work. During the transcript review process, you

would mark these courses as “Study Abroad.” No additional documentation is

necessary. Do NOT report your study abroad school as a foreign institution.

Acceptable grades include A-F, Credit, Pass, etc. “TR” for “transfer” is NOT an

acceptable grade, nor are credits and grades which do not match those on the

rest of your undergrad transcript (i.e. the grades are not U.S. grades). If your

courses have grades of TR, or are recorded in foreign grades, please use the

second option below.

 If your CREDITS AND/OR GRADES for these courses DO NOT APPEAR on your

undergraduate transcript, you should report that you attended a foreign

institution. You do not need to list your courses under the foreign school, as

ADEA AADSAS does not allow foreign coursework to be recorded.

DO NOT

SEND ANY DOCUMENTATION UNLESS AN EVALUATION IS REQUIRED BY

YOUR DENTAL SCHOOL. Please check with the Dental School to determine if

they will require a foreign evaluation.

Sending Transcripts Electronically

ADEA AADSAS only accepts transcripts electronically from the Credentials Solutions and

Parchment electronic transcript services. If your school does not use these services, you must

provide your transcripts to ADEA AADSAS via paper mail.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Credential Solutions:

Click here to see if your school offers the Credentials Solution Services. If your school does

participate, please read further instructions on how to proceed.

Parchment

Click here to see if your school offers the Parchment Service. If your school does participate,

please read further instructions on how to proceed.

National Student Clearinghouse

Starting with the 2019 ADEA AADSAS cycle, ADEA AADSAS will accept transcripts sent

electronically from the National Student Clearinghouse.

Turnaround Times:

Once your transcript has been requested electronically, it will take 7-10 business days to post

to your application. Utilizing electronic services will not expedite the processing of transcripts.

If you do not see your transcript posted to your application within the allotted 10 business days

after it was requested, please contact the electronic service directly to confirm the order was

completed.

U.S. and Canadian Transcripts

All U.S. and Canadian transcripts are required to be sent to ADEA AADSAS. The application

cannot be processed without official transcripts sent directly to:

ADEA AADSAS Transcript Processing Department

P.O. Box 9110

Watertown, MA 02471

Only original, official transcripts will be accepted. To send a transcript:

1. List all schools in “Colleges Attended.”

2. Download the “Transcript Request Form” for each college and provide it to the college

registrar who will, in turn, attach to the official transcript. While transcripts can be sent

directly to ADEA AADSAS from the college registrar without the Transcript Request Form,

asking the registrar to submit with a personalized Transcript Request Form will expedite the

process. If sent in without the form, request that the ADEA AADSAS identification number

is included somewhere on the transcript or accompanying document.

3. Request all transcripts from all U.S. and English speaking Canadian colleges attended to be

sent to ADEA AADSAS.

4. Monitor the application to ensure the transcript is received. It is the applicant’s

responsibility to monitor their application for transcript receipt, even after the application is

submitted. ADEA AADSAS will not notify applicants concerning missing transcripts. If it has

been longer than 10 business days since the transcript was mailed and it has not been

posted, the materials should be resubmitted. The status of all transcripts can be viewed in

the “Check Status” tab at the top of the application home screen.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

• Transcript Entry

Provide course specific information for each post-secondary class taken.

By entering coursework into the ADEA AADSAS application, the electronic transcript format

and content is standardized so that dental schools may compare course subjects, credit values,

and grade values on a level field for all applicants who are seeking admission.

Preparing for Transcript Entry

1. Obtain an official copy of each college level transcript. It is highly recommended that

applicants acquire a new copy of the transcript to ensure the coursework entered matches

the official transcript.

2. Complete the “Colleges Attended” section.

3. Decide whether or not to take advantage of the Professional Transcript Entry.

All applicants must enter in coursework. It can be done by the applicant or Liaison

International, ADEA’s technology partner. By selecting “Professional Transcript Entry,” the

applicant relies on Liaison to enter and verify all coursework. This process will begin as soon

as all official transcripts are received and can take up to ten business days to complete. The

application will then be placed into a verification queue which can take an additional four

weeks. The service is $65 for 1-3 transcripts, $90 for 4-6 transcripts, and $140 for 7 or more

transcripts.

Applicants who choose to enter in their own coursework should allot at least half a day to enter

and review coursework to prevent errors. Errors will delay the verification the application.

Entering Coursework

1. Add a term for the first institution.

Term choices are Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer or Interim. Academic status choices are

Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Graduate and Postbaccalaureate.

FRESHMAN-SENIOR: All college-level courses taken prior to graduation from a bachelor’s

degree. ADEA AADSAS does not monitor credit levels in regard to freshman-senior

designations. In general, four-year students list one year per designation and five-year

students list their last two years as senior. Non-traditional students label their terms as

evenly as possible, but should remain in chronological order (i.e. do not report yourself as a

junior in 1999 and as a freshman in 2000).

POSTBACCALAUREATE: Undergraduate level courses taken after the first bachelor’s

degree is earned. If a second bachelor’s degree is earned, the entire second degree would

be considered “postbaccalaureate.”

GRADUATE: Master’s degree and doctorate degree-level work only. Applicants do not

need to have earned the degree in order for the work to be graduate degree level. Work

taken in pursuit of a Ph.D., M.D., Pharm.D., J.D. and JurisD are all considered doctorate

degree-level.

2. Add all courses for the new term.

Use a recent copy of the transcript to enter in the course code, course title, subject, credits

and grade.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Course Code: List the department prefix and number of the course, which will look something

like this: “BIOL 101” and cannot be shortened or altered. Some schools have a numeric

department prefix instead of a letter one, so instead of “BIOL 101,” enter “367 101.”

Course Title: The title of the course, just as it appears on the transcript, which will say

something like: “Anatomy and Physiology I.” The course title may be abbreviated if it does

not fit into the space provided and it is clear that it corresponds with the title listed on the

transcript, i.e. “Anat and Phys I.”

Credits: Enter the number of credits for each course. A “credit” is the value of the course,

and remains the same no matter the grade. If the transcript lists both attempted and

earned credits, list attempted credits.

 Semester, Trimester or Quarter Credits: If your course credits are mostly “3.0,”

“4.0,” or “5.0,” the transcript is listing either semester, trimester, or quarter credits

and NO conversion is necessary. List the credits as they appear on the transcript.

 Unit Credits: If all of the course credits are listed as “1.0″ or 0.50,″ the transcript is

listing credit units and a credit conversion is required. Check the back of the

transcript and search for a conversion ratio, which will say something like “1 unit is

equivalent to 4 semester hours.” If there is no conversion on the back of the

transcript, contact the registrar’s office to determine the conversion ratio. Once

conversion ratio is determined, convert the credits by multiplying the number of

units listed on the transcript by the conversion factor. For example, if the conversion

is 1 unit = 4 hours and the transcript lists 1 unit for a course, enter in 4.00 credits. If

0.50 is listed, enter in 2.00.

ADEA AADSAS Grade: Enter the grade exactly as it appears on the official transcript. Once

a grade is entered, ADEA AADSAS automatically converts it to the equivalent for ADEA

AADSAS. This section allows ADEA AADSAS to standardize transcripts for dental schools

and this box cannot be edited. The charts which detail how grade conversions work can be

viewed by clicking here

. Please note that there are different conversions for numeric grades

depending on attendance at a U.S. or Canadian institution.

3. Repeat 1 and 2 for all terms and courses at an institution.

4. Once all courses have been entered, a blue button will appear on the Transcript Entry page

which says “Review and Finalize My Transcripts.” This process will allow applicants to

designate specific courses study abroad, repeat, advanced placement, etc.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

5. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 with each institution listed.

