Should I go to Howard or reapply?

[callmejimmy]

Hi, i got in to Howard. Got also waitlisted Tufts, but it seems like there is no position available at Tufts. I am really thinking about reapplying. What do you guys think. I really don't like Howard because everyone thinks that it is the worst dental school. I am not sure how i got in ( i am Asian) but it really makes me to reapply. Should I reapply or go to Howard and think about transfering?? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

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[johntara04]

Look at it realistically. Are you sure you would get in next year? If not, go to Howard. Is the tuition cheap? If yes, go to Howard. Is waiting a year worth the 100k in lost income during that extra year? etc, etc.

There really is no "best" or "worst" dental school. There are no rankings, so basically dental schools focus on what they feel is important. Now, there are no "best" and "worst" dentals schools overall, but there is definitely a best and worst for you and a best and worst for me. Look at what Howard offers and decide if that is what you need to accomplish your personal goals. Choosing a dental school is a personal decision and what is right for you is not necessarily right for me. Every dental school produces academic giants, and meatheads. Every school graduates good clinicians and horrible ones. Look at what you want, go to the school you decide to go to, and accomplish your goals.

The more I am in dental school the more I realize you get what you want out of it. As a dentist, you will be required to learn a lot of your skills from your desire to do them. (I hope that sentence wasn't too confusing). You will be required to take CE in whatever you want, so you hold your destiny in your own hands. Might as well start to learn those motivation/discovery skills now, before/during dental school then after, when it costs you money.

 

[vhh007]

if you really don't want to be at Howard (which is seems like you don't) then don't attend. However, you will be kicking yourself if you don't get into any schools the next cycle. It's a hard call and only you can make the decision. good luck with the decision

 

[sonylarkhi]

If you don't feel comfortable going....reapply...it's going to be home for the next four years....

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hi, i got in to Howard. Got also waitlisted Tufts, but it seems like there is no position available at Tufts. I am really thinking about reapplying. What do you guys think. I really don't like Howard because everyone thinks that it is the worst dental school. I am not sure how i got in ( i am Asian) but it really makes me to reapply. Should I reapply or go to Howard and think about transfering?? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Take my advice for this. Any dental school will graduate you as a competent dentist regadless of the name. Can a person say that a denture made by a Havard student is superior to the one made by a Howard's clad? Choose the school that has the cheapest tuition and live in a city that has lower cost of living. Minimize the amount of student loans you have to take out. Really, nobody cares where you graduate as long as you are competent in doing your job. DP

 

[diane07]

You have three choices, but be prepared for the consequences of your decision. Do you want the sure thing or are you willing to gamble?

Go to Howard.

Reapply. Get in elsewhere.

Reapply. Don't get in anywhere.

 

[2thDoctor]

In my opinion I would not waste a year. I would go to Howard, you might end up liking it more than you had thought. I don't think it is such a horrible dental school at all. I don't think it really actually matters where you go to dental school b/c when you get out and practice you will still be a doctor. (Law school might matter and then you would want to go to Harvard) I would not take the chance of reapplying next year. I think all that really matters is that you are a competent dr. when you get out and if you don't feel like you are ready to practice then you can go into residency at another university. Good Luck!!!

 

[Tygerm9]

I do not think you should skip a year and reapply. At worst you can get a year of dental education, decide you do not like the school and apply to transfer to another school. On the other hand, you may find that you enjoy the school, you won't know until you try it for a while. The other thing is, I have not really heard many bad things about Howard, it seems like most people just don't like it because they don't accept white males, which puts a lot of us out of the running. From someone who got waitlisted last year and has to reapply... TAKE YOUR SPOT AND NEVER LET IT GO!!!

 

[jza70]

...I am not sure how i got in ( i am Asian) but it really makes me to reapply. Should I reapply or go to Howard and think about transfering?? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Contrary to what people think it is not an "all black" school at least for dental as far as I know. It is known as a traditionally African American school. If you look at the ethnic break down for their dental school I think it's only 40-50% black other groups obviously make up the other portion. I would apply their if it wasn't Washington DC. I hate that place.

Take my advice for this. Any dental school will graduate you as a competent dentist regadless of the name. Can a person say that a denture made by a Havard student is superior to the one made by a Howard's clad? Choose the school that has the cheapest tuition and live in a city that has lower cost of living. Minimize the amount of student loans you have to take out. Really, nobody cares where you graduate as long as you are competent in doing your job. DP

If you're interested in specializing does it matter which school you graduate from?

 

[diane07]

If you decide to go to Howard, do so knowing you'll probably be there for 4 years.

Transfering is very rare. I doubt you'll get any school to allow a transfer just because you want to (ie - plenty of students don't get into their #1 and they would all love to transfer too, but it doesn't work like that)

I would just go to Howard. The experience is in a large part what you make of it. How would you feel in hindsight if it was the only acceptance you ever got?

But do what you want. I'm sure there's a whole list of alternatives that would snap up your spot in a second. You'd be making someone's day.

 

[Smills91]

You could always go to Howard for the first year, but re-apply and see if you get anywhere else next year. That way you conver yourself, but that's wasting a dental seat and quite selfish route to take too. There's many of us that would kill for a dental seat, ANYWHERE.

