Penn Dental Medicine Advanced Standing (PASS): How International Dentists Get In
The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine runs the Program for Advanced Standing Students (PASS), a 29-month program that awards the DMD degree. You apply through ADEA CAAPID, then complete a Penn supplemental application when Penn invites you.
The rule that decides everything: only U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents may apply. If you hold a green card or a U.S. passport, read on. If you do not, skip to the routes that fit you.
How The Study Boards helps you get into Penn PASS
- INBDE first: Penn will not consider you without a pass. Our course gives you faculty-created Modules for every subject, 35,000+ focused questions, the Master and Grand Test Series (8-hour mock exams), daily tasks and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time.
- Built around you: The Study Boards 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.
- The rest of the file: our TOEFL course targets 5.0+, the CAAPID application program checks Penn’s fixed letter mix, and interview prep with Dr. Slesnick and Dr. T gets you ready for the day that decides it.
Questions are answered by US-licensed dentists, not AI. See the INBDE Course Blueprint.
Penn PASS at a glance
Every figure below comes from Penn Dental Medicine, Penn Student Registration and Financial Services, or Penn’s ADEA CAAPID listing, as of October 2026.1234
Can you apply to Penn PASS?
Pick the line that describes you today.
Penn is open to you. Your status must already be in place when you submit to CAAPID. Now focus on what Penn ranks highly: full-time practice as a licensed dentist at home, real U.S. clinical exposure, strong grades, a passed INBDE and a TOEFL score of 5.0 (new scale) or 95 (old scale) or above.
Read the requirements below, then tick off the checklist.
Penn will not consider your application. Penn states that only U.S. citizens and permanent residents may apply, and that status is confirmed at submission. A pending green card does not count.
Many other Advanced Standing programs set different rules. Use the US dental schools list and check each school’s CAAPID listing for its residency rule.
Penn is not an option from abroad. Use this time on the things every program wants: pass the INBDE, take the TOEFL, order your ECE report and plan U.S. clinical exposure. Then shortlist schools that accept your status, starting with our Advanced Standing programs guide.
Penn PASS requirements in detail
Penn lists these on its admissions page and its CAAPID listing.23
A completed dental degree
A DDS, DMD or equivalent from your home country. Penn does not accept a provisional certificate.
U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Confirmed when you submit. Penn also says your status should let you gain clinical experience in the U.S. or Canada.
Passing INBDE, or NBDE Part I and II
Your official scores go to ADEA CAAPID, not to Penn. You need the pass before you are considered, so plan your INBDE preparation early.
TOEFL iBT, taken July 2024 or later
No minimum, but serious consideration goes to 95 or above (old scale) or 5.0 or above (new scale). The class entering January 2026 averaged 102. IELTS, MyBest scores and waiver requests are not accepted. Build your score with our TOEFL course.
ECE course-by-course evaluation
Sent to ADEA CAAPID. WES is not accepted. ECE’s course-by-course report costs $199 as of October 2026.6 See WES or ECE.
Three letters, in a fixed mix
- The Dean or Director of your dental school
- A faculty member from the same school
- A supervising dentist at a U.S. or Canadian practice where you worked, volunteered or observed
Each must be on letterhead with a handwritten signature. A letter from U.S. or Canadian dental school faculty does not count as the practice letter. Read our letters guide.
What Penn weighs most
Penn gives strong preference to two things. First, practice as a licensed, full-time dentist in your home country, beyond any compulsory internship. General practice experience is preferred over specialty-only experience. Second, significant dental exposure in the U.S. or Canada, such as shadowing (paid or unpaid) or working as a dental assistant or hygienist.2
Penn also looks at your GPA, leadership, community service, research and any extra degrees, such as a specialty certificate, master’s or doctorate. If you lack U.S. exposure, start with our guide on how to get a dental observership. The same practice can give you the U.S. letter Penn requires.
Penn PASS selection steps and timeline
The dates below are from the 2026-27 cycle, for the class starting January 2027.12 Penn has not yet posted dates for the next cycle; expect a similar pattern.
The cycle on one line
What the 29 months look like
You start in January in the second semester of the second-year DMD class. You skip the second-year basic science courses and take a special preclinical laboratory and seminar program instead. After second year, you join the third- and fourth-year class fully, with the same clinics, externships and Selectives. Penn says there is no separate teaching for PASS students. Third-year students get a four-week summer break in July or August.13
Am I ready to apply to Penn?
Tick each item you already have. Anything left unticked is your plan for the next few months.
All ten ticked? You are ready for the next cycle. Missing three or more? Start with the INBDE and TOEFL, because they take the longest.