Transcript Review

o Primary College: The “Primary College” is the school at which the applicant earned

his/her first Bachelor’s Degree. Designate the primary college by clicking the circle next

to the institution at which the first Bachelor’s Degree was earned.

o Repeated Classes: Courses retaken at the same school for a higher grade are

considered “Repeated.” Withdrawn courses, courses taken at different schools or

courses taken repeatedly but not retaken for a better grade (i.e. school band, gym

courses, etc.) are NOT considered repeated. If you have repeated a course, select

“Yes,” and then check off each attempt at the class to mark it as “Repeated.”

ADEA AADSAS is required to factor ALL attempts at courses into the GPA calculation,

regardless of a school or state’s academic forgiveness policies. Marking a course as

“repeated” will NOT exclude it from your GPA calculation.

o Advanced Placement: Credits granted by a college or university for a performance on

the College Board Advanced Placement Exam are considered “Advanced Placement.”

o Other Test Credit: If the applicant has other test credits including International

Baccalaureate (IB), CLEP, DANTE, REGENTS, or Institutional/Departmental exams

(courses a person “tested out of” at the college), click “yes”.

o Honors Courses: A college course taken at an honors level is considered “Honors.”

These are usually designated on a transcript by an “H” in the course number. Please

note that earning Latin honors upon graduation does not mean courses are

retroactively considered “Honors.”

o Study Abroad: If courses were taken as part of a study abroad program, mark them as

Study Abroad here. Please double check the “Study Abroad and Overseas U.S.

Institutions” section of the instructions to ensure these are reported correctly. PLEASE

o NOTE: study abroad work listed in any way other than as a foreign school WILL factor

into the GPA.

ADEA AADSAS allows each dental school to request applicants to identify prerequisite

coursework. Once the “Colleges Attended” and “Transcript Entry” sections are complete,

go to “Program Materials” to identify prerequisite coursework for each dental school.

FAQ

Can I send my transcripts before beginning my application?

No. Please do not send transcripts to ADEA AADSAS before creating your 2018-2019 ADEA

AADSAS account. Doing so will cause delays in processing.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

How long will it take before I see that my transcript list is received in the Check Status tab of

my application?

Transcripts processing takes 7-10 business days from the date it arrives at the ADEA AADSAS

processing facility.

When should I send my transcript?

Aside from creating an account on ADEA AADSAS, this is the first item that should be on every

applicant’s checklist. Due to mailing and processing times, transcript verification can take up to

six weeks. It is best to start the process early.

Do I have to report all of the colleges I attended if the transfer credit appears on my home

school transcript?

Yes. You are required to list all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended or

plan to attend through the summer.

I attended a foreign school. What kind of documentation is required?

ADEA AADSAS does not have foreign documents requirements; these requirements are sent

by the dental schools and not by ADEA AADSAS. Dental schools may require a foreign

transcript evaluation made by WES (World Education Services) or Education Credential

Evaluators (ECE). Please check with the dental school(s) to determine whether they prefer

evaluations made by a particular company.

ADEA AADSAS receives both WES and ECE evaluations electronically ONLY. To request that

your evaluation be sent electronically, go to the Colleges Attended folder in the Academic

History section of your application. Select “Order WES Evaluation” or “Order ECE Evaluation,”

depending on which one(s) your schools prefer. Doing so will automatically populate your CAS

ID in the order form once you log into the WES or ECE website. You must order your electronic

evaluation using the link in your ADEA AADSAS application. Evaluations ordered by going

directly to the WES or ECE website will be sent in hard copy and will not be accepted. If you

mail these materials, they will be discarded and ADEA AADSAS is under no obligation to return

the documents back to you.

Please note that ADEA AADSAS does not verify foreign coursework, and therefore your

application will not be delayed awaiting the arrival of a foreign transcript evaluation.

What are the top three things I should do to ensure I successfully match my transcripts to my

ADEA AADSAS application?

1.) List the institution in the “Colleges Attended” section.

2.) Make sure your ADEA AADSAS identification number is included on or with each transcript.

3.) Send in ALL transcripts EARLY.

Note: Please list any alternate names used such as a nickname, maiden name, or name

variance in the Alternate Name field under the Biographic section of the application.

Can I send in an unofficial copy of my transcript?

No. Don’t send an unofficial copy or a copy that is marked “Student-issued.”

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Can I submit my application before my transcripts are received by ADEA AADSAS?

Yes. Once you have successfully filled out your application, you can submit it to ADEA AADSAS

at any time. However, your application will not be processed until ADEA AADSAS has received

all official transcripts and your payment.

Can I print one transcript matching form and send it to all the colleges I attended?

No. Each institution you have attended has a unique transcript matching form which you are to

use specifically for that institution; however, refer back to Sending Transcript Electronically if

using the electronic process. When mailing the transcript matching forms, pay attention to the

name of the institution which is printed on each form. Transcripts sent without the appropriate

transcript request form may result in the delay of your application.

If I have attended multiple colleges and transfer credit is listed on the transcript of my primary

institution, do I still need to send a transcript from each school?

Yes. You are required to send ONE transcript from each college you have attended regardless

of the number of courses you have taken.

Should I send my high school transcript?

No. To report university-level credit earned while a high school student, these courses must be

reported under the college or university which awarded you the credit. This includes both

Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment credit.

Do I need to send transcripts for planned or in-progress coursework?

No. You are only required to send transcripts covering all of your completed coursework.

ADEA AADSAS does not require transcripts for coursework labeled as “Planned/in-progress.”

Please note that when you do complete these courses, updated transcripts can be submitted

directly to the schools to which you are applying, or you can use the Academic Update to

update this information in your ADEA AADSAS application.

Do I also need to send copies of my transcripts to the dental schools I am applying to?

In general, you only need to submit transcripts to ADEA AADSAS. Some schools, if you reach a

certain point in the admissions process, may request additional transcripts at a later date while

others will not. You should contact the program(s) directly to determine if they require any

additional transcripts.

I have a different name on my transcript than on my application. Will that cause a problem?

This can delay the processing of your transcript, but there are steps you should take to

minimize any difficulties. FIRST, fill out the “materials under another name” section under

“Personal Information.” SECOND, ask your registrar’s office to physically write your current

name and ADEA AADSAS identification number on the transcript. FINALLY, include the

transcript request form with your transcript. If you have done step one, your former or alternate

name will print out on this form.

My school won’t issue a transcript to ADEA AADSAS and must use my name. What do I do?

ADEA AADSAS can accept transcripts issued to an applicant’s name and address as long as

they are accompanied by a letter from the school registrar’s office stating their policy for

addressing transcripts and confirming that the transcript was mailed by the registrar to ADEA

AADSAS directly. The transcript still cannot have an “Issued to Student” or “Student Copy”

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

stamp and may not be picked up by the student. Transcripts without this letter will not be

accepted.

Can my designated programs view the transcripts I send to ADEA AADSAS?

Yes. The transcripts that you are required to send to ADEA AADSAS are visible electronically to

your designated program(s). Please note that upon a program’s request, you may still be asked

to send an official transcript directly to the school.

Can ADEA AADSAS forward my transcripts to me, my schools, or schools not affiliated with

ADEA AADSAS?

No. As per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), ADEA AADSAS may

not release transcripts to anyone other than your designated schools, including other schools

or the applicant themselves.

What is a course credit and how do I enter my course credits into the Transcript Entry section?

By credits, ADEA AADSAS means the number of credit hours the class is worth or attempted

credits, regardless of your grade. In general, this number is usually a “3.0” or a “4.0” for a full

semester or quarter course. If your credits are reported in semester or quarter hours no

conversion is necessary. The only time a conversion is necessary is if your courses were

reported in “units.” This is generally “1.0” for full courses and represents a number of semester

or quarter hours predetermined by the school (for example, 1 unit= 4 semester hours). Since

our system cannot automatically account for this, applicants with this type of reporting system

must convert these to semester or quarter hours to enter their credits. There is usually a

conversion on the back of your transcript which will indicate how many semester or quarter

hours each unit is worth. If you cannot locate the conversion, we recommend contacting your

registrar’s office

How do I list a repeated course?

