Hey, I am a senior in Virginia. I am strongly considering attending VCU Honors over higher ranked programs such as William and Mary, Boston College Finance, VTech Engineering, and IU Kelly. I want to pursue dentistry and I believe VCU will give me the best shot at becoming one. It has the only Dental School in my state and it also has great programs to funnel VCU students into its dental school. Despite it being a great school (Especially for healthcare), it has a low rank. The only bad thing about going to VCU is telling people that you go to VCU. On a more serious note, it is also a big risk. If for some reason I do not perform and shatter my chances for dental school, I would have given up a more prestigious degree and wasted great opportunities. What do you guys think?
I think you answered your own question! If VCU has good programs that help their students get into their School of Dentistry, then I don’t see the problem with the university! Just because society says that one school is better than another shouldn’t deter you from attending a certain school. Not only are “lower-tier” schools more affordable, but you’re more likely to outperform your classmates if you’re willing to work and study hard. I would personally pick VCU Honors, but I’m sure you’ll do great no matter where you end up!
Good Luck!
(1) Folks choose better academic/social fit or economic value over prestige all the time.
(2) To be honest, the relative prestige those other institutions have over VCU is not as significant as you make them out to be. I mean, you aren’t giving up “much.”
My D1 made this choice. She chose her safety over what she thought was her dream school. The safety had the perfect program for her, honors college, good connections in her field, the right facilities etc. It has been working out wonderfully for her. We do sometimes get those blank stares when we tell people where she attends. None of us care.
The issue of what you would do if you change your mind about dentistry is an important one. The question is, what couldn’t you do from VCU that you could accomplish from any of the other schools on your list? My guess is very little.
My S made this choice also. He is pre-vet and went to a state college with a great vet school, highly recommended animal science program, honors college and early admit to vet school program. All that outweighed higher ranked schools. He is very happy with his choice, has a 4.0 up until this minute and is loving school! Go with VCU!
You don’t have to go to an undergraduate college with a dental school to go to dental school. You just have to go somewhere where you are comfortable and do well. Most of the dentists I have know did not, in fact. The same applies to medical school, law school, etc.
This is not to say you should not go to VCU if that is where you feel the best fit.
I had a nephew that went to George Mason honors and then transferred to UVA. He actually thought GMU honors provided him more academically, but he preferred the overall experience at UVA. That is a sample of one, but thought I would pass it along.