This section of the application requests information regarding your demographics,
socioeconomic status, family, significant people in your life such as a spouse, Military
service, and breaks in education.
Upload Photo
You are required to upload a digital photo of yourself. It must be smaller than 100KB
and be in one of the following file formats: jpg, gif, png or bmp.
If the photo expands to take up the entire page once you've uploaded it, that's not
an issue. You should continue as normal.
Check out this article for more details about the application photo
Whether you've been planning for a career in healthcare since you were a child, or it’s a decision you made recently, you’ve probably known for some time that certain criteria must be met in order to apply to professional school.
Contact Information
Legal Name: Enter your first, middle and last names. All names must be capitalized properly.
You will also enter any salutations or prefixes associated with your name.
Other Names: If you prefer to be addressed by a different first name other than your legal first
name, you will indicate that information in this section. Also, if there are any other
last names listed on your academic records than what you have already entered, you
must indicate each additional last name and then click the [Add Name] button. Examples
include maiden names or hyphenated last names. If your last name changes, update TMDSAS
and provide documentation.
Email/Phone: Indicate your email address. If you need to change your email address, do so through
the [My Account] link in the upper right-hand corner of the application. Note that
notifications of new messages from TMDSAS will be sent to the email address on file.
Provide the cell phone number where TMDSAS and/or admissions officers can contact
you. You will also provide your work phone number, if applicable. *Only enter domestic
phone numbers, as the application does not recognize foreign numbers.
Don’t Miss Out on Important Emails!
To avoid missing important TMDSAS emails, turn the “spam” or “junk” email filters
off during the application cycle. Periodically check your spam/junk email file for
TMDSAS or school related messages.
Also, email addresses from Hotmail prove to be problematic for applicants. It is highly
recommended that you DO NOT use a Hotmail account as your preferred email.
Mailing Address: Enter all fields of the Mailing & Permanent Address section.
Address 1 - Enter your current mailing address. TMDSAS and the schools you apply to may use
this address to send you any correspondence.
Address 2 - If needed, enter an apartment number or additional address information in this
field. If not, leave this field blank.
City - Type the name of your city.
Country – Select your country from the drop-down menu.
State - Select your state from the drop-down menu.
County – Select the U.S. County of your mailing address from the drop-down menu (if applicable).
Zip Code or Postal Code - Enter your zip or postal code.
Phone number - Provide the phone number where TMDSAS and/or admissions officers can contact you.
Permanent Address: Enter your Permanent Address information if different from your Mailing Address.
If your Permanent Address is the same as your Mailing Address, answer “Yes” to the
question “Is your Mailing Address also your Permanent Address?” and the information
will pre-populate from what you entered under Mailing Address.
Demographic Information
Birth Information: Enter the following information.
Date of Birth – Enter your date of birth in the following format: (mm/dd/yyyy).
City – Enter the city where you were born.
Country – From the drop-down menu, select the country where you were born.
State/Possession/Canadian Province – Select the state, possession, or province where you were born.
County – From the drop-down menu, select the U.S. County where you were born (if applicable).
Hometown: The following questions refer to what you consider to be your “hometown”.
City – Enter the city name of your hometown.
Country – Select the country from the drop-down menu.
State/Possession/Canadian Province – Select the state, possession, or province from the drop- down menu.
County – From the drop-down menu, select the U.S. county of your hometown (if applicable).
Approximate population – Select the approximate population range from the drop-down menu.
Describe the area – Select: Rural, Urban, Inner City, Suburban, Military or Government Installation,
or Other. (See glossary for definitions.)
Primary language spoken at home - Select from the drop-down menu the primary language spoken.
Sex: In this section you will indicate your sex, current gender identity, and preferred
pronouns.
Ethnicity*: Indicate whether you are:
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
Race*: Select one or more of the displayed racial categories that best describes you. For
a detailed description of the racial categories, see race or ethnic group descriptions in the glossary.
American Indian
Asian
Black/African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White/Caucasian
*Note: The two questions about Ethnicity and Race are voluntary, and applicants will not
be at a disadvantage in the admissions process if they are not completed. Additionally,
Ethnicity and Race questions are asked for federal and/or state reporting purposes.
Bring your questions to the weekly TMDSAS Office Hours sessions.
Socioeconomic Background: You will respond to questions regarding your socioeconomic background. Refer to
the glossary for definitions as needed, such as "first-generation".
Household Info from Birth to Age 18: You will also be asked several questions that pertain to the household in which
you were raised or spent the majority of your life from birth to age 18. If you moved
frequently during this time period, enter the information for the location you spent
the majority of your childhood.
Language Fluency: Applicants will rank their proficiency in the different languages that they speak.
