AADSAS Dental School Application -Personal Statements!!

CSUF Pre-Dental Society

What is AADSAS?

Associated American Dental Schools ApplicationService (AADSAS)

One standardized application for 60 participating U.S. dental schools and 1 Canadian dental school

Usually opens on the 1st week of June.

Enter personal/academic/extracurricular information, DAT scores, personal statement, recommendation/committee letters, and transcripts.

Until your application is final, no information willbe sent to your designated dental schools

The Personal Statement

ADEA: “Your Personal Statement should address why you desire to pursue a dental education and how a dental degree contributes to your personal and professional goals. The essay is limited to approximately one page (4,500 characters, including spaces).”

Personal Statement Topics ADEA: “The Admissions Committee members who read your

essay are looking for individuals who are motivated, academically prepared, articulate, socially conscious, and knowledgeable about the profession. Write about your experiences and any qualities that will make you stand out.”

Be honest about how you became interested in studying dentistry.

Explain what you've done to demonstrate your interest in dentistry.

Do you have any special talents or leadership skills that could apply to the practice of dentistry?

Express your commitment to helping others and mention any efforts made that enforce that commitment.

Did you have to work to pay for your education? How has that made you a strongerapplicant?

To get where you are today, have you had to overcome hardships or obstacles? If so, how has this influenced your motivation for advanced education (i.e. dentistry)?

Personal Statement AdvicesDo’s:-Have an attention getting introduction-Be personal-Make a statement-Be original.-Relate your experience to how you will practice dentistry.-Use dental terminology-Be organized in your paragraphs-Know the audience and have an understanding of the dental schools to which you are applying.

Don’t:-Talk about your grades-Irrelevant details-Rush yourself

Tips When Writing

Know your audience Brainstorm first! Grab your reader from the start Show, don’t tell -- Personal

anecdotes Write INFORMALLY (at first) Cut filler words and repetitive

content Avoid cliché topics Perfect your transitions End strongly REVISE, REVISE, REVISE!

What is AADSAS?

Associated American Dental Schools ApplicationService (AADSAS)

One standardized application for 60 participating U.S. dental schools and 1 Canadian dental school

Usually opens on the 1st Thursday of June

Enter personal/academic/extracurricular information, DAT scores, personal statement, recommendation/committee letters, and transcripts.

Until your application is final, no information willbe sent to your designated dental schools

What is AADSAS?

Associated American Dental Schools ApplicationService (AADSAS)

One standardized application for 60 participating U.S. dental schools and 1 Canadian dental school

Usually opens on the 1st Thursday of June

Enter personal/academic/extracurricular information, DAT scores, personal statement, recommendation/committee letters, and transcripts.

Until your application is final, no information willbe sent to your designated dental schools

Sample Essay with Comments

Take a Look!

Essay Sample #1 – ULV Applicant

Take a Look!

Essay Sample #2 – WesternU Applicant

Take a Look!

Poor Developed Personal Statement

Take a Look!

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?

Dental School Interviews!!!

CSUF Pre-Dental Society

Most dental schools require personal interviews with applicants to assess the qualities such as self-confidence, interpersonal skills and ability to overcome challenges. Questions regarding your academic if there questions to be asked. This is your time to shine — and to ask questions about the school.

Interviews??

Interviewers at most dental schools are faculty who are taking their time to participate in the admissions process. Some schools have select students or alumni who may be involved either formally with interview evaluations or informally to field general questions about their school. Admissions, student affairs and financial aid staff also occasionally interview applicants.

The interviewers themselves

Know yourself. Explain your unique qualities that make you a good leader. Share your interests, including volunteer experiences or activities that have made you a well-rounded person. Balance honesty with being humble. Remember to mention the mentors who helped you along your way (and share what they taught you). It is likely that the interviewer will ask questions based on your submitted materials, so review them beforehand.

Know the interview type. Contact the school and ask what format the interviews are and prepare for that type. If you prepare for the right type of interview you will be at an advantage. Mixed multiple interview (MMI), group or one-on-one interviews will require different preparation. Make sure to do a mock interview that matches the type of interview you're going on.

Know why you want to go to dental school. Be ready to clearly and confidently share why you are pursuing this profession in 2-3 minutes. Be sincere and passionate.

How to Prepare

each admissions office determines how many candidates are scheduled for a specific interview day, the structure of the interview may depend on how many interviewers are scheduled to meet with the candidates. Traditionally, interviews are conducted with one evaluator questioning one candidate for as brief as 15 minutes to as long as an hour. Sometimes interviews are conducted with a panel of two or three evaluators for each candidate for 30 minutes up to an hour. Panel interviews may also mix “open” and “closed” file formats as one panel interviewer may have access to your file while the other is blinded to your file.

More recently, interview formats have been created to allow evaluators to assess more group dynamics in an interview. As a result, group interviews, in which an evaluator asks questions to three or more candidates, are becoming more common. Sometimes there is a second evaluator who can help facilitate discussion. These group interviews can last between 20 and 60 minutes.

The structure of an interview

Interview evaluators also often have the task of asking candidates similar or identical questions in order to allow the evaluator to fairly judge each candidate’s responses. Common questions that are expected include, “Tell me about yourself,” “Identify your greatest weakness,” and “Why are you interested in dentistry?” Some evaluators have a pre-determined set of questions that are required to ask every candidate while others employ a more conversational style where questions are asked spontaneously.

The style of an interview

Another format that has been gaining popularity is the “multiple mini-interview” (MMI). In this case, candidates rotate between stations every 7-10 minutes where they are confronted with a new question. Some of the questions may be associated with hypothetical situations while others may be task-oriented. Every candidate is given the same question or scenario, and each evaluator judges each candidate on the specific question that is asked. The evaluator may also interact with the candidate through follow-up questions.

Multiple mini-interview format

Career Center here at CSUF is a great resource for interview practice! - Simulate mock interviews Record you during practice mock interviews

Practice! Practice! Practice!