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10 Dental School Personal Statement Examples

Including key tips for a strong dental school personal statement.

Before you start crafting your own stellar dental school personal statement, you must review some dental school personal statement examples. Why? These sample essays can help you brainstorm and reflect on what you would like to include in your essay. This blog dives into some dental school personal statement examples from our own past successful students, and then our  dental school advisors  will go over our proven strategies to help you create your own from scratch! As you review these examples keep in mind that these are final works and the result of multiple rounds of reviews by our admissions experts as part of our  application review  programs. Writing fantastic statements for dental school requires patience and multiple rounds of revisions before a perfect statement can be written.

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Article Contents 15 min read

Dental school personal statement example #1.

In the final moments of a key game in a hockey tournament, I jumped over the boards and onto the ice without putting my mouth guard back in place. It was attached to my helmet, but I had a chance for the puck, and I took it. Moments later, an opponent’s stick caught me in the face, knocking out my front tooth. Play stopped, and my team found my tooth on the ice. I looked to the bleachers. My mom was already on the phone getting initial instructions from our dentist for saving the tooth. Within 15 minutes, we were outside the clinic as my dentist unlocked the door, despite it being a Saturday night. As I was treated within half an hour, my tooth could be saved by stabilizing it as it healed. Until that moment, I thought of my dentist as someone I only saw every six months; I hadn’t seen her as a critical part of my healthcare team.

I realized from this experience that time is a factor in dental care, and thus a career in dentistry. My tooth was saved because I lived in an urban centre and had immediate access to care, not to mention the continuity of care I’ve had since I was a child. My mother is employed and has good dental coverage, but this is not the case for many. Without timely check-ups, both oral and medical issues that could be detected and prevented can become more serious conditions.

With this awareness, I have for the last 6 years volunteered in two ways. In the time since my hockey accident, I’ve worked with my dentist on a safety awareness campaign for young hockey players and their families, teaching about the necessity of mouth guards, as well as how a quick response to such injuries may help in recovery. I’ve also worked alongside dentists for the Smiling Children Foundation in vulnerable neighborhoods, where dental neglect is not uncommon, and continuity of care is rare. Recently, we set up a mobile clinic in a school, where I record personal information and take a medical history for each child. A young boy, 10 years old, complained of constant headaches and pain in his body. Upon examination, the dentist noticed his gums were dark purple in places and bled easily. Our team alerted a community doctor of a potential immune disorder, and the young boy was diagnosed and treated, returning to good health within months. That day, I learned that oral healthcare is holistic healthcare, and that it is a privilege to support those who may not have time, resources, or access to oral healthcare.

I have had this privilege in what began as dental shadowing and is now part-time employment, where I liaise between patients and insurance companies, manage team schedules, and comfort anxious patients. This might be as simple as holding a hand while the dentist performs the procedure. Or, I might hold a baby while the father sees the hygienist. I’ve learned to read an X-ray accurately, prepare the instruments needed for a procedure, and balance the books. I have been mentored by both a medical and business professional, and I have borne witness to our patients’ high and low points. I have worked hard to understand what goes into growing and maintaining a successful dental practice and feel capable to meet the challenge of the multiple roles required in this dynamic vocation.

It bears mentioning why my first-year grades are not what I’d hoped they would be. I joined a good number of co-curricular clubs with the intention of participating in our campus community and developing my professional skills. By midterm, I realized I had oversubscribed myself. Unfortunately, willpower and desire were not enough. My grades suffered as I tried to manage my responsibilities. By attending time management seminars and learning to manage time rather than be managed by time, I was able retrieve my grades. From 2nd year forward, I’ve maintained a 4.0 GPA while moving up the ranks of student organizations and taking an active role in a research project. Resilience is like a muscle that needs time, exercise, and perseverance to build.

From a sports accident, to volunteer work in an underserved community, to employment in a dental office and an academic career that shows both mistakes and recovery, I have thought carefully about what dentistry is. A dentist is part of a larger healthcare team, and a dentist can often treat not only a single patient over decades, but provide intergenerational care to a family. I aspire to dentistry to accompany my patients through life, 6 months at a time, offering compassionate, whole-person healthcare. (4,497 characters, including spaces)

• Inciting incident: the moment that influenced the student’s outlook on dentistry as a career is highlighted in spades. Seeing the structure here as almost like a story, you’re taking the reader on a journey from point A to point B. For the personal statement, your opening should hook in the reader. This writer does this well.
• Addresses weaknesses: the student mentions how their first-year grades weren’t what they’d hoped for. They acknowledge their faults and briefly outline the circumstances without making excuses before getting into the most important part: what they did to improve or learn from their mistakes. If you’re in a position to use your personal statement as a way to address gaps or inconsistencies, then you can follow the same rule.
• Major experiences are detailed: you need to show the admissions committee that dentistry is the right career for you. The best way to do this is to describe clinical experiences, ideally in a dental setting. The student who wrote this sample described their experiences shadowing, being a part-time employee, and volunteering at a foundation. If you have many experiences like these, don’t simply list them off, but select a few to describe in more depth.

Want some tips for writing a dental school personal statement? Check out this video:

"Ready, Set, Bake,” shouted the host of Bake-Off. I was 16 and a contestant of a televised baking show. Our 6th challenge gave us 3 hours to perfectly bake the most decadent and timing consuming dessert: the mille-feuille – layers of puff pastry, filled with whipped cream and custard, and glazed on top. Despite being the only teenager in a field of contestants ranging from 20-70 years of age, I’d made it through several days of cuts for one of the spots on the show. I wish I could say that my dessert was a masterpiece, but as the timer counted down and I plated it, the filling oozed, and the pastry crumbled. I’d made to the Top Six, but the mille-feuille defeated me and I was asked to hang up my apron. As I reflect on this experience, the solo and team challenges, the practice to get on the show, the mastery needed to gain a top spot, I realize that I’m grateful even for the defeat, because I learned valuable lessons that helped me develop key qualities and skills that are in-line with the core competencies necessary for dentistry, my chosen profession. Both dentistry and competitive baking require innovation and excellence, communication and accountability, and the necessity of precision, focus, and a steady hand.

Both of my parents are dentists. While the influence of their careers on my own access to knowledge cannot be underestimated, I have been deeply cognizant of making an autonomous career decision. That decision is my own, but my parents have admittedly opened unique conversations around ethics, technology, and patient care to me. My earliest memories include attending dental conferences with them and being encouraged to explore the Exhibits Floor, where I learned about the newest dental products and treatments and “test drove” the latest innovations in dentistry. I developed an aptitude for predicting which products and technologies were gimmicks and which would effectively support excellence in patient care. This knack has made me something of an informal consultant for my parents and their colleagues, who value my insights on innovation and efficacy of new treatments.

While technology is at the forefront of change, what remains consistent over time is the importance of communication and accountability to provide excellent patient care. I’ve had the privilege to shadow Dr. Ann Lee, an oral surgeon, over the past 3 years. Among many things, she showed me that inherent in communication is accountability. Many of her patients are children and teens having teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons. The son of a family who had been Dr. Lee’s patients for over a decade arrived for a complicated wisdom tooth extraction. Despite familiarity with the family, the doctor painstakingly reviewed the extraction process to prepare them effectively. The procedure went well in the office; however, on the way home, the boy began haemorrhaging. An artery had been compromised during the surgery. I watched as Dr. Lee packed bone wax around the artery to stem the bleeding. What struck me about this experience was the standard of accountability to which the surgeon held herself, as she communicated with the family by phone, made a house call later that evening on her way home, and remained on-call over the weekend to ensure the safety and healing of the child. The family maintained their trust in Dr. Lee because of her open communication and sense of accountability. I also learned just how fragile and technical dental work is, requiring both dexterity and precision.

