Help me pick a college for pre-dental/biology major

[MSB.]

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Hey everyone. I live in Florida and currently studying in a state college. I am planning to transfer in fall. I applied to FSU, UCF, USF, and FAU. I don't want to go to FSU because it's really far. Which school should I pick from UCF, USF, or FAU? Which one offers more financial packages and is better for biology program??? I will be living on campus as well.
I would highly appreciate if you could guide me a bit.

 

[Typical Average Student]

Which ever school has the best football team. Duh.

 

[sumin5924]

Hey everyone. I live in Florida and currently studying in a state college. I am planning to transfer in fall. I applied to FSU, UCF, USF, and FAU. I don't want to go to FSU because it's really far. Which school should I pick from UCF, USF, or FAU? Which one offers more financial packages and is better for biology program??? I will be living on campus as well.
I would highly appreciate if you could guide me a bit.

From what I understand, it doesn't matter where you do your pre-reqs as long as they're done at a 4-year institution and you do very well. That being said, your choices should be based off where you'd be most comfortable and likely to succeed...and probably cheapest wouldn't hurt lol

 

[Predent850]

Why no UF?!?!🙁

 

[JLT223]

The college you attend matters as much as the brand of socks you wear.

 

[ajj70]

Apply to which ever school costs you the least overall and which ever one you have the best chance of getting the best GPA and getting to know your science profs.

 

[Jbrowndds]

See if they have a healthcare degree!

 

[john_lanker22]

FAU has a solid pre-dental mentorship program and nice facilities in college of science. I've heard they've improved pre-health standards since adding a medical school on campus as well (per my friend at FAUmed)

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

The college you attend matters as much as the brand of socks you wear.

You obviously shop at Walmart. Socks actually do matter. I'm a Puma guy. Can't stand how Champion, Nike, Head fit.

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

Why are you transferring? What state school do you attend? If you don't get into dschool, what do you want to do with your degree?

 

[MSB.]

Which ever school has the best football team. Duh.

Hhahhhaha really? Does that even matter for a pre-dental student?

 

[MSB.]

From what I understand, it doesn't matter where you do your pre-reqs as long as they're done at a 4-year institution and you do very well. That being said, your choices should be based off where you'd be most comfortable and likely to succeed...and probably cheapest wouldn't hurt lol

Thank you so much. I would definitely do that!

 

[MSB.]

Why no UF?!?!🙁

They require calculus before I transfer 🙁 I don't want to spend more time in state college. However, UF is my dream dental school and I am aiming to go there for dentistry 😀

 

[MSB.]

The college you attend matters as much as the brand of socks you wear.

Wow! Got it. Thanks

 

[MSB.]

Apply to which ever school costs you the least overall and which ever one you have the best chance of getting the best GPA and getting to know your science profs.

That's my plan. Thanks for your reply 🙂

 

[MSB.]

See if they have a healthcare degree!

I'll check that. Thanks 🙂

 

[MSB.]

FAU has a solid pre-dental mentorship program and nice facilities in college of science. I've heard they've improved pre-health standards since adding a medical school on campus as well (per my friend at FAUmed)

Really? That sounds good. I'll look on that. Thanks for your reply 🙂

 

[MSB.]

Why are you transferring? What state school do you attend? If you don't get into dschool, what do you want to do with your degree?

Because I don't want to spend more than two years in a state college. I am currently attending Indian River State College (IRSC). If God forbid I don't get into a dental school then, I'll complete my master's and apply again 😉

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

Because I don't want to spend more than two years in a state college. I am currently attending Indian River State College (IRSC). If God forbid I don't get into a dental school then, I'll complete my master's and apply again 😉

Why don't you want to go to a state college? You are more likely to drop in GPA a little going to a large university. You become a number vs have more one on one interaction with faculty. At a state college, you can easily be the top of your class where as at a large university there are going to be a lot of smart people who you will be competing against for grades. I know a lot of people got into med, dent, pharm, PT, etc from state schools.

 

[dancer17]

fiu has a really strong pre-dent program as well! or umiami

 

[goldcrown17]

I strongly suggest UCF! I'm not super familiar with Flordia schools and I understand their academics aren't the strongest. However, their predental society is really strong and super involved with ASDA. I have a few friends there that are doing really well and have several acceptances.

