No idea what undergrad to choose! Villanova, Lehigh, Lafayette, UPitt, UScranton, Muhlenberg--HELP!

[dentalapp27]

I am in desperate need of guidance from those in the know! I have been accepted to Villanova, Lehigh, Lafayette, UPitt, UScranton, and Muhlenberg. I was really hoping to get into the 7 year program with Muhlenberg/Penn or the GAP with UPItt. I had been moved forward in both, but ultimately rejected for both. UPitt did offer me the pre-dental track and the Honors college. Muhlenberg by itself (without the Penn program attached) is not as appealing to me just because of size etc. Villanova, Lehigh, and Lafayette all interest me more, but they are triple the cost of UPitt, and 20-30k more than Scranton or Muhlenberg. Does anyone have any insight into these schools? Being rejected for the 7 and 8 year GAPs has really woken me up to just how competitive this all is. I'm a strong student (1520 SAT, 10 AP's, rest honors, 100+ hours of shadowing, etc.), and I want to make sure I choose the school that is going to prepare me for dental school admission the best. Are Villanova and Pitt so big that I'll just be a number? Are the others so small that they'll be unknown and dental schools won't take me seriously? I've visited each school multiple times, but they only tell you that they are perfect and you'll have the moon and stars with them. I need to hear from real people that know what it takes to get into dental school!

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[tumbleweedjr]

Pitt; its cheaper than the other undergrads and theres a dental school there. So do some research with the dental school as an undergrad, build some connections and be in their predental club. you should have no problems.

 

[Ryxndek]

Where you go for undergrad really does not matter. Just get good grades and have good experiences and connections and you should be fine. I do agree that UPitt is probably your best option. They have a Dschool which is a plus. I would also try to go to undergrad for as little $ as possible, dental school is already outrageously expensive, no need to add unnecessary undergrad debt to that debt load. Good luck!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I willingly admit to knowing many prehealth advisors at the schools you got accepted to, so congratulations. Really quiz them on how much they help predental students or anyone uninterested in medicine. Because of sheer numbers alone, prehealth advisors may not be as knowledgeable about predental student needs because of the questions we answer routinely. ADEA has released a lot of resources that help advisors answer many of these questions, so there's no excuse if there are no advisors who understand dental admissions at your school. Even if there were, you should subscribe to ADEA newsletters and social media (GoDental).

But I also agree: dental school is expensive. Anything to reduce your debts early will help you later. I also agree that if you are at a university with a dental school, you will likely find better support from dental students at the school alone (who remember how much help they needed as applicants).

 

[PerioDont]

go to the one offering you a full ride. going to one with a dental school is a good bonus but not necessary.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Are Villanova and Pitt so big that I'll just be a number? Are the others so small that they'll be unknown and dental schools won't take me seriously?

The first question, you need to ask students.
The second question: I've heard of all of those schools. Many of them have solid prehealth advisors. Many of them promote students who were successful in the application process at least to medical school and a few to dental school over the past few years (according to social media).