Dental School Letters of Recommendation: The Ultimate Guide

When to ask for your dental school recommendation letter, whom to ask, and everything else you need to know

Requesting dental school letters of recommendation can be one of the more daunting elements of the dental school application process. While the majority of the AADSAS application depends on you as the applicant (your DAT score, GPA, and personal statement), letters of recommendation come from someone else (a professor, employer, mentor, or dentist), and you never know what they’ll say.

We’ve put together this guide with answers to common questions about dental school letters of recommendation.

Click on any question below to jump directly to it:

• How many letters of recommendation do I need?
• Are there specific requirements regarding who can submit letters of recommendation on my behalf?
• How do I get to know people who can write me a strong letter of recommendation?
• How do I ask someone for a letter of recommendation?
• Do I have to get an “A” in a class in order to ask a professor for a letter of recommendation?
• When should I ask for letters of recommendation?
• How do I send a request for a letter of recommendation through the ADEA AADSAS application system?

• When can I send a request for a letter of recommendation through the ADEA AADSAS application system?
• Does ADEA AADSAS store recommendation letters from one cycle to another?
• Do my letters of recommendation all need to be submitted before my ADEA AADSAS application will be processed and verified?
• Do I need to submit new letters of recommendation as a reapplicant?
• Can I see my letters of recommendation?
• Can I edit or delete my letters of recommendation after submitting my application?
• Should my recommendation letters be addressed to specific dental schools?
• How does a recommender submit a letter of recommendation?
• When and how should I send a thank you note to my recommenders?

How many letters of recommendation do I need?

The AADSAS application allows a maximum of four evaluations. In recent years, individual letters of recommendation and committee/composite letters were counted as single letters. However, as of the 2023-2024 application cycle, a committee or composite letter will count as three letters, meaning that applicants can only submit one additional dental school letter of recommendation alongside them.

Not all colleges and universities offer a committee letter as an option to undergraduate students. If your school does have this option, we recommend that you get a committee letter so that no one wonders if you’re avoiding the committee.

Some dental schools will accept more letters of recommendation, but your recommender must send them directly to that program as four is the maximum allowed through AADSAS.

Dental schools typically only require three letters of recommendation, but we recommend submitting all four letters—or one committee letter along with at least one individual evaluation—in order to meet every school’s individual requirements (explained below).

Are there specific requirements regarding who can submit letters of recommendation on my behalf?

Broadly, we suggest getting four letters of recommendation—two from science professors whose class you took for a grade, one from a dentist you’ve shadowed, and a fourth from an employer or another (non-science or science) professor.

• Yes, every dental school has certain criteria regarding letters of recommendation. Check the policy for every school to which you’re applying. These policies might not be what you expect! Indiana asks for three academic letters, Loma Linda includes in their requirements one letter from a “spiritual leader,” and A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health recommends one letter from a community service supervisor.
• It is common for dental schools to require one or two letters from science professors—biology, chemistry or physics. We recommend requesting two letters from science professors to cover your bases.
• Some dental schools require one letter from a dentist you have shadowed or one letter from an employer.

How do I get to know people who can write me a strong letter of recommendation?

• Try to take more than one class with a science professor.
• Attend office hours to develop a relationship with your professors. Ask them about their research interests and seek out advice about summer opportunities and your long-term career.
• Sit in the front of the classroom and participate in lectures.
• TA for a professor.
• Work as a research assistant in a favorite professor’s lab.
• Shadow dentists (this is a requirement anyway) and spend extra time in offices where you can develop a strong relationship with the dentist.
• If you have a job, be a reliable and hard-working employee and get to know your supervisor.
• Partner with a community service or volunteer organization on a regular basis where you can get to know the director of the organization.

Remember that getting a strong letter with specific information regarding your strengths and qualifications from someone who knows you well is far more meaningful than getting a “form letter” with little information about you from someone with impressive academic credentials or a noteworthy job title.

How do I ask someone for a letter of recommendation?

You can ask for a letter over email or in-person. Whenever possible, we recommend an in-person discussion.

Schedule a meeting with your recommender and let them know you want to discuss your career goal of becoming a dentist and would appreciate their advice and perspective on the process of applying to dental schools.

When meeting with a potential recommender, remember these four keys:

1. Express genuine gratitude for their influence on you. Everyone likes to be appreciated, plus it helps a potential recommender write a stronger letter of recommendation if they understand their influence on you and your journey to dentistry. Don’t be fake or disingenuous. If you can’t genuinely find something to thank this person for, then you should reconsider asking them for a recommendation.
2. Be direct and ask them if they would be willing to write a “strong” letter of recommendation for your dental school application. It may seem like a small thing, but adding the word “strong” helps both of you clarify the goal. If someone feels they do not know you well enough to provide a strong recommendation, then this gives them the opportunity to gracefully decline.
3. Once they accept, let them know that you will provide them with an unofficial copy of your transcript/grades, your CV, and your personal statement to help them write your letter.
4. Be sure to describe the application timeline and process for receiving the electronic recommendation link via email, and provide them a specific deadline.

