Hi all,
So I need to choose between those four universities. Which one do you guys think is the best one for the pre-med track (dental school)?
- NYU Tandon: Biomolecular engineering
- Boston University: Biology
- Northeastern University: Biology
- UMass Amherst: Biochemistry
I want to know which school is better for getting a good GPA, and which school has a better pre-med preparation for students.
I am from Amherst, Massachusetts, right in front of UMass Amherst. I like the city than rural or suburban, but UMass offers me much cheaper tuition than others. Private schools offer me around $18,000 scholarships, but their tuitions are still expensive. UMass did not offer me scholarship.
For me, it’s 50:50. In one way, I really want to go to a university with a higher ranking and more enjoyable things around it. On the other hand, I know the reality and go to the public university and save money. My parents cannot afford all the tuition, so I need to get a loan if I go to one of the private universities. But if I go to UMass Amherst, I think I would feel kind of sad and regretful. If I go to the private school, I think I would feel the pressure and stress of the money. I cannot decide which school to put a deposit on. Could you give me some advice? Thank you.
Hi! I’m a current student at Northeastern, and while I am not personally pre-med or pre-dental, 3 of my roommates are pre-med and one is pre-dental, so I know a good amount about the programs. For Northeastern, we have a great pre-med track. Our students place about 20 percentage points higher than the national average for getting into med-school, which is an incredible statistic! While Northeastern is expensive, keep in mind that you will likely be making money while on co-op. Students can do up to 3 co-ops during their time at NU, and many students use the money they make while on co-op to help offset the cost of the university. The average wages are between $17-20 across the university, which means students on average are making around $15,000 in 6 months (and many students do two or three, 6-month co-ops). But to be clear, this number really varies by major, where you co-op is located, and what you are doing on co-op. I had a roommate who was pre-dental and she co-oped at a local dental practice. She got TONS of great hands-on experience, helping patients, making molds for teeth, taking x rays, and the owner of the practice helped her get other certifications from Tufts Medical Center to allow her to do more. She was making $16 working 37 hours a week. She was using this money to actually pay for her housing that semester. Additionally, if the cost is a factor for you, there are work-study and non-work-study options available to earn some extra money, and you could even be a Resident Assistant (meaning you live in freshman/upperclassmen dorms and get free housing and free unlimited meal swipes for your duties as an RA). While obviously I don’t know your entire family situation and don’t want to pressure you into a bad financial decision, my point is that 1) the pre-med and pre-dental programs at Northeastern (to my understanding via my roommates) are really great, and 2) there are ways, especially through co-op, to mitigate the cost of the university. Hope this helps!
“My parents cannot afford all the tuition, so I need to get a loan if I go to one of the private universities.”
What does that mean? That you would need to borrow the standard federal loans, or that you’d need a co-signer for a bunch of private loans? How serious are you about dent school? Dent school would leave you with a whole bunch of loans, so getting through your undergrad without any debt is a wise way to go.
Here’s a calculator that can help you compare the numbers: https://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletteradvanced.phtml
@bremcclarey Wow. Thanks for sharing me such a great information. When do students usually co-op, like when they are freshmen, sophomore, junior, or senior? Do you think Northeastern has a grade deflation? Also, do you know if a transfer student can live in a dorm?
@happymomof1 I need a co-signer for private loans & also need the standard federal loans. Thanks for the advise!!
If you need private loans, then the place is too expensive. Be happy that you know you have what it takes to be admitted there, but kick it to the curb because it didn’t make itself fully affordable for you.
@happymomof1 True. I’ll take your advice. Thank you for your realistic advice.
@jellyjelie The earliest students can go on co-op is the second semester of your second year (second semester sophomore year). Students generally complete 2 co-ops in 4 years, or 3 co-ops in 5 years. If you choose to do 5 years you don’t pay extra for tuition because you’re still taking the same amount of classes, you’re just stretching your time out a bit because you have to fit in another co-op. I would say it’s pretty evenly split between students doing 4 and 5 years. Most pre-med students that I know though tend to want to do 4 years since they’ll already have to go to med school. We have two different “cycles” for co-op; spring and fall. Spring co-ops run from January until June, and fall co-ops run from July to December. Also, you do not take any classes while on co-op. So if you chose to do the spring cycle, you would do your co-op from January until June, and start classes again in Septemeber, then go on another co-op the following January. Even though the earliest you can go on co-op is the second semester of your second year (which is the spring cycle), you can choose to do fall cycle which would start the fall semester of your third year. It’s really personal preference how many co-ops you chose to do and when you do them. You can also change up when you do them as well!
I’m not entirely sure what grade deflation is, so I’m assuming NU doesn’t do it. I would say most students tend to get A’s and B’s in classes, with some students getting C’s. Honestly though, all of my friends including myself have gotten all A’s and B’s, even in really tough classes.
In terms of dorms, transfer students are NOT guaranteed on-campus housing. You can choose to be put on the waitlist, but it is unlikely you will get off, as NU will prioritize the other students. But, there is a housing office that can help you find off campus housing and negotiate your leases!