AADSAS Q&A

[highfly413]

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thanks jrogoff-

ok...what's the best way to go about getting enough copies of each LOR for each school. because i obviously can't open them? do i need to ask each teacher to send me like 10 copies? thanks

 

[JRogoff]

^^^

Yeah, i think thats really the only way to do it. Just hope that your teachers are understanding of your stiuation. If they don't want to do that, then i guess you have to go through AADSAS. Good luck! 😀

 

[Neon Black]

Q: What kind of envelope should I send my transcript in to AADSAS? Should I send it in a standard mail envelope and just fold it twice or one of those nicer large yellow envelopes?

 

[JRogoff]

Q: What kind of envelope should I send my transcript in to AADSAS? Should I send it in a standard mail envelope and just fold it twice or one of those nicer large yellow envelopes?

It really doesn't matter if the envelope is nice or not, its not going to the schools you applied to. Also, most schools will send transcripts for you in a sealed envelope. This is uasually the way to do it.

 

[Neon Black]

Q: I finished a class this summer that isn't on my transcipt yet. Should I go ahead and put it on my Aadsas course list anyway?

 

[phosphorylation]

yeah, i was sort of wondering the same thing actually...I haven't finished it yet, but I will have finished it in like 4 weeks...

 

[JRogoff]

Once you finish courses you can just simply send a new transcript to the schools you applied to, no need to go through AADSAS. What i found is that most schools will ask you to bring an up to date transcript with you to your interview. I suggest calling the schools you applied to and see when they will need an updated transcript.

 

[Lilith]

I just started filling out my ADDSAS application. I still haven't gotten a chance to ask my professors for LORs yet. Can I submit the application with the evaluator section blank, and fill it out later when I am sure? It might still take me up to a month for LORs, so maybe I should send them directly to the schools?

Thanks.

 

[Sprgrover]

I think as a dependent, you will receive more loans (larger amount) than independent because they assume that you will have financial support from those dependents.

As a dependant (meaning you are dependant on someone else for financial support) you will receive less loans than an independant (who lacks said individuals and access to their funds). The way the government calculates loan amounts is based what they are willing to give less the amount your parents/guardians are "supposed" to give you. Trust me, they don't care if your parents have kicked you to the curb and refuse to give dollar one towards your education - the federal government says that your parents "should" give "X" amount towards your education and therefore take that into account. This is at least how undergraduate financing works with them, and then when you turn the magic age of 25, the above does not apply and you can receive more financial aid.

In regards to dental school financing, a very intelligent dentist, who was also one of my anatomy instructors, discussed loans one day in class. He exclaimed that the government has structured dental school loans around an antiquated, 40 year old system and are designed to service a single (non-married, childless) student. He said that those students that were married, and especially those with children, were having a much harder time making ends meet than the single students. The government, suffering from group-think, will not release more funds for those with dependants (someone dependant on them for survival, etc.) when he was in dental school. Things might have changed since six years ago, but he was exclaimed this is info people don't explain to you until you are knee deep in the process. (If there is any change it might be for the worse as the D.O.E is looking to scale back funding for professional programs). Several pre-dental students in the class were married with children and were alarmed by the news. According to him, having dependants (which is different than being a dependant) does not increase your loan amount, and if it does, not by much. Please correct me if I am wrong. I can certainly contact him about this and get more feedback from him.

 

[JRogoff]

I just started filling out my ADDSAS application. I still haven't gotten a chance to ask my professors for LORs yet. Can I submit the application with the evaluator section blank, and fill it out later when I am sure? It might still take me up to a month for LORs, so maybe I should send them directly to the schools?

Thanks.

What i would do is just submit your AADSAS as soon as possible. Then when you get your LORs just send them directly to the schools and don't go throught AADSAS. This will make the process much faster.

 

[AFVET]

What i would do is just submit your AADSAS as soon as possible. Then when you get your LORs just send them directly to the schools and don't go throught AADSAS. This will make the process much faster.

Is there a specific way to do this? I thought the point of going through AADSAS is to make sure the applicant has not tampered with the letters. Could you just give the teacher an addressed and stamped envelope and have them send it or is there a certain protocol that must be followed?

p.s. when replying to a post is it possible to only quote part of the message instead of the whole thing?

 

[JRogoff]

There is not really a certain protocol, so you can just give them an addressed and stamped envelope. I don't think the schools worry about people tampering with LORs because they school can just call the person that wrote the letter. I just gave my teachers the address of the schools and they sent it themselves.

 

[Bickle]

You need to have the teacher put their signature over the seal of the envelope. Otherwise schools wont accept them.

