Prepare to Apply

It’s important to research program requirements and gather necessary documents early. Compiling the necessary information before beginning helps to make a successful application process.

• Collect valid email addresses for evaluators who will submit Professional Evaluation Forms (PEF) on your behalf. Each applicant is required to submit three PEFs. Applicants can also submit an additional optional two PEFs. (minimum 3; maximum 5) 
• Prepare a resumé/CV that can be uploaded to the ADEA PASS application. Some dental schools request a copy of a resumé/CV be submitted to the dean’s office when requesting an Institution Evaluation Form (IEF).  
• Personal Statement(s). The personal statement is completed in the Program Materials section of the application. One personal statement may be requested for each program, although it is acceptable to reuse one statement for each request, if applicable. However, some applicants may desire to prepare more than one personal statement and often choose this option if applying to more than one specialty. Proofreading the personal statement is important because once the application is submitted, changes cannot be made.
• Research advanced dental education programs using the ADEA PASS Search Engine. It is important to note all participating programs are responsible for the content provided in the ADEA PASS Search Engine and that content is subject to change without notice. If you have questions regarding the content you should contact the program directly.

All evaluations are submitted electronically. Start requesting the required materials once the ADEA PASS application cycle opens in May.

• Institution Evaluation Form (IEF): The IEF is also known as the “dean’s letter” and is a requirement for all applicants. This document is completed by the dean’s office and includes: class ranking and GPA (if applicable), an evaluation of ethical behavior and overall mandatory comments. If the non-U.S. dental school is not included in the drop-down list, you must provide a valid email address for the dean or the dean’s designation. Contact the dean’s office to obtain this information.
• Professional Evaluation Form (PEF): The PEF is the traditional letter of recommendation and is a requirement for each applicant. This document includes an evaluation of personal traits, along with overall mandatory comments. You must obtain a valid email address for the evaluators. Three PEFs are required for every applicant with the choice to submit an additional two optional PEFs. All PEFs will be sent to all programs selected.  
• Official dental school transcript(s): A transcript request form must be submitted to the registrar’s office to request an original official copy of the dental school transcript be sent to the ADEA PASS office. Applicants are encouraged to complete the “dental school(s) attended” section first. Once the dental school attended is entered under “academic history,” the ability to print the transcript request form is available.

The ADEA PASS application reports five different test results, some of which are official and some of which are self-reported.

Official and Unofficial (Self-Reported) Test Results

ADEA PASS will post official Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE), National Board Dental Examination (NBDE), Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT) and Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL) results, if received by the American Dental Association (ADA) or Educational Testing Service (ETS).

All official results will be sent to all programs an applicant has selected in ADEA PASS. Applicants can check the status of official results or scores on the Check Status page in the application. ADEA PASS will include self-reported results in the “Academic History” section of the application.

• INBDE: The INBDE results will be available for review on Aug. 1, 2020.
• NBDE: ADEA PASS will post official NBDE results taken in 2012 or later if an applicant requests them.  Results are sent to ADEA PASS within five business days.
• ADAT: It takes approximately 10-12 business days from the request to until received and posted by ADEA PASS.
• TOEFL: Applicants must contact ETS to have official scores released to the ADEA PASS application. Paper copies are not accepted. Use code C352 to submit your request. It takes approximately 10-12 business days from the date you make the request to post to your application.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE): Unofficial (Self-Reported) test results only.