PASS Application

The Office of Admissions processes the applications and facilitates the adherence to administrative policies designed to ensure equity in the treatment of all applicants. The respective department will only review applications when they are complete. In addition, interviews are only granted to individuals whose applications have been reviewed by post-graduate faculty.

PASS Deadlines and Matching

Individuals applying to the following programs must submit a PASS application:
Below is a list of program deadlines.  Most departments conduct rolling admissions; it is therefore strongly advised to submit your application as early as possible. Late applications will be returned unprocessed without exception.

For information and instruction on completing a PASS application, please contact their office at 617-612-2065 or visit their website. Individuals intending to apply to several schools are best served by utilizing the common PASS application.

When applying through PASS, you must submit all required materials to PASS by the PASS deadline (please see below for a complete list of requirements). PASS will not forward applications until it receives all required documents. Applications submitted to PASS after the PASS deadline or not completed by the PASS deadline will not be processed by the Admissions Office.

Individuals applying to the Advanced Education in General Dentistry, General Practice Residency, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, or Periodontology programs must participate in the National Matching Service. Please note applicants will now register for MATCH through the National Meeting Service.

Individuals applying to the Advanced Dental Technology and Research program (ADT), Advanced Digital Prosthodontics and Implant Fellowship, Advanced Education in Esthetic Dentistry Fellowship, Dental Education Learning and Teaching Academy (DELTA) Fellowship or the Master of Science in Dental Research program must complete the Tufts Direct application.

Please be aware that applicants can submit no more than three applications during one application cycle. If an applicant submits materials for more than three programs, only the first three applications received will be processed. Any additional applications will be not be processed.

Additional Requirements (U.S. Trained Dentists)

Please do not complete the Tufts application in addition to the PASS application. Applications received through PASS will include the application form, curriculum vitae, personal statement, Institution Evaluation Form, letters of evaluation, dental school transcripts and official NBDE scores (if requested by applicant).

Individuals utilizing PASS must submit the following information directly to Tufts by the program deadline. Please don't send materials before receiving an "application received" email from our office.

• A $125 fee (which must be paid online with a link provided in the confirmation email from our office). No other method of payment will be accepted.
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary education completed prior to enrolling in dental school. Official transcripts may be uploaded through the PASS application service. If there are additional transcripts than PASS allows space to upload, PDF scans of the official transcripts may be submitted via email to denadmissionspg@tufts.edu. If the university awarded you a degree, the degree conferral must be included on the transcript;
• NBD Exam Results†:
  • If you have graduated from your dental program NBDE Part I and II / INBDE results must be submitted at the time of application.
  • Students who are still completing their dental education are required to submit NBD Part I results at the time of application and NBD Part II results prior to matriculation.

†They should be sent through PASS officially. Note that it can take four weeks once requested for the score results to be sent to our office. 

You must also list your results, and the date you took the examination(s), on the designated section of the application form. Please visit https://www.ada.org/en/jcnde/examinations to obtain a score report request form. If you are a foreign-trained applicant, you do not need to submit NDB examination results unless applying to Endodontics, General Practice Residency or Orthodontics programs. If you have completed the examination, though, please submit your scores and list your results and the date you took the examination(s), on the designated section of the application form. Canadian citizens applying to the Advanced Education in General Dentistry are required to submit scores for Parts I and II of the National Dental Board Examination.

Program specific requirements (U.S. Trained Dentists)

Advanced Education in General Dentistry: Applicants to the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or citizens of Canada and must have graduated from a U.S. or Canadian dental institution.

Endodontics Program: If you are a US or Canadian dental student or graduate applying to the Endodontics program, you must submit DAT scores.

An official score report must be sent to our office via email. To request that scores be sent to Tufts University please visit: https://www.ada.org/en/education-careers/dental-admission-test/score-and-audit-information. The scores should be sent to: denadmissionspg@tufts.edu.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program: Applicants must take the NBME Comprehensive Basic Science Examination. Please visit the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons website for information.

