Information for Newly Admitted DDS Students
- Congratulations on your acceptance into the Doctor of Dental Surgery Program at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, one of the nation’s premier centers for dental education, research and patient care.
- This webpage outlines the steps to formally accept your offer of admission to the Doctor of Dental Surgery program.
- If you have any questions about confirming your enrollment or about the program itself, please feel free to contact the DDS Admissions Office at 716-829-6925 or sdmadmit@buffalo.edu.
Step 1
Submit Your $1,250 Tuition Deposit
US Resident DDS Tuition Deposit
- You will receive an e-mail approximately two business days after your admission offer that details online tuition deposit submission.
- Your deposit must be submitted no later than 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time on the date indicated in your admission letter to secure your position.
- Please contact sdmadmit@buffalo.edu if you don't receive the tuition deposit e-mail or if you are experiencing any technical problems.
INTERATIONAL STUDENT TUITION DEPOSIT
- Please allow three to five business days (after you receive your admission notifiication) to receive tuition deposit information.
- Please contact sdmadmit@buffalo.edu if you don't receive the tuition deposit e-mail or if you are experiencing any technical problems.
DDS Tuition Deposit Refund Policy
- Tuition deposit refund requests must be made in writing and submitted to the School of Dental Medicine DDS Admissions Office by April 1, 2026.
- No refund will be provided after this date.
- You may submit the written deposit refund request to sdmadmit@buffalo.edu.
DDS Tuition Deposit Deferral Policy
- In general, deferrals of tuition deposits are not granted. Categorical exceptions are made only for those applicants who provide sufficient documentation of their participation as an undergraduate student in an EOP, HEOP or SEEK program, or as an undergraduate participant in the CSTEP, MARC, PREP, RISE, LSAMP or McNair Scholars programs on any campus, or as an applicant through Project 1000.
- An appeal for a deferral (not a waiver) of the tuition deposit can be made by applicants who provide documentation of their receipt of an ADEA Financial Assistance Program [FAP] Fee Waiver.
- In all other cases, a deferral (not a waiver) will be considered by the Office of Admissions only for cases of extreme financial hardship and then only with clear documentation from an appropriate official at an institution of higher education certifying the financial need.
- Please note that self-declaration of need by an applicant or mere eligibility for student financial aid (loans) is not adequate justification. For more information, applicants should contact our DDS admissions office.
Step 2
Read our DDS Minimum Standards and Complete Your Statement of Confirmation
Minimum Standards for Admission and Matricuation
- Please read our Doctor of Dental Surgery Minimum Standards for Admission and Matricuation.
Statement of Confirmation
- Please go online to sign and submit your DDS Statement of Confirmation.
Step 3
Initiate Your Background Check
Background Check Initiation
- You will receive an email directly from Certiphi Screening regarding your required DDS background check.
- Please be sure to review and respond to the email promptly.
- You are only required to initiate your DDS background check by the deadline stated in your DDS admission offer letter.
Initiating vs. Completing Your Background Check
- Your final Certiphi background check does not need to be completed by your admission confirmation deadline in order to secure your seat.
- You are only required to initiate the process by the stated deadline.
Step 4
Acceptance Confirmation
Admission Offer Deadline
- As outlined in your DDS admission offer, the following items must be received by our office no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the deadline indicated in your acceptance notification and acceptance letter:
- DDS Tuition Deposit
- Statement of Confirmation
- Certiphi Background Check Initiation (NOT Completion)
Admission Offer Confirmation
- Once we receive your deposit, statement of confirmation, and confirmation that you have initiated your background check, our DDS Admissions Office will email you to confirm that your seat in the class has been reserved.
- Please contact our office at sdmadmit@buffalo.edu withy any questions regarding the confirmation of your acceptance.
If you do not submit all required documentation by 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time on the deadline indicated in your acceptance notification and acceptance letter, your admissions offer will be rescinded.
No exceptions will be made.
Step 5
Review Other Important Information
UB Applicant Portal
- You will receive an e-mail approximately two business days after your admission offer that provides UB Applicant Portal instructions.
IMPORTANT UB APPLICANT PORTAL NOTES:
- You will use the UB applicant portal to submit your DDS tuition deposit and to verify New York State residency (if applicable).
- The UB Applicant Portal will indicate your final official bachelor's transcript as "awaiting". Please disregard this as your academic transcripts are not required at this time.
- Please DO NOT SEND any academic transcripts to the UB Applicant Portal.
- Note: International Students will be required to submit the UB financial statement and bank documentation via the UB Applicant Portal to process the I-20 for their student VISA.
New York State Residency Verification
- Instructions for New York State residency verification will be sent to you in a forthcoming spring email.
- No action is required at this time.
- For information on the supporting documentation required to verify New York State residency, please visit: https://www.buffalo.edu/grad/explore/admissions/nys-residency.html
Step 6
Keep Important Dates in Mind & Review Helpful Links
Class of 2030 Admitted Student Day
- Saturday, March 14, 2026
- More Information To Come
DDS Orientation Begins August 3, 2026
- More Information To Come
White Coat Ceremony - August 7, 2026
- More Information To Come
First Day of Fall 2026 Semester - August 10, 2026
- More Information To Come
Class of 2030 GroupMe
- Begin meeting your new classmates and ask current D1 students questions in our Class of 2030 GroupMe.
UB Applying for Financial Aid
- Students are strongly encouraged to apply for financial aid. Applying early allows you to explore all available funding options and helps ensure timely processing of awards.
Scholarship Resources
- The following scholarship resources are provided to assist students in identifying potential funding opportunities.
January 2026 Check In
Message from SDM Office of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
- On behalf of the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Dental Medicine’s (SDM) Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), congratulations on your provisional acceptance to UB SDM! As you finalize your plans for enrollment to dental school I wanted to share a personal word of welcome to you from our EDI team.
- Your enrollment at UB SDM comes with countless hours of academic study, clinical training, research and patient care. But it also includes opportunities to contribute to a rich history of outreach to the greater Buffalo community, service to one another, and connections to a diverse family of oral health professionals.
- Throughout it all, we remain committed to upholding equity, diversity and inclusion for you and for all members of the UB SDM community. Upholding these values leads to a more inclusive environment, better educational outcomes and better access to care for our patients, which are all essential for your success at UB and to the success of our community for years to come.
- For this reason, I want to communicate to you that the SDM EDI Office and members of our EDI committee are here to support you in your academic journey. We are carefully advancing a strategic plan that impacts you and your time in our program, and we invite you to join us in these efforts.
- Please take some time to review our programs and initiatives and reach out to us with any questions you might have about UB SDM and your time here as a student.