Relate all past/present activities to how it will help you become a great dentist
Be concise (4500 character limit w/ spaces)
Make sure to proofread it multiple times
Personal Essay Pt. 2
“Address why you desire to pursue a dental education and how a dental degree contributes to your personal and professional goals.”
Get feedback from others who are good at editing essays
Try to get a rough draft finished early (preferably before apps start) to give ample time for all your editors to really pick it apart and make it that much better
Make sure to read and know everything about your personal statement before your interviews
School Designations
Add schools that you want to consider your application
Apply to multiple schools
Initial fee: $217
Fee per school drops with each additional school (+$68 for each additional school)
Worth it to consider other schools outside of California; the outside world is not that scary
Be aware that almost all dental school will require an additional application fee
“Status” Tab
AADSAS updates every time they receive official documents (Transcripts, LOE forms)
Check this often to ensure that all of your information is reaching AADSAS
Most sections can not be changed after you submit the application
Apply early, but not before your application is as complete as it can be
If you completed all other sections but just need to wait until you finish your DAT’s, submit the application anyway and then update the application later.
Submitting early can put you on the school’s radar earlier than submitting after every single section is completely finished though they won’t give you a yes or no until you do finish everything
Things to Remember
It takes about a week to fill out the application(unless you have everything already prepared ahead of time)
It takes a few weeks for AADSAS to process the application, so expect a delay
AADSAS periodically reopens to allow you to update coursework and send updated transcripts, do this as soon as possible
Additional Resources
Student Doctor Network Pre-Dental forums: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=17
www.predents.com
They can help you gauge your competitiveness and answer questions about schools
DAT and Suggested Study Material
Most often you are taking the DAT the same summer you are applying (time management)