A question about undergraduate schools

[dentalcookie]

I've done a thorough search on the pre-dental board for the past week now, and I couldn't find any threads that answered my questions.. So here I am, posting my very first post/thread! Please help me.


I am currently in high school (junior year) and I've decided to become a dentist. I think most of the members here generally believe this rule:

Ivies and top tier schools(top 10 colleges) are on the same boat with state schools(U of I, U of Michigan, etc) in terms of how much merit they're given when applying for dental schools. Was it a 0.2 GPA advantage that the Ivies are given?
Anyway, I learned from here that generally the dental schools will take the 3.8 from U of I than the 3.4 from Yale or University of Chicago.


Knowing this, I have a question.. I am a IL resident and I needed some advice for applying to colleges. If the undergrad schools don't really matter that much, then should I just apply to Urbana Champaign or UIC for their pre-dental??

One thing that bothers me is this, however... I'm not sure if I'll want to open my practice here in Chicago. I think working in other cities such as Miami or New York would be better than Chicago in terms of the number of patients and just basically your income.


Does this mean that I should go to a different college so I can establish useful networks?? Or could that be done in dental school??

I would rather go to an IL school for right now because I'm ineligible for any kind of financial aid since my parents make enough money, but are not able to pay my college tuition due to their lack in management in finance.




I know that was reeally long, but I'd appreciate some help on this.

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[Mgobowl]

You are 10 years from actually becoming a dentist. You will have plenty of time to build your network. Internships and research experiences during the summers will be valuable. Apply to a few schools and see where you get in, then make the decision based on what fits you best. Cost may factor into it, but go somewhere that you will be happy and will afford you the opportunity to grow as a person. You may realize after four years of undergrad that you don't want to go into dentistry. Get a quality degree, rather than just a "pre-dent" degree, so you have a fall back plan if you decide against dentistry.

Personally, I will be graduating with a degree in engineering this spring. I could have gone an easier route, but engineering has been a valuable experience and taught me a lot about myself. I think the engineering thought process will serve me well in dentistry.

 

[Badgerfaithful]

Whoa there buddy. As said above, you have a 10 years before you need to worry about where you will be practicing! You may change career goals, which people do all the time in college. If you don't, that's great, you've chosen a terrific career to pursue.

Your undergrad school has basically no bearing on dental school. You are correct about that. But you don't need to worry about establishing networks while you're in undergrad. That will happen during dental school. Just join the pre-dental club and get involved that way. Go to undergrad wherever you want...it doesn't make you any more or less likely to get into any dental school. Your best chances for dental schools will be UIC and SIU because you'll be an Illinois resident regardless of where you attend undergrad, unless you take a year or more off after you get your Bachelor's. If you get accepted to multiple dental schools, then maybe you should start taking into account where you'll want to practice. But don't make any assumptions about making more money in big cities. Many of the larger cities are densely populated with dentists and may therefore have a lower dentistatient ratio than in underserved areas in the boonies.

There are lots of people, like me, in the same boat as you, who had to pay for all of undergrad and will have to pay for all of dental school without help. You might as well go to school in Illinois and save money where you can. But you don't need to worry about the money aspect seriously for 10 years.

 

[baseballjunkie]

I went to a small, local private Christian school, and one of my entering classmates went to Yale. Undergrad doesn't matter that much. Go where you'll be happy, you'll get a good education, and where you're student loans are going to be manageable. One thing you'll read from many of the posts from current dentists is to go to whichever dental school is cheapest. They'll all give you a dental education. Same goes with undergrad (in my opinion).

Don't worry about networking until dental school. A good portion of the people you meet in undergrad you end up losing touch with.

 

[dentalcookie]

Thank you for all the answers!

Mgobowl, when you say that I should go to a place where I can "grow as a person", which colleges are you suggesting specifically?


Badgerfaithful, I hope I don't change my career goals, either! I, too, believe that dentistry is a very worthwhile career to have. I plan on specializing in ortho.