Volunteering in a dental brigade in Haiti, Mirlande, 6, taught me about vulnerability and trust. Mirlande was scared and reluctant to open her mouth for her first dental exam. I took her aside and, as she watched, I carved a perfect tooth from soap using dental instruments. I carved slowly and precisely, and then presented her with the gift. She put the tooth in her pocket and then allowed me to clean her teeth. I was immediately struck by the vulnerability of not only soft tissue, but of hearts, as she leaned back and opened her mouth in trust. This moment solidified my decision to become a dentist.

Though the earlier comparison between baking and dentistry is merely an analogy, it is one that suggests I have developed key skills and am aware of the core competencies a dentist must hold to best serve their patients professionally and ethically. Dentistry is my vocation, baking a hobby, but both speak to my investment in excellence, precision, and doing for others.  (4,500 characters, including spaces)

A dental school personal statement is your opportunity to show admissions committees who you are as a person and aspiring dental professional, aside from your CV, GPA, Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) score, and other quantitative data. As any personal statement essay, the dental school personal essay should be a narrative account that gives the admissions committee the opportunity to learn more about you than what can be conveyed in a dry document like a CV or transcript. 

For dental school  ADEA AADSAS  applications, the American Dental Education Association requires an essay of no more than 4,500 characters (including spaces), which must demonstrate your key personal qualities, aspirations, and reasons for pursuing a career in dentistry to the schools to which you are applying. This process isn’t as standardized in Canadian programs, so you’ll need to check the application requirements for the programs and schools to which you are applying to see if a personal statement is required. In doing so, you can also learn whether there are any specific requirements regarding the length of the essay, whether there is a specific prompt to which you must respond in your dental school personal statement, and whether there are any other application requirements.

Want some more personal statement examples? Watch this video:

Writing a Strong Dental School Personal Statement

If you're applying to  dental schools in Canada  or the US, a personal statement, or similar essay, is often required as part of your application package, regardless of whether you're applying through AADSAS or  TMDSAS . It’s important to craft a statement that draws from your experiences, such as your dental school extracurriculars. You can also refer to your dental school application experience examples , or even your dental school letter of recommendation for help. This blog will help you understand the key things you must do (and that you must avoid) in composing your essay, with dental school personal statement examples that demonstrate these strategies, so that you can draft the strongest, most compelling dental school personal statement possible.

1. Tell a story

Ideally, you will craft a story or detail a defining moment that helped you realize why this is the profession you want to pursue. Providing an anecdote or vignette – perhaps an experience you’ve had as a dental patient, an interaction you’ve witnessed as a volunteer or while shadowing a dental care professional, a story about someone you know, etc., – is often a useful way of giving the evaluators a window into your life and motivations.

2. Demonstrate why you’re a “good fit”

Your dental school personal statement should also express why you are a strong candidate and a "good fit" for the school and program, while stirring the interest of your reader. Review our blog,  dental school acceptance rates  to find out which schools are best suited for you. Admissions committees will review hundreds of these personal statements, so draw on the values of the profession and the mission of the institution to highlight your alignment with the vision and goals of this vocation, and do so in a way that is engaging and enjoyable to read. Again, narrative is a great way of doing this – people love stories and are often naturally drawn in by them. Bear this in mind as you begin drafting your essay.

Here are some more tips for writing a dental school personal statement:

3. Be authentic and readable

In your personal statement, you want to present your very best self, emphasizing your genuine passion for the field and your enthusiasm for working in a healthcare profession like dentistry. Don’t try to cram in complicated terminology or jargon, thinking it will make you sound smarter (it won’t – true experts know how to explain their ideas effectively to an audience of non-specialists), and don’t rely on clichés (e.g., “I want to help people” – this is a lovely desire, but it’s over-used and too generic). Use polished prose that represents your genuine voice and reasons for pursuing the profession, and write in a way that will be comprehensible even to those outside this particular specialization. This can take practice. You might go through multiple drafts of your essay before you’re confident in submitting it. If you’re having trouble getting to this point, consider dental school admissions consulting . 

4. Express your desired contributions to the field

Quite simply, you need to explain why you will be a good dentist, in both practical terms and in terms of devoting yourself to patient care. You need to show that you know how to become a dentist in terms of skills and experience; there will be other opportunities to address other aspects of your candidacy through things like the dental school manual dexterity question or the multiple mini interview (MMI) collaboration station . For now, answer the following questions: what does it mean to you to dedicate yourself to the profession and to patients? What experiences have you had with the dental profession so far, and how have these impacted you? What are your priorities as an aspiring dentist? Thinking through these questions, while also pointing to concrete experiences or accomplishments that support your responses, will help the committee see not just who you are now, but who you are working to become as you pursue the goal of becoming a dental professional.

Need help with your dental school application? Learn what our students say about our services:

Things to Avoid in a Dental School Personal Statement

Here are some key “don’ts” in composing your dental school personal statement:

1. Don’t summarize your CV

Your personal statement shouldn’t simply repeat information available elsewhere in your application materials. Referring to experiences discussed in those materials, for the purpose of expanding on them or contextualizing them, is fine. Just ensure that you’re actually doing that work and demonstrating the significance of the experience(s) you describe. For example, if your CV indicates that you’ve done volunteer work at a dental clinic or with an organization, it’s totally fine to discuss this volunteer work in your personal statement; however, that discussion must go beyond what is offered in your other application materials. Your dental school personal statement shouldn't be a dry recitation of events in your CV. It should be a persuasive and engaging work that draws on just a few select experiences that epitomize your interests, priorities, and the work you've done so far in working toward becoming a dentist. For example, instead of giving names, dates, and general facts about your experience as a volunteer, you can tell a story of a particularly meaningful accomplishment or interaction, reflecting on how it helped solidify your desire to pursue this career.

2. Don’t dwell on negative experiences

If you’ve overcome challenges or if there are less-than-ideal aspects of your educational experience so far (such as a term where your GPA took a dip), it’s fine to address these in a personal statement essay. However, it is crucial that you reflect on this from a perspective of growth, resiliency, and capacity for improvement, rather than focusing on the negatives. If your grades took a hit one term because of extenuating circumstances, by all means, take some time to explain this, if you think it will be helpful (and it often is). However, the discussion around the circumstances should be minimal – just a set-up for a more substantial discussion of what you learned, how you grew, etc. – and you shouldn’t use this as an opportunity to make excuses. Rather, briefly describe the event, own up to your mistake or misstep (if applicable), and then spend the most time explaining how you addressed the issue, how you moved past it, and why you will be a better future professional for having gone through it.

Probably the biggest mistake students make is to not take the personal statement seriously enough, waiting until just a few days before it’s due to even begin. You must begin early – a strong personal statement essay can take months and numerous revisions to be the best it can possibly be. You need to put a lot of thought into this document, as it is a very important component of your application. This is your chance – and often your only chance – to address the evaluators on a human level, prior to answering  dental school interview questions , including   MMI questions . So, rather than thinking of this as a chore, think of it as an opportunity to demonstrate your best self to the admissions committee. 

4. Don’t submit your dental school personal statement without getting expert feedback

The personal statement isn’t just about what you’ve done, it’s about who you are – what your values are, what your priorities are, what your reasons for pursuing this profession are, and how all of these things align with the discipline and school you are approaching with your application package. Getting expert feedback from those on the “other side” of such applications, those who have gone through the process successfully or those who have been part of admissions committees, will give you incredibly valuable insights into how to make your own personal experiences stand out and work for you most effectively. At this stage of your professional development, you face a wealth of “unknown-unknowns”; i.e., things that you don’t even know to look for or consider, because it's likely that you simply haven’t been exposed to the field or the process long enough or in an official capacity. This can be a considerable hindrance, so don’t try to take on this task alone. Seek out expert feedback, and do so early enough that you can review, revise, and implement any necessary changes to make your dental school personal statement the best it can possibly be.

8 Dental School Personal Statement Examples

Dental school personal statement example #3, dental school personal statement example #4, dental school personal statement example #5, dental school personal statement example #6, dental school personal statement example #7, dental school personal statement example #8, dental school personal statement example #9, dental school personal statement example #10.

