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Dental Applicants

As an international dentist pursuing a dentistry license in the United States, you should follow these steps:

1) Have your credentials evaluated by ECE.
2) Pass the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE).
3) Obtain a valid TOEFL score.

Once these steps are completed, you are ready to apply to dental schools either directly or through ADEA CAAPID.

The ADEA Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists, CAAPID, is designed for foreign-trained dental graduates who would like to become a licensed dentist in the United States or Canada by enrolling in advanced standing programs.

You can apply to most dental programs through CAAPID. However, there are a few programs that ask applicants to apply to them directly.

ADEA CAAPID is for applying to advanced standing programs, where you will earn a DDS or DMD degree.

ADEA PASS is for applying to residency programs, such as orthodontics, endodontics, AEGD, etc.

The ADEA CAAPID cycle starts in March. The current cycle began on March 9, 2023. The next cycle is expected to start in March 2024.

Here are the start dates of the CAAPID cycle in previous years:

  • March 9, 2023
  • March 8, 2022
  • March 4, 2021
  • March 3, 2020
  • March 5, 2019

The ADEA CAAPID cycle ends in the February of the following year. The current application cycle ends on February 16, 2024.

Here are the end dates of the CAAPID cycle in previous years:

  • February 16, 2024
  • February 17, 2023
  • February 22, 2022
  • February 19, 2021
  • February 21, 2020

The ADEA PASS cycle starts in May. The current cycle began on May 10, 2023. The next cycle is expected to start in May 2024.

Here are the start dates of the PASS cycle in previous years:

  • May 10, 2023
  • May 12, 2022
  • May 17, 2018
  • May 18, 2016
  • May 21, 2013

The ADEA PASS cycle ends in the February of the following year. The current application cycle ends on February 9, 2024.

Here are the end dates of the PASS cycle in previous years:

  • February 9, 2024
  • February 7, 2023
  • February 8, 2019
  • February 10, 2017
  • February 3, 2014

A resume can only be a maximum of two pages long, and it is used when applying for jobs. On the other hand, a CV is a longer document that details the entire course of your professional career in-depth, and it is used when applying to dental, medical, and/or graduate schools. While a CV and resume are not the same and differ with their purposes and lengths, school admissions usually use these terms interchangeably. Click here for more information.

While there are differences between a Personal Statement and Statement of Purpose (SOP), these terms are used interchangeably for application purposes. Both aim to reveal a student’s background, experiences, interests, and most importantly, goals. They are used in the admissions process to understand a student’s passion, mindset, and long-term vision. Click here for more information.

There are guidelines for preparing a recommendation letter or reference letter, which sometimes vary depending on the institution applied for. Your evaluator or reference should mention specific information when preparing the letter, such as their experiences with you and their perspective of you. Most importantly, the letter must be printed on the official letterhead of the school or organization with which the reference is affiliated. The recommendation letter must be signed and dated by the author. The reference should also mention how they know you, for how long, and to what capacity before evaluating your performance. We recommend the letter be a maximum of one page and submitted electronically in PDF format by the reference themselves. Click here for more information.

If you are a dental applicant applying through ADEA CAAPID for an advanced standing program, do not write the personal statement program-specific since it will be sent by CAAPID to all programs that you apply for. However, if you are applying for a residency program through ADEA PASS, you should draft a program-specific statement for each institution. Click here for more information.

You must provide three reference letters with your CAAPID application. One letter must be from the dean level of the dental school where you earned your degree. While case by case is different, we recommend providing one reference letter from the faculty member you did research with and one recommendation letter from a shadowing dentist. Click here for more information.

You can submit your CAAPID while the evaluators are still working on your letters of recommendation. However, the CAAPID application remains incomplete. While schools have access to your CAAPID, they may refuse reviewing the incomplete applications. Therefore, we recommend applicants submit the CAAPID application after evaluators complete their part. Click here for more information.

Some dental schools give you the option of adding more recommendation letters. While this is optional, we encourage applicants to attach additional letters from shadowing dentists or community service. Click here for more information.

First, make sure the email address used for your ECE account exactly matches the one on your ADEA application account. After logging into your ADEA application, navigate to “Academic History” and under “Colleges Attended,” input the details about your school. Once added, you will find an option to order an “Official Evaluation.” Click on order and follow the prompts.

Dental schools usually request that applicants provide more extensive personal or general information aside from the standard CAAPID application by including additional questions. These program-specific questions are referred to as the supplemental application. Some programs ask their questions in the Program Material section of CAAPID at the same time one applies to that program. Other dental schools email the supplemental application directly to the applicant after applying to that school. In this case, the applicant must provide the answers to the admission office of the school in a given time frame.
Most dental programs include additional questions that you must answer either through CAAPID (like UNLV) or in the application packet sent via email (like UPenn). Sometimes, it is just one question asking you to provide the SSN for a background check (like UNMC). It may also include questions asking about your viewpoint on some topics (like UCLA), motivation, clinical background, and future goals (like UCSF or Western University) or ethical questions (like LLU).

You are considered a reapplicant for the next cycle if:

  • You initiated the CAAPID application for the current cycle, applied to dental schools, but were not accepted.
  • You initiated the CAAPID application for the current cycle but later decided not to apply to any dental schools and chose to wait for the next cycle.
  • You initiated the CAAPID application for the next cycle before the current cycle ends in February.

When you are a reapplicant, you can choose to start a fresh application or start reapplication.

However, it is advised to use an existing account and carry forward the information from a previous cycle, especially when transcripts, WES/ECE evaluations, and official test scores are already reported to ADEA CAAPID in the past cycle. This process saves you time and money and avoids processing delays. Click here for more information.

If you have not applied to a specific institution’s program in the previous cycles, they will not know that you are a reapplicant.

Having a well-written Personal Statement (Statement of Purpose or SOP), powerful letters of recommendation, and a strong CV/resume are essential keys to success in any application. You also need to make sure your CAAPID application is organized and prepared correctly. In addition, you must practice for the bench test and interview sessions, and this is why we are here to help. Our team has simplified CAAPID and the entire process for you.

You can start by contacting us via email or chat. You will be assigned an adviser who will give you more information and guide you through the process.

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