Boston University Dental School: The DMD Advanced Standing Program for International Dentists (2026)

  • Dr. T
  • October 14, 2026
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Boston University · Program guide · Updated October 2026

Boston University Dental School: The DMD Advanced Standing Program for International Dentists

Boston University’s Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) runs a two-year DMD Advanced Standing program for dentists trained outside the US, and it ends with a DMD degree. You apply only through ADEA CAAPID, with a passed INBDE, a TOEFL iBT score of 4.5 (90 on the old scale) and an ECE course-by-course evaluation.12

There is no bench test. BU reviews applications on a rolling basis, interviews online by video from about May to November, and takes 100 students a year.23

2 yearsfull-time, ends in a DMD
100places in each class
Nobench test
$325,167BU’s 2-year cost of attendance, 2026-27 rates

At a glanceRequirementsAm I ready?Selection stepsCostHow to prepareOther routesFAQ
How The Study Boards helps

How The Study Boards helps you get into BU Advanced Standing

BU prefers a first-attempt INBDE pass, a TOEFL of 4.5 and a strong one-shot interview. The Study Boards prepares you for each:

  • INBDE Premium Boards: faculty-created modules, 35,000+ questions, Grand Test mock exams and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time, with a 99% first-attempt pass rate for students who complete the course.
  • TOEFL iBT course for dentists: 45 days, built for the January 2026 format.
  • Master the CAAPID Application and interview prep: personal statement, letters, CV and mock interviews with Dr. T and Dr. Slesnick.

Our courses are extremely personalised: red lines and assignments are given to you on the go, the course learns from the way you study, and faculty are there to assist you. See our full plan for BU.

The facts in one place

BU Advanced Standing at a glance

Taken from Boston University’s own pages and BU’s ADEA CAAPID listing, as of October 2026. BU’s official name is the “DMD Advanced Standing program”, often shortened to DMD-AS.1

ProgramDMD Advanced StandingCODA-accredited DMD
Degree and lengthDMD, 2 yearsADEA lists 24 months
Next class startsLate July 2027ADEA lists 26 July 2027
Class size100 studentsBU and ADEA agree
How to applyADEA CAAPID onlyPlus an $80 BU supplemental fee
DeadlineMid-October15 October 2026 for the July 2027 class
Board examINBDE passOr NBDE Parts 1 and 2. First-attempt passes preferred
EnglishTOEFL iBT 4.5 (new scale)90 on the old scale. No waivers, no IELTS
Credential reportECE course-by-course onlyWES is not accepted
Bench testNoneADEA lists “No”
InterviewBy invitation, by videoUsually May to November
ADATNot requiredPer BU’s ADEA listing
Tuition, 2026-27 rates$203,352$101,676 a year for 2 years
Total cost of attendance$325,167Tuition, fees, instruments and living costs
Loans if internationalPrivate loansWith a US co-borrower, or 2 no-co-borrower lenders

Green card status is not required. BU’s ADEA listing says applicants may be foreign nationals, US citizens or permanent residents, and GSDM helps admitted international students with the I-20 or DS-2019.3

What BU asks for

Requirements in detail

You need a final dental diploma, the international equivalent of the DMD, before you apply. BU will not consider an application until every item below has arrived.26

INBDE

Pass the INBDE, ideally first timeYou need a pass on the INBDE or on NBDE Parts 1 and 2, sent by the ADA straight to ADEA CAAPID. BU states that it prefers applicants who pass on the first attempt. If you passed the NBDE years ago, you do not need to retake anything. For international candidates the INBDE costs $890 plus a $435 processing fee, $1,325 in total.2610

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT: 4.5 on the new scaleBU accepts 90 on tests taken up to 21 January 2026, or 4.5 on tests after that date. Below that, BU will not consider you. The score must be no more than two years old when you submit to CAAPID. Home Edition is fine. MyBest scores, TOEFL Essentials and other English tests are not accepted, and US citizens must take it too.236

ECE

ECE course-by-course, sent to CAAPIDBU requires an ECE dental school course-by-course evaluation, sent by ECE to ADEA CAAPID, not to BU. WES is not accepted. The report should say your degree was awarded. ECE’s course-by-course report costs $199.39

3 LORs

Dean, faculty member, clinical employerBU wants one letter from your dental school dean, one from a dental school faculty member and one from a clinical supervisor or employer. If your dean has left, a faculty letter can stand in. Letters must be signed, dated and on letterhead. You may add one optional extra letter.236