You will indicate whether you are a Beginner, Intermediate, or Expert/Native in that
language. It is important to know that this is self-reported, based on your own evaluation
of your language skills. The proficiency levels are described as follows:
Beginner: I have limited conversational ability.
For example, I may have limited vocabulary and the ability to participate in predictable
and practiced conversations.
Intermediate: I have advanced conversational ability.
For example, I have the vocabulary to speak about a variety of topics and can engage
in more spontaneous conversation in a variety of tenses, with some limitations.
Expert/Native Speaker: I have native-speaker level fluency and can communicate easily
in academic and professional settings.
For example, I am able to communicate in this language with ease and confidence. I
have an expansive vocabulary and can easily and effectively communicate with a broad
audience on a variety of topics and in various settings. This may also have been the
primary language spoken at home.*
If the language spoken is not listed, select 'Other' from the drop-down menu, and select the proficiency.
You will be asked:
Your ZIP code for where you lived the majority of the time from birth to age 18
Whether you've lived outside the US
The size of your household
Estimated household income
Estimated value of residential property
Whether you've lived in government subsidized housing
Whether you've received Federal Free and Reduced Meal Program benefits
Whether you've had responsibility in raising other children in your household
Whether you've contributed to your overall family income
If you've participated in certain programs such as SNAP, TANF, TRIO, etc.
You will also have 600 characters to discuss any circumstances which may have disadvantaged
you as an applicant such as food insecurity, unemployment, material hardship, etc.
Military Service
You will answer questions concerning whether or not you have served in the United
States Military.
If you select YES, you will provide details about your service. Both commissioned
and non-commissioned officers may choose to complete this section.
Additionally, you will have the option to answer the following short essay and upload
a military transcript. If you have multiple military transcripts, please combine them
into one PDF.
Essay:
Describe how your military experience prepared you for a career as a healthcare. (1000
character limit)
Family
Parent/Legal Guardian
You will have the ability to complete up to six entries for your parents/guardians.
Options include: Biological Parent, Adoptive Parent, Grandparent, Stepparent, Sibling,
and Other.
If you select 'Yes' for the question "Their address is the same as my permanent address,"
the system will generate your permanent address, including your phone number. The
schools will not call your parent/legal guardian. If you want to change this information to their
phone numbers, you may select 'No' to this question and add the phone number manually.
The member institutions find this information valuable and it may aid TMDSAS in making Texas Residency determinations.
Siblings
You will indicate how many siblings you have. You may include step-siblings if you
choose. You will then indicate the following for each of your siblings: Age, relationship
(brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister), and if they have ever attended college.
Important: You must select a number of siblings and answer the questions to move on.
If you are an only child, select "0" from the dropdown menu. You must select "add
sibling" and hit "save and continue" in order to move on to the next section!
Relatives in Dentistry – Dental Applicants Only
The purpose of these questions is to demonstrate to admissions committees the extent
of your knowledge, background, and experiences with the dental profession. List any relatives
who are dentists, are in dental school, or who have studied or are studying Dental Hygiene,
Dental Assisting, Dental Laboratory Technology or related dental fields.
Parent Physician – Medical Applicants Only
You will list any parent who is a physician (MD, DO, MBBS) or who is in medical school.
Significant Person
Did someone other than your parent/legal guardian play a significant role in your
life?
You will have the ability to enter up to six significant people. Examples include:
siblings, spouse, grandparent, or any family friend who made a significant impact
in your life.
Financial Information
College Funding Sources: You will enter the percentage of your college expenses provided by family, spouse,
academic scholarships, financial need-based scholarships, loans, employment, or other
sources. The total percentage must add up to 100%. For applicants with multiple degrees,
you should base these answers on your undergraduate degree.
Pell Grant: Indicate whether or not you are/were a Pell Grant recipient.
Post-Graduate Living Expenses: If you have graduated college, you will also be asked to indicate the percentage
of your living expenses provided by family, spouse, employment, or other sources.
The total percentage must add up to 100%.
Felonies and Misdemeanors
You will be asked questions regarding any past or current felonies or misdemeanors.
Specifically, you will be asked if you have ever been arrested or charged with any violation of the law regardless of outcome.
Unless the offense involved alcohol or drugs, you may exclude:
Traffic tickets, and
Violations with fines of $250 or less
If you answer YES, you will have 600 characters to provide details. Remember that
unless the offense fits one of the above exceptions, it must be reported to TMDSAS.
If you have doubts about whether or not to report something, it is best to err on
the side of full and honest disclosure.
You've completed the sections of the application regarding Personal Information and
now you're ready to answer some questions about your Education History.
The next section is a pretty dense portion of the application, so pace yourself. Read
all the questions and instructions thoroughly.
