I'm in the process of applying to a 4-year school from my community college and have been encouraged to apply to top private schools such as: NYU, UPenn, Columbia, St Johns, and many others. The problem is I don't want to go to these schools because of the cost. I know there has been numerous threads on this subject, but I just need some advice. Should I attend any of these schools or just to a CUNY(The City University of New York) school such as Hunter, City, etc? If I attend a CUNY school, I will be graduating debt free. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance.
CUNY school or top university ?
- Thread starter jcas1091
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So long as you get killer grades and a killer DAT score, pick the school that will allow you to graduate with the least debt. That's my advice.
I know if i put in dedication towards my courses, I can maintain a 3.7+ GPA. I just don't know if dental schools consider where one is coming from. I just don't want to graduate from a top university with $60k in debt and then apply to dental school and have to take out more money.
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The consensus seems to be that it doesn't really matter WHERE you go, but instead what you DO wherever you are.
I go to a small, private university that I bet 99.99% of SDNers haven't heard of. I have had no problems with preparing myself for dental school--my DAT is solid, my grades are solid, and I've had a wealth of EC opportunities. I have scholarships here and it isn't expensive. It's a great deal all-around and I don't regret it.
Cool, thanks
I went to a prestigious, competitive school for undergrad and it was very expensive. Fortunately my parents could afford my tuition and I didn't have to take on any debt. I would say don't overlook UPenn and others when applying because you can get scholarships and aid. The school I went to is free if your parents make under $60k, and you pay no tuition is they make under $100k. Some of the schools with big endowments are doing this now, so definitely don't cross them off your list too early.
While my school name may not helo me get into school, it's a fabulous professional network to have, so that's a consideration.
While my school name may not helo me get into school, it's a fabulous professional network to have, so that's a consideration.
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I went to a CUNY and loved my experience there. Entering DS with no debt from undergrad. Just go somewhere you feel most comfortable with and wont affect your grades. Gluck
I graduated from a SUNY... just make sure to have real good grades to compensate. I worked at CUNY City Tech this year. I would pick Hunter or some school like that. Make sure you have awesome DAT scores and you should be fine. I got into Temple and BU when I applied last cycle.
I'm going to see what financial aid and scholarships UPenn offers. I come from a family that unfortunately does not have the income to satisfy the financial cost it takes to attend UPenn. Thanks for the advice
I got my BS from Columbia and still owe a lot for it. Then I decided to go to dental school and did all my science pre-reqs at CUNY City. I was able to work and pay my tuition there as I went, which was great. I loved Columbia and met most of my best friends there, but I'd say for the difference in cost it's totally worth it to go to a CUNY. The classes there aren't any easier, but as long as you do well you'll have no trouble getting into d school. City has a great pre-health office and has kids getting into top medical and dental schools every year. The main advisor, Belinda Smith, is also friends with the dean of admissions at NYU and can pretty much guarantee you an interview if she likes you and decides to make a call for you.
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Go CUNY. If not, SUNY Stony Brook or SUNY Binghamton are far superior to any non IVY you've listed above.
Best of luck.
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SUNY geneseo also has a reputation for superior academics, despite only being a bachelors degree granting institution. Too bad its in the middle of western NY farm country. Binghamton another great option with a good reputation.
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I think Tony Kornheiser would disagree. I hope people on here know who that is !!
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Yeah, that's Larry David's long lost twin brother
Humm, have you seen Geneseo's stats lately? Students coming from a small environment-like a small community college- who want a college that focuses on undergraduates will get far more attention at Geneseo. Giggles about tv directors doesn't really convey much that is useful although, yes, I suppose it is meant as a put down. That's ok, as long as I can provide a helpful perspective to the op i don't mind the put downs by unkind posters. IN terms of ratios, for example, Geneseo appears to have only a slightly better ratio of students to faculty than Binghamton (about 19:1 vs 21:1) until you consider that Binghamton has many graduate programs with a ton of tiny classes. As a result, the ratio that looks only slightly worse is really considerably worse for undergraduates. So, If I were giving advice to a relative who was coming out of community college, I'd steer that person to Geneseo instead of Binghamton because the student would get more attention from faculty.
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I'd pick Stony Brook for SUNY if I had to go back and do it. While Geneseo and Binghamton are great schools, CNY blows. Much rather be on Strong Island.
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I would highly recommend Hunter, it has competitive classes at a very affordable tuition. As a senior there I have seen the Pre-Dental Society form great relationships with its neighboring dental schools. The club was formed only a few years and has over 200 members from the tri-state area, I would advise you to join their listserv, they could be a great factor in choosing a school. https://huntercollegepredentalsociety.shutterfly.com
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this Thread started in july 2013.....by now the person already taking classes somewhere, lol..but I am bored at home so I will contribute here too. I went to CUNY for my Associates, bachelor and Master!! I have no debts 🙂 and got accepted to Dental School.. The good thing about going to CUNY is that if one school doesn't offer the class you can register at another location! for example, if you are attending Hunter college but because of the high amount of students you weren't able to take the class there, then you can ask to get permission to take it at another CUNY. Good luck to everyone applying to CUNY schools in NYC
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