UPR Advanced Placement: Spanish Interview & Deadline

UPR conducts the entire advanced standing interview in Spanish. The 1 October deadline its own page contradicts, $225 in fees, and the licensure trap.

The only CAAPID program that conducts its whole interview in Spanish, with a deadline UPR's own page puts two weeks later than ADEA does, and a licensure rule that admits people it cannot license. return ( <> The Interview Is Conducted in Spanish — All of It Most of what decides this application is one sentence on UPR's own page: "The personal interview will be conducted in Spanish." Not assessed in Spanish. Not partly in Spanish. Conducted in it. UPR adds that "Proficiency in the Spanish language is required as well as ample knowledge of English," that the program "primarily targets dentists who have obtained their dental degrees from Spanish-speaking international dental schools," and that "Spanish language proficiency will be evaluated during the interview process." ADEA's requirement list for the program ends the same way: "Must be proficient in the Spanish language." Stricter than Ponce, the other Puerto Rico program. Ponce drops

the TOEFL and asks questions in both English and Spanish. UPR keeps the TOEFL and runs the whole interview in Spanish. It is the strictest language requirement we have found anywhere in CAAPID, and it filters the applicant pool before anything else does. If your clinical Spanish is not at the level where you could take a history, explain a treatment plan and handle a panel's follow-up questions without switching languages, this is not a realistic application. If it is, you are competing for 20 seats in a pool most international dentists cannot enter. The English requirement does not go away. ADEA: "All applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) to be considered for admission." Neither UPR nor ADEA publishes a minimum score — our TOEFL guide shows how unusual that is — and UPR adds that "Student copies of the score reports are not acceptable." Send the official report. Practise your answers out loud before

the interview. Answer real dental school interview questions and get scored on clarity, structure and reasoning.. Try it free →. Two Deadlines, Two Weeks Apart — Work to 1 October ADEA's CAAPID listing for UPR, last updated 18 June 2026, gives an application window of 1 August to 1 October 2026 , for a class starting 1 June 2027 . UPR's own page says something else. Applications "may be filed from August 1st to October 15th of the year of admission," and applicants are "encouraged to apply for admission well before the deadline of October15th." Why ADEA wins this one. The same UPR page still says "The Summer Calibration Course will begin in June 2025" and "The admission cycle for entering class 2025, will open on August 1, 2024." It is describing a cycle that finished more than a year ago. ADEA's listing is dated, names this cycle, and is the system your application actually goes through. Plan around 1 October . If UPR has genuinely

extended to the 15th, being early costs you nothing. If it has not, the school's page has cost you a year. Confirm it in writing. The program director is Dr. José R. Matos (jose.matos5@upr.edu) and the administrative contact is Manuel Centeno (manuel.centeno@upr.edu), both on 787-758-2525 ext. 1057. Ask for the deadline for the class starting June 2027, and ask by email. You Can Be Admitted and Still Not Be Licensable in Puerto Rico This is the part of UPR's page that summaries skip, and it is the part that could waste two years. UPR explains that anyone "wishing to apply for licensure to practice dentistry in Puerto Rico after completing the program, must comply with the licensure requirements of the Puerto Rico Dental Board." One of those is "90 semester hours or 135 quarter hours of predental education from an accredited College or University," including: Subject. Semester hours. Quarter hours. Spanish. 12. 18. English. 12. 18.

Biology or Zoology. 8. 12. Physics. 8. 12. General Chemistry. 8. 12. Organic Chemistry. 8. 12. Social and Behavioral Sciences. 8. 12. Then the sentence that matters: "Candidates that do not comply with these requirements will also be considered for admission." Admission and licensure are decided separately — the school says so. UPR will admit you without the Puerto Rico Dental Board's predental coursework. It cannot license you. Those are different bodies with different rules, and a D.M.D. from UPR does not by itself satisfy the Board's 90-hour requirement. Twelve semester hours each of college Spanish and English is the line most internationally trained dentists will not cross on their existing transcript. If your plan is to practise in Puerto Rico, audit your coursework against this table before you apply, and ask the school how admitted students without it proceed to licensure. If your plan is a US state, that state's board has its

