When Do Dental Schools Send Secondaries? July–Sept Timeline (2026)

When do dental schools send secondaries? For most applicants: July through early September, shortly after AADSAS verification — not in May, and usually not as a single synchronized drop.

A few schools invite only screened applicants; Tufts and Harvard-style programs may wait until interview day. Because review is rolling, finishing each secondary within 14 days is one of the highest-leverage habits in the cycle. Use the Secondary Database to pre-write before emails hit.

AADSAS typically opens in late May. The earliest applicants submit in the first 1–2 weeks of June. Earlier submission means earlier verification — and earlier secondaries.

• Early: Submit in June
• On time: Submit by mid-July
• Late: August or later (fewer interview seats left)

While you wait for verification, pre-write your essays using our Secondary Database so you can submit the moment secondaries arrive.

This is when most applicants receive a flood of secondaries — often 10–20 schools within a few weeks. Expect overlapping deadlines and heavy writing volume.

How secondaries are distributed:

• AADSAS supplemental questions — appear inside your primary (UCLA, NYU, USC, UNC, etc.)
• Emailed to all qualifying applicants — UAB, ATSU, Midwestern, Meharry
• Emailed selectively — some schools only invite competitive applicants
• Interview-day only — Tufts and Harvard send prompts at interview

Not sure a school even asks essays? Read do all dental schools have secondaries?

Aim for within 2 weeks of receiving each secondary. Rolling review means schools fill interview slots as complete applications arrive. A polished secondary submitted in 10 days beats a perfect one submitted in 6 weeks.

1. Browse every school on your list in the Secondary Database
2. Draft answers for the most common prompts: Why our school?, Diversity, Challenge, Anything else — see common prompts
3. Research 2–3 specific programs at each school for your "Why us?" essays
4. Set a personal rule: submit within 14 days — no exceptions
5. Want help prioritizing timing and school list? Book Future Dentist Prep

For school-specific guides, start with NYU, UCLA, and USC.