If you’re asking someone over email, here’s a sample script:

Dear Professor Webb,

I hope this note finds you well. How has your course been this semester? I still think about your class, especially the final project we did on public health. I don’t know if you remember, but I studied the importance of clean water supply in urban environments. You provided some incredibly important input into research methods as I pursued the project and helped me understand how healthcare practitioners are the custodians of the public’s health in addition to caring for their patient population. I’m applying to dental school now, and am especially interested in how dentistry plays into public health.

I was reaching out to ask if you would be able to write a strong letter of recommendation for me as I apply to dental school. I think you would be able to speak to my academic enthusiasm and my intellectual areas of interest. The deadline is late May/early June.

Thank you so much for considering. I’m very grateful.

Do I have to get an “A” in a class in order to ask a professor for a letter of recommendation?

No, you do not need to get an A in a course to ask the professor for a recommendation, but you should feel that you performed well and that the professor will be able to sing your praises. We typically recommend you have a B or above in courses from professors providing a recommendation.

Keep in mind that you might get a strong recommendation from a professor in whose course you initially struggled but later improved. That professor could speak to your resilience and drive.

When should I ask for letters of recommendation?

The ADEA AADSAS application opens in May each year and can usually be submitted at the end of the month or in early June. The more time you provide a recommender, the more likely they are to write a strong and detailed letter of recommendation.

We recommend asking recommenders at least three months in advance of your desired submission date, which would be no later than mid-March for submission in mid-June.

How do I send a request for a letter of recommendation through the ADEA AADSAS application system?

All letters of recommendation through the ADEA AADSAS application are submitted electronically. Here’s how the process goes:

• Once the application opens, you can submit the requests in the “Evaluations” section of the application.
• You will click the option “Create Evaluation Request” and then enter the recommender’s name and email address, the date by which you would like the evaluation completed, and a brief message for the recommender.
• Be sure to check the box waiving your right to see the evaluation.
• If necessary, you can go back into the application and resend an evaluation request any time before the deadline.

When can I send a request for a letter of recommendation through the ADEA AADSAS application system?

The earliest you can send a request for a letter of recommendation through the ADEA AADSAS application system is when the application opens in May. We recommend that you send the request as early as possible, preferably before June, to provide more time to your recommenders to submit their letter of recommendation.

Do my letters of recommendation all need to be submitted before my ADEA AADSAS application will be processed and verified?

According to ADEA your application will be considered “complete” and placed in line to be verified after finalizing the following:

• Official transcripts are received and posted to your application
• Application fee is submitted and marked as received
• Application is submitted and you received a confirmation email
• Application program status changes to “Complete”

In other words, you can submit your application and have it marked complete before your letters of recommendation are in. However, most dental schools won’t even begin considering your application if they see that this is the case.

Does ADEA AADSAS store recommendation letters from one cycle to another?

No, ADEA AADSAS does not store recommendation letters from one cycle to another.

Do I need to submit new letters of recommendation as a reapplicant?

Yes, while some information can be carried over from your previous application, letters of recommendation need to be resubmitted and it is in your best interest to get updated letters anyway.

Can I see my letters of recommendation?

While you do have the option, you should always waive the right to view your evaluations as dental schools will view your letters as a more honest and accurate representation of you as an applicant.

Can I edit or delete my letters of recommendation after submitting my application?

You may not edit or delete your letters of recommendation after submitting your AADSAS application. In fact, be sure the evaluators you choose are the ones that can best speak to your abilities as once an evaluator’s reference is received, they cannot be removed.

Should my recommendation letters be addressed to specific dental schools?

No, your letters of recommendation should not be addressed to specific dental schools. Rather, they should be written in a way that allows them to be sent to any dental school.

How does a recommender submit a letter of recommendation?

After entering the recommender’s name and email address into your application, the recommender will receive an email from ADEA AADSAS with detailed instructions on how to complete the evaluation.

When and how should I send a thank you note to my recommenders?

We recommend sending three emails, which serve both to thank your recommender and prod them along.

• First, after your initial meeting when the recommender has agreed to write a letter of recommendation, you should follow up with a thank you email that includes the attachments you promised to provide comprising your personal statement, CV, and unofficial transcripts.
• Second, 1–2 weeks prior to the opening of the ADEA AADSAS application, send a brief thank you note for being willing to provide a letter of recommendation. In this email include a reminder that they will be receiving an email to complete your evaluation in the next couple of weeks along with the deadline you had previously discussed together.
• Third, you will be notified in the ADEA AADSAS application when a letter of recommendation has been received and you should reach out immediately with a second thank you note either via email or in a traditional letter.

About the Author

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on dental school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into dental school using his exclusive approach.