Am I an idiot?

[larryguy1960]

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SDN,

I am a NY resident with average stats. 3.5 Overall and Science GPA. Personally, I believe that tuition has gotten so out of control that I would turn down my dream of becoming a dentist if it meant having to go to NYU/BU/USC/Tufts. That being said, I have come up with a plan, and I am curious if it seems like a decent one. This is also with the assumption that I score ~20 on the DAT. (I am a good test taker so I am not worried about hitting average stats on the test).

I graduate in April 2012. Stay locked in my apartment until 1st week of June, take the DAT. Upon completing the DAT, apply to Buffalo and Stony Brook. Stony Brook is an incredible reach, so basically just apply to Buffalo. That June, move to Philadelphia and get a job (lots of friends and family in the area). All goes well, I get into Buffalo December 1st, quit my job, move back home, go to Europe, etc.

However, say I don't get in to either school. June 2013 rolls around. I have been working in Philly for a whole year now. I am considered a resident of PA (if make the right moves). At this point, I reapply, to Pennsylvania schools, Maryland, Michigan, and all other OOS schools that I could see myself attending, plus NYU/BU those kinds of schools.

I am not worried about losing a year, its just that going to Temple OOS is literally 120K more over 4 years. So I figure apply to my state schools the first year, and if it doesnt work out, go for the home run the next year! This plan gives me a chance at in-state tuition twice, and it sounds pretty good to me.

Let me here some opinions!

 

[Pennywisdom]

SDN,

I am a NY resident with average stats. 3.5 Overall and Science GPA. Personally, I believe that tuition has gotten so out of control that I would turn down my dream of becoming a dentist if it meant having to go to NYU/BU/USC/Tufts. That being said, I have come up with a plan, and I am curious if it seems like a decent one. This is also with the assumption that I score ~20 on the DAT. (I am a good test taker so I am not worried about hitting average stats on the test).

I graduate in April 2012. Stay locked in my apartment until 1st week of June, take the DAT. Upon completing the DAT, apply to Buffalo and Stony Brook. Stony Brook is an incredible reach, so basically just apply to Buffalo. That June, move to Philadelphia and get a job (lots of friends and family in the area). All goes well, I get into Buffalo December 1st, quit my job, move back home, go to Europe, etc.

However, say I don't get in to either school. June 2013 rolls around. I have been working in Philly for a whole year now. I am considered a resident of PA (if make the right moves). At this point, I reapply, to Pennsylvania schools, Maryland, Michigan, and all other OOS schools that I could see myself attending, plus NYU/BU those kinds of schools.

I am not worried about losing a year, its just that going to Temple OOS is literally 120K more over 4 years. So I figure apply to my state schools the first year, and if it doesnt work out, go for the home run the next year! This plan gives me a chance at in-state tuition twice, and it sounds pretty good to me.

Let me here some opinions!

Stony Brook is highy competitive but considering that you have 3.5 GPA and that you're a NY resident, it isn't that much of a reach. I think you should definitely apply to Stony Brook.

 

[Osity]

SDN,

I am a NY resident with average stats. 3.5 Overall and Science GPA. Personally, I believe that tuition has gotten so out of control that I would turn down my dream of becoming a dentist if it meant having to go to NYU/BU/USC/Tufts. That being said, I have come up with a plan, and I am curious if it seems like a decent one. This is also with the assumption that I score ~20 on the DAT. (I am a good test taker so I am not worried about hitting average stats on the test).

I graduate in April 2012. Stay locked in my apartment until 1st week of June, take the DAT. Upon completing the DAT, apply to Buffalo and Stony Brook. Stony Brook is an incredible reach, so basically just apply to Buffalo. That June, move to Philadelphia and get a job (lots of friends and family in the area). All goes well, I get into Buffalo December 1st, quit my job, move back home, go to Europe, etc.

However, say I don't get in to either school. June 2013 rolls around. I have been working in Philly for a whole year now. I am considered a resident of PA (if make the right moves). At this point, I reapply, to Pennsylvania schools, Maryland, Michigan, and all other OOS schools that I could see myself attending, plus NYU/BU those kinds of schools.

I am not worried about losing a year, its just that going to Temple OOS is literally 120K more over 4 years. So I figure apply to my state schools the first year, and if it doesnt work out, go for the home run the next year! This plan gives me a chance at in-state tuition twice, and it sounds pretty good to me.

Let me here some opinions!

If you think of it in terms of earnings, $120k, at the end of your career, would be about half of your yearly earnings. If you are NOT worried about losing a year, then don't fret over this. Worry about first getting into dental school. Then, if you can choose between acceptances, go to the most inexpensive school.

 

[dentalWorks]

SDN,

I am a NY resident with average stats. 3.5 Overall and Science GPA. Personally, I believe that tuition has gotten so out of control that I would turn down my dream of becoming a dentist if it meant having to go to NYU/BU/USC/Tufts. That being said, I have come up with a plan, and I am curious if it seems like a decent one. This is also with the assumption that I score ~20 on the DAT. (I am a good test taker so I am not worried about hitting average stats on the test).

I graduate in April 2012. Stay locked in my apartment until 1st week of June, take the DAT. Upon completing the DAT, apply to Buffalo and Stony Brook. Stony Brook is an incredible reach, so basically just apply to Buffalo. That June, move to Philadelphia and get a job (lots of friends and family in the area). All goes well, I get into Buffalo December 1st, quit my job, move back home, go to Europe, etc.

However, say I don't get in to either school. June 2013 rolls around. I have been working in Philly for a whole year now. I am considered a resident of PA (if make the right moves). At this point, I reapply, to Pennsylvania schools, Maryland, Michigan, and all other OOS schools that I could see myself attending, plus NYU/BU those kinds of schools.

I am not worried about losing a year, its just that going to Temple OOS is literally 120K more over 4 years. So I figure apply to my state schools the first year, and if it doesnt work out, go for the home run the next year! This plan gives me a chance at in-state tuition twice, and it sounds pretty good to me.

Let me here some opinions!

Well, your plan isn't bad, its well thought off.

Basically, your first application cycle, your going to hit the cheap / in-state tuition friendlies. If you don't get in, you'll start hitting the more OOS expensive schools.

My suggestion is: to KILL the DAT (I know this is SDN-cliche), but work very hard on your DAT preparation, the higher you score, the more likely you'll get accepted into stony and/or Buffalo on first attempt. So for you, studying hard = strong DAT = saves you 100-200k from tuition, and you don't have to wait 1 year.

The other thing I'd like to suggest is to also apply to other in-state friendly schools on your first attempt. There are a few that will allow you to change your residency status to in-state after living in that state for 1 year (I think NC does that, and few others)