I kind of feel like I could have had more fun in high school now that I know that I could have gone anywhere for undergrad.. UIC is definitely not the most selective school to get into, as you all may know.
It's okay, though, since my work ethics can be carried onto college.


So basically, from reading your responses, I shouldn't worry about networking just yet because that can all be decided in dental school? If that's truly the case, then I will most likely attend Urbana Champaign or UIC for my undergrad because they are much cheaper than other OOS schools.

 

[cmcner]

If I knew I wanted to be a dentist at your age I would have looked into 7 year combined undergrad and dental degree programs. They're at least something you should look into.

 

[uclaDDS101]

If I knew I wanted to do dentistry when I was your age, I might've considered this..

http://dental.pacific.edu/Academic_..._Dental_Program_for_High_School_Students.html

 

[junkemails44]

I would say the 6-year program leading to BS and DDS sounds like a good deal.

 

[dentstd]

Dentistry is a relatively low competition field, and you can get in coming from any college, even a community college. However, if you graduate from Yale, you'll likely have multiple, multiple, multiple acceptances, because dental schools don't get many applications from Yale grads.

 

[punkin85]

I went to U of I in Champaign and got a great education that prepared me fully to be a competitive applicant. It was also the best 4 years of my life. Actually, it was my last choice for undergrad (UWMadison was my first) but I don't regret it at all. You'll have plenty of opportunities to do anything you want and grow as a person.

However, if you're really dedicated and would like to go to UIC for dental school *in state* look into UIC's guaranteed acceptance program. SIU also has one but it's not a very good undergrad school (if you don't have a 3.9-4.0 from SIUE....you may have a problem. Sorry to all of the SIUE undergrads but taking Anatomy and Biochemistry over two semesters...you sure as heck better get an A!)

I'm simply saying U of I is a great choice and will save you $$ and put you in the same position as going to any other school. My best friend got accepted to Harvard and went to U of I.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[MTD52]

I thought this at first too, but you guys are wrong that the undergrad school doesn't matter. If you do well anywhere and apply to enough schools, I'm sure you'll get in somewhere. But I had one interview in which I was told that my school wasn't strong and asked if I could handle the curriculum at their dental school (despite the fact that I have a 4.0 and got a 4.0 the one semester I spent at a very difficult school). It definitely matters to some.

 

[Mgobowl]

By grow as a person, I mean exactly that. Find out who YOU are. You'll be away from home for the first time and making a lot of decisions on your own. As you mature, you will have a better understanding of your career goals and why you want to pursue that career.

I would look at schools with good academics first. Any of the Big Ten schools fit the bill for you based on your location. You could look at the Big 12 as well. They are all large, public, research oriented universities with good academics and many opportunities outside of the classroom.

The second thing I would look at is student groups and opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. If you don't have good people skills, you will not be a good dentist. People skills cannot be taught in a classroom (at least I don't think so), but they are gained from experience working and interacting with other people. For example, Michigan has over 1,100 student groups, so there are options for just about any of your interests.

The third thing I would look at is how the current students like the school and if you would enjoy spending a significant amount of time at that school.

At the end of the day, go where you think you will be happy and learn the most both in and outside the classroom, not where someone else tells you to go.

 

[dentalcookie]

uclaDDS101 and junkemails44, thank you for the suggestions. I've heard about that, too, actually. I knew from reading around here that U of P has 5,6, and 7 year programs, but don't you think that you might get tired of living in the same environment(city, weather, etc)? It definitely does sound advantageous, however, to be ensured of a dental school as good as Pacific by going into that program..

Can anyone please inform me further on these programs? Some pros and cons would be greatly appreciated!



punkin85, it's great to hear an advice from someone who goes to U of I!
You said that you initially wanted to go to UWMadison. Were there any reasons as to why you would have chosen that school over U of I?
I, too, think that U of I will be good for me since I think I will like the environment there. I hope I can get into Harvard from there, as well! Congrats to you friend, by the way.