For repeated courses, both grades must be reported as they appear on the official transcript. If

the course was retaken at the same school, please select “Repeated” as the Special

Classification the final time it was taken. If the courses were taken at different schools, the

Special Classification should remain “Not Applicable” for both attempts. In either case, both

grades will factor into your ADEA AADSAS GPA calculation. Because ADEA AADSAS is

required to standardize grades across all colleges, we cannot accept individual schools’

“forgiveness policies” regarding repeat course grades. Please note that your individual schools

are under no obligation to use the ADEA AADSAS GPA and may or may not decide to

recalculate the GPA for their own institutional use.

What if I received credit for coursework taken through the military?

Individuals in the U.S. Armed Services frequently receive credit for courses they have taken

while in service. Sometimes these courses do not appear on any college transcript even if they

are considered postsecondary. If that is the case, please do not enter your military coursework

into your application. In other situations, information about these courses may be posted to

something called a JST (Joint Services Transcript). ADEA AADSAS does not consider courses

that appear on a JST to be college courses and they should not be entered into your

Coursework section.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Sometimes, individuals in the U.S. Armed Services receive academic credit for courses

completed while serving. In such cases, the individual is officially enrolled in a

college/university: Community College of the Air Force, West Point, United States Army

Command and General Staff College or University of Maryland, which has an extensive network

of branch campuses for the military. If you attended one of these accredited institutions, you

should select your school from the ADEA AADSAS list of military institutions and report your

coursework as it appears on your official transcript from CCAF, West Point or University of

Maryland under the appropriate college. In this case, the courses are treated as regular college

courses. Please note that you will be required to have your accredited military institution

transcript sent directly to ADEA AADSAS.

How do I list a lab?

If the transcript lists labs separately, then they must be listed separately on the application as

well. Record the lab as it appears on the transcript, with the title, prefix/number, amount of

credits, and grade given. If the transcript combines lab/lecture courses into one class on a

transcript, they should be reported as one entry on the application.

How do I enter in planned or in-progress terms and courses?

1. List the school in the “Colleges Attended” section of the application. Make sure that the

attendance dates entered for this school include the time period for in-progress or planned

courses. For example, if the applicant is entering a planned Spring 2019 term, end date should

include Spring 2019.

2. In the coursework section, add the planned or in-progress term and year. Select “In-

Progress/Planned” from the drop-down menu rather than “Completed.”

3. Enter the course information. The box for the grade will be grayed out so that nothing can

be entered into it.

4. Add additional planned/in-progress terms if necessary.

5. Update in-progress and planned coursework grades during the Academic Update.

Information can be added to the application as soon as it is verified.

How do I edit a course or term I have already entered?

As long as you have not yet submitted your application, you can edit courses or terms by

clicking the pencil icon to the right of each entry. You can delete courses or terms by clicking

the trash icon. You cannot edit or delete term information when classes are listed underneath

the term. The classes must be removed to edit term information.

My school uses a narrative transcript. What do I do?

To enter this school into your coursework section, you should list all of your courses as you

would for a regular institution. If your transcript provides “suggested” credits and/or grades,

enter those as well. Otherwise, list the credits as “0.0” and the grades as “Pass.” Although

these will not factor into your GPA, your schools will see the list of classes you took, and a copy

of the official narrative transcript from your school which you will submit to ADEA AADSAS can

be viewed by dental schools.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

I don’t know the specific course information for my planned coursework, such as the course

prefix and number. What do I do?

Enter the course information to the best of your ability. Planned/in-progress courses can be

edited in the future once you have more information.

Can I update my coursework after I submit my application?

No. Once you have submitted your application to ADEA AADSAS, no changes to coursework

can be made. If you submit your ADEA AADSAS application before your updated grades are

available, you may update your coursework during the Academic Update period. An email will

be sent to applicants when the Academic Update period opens.

Can you tell me how my coursework looks on my transcripts or send a copy/fax of my

transcripts to me?

No. As per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, once a transcript arrives at

ADEA AADSAS, it becomes illegal for us to release that information to any third party,

including the individuals who originally sent it. All applicants must obtain their own copy of

their official transcripts in order to properly fill out their application.

Use Paid Transcript Entry

Applicants who prefer not to enter your coursework can use the Professional Transcript Entry Service

provided by Liaison International.

• Report ALL Colleges Attended.

You are required to report all institutions attended, including but not limited to: courses taken

for college credit in high school, summer courses, community college courses, military

institutions, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and doctoral work, study abroad, foreign work, etc.

Failure to report an institution runs the risk of your application being undelivered back to you

by our verification staff. For detailed information, please see the “Colleges Attended” section

of our instructions.

• Complete any Coursework Ineligible for Professional Entry

ADEA AADSAS can NOT enter not-listed U.S. schools, planned/in-progress, or foreign

coursework. These MUST be entered BEFORE you sign up for the professional entry service. If

you do NOT enter your planned/in-progress work prior to paying for the professional entry

service, you WILL be locked out from entering this work yourself after making your payment. If

you neglect to enter your planned/in-progress work prior to paying for PTE, you will have to

wait until after verification and add this into your application.

• Select the Professional Transcript Entry option

Click “Tell Me More” on the coursework page to be taken to the professional entry page, and

select YES at the bottom of the screen. You will then be asked to select which schools you

would like to pay for coursework entry for.

• Make Your Payment

Review and agree to the Transcript Entry Service Agreement and make your coursework entry

fee payment. After making your payment, you may ADD additional schools to the service until

you submit your application. Once your application has been submitted, you may not add any

additional schools to the coursework entry service. Payments must be made online via credit

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

card ONLY. Payments may not be sent via mail. As per the Transcript Entry Service Agreement

you submit with your payment, the professional transcript entry fee is

nonrefundable. These

funds cannot be refunded at any time for any reason once payment has been made.

• Request Transcripts Be Sent to ADEA AADSAS

ADEA AADSAS must receive all required transcripts before coursework entry can begin. Please

review the “U.S. and Canadian Transcripts” section of the instructions for details on how to

properly provide ADEA AADSAS with transcripts. Monitor the application to ensure that

transcripts are received. On average, it takes 7-10 business days for transcripts to post to the

ADEA AADSAS application from the date it is mailed by the school. Once the transcripts post,

applicants will receive a confirmation email and the applicant can view the transcript receipt

dates on the application under the “check status” tab.

• Submit and COMPLETE Your Application

Before professional transcript entry can begin, the applicant must have a submitted, paid

application with all transcripts posted and at least two letters of evaluation completed. Please

note that the pre-requisite sections of programs materials will be DEACTIVATED until the

coursework has been entered for you, so you may submit without entering pre-requisite

information.

• Professional Transcript Entry Begins

Once the criteria above have been met, your application will be placed in line for professional

transcript entry. The service will begin work on your application within 10 business days.

Applications have their coursework entered on a first come, first served basis by completion.

• Review Your Coursework, Enter Prerequisites, and Submit Your Approval

Once your transcript entry is complete, you will receive a notification. It is your responsibility to

review the coursework entered by our staff for accuracy and approve the entry. If you find any

issues with your coursework entry, please submit this issues in writing to our email address:

aadsasinfo@aadsasweb.org

. Wait for corrections to be approved and made before approving

your coursework entry. You should also report any required prerequisite courses in the

Program Materials section before approving your coursework entry. Once you have approved

your coursework entry, your application will be given a Complete Date and placed in line for

normal verification.

IMPORTANT: Your application will be placed in line with the date you APPROVED your

coursework entry, which will be your COMPLETE DATE. Make sure you approve your

coursework entry in a timely fashion to avoid delays in processing

• Standardized Tests

Provide the date(s) of all taken or planned American Dental Association Dental Admissions Test

(DAT) administrations as well as the DENTPIN.

The U.S. DAT, which measures academic ability, scientific understanding and perceptual ability,

is:

− In English,

− Multiple choice,

− Computer-based,

− $445 each time you take it,

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

− Given most days of the year,

− Required by all U.S. dental schools,

− Over four hours in length, and

− Taken at specified testing centers throughout the country.

