Rutgers (IS) vs. University of Maryland SoD (OOS)

[JBFutureDMD]

Rutgers (in-state) vs. University of Maryland School of Dentistry (out of state D1, in-state D2-4)


Rutgers (IS)
Total COA: $403,200
Pros:

• In-state all 4 years
• Very close to home (which is important to me because I know I'll be able to turn to my family in tough times)
• Strong clinical education
• Plenty of research opportunities
• Every specialty program in-house (I am keeping the door as wide open as possible for specialty)
• Relatively low cost of living
• already committed & deposited

Cons:

• Dangerous area
• Unfriendly administration (allegedly)
• Older lab facilities

UMD Baltimore (out of state 1st year, in-state the rest)
Total COA: $402,100
Pros:

• highly respected institution
• most specialty programs in-house
• research-focused university
• strong clinical curriculum
• modern facilities
• helpful/supportive faculty and administration

Cons:

• farther from home (biggest concern at this point)
• unsafe area
• slightly larger class size

Summary: I've been committed to Rutgers for a couple of months now but have been waiting to hear back from UMD as I know they are a highly respected institution. I wasn't expecting an acceptance from them this late in the cycle but I am happy to have received it. It seems that Rutgers and UMD are at very similar levels in terms of COA, quality of education, and location safety.

However some things I've noticed are that UMD's faculty and students all seem much happier than Rutgers students and faculty. UMD administration also seems very interested in my success even though they literally just accepted me (e.g. I called the school for a tour the day after my acceptance & had a private tour put together while I was driving there, and the assistant dean of admissions made some time to have me in her office so we could have a conversation and she could answer some of my questions). The little things like those make UMD very appealing.

My biggest concern is location -- I've always lived close to home and value family time very much and being able to hop in the car for a quick 45 min ride home from Rutgers sounds great (vs. 3 hours from Baltimore). I am also religious and value my community so being able to come home and feels like it's important in order to help me keep to my traditions, values, and relationships.

I'd love to hear any and every bit of advice y'all can give me that can help guide my decision. Thanks for taking the time to read & answer!

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[macsak]

rutgers...

 

[LFA20]

Rutgers.

 

[OncePreDent]

Rutgers, talk about safety... Baltimore is the most dangerous dental school you could attend; not sure why safety is a con for Rutgers because it is safer. The only real con I see for Rutgers is the old lab facilities. Hands down Rutgers though, especially if you want to be close to home.

 

[macsak]

i'll add that you are going to be miserable at least some of the time in d school, no matter how happy the faculty and students seemed while you visited maryland
better to be closer to home/family/friends/church...

and no matter how unsafe new jersey may be, i'd bet baltimore is more dangerous...

 

[Ryxndek]

Rutgers. Facilities doesn’t matter. UMN looks like it’s still stuck in the 90s-00s but idc. They have quality faculty and I’m close to home which is my support system. It’s also cheaper. You can always take quality CE after you graduate and when you’re working in private practice or corporate they’ll have nice facilities

I’ve heard too many things about UMDs safety, I wouldn’t risk it if you have other options.

 

[Ivy.ch]

You’re overthinking. Go to Rutgers

 

[PerioDont]

Rutgers