• Starting too late. Getting your personal statement right requires multiple edits and revisions. If you start working on your statement too late, you risk running out of time for proper revisions and edits, leaving a rushed, sub-par statement. Remember, your personal statement is a direct reflection of who you are as a person, and who you'll become as a dentist. It's not something that can be, nor should be rushed.
• Showing instead of telling, for example, saying “I'm a great listener” instead of demonstrating that you're a great listener through real examples in your essay.
• Focusing on too many experiences. In general, it's best to discuss 2-3 experiences in your personal statement. You should be able to discuss each experience in-depth, and reflect on what you learned from a particular experience. Too many experiences crammed in doesn't allow you to really expand on each experience and doesn't provide an in-depth analysis of how this experience was transformative on your path to becoming a dentist.
• Listing information that's already found in your application materials. Your personal statement is not a list, instead, it should be a story of your journey to dentistry.
• Jumping around in time. Your personal statement should be in chronological order, beginning with your initial interest in dentistry and evolving to your absolution that dentistry is the right career path for you. Jumping around in time makes for a disjointed essay that will come across as confusing to admissions committee members. In addition, you want to ensure that you utilize strong transitional sentences, as these tie together paragraphs and aid in the overall flow of your essay.
• Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Mistakes and errors in your personal statement are harmful because they tell admissions committees that you're not detail-oriented, you rushed your statement and because of that, you don't really care about it, or their program. Ensure your statement is reviewed multiple times, ideally with a professional's help, to ensure your essay puts your best foot forward and is free from any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
• Boasting. While you can certainly highlight a few key accomplishments in your statement, such as finishing at the top of your class or raising money for a good cause, it's important that you are tactful in how you phrase your accomplishments. You always want to be humble, and think about what an achievement means to you and why. Lastly, it's a good idea to reflect on what you learned from your achievements and how that can translate in your career as a dentist.

While the majority of your personal statement should be about you - your experiences and how they relate to your decision to pursue dentistry, you can certainly include information relating to another person. For example, you could mention a family member's struggle with a disease, a patient's story, or a conversation with a dentist. As long as you circle back to why this story is significant in your pursuit of dentistry, what you learned from the experience or even how an experience changed your point of view.

Your personal statement must adhere to the ADEA's character count of 4500 characters, including spaces. However, this doesn't mean that you must include this many characters. As long as your essay is below the count, it's most important that you focus on creating a powerful, in-depth essay that proves to the admissions committee why you want to be a dentist and why you would be suitable for a career in this field, then it's perfectly acceptable.

Your personal statement is one of the most important aspects of your entire dental school application. It will serve as your introduction to admissions committees – letting them know who you are a person, who you are as a candidate, and essentially, that you're suitable for a career in dentistry. A poorly crafted personal statement can result in rejection from dental school, so it's essential that your statement is both engaging and memorable to secure you an invitation to interview.

No, remember, this information will be included elsewhere in your application, so it's not suitable to include this in your personal statement.

• Brainstorm ideas.
• Create an outline.
• Focus on body paragraphs first using a maximum of 3 experiences.
• Ensure you SHOW what you learned (don’t tell) by using examples.
• Write your conclusion.
• Write your introduction last.
• Attention-grabbing introduction: Not just a thesis statement, but something interesting to draw the reader in, like a quote or a story.
• Transitions: These should lead from one paragraph to the next, creating flow. Use linking words such as however, additionally, also, next, etc.
• Strong examples: This way you are showing, not telling.
• Clear and direct language: Your language does not have to be fancy, what's most important is that it's easy to read and follow. For example, “utilize” is one of the most over-used words in academic essays and “use” works just as well.
• Conclusion: This should summarize your main points, but also leave the reader with a compelling closing sentence that makes them want to find out more about you. For example, include a call back to your opening anecdote and highlight how far you have come.

Dental school personal statement editing, just like medical school personal statement editing , is very important. Begin by writing the BEST first draft you can and then begin your edit. Don’t write something of average quality, half-done, or way over the character limit. Trying to work from these copies will only create confusion and delays. Next, you should read your essay out loud to yourself sentence by sentence to ensure it flows well and to catch any grammatical errors. Each sentence should be contributing to the overall point. If you find yourself repeating your thoughts in multiple forms, think about paring your sentences down. Quality is more important than quantity.

Next, repeat this process 2-3 times. Resist the urge to keep tinkering over and over again. There are multiple strong ways to word sentences and express your thoughts. There are probably even multiple experiences you could highlight and have an equally strong personal statement. However, obsessing over each sentence and word once you have written a strong statement will just lead to changing too many things, delays, you feeling nervous, and sometimes even a weaker essay than you started with!

Yes, you can definitely mention experiences in your personal statement that are non-academic or not related to dentistry. A strong experience to mention should be one that taught you important skills and that influenced your decision to pursue dentistry. Personal experiences can also have a strong influence on which profession you pursue, so you can definitely mention non-academic experiences.

It’s certainly normal to want input from others when we are crafting personal statements. A strong reviewer is one who has experience and expertise with professional school applications and has helped other students before. For example, someone with an advanced degree like a practicing dentist or other professional. Even though you may feel tempted to ask friends and family, you may want to refrain from this, as they are often invested in your success and may find it hard to be objective.

Try to find someone who does not know you so well so they can give objective guidance. The other thing you want to avoid is having “too many chefs in the kitchen.” Too many different people reviewing your statement is only going to pull it in too many different directions, ultimately leading to confusion and even more delays. And again, some students might feel more comfortable using a dental school admissions consulting service for this aspect of their application.

Just like you would address this during an interview, your statement can address areas of concern by following these steps:

• Take responsibility.
• Explain mitigating factors.
• Don't make excuses.
• Share strategies for what you learned and how you would avoid a situation like this in the future. 
• Make sure you end on a positive or proactive note.

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Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Yutika Maharaj

Hi there Do you have any sample personal statements for a foreign trained dentist applying to ADEA PASS and ADEA CAAPID. Thanks

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hi Yutika! Thanks for your comment. As an international applicant, your personal statement should follow the same structure and contain pertinent info about yourself and your application. Use these samples to construct your own, unique narrative!

It is remarkable, very good information

Thanks, Code!

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Dental School Secondary Questions

AL - University of Alabama School of Dentistry (UAB)

Supplemental questions location: emailed to everybody IS, only selected OOS applicants.  

Required for all applicants:

• What ties do you have to Alabama, if any? (no word/character limit)
• Why do you want to attend the UAB School of Dentistry? (no word/character limit)
• How would you describe your healthcare exposure? This may include shadowing, employment/volunteerism in healthcare setting, medical/dental mission, research, etc. Include your role/duties. (no word/character limit)
• To what activities or hobbies do you like to devote your time and efforts? (no word/character limit)
• What else do you want the admissions committee to know about you? (no word/character limit)

AZ - A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (ASDOH, ATSU-AZ)

Supplemental questions location: mailed to all applicants that meet requirements.

• Why are you applying to ASDOH? What makes our school different from other dental schools? (500 words)
• What changes do you think we will see in the profession in the future? (500 words)

Optional for all applicants:

• Please list any changes or updates to your AADSAS application. If your AADSAS application is complete and accurate, please move on to the next question. (no word/character limit)

AZ - Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine (CDMA, MWU-AZ)

Supplemental questions location: emailed to all applicants that meet requirements.

Required when applicable:

• If you were a non-science major, how has your major course of study prepared you for a career in the health professions?
• If you have any C- or lower grades and/or any course withdrawals on your transcript, please explain the circumstances of these grades and/or withdrawals.
• Is there any additional information that you would like Midwestern University to have that is not included in the AADSAS application?

CA - California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine (CNU)

Supplemental questions location: AADSAS.