ADEA AADSAS allows applicants who have taken it to provide U.S. DAT scores in two ways:

manually entering in score information in the application and sending official score reports

from the ADA. ADEA AADSAS applicants who have taken the Canadian DAT can manually

enter in the score information in the application.

Self-Reported U.S. DAT Scores

Applicants will be asked if they have already taken the test. If yes, reporting a date is required

and all scores are optional. Applicants should use their unofficial score report. Upon

completion of the test, an unofficial score report at the Prometric Test Center will be made

available to the applicant. In the unofficial score report, scale scores are reported. All scores

entered as completed cannot be edited after the application is submitted.

Official U.S. DAT Scores

When registering for the U.S. DAT, applicants can select any number of schools to receive the

DAT score at no additional cost. It is strongly encouraged that an applicant selects all dental

schools s/he plans on applying to, as the dental school can also access official score through an

online portal outside of ADEA AADSAS. The test fee remains the same regardless of how many

schools are selected at this time. There is an additional fee if schools are added at a later time.

If any U.S. dental school is selected, the official score will be sent electronically to ADEA

AADSAS 3–4 weeks after the test date and be matched to the application based on the name,

birthdate and DENTPIN of the applicant. Because ADEA AADSAS is a centralized application,

the official score will be shared with all dental schools the applicant applies to, even if a school

was not selected by the applicant at the test administration site.

Self-Reported Canadian DAT

Applicants will be asked if they have already taken the test. If yes, reporting a date is required

and all scores are optional. Applicants should use their unofficial score report.

Other Tests

ADEA AADSAS does not collect other official or unofficial test scores.

FAQ

How do I send U.S. DAT scores to ADEA AADSAS?

When you register for the American Dental Association Dental Admission Test (DAT), you are

encouraged to indicate the dental schools where you would like for your scores to be sent. This

will ensure that each of these schools can receive your DAT scores directly from the American

Dental Association (ADA), in addition to your scores being reported electronically through

ADEA AADSAS. We realize that when you sign up for the DAT, you may not have decided on

the dental schools to which you will be applying. As long as you have indicated at least one

dental school in your DAT registration, your official DAT scores will be imported into your

ADEA AADSAS application. ADEA AADSAS includes your official DAT scores in the application

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

file that is sent to every dental school you have designated in your ADEA AADSAS application.

Even so, you should still request that the ADA send your official DAT scores to any additional

dental schools to which you later decide to apply, as the schools are expecting to receive your

official score report from the ADA in hard copy as well as electronically from ADEA AADSAS.

DAT scores are automatically matched to your application using your DENTPIN number and

your date of birth. Please verify that you have entered your DENTPIN correctly into the

“Account Information” section of your application and correctly entered your date of birth in

the “Biographic Information” section. For further information regarding sending your test

scores, please call the ADA at 1-800-232-2162 or email them.

How long will it take for my DAT scores to be received by ADEA AADSAS?

It will take about 3-4 weeks from the date you took the exam for your DAT scores to post to

your ADEA AADSAS application. ADEA AADSAS will use your DENTPIN number and date of

birth to electronically match your scores and post them to your application. Since ADEA

AADSAS will not be able to match your scores if your date of birth and/or DENTPIN number

are incorrectly reported on either your application or with the ADA, please ensure that you

have reported your DENTPIN and date of birth correctly to the ADA and in your ADEA

AADSAS application.

It has been more than four weeks from the test date and my scores haven’t been received by

ADEA AADSAS. What should I do?

First, double check to make sure that your DENTPIN and date of birth are correct in both your

ADEA AADSAS account and your account with the ADA. If not, you will need to correct this

information in order for your scores to post.

If it has been more than 10 days since the scores were sent or more than 3-4 weeks since you

sat for the DAT and your scores have not been posted, please email

aadsasinfo@aadsasweb.org with the following information:

* Name, ADEA AADSAS ID, DENPTIN, Date of Birth, date ADA sent scores to ADEA AADSAS,

once we receive this information, our staff will conduct a manual search for your DAT scores.

This process typically takes about 5-7 business days to complete.

How do I check if my official DAT scores have been received?

Once official DAT scores will be imported into your profile, they will be viewable on the in-

progress PDF available to applicants. To view the PDF, you should go to the Check Status tab

of your application and click the download button next to each program selection.

I took the test more than once. How many scores are reported to ADEA AADSAS?

The most recent four test administrations are reported. Dental schools have different policies

on how they review applications with more than one DAT score; applicants are encouraged to

contact the individual dental schools for more information on how multiple DAT scores are

handled.

I applied to ADEA AADSAS last year and sent in my DAT scores then. I haven’t retaken the

test; do I need to resend my DAT scores?

No, if you are reapplying to the same schools. Yes, if you are applying to new schools.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

The ADEA AADSAS application opens in May, but I took the test before May. Can I send in my

scores early? How early?

Yes, you can send in the score up to two years before you create an application. If your score

was sent more than two years ago, it should be resent.

Do you accept Canadian DAT scores reports?

Please manually enter your Canadian DAT scores into the DAT Scores section of your

application as they appear on your score report from the Canadian Dental Association. Please

arrange for your official Canadian DAT score reports to be sent directly to your designated

dental schools and not to ADEA AADSAS. ADEA AADSAS cannot forward score reports to your

designated school or return them to you. The Canadian Dental Admission Test is conducted by

the Canadian Dental Association (CDA). For more detailed information regarding the Canadian

DAT, please contact the CDA directly.

Supporting Information

• Evaluations

Letters of Evaluation (LOE) are not required to complete the application, but most dental

schools require LOEs to be complete before they can review the application. Letters of

evaluation are traditional recommendation letters written by a person qualified to recommend

a person to dental school.

Preparing for Evaluations

Determine what requirements, if any, dental schools have regarding evaluator’s roles or

relationship to applicant before listing any evaluators on ADEA AADSAS. Many programs have

guidelines for who should complete an evaluation on their Program Materials profile on the

ADEA AADSAS application or on their website. Once a reference is completed on the ADEA

AADSAS application, it cannot be removed or replaced, so it important to define which

evaluations each dental school has requested before submitting requests to your evaluators.

Please note that references from family members are generally frowned upon by admissions

offices.

Once evaluators are selected, be certain to inform them of the process and that they will be

filling out the reference electronically. Obtain their preferred email address and make sure they

are monitoring their email inbox for the request email.

Requesting Evaluations

Applicants can select to submit:

Four individual evaluations. Each letter should be written by one person.

o Four individual evaluations or

o One committee letter/packet/report and one individual evaluation. A committee

letter/packet/report can either be one letter that is collaboratively written by a group of

people or a collection of letters submitted on behalf of an institution or office.

In the application, the applicant must indicate these items for each letter: identification of an

individual or committee letter, name, contact information, due date and personal

message/notes. The due date and personal message/notes are opportunities for the applicant

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

to communicate with the evaluator when s/he receives the request. Indicate which date the

evaluation needs to be submitted based on the earliest dental school deadline date; the

deadline is not imposed by ADEA AADSAS and evaluators can still submit after the date. Write

a message (only the evaluator will see it) to assist the evaluator. Example notes might include

dates when the applicant was in a faculty member’s class or a reminder of when the applicant

sent his/her resume to assist the evaluator.

For each evaluation, the applicant must select whether or not to waive their access to the

evaluation. The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) provides applicants

the right to access letters of evaluation written after January 1, 1975, unless they choose to

waive their right of inspection and review. Prior to requesting an evaluation, ADEA AADSAS

applicants are required to indicate if they wish to waive their rights to each evaluation. ADEA

AADSAS does not release any letters of evaluation to applicants regardless of waiver status.

Evaluator Instructions

When an applicant saves an evaluation request, the evaluator will receive an email request to

complete the evaluation. The email will include a link to an online portal where the evaluator

can upload a letter up to 5 MB. ADEA AADSAS does not provide a prompt or set of

characteristics to include in the letter; evaluators are encouraged to provide information about

the applicant’s academic ability, character, time management skills, among other items

deemed important. It is recommended that the letter be on letterhead and include a signature.