 

[ajj70]

Sounds like this is really a community college with a trumped up name 🙂. Yes, you need to transfer to a 4 year school and be careful about what pre-reqs you take at your current school because some dental schools won't accept community college credits for pre-reqs, most have a limit on how many they will take.

 

[A.A.D.M.D.]

You could become a dentist if you attend any of those colleges. I would pick FAU because its closest to the beach... But you have to be accepted first then you make the decision of where you want to go.

Financial aid packages? To figure that out you have to be accepted first then contact their financial aid office.

 

[fogorvostan]

I went to USF and LOVED it. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about it.

 

[MSB.]

Why don't you want to go to a state college? You are more likely to drop in GPA a little going to a large university. You become a number vs have more one on one interaction with faculty. At a state college, you can easily be the top of your class where as at a large university there are going to be a lot of smart people who you will be competing against for grades. I know a lot of people got into med, dent, pharm, PT, etc from state schools.

Really? I went to Nova just to look at their dental program and she strictly told me not to spend more than 2 years in a state or community college.

 

[MSB.]

fiu has a really strong pre-dent program as well! or umiami

I strongly suggest UCF! I'm not super familiar with Flordia schools and I understand their academics aren't the strongest. However, their predental society is really strong and super involved with ASDA. I have a few friends there that are doing really well and have several acceptances.

Really? That sounds amazing. The only drawback UCF has is that it's a pretty large school and students hardly get to interact with their professors and then there comes a time where you need recommendation letters.. So that's the only thing I'm worried about. Otherwise, UCF is closest to my house.

 

[MSB.]

Sounds like this is really a community college with a trumped up name 🙂. Yes, you need to transfer to a 4 year school and be careful about what pre-reqs you take at your current school because some dental schools won't accept community college credits for pre-reqs, most have a limit on how many they will take.

Exactly. That's what I think. It is the only reason why I wish to transfer as soon as possible 🙂 I only took general chem and bio 1,2 along with general courses.

 

[MSB.]

You could become a dentist if you attend any of those colleges. I would pick FAU because its closest to the beach... But you have to be accepted first then you make the decision of where you want to go.

Financial aid packages? To figure that out you have to be accepted first then contact their financial aid office.

I've been accepted to FAU and UCF. Waiting for FSU and USF's decision.

 

[MSB.]

Sounds like this is really a community college with a trumped up name 🙂. Yes, you need to transfer to a 4 year school and be careful about what pre-reqs you take at your current school because some dental schools won't accept community college credits for pre-reqs, most have a limit on how many they will take.

I have another question for you. I know your major doesn't matter once you go to a dental school. But I want my major to be really strong that even if I don't get into a dental school, I could carry on doing something else and then end up applying again. So do you think is Microbiology good from USF or Biology good from UCF FAU?

 

[Predent850]

They require calculus before I transfer 🙁 I don't want to spend more time in state college. However, UF is my dream dental school and I am aiming to go there for dentistry 😀

Is it that you don't want to take any more classes there or that some schools that require it as a pre-req won't accept it if you do?

The college you attend matters as much as the brand of socks you wear.

Although the actual name of the college you attend I think holds limited weight, the opportunities available to you at those schools to improve you application can vary significantly. Also, if UF is your dream school then I think that it could be worth considering attending UF for undergrad. I believe that a majority of the students that they accept for dental school are from UF, not because they are biased but because in my opinion students from UF often have more opportunities available to them and they tend to take advantage of them. Also, the science courses here are incredibly difficult compared to some other Florida schools and they know that. It's a bit of a catch 22 though because a B in Orgo at UF might mean more to the admissions committee at UF then an A at a community college, but that may not hold true for other dental schools. Between the pre-dental clubs, volunteering opportunities, shadowing and assisting in the student dental clinics, and the numerous research opportunities, I think that there's so many opportunities here. Obviously I'm very biased and this isn't to say that there aren't other schools that offer these sorts of things, but I just feel as though it's very accessible here. It's definitely worth considering taking Calc and trying to apply again, maybe to a different college or major if that is an issue.

 

[MSB.]

