Trying to decide amongst these 4 for my daughter. We are in state for Pitt. Merit received at all except UNC. Thoughts on which would be best for research/shadowing etc in preparation for dental school?
Thanks in advance.
Financially it makes sense to attend Pitt or one of the other 2 if they gave enough merit, unless money is not an issue and you can afford to pay for college and dental school. There are changes to the student loan system that will impact dental school.
Pitt is an amazing school with plenty of opportunities. I can also speak positively about UNC, but I would eliminate it due to costs. UConn and UF are excellent schools as well, but I do not know enough to comment on your specific questions. That being said, I have no doubt that there are plenty of opportunities.
I would choose Pitt. The city is great and there is a lot going on in healthcare. Congrats to your daughter!
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Congrats! These are all well respected state flagships. Your D’s future will be determined by what she achieves over her four years of college rather than which one of these fine schools she chooses to attend. Do pay attention to finances (including the cost of dental school.)
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And keep in mind that the new limit on federally funded student loans is $200,000 and that includes any undergrad federally funded loans take. Additionally, the loans for dental school are limited to $50,000 a year…which won’t cover the costs of attendance at most dental schools. Just an FYI.
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Based on the new loan limits, unless one of the colleges that offered scholarships are similar in cost to Pitt, I would go with Pitt. It’s chosen by students all over the country who want to go into health professions for its excellence in that field and proximity to various hospitals/healthcare centers, plus a vibrant walkable city.
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Yes
Any are great - but count dental school expense - can you afford undergrad and dental. If not, choose on cost.
Size wise and location wise - these are all different.
Figure out what she wants - urbanness, weather, size - and go with where she feels most comfortable - but eliminate the pricier ones if you can’t afford them and med school.
Good luck.
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As someone who lives in Florida and knows a lot of kids at UF, many of them have trouble getting into in-person classes for a lot of the prerequisites. Some even end up taking most of their classes online due to lack of professors. In addition the state recently required professors to omit a lot of standard content of humanities courses, in an effort to appease the current administration. I have friends who are professors at state colleges and this is a huge problem that most people outside of Florida aren’t aware of. I would definitely take UF off your list, especially if your daughter doesn’t plan to stay in Florida after college.
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Hello- dentist here. The most important factors are your GPA and your test scores. There is not going to be a significant advantage going to one school over another with regards to dental school admission. Go where you think you will be happiest, because that will enable you to do better in classes. All of the above schools have a dental school (although I know UConn dental school is significantly far from the undergrad campus) which may have opportunities for observing or volunteering. Not all dental schools are welcoming to undergraduates but you can also shadow or volunteer at a local private dental office. You can also contact the local dental society for opportunities. Back in my undergrad days, I found a state funded dental clinic for children on state aid a bus ride away from campus. I showed up and asked what I could do to help out, and started filing charts and doing paperwork chores but also got a chance to observe. You can make opportunities almost anywhere with dental.
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