 

[JRogoff]

You need to have the teacher put their signature over the seal of the envelope. Otherwise schools wont accept them.

I was never told this, but it does sound like a good security measure.

 

[Lilith]

What i would do is just submit your AADSAS as soon as possible. Then when you get your LORs just send them directly to the schools and don't go throught AADSAS. This will make the process much faster.

Thanks.

 

[x-linked]

question: can i check my gpa calculated by aadsas by calling them?

 

[The Musketeer]

Q: What kind of envelope should I send my transcript in to AADSAS? Should I send it in a standard mail envelope and just fold it twice or one of those nicer large yellow envelopes?

Yes, you don't have to be too fancy on this since once AADSAS receives your LORs and transcripts, they will photocopy them and send the photocopies instead to dental schools.

 

[The Musketeer]

question: can i check my gpa calculated by aadsas by calling them?

If you are lucky, you might be able to do it. Since this is the busiest time of the year for AADSAS they might not have the time to answer questions not related to the processing or receipt of applications.

You should be able to approximate the AADSAS by following the table provided on their website.

https://aadsas.adea.org/html-bin/grading system conversion table.htm

 

[DREDAY]

Ok, so my GPA was not that great in community college but I managed to transfer to UCLA. My gpa at UCLA is a 3.413 but when calculated with my community college GPA it becomes a 3.013. (I have calculated my GPA myself including any classes that I have retaken.) I was if when reviewing my application, if the board will put more weight on my UCLA GPA since its a much harder school. And I was also wandering if ADSAS takes both grades you received in retaken classes into account when calculating your gpa. Thanks.

 

[DREDAY]

I have managed to acquire 6 letters of recommendation. 1 very short one from the dentist who I shadowed and 5 from UCLA proffessors. The 5 from UCLA proffessors will be very strong letters. None of the schools specify whether they you can send more than 2 or 3 letters. Do you think it will be ok if I send in 5 letters? Also I should limit myself to less letters which ones should I include which ones should I omit? I would think ommitting the weak letter from the dentist I shadowed would be the smart thing, but every school seems to demand a letter from a dentist. what should i do? thanks

 

[Halitosis]

I have managed to acquire 6 letters of recommendation. 1 very short one from the dentist who I shadowed and 5 from UCLA proffessors. The 5 from UCLA proffessors will be very strong letters. None of the schools specify whether they you can send more than 2 or 3 letters. Do you think it will be ok if I send in 5 letters? Also I should limit myself to less letters which ones should I include which ones should I omit? I would think ommitting the weak letter from the dentist I shadowed would be the smart thing, but every school seems to demand a letter from a dentist. what should i do? thanks

hello dreday,
"every school seems to demand a letter from a dentist"??? which schools are you applying to? thanks!

 

[Halitosis]

somebody help me out please!
on the application, what should i put for TYPE if I got a grade for a class from taking a test offered by my university. it was a university-made test to place out of 4 chinese classes. would it be "advanced placement" or "undergrad"? thank you!

 

[princewalta]

I just wanted to know why some people's GPA and AADSAS GPA dont agree. I dont understand why the AADSAS GPA is so much lower for everybody. can someone explain?

 

[Sprgrover]

I don't know about it being "so much lower." Probably what happens is that an applicant has attended two or more schools, enrolled in a course somewhere else, etc. The college or univeristy that you have graduated from, or will graduate from, has their own method of accepting outside credits and interpreting grades and this all plays into your final gpa from that institution. Unlike your school, AADSAS is not concerned with whether class X can be used to fulfill your requirement for class Y. They simply inventory all of your grades and calculate your gpa. You have to remember that sometimes they convert your quarter hour credits to match your semester hours (which is what happened to me) and this can alter your gpa. Keep in mind that your AADSAS stats are merely points of reference for dental schools, which have access to your transcripts and can examine things for themselves should there be cause for concern.

 

[princewalta]

I don't know about it being "so much lower." Probably what happens is that an applicant has attended two or more schools, enrolled in a course somewhere else, etc. The college or univeristy that you have graduated from, or will graduate from, has their own method of accepting outside credits and interpreting grades and this all plays into your final gpa from that institution. Unlike your school, AADSAS is not concerned with whether class X can be used to fulfill your requirement for class Y. They simply inventory all of your grades and calculate your gpa. You have to remember that sometimes they convert your quarter hour credits to match your semester hours (which is what happened to me) and this can alter your gpa. Keep in mind that your AADSAS stats are merely points of reference for dental schools, which have access to your transcripts and can examine things for themselves should there be cause for concern.