Is it that you don't want to take any more classes there or that some schools that require it as a pre-req won't accept it if you do?


Although the actual name of the college you attend I think holds limited weight, the opportunities available to you at those schools to improve you application can vary significantly. Also, if UF is your dream school then I think that it could be worth considering attending UF for undergrad. I believe that a majority of the students that they accept for dental school are from UF, not because they are biased but because in my opinion students from UF often have more opportunities available to them and they tend to take advantage of them. Also, the science courses here are incredibly difficult compared to some other Florida schools and they know that. It's a bit of a catch 22 though because a B in Orgo at UF might mean more to the admissions committee at UF then an A at a community college, but that may not hold true for other dental schools. Between the pre-dental clubs, volunteering opportunities, shadowing and assisting in the student dental clinics, and the numerous research opportunities, I think that there's so many opportunities here. Obviously I'm very biased and this isn't to say that there aren't other schools that offer these sorts of things, but I just feel as though it's very accessible here. It's definitely worth considering taking Calc and trying to apply again, maybe to a different college or major if that is an issue.

Thank you so much for your time. I definitely agree with you, but I would not want to spend another semester at a state college for calculus. I love UF and I've started to work really hard to be considered as a strong applicant for dental school at UF. I definitely believe that whatever you said up there is 100% correct.

 

[doktorinprogres]

School doesn't matter but it does have to be a 4yr for most or all of the pre-reqs. Honestly you should go to the school that offers the most support and gives you the best shot to do well. Don't buy into that whole a B from a namebrand school is worth more than an A from a "lesser" school. Your gpa will speak for itself well before they look at which school you got it from (given its a 4 yr)

 

[ajj70]

I have another question for you. I know your major doesn't matter once you go to a dental school. But I want my major to be really strong that even if I don't get into a dental school, I could carry on doing something else and then end up applying again. So do you think is Microbiology good from USF or Biology good from UCF FAU?

I really don't know anything about specific programs at those specific schools. Microbiology is a good idea, but it is a very difficult major at many schools and can kill your GPA so just look into that. A basic biology degree is pretty limiting if you don't end up in dental school but you could always get a teaching degree or something too.

 

[fogorvostan]

I have another question for you. I know your major doesn't matter once you go to a dental school. But I want my major to be really strong that even if I don't get into a dental school, I could carry on doing something else and then end up applying again. So do you think is Microbiology good from USF or Biology good from UCF FAU?

BMS at USF is way better than microbio. I was originally micro but switched. You'll be able to take more of the classes that you need for dental school as BMS without having to take extra classes that don't apply to your major. BMS is basically the catch all at our school for pre-health students.

 

[Predent850]

I'm getting a nutrition degree and I really enjoy it. Prereqs all line up and it's interesting stuff that's applicable to everyday life. Not really sure it offers much in the way of employment in terms of a gap year or something but there are lots of jobs in the food science industry that are pretty cool if **** hits the fan or you had a change of heart. Also, if you do research you can gain some pretty valuable skills to work in a laboratory of some sort.

 

[MSB.]

School doesn't matter but it does have to be a 4yr for most or all of the pre-reqs. Honestly you should go to the school that offers the most support and gives you the best shot to do well. Don't buy into that whole a B from a namebrand school is worth more than an A from a "lesser" school. Your gpa will speak for itself well before they look at which school you got it from (given its a 4 yr)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate that a lot 🙂

 

[MSB.]

I really don't know anything about specific programs at those specific schools. Microbiology is a good idea, but it is a very difficult major at many schools and can kill your GPA so just look into that. A basic biology degree is pretty limiting if you don't end up in dental school but you could always get a teaching degree or something too.

Ok thanks 🙂

 

[MSB.]

BMS at USF is way better than microbio. I was originally micro but switched. You'll be able to take more of the classes that you need for dental school as BMS without having to take extra classes that don't apply to your major. BMS is basically the catch all at our school for pre-health students.

I have applied and they still haven't reviewed my application. Can I go back and change my major? If yes then, I hope it won't take longer for it to process all over again?

 

[MSB.]

