AADSAS, how it works

[toddychurch]

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OK, I am applying for the 2007 cycle. On the AADSAS website it says the application will be available in mid-May. So, when the application is available I fill it out, but when do I have the LOR's and transcripts sent? Also, should I just have the professors, etc. send the letter to AADSAS or should they send them to the school? It seems like that would be a lot to ask a professor or someone else, to send letters to a bunch of schools. Are there any forms for shadowing hours or do we just state how many hours we have shadowed? What about extarcurricular activities? Do we send in documentation or just state what we did?

I am just trying to get everything ready so I can have my aplication in ASAP and I would appreciate a run down of how this works to make it efficient.

Thanks

 

[IndDent]

Hey toddychurch,
Take it easy man/woman...I understand that you have a ton of questions regarding AADSAS...but just know that AADSAS application is one of the best common application apps out there. It has a spot for everything you mentioned in your post.

Wait to establish a username/password with them before you have your professors send in the LORs. Yes, send them directly to AADSAS from your professors...there is a form included with the app that you must print out and give to your professor to send in with the LOR. If you don't...then it makes it much more difficult for the app service to put everything together.

Get the app out as early as possible, but make sure to take quality time to polish your essay and EC section. Remember, you have to include descriptions of your activities for each EC you put down...so go ahead and get started on making a succinct yet quality description for the one's you want to put down. I think max allowed is 2-3 sentences.

As for AADSAS getting everything out to the schools once you have everything in to them...that's out of your hands. They are notorious for losing things and also being slow...so be patient with the process. Get it out early in order to make the most of your potential.

I applied in January (really late)...but my stats were exceptional (at least the DAT was)...don't take any chances like I did.
Indy

 

[daughe29]

You can start an app. from the 2006 cycle under a bogus name to see what the app. looks like. I would recommed it, that way you know what it looks like, what you need, etc. so you can get your app. filled out quickly when the '07 app. becomes available.

 

[Ronald Jeremy]

Agree, agree, and agree. Just get your stuff together before the 2007 app is out, and get it out asap. If you want to submit a LOR after, oh about mid-July, I would get my R-er to send out copies to each school, bypassing AADSAS. They (AADSAS) received one of my letters last Aug. 2 and sat on it for a month and a half before sending it out. The schools don't care where most of the stuff comes from, so avoid AADSAS after mid summer to ensure your crap gets in earlier.

 

[mickeyaddi]

That would have been an excellent way for us 2007ers to take a look to see what's expected. Unfortunately, the applications closed on March 1. Anyone have other suggestions?

 

[IntlMed]

You can start an app. from the 2006 cycle under a bogus name to see what the app. looks like. I would recommed it, that way you know what it looks like, what you need, etc. so you can get your app. filled out quickly when the '07 app. becomes available.

Where do you create the ID though? The website does not have a link to create a NEW ID.

 

[gsrthomas]

Does anyone have a PDF copy of the cover letters for the LOR that the AADSAS want attached?

Is it possible for me to get some of these cover letters? I want to start asking my professors to write me LOR's but I do not have the cover letters that the AADSAS wants attached.

What can I do??

 

[howui3]

Go to AADSAS website and check out the FAQ as well as well as the APPLYING TO DENTAL SCHOOLS section.

here is the link for your convenience:

https://aadsas.adea.org/aadsas2006/instructions/beforeapp.htm

it has all the info on where to send your transcripts from us schools, where to send international transcripts if you studied abroad, and where to send LOR.

the application itself is very easy: your biographical info and your parents, your grades that you have to input yourself, your shadowing, work, volunteer, awards, research experience and the essays (one on dexterity and the main personal statement).

start working on your personal statement now - that is the part that usually takes the longest to complete.

also, start looking for professors to write good LOR and check the schools you are applying to see how many letter and from whom they require (some want dentist LOR while others don't, some want from 2 bio teachers, etc).

if you have your personal essay all done and have the LOR, go ahead and send those and all your transcripts in a few weeks before you plan to start the application. that way when you submit your application AADSAS will have the transcripts to verify your GPA and process your application. Actually, the without transcripts they can't continue processing your app, the LOR you can send letter to AADSAS or directly to the schools.

good luck!!!

 

[IntlMed]

Are u "required" to submit your foreign transcripts. I thought it was optional, especially if the courses were transferred to the American School. As a lot of students who come to the US, come here coz their parent school in some other part of the world closes down. In such situations, if the American school does not save the transcript for the student, there is really no way the student will be able to re-order transcripts from a non-existent school. Is somebody on this forum willing to share their experiences with foreign transcripts?

 

[howui3]

Are u "required" to submit your foreign transcripts. I thought it was optional, especially if the courses were transferred to the American School. As a lot of students who come to the US, come here coz their parent school in some other part of the world closes down. In such situations, if the American school does not save the transcript for the student, there is really no way the student will be able to re-order transcripts from a non-existent school. Is somebody on this forum willing to share their experiences with foreign transcripts?

call AADSAS about that.

on their website they want you to send transcripts from all the schools you went to. so if you did abroad in spain, i am pretty sure you have to send in the transcript, even if in transfered to your US university.

but again call AADSAS to make sure.

 

[IntlMed]

Thank You howui3.

...essays (one on dexterity and the main personal statement).....

Could you explain the dexterity Essay? is this a different essay from the personal statement ?

 

[howui3]

Thank You howui3.