THank you, i was just alittle concern because of people in here had a very dramatic drop in their two GPA's.

 

[v&andy_yankee]

1. when you received your AADSAS confirmation (pink sheets) that means they sent out your application to the schools already, right?

2. 2 of the 6 schools i'm applying to aren't looking at the 2005 cycle "until mid august" but a few of the others have set up files already. for LORs, should i tell my college to sent them to all my schools, or just the ones who have definitely opened up a file? what about the schools who say "don't do anything until an administrative officer contacts you"--should you sent in LORs, etc?

 

[rocknightmare]

I have several letters from different professors that I collected over the years while I was at UVA. Just graduated. Anyways, at UVA we have pre-profersonal advising, and I was wondering if I have to use that service or not. (I prefer not to b/c the advising people already wrote me a letter b/c I applied to med school last year. I am not sure how that would like to the advising committe and how they would write me another one. In addition the advising committe would take forever to write me another letter (SLOW BASTARDS 🙂).

Thanks

 

[rocknightmare]

My other question. Is there a way to calculate gpa function on the AADSAS so I can make sure that the gpa corresponds to my transcript gpa .. we use the same grading system.

 

[JRogoff]

My other question. Is there a way to calculate gpa function on the AADSAS so I can make sure that the gpa corresponds to my transcript gpa .. we use the same grading system.

This link should help you out....

http://www.adea.org/AADSAS/webdocs/AppInstrBooklet.pdf

Just use this table to convert your school's grading system to the AADSAS system. It is pretty self explanitory, Good Luck! 😀

 

[tbrillia]

Couple of questions for y?all:

1) When I copy and paste my personal statement (from Microsoft Word) into the AADSAS box, it seems to loose all of its formatting- ie. Indents for new paragraphs. The whole thing just gets jumbled into one long paragraph. Does anyone know if AADSAS sees exactly what I am seeing in that box, or is the formatting somehow being invisibly preserved? It is easy to add the indents in again, but I don?t want to add TWO indents if the original ones are still there.

2) In regards to choosing a class description, how picky do the committees get? I have a class that does not really fit into any of their categories too well. I chose ?other biological science? to describe it since it sort of fits that description and I got a good grade in it (so it will count towards the science gpa). But, I saw a previous poster mention that committees look badly on ?grade inflation,? and I don?t want to even be thought of as doing that. Should I choose another category to avoid such a thing, even though there?s really isn?t one that?s any better?

3) I have attended several different colleges and had them all send the transcripts directly to me. How do I send these to AADSAS? Do I need to fill out those transcript matching forms that are normally used by the registrar? If so, do I need to fill out one for each school?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[jheidenr]

tbrillia:

1) The AADSAS application only allows simple text in the text boxes provided, which means no formatting other than simple text characters and a line break (what you get when you press enter). I would suggest separating your paragraphs with two line breaks so there is an empty line in-between each paragraph. If you want to do this or indent your paragraphs, you will have to do it manually after you paste the essay into the application text box.

3.) There is a transcript matching form that you will need to download from the AADSAS website. You should print off a copy of this document for each transcript that you will be sending in and mail them all together to AADSAS with the transcripts.

Good luck!

 

[tbrillia]

Thanks jheidenr, I'll do that. By the way, how do you like the Arizona program (I think that's what your icon is), I am considering putting it on my list as one of my "far from hom but would be interesting to spend four years there" schools.

 

[jheidenr]

The icon actually is for the UofArizona pre-dent club. The Arizona program I'd say is on my "close to home, so I guess I'll go there if all else fails" list. I've visited the school a couple of times and was impressed with what I saw. My only reserve about the program would be that they just opened last year and just now building their clinic. I want to make sure to attend a school that will give me a strong clinical experience. I'm sure that they'll do fine though.

 

[drat]

What do the grades I, N, P, and W represent on the AADSAS application?

I = incomplete?
N = ?
P = Pass?
W = withdraw?

I had a course in which I took an "NRO" (none recording option) in which I passed the class but did not receive a letter grade...What would I put for this?

 

[Dr. Steve Brule]

tbrillia:

3.) There is a transcript matching form that you will need to download from the AADSAS website. You should print off a copy of this document for each transcript that you will be sending in and mail them all together to AADSAS with the transcripts.

Good luck!

so the part that says "Registrar Complete" should I just fill in myself? and it says attach it to the transcript..should i staple it or what? thanks

 

[drat]

bump...need help answering this question. 🙂

What do the grades I, N, P, and W represent on the AADSAS application?