own rules, and this list is not them. $225 to Apply. $200,095 to Attend. Applying is cheap by CAAPID standards. Attending is not, and UPR is unusual in publishing exactly what it costs. Fee. Amount. When. Supplemental application fee. $50. With the application — non-refundable, payable to the UPR School of Dental Medicine. Administrative and clinical utilization fee. $175. Only if invited — UPR: "If invited for an interview and bench test, there will be a $175.00 administrative and clinical utilization fee". Total before an offer. $225. Plus travel to San Juan, since the interview and bench test are in person. Among the programs in our CAAPID application costs guide , only Penn and Pacific Dugoni publish a complete total below UPR's $225 before an offer. Michigan, VCU, Harvard and Washington list application fees below $225, but none of the four says whether its bench assessment carries a fee. Ponce, on the same island, charges $1,350.

Tuition is where the number changes. UPR's Estimated Fees and Expenses sheet for Academic Year 2026-2027, signed by the Interim Associate Dean on 12 June 2026, puts tuition at $60,000 a year for each of the two years. With fees, instruments, the compulsory virtual library, housing and insurance, the school's own totals are: . First billed year (11 months). Second billed year (10 months). Tuition. $60,000. $60,000. Maintenance, resources fund, laboratory, technology. $3,700. $3,600. Instruments utilization fee and supplies. $7,000. $7,000. Student kit, loupes, laptop. $12,306. —. Virtual library (compulsory). $2,059. $1,582. Housing, transport, miscellaneous. $18,602. $17,184. "Interviews" (the school's own line item). —. $1,500. Health insurance (waivable with private cover). $2,781. $2,781. School's total. $106,448. $93,647. That is $200,095 across the two years on the school's own figures, of which $120,000 is tuition. The sheet

publishes one price for everyone — there is no Puerto Rico resident rate, where Ponce charges residents around $17,000 a year less. Two caveats come from the document itself: "Tuition and fees or other expenses can be change if the institution needed by the Institution," and the final amount "will be in accordance with the interview with the official of the Financial Aid Office." Housing is the school's estimate for the metropolitan area. No deposit figure is published. Penn and UNC both want $5,000 within days of an offer; UPR does not say what it wants or when, so ask before the offer arrives rather than after. The School's Own $2,750 Bench Test Course — and What It Says It Will Not Do New for this cycle, UPR runs a "Preparatory Course for the Dental Clinical Simulation Bench Test," for "internationally trained dentists who wish to apply to the Advanced Placement Program." It costs $2,750 — twelve times the cost of applying. . Detail.

Cost. $2,750 per participant. Sessions. 28–29 September 2026, then 26–27 October 2026 — the September session fills first, then October registration opens. Format. One week: asynchronous online teaching, plus two days on site in clinical simulation. Content. Bench test format and evaluation criteria; equipment handling and safety; fixed prosthodontics (crown preparations); operative dentistry; a mock exam with feedback from the faculty who ran it. On completion. A Certificate of Participation. Read the disclaimer before the price. UPR's own words: "participation in this preparatory course does not guarantee admission to the Program in the upcoming cycle. All interested individuals must submit a formal application during the designated admission period and meet the requirements outlined in the evaluation process." The school that runs the bench test is selling preparation for it, and stating in writing that buying it does not change your

odds. Take that at face value in both directions: it is the most direct preview of the exam that exists, and it buys nothing beyond the preview. Watch the calendar. The September session ends two days before ADEA's 1 October deadline; the October session runs after it. For a 2027 applicant the October dates are useful only if you are already invited to a bench test, or you are preparing for the cycle after this one. Requirements, and the Evaluator Mismatch Item. UPR Advanced Placement Program. Seats. 20. Length. 25 months — a five-week summer course, then the third and fourth years of the D.M.D.. Boards. NBDE Part I or INBDE; official scores to ADEA CAAPID. GPA. Minimum 2.00 on a 4.00 scale from dental school, "or its equivalent". TOEFL iBT. Required; no minimum published; official score report only. Spanish. Required; the interview is conducted in it. Credential evaluation. UPR's page names ECE only; ADEA lists ECE and WES. Letters. Up