MTD52, I'm curious where you went for undergrad.. would you mind sharing??

 

[junkemails44]

uclaDDS101 and junkemails44, thank you for the suggestions. I've heard about that, too, actually. I knew from reading around here that U of P has 5,6, and 7 year programs, but don't you think that you might get tired of living in the same environment(city, weather, etc)? It definitely does sound advantageous, however, to be ensured of a dental school as good as Pacific by going into that program..

Can anyone please inform me further on these programs? Some pros and cons would be greatly appreciated!



punkin85, it's great to hear an advice from someone who goes to U of I!
You said that you initially wanted to go to UWMadison. Were there any reasons as to why you would have chosen that school over U of I?
I, too, think that U of I will be good for me since I think I will like the environment there. I hope I can get into Harvard from there, as well! Congrats to you friend, by the way.


MTD52, I'm curious where you went for undergrad.. would you mind sharing??

University of the Pacific's undergraduate campus is located in Stockton, but the dental school itself is actually located in San Francisco. So, it would be 3 years in Stockton, and 3 years in San Francisco. Honestly, if I knew what I was doing when I was in high school, I would have tried this.

 

[Badgerfaithful]

I thought this at first too, but you guys are wrong that the undergrad school doesn't matter. If you do well anywhere and apply to enough schools, I'm sure you'll get in somewhere. But I had one interview in which I was told that my school wasn't strong and asked if I could handle the curriculum at their dental school (despite the fact that I have a 4.0 and got a 4.0 the one semester I spent at a very difficult school). It definitely matters to some.

I understand that it matters somewhat, and to some dental schools more than others...just not nearly as much as it should, in my opinion. All undergraduate schools are certainly not created equal.

 

[dentalcookie]

junkemails44,

Thank you, but I still can't really understand why a seven year program might be beneficial... I think cost-wise it'd be better for me to go to an in-state undergrad and somewhere else..

But that's just my thinking.. Does anyone know what some pros and cons might be in choosing a seven year program??? Thanks for all the advice!

 

[punkin85]

punkin85, it's great to hear an advice from someone who goes to U of I!
You said that you initially wanted to go to UWMadison. Were there any reasons as to why you would have chosen that school over U of I?
I, too, think that U of I will be good for me since I think I will like the environment there. I hope I can get into Harvard from there, as well! Congrats to you friend, by the way.

I just really liked the idea of getting out of state and I thought I might want to go medicine when I was applying...plus, I wanted to not "follow" my sister to U of I, lol. It was all worth it though. Actually, if that's where you decide to go PM me and I'll let you know about all the ECs you can get involved in!

 

[orangutan777]

junkemails44,

Thank you, but I still can't really understand why a seven year program might be beneficial... I think cost-wise it'd be better for me to go to an in-state undergrad and somewhere else..

But that's just my thinking.. Does anyone know what some pros and cons might be in choosing a seven year program??? Thanks for all the advice!

A big pro is that you already have your foot in the door for the UOP dental program. I think they have spots open for those designated into the program. Of course, you have to maintain your GPA/take the DAT. By no means do you have to go on to UOP dental school if you apply to other schools. I know three people that were in UOP's 6 year program: 1 continued on with UOP Dental school, 1 went to USC, and the other one went to UCLA. Only difference between the 6 and the 7 is that you would finish your undergrad in 3 or 4 years (both giving you a bachelors degree)

 

[MTD52]

MTD52, I'm curious where you went for undergrad.. would you mind sharing??

I go to Ramapo College in NJ. It's not a widely known school but is a good state school, or so I thought. The acceptance rate is like 45% or something, was 41% when I applied. That's as much as I can tell you about it, and that it's a liberal arts school and I majored in Biology (I'm sure that had something to do with it). Still, I had a good academic application otherwise IMO - 4.0 GPA, Dean's Scholarship to Ramapo, Scholarship to Honors College at NJIT (4.0 there too), etc. - and they pointed out that Ramapo wasn't a strong school.