Please check the “Program Materials” section for school specific requirements regarding letters

of evaluation.

FAQ

I didn’t agree to the evaluation waiver by mistake. Can I change it?

If the applicant has indicated the wrong waiver status, the applicant must delete the evaluator,

correctly re-enter the evaluator's name and other information and save. A new email

requesting a letter of evaluation will be sent by ADEA AADSAS to the evaluator. This cannot be

changed after the evaluation or application is submitted.

Who should I invite to write my evaluations?

ADEA AADSAS does not require evaluations from specific individuals. Dental schools, on the

other hand, do request letters from specific individuals like science professors or health

professional advisors. Check with each dental school for more information.

What should I tell my evaluators to write?

ADEA AADSAS does not provide a prompt or set of characteristics to include in the letter;

evaluators are encouraged to provide information about the applicant’s academic ability,

character, time management skills, among other items deemed important. It is recommended

that the letter be on letterhead and include a signature.

How do I use Interfolio to complete my Evaluations?

Please visit the Interfolio website for step-by-step instructions on how to attach your letters to

your ADEA AADSAS application. Please continue to monitor the status of your application to

view the date your letters are posed.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

What is a committee letter/packet/report?

Many colleges and universities offer a service of compiling letters of support on behalf of their

applicants into a single Predental Committee Letter/Packet/Report that is submitted to ADEA

AADSAS instead of individual letters of evaluation. Committee letter/packet/reports are

composed by members of a predental advisor and may or may not include individual letters of

support attached. A health professions advisor collects letters of evaluation on behalf of the

applicant and submits them under a cover letter from the advising office.

I have a pre-college committee that wrote my committee letter together. Whom should I list as

the evaluator for my committee letter?

When submitting a Committee Letter/Packet/Report to ADEA AADSAS, typically the

committee chairperson is listed on your application. The committee chair would then upload

their composite letter, along with the other letters as one packet to ADEA AADSAS. This

packet will count as one letter. You will then have the option of submitting ONE more

individual letter of evaluation.

My evaluator lost the email invitation. How do I resend a LOE request to my evaluator?

To resend a LOE request, please log into your ADEA AADSAS application and find the

evaluator in question in your Evaluations section. Click the Edit (pencil) button and scroll to the

bottom. Select the blue “Resend This Evaluation Request” button. The email will be instantly

resent.

How do I change the email address for my evaluator?

To change the email address of an evaluator, please log in to your ADEA AADSAS application

and delete the evaluator in question. Even if your application has already been submitted, you

still have access to LOEs which are listed as “New” or “In-Progress.” Then, add the evaluator

back in with the correct email address. This will automatically generate a new request to the

evaluator.

May I add more LOEs after I have submitted my application?

You may add or change your evaluators at any time during the application cycle as long as the

evaluator has not reached “Completed” status. You may log in to the application and go the

“Evaluators” section of your application. Delete the names of the evaluator(s) who will not be

writing on your behalf.

What does a LOE status of “Requested” mean? What about “Accepted”?

A “Requested” status means that no information has been saved in the evaluator website, nor

has that information been submitted electronically to ADEA AADSAS. Please confirm with your

evaluator that they received the email request; then, inform your evaluator to log in to the

evaluator website, complete and save the information, then click submit to complete their

letter of evaluation. If your evaluator saves any information, including their name, the status will

immediately update to “Accepted,” so you will be able to see the letter of evaluation is

proceeding correctly.

An “Accepted” status on an evaluation means that the evaluator has accepted your evaluation

request and may have saved information into the evaluation form, but has NOT yet submitted

that information to ADEA AADSAS. Sometimes the evaluator mistakenly believes that by

pressing “Save” they have completed the reference, when they are in fact required to click

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

“Submit.” If your evaluator believes they have completed the letter of evaluation, please ask

them to go back to the form and click “submit.” When they log back in, they will see your

name listed under “My Applicants.” After clicking on your name, they can review their

evaluation and click on the “Submit” button.

When this is done correctly, the evaluator’s status will immediately update to “Complete,”

which you can see in your application. If your evaluator experiences any difficulty, they can

contact ADEA AADSAS at aadsasinfo@aadsasweb.org or (617) 612-2045.

I didn’t waive my rights to view my LOEs. Can you forward me a copy?

Although you did not waive the right to view your evaluations, this waiver is a general legal

procedure which goes with any recommendation letter and is not specific to ADEA AADSAS.

Therefore, you still cannot access the evaluation via ADEA AADSAS, but you may ask your

evaluator for a copy.

• Experiences

While ADEA AADSAS does not collect a resume, applicants are encouraged to use the

experience section to provide detailed information about academic enrichment, dental

experience, employment, activities, research and volunteer positions. This section allows you

up to 600 characters to describe each experience.

The definitions for these categories are as follows:

Academic Enrichment: Programs sponsored by colleges, universities or other not–for–profit

organizations (e.g., Summer Medical and Dental Education Program/Summer Health

Professions Education Program).

Dental Experience: Time spent officially following and observing a health care professional at

work, preferably a dentist. When listing a dental experience, please specify the type of dentist

experience in the description box (e.g., general dentist, orthodontist, etc.)

Employment: Paid work done outside of the dental care field; for example, a non-dental

healthcare experience, retail or restaurant job.

Extracurricular Activities: Any sports teams and other activities through a college or university.

Research: Research projects done in addition to classroom work; research should NOT appear

as credit on a school transcript.

Volunteer: Volunteer work done outside of the health care field; for example, working for

Habitat for Humanity, tutoring students, participating in or working for a fundraiser walk or

blood drive, etc.

For each experience listed, applicants should include the name and address of the

organization, supervisor, dates associated with the experience, title held by the applicant,

average weekly hours, a description of key responsibilities, and a release for the dental schools

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

if they choose to contact the organization. Applicants should only record experiences obtained

during college.

FAQ

Where do I send documentation of my experience hours?

ADEA AADSAS does not collect any documentation for the experience sections. If any schools

require documentation, it should be submitted directly to them.

What is my “Title?” Who is my supervisor?

If you did not have an official title, you enter the type of activity you did; for example, “Dentist

Shadow” or “Nurse Shadow,” etc. The organization is the location where or for whom the work

took place and the supervisor is the person who was responsible for you or was in charge of

your activity.

I’ve begun my experience, but plan on accumulating more hours before dental school begins.

Can I include those?

In the experience sections, you may only document (in hours/weeks, etc.) the time already

completed. Once you submit your application, you may not update your hours. However, in

the text box under “duties,” you may clarify your expected time commitment, and send any

updates directly to the schools to which you are applying.

I haven’t begun my experience yet, but plan on doing so soon. Can I report that?

No, you cannot report “planned” experience. Once you have accumulated the experience,

however, you can add new experiences to your application, even if you have already submitted

it. Please note you cannot edit experiences which have already been entered. You may send

updated information directly to the schools to which you are applying.

Where can I report my publications or presentations?

There is no place on the application specifically for publications as the dental schools have not

requested that this be documented on ADEA AADSAS. If you wish to include this type of

activity, you may be able to list them in the “Achievements” section of the application, if

appropriate.

I have plans to add experiences after I submit my application. Can I add new experiences after

I submit?

Yes, new experiences can be added but existing experiences cannot be updated after the

application is submitted.

• Achievements

Provide information about relevant academic awards, honors, and scholarship achieved.

When adding achievements, applicants will be asked to detail the name of the presenting

organization, issue date and a brief description. For honors, awards or scholarships received in

multiple years or semesters, applicants may either enter them as multiple entries with the same

name, or, if the honor or award was received consecutively, as one entry spanning multiple

years.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

FAQ

How far back in my career should I list achievements?

It is recommended to include important achievements from during and after college.

Can I add new achievements after I submit?