to three; ADEA says UPR prefers one from the Dean of your dental school. Also required. Attested diploma and transcripts with English translation, copy of visa or immigration status, CV, personal statement. Citizenship. Not required — ADEA's citizenship / green card field reads "No". The evaluator line is the one to act on. UPR's page tells candidates to "submit their credentials to an international credential evaluation service" and links only to ECE. ADEA's listing for the same program names both ECE and WES. When a school's own page and its ADEA listing disagree, order the one both accept — ECE — unless admissions confirms WES to you in writing. Ordering the wrong evaluation costs the fee twice and, this close to the deadline, may cost the cycle. On letters, the two sources differ slightly too: UPR says three, "preferably from dental school faculty"; ADEA says UPR "prefers one Letter of Evaluation to come from Dean of the Dental

School from which the applicant graduated." Get the Dean's letter if you can. It satisfies both. The Bench Test: What UPR's Own Syllabus Gives Away UPR's program page says only that invited candidates sit "a Practical Test (Bench Test) where a set of standard dental procedures will be examined." It publishes no content, duration or pass mark. Its preparatory course page is more forthcoming, because it has to describe what it teaches: equipment handling and safety on the simulators, "Basic principles of crown preparations" and fixed prosthodontic restorations, and "Basic principles of operative dentistry" with "Management of operative restorations." Read that as the school's own account of what the exam values — crown preparations and operative work on a simulator, marked against stated evaluation criteria. Three rules UPR states about the invitation. "Selected candidates will be invited for an interview and bench test, only at the

discretion of the Admissions Committee. An interview and/or bench test will not be granted at the request of the student. No candidate will be accepted without an interview and bench test." So there is no path around the bench test, no way to ask for one, and the interview and bench test come as a pair — in person, in San Juan, with the interview in Spanish. On timing, UPR says only that "All candidates are informed electronically of the action taken on their applications" and that "The time for notification of status is set at the discretion of the Admissions Committee." No window is published, so expect silence and do not read anything into it. For how UPR compares with the other 46 programs, see our CAAPID program finder . ); }; export default UPRDentalAdvancedStanding; upr-dental-advanced-standing-interview University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine UPR Advanced Placement The Interview Is in Spanish UPR Advanced Spanish

Interview & Deadline UPR conducts the entire advanced standing interview in Spanish. The 1 October deadline its own page contradicts $225 in fees and the licensure trap. UPR advanced placement program University of Puerto Rico dental advanced standing UPR CAAPID Puerto Rico dental school international dentists UPR dental bench test UPR dental deadline 2026-09-05 2026-10-07 International Program In-Person Interview in Spanish + Bench Test The only CAAPID program that conducts its whole interview in Spanish with a deadline UPR s own page puts two weeks later than ADEA does and a licensure rule that admits people it cannot license. The entire interview is conducted in Spanish — the strictest language filter in CAAPID School University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine San Juan Program Advanced Placement Program for internationally trained dentists Degree Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) Program Length 25 months — a five-week

summer course then the third and fourth years Seats 20 Application Deadline October 1 2026 (ADEA) — UPR s own page says October 15 Program Start June 1 2027 Language Spanish proficiency required; the interview is conducted in Spanish TOEFL Required — no minimum score published; official reports only Boards NBDE Part I or INBDE GPA Minimum 2.00 on a 4.00 scale from dental school Application Fee $50 non-refundable Interview + Bench Test Fee $175 if invited Tuition $60 000 a year; $200 095 all-in over two years on UPR s own 2026-27 sheet Credential Evaluation UPR names ECE only; ADEA lists ECE and WES Citizenship Not required spanish-interview The Interview Is Conducted in Spanish 2 deadline Two Deadlines Two Weeks Apart 2 licensure-trap Admitted Is Not the Same as Licensable 2 cost $225 to Apply $200 095 to Attend 2 prep-course The School s Own $2 750 Bench Test Course 2 requirements Requirements & the Evaluator Mismatch 2 bench-test The

