Choosing Undergraduate college for Pre dental track in VA

[Durga04]

Hello All, i am asking this question for my daughter who is starting undergraduate in fall this year in VA. She wishes to pursue career in Dentistry later. She has been accepted at V tech and JMU here in VA and waitlisted at W&M and UVA so far.
We visited campus and open house at both JMU and V tech
My daughter is leaning more towards V tech mainly because it is slightly more diverse in terms of Asian/South Asian compared with JMU.
The programs at JMU seems quite structured, in fact has a predental minor as well and prepares well for Dental school admission. School seems more cozy and is smaller, people were friendly but we are nervous as it does not appear diverse at all?
V tech is much bigger school/campus and feel little lost, but program there is good too, heard the teaching by professors is good.
Considering dental career track in future i am mainly looking for some advise in choosing the better of the two program choices that is academically strong and prepare her well for Dental school admission?
Also any suggestions regarding the courses/activities/clubs/research she should take while in college that will help with dental school admission?

Thanks a lot!

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[HowToTeeth101]

Whichever one she feels more comfortable at is ideal. Things change over the course of four years and she may not want to stay in Virginia after undergraduate education for the next four years. If she was that sure that she'd want to stay in the state, VCU would have been a good place to look as they are the only school in Virginia with a dental school but going elsewhere will not hurt her chances of getting in later.

 

[Durga04]

Whichever one she feels more comfortable at is ideal. Things change over the course of four years and she may not want to stay in Virginia after undergraduate education for the next four years. If she was that sure that she'd want to stay in the state, VCU would have been a good place to look as they are the only school in Virginia with a dental school but going elsewhere will not hurt her chances of getting in later.

Thank you much. She did apply to VCU as a safety school and is accepted but she wishes to go to a school where she can explore more other options too in case she changes her mind. She has done some shadowing with a local dentist and seems to like dentistry however she is not 100% sure so she wishes to keep options open. she still plans to take all needed science classes but wants to do major in psychology.

 

[PurpleSails]

In the end, it is her choice, and both JMU and VTech have all the prerequisites she needs + extracurriculars she would want to explore. In terms of preparedness, I also have to say that is all up to her. Choices she makes/effort she puts in academics/shadowing all determines her admission competitiveness. It's not really about where she goes for undergrad, but more about how she chooses to spend her time during college.
Also regarding your question about possible activities/clubs/research, it's a valid question, but am wondering why you are the one to ask? If she is truly motivated to pursue a dental career, she should be motivated herself to seek out those questions and should be the one posting here, it's strange that her father is asking what she should do to make her more competitive for dental school. It's wonderful that you're providing support! Path to becoming a dentist is extremely tumultuous and stressful, and it would require a lot of motivation on her part and it has to last years, and it's a huge time commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly by someone who is not fully sure. It might be best to have her navigate her own way, join clubs/activities that she likes and wants to try out throughout college, and see if she wants to go forward. She if she is sure, she would be motivated enough to search out ways to make herself more competitive.

 

[Durga04]

In the end, it is her choice, and both JMU and VTech have all the prerequisites she needs + extracurriculars she would want to explore. In terms of preparedness, I also have to say that is all up to her. Choices she makes/effort she puts in academics/shadowing all determines her admission competitiveness. It's not really about where she goes for undergrad, but more about how she chooses to spend her time during college.
Also regarding your question about possible activities/clubs/research, it's a valid question, but am wondering why you are the one to ask? If she is truly motivated to pursue a dental career, she should be motivated herself to seek out those questions and should be the one posting here, it's strange that her father is asking what she should do to make her more competitive for dental school. It's wonderful that you're providing support! Path to becoming a dentist is extremely tumultuous and stressful, and it would require a lot of motivation on her part and it has to last years, and it's a huge time commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly by someone who is not fully sure. It might be best to have her navigate her own way, join clubs/activities that she likes and wants to try out throughout college, and see if she wants to go forward. She if she is sure, she would be motivated enough to search out ways to make herself more competitive.

Yes I agree with you fully... Actually I am just asking these questions on my own; i am just like that...She did not ask me to do so. I think you all are right that i should let her pursue college of her choice and let her make selections of courses/activities etc.
Thanks for all help & suggestions!

 

[PerioDont]

Agreed with above it’ll matter less where she went to college and more what she did in it

 

[Redwing9]

There is no real track besides getting great grades, volunteering in the community, engaging with your faculty to get letters of recommendation, and writing an awesome personal statement that proves why you want to be a dentist. And then eventually this thing called the DAT. I also worked through school they seemed impressed by that in my interviews.

My recommendation is the cheapest 4-year undergrad school she is accepted to that's what I did. Save your money you're going to need it. I also commuted to school yes you miss out on a bit of the "college experience".
Do not think just because the school may have some "pre-dental minor or program" you will be more competitive
If you really want to be a competitive skip that and get good grades with a physics or bioengineering degree they would love that. The truth is they are not looking for people who are all the same, better to stand out. That being said I got my degree in biology the most common degree for DS matriculants. Psychology is right there with biology very popular, not going to hurt you, not going to help you. When it comes time to take electives take the hard ones, microbiology, human anatomy, etc some DS's are even starting to require some of these upper-level sciences.

She should join the pre-dental club - but mainly she should join any club in the school that she is passionate about and run for the chair and leadership positions. Which clubs they are wont matter.

If she finds that she is passionate about research while in undergrad that can also be a big boost to an application it's also a sure way to get a letter of recommendation if she makes the most of it.