GUIDE FOR
PREPARATION TO
DENTAL SCHOOL
STEP 1: PICKING THE RIGHT
SCHOOL
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Location
Specialty programs at school?
How new is the school?
Chances of getting in
• i.e how do you stack up for the application process
• Consider board certifications
• Would you live here, or are you planning on moving?
ADEA GUIDE TO DENTAL SCHOOLS 2013
-E-text available online.
-Great resource for stats and research on each
individual school.
STEP 2: VOLUNTEERING AND DENTAL
EXPERIENCE
• As much volunteering as possible!
• Service Learning
• Shadow a GENERAL dentist
• Some schools require you to have a minimum requirement
of observation hours
• i.e U of M requires 100 hours BEFORE the application.
• Working does not count
SHADOWING OPPORTUNITIES
• Service Learning
• Common etiquette
• Dress appropriately!
• Visit the office in person, face time is important!
STEP 3: DAT PREPARATION
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Kaplan class
Topscore
Chad’s Videos
Crack the DAT/ PAT
Orgoman DAT Destroyer
Princeton Review
Cliff’s AP Bio
DAT PREPARATION
• About 2-3 months in advance:
• Obtain for DENTPIN
• http://www.ada.org/dat.aspx
• Click ‘Register for a DENTPIN’
• Name must match EXACTLY
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Look at DAT guide (same website)
“Apply” for DAT
Sign up to test at www.prometric.com
Pay for DAT
DAT PREPARATION
• DAT PRICES
• DAT Fee $385
• Rescheduling Fees
• $100- Day before to 5 business days prior
• $60- 6 to 30 business days prior
• $25- 31+ business days prior
DAT STRUCTURE
• Arrive to Prometric Center 30 mins early
• 2 ID’s (1 w/ pic and signature, 1 w/ name and
signature), finger print, picture taken, metal
detector scan
• Provided 2 white boards with skinny black marker
• “Permanent” marker
• Test on PC; not very HD (bad for angle ranking)
DAT STRUCTURE
Section
Questions
Time (mins)
Optional Tutorial
n/a
15
Natural Science
100
90
PAT
90
60
Optional Break
n/a
15
Reading Comp
50
60
Quantitative
40
45
n/a
15
Optional Survey
STEP 4: APPLICATIONS
• Applying is expensive! Get a list of schools you can
see yourself going to.
• Apply to as many / as little as you are comfortable.
• Most people apply to 10 schools or less
• Roughly ~$200 per school
AADSAS
• Application opens June 1st
• iPhone application to keep track of progress
• Rolling admissions, so complete the application
ASAP!
INPUTTING GRADES INTO AADSAS
• AADSAS uses a different grading scale (A, AB, B, BC,
etc) instead of our scale.
• The “grade” section is how it appears on your transcript,
“AADSAS grade” is how it appears with this conversion
• Transcript matching forms must be sent to AADSAS
• Download via AADSAS, print out, fill out, email or send with
official transcripts to AADSAS
• Search AADSAS conversion for the actual conversions (4.0 =
A, 3.5 = AB, 3.0 = B, etc)
WHAT IS CONSIDERED “SCIENCE”?
• AADSAS makes you classify what classes are
science and non-science classes.
• ADEA provides a comprehensive list to what
specifically is classified as science and non-science
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
• AADSAS has a section to allow you to list
observation specifically.
• Provide a brief description of “activities”
• There is a section for extracurricular activities /
volunteer / community service
• Lastly, there is a section to fill out any work
experience you may have had
PERSONAL STATEMENT
• Opportunity to tell your story
• Why dentistry? What is your passion? Journey that
has led you where you are today
• Be creative! Admissions want to see that you can
write and that you are different than every other
applicant!
• Get 4500 characters to do so
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
• Seek professors out early!
• Check ADEA guide for specific requirements for
each school.
• Generally speaking, get one biology, one chemistry,
one general dentist whom you have shadowed,
and one from whomever you think would write a
good letter!
• Interfolio is convenient for storing letters before
applying.
INTERFOLIO
• Pay a yearly fee to interfolio, and they hold your letters
for you until you are ready to send.
• Each letter is kept confidential
• When a person is willing to write you a recommendation,
input their email into interfolio and they will get emailed
a list of instructions on how to upload it to the site.
• On AADSAS, if using interfolio, reference type is “paper”.
• Be sure to print out matching forms for each evaluator,
sign them, scan them back into your computer, and
send them with the letters to AADSAS.