• What is important in selecting a dental school? What factors do you take into consideration when deciding which dental school to attend? (3000 characters)
• Why do you want to join the California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine Family? Please state briefly how you will contribute to CNU College of Dental Medicine. (3000 characters)

Optional for all applicants:  

• Please use the following space to tell us anything additional that you believe is relevant to your application. (5000 characters)

CA - University of Southern California, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry (USC)

• Have you previously applied to the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC? If so, did you participate in an interview? (2000 characters)
• Have you taken any classes at a community college? If so, list each institution’s name and the number of units you have completed. (2000 characters)
• Please list your professional achievements and include when and how long. (2000 characters)

CA - Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (LLU)

Supplemental questions location: emailed to all applicants.

• Tell us what characteristics of Linda Linda University are particularly attractive and meaningful to you and why you have chosen to apply for advanced education. (4000 characters)
• Discuss how your spiritual origins, development, and experience have influenced and been integrated into your daily life. (4000 characters)
• Tell us the desirable qualities that you see in yourself that you believe would aid us in considering your application. (4000 characters)
• LLU believes deeply in integrated values into the educational experience. As a result, religion courses and chapel attendance are part of the curriculum. Tell us why you believe that a faith based education would be a special benefit to you. (4000 characters)
• As a Seventh-day Adventist institution, LLU has lifestyle expectations which include abstinence from alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug/substances in all forms while enrolled. If you are accepted to Loma Linda university, are you willing to abide by the lifestyle policies of the university while enrolled? (4000 characters)

CA - University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry (UCLA)

• How do you deal with failure? (350 characters)
• How would you assess your ability to ask for help and give one example of when you had to do so? (350 characters)
• Please LIST 3 ways you deal with stress. (100 characters)
• Are you making, or have you already made, a career change prior to applying to dental school? Please explain. (350 characters)

Required for applicants not currently in school:

• If you are not currently enrolled in school, what have you been doing since graduation? (600 characters)

Required for applicants interested in the DDS-PhD program:

• Please explain your future plans for your DDS-PhD career. (600 characters)

CA - University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry (UCSF)

• What is important to you in selecting a dental school? How will you make your decision about which school to attend? (1500 characters)
• Why do you want to join the UCSF community? Please state briefly how you will contribute to the UCSF School of Dentistry. (1500 characters)
• Please use this space to tell us anything additional that you believe is relevant to your application. (5000 characters)
• If you intend to apply to the DDS/PhD program, you must submit an additional essay below which outlines your reasons for your interest in the DDS/PhD program. Your application will not be considered for the joint program if you do not supply this additional essay. If you selected "no", please enter "N/A" (1600 characters)

CA - University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry (UoP)

There are no supplemental questions that require an essay response.

CA - Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine

Supplemental questions location: admissions website.

• Please explain why you chose to apply to WesternU’s College of Dental Medicine (500 words)
• If you have any additional information you would like the Admissions and Selection Committee to consider or aspects of your application which you think may seem confusing or incomplete as they are stated elsewhere, you can upload a Word or PDF document (limit to one page).

You may also use this as an opportunity to explain factors such as: factors that may have had a negative effect on some aspect of your academic performance, experience in dentistry, including virtual experiences, extracurricular/volunteerism/community service, and why you are applying to the Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine specifically.

CO - University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine (CU)

Required for applicants with outstanding prerequisites:

• The University of Colorado requires that all prerequisite course work be completed at the conclusion of the spring term of the year accepted with a letter grade of C or better. If you have not completed all of the prerequisite courses (including upper division course work), please provide us with your timeline for completion of all prerequisite courses. (Not answering this question could delay processing your application) (1000 characters)

CT - University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine (UConn)

• Do you meet the 50 hour general dentist shadowing requirement? If yes, please list your shadowing experiences. If no, please explain how you will meet this requirement. (500 characters)

DC - Howard University College of Dentistry

• Explain what motivated your decision to apply to HUCD. (5000 characters)
• How does our program fit with your career plans? (5000 characters)
• Describe any experiences and/or skills that have made you more appreciative or sensitive to other cultures or the human condition. (5000 characters)
• Provide a specific example of how you promoted diversity in your community or school. (5000 characters)
• If you could appear before the Admissions Committee what information would you want them to know that is not already included in your application? (5000 characters)
• Tell us about your childhood/adolescence. Briefly describe your family, community, and disadvantage(s), and any other information that is important about your background before college. (5000 characters)
• How did you prepare for you DAT? If you took the DAT more than once, describe your preparation for each. (5000 characters)
• Please describe and explain any academic problems that occurred in college and / or graduate/professional school. This may include withdrawals from courses or school, incomplete grades, and grades of D or F (or their equivalent). (5000 characters)

FL - Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Dental Medicine (LECOM)

Supplemental questions location: emailed to everybody that qualifies.

FL - Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine (NSU)

Fl - university of florida college of dentistry (uf).

Supplemental questions location: emailed to selected applicants.

There are no supplemental questions that require an essay response

GA - Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University (DCG)

• Are there any factors that may have affected your academic record? (1500 characters)
• Please explain any other responsibilities you may have outside of being a student. (1500 characters)
• Do you feel that the area where you grew up has health disparities such as medically underserved, dentally underserved, or reduced and free lunches provided for high school students? If yes please explain. (1500 characters)
• Why are you interested in receiving your dental education from The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University? (1500 characters)
• Please describe your plans for practicing dentistry after graduating from dental school. (1500 characters)

IL - University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry (UIC)

Il - midwestern university college of dental medicine (cdmi, mwu-il).

• If you were previously accepted into a health profession but did not enroll, or enrolled in a health profession program but withdrew, please explain.

IL - Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU)

Supplemental questions location: AADSAS and admissions website.

• What is your particular reason for wanting to attend SIU School of Dental Medicine? (1500 characters)

IN - Indiana University School of Dentistry (IU)

Applicant’s choice, choose one out of the three:

• Discuss an accomplishment, event, realization or change of career plans that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. How has that illustrated resilience, determination, perseverance as part of your authentic character? (250 words)
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? (250 words)
• Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, or an ethical dilemma—anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain the significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution (250 words)

IA - University of Iowa College of Dentistry (UI)

• Why do you feel that you are well prepared for a career in the dental profession? (2000 characters)
• Tell us about a time your integrity was challenged. (2000 characters)
• Besides dentistry, what are you passionate about? (2000 characters)
• Share obstacles that you may have overcome to achieve your goals. (2000 characters)
• In which type of community or setting would you like to practice? (2000 characters)
• How do you plan to use your dental education after you graduate? (2000 characters
• Why the University of Iowa College of Dentistry? (2000 characters)

Required for applicants who answer they are part of a community that is underserved:

• Please elaborate. (2000 characters)

KY - University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UK)

• Describe an instance where you failed to achieve a goal (personal, professional, or academic) that you set for yourself. (2000 characters)
• Explain how you handled this situation.
• What did you take away from this situation?
• What failure might you anticipate as a dental student?
• Describe an instance where you received feedback from a mentor, supervisor or instructor that was critical of your performance. (2000 characters)
• Explain how you handled this feedback.
• Describe a time when you believe you were treated unfairly. (2000 characters)
• How did you handle this situation?
• Please identify one of your long-term service activities. (2000 characters)
• How did this service activity directly impact another individual?
• Explain how this service activity impacted you.
• Is there anything additional you would like to share that is not found in your application? (2000 characters)
• To assist us in reviewing your coursework, please explain your performance in any course in which you received a C+ or lower or chose to withdraw. (2000 characters)
• To assist us in reviewing your DAT scores, please explain any scores of 17 or below. (2000 characters)

KY - University of Louisville School of Dentistry (U of L)

Supplemental application location: AADSAS

• Briefly describe your personal or professional reasons for choosing the University of Louisville's DMD program. (1000 characters)
• What contributions do you see yourself making to the field of dentistry? (250 characters)
• Is there anything else you want ULSD to know that is not included in this application? (2000 characters)
• If you have not taken classes in the past year, please explain what you have been doing. (500 characters)
• Please briefly explain why you earned any D's, F's and/or W's on your transcript. (1000 characters)

LA - Louisiana State University Health Science Center School of Dentistry (LSU)

Supplemental questions location: emailed to qualified applicants.