CV

A focused CVUpload your CV in BU’s program materials section of CAAPID. List only continuing education courses of three hours or more taken in the last 12 months, and do not upload certificates. After you submit, you cannot upload a new CV; email updates to [email protected].23

$80

BU supplemental feeA non-refundable $80 fee. BU emails payment instructions after it receives your application. This is on top of the CAAPID fee of $264 for your first program and $115 for each extra program.38

What BU looks for

BU uses a holistic review and gives priority to applicants who show five things: clinical experience practising dentistry, experience as a dental assistant or hygienist in the US or Canada, academic record, aptitude for dentistry, and personal qualities. It also counts research, teaching and specialty training.2 That second point is unusual. If you are already in the US, working as an assistant helps your file. Read how dental assisting builds your file.

“BU dental school requirements” online are often for the wrong programBU’s general FAQ talks about science prerequisites, the DAT, a 117-seat class and a US or Canadian bachelor’s degree. That is the four-year DMD.6 As a dentist trained abroad, your route is DMD Advanced Standing. It needs no DAT, no ADAT and no US science courses. Your dental degree, the INBDE, TOEFL and the ECE report take their place.3

Tick as you go

Am I ready to apply to BU?

Tick each item you have done. Anything left unticked is your to-do list before you submit.

Stuck on the CAAPID part? Our CAAPID login and application walkthrough shows every screen, and our guide to WES or ECE explains why BU applicants must order ECE.

From application to first day

How BU selects Advanced Standing students

BU reviews files as they become complete, not all at once after the deadline. Early, complete files are read first.2

Submit a complete CAAPID applicationYou can submit before your INBDE, TOEFL or letters arrive, but BU will not consider the file until it is complete. CAAPID releases it to BU one to three days after all documents and payments are in.26
Pay BU’s $80 feeBU emails you payment instructions after it receives and processes your application. There is no separate written supplemental application.3
Video interview, by invitationThe interview is required, but it does not guarantee a place. Invitations can come at any point after interviews begin in May. You also meet student Admissions Ambassadors, Student Affairs and the financial services and housing team.26
Optional Visit DayInterviewees may join a Sunday Visit Day in Boston of about six hours: a talk by the Associate Dean of Admissions, a demonstration in the Simulation Learning Center, a student panel and a clinic tour. BU offers no other tours.2
Rolling decision, then startOffers go out on a rolling basis. If you have not heard, your file is still under review. The program begins in late July.2
You may get only one interview at BUBU states that applicants who interviewed in an earlier cycle will not be interviewed again. Reapplicants must also send a new CAAPID application with an updated CV and new letters.2 So prepare properly before your first BU interview.

The application cycle on a timeline

BU’s dates for the class that starts in July 2027. The pattern repeats each year, so use it to plan your own cycle and confirm the new dates on BU’s page.23

Before MarchGet the documents readyINBDE passed, TOEFL taken, letters requested, CV drafted. Order the ECE report early.
5 March 2026CAAPID opensApplications for BU can be submitted. Apply early: review is rolling.
May to November 2026Video interviewsInvitations go out as complete files are reviewed. Visit Days run through autumn and winter.
15 October 2026BU deadlineThe last day to submit to CAAPID for the July 2027 class.
RollingDecisionsBU can update you at any time before the program begins.
26 July 2027Program startsTwo years of full-time study to the DMD.
Now: October 2026Plan for the next cycleIf you are not complete by 15 October, aim for the next cycle. If BU keeps its pattern, CAAPID opens again in early March 2027 for a class starting in summer 2028. A complete file in spring gives you the full interview season.

For a month-by-month plan from INBDE to interview, read our INBDE and CAAPID timeline.

