Advanced Standing for International Dentists (ASPID)

Application Deadline: May 23, 2025

Applicants should use the ADEA CAAPID to apply to the program.

1. The following materials should be submitted with the CAAPID application:
   

Item	Description
Personal Statement	The personal statement should include information about dental education experiences, dental related activities and professional goals.
Transcripts and Evaluations	Submit an official, detailed, course-by-course evaluation of your dental school transcript and any other post-dental degrees obtained outside the U.S as well as a copy of your diploma and dental license, if applicable. All transcripts, diplomas, and dental licenses obtained outside of the U.S must be translated and certified by ECE. Submit an official copy of a transcript for any degree earned in the US.
English Language Proficiency Test	**COVID-19 Exeption- Home TOFEL will be accepted! An Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) average score of 95 or above or with 20 or above in each of the four evaluations. TOEFL may be waived if candidate has a degree from a U.S. accredited college or university. Score received at time of application must be less than 2 years old. Original TOEFL scores must be submitted from TOEFL directly to ADEA CAAPID. Click here for TOEFL. Click here for TOEFL at home. Click here for TOEFL Waiver Options.
National Board Dental Examination	Applicants are required to pass the NBDE Part I and NBDE Part II or the INBDE, Integrated National Board Dental Examination, to be considered for admission.
Letters of Evaluation	Applicants are required to submit three Letters of evaluation. All letters must have a signature and be on the letterhead of the letter writer’s affiliated organization, school or dental practice and must be in English. Program prefers one letter to come from the Dean or a faculty member of the dental school from which the applicant graduated. The second letter should come from a dentist practicing in the United States who supervised or worked with the applicant in a clinical or educational setting or who the applicant shadowed. The third letter should come from someone the applicant has been supervised by in a professional setting.

2. The following items should be submitted to the Slate program as part of the supplemental application. You will receive an email once your CAPPID application is complete:

Item	Description
Proof of Residency	Copy of passport, permanent resident card, green card.

Application Fee

After submitting the ADEA CAAPID application and ADEA on-line fee, submit a $150 non-refundable application fee directly to the Adams School of Dentistry. Do not submit payment until after you have submitted your CAAPID application.

Successful applicants selected for interview will need to pay a bench test fee of $300.  Information regarding payment of the bench test fee will be included in the invitation to Chapel Hill for an interview.

Applicants with strong academic credentials and a demonstrated commitment to the profession will be considered for a skill evaluation (bench test) and personal interview. Formal letters of non-acceptance will not be sent to applicants not selected for an interview.

Applicants selected for a personal interview and bench test will be invited to visit the Adams School of Dentistry. The interview day consists of an overview of the ASPID program, personal interview with faculty members of the ASPID admission’s committee and a bench test using manikins in the preclinical laboratory. Individuals who are not able to attend the designated interview date will not be eligible for acceptance.

Acceptance notifications will be sent at the completion of the selection process. For the candidates offered admissions to the program, a non-refundable deposit of $5,000 will be expected within 14 days of acceptance.

Entering students will be required to complete a criminal background check.

Offers of admission are not considered final and enrollment is not permitted until completion of the criminal background check with results deemed favorable by the Adams School of Dentistry.

The information obtained will remain confidential unless the findings result in an institutional action by the Adams School of Dentistry.

Please note, living expenses are not included. Estimated living expenses (not included in tuition and fees). Books, Room, Board and Personal Expenses: $21,000.

Entering students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents will be required to obtain an F-1 student visa to study at the Adams School of Dentistry and to complete a Certification of Finances through the ISSS office.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. The Office of Admission at the Adams School of Dentistry cannot be held liable for any delays caused by the U.S. Postal Service or other mail delivery systems. All application materials and documents become the property of the Adams School of Dentistry and will not be returned to the applicant. Any applications materials received after the admissions cycle will be discarded.

1. Where do I send my application?

Applicants should use the ADEA CAAPID to apply to the program

2. Why should we submit E.C.E. evaluations of our transcripts?

We need to have a standardized process for admissions purposes, and for future school accreditations. The evaluation services look at transcripts differently. Same transcript evaluated by different services may have different outcomes.

3. What scores for NDBE Part I, II or INBDE and TOEFL do I need to have to be considered for an interview?

WE DO ACCEPT TOEFL HOME EDITION

This program, as well as many other similar programs, is competitive we only note that the Board exam has been taken with a grade of Pass.

You will need to have a minimal TOEFL total score of 90, please note that your application will NOT be reviewed if your score is below 90. This is a University-wide policy with no exceptions.