Yes, new achievements can be added but existing achievements cannot be updated after the

application is submitted.

• Certifications

Provide information about certification. Types include registered dental hygienist (RDH),

certified dental assistant (CDA), certificated dental technician (CDT) and other. List only valid

certifications.

FAQ

Can I add new certifications after I submit?

Yes, new certifications can be added but existing certifications cannot be updated after the

application is submitted.

I do not have a certification, but was trained in various health-related activities as part of my

work experience. Can I list that here?

No. If you completed courses as part of on-the-job training, these can be listed under the

appropriate job in the “Experiences” section of the application.

I do not have a transcript for my certification. What do I do?

Transcripts are not required for certifications. Even transcripts for certificates or Associate

programs in Dental Hygiene or Dental Assisting don’t include the certifications on them, as the

certifications are usually granted by state boards or similar organizations, not the schools

themselves.

• Personal Statement

The Personal Statement explains why the applicant wants to pursue a dental career. The

statement should not exceed 4,500 characters (including spaces, carriage returns, numbers,

letters, etc.). Applicants should not make the statement specific to each dental school, as

ADEA AADSAS will provide the statement to all dental schools designated in the application.

FAQ

Why won’t the formatting in my Personal Statement save in the text box?

Since the personal statement section is composed of a text box, formatting such as tabs, italics

or multiple spaces cannot be saved. In order to delineate paragraphs, you should type a

double return between paragraphs. This delineation does not always show in the print preview

version, but it will separate your paragraphs in the version submitted to your schools.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

I made a mistake in my Personal Statement, but I already submitted! Can I go back and make a

change?

Unfortunately, not. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their personal statement is

entered completely and correctly prior to submitting the application Once you submit your

application, you may not re-enter, update or otherwise edit your personal statement. If there

are corrections which need to be made to your essay, you should submit those corrections

directly to the programs to which you are applying.

• Applicant Summary

The Coversheet is not a unique section on the application, but an important summary of all the

information included in the ADEA AADSAS application. It is a one-page document that

appears at the beginning of the PDF application and is automatically generated after the

application is submitted.

Items included on the coversheet are:

o Biographic Information,

o Selected GPAs,

o Official DAT scores, if they have been received, and Planned DAT date for future tests

listed,

 Self-Reported Canadian DATs, if applicable

o Up to four “most important achievements,” and

o Up to six “most important experiences.”

FAQ

How many experiences may I flag for the Applicant Summary? May I change my selection after

I submit?

The Applicant Summary is one-page document that will appear as the first page of your

application and will include a summary version of the items included in the full application PDF.

You may select a total of six (6) experiences to the coversheet for each type of Professional

Experience you report. When you star an experience for the coversheet, this means that you

are selecting it to appear on the Applicant Summary, which will be visible to all schools to

which you apply. Please visit Submitting Your Application and expand the “PDF and

Coversheet” section for more information.

What other experiences should I include on my application?

Please use your best judgment when entering information into the Professional Experiences

section of your ADEA AADSAS application. It is up to you what additional information you

would like to share with the dental school to which you are applying.

Program Materials

This section of the ADEA AADSAS application includes profiles created by each dental school. Each

profile provides information regarding a dental school’s program and includes tips on how to be a

successful applicant. Each profile has three sections: The home page, questions and prerequisites. To

view a school’s profile in “Program Materials,” an applicant must first select the school in the “Add

Programs” section of the application. Applicants should carefully review each school’s requirements.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Home: This tab contains basic information about the selected dental school including deadline, start

term, and other important, program-specific information.

Questions: This tab may or may not be available, depending on the selections of each dental school. If

a program has opted to add program specific questions, these questions may be optional or required.

Questions regarding this section should be directed to the dental school.

Prerequisites: This tab may or may not be available, depending on the selections of each dental

school. If it is available, applicants will be given a list of the school’s prerequisite course requirements

and asked to designate which courses have been taken or are planned which fulfill the requirements.

Applicants must first complete the Transcript Entry section before courses can be selected as

prerequisites.

• Entering these courses does not mean an applicant has met the school’s prerequisite

requirements. Instead, the school is asking applicants to self-identify courses for their review. If

an applicant has any questions regarding what the program will accept regarding these

prerequisites, please contact the program directly.

• Applicants can learn more about prerequisites required by each dental school in the 2017-2018

ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools.

FAQ

Is the Program Materials section required?

Yes, you must complete this section in order to submit the ADEA AADSAS application. Some

questions, though, will be optional depending on the dental school’s selection.

Does completing this section mean that I don’t have to submit a supplemental application to

the school directly?

The answer depends on the dental school. Please check with each school to determine if

information, fees, or documents are required outside of ADEA AADSAS.

Submit ADEA AADSAS Application

The sections each applicant needs to read/complete include:

1. Fee Assistance Program (optional),

2. Add Programs, Submit Application and Check Status tabs,

3. Personal Information,

4. Academic History,

5. Supporting Information, and

6. Program Materials.

Once these sections are complete, an applicant can submit and pay. Submitting the ADEA AADSAS

application does not mean the application is being reviewed by the dental schools. The documents

needed to complete an application include:

• Official Transcripts from every postsecondary institution attended.

• Letters of Evaluation

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

The application can be submitted before the receipt of these documents. All applicants are

encouraged to submit the application as early as possible in the cycle, well in advance of posted

deadline dates. Applicants who submit early, usually sometime in the summer, are more successful in

being invited to interviews.

FAQ

How do I know my application has been submitted?

Go to the Submit Application tab of your application. You may select “Pay for My Programs” to

pay for all programs you have selected, or click on “Pay and Submit This Program,” to submit

to one program at a time. After selecting “Pay” and completing all steps, you will receive a

confirmation email and notification to your application message inbox that your application

was submitted.

I have received my final grades for current courses, but transcripts are not yet available. Should

I wait to submit the application until ADEA AADSAS receives the updated transcript?

You have two choices in this case:

1. You may list your current courses as completed on your online application, and wait to

submit your application until ADEA AADSAS has received the updated transcript, which will

cause a delay in your application. Please note that once all materials have been received, it

may take four weeks for your application to be verified. ADEA AADSAS recommends that

all information arrive at ADEA AADSAS at least four weeks prior to your earliest deadline.

2. You may leave the course listed as in-progress on your ADEA AADSAS application and

submit your application. In this case, you would send the transcripts with only the

completed courses to ADEA AADSAS and, once the in-progress courses are complete,

either update your information during one of the Academic Update periods or send

updated transcripts directly to the schools to which you are applying. This would avoid a

delay in your application, and this is not an uncommon practice.

When should I submit my application?

Submit your application early, at least four or more weeks before the first deadline of the

schools you are applying to. Applicants who complete their application in the summer are

more likely to be successful. Transcripts and letters should also be received early so the

application can be fully processed by the school’s deadline.

Can I apply to some schools now and others later?

Yes. When you submit your application, it will only go out to the school(s) you select at the

time of submission. You may add programs to apply to at any time up until the end of the

application cycle as long as their individual deadlines have not passed. Just go to the

“Program Designations” section of your application and select “Update Designations” to add

additional schools. Please note that you must pay the difference in application fees and that

you may NOT make changes to your application information before it is sent to additional

programs.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

What does it mean to have a “Complete” application?

ADEA AADSAS does not begin to calculate your GPA until your application is considered

“Complete.” For your application to be considered complete, the following criteria must be

met:

a) All official transcripts must be received by ADEA AADSAS

b) You must e-submit your application

c) All application fees must be paid

Once your application became complete, it was placed in line to be processed, where

applicants are reviewed on a first come, first-served basis (based upon Complete Date).

Verification takes up to four weeks. You will receive an email notification when your application

has been verified.

How do I know whether I made my deadline?

As long as your application has been submitted by the deadline, ADEA AADSAS will continue

to process and send your application once we receive all required information regardless of the

deadline date. It is up to your schools to determine whether or not they still consider your

application valid upon its receipt.