Required for OOS applicants:

• If you were fortunate to be accepted to more than one dental school, how would you decide where to attend? Note: we are not looking for you to say, “LSU is my number one choice”. What we really want you to discuss is the process you would use and, more importantly, the criteria you would use to make your decision. (no word/character limit)

ME - University of New England College of Dental Medicine (UNE)

• Why do you want to attend a dental school with a mission grounded in public health? (3000 characters)
• Please describe a healthcare or social issue that you are passionate about, and explain why. What role can you play in addressing this issue? (3000 characters)          
• How has your background and experience prepared you to contribute to an environment that holds diversity as a core value? How do you see yourself demonstrating a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as a dental student and future dentist? (3000 characters)

Required for applicants that have not met shadowing hour requirements, optional otherwise:

• How have you engaged with the dental profession during the pandemic? (3000 characters)

MD - University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMB, UMD)

Ma - boston university, henry m. goldman school of dental medicine (bu, gsdm).

Supplemental questions location: AADSAS

• Consider your interests, experiences, characteristics and skills. What makes GSDM a good fit for your dental education? As a dental student, how will you contribute to the school community? (800 characters)
• Comment on any aspect of your application, if desired. (500 characters)
• If COVID-19 affected your dental school application preparations, please explain. For example, indicate affected courses, changes to instruction or grading policy, and outcomes. (500 characters)

MA - Harvard University School of Dental Medicine

Supplemental questions location: emailed to applicants invited to interview

MA - Tufts University School of Dental Medicine

Supplemental questions location: emailed to applicants invited to interview.

Required for applicants invited to interview, must be handwritten:

• Fear can sometimes have an immobilizing effect.  Explain a situation in which you were fearful, and what if anything, you did to overcome fear.
• Imagine being colorblind, what does that mean to you?

MI - University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry (UDM)

Mi - university of michigan school of dentistry (umich).

Required for applicants claiming disadvantaged status:

• Provide any information about your background that can help clarify your disadvantaged student status. (1000 characters)

MN - University of Minnesota School of Dentistry (UMN)

• Please provide context for any Incomplete "I", Withdraw "W", "C-", "D" and/or "F" grades. (3000 characters)

Required for reapplicants:

• If you have previously applied to ANY dental school (not just UMN) and were not accepted, please explain why you feel you are better prepared or better qualified as a candidate this year than when you last applied. Please specify changes/improvements made to your application. (3000 characters)

MS - University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry (UMMC)

Mo - a.t. still university, missouri school of dentistry and oral health (atsu-mo, mosdoh).

• Why did you participate in the volunteer activities you listed in the Clinical, Volunteer and Community Service section of your AADSAS application? What did you gain from participating in these activities? (500 words)
• Why do you want to attend the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health? (500 words)
• Please list any changes or updates to your AADSAS application. This section may be left blank if your AADSAS application is complete and accurate. (no word/character limit)

MO - University of Missouri Kansas City School of Dentistry (UMKC)

• Why are you interested in attending the UMKC School of Dentistry? (500 characters)

NE - Creighton University School of Dentistry

• What is your reason for choosing Creighton? (no word/character limit)
• Please state if there is anything of particular importance that the Admissions Committee should know about you. (no word/character limit)

Required for applicants with breaks in education:

• If there was a break in your education (other than the normal school vacations) please explain fully your occupation or activities during that time. (no word/character limit)

NE - University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry (UNMC)

• Please describe the most challenging situation or obstacle you have had to overcome. (500 characters)
• What was the life lesson you learned from this experience? (300 characters)

NV - University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine (UNLV)

Nj - rutgers school of dental medicine.

Supplemental questions location: none.

NY - Columbia University College of Dental Medicine

Ny - new york university college of dentistry (nyu).

• Why do you want to pursue your dental education at New York University College of Dentistry? (5000 characters)

Required for reapplicants who did not previously apply to NYU:

• Please explain why you are submitting an application to NYU Dentistry this cycle when you did not previously apply here? (500 characters)

NY - Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine

• Have there been changes in your preparation from the application to dental school? (500 characters)
• Is there anything you want us to know that we have not asked you? (500 characters)

NY - Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College

Ny - university at buffalo school of dental medicine (ub).

Supplemental questions location: none

NC - East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine (ECU)

• What specifically led you to apply to East Carolina University's School of Dental Medicine? (1000 characters)
• Describe a time that you collaborated with others in working toward a common goal. What did you learn from that experience? (1000 characters)
• Describe a crisis in your life and what you learned from it. (1000 characters)
• In times of academic or personal challenges, who is among your support network? In what specific ways has that person(s) been supportive? (1000 characters)            
• Describe a situation where your attempts at leadership were not successful? Why do you think that was? (1000 characters)

NC - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Adams School of Dentistry (UNC)

Supplemental questions location: AADSAS and emailed to all applicants.

• Please describe your interest in choosing University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry for your dental education. (1500 characters)            
• We all have unique values, aspiration, and a sense of purpose that define who we are and how we live. What is your personal mission? Describe how your personal mission and professional goals align. (250 words)
• Comment on your ability to work with a team, both as a leader and as a productive team member. (250 words)
• The dental patient population is becoming more diverse with time. Share your experiences working with diverse groups of people. (250 words)
• Communication is key in modern healthcare. Share your skill set, experiences, and strengths/weaknesses in communication. This may include experiences in expository writing, public speaking, drama/acting, debate, etc. (250 words)
• Comment on your college course performance. (250 words)
• Comment on your DAT performance. (250 words)
• What have you done to explore dentistry as a career? (no character/word limit)

Applicant’s choice, choose one out of the two:

• Accessing dental care, for a variety of reasons, is a challenge for many Americans. In your opinion, what role should dentists play in addressing this issue? (250 words)
• Describe an ethical dilemma you have faced. How was it resolved and how might this experience influence your future career or your time as a dental student? (250 words)
• Describe a meaningful experience you have had either in a clinical encounter or with a dental role model. What did you learn and how will this influence the type of clinician you will become? (250 words)
• Describe a time when you have faced conflict. How did you work to resolve it? (250 words)
• Describe a time when you experienced failure. How did this change you? (250 words)
• Describe a time when you worked on a team to solve a problem or develop a project. What did you learn about the challenges faced by teams? (250 words)

OH - Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine (CWRU)

Required for applicants interested in the DMD/MPH program:

• Please write a statement about why you are interested in the MPH/DMD program and how this program fits into your long-term professional goals. (500 characters)

OH - The Ohio State University College of Dentistry (OSU)

• How has your undergraduate experience influenced your outlook on life? (500 characters)
• Describe a community to which you belong and share a way in which you have made a difference in that community. (500 characters)
• Describe a challenging circumstance in your life and how you coped with the challenge. (500 characters)

OK - University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry (OU)

Or - oregon health sciences university school of dentistry (ohsu), pa - university of pennsylvania school of dental medicine (upenn).

• What ethical dilemma(s) have you encountered during your education? Please describe. (1000 words)
• How will you judge if you are a successful dentist?  Please describe. (1000 words)
• What qualities of Penn Dental Medicine do you feel will help you achieve your professional goals and how? Please describe. (1000 words)
• Please list any additional predental experience not included in your AADSAS application. This experience can include but not limited to observation in a private practice, dental clinic, or hospital setting; dental assisting; dental laboratory work; dental research, etc. Please include time allotted to each activity, dates of attendance, location, and description of your experience. If you do not have any predental experience, please indicate what you plan to do in order to explore dentistry as a career prior to matriculation. Do not include, expand, or repeat information submitted on your AADSAS application in the Dentistry/Shadowing experience section. You may leave this question unanswered if applicable. (1000 words)
• Please use this space to add additional information regarding your application if needed.  You may use this space to provide information regarding courses (including AP or IB courses) used to meet your prerequisites, clarify areas of your application, provide additional information if you are reapplying this year, and other information relevant to your application. (500 words)

PA - University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine (Pitt)

Required for applicants interested in DMD/PhD:

• In order to apply for the program, please include an essay that addresses the following questions. This statement is a vital part of the application, and carries the most weight in our admissions decision for the simultaneous degree program. Please describe your intellectual and professional interest in graduate study in Oral Biology. What are your primary interests within your chosen field of study (i.e., Craniofacial Genetics or Tissue Regeneration) and list any relevant background experience that might make you a good candidate? Which faculty mentor and lab would you like to work with? Where do you see yourself after graduate school (what type of career are you training for)? (5000 characters)

PA - Temple University, Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry

Pr - university of puerto rico school of dental medicine (upr), sc - medical university of south carolina, james b. edwards college of dental medicine (musc).

