Soon Before You Apply

Saving Your Money

Make strategic decisions with your money. Sure, everyone knows that professional school is expensive once you are in, but the application (and matriculation) process can be quite expensive too. If you are struggling financially there are some options available. Some applicants take a growth year to improve their financial situation. Expenses to consider:

  • ADEA AADSAS application fees
  • Supplemental application fees
  • DAT fee
  • Interview attire
  • Travel/transportation costs
  • Lodging
  • Meals
  • Background check
  • Immunizations & Eye Exam
  • Tuition deposit(s)
  • Health insurance
  • Final transcripts
  • Scrubs
  • Housing deposits, utility deposits, etc. 

Take the Dental Admission Test (DAT)

Make sure that you allow yourself enough time to study for the DAT. If you chose to invest in a DAT preparatory course, do not choose more than a couple or it could be confusing. There are many DAT preparation resources available to applicants and we encourage you to choose a resource that works best with your learning style. Organize your time and devote a certain number of hours and days to each subject on the exam. Do not neglect the Quantitative Reasoning section because many students perform poorly in this subject. Take practice exams to determine areas of weakness and focus your efforts there. Study hard so that your score is competitive. UF College of Dentistry (UFCD) requires a minimum score of at least a 15 in each individual section of the DAT. To view the entering class DAT averages please visit: Entering Class Stats.

If you are dissatisfied with your scores, you must wait at least 60 days from your last attempt before retaking the DAT. It is advisable to take the DAT early in the application cycle (May or June) to give you ample time to retake it, if necessary, and meet our November 1st DAT and application deadline. For example, if you were to take the DAT in September and performed poorly, you would not be able to retake the exam before the UFCD application deadline.

It may take a few weeks after your scores are submitted to ADEA AADSAS for them to be verified and uploaded into your application. To expedite the review process, you can upload your unofficial score report to “Documents” on the ADEA AADSAS application on or before November 1.


Request Letters of Evaluation (LOEs)

Three individual letters or one committee letter are required. We do not require letters to be written by specific professors or professionals. Choose letter writers who know you well and who can add value to your application. If all the letter writer knows is a grade earned in their class, no new information about you is added. Be sure to ask the letter writer in a way that allows them to decline. It is better to have someone decline to write a letter rather than submit one that is mediocre or hold up your application process because they don’t submit it in a timely manner. It is more important for your letter writer to know you well than it is for them to have an important job title. It adds no value to your application to have a letter from a high-ranking government official whom you have never met. You should not have a family member or personal friend write a letter.

Give your letter writer your resume/C.V. and personal statement to reference as they draft your letter. Make it as simple and easy as possible for your letter writer. Visit the ADEA AADSAS Supporting Information webpage with guideline to help prepare your letters of evaluation. Please note that UFCD reserves the right to verify letters of evaluation for authenticity.

Write Your Personal Statement

If you are having difficulty in deciding what to write in your personal statement, ADEA has put together some helpful ideas to get you thinking. Be sure that the majority of your personal statement is about you. You can use stories about the dentists you’ve shadowed or challenges that your family members or friends have faced, but make sure that you always bring it back to you. Your Personal Statement should be genuine, from the heart and tell us your story about your connection to dentistry.

Proofreading is important! We strongly encourage you to begin drafting your personal statement many weeks before the ADEA AADSAS application cycle opens. Have several people review it for clarity of thought and grammatical errors. Don’t wait until the last minute

Determine State Residency

Preference is given to residents of the state of Florida. Approximately 10% of our entering class is comprised of out-of-state students. For application review purposes, UF College of Dentistry must follow the state of legal residency listed on the ADEA AADSAS application. However, the University of Florida determines state residency for tuition purposes based on published criteria rather than what an applicant lists on the ADEA AADSAS application.

We have previously admitted students who were listed as non- residents on the ADEA AADSAS application who subsequently provide proper documentation for Florida residency status for in-state tuition upon enrollment. Additionally, we have previously admitted students listed as Florida residents on the ADEA AADSAS application who were unable to provide proof of Florida residency and had to pay non-resident tuition upon enrollment. For more information about how UF determines residency for tuition purposes, please visit UF Office of Admissions and UF Registrar.

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