 

[ToothE]

I would definitely go to Howard!! I don't think it is fair to say that Howard is the "worst" dental school. The only reason why some non-black people say Howard is a "bad" school is because it is (as mentioned above) a traditionally black school. But, who's to say that makes it a bad school? I really wish all the bashing on Howard and other HBCU's would stop. These schools produce many great doctors that are from all different races.

Also, is this for fall 2007or 2008??

It's really your decision on what to do, but if I were you I would attend Howard. You should be proud of yourself for getting accepted in dental school good luck!

 

[komodo]

I agree, go to Howard and grace them with your presence. Unelss u know for sure, then reapply next year.

To me that is very risky considering that (or seems like) competition keeps going up every year.

 

[ucla2134]

Hi, i got in to Howard. Got also waitlisted Tufts, but it seems like there is no position available at Tufts. I am really thinking about reapplying. What do you guys think. I really don't like Howard because everyone thinks that it is the worst dental school. I am not sure how i got in ( i am Asian) but it really makes me to reapply. Should I reapply or go to Howard and think about transfering?? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

there is no such thing as worst dental school. If i were you, ill go there for sure. What if next cycle is more competitive and you cannot get in. You just never know. Btw, congrats on your acceptance

 

[Ehhhh]

Go to Howard! Its cheaper than other school and its accredited. A dental education is a dental education don't get caught up in names. From a financial stand point you would be missing out on 1 year of practice (thats a lot of money). However, if you don't like the location or something to that nature re-apply but remember nothing is guaranteed.

 

[Meatwad]

If by "bad," dental school you mean the stats of the incoming class is lower than others, than maybe it is the "worst." However, maybe this just indicates your classmates are not as academically gifted as those at other schools. Does this automatically mean the school itself has poor teaching staff? No, I don't think so.

With that said, I'd have no problem going to Howard. If your competition is less fierce, it's all that easier to get into the top 10 or 15% of your class. If yo uwant to specialize, this seems to be a necessity. From what I've read, board scores and class rank is more important that the school you went to. Of course, I could be wrong, and any d-students/residents please chime in if this is erroneous.

 

[sadipagla]

If I were you, I would take the acceptance letter and run with it. You never know if you will get accepted again. Imagine you decline their offer and then never get accepted again. You will not forgive yourself.

 

[Yah-E]

I would go to Howard. Start your dental education and get it over with.

Besides, at least you'll have a great city to be in. DC is not a bad deal!

Share with us your numbers (stats), then we'll have a better assessment of if you should go to Howard this year or not. If you have a 3.2 and a 18/18 DAT, yeah take Howard's acceptance and be happy. But if you have a 3.6 and a 20/20 DAT, then apply again and wait for more opportunities.

Give us your numbers to better assist you.

 

[callmejimmy]

thanks guys. I am so stressful. I was going to transfer after 1st year. but i guess it will be hard.

well my stat is
DAR 19/20.
my gpa is 3.29
science gpa 2.99 including post bac gpa.
i have a lot of research experience, and dental internship.

This year, I had 4 interviews, such as at umdnj (rejected after interview), howard (accepted after interview), maryland(waitlisted after interview and then rejected), and tufts (waitlisted after interview and still waiting...). I was looking forward to hearing from either maryland or tufts... and still from tufts.

 

[Yah-E]

well my stat is
DAR 19/20.
my gpa is 3.29
science gpa 2.99 including post bac gpa.

With those stats in 2007, stay with Howard and feel lucky that you got into a dental school! Be proud and go celebrate that you'll be a dentist!!

 

[qwerty86]

You should be grateful you have been accepted to dental school, especially w/ those stats. I know couple people w/ way higher stats who had to reapply cause they didn't get in the first time.

 

[KinKs]

i wish i had that damn problem - i really want to become a dentist but my backup is UWI med school - and if i get in there i am going there. I know several dentists from Howard who have very fine practices - most notably a doc in Jamaica called Dean Weatherly - very good guy and he studied at howard.

In anycase, if you are rather egalitarian, give up the spot for peeps like myself who want to attend

 

[KinKs]

one more thing - if you did not want to go to Howard, why the hell did you apply

 

[Composite A2]

one more thing - if you did not want to go to Howard, why the hell did you apply

Good Point.

Find a forum that has people talking about low stats and wave a howard acceptance in front of them and see how many bite. Be proud you got in there, there is no bad dental school. You are such an idiot for thinking so.

How do you get in somewhere and not want to go. This is so stupid, you want to be a dentist go. You think everybody they graduated from howard all these years are sitting around and not practicing dentistry cause they suck.

I would not in a million years have believed i would ever read a scenario like this. At the beginning of this cycle I was not sure how I was going to do. But I got lucky got some interviews, and some acceptances. But if HOWARD was my only acceptance I would have gone there with bells on.


Do you even want to be a dentist, this is the real question. Because if you did you would not have even started this thread!!!!

 

[KinKs]

could not have said it better myself (KinKs claps as he initiates a standing ovation)