• For the Essay section, write a brief essay that includes discussion of the following: Previous research experience(s); Current research interests; Why you want to pursue the combined DMD/PhD degree; Why you are applying to MUSC; Your long range goals. (no word/character limit)
• For the Resume/Personal History below, provide the following information in resume or curriculum vitae format: Past employment; Undergraduate or summer research experience(s); Publications; Academic honors, awards; Extracurricular / community / professional activities; Membership in professional organizations. (upload file no larger than 10 MB)

TN - Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry

• Please indicate why you wish to attend Meharry Medical College, School of Dentistry? (no word/character limit)

TN - University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry (UT, UTHSC)

Tx - texas a&m university college of dentistry, tx - texas tech university health sciences center el paso, woody l. hunt school of dentistry, tx - university of texas health science center at houston school of dentistry (ut-h, uthsc-h), tx - university of texas health science center at san antonio school of dentistry (ut-sa, uthsc-sa), ut - roseman university of health sciences college of dental medicine, ut - university of utah school of dentistry (u of u).

Supplemental questions location: AADSAS and emailed to qualified applicants.

• Please tell us why you are interested in the University of Utah School of Dentistry? (9999 characters)
• Please tell us any additional information about yourself not already in your application. (9999 characters)
• Please list three obstacles that you have encountered in your preparation for dental school and how you have or are managing each. (9999 characters)
• Please describe how your prior employment has helped prepare you for dental school. (9999 characters)

VA - Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry (VCU)

• Is there any information not included elsewhere in your application that you would like us to know? (no word/character limit)

WA - University of Washington School of Dentistry (UW)

• Embracing equity, diversity and inclusion is a value the UWSOD seeks to uphold in its teaching, service and research. We don’t take these values for granted, they are things that everyone in our dental school community must actively practice. If you are selected to be a member of the incoming predoctoral class, how would you contribute to developing and maintaining a sense of belonging for all of your classmates? What challenges do you think you might encounter? What benefits would you expect? (1500 characters)
• Service to others is highly valued at UWSOD. Please describe a memorable experience within the last two years in which your service to someone or to a community in need was enriching to the recipient(s) of your action. What was your motivation to pursue this particular area or theme of service and what was the most meaningful part of the service for you personally? (1500 characters)
• Please describe a challenge or barrier you have faced in your life. How has that influenced who you are today? (1500 characters)
• Is there an area of your application that you think is not an adequate representation of your abilities? If so, please explain. (1500 characters)

WV - West Virginia University School of Dentistry (WVU)

Wi - marquette university school of dentistry.

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Secondary Statement Review

Write a secondary essay that wows the dental school adcoms, gets you an interview,  and g uarantees admission.

Hi there, I’m Muhammed Ziauddin, founder of DentalSchoolCoach.com. I am a UPenn graduate and I got into UPenn, UCSF, Pittsburg, UMDNJ, and NYU Dental Schools.

Now, I help pre-dental students get into their dream dental schools!

Over the last eight years, I helped 1500+ students to get into dental schools including Harvard, Penn, Stony Brook, ASDOH, Baylor, Midwestern – just to name a few!

Take a look at what my students are saying about me.

If you are confused, discouraged, or lost somewhere in the process of applying to dental school, then Muhammed will your savior.  You will have no doubt on his creditability due to his rich experience and intelligence. He is phenomenal when it comes to editing your personal statement. I have never seen anyone who is highly responsible as him and spends a tremendous effort for a meticulous revision. He responds to your email promptly, follows your timeline, and tears down your weaknesses by making a thorough youtube video.  I am so grateful for his time, understanding, and compassion. He is the person who not only has a big heart, but also has the sincerity to wish every student to succeed. Love you from the bottom of my heart-  Amy Liao

  Muhammed was a super cool guy when it comes to editing your Personal Statement. I believe it takes more than just effort and enthusiasm to make such nice and great suggestions. I like how cool it is   when he actually takes his time and makes a short video clip on how to specifically fix your essay.   With your own idea and with Muhammed’s great helps, a personal statement is not that big of a deal anymore. Thank you!   –  Khoa L

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You’ve come to the right place for dental school admissions help. Accepted’s long track record – 25 years in business – of helping applicants gain admission to U.S. dental and medical schools, along with the unparalleled expertise of our staff, distinguishes us from other consultancies.

The Accepted consultant you will work with has extensive dental school admissions experience in one or more of the following ways:

• Served on a medical or dental school admissions committee and evaluated applications
• Directed postbac programs where they both evaluated applications to those programs and advised students applying to dental school
• Advised undergraduate applicants to dental school as part of an undergraduate pre-healthcare profession advising office in a U.S. college or university
• Guided dental school applicants to acceptance as an admissions consultant.

While members of the Accepted team have MDs and PhDs, merely having been accepted and even having completed an MD or PhD doesn’t qualify one to be an Accepted consultant. Among other qualifications, Accepted healthcare admissions consultants must have served in an admissions capacity.

Now you can have that dental school admissions experience and expertise on your side as you prepare your critical dental school applications. Below are our most popular dental school application flat-rate packages .

If your program doesn't use the AADSAS, please ask us for guidance on choosing the best package for you. If you're interested in our TMDSAS application packages, please click here.

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More Information About Our Dental School Application Packages

Primary application package for the aadsas.

When you purchase our primary dental school application package, you'll receive comprehensive application guidance from conceptualization to final review for your AADSAS application. Your experienced consultant will guide you through your application, ensuring that you make the best use of your time to create a compelling portrait of yourself as a future leader in the dental field.

Primary + Secondary Package

With the Primary + Secondary Package, your experienced dental school admissions consultant will guide you through your AADSAS primary application as well as through secondary essays for up to eight applications. Plus, you’ll also receive one mock interview and decision counseling in the event of multiple acceptances. The benefits of this package: You demonstrate that you will be a wonderful dentist AND belong at the individual programs you are applying to.

Additional Secondary Package Add-On

The Additional Secondary Package is available for anyone who purchased a Primary + Secondary Package. It provides advising and editing for an additional eight secondary applications, one additional mock interview, and decision counseling in the event of multiple acceptances.

If you are a dentist/scientist hopeful, this add-on is for you. When you purchase the PhD Add-on in addition to any of the Dental Application Packages above, you will receive brainstorming, outlining, and editing of one Ph.D. statement of purpose and editing of one research description essay. Note: This add-on requires that you purchase a Primary Application Package.

Even if it’s not required for your dental school application, creating or refining your CV is important at this stage in your career. Get off to a strong start with the help of an experienced advisor, and save money by purchasing your CV at the same time as a Primary Application Package. Note: This package requires that you purchase a Primary Application Package.

Notes About The Package

• If your program doesn't use AADSAS, please ask us for guidance on choosing the best package for you.

We are happy to provide interview prep beyond what is included in your application package, but you will incur additional charges for the interview prep that is outside the scope of your package.

Advising on financial aid or the essays associated with financial aid applications is not included and will incur additional charges.

Please purchase the packages in the application cycle in which you will apply.

If you request to change consultants or work with a second consultant, you will incur additional charges.

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Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

December 31, 2018

Secondary Essays: Completing the Jigsaw Puzzle

By the time admissions people start reading the secondaries they already know a little bit about you. They have seen your transcript, GPA, and MCAT score. They have also reviewed your AMCAS essay so they should know what you think is most important for them to know. But of course pieces are still missing from this picture of you.

