Don’t want to attend the school

[MLC45]

So what happens if you go to an interview and decided you don’t like the school, but then December 1st rolls around and that’s the only school that offered you a spot. Do you go ahead and accept because you want to be a dentist, even though you’re not excited about it?

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[cometx3]

Yes. 4 years is nothing compared to the rest of your career being at stake.

 

[rebecca_chatul_tov]

What are your reasons for not liking the school? Is it the relative prestige of the program, or is there something else about it that you don't like such as the cost of attending? I would say if cost is a factor then you really need to carefully weigh you decision. If you don't want to be a dentist bad enough war game a way around the cost of attending NYU (just using this as an example) then I would analyze that. It's a valid reason to rethink your educational trajectory since this is a life changing amount of debt that you will carry for a long time. If it's the class size, facility, location or some other feature then I would be inclined to tell you to accept the slot and make a conscious effort to adjust yourself to the environment. It's four years that will set you up for the rest of your life/career. It's really not that long when you put it in perspective.

 

[Incis0r]

So what happens if you go to an interview and decided you don’t like the school, but then December 1st rolls around and that’s the only school that offered you a spot. Do you go ahead and accept because you want to be a dentist, even though you’re not excited about it?

I'd accept the seat. Also, first impressions can be false. You may find once you start that you actually like a lot of the things you had missed/not noticed on your interview day.

It's four years

Yep and it can seem much shorter since:

a) after second year you get much more clinical and much less didactic

b) in the first two years you have so much stuff to do that the time just flies by.

 

[schmoob]

Yes

 

[.-.]

So what happens if you go to an interview and decided you don’t like the school, but then December 1st rolls around and that’s the only school that offered you a spot. Do you go ahead and accept because you want to be a dentist, even though you’re not excited about it?

Speaking as someone who rejected an acceptance from a school I didn't like: Just take what you're given.

 

[FanOfCostco]

You decline the seat. There is someone who would be happy with that school. You should spend the money and try again next year. You should be happy with your 300k-5000k choice.

 

[UpperBite]

I was in this EXACT position 5 years ago. I desperately wanted a particular Boston school that waitlisted me.....and the school that accepted me, I didn't love the feel of. At all. I went kicking and screaming (silently) and that school ended up being the best decision I could have made. I would go. Take the acceptance. Also, if you don't take it, what is the guarantee you'll get in to the school you wanted next cycle? What if you don't? Now you are 2 years off, calculate that lost income and time. Congrats for getting accepted, dental school is truly what you make of it.

 

[doc toothache]

You are banking on an acceptance?

 

[MLC45]

I was in this EXACT position 5 years ago. I desperately wanted a particular Boston school that waitlisted me.....and the school that accepted me, I didn't love the feel of. At all. I went kicking and screaming (silently) and that school ended up being the best decision I could have made. I would go. Take the acceptance. Also, if you don't take it, what is the guarantee you'll get in to the school you wanted next cycle? What if you don't? Now you are 2 years off, calculate that lost income and time. Congrats for getting accepted, dental school is truly what you make of it.

I haven’t been accepted, but I hope to be in December. I’ve just been reading others comments and thinking about my top choices compaired to those schools I applied to as a just in case. I’ve been discussing “what if” with my husband, and wondered what others thoughts would be if they were in this situation.

 

[MLC45]

.

 

[FanOfCostco]

You are banking on an acceptance?

duhhhhh. everyone knows everyone is guaranteed an acceptance once you apply.

 

[allantois]

You can withdraw your app before they formally accept you.