Diff the undergrad school makes

[checkamundo]

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How much of a difference does the undergraduate school somoene goes to make in being accepted to schools such Columbia, UPenn, UCLA, and Harvard. I'm a junior at the Unversity of Hartford majoring in Chemistry and Biology and have a 3.68 overall GPA and a 3.59 science GPA. With a 21 on AA and 18 on PAT, would my chances at these schools be low? Would be chances be low simply because of my stats or is a big part of it my undergrad school not being a very good one?

 

[LadyxJC]

Your stats are pretty good. I don't think the undergrad you come from makes a huge difference, being that your DAT scores and your GPA are consistent. Theres always the argument that there is a difference getting a 3.5 (let's say as an example) from an ivy and a 3.5 from a not so well known undergrad but if you both have equally high DAT scores, then I think it's fair to say that the two students are comparable.

Your stats are good enough for a solid chance in interviewing at the schools you've mentioned. Getting accepted is another story since there is somewhat of a random component to it, at least that's what I think being that there are so many qualified applicants.

 

[U2Me2]

I agree with LadyxJC, you should be in good shape.

From discussions with family, friends, Docs, it seems that the undergrad school does matter. Many top students do not go to "name" schools. Many reasons - money, circumstances, etc. If you do great at a less prestigious school, you'll get where you want to go with a strong DAT score. The DAT test is (obviously) a way to compare students from different schools. Whether it's right or wrong, the "name" schools are viewed as being more selective for admission, and more challenging and competitive in classes. A 3.2 from a name school may get you farther than a 3.2 from another school.

Remember that it's not all grades and scores. Non-academic activities and a good interview performance both seem to be important. Work on those too, you'll be yanking teeth in no time.

 

[I'mFillingFine]

Actually, I've heard from a LOT of administrators that they often value a high score from a public school or large university (assuming it's accredited [sp?] and has somewhat of a good reputation) often more than a small public school, simply because it takes a lot more motivation and drive to find the resources to succeed. Big schools often don't have the advisors, instructions, and help to guide students into knowing what to take, who to go for questions, etc. You're in a sea of people, and have a huge variety of classmates to deal with. So a lot realize that it takes effort to excel in that huge mass of people, where each student is surrounded by a lot of better and lesser students than him or herself. Also, there is the question of grade inflation, which is highly contraversial, but I have personally witnessed it at Williams College and some other smaller schools.

Yet it is true that when an undergrad school is more selective, you have a smaller concentration of high-calibre students in one classroom, and that competitive feeling may drive each one to excel even higher. So that does take strength. But dental schools are not naive, and they realize that it is also extremely difficult to make a name for yourself in a huge "factory" of a place.

Note: I am NOT saying this just because I go to a public school. I was raised in a small college town and go to UMass, and I think it's crucial to understand both sides!! I know I feel like I've worked harder than some of my friends in private schools....

Can anyone vouch for this?