The Role of Secondary Essays

The secondaries must fill in the missing pieces of your profile. They must be combined with the rest of your application to present a clear and holistic picture of you. The secondary essays should not only flesh out the school’s image of you, but should seamlessly complement the other parts of the application without overlap, like the various pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

How do you write secondary essays that will accomplish all that? You provide supplemental information that ties into the themes and activities discussed in the other material. If you emphasized your impressive research experience in your AMCAS essay, either discuss research experiences you didn’t have space to bring out there, or go into more depth about the experiences you already dealt with. Perhaps you can give different examples from your independent research project or honors thesis. Maybe you can examine the laboratory experience you had as opposed to the clinical research experience you already wrote about. Use secondaries to fill in the gaps.

Structuring Your Secondaries

If the secondary application questions give you enough room, you can use the same structure you used for your personal statement – lead, thesis, body, conclusion. This framework, used by journalists everywhere to sell their articles and persuade their readers, provides an engaging, compelling structure for your essays. If, however, you only have a third of a page or less to respond to a question, you probably won’t have enough room, and you should get right to the point.

Following the suggestions in Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Your Application Essay will help you write effective secondaries. A few important tips to remember:

• Unite your essay with a theme and only include information that supports it.
• Use specifics to strengthen and distinguish your writing and be sure to both describe and analyze the important events, people, and experiences in your life.
• Let the reader know what is important to you and why. Anecdotes and specifics without reflection will read like a disconnected list. Reflection without specifics will result in a collection of generic statements and platitudes.
• Make sure your essays are written well and are professional in appearance.

Unlike the AMCAS application, secondary applications will have specific questions. Be certain your essays answer the questions they are addressing. Don’t use canned answers. While you can cut and paste, it’s always better to take the time to answer each question – not just the questions asked on the first application you worked on.

Approaches to Common Secondary Questions

Here are some questions you can expect to see on secondary applications:

Why do you want to attend this school?

When answering this question, show that you have researched the school and its programs. Discuss the program’s distinctive attraction for you . If you are interested in a particular specialty and this school is especially strong in that area, discuss your interest in that field and the special opportunities the school provides. Perhaps mention the work of a particular professor whom you admire. Briefly write about the advantages of the school’s location and its appeal, but don’t make the accidents of geography the main focus of this essay.

Where do you hope to be in ten years?

Tie your past and future together by showing how your aspirations stem from past experience and how the school’s program will enable you to achieve your goals. Use your secondary essay to demonstrate your knowledge of the medical profession and to show that you have given some thought about your future. Show that you have realistic goals while discussing your anticipated career path.

What clinical experiences influenced your decision to go into medicine?

View this question as a great opportunity to fill in some gaps in that picture you are creating. If you discussed the most important aspect of your clinical experience in your AMCAS essay, for this question you can discuss some other aspects of that experience while reminding your reader briefly of the points made in the AMCAS essay. Alternatively, you can discuss a volunteer experience that you didn’t have room to mention in the AMCAS essay and reinforce some of the points you made there using different anecdotes and examples. As always use specifics, but remember to reflect on those incidents so the reader will know why you considered them important enough to include.

We can help you put together the individual pieces of your unique application jigsaw puzzle! Work with an expert consultant to examine your experiences and uncover your powerful competitive advantage, using it in each of your application elements to get ACCEPTED. Let’s get started.

Related Resources:

•  The Ultimate Guide to Secondary Essay Questions from Top Med Schools , a free guide • Secondary Application Tips: The Experts Speak • Successful Medical School Secondary Application Strategies

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Dental School Personal Statement, Curriculum Vitae and Secondary Essays

Your written materials are essential to distinguish you from hundreds of other applicants at the outset of the dental school admissions process. 

Dr. Finkel acts as a writing coach, assisting you with content, organization, form, focus, and syntax.  Learn how to market your experiences with polish and professionalism, highlighting the salient points that program directors and faculty desire. Each Editing Service includes up to three revisions of your written material. Dr. Finkel provides only editorial services; Insider does not generate content.

Applicants demonstrating financial hardship through an ADEA-AADSAS Fee Assistance Program grant may be considered for reduced rates at the discretion of Dr. Finkel. Contact her for more information.

Step 1. Make payment below.

Step 2. submit your written material(s) in microsoft word as an attachment to [email protected] . include in your written materials the name of the person receiving services and the name of the person paying with credit card..

By submitting payment, you agree to abide by our Terms and Conditions .

* Please ensure the personal statement, TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay, TMDSAS Optional Essay, and/or letter of interest does not exceed the Insider standard length of 800 words.

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**For the Secondary Essay service, you may include as many essays as fit, up to 800 words. For the Secondary Essay Expanded Package, you may include as many essays as fit, up to 2400 words. For both services, please include secondary essay prompts for clarity; the prompts will not count toward the word limit.

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School . On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital . She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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The Dental School Supplemental Application: What You Need to Know 

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November 16, 2021 in  dental school , Supplemental Application

Dental School Supplemental Appliaction Overview

A great dental school supplemental application is often a key step on the path to dentistry. If you’re applying to dental school right now, you may be one of the many pre-dental students tasked with writing secondary essays (secondaries) for a dental school supplemental application. Dental schools vary in how they administer the supplemental application (if they do at all). A little over half of all dental schools require students to complete supplemental applications, so you may not be completing secondaries for all of the schools where you apply.

Additionally, dental school supplemental applications may be provided immediately to students for completion alongside their primary application. One example is Texas A&M College of Dentistry , which requires applicants to submit both primary and supplemental applications to complete the initial application process. 

Other dental schools, like the University of Florida College of Dentistry and Loma Linda University School of Dentistry , accept primary applications and follow up by sending supplemental applications to candidates that show promise. The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Dental Medicine also sends qualified applicants a supplemental application but notes that the application is “very brief” and encourages applicants to complete it as soon as possible. Dental schools ask for supplemental essays to get to know you a bit beyond your personal statement and other application materials. Most secondary essay prompts are only available to students on an invite basis, but University of California San Fransisco School of Dentistry and Penn Dental Medicine secondary questions are available for viewing online. These samples illustrate the varied but predictable approach dental schools could take regarding secondaries.   

Examples of Dental School Supplemental Application Questions

Each Penn supplemental question has a word limit of 1000 words. These are the questions asked: 

1) Please list any additional predental experience not included in your AADSAS application. This experience can include but is not limited to observation in a private practice, dental clinic, or hospital setting; dental assisting; dental laboratory work; dental research, etc. Please include time allotted to each activity, dates of attendance, location, and description of your experience. If you do not have any predental experience, please indicate what you plan to do in order to explore dentistry as a career prior to matriculation. Do not include, expand, or repeat information submitted on your AADSAS application in the Dentistry/Shadowing experience section. You may leave this question unanswered if applicable. 

2) What ethical dilemma(s) have you encountered during your education? Please describe. 

3) How will you judge if you are a successful dentist? Please describe. 

4) What qualities of Penn Dental Medicine do you feel will help you achieve your professional goals and how? Please describe. 

The UCSF supplementary questions are below:  

What is important to you in selecting a dental school? How will you make your decision about which school to attend? (1,500-character limit) 

Why do you want to join the UCSF community? Please state briefly how you will contribute to the UCSF School of Dentistry. (1,500-character limit) 

Please use this space to tell us anything additional that you believe is relevant to your application for admission. (OPTIONAL and 5,000-character limit) 

UCSF’s secondary questions require much briefer responses, but the similarities between the two applications are uncanny. You can expect to see many of the same questions when you complete your dental school secondaries. These questions include variations on “why are you choosing this school/what can you bring to our school?” “Why should we pick you for our school?” “What has your experience taught you?” and “Tell us how you have overcome a difficulty (many times linked to ethics).”  