CLASS REQUIREMENTS
• General Idea
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Chem 1 and 2 with labs
Bio 1 and 2 with labs
Orgo 1 and 2 with a lab
English (LB or WRA)
SOC (any) or ISS 215
Biochem (401 or 461/462)
Microbio (MMG 301)
Psychology (any)
Physics 1 and 2 with labs
4 YEAR CLASS SCHEDULE
• Freshman Year
• Chem 1 and 2 with labs
• English/SOC/PSY
• Summer- Orgo (Sterling Heights, Grand Blanc, Yipsilanti)/PSY
• Sophomore Year
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Bio 1 and 2 with labs
Orgo 1 and 2 with labs
Physio (PSL 310 or uppers)-------will be helpful for DAT
SOC/English/PSY
Summer- STUDY FOR DAT (no classes)
4 YEAR CLASS SCHEDULE
• Junior Year
• Biochem
• Microbio
• Physio
• Senior Year
• Physics 1 and 2 with labs
• Class load
• 15-17 credits if NOT working
• 12-14 okay if working
PREPARATION FOR INTERVIEW
• Have a good idea of what you want to say for 2
minutes if they ask “Tell me about yourself”
• Be able to honestly answer “Why dentistry?” and
“Why [school name]”
• Student Doctor Network- Old interview questions
• My Spartan Career- You can sign up online for a
mock interview at the stadium
• Helps to know how you interview
• Research the school and have questions prepared
• ie) I noticed a group of dental students went to Kenya this
year, is that opportunity available each year?
INTERVIEW ATTIRE
• Men
• Suit color- usually black or dark grey
• Add a pop of color- either with a colored shirt and black tie,
or white shirt and colored tie
• Dress shoes, simple socks
• Ironed/pressed/dry cleaned suit
• Make sure you have tried it on recently…
• Clean shave or solid but trimmed beard- no in between
• Optional- cuff links, tie clip (personal favorite)
INTERVIEW ATTIRE
• Ladies
• Nonsuit: Professional dress with a suit jacket
• Suit: either black, navy or dark grey
• Pants- not too tight
• Skirt- at/below the knee
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Less specific with the shirt- button up, or a nice blouse
NO cleavage… none!
Panty hose = MUST
~3 inch black heel
Jewelry = Simple! Necklace-pearl, earrings- studs
• Be cautious on rings and bracelets- nothing gaudy
• No fun piercings! ie) tragus, industrial, tongue
• Brief bag- optional
• Hair: “You want them to remember you, not the do”
INTERVIEW ATTIRE
• Both
• Make sure you feel COMFORTABLE
• “The smell of success is scentless”
• Rule of thumb- unbutton suit jacket whenever sitting, and
re-button it when standing
• Gum: good to freshen breath, but NO chewing
• NO phone, turn it off and get a watch
• Bring a portfolio
INTERVIEW- UMICH MMI
• Multiple Mini Interview “Speed Dating”
• Process: 10 stations that are one-on-one (with either
faculty, dentist, alumni, or student); read prompt
and discuss for 8 minutes, wait 2 minutes, move on
• Questions: A few about you/application, more
about ethical situations in the health field
• Provides document with met/unmet requirements
that you need to turn in; flash drive with all
presentations; a mini portfolio
INTERVIEW- UMICH MMI
• Surprise: While the journey to dental school always
feels like you’re trying to prove yourself, the
interview day felt like the dental school was trying to
prove itself… totally different perception 
• “If you have an interview, they already want you”
• 64% of all Michigan residents who interviewed were
accepted (taken from ADEA book)
• That is over 2/3!!
• Closed- Interviewers do no see your application
before hand
INTERVIEW- UMICH MMI
• Structure of 8:30am-3:30pm on Fridays
• 8:30-9: Introductions of all 30 interviewees
• Note: Granola bars and water provided
• 9-10:30- ~4 presentations
• 10:30-11:30- tour of dental school from students
• NOTE: These may be the same students doing interviewers
• 11:30-12: Lunch provided
• 12-2: MMI’s; 3 sets of 10 stations in one huge room
• Time flies by unbelievably fast
• 2-3:30: Presentations about financial aid and DDS/PhD
INTERVIEW- UDM
• Process: two faculty members with one interviewee
• Structure: Open interview (they are able to see your
application before interviewing you)
• More personal questions about application
• One ethical question
• Relaxed atmosphere -- felt more like a conversation with the
faculty members rather than an interview
INTERVIEW- UDM
• Interviews are on Saturdays 8:00am- 12:30am
8:00-8:30 check in
8:30-9:00 Welcome/introduction
9:00-9:30 Curriculum Presented and Student Panel
9:30-10:00 Interview
10:00-10:50 Dental School Tour
10:50-11:00 Break
1100-11:30 Question and Answer with Dr. Jeffers
11:30-12:00 Student Affairs faculty member speaks about
activities outside the classroom offered
• 12:00-12:30 Closing/Final Q&A
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