Please note that deadlines are determined by the dental schools, not ADEA AADSAS. Each

program interprets its deadline differently; make sure to contact the dental school.

Application Fees

The application fee for ADEA AADSAS depends on the number of dental schools an applicant applies

to. The fee is $245 for the first dental school and $102 for each designation. After submitting the

application, additional dental schools can be selected and paid for at a later date. Payment for the

ADEA AADSAS application is by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) only.

Some dental schools request an additional fee (supplemental) after the completed ADEA AADSAS

application. Do not send the supplemental fees to ADEA AADSAS. Supplemental fees should be sent

directly to the dental school(s).

FAQ

Does ADEA AADSAS give refunds?

It is a vital part of the process that the full instructions are read and the application is reviewed

to ensure the necessary steps are taken to complete the application. Once an application is

submitted, refunds are typically not granted. In special circumstances, though, refund requests

will be reviewed. Applicants must submit a brief, written request within 30 calendar days of the

end of the cycle to paynel@adea.org. ADEA reserves the right to grant or deny requests at its

own discretion. Any refund granted will be returned to the applicant in the format it was paid.

Reapplicants from the previous cycle accepted to dental school after June 5 can request a

refund; requests must be made within two weeks of the acceptance which will be verified by

ADEA AADSAS staff.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Verification Process and GPA Calculations

Once an application is complete (submitted and all transcripts are received), it is put in a queue to be

verified. Verification is a process where professional verification staff match manually entered

coursework and official transcripts to ensure no errors were made. Verification also allows ADEA

AADSAS to calculate grade point averages (GPA) that are standard calculations for all applicants.

ADEA AADSAS calculates standardized GPAs to help participating dental schools evaluate applicants

using uniform and consistent criteria, regardless of various institutional transcript policies. ADEA

AADSAS GPAs will be calculated within four to six weeks after ADEA AADSAS receives the completed

application and all transcripts.

To calculate a GPA, ADEA AADSAS calculates total quality points by multiplying semester hours

attempted by the value of the verified ADEA AADSAS grade. Quality points are divided by the total

number of hours for completed courses. ADEA AADSAS reports GPAs in semester–based 4.0 grading

scales.

ADEA AADSAS calculates GPA and reports it in a number of ways:

• BCP GPA: All undergraduate, graduate and cumulative courses identified on transcripts as

Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

• Science GPA: All undergraduate, graduate and cumulative courses identified on the transcript

as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math and Other Science.

• Non–science GPA: All undergraduate, graduate and cumulative courses not used in calculating

the Science GPA.

• Undergraduate GPA: All courses for which undergraduate credit is received.

• Graduate GPA: All courses for which graduate credit is received.

• Overall GPA: Includes undergraduate and graduate. For most dental school applicants who

have not completed graduate courses, the overall GPA is the same as the undergraduate GPA.

• College/University GPAs: GPAs are reported for each college/university attended.

• The following course types are not included in ADEA AADSAS GPA calculations:

o Advanced Placement/CLEP.

o Institutional Department Exam.

o Audit.

o International Baccalaureate.

o Incomplete.

o Pass/Fail.

o Withdraw/withdraw passing.

o Grades of P or Credit.

• ADEA AADSAS includes all initial and repeated coursework in its GPA calculations.

• Grades and credit hours for all failed courses will be included in the ADEA AADSAS GPA, even

if they are not included in the GPA calculations of the transcript–issuing institution.

• ADEA AADSAS calculates GPAs in two different ways: with and without + and –. Some dental

schools prefer to use the +/– system and others prefer to use grades without + and –. For

example, grades without a +/– will simply round—grades with a + will round down to the next

letter grade (e.g., B+ [3.3] will round down to a B [3.0]) and grades with a – will round up to the

next letter grade (e.g., B– [2.7] will round up to a B [3.0).

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Factors that may result in a GPA calculation that is different from the transcript include the

following:

1. Many college/universities count only the new grade in repeated course(s) in GPA

computation. ADEA AADSAS counts the previously earned grade and the new grade. For

example, if the applicant took Introduction to Biology in Fall 2012 and earned a grade of C,

then retook the same course in Spring 2013 and earned an A, ADEA AADSAS would use

both the C grade and the A grade to calculate the GPA.

2. The college/university's grade weighting scale. Some schools use different scales than

those used by ADEA AADSAS. For example, at some schools, a B+ grade equals a grade

weight of 3.5, but for ADEA AADSAS, a B+ grade equals a grade weight of 3.33.

FAQ

I think my GPA was calculated incorrectly. How can I get ADEA AADSAS to review my GPA

calculations?

ADEA AADSAS cannot recalculate entire GPAs for each applicant; however, ADEA AADSAS is

willing to look at specific areas upon request. After reviewing the ADEA AADSAS policies and

grade calculation worksheets, submit a request by email to aadsasinfo@aadsas.org with a

specific set of calculations for a certain portion of your GPA what you think should be reviewed.

When will my GPAs be available?

After all application materials are processed and transcripts have been verified (can be

approximately four weeks), ADEA AADSAS calculates the GPAs.

Where will I be able to view my GPAs?

Once coursework is verified, please login to your account and visit the “Check Status” tab on

the homepage of your application to download a PDF of your application and review your

GPAs as your programs will see them.

Do repeated courses factor into my GPA?

ADEA AADSAS must standardize applicant information throughout the country, and therefore

does not recognize individual school or academic “forgiveness” policies in regard to repeated

courses, as each college treats these situations differently. Some schools average the two

grades together, other factor in the higher grades, some take the second grade even if it’s

lower than the first, and others don’t recognize repeated courses at all. Therefore, ADEA

AADSAS must factor both grades in your AADSAS GPA. Once your application arrives at your

designated programs, they may or may not recalculate your GPA depending upon their own

individual policies.

Where will I be able to view my GPAs?

Once coursework is verified, please log in to your account and visit the Check Status tab on the

homepage of your application to download a PDF of your application and review your GPAs as

your programs will see them.

I disagree with my GPA. What do I do?

ADEA AADSAS cannot recalculate entire GPAs for each applicant; however, we are willing to

look at specific areas upon request. Please review the ADEA AADSAS GPA Guide for

instructions on how ADEA AADSAS calculates GPAs. After reading the instructions and

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

attempting to calculate your own GPA, email us with your name, ID and “Verification Inquiry”

in the subject line. Include a specific set of calculations for a certain portion of your GPA which

you believe is incorrect and we will review and explain the discrepancy. Please don’t request

GPA calculations over the phone.

Manage Your Application

Updates After Submission

These sections can be edited after the ADEA AADSAS application is submitted:

• Current address

• Permanent address

• Phone

• Email

• High Schools Attended

• Colleges Attended (if still attending)

• Transcript Entry (if still attending)

• U.S. and Canadian DAT (new test results only)

• Evaluations (may be deleted after submission if not completed; new evaluations may be added

up to the maximum)

• Experiences (new or in progress only)

• Achievements (new or in progress only)

• Certifications (new or in progress only)

FAQ

How can I check my admission status?

Since some programs choose not to use the School Decisions feature or sometimes this section

does not reflect the most updated information, ADEA AADSAS recommends contacting your

designated programs directly for your admission status.

What is the process for receiving and responding to offers of admission?

Dental schools begin notifying applicants of final admission decisions on December 3 of the

academic year prior to the year of matriculation (the year when the applicant will begin dental

school). For more information on the “Extending Offers of Admission” process, view the ADEA

Traffic Guidelines.

Applicants will have 30 days to respond to all extended offers of admission made between

December 1 and January 1. Applicants will have 15 days to respond to all extended offers of

admission made between February 1 and May 15. Since some programs choose not to use the

School Decisions tab or sometimes this section does not reflect the most updated information,

ADEA AADSAS recommends contacting your designated programs directly for your admissions

status.

Why didn’t I receive an email from the dental school?

