General Application Timeline

Please refer to Duke's Pre-Health Application Timeline for specific dates and information pertaining to your application cycle.

  • Summer before you plan to apply to schools (this is sophomore summer if no gap year):

    • Start studying for the DAT, Register for DAT
    • Usually good idea to take exam by May/June; earlier if you want to plan for retakes

  • Fall Semester after taking DAT in the summer (junior fall if no gap year):

    • Start researching dental schools you might apply to
    • Make sure you’re on track with pre-requisites
    • Continue shadowing dentists/specialists during breaks
    • Declare your intent to apply by April 1 with the Office of Pre Health (Past the date please email Ms. Morhac at brittany.morhac@duke.edu)

  • Spring Semester before applying (junior spring if no gap year):

    • Request for letters of recommendation from professors or dentist
      • Most Duke students use the Committee Letter option which will fulfill all of the requirements for schools. Otherwise most school require 2-3 letters with 2 being from science professors
      • Besides the Committee letter you will also need another letter from a dentist that you’ve shadowed
    • Complete requirements for committee letter as described in the Duke Pre Health website
    • Complete the DAT before May of the year that you want to apply.
    • Helpful to work on personal statement and compile shadowing experiences/activities/jobs/clubs/volunteering before the application comes out
    • Request for an unofficial transcript at the end of Spring semester (May) -will need to record all courses taken in AADSAS

  • March - June (same year that you apply- junior summer if no gap year)

    • ADEA AADSAS application opens around May and you have the entire month to get everything together before the first day of submission in June

  • June - December (of the same year you submitted the application- senior fall if no gap year):

    • Continue working on AADSAS application, submitting fees to schools, secondary apps
    • Late July - Nov. is when most people hear from schools about interviews
    • December 15 -first day that schools notify applications of acceptances