4. Can I submit my NBDE/INBDE score reports after the application deadline?

No. All score reports must be submitted by the application deadline date.

5. Can I apply to the ASPID program now and take the NBDE later?

No, you are required to submit all supplemental documents together.

6. Do you accept WES transcript reports?

No.

7. I will be in Chapel Hill next week. Can I meet with you and discuss the program?

We do not meet with any future candidates until they are invited to interview. However, you may visit the university campus but you will not be allowed to enter any of the clinical areas. This has to do with HIPAA regulations (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). The Adams School of Dentistry does offer school tours. Schedule a tour.

8. I have specialty training in my home country. Will that increase my chances?

It does not automatically increase your chances but any further education may be valuable for your ranking.

9. I have specialty training from the US. Will that increase my chances?

Yes, it might increase your chances.

10. Are Letters of Recommendation needed?

Yes, we do need the most current recommendation letters, one from the Dean of your dental school, and two additional letters from clinical dentistry professors. Please note that all letters need to be on letterhead and signed.

11. Is it only scores that count towards an acceptance?

TOEFL scores, previous grades (and calculated GPA by ECE), your personal statement, and experiences in your new country and home country are all important in the initial review. These documents help us determine who we will invite for an interview. Recommendation letters from your Dean, previous faculty, employers, and from dentists you have shadowed play a crucial role. We do require you to pass both parts of National boards or the Integrated National Boards. The interview is very important and is mandatory if invited.

12. Do you have a bench test on the interview day?

Yes, we do have a traditional bench test on the day of the interview.

13. I submitted my application a while ago and I have not heard from you. What do I do now?

We have many applications and organizing all of the paperwork takes a considerable amount of time. Please allow us 2-3 weeks after the closure of application deadline to send out interview invitations. Interviews may be conducted as early as 3-4 weeks after the application deadline. Please allow us about 3 weeks for a response after your interview process for selection. Our goal is to have all responses sent out as early as possible.

14. Can I submit updated supplemental documents after the deadline?

No, all supplemental documents must be received on or before the deadline. Documents received after the deadline will not be considered or reviewed by the ASPID Admissions Committee.

15. Do you have a rolling enrollment or do you wait until all interviews are completed and then make your decisions?

No, we do not have rolling enrollment.  We will fill all of our positions after the interview and bench testing. We may, however, accept those who agree to be placed on a wait list.

16. What will the cost be?

All financial information that is available will be given during the interview day. However, the cost is about the same as that of similar programs across the country.

17. Can I get student loans for the Advanced Standing program?

Yes, but only if you are eligible for federal student loans. You can apply once you have started your studies.

18. Do I need to be a US citizen or be a permanent resident (Green Card holder) to apply to your program?

No, you do not need to have any special visa status or citizenship. Every year we have applicants with various visa situations. The University has a specialized office to address specific visa questions.

19. If I am currently on an F-1/H-1 visa and studying/working in the US, is there something I should be aware of?

It takes time to process a change of visa status, or transfer of a visa (F-1) from one school to another. Thus you should apply as early as possible to give yourself maximum time for the admissions process.

20. As an international student, will I be required to submit a proof of financial ability, Certification of Finances (COF) form, to request a student visa?

Yes, all accepted, incoming students on a F-1 visa will be required to submit a COF form to show available funds to cover the first year costs (tuition, fees and living expenses) of the program.

21. Do I have any advantage as a re-applicant?

No, you do not. We strongly urge you to take a good look at your application if you were not called for an interview, or if you did not receive an acceptance after being interviewed. You should look at your application as if you were on the admissions committee for a competitive program and you had to make the often very hard decisions. We strongly urge you to improve your application and that can be done in many ways. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Why is my application (and/or interview) not competitive?
• Is my GPA good enough? We know that you cannot change it , but you should look at other ways to make your application stronger
• Could my TOEFL score be better?
• Did I fully understand the interviewer?
• Did I answer the interviewer’s questions, or did I just say what I had prepared to say?
• What have I done since I came to the U.S.?
• What will make me stand out above the others?
• Does my personal statement describe my unique traits or does it make me look like all other applicants?
• What can I do to make my application look neater and better?
• Do I have additional credentials since my last application?

It is important that an application looks neat and is well prepared. Your application is a reflection of you, the applicant, for a profession where neatness and details are important.

22. I did not get accepted last year and I want to reapply. Do I need to submit all documentations again?

Yes, and you have to submit the current year’s application form, and the application fee.  In addition to that, you must submit any additional or new documents that you have not submitted previously, such as new scores, additional work experience etc., and the application fee.