Well to respond along with Desi Dentist I am another Penn student who had to choose between Indiana (my state school), Temple, Minnesota, and other schools had I gone to the rest of the interviews. I also had a $150,000 difference between my state school and Penn, so why did I choose Penn?
Well like some of the other posters stated, Penn has higher GPA, DAT, etc scores. I knew 35% of the class going into Indiana, and I can tell you, there is a def differnce between the caliber of students that I interact with here vs my state school. The diversity of Philly as well of the student body is also at least 3 times greater if not more. That alone is an experience I think that makes it worth it.
Like Desi said, regradless of how these polls are run, 13 faculty got on the list for best teachers/dentists, they must be doing something right to get on those lists, if its networking, are actually good teacher, whatever. And that is one thing tht is huge in Ivy league schools, as well as some other schools such as USC, the networking, the schools take care of you. The IVy league is basically a club, so when you are looking for a job, say an associateship you know you will at least be heavily favored.
Some people dont mind paying extra to drive a BMW or a Mercedes. Id say part of that applies here; what do you get for getting a mercedes, the name, the service, the technology, and luxury. Well Penn will def give a lot of those things, obvioulsy the Ivy League name, as well as luxury as it is a beautiful school, 10X what Indiana was. Technology such as Dent sim, which obviously other schools have, but my state school wont have it for another 5 years. The name although 95% of your patients wont care is def something you can advertise (and I have seen a dentist in Indiana advertise that he went to the Prestigous Ivy League Penn) and Im sure it might get you a few patients over the years you are practicing. Getting even 4 patients (over their lifetime, who could then get you more patients through word of mouth) over say the 20 years you are practicing for going to an Ivy league will def make up that $150,000 real fast.
Finally Like another poster said it really depends on what you want to do witih your degree, I want to specialize, and Penn has some of the highest specialization rates in the country. Another poster stated that only the OMS stats were impressive, Id have tto disagree, the OMS stats are, and so are the ortho stats (which is what I want to do), I dont know about the rest. But I dont see any other or at least very few schools besides schools like Harvard, USC and Columbia getting 15 people in ortho and 12 in OMS. True more people are applying, but they also have a better shot, becuase they have higher board scores and people know the caliber of Penn students with so many getting in. My state school had 5 out of 10 get in the year I decided on Penn we had 15 out of 18, If I am in any of those extra ten, then the $150,000 will be made uo in pretty much one year.
So it really comes down to what you want to do, just want to do general? Id say there are probably more clincially oriented schools out there instead of Penn, want an of the other stuff I stated above, then maybe Penn is a better chioce? Or perhaps get another degree such as a business one? Penn actually will pay for the tuition if you deicde to do any program while you are in dental school, as long as you can justify how it will help you in dentistry.
