a few (ok, a lot) of questions about undergraduate studies and dental school

[shale]

hi -
i still need to complete my undergraduate studies before applying to dental school. i'd like to ask some opinions, if y'all don't mind. I am trying to complete my biology degree and get it done as quickly and painlessly as possible.

1. has anyone heard of suny empire state? would a college like this hurt my chances of getting into dental school? its fully accredited and a suny school, but i just don't know....

2. would it look better if i went to a private school for these last 1 - 1.5 years of undergraduate, even though i really can't afford it right now? i didn't want to take out loans for undergrad, since i'll be up to my neck if i make it into dental school.

3. what about going to a CUNY college (city university of new york)... i might also consider CUNY brooklyn. are public schools frowned upon???

i guess my question is... if you have all the requirements, does it really matter where you get the degree??? I am VERY interested in SUNY stony brook or arizona for dental school, though i will of course apply to others. would my undergrad school hurt me when applying to either of these locations, even if i am averaging a 3.65?

also, i've heard all about arizona (thanks to ItsGavinC's thread... a very good thread, indeed!), but does anyone know ANYTHING about SUNY stony brook and its quality of education/clinicals?

ok, enough for now. i'll disappear back into my corner and lurk until i can think of a thousand more inane questions to ask.

kindly
shale

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[aphistis]

Very briefly and incompletely...

Attending a private college/university instead of a public one will make no difference, in general. Specific institutions will have varying placement rates (my alma mater can boast an 85% med/dent/opto/vet acceptance rate for the last 20 years), but there's no difference categorically.

There are some significant differences between dental schools (i.e. the 3 PBL-driven schools), and some will be better than others at different aspects of your education. However, as I've said before, there's not a dental school in the US where you can't learn to be a good dentist. Some might require more legwork on your part than others, but don't make the mistake of thinking you'll be spoon-fed anywhere. It's a lot of work (I'm only two months in, and I already understand the fire hydrant analogy), but the payoffs are immeasurable.

 

[UBTom]

to Shale:

Keep in mind that a lot of undergraduate schools accept only up to 60 credit hours for transfer students. Transferring to another college after 2.5 or 3 years would definitely NOT be painless.

You are a New York State resident, right? If I was in your shoes, I would apply to all four New York dental schools. Stony is a bit hard to get into, because they accept only 30-40 students a year. Put your app in for NYU, Columbia, Stony and Buffalo. As an NYS resident you are entitled to pay less for dental school tuition at Stony or Buffalo, and they give preference to admitting NYS residents.

Good luck!