**Orthodontics Program: All applicants are required to submit an official GRE score report if you are applying to the Orthodontics program. To have your GRE scores sent to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine use code 3902. For more information regarding the GREs contact: GRE Customer Service at 609-771-7670. You may also visit their website. Applicants are encouraged, but NOT required, to take the ADAT test. Information about the ADAT exam can be found on the ADA website. Letters of evaluation are submitted through PASS. Letter of evaluation from dental school dean is required. Minimum three letters of evaluation (excluding dean’s letter) must be submitted. Maximum of five letters of evaluation (excluding dean’s letter) is allowed.

Additional Requirements (Internationally Trained Dentists)

• A $125 fee (which must be paid online with a link provided in the confirmation email from our office). No other method of payment will be accepted.
• Official dental school transcripts must be submitted directly to the Office of Admissions (unless supplied through the WES evaluation)
• If you did not submit a copy of an academic credentials evaluation through PASS, you must submit an official copy (a course-by-course evaluation is required showing the degree earned) directly to Tufts. Suggested providers of credentials evaluation are Educational Credential Evaluators – www.ece.org, and World Education Services – www.wes.org;
• If you are a foreign-trained applicant, you do not need to submit NDB examination results. If you have completed the examination, though, please submit your official scores and list your results on the designated section of the PASS application form. Exception: All foreign-trained applicants to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery are encouraged to take and submit scores for Parts I and II of the National Dental Board Examination. Those foreign-trained applicants applying to the Endodontics and General Practice Residency programs and Canadian citizens applying to the Advanced Education in General Dentistry are required to submit scores for Parts I and II of the National Dental Board Examination.
• If you are a foreign applicant, you must demonstrate adequate command of the English language in reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension. Evidence of proficiency in the English language can be demonstrated by:
  • Completion of the dental degree at a university in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the United Kingdom
  • Completion of a post-graduate or master’s degree or a certificate/residency program in English from an institution in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the United Kingdom
  • Minimum overall test score of 7.0 achieved on the Academic format of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
  • Minimum overall test score of 90 achieved on the internet based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)**

**A TOEFL or IELTS score more than 2 years old on the date of the application deadline will no longer be valid. “My Best” TOEFL scores are accepted but all test scores included must be valid within 2 years of the application deadline. The requirement is mandatory, and any decisions made by the postgraduate department or Admissions Office may be rescinded if the required documentation is not provided by the requested date. To have your scores sent to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine use institution code 3902 and department code 38 on the TOEFL registration form.

Applicants must meet the following minimum section scores: (“My Best” scores are also accepted for the individual score sections):

• Reading           21
• Listening          17
• Speaking         24
• Writing             25

For more information regarding the TOEFL contact:

TOEFL Educational Testing Services
Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151

Or call 609-771-7760. You may also visit the website at http://www.ets.org.

For information on the IELTS please visit their website http://www.ielts.org/.

Program Specific Requirements (Internationally Trained Dentists)

Advanced Education in General Dentistry: Please note applicants to the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or citizens of Canada and must have graduated from a U.S. or Canadian dental institution.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program: All applicants to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program must take the NBME Comprehensive Basic Science Examination. Please visit the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons website for information.

**Orthodontics Program: Internationally trained dentists applying to the Orthodontics program are required to take the GRE and submit an official score report. To have your scores sent to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine use code 3902. For more information regarding the GREs contact: GRE Customer Service at 609-771-7670. You may also visit their website. International applicants are encouraged, but NOT required, to take the ADAT test. Information about the ADAT exam can be found on the ADA website. Letters of evaluation are submitted through PASS. Letter of evaluation from dental school dean is required. Minimum three letters of evaluation (excluding dean’s letter) must be submitted. Maximum of five letters of evaluation (excluding dean’s letter) is allowed.

Pediatric Dentistry Program: International applicants applying to the Pediatric Dentistry program must achieve the following:

• Minimum overall test score of 7.0 achieved on the Academic format of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Minimum overall test score of 90 achieved on the internet based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) but in addition must also meet the following minimum section scores. “My Best” scores can satisfy the requirement if they are all valid within 2 years of the application deadline.
  • Reading           21
  • Listening          17
  • Speaking         24
  • Writing             25