I'm getting a nutrition degree and I really enjoy it. Prereqs all line up and it's interesting stuff that's applicable to everyday life. Not really sure it offers much in the way of employment in terms of a gap year or something but there are lots of jobs in the food science industry that are pretty cool if **** hits the fan or you had a change of heart. Also, if you do research you can gain some pretty valuable skills to work in a laboratory of some sort.

Thanks for sharing your views. Really appreciate it 🙂

 

[fogorvostan]

I have applied and they still haven't reviewed my application. Can I go back and change my major? If yes then, I hope it won't take longer for it to process all over again?

If you get in and decide to go there, you can just change your major online through OASIS. It's super easy! I wouldn't worry about changing it now.

 

[GoodOne456]

From what I understand, it doesn't matter where you do your pre-reqs as long as they're done at a 4-year institution and you do very well. That being said, your choices should be based off where you'd be most comfortable and likely to succeed...and probably cheapest wouldn't hurt lol

Can you do pre reqs at a community college instead?

 

[sumin5924]

Can you do pre reqs at a community college instead?

You can but I'd HIGHLY advice against it.

Plus many schools have policies regarding CC prereqs.

 

[DentalFever]

It's great to see another fellow predent from Florida.

I agree with what everyone said here, I do believe attending UF undergrad would increase your chance of getting into UFCD. No one knows the exact answer but every year they accept more of their undergrads than any other schools in FL. Is it because of their predents get more opportunities or because the UFCD prefers their own? Well, it's up to your own judgement.

Anyways, I understand you don't wanna waste another semester. So to get into dental school, the most important factors would be your academia, which includes GPA and DAT. Regardless how involved you are or how outstanding your extracurricular is, nothing would matter if you don't have a decent GPA/DAT. So go to a school that offers great BMS/bio program, which would prepare you for the DAT and dental school. All the schools mentioned above are great in this area.

So let's look at which schools offer the most opportunities, besides UF which I know they have wonderful predental clubs (Pre-Dental ASDA and Pre-Dental Society), UCF also has a strong predental club (Pre-Dental Student Association). I'm a fellow predent from UCF, so I can share all the wonderful things with you. In our predental club, we have numerous volunteering programs, which includes free dental clinic, hands-on workshop, and outreach program to underserved areas...etc. Most of the clubs have similar events/activities, but what makes us a bit special is our involvement with ASDA on the local, district and national level. You will see our predents at most of the ASDA events, which has provided us a great networking system. If you want a family oriented, non-competing environment then UCF would be a great fit, regardless of how big the school is.

Since you mentioned you might live on campus, so the cost is probably the same as anywhere else in FL. So to wrap it up, you can't go wrong with any schools. It's totally up to you, how hard are you willing to work to get into dental school is the most important. (If you choose UCF, then look into the biomedical science major, it is quite challenging, but if you can do well in the curriculum, nothing will stop you! DAT will be a breeze!)

Added: If I was in your shoes, I would choose UF if UFCD is your number 1 school. If not, I would choose UCF.

 

[A.A.D.M.D.]

I've been accepted to FAU and UCF. Waiting for FSU and USF's decision.

Nice! I'm happy for you that you have been accepted to UCF and FAU. Just note that there isn't a wrong way/path to getting there, but make sure you maintain a high GPA and prepare well for the DAT. At the end of the day wherever you decide to go you will be the one working hard. As I mention above, and others have too, the resources are available at all of the universities you are asking about.
P.S. Check out the attached image!

 

[MSB.]

Nice! I'm happy for you that you have been accepted to UCF and FAU. Just note that there isn't a wrong way/path to getting there, but make sure you maintain a high GPA and prepare well for the DAT. At the end of the day wherever you decide to go you will be the one working hard. As I mention above, and others have too, the resources are available at all of the universities you are asking about.
P.S. Check out the attached image!

Thanks for sharung

Nice! I'm happy for you that you have been accepted to UCF and FAU. Just note that there isn't a wrong way/path to getting there, but make sure you maintain a high GPA and prepare well for the DAT. At the end of the day wherever you decide to go you will be the one working hard. As I mention above, and others have too, the resources are available at all of the universities you are asking about.
P.S. Check out the attached image!

thanks for sharing. I would have attended this but I read your post late 🙁 by anyhow thanks a lot