<p>So I've already been accepted to a lot of my schools and right now I'm pretty much stuck between three. The three are Franklin & Marshall, Rutgers (Arts+Sci), and U of Delaware. I'm not going to bother posting any academic stuff because I'm just deciding between schools that already accepted me. I do plan on becoming and orthodontist one day so I would like to go somewhere that would be known for its sciences. I will probably be majoring in biochemistry, and take some kind of pre-dental program if available. Also, I grew up in the 'burbs of Jersey right next to NYC, so I prefer a larger college with a big, exciting campus but again, if everything else is just so good, then I'll go to a smaller school. That being said, I'm financially okay but not that okay so aid is definitely a factor, and right now Rutgers is the cheapest by a longshot, but money's not the deciding factor. And I know F&M is well known for its science programs but it's going to be really expensive, far away, kind of in the middle of nowhere, and a bit small for my taste but I'd be willing to put all that aside if I knew the academics would be worth it. And lastly, I don't know much about Udel except that it's big, pretty good, and somewhat cheap. And on a sidenote, I applied to Grinnell but haven't heard back yet, and according to my grades I probably won't get in, but on the off chance that I do, how good would biochemistry be there? better than the other three? But anyway, basically I would greatly appreciate it if I could get any input as to where I should choose, and how good the school is for a prospective pre-dental so thanks a lot in advance to anyone who contributes.</p>
<p>“That being said, I’m financially okay but not that okay so aid is definitely a factor, and right now Rutgers is the cheapest by a longshot, but money’s not the deciding factor.”</p>
<p>How, just exactly do you plan to pay for dental school? The standard advice for pre-med, pre-dent, pre-vet, and pre-law students is to choose the undergraduate program that will cost you the least amount of money, and will allow you to earn the best grades, so that you can have more money left to pay for your professional program, and a better chance of getting admitted in the first place. Sit down with your parents and run all of the numbers. You can start with this handy calculator: [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Award Letter Requirements - Finaid)</p>
<p>Rutgers has bang-up programs in the life sciences including biochemistry. Make an appointment with the Pre-Dent advisor, and find out what they can do for you.</p>
<p>How did you get your F&M decision already? My D applied there RD and won’t be hearing for about a month. If you applied ED to F&M, then I think that’s where you have to go. </p>
<p>With that out of the way, I think I’ll just ditto happymom. She covered the main points to consider.</p>
<p>I went to F&M and it’s clearly the most prestigious school you listed. I seem to remember that over 90% of F&M grads who apply to dental school get in. I think that’s a very important statistic. However, keep in mind, that this stat is so high because there are many, many very bright pre-med and pre-dental school students who were weeded out during their four years - especially after taking organic chemistry. </p>
<p>My son is at Colgate U. and is considering applying to dental school as well. I wonder if grad schools take into consideration the difficulty of the undergraduate schools when looking at dental school applications. A 3.5 at F&M or Colgate is clearly not comparable to a 3.5 at other schools. I know this from my own experience in taking a summer class over because of one I failed while at F&M. Although the summer course had the same name as the one I failed, it was more like a 9th grade level class and I received an easy A.</p>
<p>Now, I wonder if dental schools would accept a student with a 3.0 GPA, for example, from Colgate (or comparable school) over let’s say a 3.3 or 3.5 from a lower ranked school if their DAT’s were the same. I’ve heard that Colgate has a reputation for being “tough graders”. Is there a minimum GPA needed in order to even be considered and not thrown out of the initial review pool?</p>
<p>Good luck. Your financial situation will have to guide you in your decision making.</p>