Bench Test 2 sample-questions Sample Interview Questions 2 related-schools Related School Guides 2 Questions You Will Answer in Spanish Hábleme de usted y de por qué quiere estudiar aquí. (Tell us about yourself and why you want to study here.) UPR states the personal interview is conducted in Spanish so this arrives in Spanish and is answered in Spanish. Prepare your core narrative in Spanish first rather than translating an English answer live — translation under pressure is what makes fluent speakers sound hesitant. Describa un caso clínico difícil que haya manejado. (Describe a difficult clinical case you managed.) Clinical vocabulary is where otherwise fluent applicants procedures materials instruments and patient instructions. Rehearse the case aloud in Spanish including the words for what you used and why not just the story of what happened. ¿Por qué Puerto Rico? (Why Puerto Rico?) UPR says the program primarily targets dentists

who trained in Spanish-speaking dental schools. Answer as someone who has thought about practising in a Spanish-speaking setting not as someone treating Puerto Rico as a route into the US mainland. If you intend to seek a Puerto Rico licence say so and show you know the Dental Board s predental requirements. Standard Advanced Standing Questions Why advanced standing rather than repeating a full DMD? UPR places you into the third year after a five-week summer course. Show you understand you are joining an existing cohort mid-degree and that the five weeks are the bridge — name what you would need to close in that time. How will you handle the transition to US clinical protocols? Be concrete about the differences you already infection control documentation informed consent materials availability. Vague enthusiasm reads as someone who has not looked into it. Prepare in Spanish not in translation The interview is conducted in Spanish — UPR

states it outright. Applicants who prepare in English and plan to translate on the day lose marks on content they know well because the clinical vocabulary is not there when the question arrives. Rehearse your motivation your case discussions and your questions for the panel in Spanish from the start. Work to 1 October whatever UPR s page says ADEA lists 1 October 2026; UPR s page says 15 October. The same UPR page still describes the 2025 entering class and a summer course beginning June 2025 so it is a cycle behind. Apply by 1 October and confirm the real date by email with jose.matos5@upr.edu or manuel.centeno@upr.edu. Audit your transcript against the Puerto Rico Dental Board list Licensure in Puerto Rico requires 90 semester hours of predental education including 12 semester hours of Spanish and 12 of English. UPR states plainly that candidates who do not comply \ will also be considered for admission\ — so the school can admit

someone the Board will not license. Check this before you apply not after you graduate. Order ECE not WES UPR s own page links only to ECE; ADEA s listing names ECE and WES. ECE is the one both accept so it is the safe order unless admissions confirms otherwise in writing. A wrong evaluation costs the fee twice and weeks you do not have before a 1 October deadline. Price the $2 750 prep course honestly UPR sells a preparatory course for its own bench test and states in writing that taking it \ does not guarantee admission.\ It is the clearest available preview of the exam format and the faculty who mark it and it is also twelve times the cost of applying. Decide on that basis — and note the 26–27 October session falls after the ADEA deadline. Requirement Detail Application system ADEA CAAPID plus a supplemental application at solicitud.upr.edu Deadline October 1 2026 per ADEA; UPR s page says October 15 — confirm with admissions Program

start June 1 2027 Seats 20 Length 25 months — five-week summer course then third and fourth years Boards NBDE Part I or INBDE official scores to ADEA CAAPID GPA Minimum 2.00 on a 4.00 scale from dental school TOEFL Required; no minimum published; student copies not accepted Spanish Required; interview conducted in Spanish Credential evaluation ECE named by UPR; ADEA also lists WES Letters Up to three; one from the Dean preferred Also required Attested diploma and transcripts with English translation visa or immigration status CV personal statement Application fee $50 non-refundable Interview and bench test fee $175 if invited Bench test Required — no candidate is accepted without one Interview In person in San Juan conducted in Spanish Before applying Assess your Spanish at clinical level not conversational — the interview is conducted in it Confirm the deadline in writing with jose.matos5@upr.edu Audit your transcript against the