2026-27 figures from BU

What BU Advanced Standing costs, and how people pay for it

BU publishes a full cost of attendance for each year of the program, including living costs.4

Year 1 · $170,235
Year 2 · $154,932
2026-27 rates Year 1 (AS I) Year 2 (AS II)
Tuition $101,676 $101,676
School feesprogram, wellness, preclinical, technology, sterilisation, loan fee $6,261 $6,761
Instruments $19,298 $0
Books, supplies and equipment $3,400 $2,000
BoardsADEX exam fee and $600 licensure prep $0 $3,395
Rent and utilities $25,800 $25,800
Food, personal and transport $13,800 $15,300
Total cost of attendance $170,235 $154,932

That is $325,167 for the two years at 2026-27 rates, living costs included. Health insurance is not in that figure. Massachusetts requires students to carry it, so add it if you do not already have qualifying cover. Tuition usually rises each year, so a class starting in 2027 will likely pay more.4

Your rough all-in figure

Cost of attendance, 2 yearsBU 2026-27 rates, living costs included$325,167
ApplyingCAAPID $264, BU $80, ECE $199, INBDE $1,325$1,868
Health insuranceIf you need BU’s planextra
Rough all-in figureabout $327,000 plus insurance

How people actually pay: loansBecoming a US dentist through Advanced Standing usually costs somewhere between $250,000 and $450,000 all-in, and BU sits in the middle of that range. Almost nobody pays it in cash. Most students finance it with loans and repay them from a US dentist’s income. At BU, US citizens and eligible non-citizens can use federal loans through the FAFSA. International students can borrow from many US lenders with a creditworthy US citizen or green-card holder as co-borrower. BU also lists two lenders that need no co-borrower, though their terms may be less favourable.511 Two points from BU: international students must show evidence of funds for all tuition, fees, books and living costs, and many private loans are approved one year at a time, so have a backup plan.5

To weigh the cost against the income, read is becoming a US dentist worth it?

We help with every stage

How to prepare: our full plan for BU

Four things decide a BU application. Here is the plan The Study Boards uses for each one.

INBDE

Pass the INBDE first timeBU prefers first-attempt passes, so a careful first sitting matters more here than at many schools. Our INBDE Premium Boards course has 12 sections, 35,000+ questions and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time. 99% of students who complete the course pass on their first attempt.

  • Pass Guarantee: finish on time with no overdue days, score 60%+ on every test, and if you still do not pass, we refund the course fee and the exam registration fee (about $1,000).
  • Your questions are answered by US-licensed dentists, not AI.

See the INBDE Blueprint

CAAPID

Build an application that gets read earlyMaster the CAAPID Application covers the personal statement, a review of all three letters, your CV with Dr. Kaur, a strategy session with Dr. T and three mock interviews. Every document is reviewed by a five-faculty bench. 300+ dentists placed, limited to 40 students per cycle.

  • BU asks for a clinical employer letter, so we check that letter shows your hands-on work.
  • School selection, so BU is not your only application.

See Master the CAAPID Application

Interview

Interview prep for a one-shot interviewBU interviews by video and does not re-interview in later cycles. Our 3-session interview program with Dr. Slesnick and Dr. T runs live by video, the same setting as BU’s interview.

  • Sessions 1 and 2: motivation, ethics and MMI-style questions, then pace, presence and curveball questions.
  • Session 3: a debrief after your first real interview, before the next school.

See the Interview Program

TOEFL

Reach a 4.5 on the new TOEFLBU grants no waivers and turns away scores below the minimum. Our TOEFL iBT course for dentists is a 45-day, mentor-reviewed program built for the January 2026 format, including the new Listen and Repeat and Interview speaking tasks.

  • Check the date: your score must be under two years old when you submit.

See the TOEFL Course

No bench test at BU, but hand skills still matterBU does not test you at the bench to get in. Your first year does include preclinical lab courses in operative dentistry, fixed and removable prosthodontics, endodontics and implantology.7 Most applicants also apply to schools that do test hand skills. Read what the dental bench test is, check the bench test exercises by school, and see our plan for how to prepare for the dental bench test with Dr. Kaur. These five tough interview questions are a good warm-up for any interview.

Keep your options open

Other routes if BU is not the right fit

BU has 100 places, but it is still one program. Passing the INBDE opens four routes, and many dentists apply to more than one at once.

1

Advanced Standing at another schoolTwo to three years to a DDS or DMD, all through ADEA CAAPID. Each school has its own rules on bench tests, TOEFL and evaluators. Compare them in our Advanced Standing programs guide and full list of US dental schools, then shortlist with the CAAPID directory method.

2

AEGD through ADEA PASSAn Advanced Education in General Dentistry program. Some states give a limited licence after an AEGD, but the rules vary by state, so check the state where you want to work. See AEGD programs for international dentists.

3

A specialty residency through PASSSome dentists apply straight to a residency. It is more competitive for international applicants. BU itself accepts international dentists into its postdoctoral programs through PASS, with TOEFL and an ECE or WES evaluation.6 Start with CAAPID or PASS: how to pick.