Could you explain the dexterity Essay? is this a different essay from the personal statement ?

Under the Background Info section, you can write about activities you have done to demonstrate your dexterity.

Here is the exact question from AADSAS appication:

Do you wish to describe any activities requiring manual dexterity at which you are proficient? If yes, describe any activities requiring manual dexterity at which you are proficient.

In this sections they also ask if you have relatives who are dentists, or are in dental school, or are dental hygenists, etc.

And the last question in this section is if you have been been dismissed, expelled, found to have violated an honor code, disqualified, suspended, put on probation, or otherwise been subject to disciplinary action at any college or university in connection with your academic performance or misconduct?

On all of these questions you are limited to 600 characters. So it's a mini essay.

Hope that helps.

 

[IntlMed]

Thank you once again for a detailed explanation.

Under the Background Info section, you can write about activities you have done to demonstrate your dexterity.

Here is the exact question from AADSAS appication:

Do you wish to describe any activities requiring manual dexterity at which you are proficient? If yes, describe any activities requiring manual dexterity at which you are proficient.

In this sections they also ask if you have relatives who are dentists, or are in dental school, or are dental hygenists, etc.

And the last question in this section is if you have been been dismissed, expelled, found to have violated an honor code, disqualified, suspended, put on probation, or otherwise been subject to disciplinary action at any college or university in connection with your academic performance or misconduct?

On all of these questions you are limited to 600 characters. So it's a mini essay.

Hope that helps.

 

[gsrthomas]

Does anyone have a PDF copy of the cover letters for the LOR that the AADSAS want attached?

Is it possible for me to get some of these cover letters? I want to start asking my professors to write me LOR's but I do not have the cover letters that the AADSAS wants attached.

What can I do??

Can anyone answer the above question?

I want to ask my professors for LOR's but I cannot get the cover letters that AADSAS want attached.

How can I obtain these? I cannot login get, dont have an account.

 

[Gasedo]

Are u "required" to submit your foreign transcripts. I thought it was optional, especially if the courses were transferred to the American School. As a lot of students who come to the US, come here coz their parent school in some other part of the world closes down. In such situations, if the American school does not save the transcript for the student, there is really no way the student will be able to re-order transcripts from a non-existent school. Is somebody on this forum willing to share their experiences with foreign transcripts?

I got my foreign transcript sent to ECE. They evaluated all my grades so now, I can send them with the application to Dental Schools.

 

[howui3]

Can anyone answer the above question?

I want to ask my professors for LOR's but I cannot get the cover letters that AADSAS want attached.

How can I obtain these? I cannot login get, dont have an account.

when you open an acount and start filling out the AADSAS application you will enter the names of the people who will be writing you LOR. Once you do that you will have a link to open a pdf file with the cover letter that has your AADSAS id as the name of the letter writer.

nobody can get you that file since they are specific for each applicant and for each letter.

 

[gsrthomas]

when you open an acount and start filling out the AADSAS application you will enter the names of the people who will be writing you LOR. Once you do that you will have a link to open a pdf file with the cover letter that has your AADSAS id as the name of the letter writer.

nobody can get you that file since they are specific for each applicant and for each letter.

I want to ask my professors now to write me a LOR's. I dont want to wait until May and ask them.

Do I really need that cover letter?? When does everyone get their LOR's??

In May school is over and many of my professors go out of town for seminars, research, etc.

If I want to get my application out ASAP then I need start asking for LOR's now and not in May.

What does everyone do about this??

 

[coral2005]

Do you have a Pre-Health Advisory committee?

What I did was I had each individual professor send in my LOR to my school's advisory committee. Once all the letters were received by them, the head of the committee wrote a composite letter (using all of the professors' letters) and formed a packet that included the composite letter and all of the individual letters. This packet was sent directly to the schools in about July (at my request). I never had to have anything forwarded to AADSAS, except for my official transcripts.

It was very easy that way. See if your school has a pre-dental/pre-health/pre-med committee, and see if they'll do that for you. That way, all LORs are received as a single packet by each school. It's convenient for them, and for you!!

Good luck.

 

[howui3]

I want to ask my professors now to write me a LOR's. I dont want to wait until May and ask them.

Do I really need that cover letter?? When does everyone get their LOR's??

In May school is over and many of my professors go out of town for seminars, research, etc.

If I want to get my application out ASAP then I need start asking for LOR's now and not in May.

What does everyone do about this??

Here is my suggestion:

Ask the teachers for a letter now and tell them about the AADSAS cover letter. Then ask them to place the letter in a sealed official envelope and give it to you. This way when you start filling out the AADSAS application you can quickly generate the cover letters and place that with the LOR in an envelope and mail it in.

BUT, having the letters in before you start filling out the AADSAS application will not really speed up the process. Not having your transcripts WILL slow you down since AADSAS takes about 2-4 weeks to verify all your grades and created an official GPA breakdown. Then it takes another 4-6 weeks to send out your application. The letters of rec can come in anytime and AADSAS forwards them on to the schools even if your mail application has already been sent. OR you can send the letters to each school, that will save a lot of time and avoids any AADSAS problems - but your professors must be willing to make several copies (one for each school).

Or you can just send it in without a letter and hope the people at AADSAS file it correctly. But I have to worn you, AADSAS is known for problems with misplacing, loosing, not sending, or sending the wrong letter of rec. If you do send LOR without the cover letter be sure to follow up to make verify they were received. Better yet send them certified mail.