If your designated programs state they will contact you via email but you have not received any

email communication from them, this may mean that your email service is filtering these emails

to your spam folder. To ensure notifications are received from your programs, designate

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

donotreply@webadmit.org and @sendgrid.me as “safe” sources on your email contact list. This

will avoid your inbox from filtering important messages from your dental programs as spam.

Via their admissions portal, your programs may conduct their entire admissions process, or they

may choose to export some or all of your application information into their own student

information database. This is entirely dependent on how each dental program manages its

admissions process. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you notify schools directly if

any updates or other information changes need to be made to your application (i.e. contact

information) after your application becomes complete.

Application Status

Each applicant can view the status to each dental school applied to by clicking the “Check Status” tab

in the upper right hand corner of the application dashboard. Here is a list of statuses an applicant

might see:

• In-Progress: The application has not yet been submitted to ADEA AADSAS. A confirmation e-

mail and notification will be sent to the application message inbox once the application is

submitted.

• Received > Awaiting Materials: The application has been submitted and fees have been paid.

• Materials Received > Verifying: The application is complete and in line for verification.

• Undelivered: An error has been found and the application has been returned to the applicant

for correction. It must be re-submitted to ADEA AADSAS in order to be processed.

• Verified: The application has been processed and the GPA has been calculated. A confirmation

email and notification will be sent to your application message inbox that the application was

verified.

Academic Update

Applicants can make updates to the coursework section for newly completed or planned courses using

a system called Academic Update. After the application is verified, an applicant can log in to the

ADEA AADSAS application and update coursework. Verification of this new coursework will begin on

August 15, 2018.

FAQ

When will the Academic Update (AU) open?

You may update your courses online during the ADEA AADSAS “Academic Update” window.

The Academic Update window will open on August 15 - September 30 and December 1 –

February 1. Arrange for your official transcripts to be sent directly to ADEA AADSAS as soon as

they are available.

Can I update other information during AU besides coursework?

Other than AU, after the initial submission of your completed ADEA AADSAS application, you

may only make changes to the following items:

*Account Information.

*Contact Information.

*Password (not transmitted to your designated dental schools).

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

*Standardized test scores listed as Planned.

*Experiences, Achievements and Certifications. (Only additions, No deletions.)

*Designated Additional Dental Programs: (No substitutions or deletions.)

*Planned Coursework (one-time changes during the Academic Update only).

*New Fall and Spring courses completed (one-time changes during the Academic Update

only).

*Letter of Evaluation contacts. (You may not delete an evaluator from your application once

ADEA AADSAS receives the evaluator’s reference).

No other information may be edited. If you wish to update other information, you must send

these updates directly to your dental schools.

Am I required to use Academic Update?

ADEA AADSAS recommends, but does not require, applicants with updated grades to

participate in “Academic Update.” However, the dental schools you apply to may require it.

Please check with them directly to determine whether or not you are required to use the

Academic Update. If you fail to enter your updated courses, your designated programs may

not consider your application or may revoke a previous offer of admission.

Can I update courses that were already reported as completed?

No, courses that were originally reported as completed cannot be modified.

Do I have to send updated transcripts to my dental schools?

Depending on each program’s admissions policy, you may be required to send updated

transcripts directly to each dental school. You should contact the programs directly to

determine if this is necessary.

Supplemental Applications

Some dental schools require applicants to send additional information directly to the dental school.

This can be 1.) information required of all applicants, or 2.) information required of a subset applicant

as defined by the dental school. In both cases, requests from the dental schools should be fulfilled.

Check with each dental school for more information.

Send only ADEA AADSAS required documents to ADEA AADSAS. Any other documents received by

ADEA AADSAS, including supplemental materials requested by specific dental schools, will be

considered unrelated materials. ADEA AADSAS will not return unrelated materials, nor forward the

unrelated materials to designated dental schools. Examples of unrelated materials include resumes,

photographs, writing samples, certificates and other non-required documents.

Criminal Background Check

ADEA AADSAS provides a service to dental schools that wish to obtain a criminal background check

on admitted students through Certiphi Screening

, Inc.

Once accepted at a participating dental school, Certiphi Screening, Inc. will send an email to the

applicant’s email entered in the ADEA AADSAS application. This email will provide access to a secure

online form where the applicant provides basic identifying information and consent for this report to

be obtained. Applicants can review the final report prior to its distribution.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Applicants will have 10 calendar days from when the report is emailed to review it before it is made

available to participating dental schools. Applicants will be provided with an opportunity to contest

the accuracy of the contents of the report within 10 calendar days. After 10 calendar days, the report

will be made available to the participating dental schools from which the applicant received an

acceptance.

Tip: The criminal background report will not be released to any party other than the dental schools

requesting it. ADEA AADSAS does not have access to this report.

For more information about Criminal Background Check, contact:

Certiphi Screening

, Inc.

Applicant inquiry only: (800) 803–9582

help@certiphi.com

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time

ADEA Policies

The policies of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) that govern ADEA AADSAS are

recommended by the ADEA AADSAS Advisory Group, an official committee of the Association. ADEA

AADSAS makes every effort to process and transmit application materials to dental schools

designated by the applicant. ADEA, however, assumes no responsibility for delays in processing

application materials caused by the applicant's failure to follow instructions or by circumstances

beyond the control of ADEA AADSAS. It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor his or her ADEA

AADSAS application and report any discrepancies or problems.

ADEA does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, marital

status, age or handicap. Such information in the ADEA AADSAS application is requested only for the

purpose of gathering and reporting applicant flow data, or to confirm information used to process the

application.

ADEA Application Services Refund Policy

It is a vital part of the process that the full instructions are read and the application is reviewed to

ensure the necessary steps are taken to complete the application. Once an application is submitted,

refunds are not granted. In special circumstances, though, refund requests will be reviewed.

Applicants must submit a brief, written request within 30 calendar days of the end of the cycle to

paynel@adea.org

. ADEA reserves the right to grant or deny requests at its own discretion. Any refund

granted will be returned to the applicant in the format it was paid.

Reapplicants accepted after June 5 to the previous cycle can request a refund; requests must be made

within two weeks of the acceptance which will be verified by ADEA AADSAS staff.

ADEA Privacy/Confidentiality Statement

ADEA will generally not release personally identifiable data without the permission of the individual

involved. Except as described below, information about individual applicants and matriculants is not

shared with anyone outside of ADEA in a way that would permit individual identification.

2018-2019 ADEA AADSAS Instructions

Information about applicants is disclosed to the schools and/or programs to which a student applies

using one of ADEA’s centralized application services. Information about applicants who use one of

ADEA’s centralized application services may also be disclosed to a limited number of third-party

organizations that are involved in the application process and tuition assistance services, such as those

that use information to identify and contact applicants who may be eligible for scholarships.

Applicants to one of ADEA’s centralized application services will be required to release their

application information and supporting documents by agreeing to the Release Statement and Code of

Conduct within the application.

Application data submitted by an applicant will generally not be shared with third-party individuals or

organizations. ADEA will only discuss an application with the applicant and the applicant’s designated

schools and/or programs. Staff will not discuss an application with a parent, spouse, relative, friend or

employer of the applicant. ADEA reserves the right to release information from an applicant or

matriculant’s file to: (i) respond to information requests by law enforcement or other governmental

authorities; (ii) comply with any law, regulation, enforceable subpoena or other legal process or court

order; (iii) investigate or prevent security threats, fraud, malicious activity or inappropriate,

unauthorized or illegal activity involving ADEA’s services or computer networks; or (iv) enforce or

protect ADEA’s rights and property. In such circumstances, personal information may be disclosed

without notice to the individual applicant or matriculant.

ADEA may disclose to the public data that it gathers through its centralized application services in

aggregate de-identified form. ADEA reserves the right to use applicant data, including individually

identifiable applicant data, for its own purposes, including research purposes. However, in publishing

research, ADEA will not include individual applicant information.

Contact ADEA AADSAS

Phone: 617-612-2045 (applicant inquiries only)

Email: aadsasinfo@aadsasweb.org

Web: adea.org