The application cycle for the ISP Class of 2027 (starting in January 2026) opens September 20, 2024. The application cycle for the ISP Class of 2026 (starting in January 2025) is closed.
The Advanced Standing International Student Program (ISP) accepts 40 internationally-trained dentists each year. CU Dental is committed to attracting highly qualified students from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences and has accepted students from over 50 different countries. We use a holistic review process when considering applicants by reviewing a number of factors including academic credentials, TOEFL score, community engagement, letters of recommendation, and an invitation-only interview.
Admission Requirements
We do not grant exceptions to any of the above items under any circumstances.
How to Apply Step-by-Step Guide
Please complete and submit a CAAPID Application.
Re-applicants should use the same login information from previous CAAPID applications and should not create a brand new CAAPID application.
TOEFL Scores- Applicants are required to score a 94 or better on the TOEFL. Your official TOEFL report must be sent directly to CAAPID at code B451. Your application will not be processed and you should not pay your fee until CAAPID has received your official scores. If you send a score report to the CU School of Dental Medicine, it will not be used. My Best Score will be accepted. Updates to TOEFL should also be made through CAAPID. We do not make any exceptions for TOEFL including if you are a US citizen or have had US schooling.
ECE Reports- Official ECE course-by-course evaluations are required to be sent to ADEA CAAPID. All international schooling after your Bachelor degree (specialties, master’s degrees, etc.), except for schooling in Canada or the US, needs to have a course-by-course ECE evaluation. All materials should be sent to ECE at one time for creating one cohesive ECE report with all schooling. You are required to submit your transcripts with all attempts for courses included. If your ECE does not have a Comprehensive GPA, it will not be considered. Reports do not need to be sent to the University. WES evaluations are not accepted.
NBDE Part I and II/INBDE Official Score Report- Applicants are required to pass the National Board Dental Examinations (NBDE) Part I and II or the INBDE. Official reports should be sent directly to CAAPID when you order them from the JCNDE/ADA. Paper score copies will not be accepted.
ADAT- ADAT scores will be accepted, but are not required. Scores will be used for informational purposes only. Please send official score reports to the CAAPID. You can order reports in your application for the exam or after the exam you can order reports through ADA and pay $36.
Please do not proceed to further steps until this step is complete and our office has asked you to proceed. You should receive communication from our office within approximately 72 business hours of your application being complete with CAAPID.
The University will contact you once we have assessed your eligibility to apply. If you are eligible (have a dental degree, have passed NBDE Part 1 and Part 2 or INBDE, and have a 94 or better on TOEFL), we will notify you that you can proceed with your application. At that time, we will provide instructions for how to make your $100 payment.
Checks or credit cards unable to be processed will be charged a $35 bounced check fee, and the applicant will need to send a new deposit with the original amount plus the $35 added in order for their application to be processed and reviewed.
Please do not submit letters or documents of any sort until this step has been completed and you have been notified by the University that you can submit materials.
Please do not proceed to further steps until this step is complete and our office has asked you to proceed. You should receive communication from our office within approximately 72 business hours of your fee being paid to proceed to Step 3.
Once you receive notification from the University of Colorado that your fee has been received, the University will email you detailed instructions on how to submit the following documents through the candidate portal. Please do not submit any documents outside of CAAPID until instructions are provided. Please be patient and wait to hear from the University as we need to manually check applications before we can allow access to the candidate portal. All documents must be uploaded to our candidate portal. Please be sure that these are submitted with the top facing up as any other direction will be rejected.
**Originals of the above documents will be requested if you are invited for an interview.
Reapplicants must submit all new documentation including Transcripts, Photos, Resume, Dental Degree, Letters, Waivers and Board of Regents Questionnaire.
Please do not proceed to further steps until this step is complete and our office has asked you to proceed. Your documents need to be manually verified. You should see them verified in your portal within approximately 72 business hours of submission of each document.
Due to COVID-19, the University will be changing its letters of recommendation process. Candidates should expect an electronic form to be filled out by each recommender. Please click here for your recommender to complete the form. You can copy and paste the link if you prefer to send the link yourself. The recommender will need your CAAPID name and ID to complete the form.
Recommendation Requirements
If a dental professional no longer works at the dental school you attended, we will still accept a recommendation from them as long as they provide an explanation about how they know you and from what school.
All recommendations must include the following items in order to be considered in your admission application. Please clearly communicate and discuss the below requirements with your recommender as recommendations that do not meet our requirements will need to be replaced:
Letter of Recommendation Suggestions
Recommendation Waivers
CAAPID Letters
The University of Colorado does not accept CAAPID letters. All letters of recommendation must be sent to the University via the link above with original signatures and other requirements listed above. You are allowed to send in a recommendation from the same recommender in CAAPID. If you viewed this recommendation and uploaded it yourself to CAAPID, you should NOT waive your right to see the recommendation in the candidate portal.
Please do not proceed to further steps until this step is complete and our office has asked you to proceed.
Once your application has been received, an email confirmation stating the status of your application will be sent. If your status changes, you will be notified via email.
The ISP Office will only accept the following updates after initial submission of supplemental documents. Those who have not received an interview decision can continue to submit the following until the deadline:
Those who have received an interview decision of either Invited or Wait-listed can submit the following until a final admission decision has been made:
Those who have received an interview decision of Not Invited will not be able to submit updates.
Please note that admission is not on a rolling basis, therefore, applicants will receive their final notice of decision either after an application has been reviewed, after the application deadline, or after the interview process is complete. Admission decisions are based on the candidate’s overall fit for the ISP program at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. This includes, but is not limited to communication with the program staff and faculty and admission committee, evaluation of the CAAPID and University of Colorado supplemental application/documents, an evaluative in-person interview, evaluation of a bench exam, application components from previous cycles, and submission of an ethically sound application. On occasion, the University might extend early admission offers to those who have been accepted elsewhere and/or when ideal candidates are identified. As stated above, interview invitations will be extended on a rolling basis, so it will be beneficial to finish your application as early as possible. Your application will be reviewed and placed in order of receipt once all steps in our process are complete. Please note that completing a CAAPID application does not place you in this order. You must receive an application complete email from our office in order to be placed in our review process.
Please do not proceed to further steps until this step is complete and our office has asked you to proceed.