I = incomplete?
N = ?
P = Pass?
W = withdraw?

I had a class in which I had an NRO (non-recording option). I passed the class, received credit, but did not receive a letter grade...What would I put for this?

 

[jheidenr]

I=Incomplete
P=Pass
N=No Pass
W=withdraw

your NRO sounds like a Pass grade to me

read https://aadsas.adea.org/html-bin/section_2_part_3.htm to find out more information on the grading codes.

 

[rocknightmare]

For the experiences, research, and other fields that say list.. Did you list?? or also explain like in a resume

 

[justletmein]

I got one:

How can i get my DAT scores sent to more schools? (I have not taken DAT yet)

 

[rocknightmare]

currently iam taking courses as a contiuning ed.. basicaly graduate level courses with no degree .. should i list this as "beyond degree education" or "graduate education"

 

[rocknightmare]

"Type of work" - did you just state your title or did you explain the position, and your responsiblities?

 

[Dr. Steve Brule]

I got one:

How can i get my DAT scores sent to more schools? (I have not taken DAT yet)

when u sign up to take the DAT u check off which schools u want it sent to..if u decide to send it to additional schools after u've taken it fill out this form and send it in with the payment (it has to be a money order or certified check - $10 per school)

http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/form_transcript_dat.pdf

 

[The Musketeer]

currently iam taking courses as a contiuning ed.. basicaly graduate level courses with no degree .. should i list this as "beyond degree education" or "graduate education"

What I did was that I put it in with my 'undergrad' scores. I didn't have any problems with this.

 

[The Musketeer]

"Type of work" - did you just state your title or did you explain the position, and your responsiblities?

It should be good to summarize the type of work that you have/are doing so that they can get a better idea.

 

[The Musketeer]

For the experiences, research, and other fields that say list.. Did you list?? or also explain like in a resume

I did it in kind of like a resume style, where I put the time, title, summarize of the job/activity in point forms.

 

[The Musketeer]

bump...need help answering this question. 🙂

What do the grades I, N, P, and W represent on the AADSAS application?

I = incomplete?
N = ?
P = Pass?
W = withdraw?

I had a class in which I had an NRO (non-recording option). I passed the class, received credit, but did not receive a letter grade...What would I put for this?

Then I guess you should put a "pass" as your grade, unless you have some type of grade (number or letter) to support it.

 

[pslim]

I have a question about the Letter of Recs Matching Forms. I'm actually doing my LOR through my campus letter service and they said I didn't need a form but apparently AADAAS says otherwise. I was wondering since my letter writers already wrote my letters, if I just fill out the form myself and mail it, would that be ok? Because technically the writer doesn't even have to sign anything on the form, just to print their name and institution and also it's just a matching form.

My other question is in the apps section about your work experience, volunteer experience, etc. do I strictly follow their question and keeping it to a minimum of type of work, dates, place and hours or should I kind of copy and paste my resume in there??

ALSO, I'm so grateful I found this forum. I feel somewhat sane now that I've skimmed over a few postings and realized that there are others that are going crazy and as miserable as me...except my GPA is a LOT lower!

 

[Dr. Steve Brule]

I have a question about the Letter of Recs Matching Forms. I'm actually doing my LOR through my campus letter service and they said I didn't need a form but apparently AADAAS says otherwise. I was wondering since my letter writers already wrote my letters, if I just fill out the form myself and mail it, would that be ok? Because technically the writer doesn't even have to sign anything on the form, just to print their name and institution and also it's just a matching form..

well if i were u i wouldn't even bother having aadsas process the LORs..have them sent directly to schools..it will save about 4 weeks of processing as well as the possibility of aadsas "misplacing" them

 

[2thDk]

I have one copy of each of my letter of recommendations. They are sealed and have the instructors signatures across the seal. I also don't have the matching letter enclosed since I have been collecting them WAY before I applied to Dental School. How could I send them directly to the schools when I only have one copy of each and they aren't opened since they are "confidential"? I'm just going to paperclip the matching forms to each of the letters in thier envelopes and send them all together in a priority mail envelope with shipping confirmation. Now I'm freaking out that they might misplace my letters and it will be close to impossible to get new ones! Please advise, I need some!

 

[2thDk]

Also, how long will it take them to get my application and letters out to the schools? I am taking my DAT on Oct. 8 (I know it's late), should I send them in before I pay and edeliver my application, or do you think this increases the possibility of them getting lost? I already had my transcripts sent in, I hope they know where to put them. As long as I have the application form open and an account created do you think they have a file for me?