4

TeachingSome international dentists join a US dental school as faculty or in an academic role. Requirements are set by each school and state, so ask the school directly.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Does Boston University dental school accept international dentists?
Yes. BU’s Goldman School of Dental Medicine runs the DMD Advanced Standing program for internationally trained dentists. It lasts two years, leads to a DMD and takes 100 students a year. You apply through ADEA CAAPID, and you do not need US citizenship or a green card.13
Does BU require a bench test for Advanced Standing?
No. BU’s ADEA CAAPID listing shows no bench test, and BU’s own pages describe no hand-skills exam. Selection is based on your CAAPID application and a video interview.23
What TOEFL score does BU dental school need? Is IELTS accepted?
A 4.5 on the TOEFL iBT taken after 21 January 2026, or 90 on a test taken before that date. The score must be under two years old when you submit. There are no waivers, and IELTS, TOEFL Essentials and MyBest scores are not accepted.23
Does BU accept WES?
Not for Advanced Standing. BU requires an ECE dental school course-by-course evaluation sent to ADEA CAAPID, and its listing says WES evaluations are not accepted.3
How much does the BU Advanced Standing program cost?
BU’s 2026-27 cost of attendance is $170,235 for the first year and $154,932 for the second, $325,167 in total. That includes tuition of $101,676 a year, fees, instruments and living costs, but not health insurance.4
When is the BU Advanced Standing deadline?
In mid-October. For the class starting in July 2027, CAAPID opened on 5 March 2026 and BU’s deadline is 15 October 2026. Because BU reviews on a rolling basis and interviews from May, a complete file early in the cycle gives you the best chance.23
Invited to a BU video interview, or hoping to be?

Interview Preparation with Dr. Slesnick and Dr. T

Three live video sessions: two before your invites to build the habits, and one after your first real interview to fix what nearly cost you the offer.

Behavioural and MMI groundworkPace and presenceHard questions, livePost-interview debrief

See the Interview Program

Advanced Standing Programs for International DentistsEvery US program compared in one place.CAAPID Letters of RecommendationWho to ask for BU’s dean, faculty and employer letters.

Planning to apply to BU?

Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp. We will help you plan your INBDE, TOEFL, CAAPID and interview steps around BU’s dates.

Message the Admin Team on WhatsApp

References

  1. Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. DMD Advanced Standing Applicants: program length, deadline, accreditation. bu.edu/dental (checked 14 October 2026)
  2. Boston University GSDM. Application Process & Requirements (DMD Advanced Standing): class size, selection criteria, TOEFL, INBDE, letters, timeline, interviews, Visit Days, reapplicants. bu.edu/dental (checked 14 October 2026)
  3. ADEA CAAPID. Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine program listing (updated 12 January 2026): size, dates, bench test, citizenship, ECE, letters, CV, ADAT. programs.adea.org (checked 14 October 2026)
  4. Boston University Medical Campus, Student Financial Support. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, AS: 2026-2027 Cost of Attendance. bumc.bu.edu (checked 14 October 2026)
  5. Boston University Medical Campus, Student Financial Support. International Students: co-borrower loans, lenders with no co-borrower, proof of funds. bumc.bu.edu (checked 14 October 2026)
  6. Boston University GSDM. Frequently Asked Questions: DMD, DMD Advanced Standing and Postdoctoral sections. bu.edu/dental (checked 14 October 2026)
  7. Boston University. Doctor of Dental Medicine bulletin: Advanced Standing curriculum, Years 1 and 2. bu.edu/academics (checked 14 October 2026)
  8. ADEA. ADEA CAAPID applicants: 2026-27 fees, $264 and $115. adea.org (checked 14 October 2026)
  9. Educational Credential Evaluators. Services and Fees: Course by Course $199. ece.org (checked 14 October 2026)
  10. JCNDE. INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide: $890 fee plus $435 non-CODA processing fee. jcnde.ada.org
  11. Boston University Medical Campus, Student Financial Support. GSDM financial aid: FAFSA for US citizens, permanent residents and eligible non-citizens. bumc.bu.edu (checked 14 October 2026)

Current as of 14 October 2026. Program details, dates and costs come from Boston University and ADEA CAAPID. The all-in figure is our estimate built from BU’s published numbers. Confirm everything on BU’s site before you apply. This guide is independent and is not endorsed by Boston University.

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