Give Yourself An Advantage on Your Dental School Application

Although dental school supplemental application questions are often predictable, it does not mean that strong responses are easy to generate. At Code Blue Essays, we are ready to help with any of your secondary essay writing needs! Our dental school supplemental application review packages include review and editing done by a licensed physician, assistance with content and word flow, and grammatical review. Reach out with any questions you might have about our services. Let us get started helping you reach your dental school goals! 

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University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine – UPenn Secondary Essays & Tips

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Getting accepted to Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is hard. Very hard. Submitting an OUTSTANDING UPenn secondary application is vital to receiving an interview invite, which ultimately can lead to an acceptance. Perelman School of Medicine loves to recruit the best of the best. Although the UPenn secondary essays are short, you have to convey your leadership and vision to advance medicine. Read more of our UPenn secondaries tips below! Your AMCAS primary application and UPenn medical school secondary application must show strong research and strong academics. 

The UPenn secondary application is rather short, so if you receive a secondary from the admissions committee, make sure to fill it out right away. 

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to UPenn Medical School year after year. We are successful in helping students receive acceptances to both MD, MD/MBA, and MSTP (MD/PhD). C ontact us if you want help or have questions about your UPenn secondary essays. 

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UPenn Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2023 – 2024

• If you were offered an option to continue courses with a standard grading system or switch to Pass/Fail, and you chose Pass/Fail, please describe the reason(s) for your decision here. (500 characters max)
• Have you taken any online courses for credit? (Not due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
• Have you been nominated for or received an award from any state, regional or national organization?
• Have you taken or are you planning to take time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation? (500 characters max)
• Have you participated in any global activities outside of the U.S. prior to submitting your AMCAS application? (1,000 characters max)
• Are there any special, unique, personal, or challenging aspects of your personal background or circumstances that you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions, not addressed elsewhere (siblings/relatives at Penn, applying as a couple, educational environment, culture, ethnicity, etc.) (If yes, 1,000 characters max)
• Have you or your family experienced economic hardships? (1,000 characters max)
• Have you been employed at the University of Pennsylvania Health System or Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and worked with a Penn faculty mentor? If yes, please indicate name, department, phone number of faculty, and start/end dates.
• The Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) is deeply committed to recruiting a diverse class to enrich an inclusive team-based learning experience. How would you and your life experiences contribute to the diversity of the student body and/or how would you contribute to an inclusive atmosphere at PSOM? (1,000 characters max)
• Please explain your reasons for applying to the Perelman School of Medicine. (1,000 characters max)

Tips to Answer UPenn Secondary Essays

UPenn Secondaries Pre-Writing Guidance: The UPenn secondary application is rather short with fewer essays and a low character limit. Many of the questions are yes/no. So if you receive a secondary from the admissions committee, make sure to fill it out right away.  

• Read all our secondary essay tips –   Cracking Med Secondary Essay Workbook and Examples

UPenn Secondary Essays Tip #1: Highlight your leadership, passion to change healthcare, and impact on society. What is your vision to advance medicine? How will you pursue that vision throughout your career in medicine? 

What will make you stand out is if you can convey your desire to be innovative and improve healthcare through interdisciplinary approaches. The undergraduate and graduate schools of University of Pennsylvania are extremely collaborative, and there is a lot of cross-school / cross-department projects. If you like interdisciplinary approaches to improve healthcare, then this school is for you. 

UPenn Secondary Essays Tip #2: Other than leadership & innovation, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania values research and clinical experiences. Make sure to include research + patient care in your UPenn secondaries. 

UPenn Secondary Essays Tip #3: Don’t forget to add awards, even if you included them in your primary application / AMCAS work & activities section.

Common awards mentioned for in UPenn secondaries:  Marshall Scholar, Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright Scholar, Gates Scholar, Truman Scholar, national research grants

UPenn Secondary Essays Tip #4: Be very specific about why you want to go to UPenn School of Medicine. Talk about projects and research you want to do at UPenn. UPenn is a very interdisciplinary institution, so don’t hold back if you have ideas to work with a leader in the business school professor, a nursing in the School of Nursing, or a professor in the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering. Read an example of how to write a strong “ why this medical school ” essay. For this UPenn secondary, you don’t have much space! Be very specific in opportunities you want to take advantage of at UPenn.

UPenn Secondary Essays Tip #5: For the UPenn secondaries question, “ The Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) is deeply committed to recruiting a diverse class to enrich an inclusive team-based learning experience. How would you and your life experiences contribute to the diversity of the student body and/or how would you contribute to an inclusive atmosphere at PSOM? ” For the diversity essays, remember that diversity is all encompassing. We recommend our students to talk about their strengths and skills they will bring to the Perelman School of Medicine. It is important to convey to UPenn that you have made a big impact on the world through your activities.

• Read more tips for diversity essays:  Medical School Diversity Essay Examples and Tips
• Examples from our past successful students : Innovations through research; Founding a public health organization; Working with the World Health Organization; Leading a global health initiative

UPenn Secondary Essays Tip #6: It is super important that you have guidance from advisors from top medical schools and who repeatedly have helped medical school applicants get accepted to UPenn Perelman School of Medicine. Contact us below. Need editing help on your secondary? We can help you edit and strategize your UPenn secondaries through our secondary essay packages .

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UPenn Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022 – 2023

• Were there changes to your academic work and/or personal circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic that you would like to share with the committee? Yes or No? If yes, please describe these changes during this time. (500 characters max)

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UPenn Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022

Upenn medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2020 – 2021.

• Were there changes to your academic work and/or personal circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic that you would like to share with the committee?  Yes or No? If yes, please describe these changes during this time.  (500 characters max)
• If you were offered an option to continue courses with a standard grading system or switch to Pass/Fail, and you chose Pass/Fail, please describe the reason(s) for your decision here.  (500 characters max)
• Have you taken or are you planning to take time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation?  (500 characters max)
• Have you participated in any global activities outside of the U.S. prior to submitting your AMCAS application?  (1,000 characters max)
• Are there any special, unique, personal, or challenging aspects of your personal background or circumstances that you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions, not addressed elsewhere (siblings/relatives at Penn, applying as a couple, educational environment, culture, ethnicity, etc.)  (If yes, 1,000 characters max)
• Have you or your family experienced economic hardships?  (1,000 characters max)
• Please explain your reasons for applying to the Perelman School of Medicine.  (1,000 characters max)

UPenn Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2019 – 2020

• Have you taken any online courses for credit? Yes or No?
• Have you been nominated for or received an award from any state, regional or national organization? Yes or No? List all awards received.
• Have you participated in any global activities outside of the U.S. prior to submitting your AMCAS application? (If yes, 1,000 characters max)
• Have you or your family experienced economic hardships?  (If yes, 1,000 characters max)

UPenn Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2018 – 2019

• Have you taken any online courses for credit?  Yes or No?
• Have you been nominated for or received an award from any state, regional or national organization?  Yes or No?  List all awards received.
• Have you taken or are you planning to take time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation?  (If yes, 1,000 characters max)
• Have you participated in any global activities outside of the U.S. prior to submitting your AMCAS application?  (If yes, 1,000 characters max)

UPenn Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018

Upenn medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2016 – 2017, upenn medical school secondary application essay prompts: 2015 – 2016.

• Have you been nominated for or received an award from any state, regional or national organization? If so, please describe. (Each line, 100 characters max)
• Have you taken or are you planning to take time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation?  (If yes, 500 characters max)
• If you are traveling outside of the U.S. during the application year, will you need special scheduling if invited for an interview? If so, please describe and indicate dates that you are in the U.S. (255 characters max)

UPenn Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2014 – 2015

• Have you been nominated for or received an award from any state, regional or national organization? If so, please describe.  (Each line, 100 characters max)
• Have you taken or are you planning to take time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation?  (If yes, 250 characters max)
• Have you participated in any global activities outside of the U.S. prior to submitting your AMCAS application?
• Are there any special, unique, personal, or challenging circumstances that you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions (siblings/relatives at Penn, applying as a couple, educational environment, culture, ethnicity, etc.)

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