Dental School Acceptance Day 2024: What to Expect
If you applied to dental school this year and are waiting to hear back, Acceptance Day is the culmination of years of your hard work, dedication, and perseverance. It’s a moment that has taken years to get to, and can open doors to your future. In this article, we’ll cover what Dental School Acceptance Day is, the official date for dental school Acceptance Day, and what you can expect if you’re awaiting that life-changing news.
What Is Dental School Acceptance Day?
Dental School Acceptance Day refers to the first date when dental schools are allowed to notify applicants of their acceptance. It’s one of the most highly anticipated days in the dental school admissions cycle, as schools begin offering spots to candidates they’ve decided to admit.
In 2024, acceptance day falls on December 13, 2024. This date is established by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) to ensure fairness in the admissions process, as all schools participating in the ADEA AADSAS (American Dental School Application Service) application process must follow this rule.
When Is Dental School Acceptance Day?
For 2024, the official dental school acceptance day is Friday, December 13th, 2024. This is the first day that dental schools are allowed to release acceptances, which they typically do through phone calls and emails throughout the day. Schools may call you in the morning, afternoon, or evening, starting from 7:00am until 5:00pm at the school's local time zone. Some schools also may send emails throughout the day.
While nearly all dental schools will send acceptances on this date, it is still possible to be interviewed, waitlisted, or accepted, following this official acceptance date. In other words, interviews continue into January, February, and March. Meanwhile, acceptances can be given out on any date or time following the official acceptance day.
What to Expect on Dental School Acceptance Day
Here’s a breakdown of what dental school acceptance day might look like for you:
1. Calls from Schools
Most dental schools take a personal approach and call accepted applicants to inform them of their acceptance. Imagine starting your day with a congratulatory phone call from the admissions office—it’s a moment you’ll never forget! Be sure to have your phone on, fully charged, and close by throughout the day so you don't miss the highly anticipated acceptance call!
Pro Tip: If you miss a call from an unknown number, check your voicemail. Some schools may leave messages, while others might expect you to call back.
2. Email Notifications
A few dental schools may send official acceptance emails instead of a call, often with important details about next steps, like submitting a deposit to secure your spot. Additionally, most dental schools that give acceptances via a phone call will also send an email with further information to you. Keep a close eye on your email, including your spam or promotions folder, just in case an important email accidentally gets filtered out of your main inbox.
3. Acceptances May Come in Waves
If you don’t hear from a school on December 13th, don’t panic! Many dental schools release decisions in waves, especially if they’re filling a large class or waiting to finalize decisions for candidates interviewed late in the cycle. Acceptances can continue to be released to applicants until the day before dental school classes start. As part of this, a lot of dental schools will release more acceptances around March and April, as the dental schools get notified by the American Dental Education Association about applicants who have placed a deposit at more than one dental school. Those applicants are given an ultimatum in the spring to make a decision about the one dental school that they want to keep a deposit at, or their acceptances get revoked.
4. Scholarship Offers
Some dental schools may offer you a scholarship along with your include information about scholarships or financial aid with your acceptance notification. Review these details carefully and factor them into your decision-making process if you're accepted to more than one dental school.
How to Prepare for Dental School Acceptance Day
Here are a few tips to help you get ready:
Check Your Contact Information: Double-check that your phone number and email address are accurate in the AADSAS system and with any schools that requested updates directly.
Know the School’s Policy: Research how your prospective schools typically notify accepted students. Do they call or email applicants? Frankly, most dental schools do not automatically update the AADSAS application portal about their admissions decision on acceptance day. Understanding their process can ease some of the anxiety.
Stay Organized: Keep track of the schools where you interviewed and any decision deadlines. If you receive multiple acceptances, you may need to decide within a specific timeframe or pay a deposit to hold your spot. These deposits typically range from $500 - $2,000, and are typically non-refundable.
What Happens After Acceptance Day?
Once you receive an acceptance, it’s time to focus on the next steps:
Submit Your Deposit: Most schools require a non-refundable deposit to secure your spot. Be mindful of deadlines, as missing them could result in losing your acceptance.
Withdraw from Other Schools: If you’ve committed to a program, it’s courteous (and sometimes even required) to notify other dental schools about your decision to withdraw.
Finalize Financial Aid: Begin exploring loan options, scholarships, and financial aid packages to fund your dental education. If you want help with student loan advising about strategies that you can use to potentially save $10,000 or more on your dental school loans, contact us.
Start Preparing for Dental School: Use the months leading up to dental school to relax, recharge, and review foundational topics like anatomy and biochemistry to best prepare for your first semester in dental school!
Conclusion
Dental School Acceptance Day is one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking days in your pre-dental journey. Whether you receive an early morning phone call or an email later in the day, this moment marks the start of your future in dentistry. Remember to stay patient, stay organized, and celebrate your hard work.
If you’re preparing for your interviews or looking for tips to strengthen your application, check out our resources and personalized coaching programs. Congratulations in advance—you’re one step closer to achieving your dream of becoming a dentist!
If you have any questions or need any help with the dental school application and admissions process, don't hesitate to reach out!
About the Author: Dr. Andrew Ghadimi, DDS
Dr. Andrew graduated from UCLA's School of Dentistry and served on the ADEA AADSAS Advisory Board, helping run the dental school application, AADSAS. He also served as the National Pre-Dental Liaison for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the same organization that runs the dental school application. While at UCLA's School of Dentistry, he also served on the Council of Students, Residents, and Fellows Board, as the Pre-Dental Chair for California. He has mentored and advised 450+ pre-dentals on their journey to dental school and helped pre-dentals receive over $1,000,000 in scholarships in addition to acceptances to some of the most competitive dental schools in the country, including Harvard, UPenn, Columbia, UF, UCLA, and many others.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to UCLA, UCLA School of Dentistry, ADEA, or any other organization.
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