Puerto Rico Dental Board s 90 predental semester hours if you plan to license there Order an ECE course-by-course evaluation Book NBDE Part I or INBDE and an official TOEFL iBT report Application Submit through ADEA CAAPID by 1 October 2026 Complete the supplemental application and pay the $50 fee at solicitud.upr.edu Three letters one from your Dean where possible Attested diploma and transcripts with English translations CV personal statement visa or immigration status If invited Budget $175 for the interview and bench test plus flights to San Juan Practise crown preparations and operative work on a simulator Rehearse every interview answer in Spanish including clinical vocabulary Ask what deposit is required on acceptance and when it is due — UPR publishes no figure Do I have to speak Spanish to apply to the University of Puerto Rico advanced standing program? Yes. UPR states that \ Proficiency in the Spanish language is required\

and more decisively that \ The personal interview will be conducted in Spanish.\ ADEA s requirement list for the program also ends with \ Must be proficient in the Spanish language.\ The program primarily targets dentists who trained at Spanish-speaking dental schools and Spanish proficiency is formally evaluated during the interview. Without professional clinical Spanish this is not a realistic application. What is the application deadline for the UPR Advanced Placement Program? ADEA s CAAPID listing updated 18 June 2026 gives 1 October 2026 for a class starting 1 June 2027. UPR s own page says applications may be filed from 1 August to 15 October. Work to 1 the same UPR page still refers to the 2025 entering class and a summer course beginning June 2025 so it is at least a cycle out of date while ADEA is the system your application goes through. Confirm the date by email before you rely on either. How much does the UPR advanced

standing program cost? Applying costs $225 — a $50 non-refundable supplemental application fee plus a $175 administrative and clinical utilization fee if you are invited to interview and bench test. Attending costs far UPR s Estimated Fees and Expenses sheet for 2026-27 signed on 12 June 2026 lists tuition at $60 000 a year and all-in totals of $106 448 and $93 647 for the two years or $200 095 overall. There is no separate resident rate. Does UPR require a bench test? Yes and there is no way around it. UPR states that \ No candidate will be accepted without an interview and bench test \ that invitations are issued \ only at the discretion of the Admissions Committee \ and that a bench test \ will not be granted at the request of the student.\ The program page does not describe the content but the school s own preparatory course covers equipment handling and safety crown preparations and fixed prosthodontics and operative dentistry. Is

UPR s $2 750 preparatory course worth it? That is a judgement but the school has removed the main argument for UPR states that \ participation in this preparatory course does not guarantee admission to the Program in the upcoming cycle.\ What it does buy is the clearest available preview of the bench test — its format its evaluation criteria a mock exam and individualized feedback from the faculty who conduct it. Note the the 28–29 September session ends two days before the ADEA deadline and the 26–27 October session falls after it. Can I be admitted to UPR and still not be able to practise in Puerto Rico? Yes and UPR says so on its own page. Licensure by the Puerto Rico Dental Board requires 90 semester hours of predental education including 12 semester hours of Spanish and 12 of English plus biology physics general and organic chemistry and social sciences. UPR then states that \ Candidates that do not comply with these requirements

will also be considered for admission.\ Admission and licensure are decided by different bodies. Audit your transcript against the list before applying if you intend to stay in Puerto Rico. Which credential evaluation service does UPR accept? UPR s own page directs candidates to ECE and links only to ece.org. ADEA s listing for the same program names both ECE and WES. Where the two disagree order ECE — it is the one both sources accept — unless the admissions office confirms WES to you in writing. Ordering the wrong evaluation means paying twice and losing weeks. Ponce ASID Guide The other Puerto Rico no TOEFL but bilingual interviews in both languages. International Program /schools/ponce-dental-advanced-standing-interview Nova Southeastern IDP Guide A personal interview and a $3 000 psychomotor bench test; 39 months on the same curriculum as NSU s DMD. International Program /schools/nova-southeastern-dental-advanced-standing-interview

UT San Antonio IDEP Guide A Kira virtual interview screens before anyone speaks to you live. International Program /schools/ut-san-antonio-dental-advanced-standing-interview