I am a senior in high school in kentucky and am unsure of whether or not dental schools will care where I did undergrad. The schools I am choosing between are the university of kentucky or morehead state university. Any advice on where to go? I have been accepted into both.
A little advice on where to do undergrad
- Thread starter BcWildcat
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Which is cheaper? School is what you make of it--it doesn't have to be prestigious for you to succeed. If you go above and beyond, you'll do well, regardless of the school. I am concrete proof of this.
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at a smaller/less prestigious school (Morehead), the classes will be easier thus allowing you to earn a high GPA. at a bigger/more prestigious school (UK), the classes will be tougher thus causing you to work harder for that high GPA.
IMO, dental schools do not really factor in where you attend undergraduate. it seems as if you take the necessary courses and earn that 3.9 GPA from a so-so school, it will outweigh a 3.5 from a prestigious school. i could be wrong, but it has been my experience that the dental schools dont care whether you attend duke/yale,etc as long as you can get a high GPA.
i think that this system is unfair and those that attend a well-known university should get more credit than those attending a "MidEastern-Northern Mississippi State Tech University" (not a real school, just an example lol)
think about what you would want. tuition, location, major are all big factors. UK will give you more opportunities, hell they are a powerhouse in sports too which is always fun to be a part of. in the end, just do really well in whichever school you choose.
IMO, dental schools do not really factor in where you attend undergraduate. it seems as if you take the necessary courses and earn that 3.9 GPA from a so-so school, it will outweigh a 3.5 from a prestigious school. i could be wrong, but it has been my experience that the dental schools dont care whether you attend duke/yale,etc as long as you can get a high GPA.
i think that this system is unfair and those that attend a well-known university should get more credit than those attending a "MidEastern-Northern Mississippi State Tech University" (not a real school, just an example lol)
think about what you would want. tuition, location, major are all big factors. UK will give you more opportunities, hell they are a powerhouse in sports too which is always fun to be a part of. in the end, just do really well in whichever school you choose.
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In hindsight, I personally would have done a two year associates in hygiene and then transfer to a four year college. Obviously its ideal to apply during your third year but sometimes life happens (as in my case, being three years "late"). Plus it seems that hygienists have a small advantage in dental school, at least at the start. I wouldn't have mind having that under my belt now. Ontop of that, you can work part time when you transfer to your four year college.
Just make sure you take the right biology/physics/chemistry courses.
Just make sure you take the right biology/physics/chemistry courses.
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Where you go for undergrad will typically not influence your success at getting interviews, so choose the cheaper school if you don't have oodles of money, the school that you can get a higher gpa at if that is a concern, or the school you believe will provide a fun experience (or all 3!).
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I talked to some interviewers about this and some noted that where you go to school plays a slight factor in admissions (given different undergrad curriculum levels of difficulty and other differences/preferences among individual schools), but it won't make or break your application.
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Likely won't matter in the long run, pick whichever you think fits best.
As far as finances, I should be able to attend UK and graduate debt free. The same applies for Morehead. I didn't know if the classes really would be easier at morehead compared to UK. I was also unsure of whether UK college of dentistry would prefer students from their university over others like morehead.
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im not from kentucky nor did i apply to UK for dental school so i dont know how their system works... but i would imagine they will take the majority of their students from their own system much like University of Illinois, which im a graduate from. UofI dental school as a state school takes over half their students that graduated from UofI.
maybe try and contact UK dental and find out their current enrolled stats since its a state school. IMO, if i had the option to attend UK or a small school like Morehead, I would definitely choose UK. good luck and work hard wherever you choose!
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i'd go wherever you feel most comfortable. I had a choice between a 'prestigious' (and expensive) private school, and a small umaine school. i chose the umaine school because it was significantly less expensive, and (believe it or not) i knew i would get a good education. also, getting a high gpa (especially in the sciences) is NOT always easier if you go to a 'less prestigious' school. that is bologna.
Since you're thinking about that so early, I don't think it should be too much of an issue. Yes, it will probably be more difficult than at a smaller school to get the letters but just make sure you network well (if you're interested in research, a rec from a research prof could be great since that's a more one on one experience) and try and get to know some of your profs.