What Penn PASS costs
Penn’s 2026-27 budgets. You pay the first semester at the PASS rate, then you are billed as a DMD year 3 and year 4 student.4
| Item (2026-27 rates) | PASS first semester | DMD year 3 (12 months) | DMD year 4 (12 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $48,924 | $97,848 | $97,848 |
| General, technology and clinical fees | $4,360 | $7,404 | $7,404 |
| Instrument management fee | $9,826 | $13,716 | $11,520 |
| Exam fees | N/A | N/A | $2,976 |
| Housing and food | $9,980 | $29,940 | $29,940 |
| Books, personal, transport, health insurance | $9,477 | $11,996 | $11,996 |
| Total budget | $82,567 | $160,904 | $161,684 |
Add the three columns and the whole program comes to about $405,000 at 2026-27 rates, of which tuition is $244,620. Your class will pay the rates for the years you are enrolled, and those are usually higher. Before you start, budget for the CAAPID fee, the $199 ECE report, Penn’s $75 fee and the $5,000 deposit.
How Penn PASS students pay for it
Penn does not give its own scholarships or need-based aid to PASS students. They are considered only for federal loans, where eligible, and private loans.7 Because Penn admits only citizens and permanent residents, most PASS students can file the FAFSA: the U.S. Department of Education lists green-card holders as eligible non-citizens.9
Direct Loans, now capped
For students who start on or after July 1, 2026, Penn says Direct Loans are limited to $50,000 a year for advanced standing DMD students, with a $200,000 lifetime cap. The Grad PLUS loan is no longer available to these new students.8
Private loans fill the gap
Private education loans cover the rest, usually at variable rates, though some lenders offer fixed rates. Your credit history matters, so check it early.8
How to prepare: our full plan
Penn wants a passed board exam, a strong TOEFL, a polished CAAPID file and a confident interview. Here is how The Study Boards helps with each one. Questions are answered by US-licensed dentists, not AI.
Pass the INBDE first
- 12 sequenced course sections and 35,000+ focused questions
- 8-hour Grand Test mock exams
- Nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time
- Pass Guarantee: finish on time with no overdue days and score 60%+ on every test, and if you still do not pass, we refund your course fee and your INBDE registration fee
Build a file Penn will read twice
- Personal statement written or refined by our 5-faculty bench
- Review of all 3 letters: Dean, professor and U.S. practising dentist, which matches Penn’s mix
- CV built with Dr. Kaur
- A school-selection session with Dr. T
Prepare for an interview that decides it
- Penn bases final decisions on your file and your interview
- 3 live video sessions with Dr. Slesnick and Dr. T
- Two sessions before your invitation, one debrief after your first real interview
Aim above 5.0 (new scale)
- 45-day, mentor-reviewed course
- Built for the TOEFL iBT format from January 21, 2026
- Writing scored on the 1-6 band scale so you see where you stand
Applying to other schools too?
- Penn has no bench test, but many other programs on your list will
- Seven live days online with Dr. Kaur, then a practice week with unlimited evaluations
Not sure where you stand?
- Tell us your degree, status, INBDE and TOEFL plans
- We will tell you which step to take first
Other routes if Penn is not the right fit
If your visa rules you out, or Penn’s cost or class size does not suit you, these are the four routes after the boards.
Advanced Standing at another school
Two to three years to a DDS or DMD, applied through ADEA CAAPID. Each school sets its own residency, bench test and TOEFL rules. Start with the CAAPID directory guide.
AEGD residency
Advanced Education in General Dentistry, applied through ADEA PASS. Some states give a limited licence after it; the rules vary by state. See AEGD for international dentists.
Specialty residency through ADEA PASS
Some residencies accept internationally trained dentists directly. Seats are fewer and competition is stronger than for Advanced Standing.
Teaching
Teaching or research roles at U.S. dental schools are another way to keep working in dentistry. Faculty licence rules differ from state to state, so check the state you want.
Frequently asked questions
Does Penn Dental Medicine accept international dentists on a visa?
How long is the Penn Advanced Standing program, and what degree do I get?
Does Penn PASS have a bench test?
What TOEFL score does Penn need? Does it accept IELTS?
Can I use WES instead of ECE for Penn?
How much does Penn PASS cost in total?
Planning for Penn? Talk to us first.
Tell us where you are: degree, status, INBDE and TOEFL. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp.
References
- Penn Dental Medicine. Program for Advanced Standing Students: program description and admissions and program calendar. dental.upenn.edu
- Penn Dental Medicine. Advanced Standing Program Admissions: timeline, qualifications, required materials, interview, selection and enrollment. dental.upenn.edu
- ADEA CAAPID. University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine program listing (updated March 14, 2026). programs.adea.org
- Penn Student Registration and Financial Services. DMD-PASS cost of attendance, 2026-2027. srfs.upenn.edu
- ADEA. ADEA CAAPID applicants: 2026-27 application fees. adea.org
- ECE. Services and fees for U.S. institutions, and ADEA CAAPID application instructions. ece.org
- Penn Dental Medicine. Financial Aid: funding for PASS students. dental.upenn.edu
- Penn Dental Medicine. Federal Loan Options: Direct Loan limits from July 1, 2026, Grad PLUS and private loans. dental.upenn.edu
- U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid. Eligibility for non-U.S. citizens. studentaid.gov
Current as of October 2026. Dates shown are for the 2026-27 cycle (class entering January 2027). Penn updates its requirements each cycle, so confirm on dental.upenn.edu and ADEA CAAPID before you apply.