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Hope everyone is having a great week so far. I would first like to apologize for posting here-- it may not be an appropriate topic in this forum. Yet, I really wanted to hear from some of you, who are already in or graduated from your dental school, and who've gone through a similar situation as I am going through now.
I was wondering if there is any of you who chose UPenn/UCSF over your state school. I was very fortunate to get into the two schools and Maryland (my state school). They are all great schools, and I am very grateful to have gained admissions. Now I am trying to choose one school, and because it is a very big decision, I've been talking with a few dental students and current dentists I know to gain some advice. Each time I've been getting different advices/insights, so I really wanted to hear some more thoughts from more people here. If you had to make a similar decision, I would greatly appreciate it if you could please share with me which school you chose, why you decided so, and if you think you made the right decision.
As a matter of course, personal preferences will be very important in making such decision, and it will be so in mine as well (ie, I would love to try living in the west coast). But some common factors, such as cost/grading system/environment, would also play big parts for almost everyone without doubt. And I would really appreciate to hear about your stories, and perhaps I can learn a little more about these schools as well as strategies in making a smart decision.
A little bit about myself, UPenn has been my #1 choice, and I was extremely excited to get in. Yet, I wasn't able to get their dean's scholarship, and its high tuition is making me hesitate a lot as I will be pulling out loans. In fact it's actually almost killed my desire though I really wanted upenn.. I have a teeny tiny hope of getting a "recycled" deans scholarship at UPENN, I received tiny scholarship at UCSF (doesnt help much), and I am applyling to state scholarships at maryland (~$1000-$10000, but wont hear back by April 1). Looking at each school's cost of attendance, Maryland wins. UMB>UCSF>UPENN. Perhaps 2nd year and on, UCSF could be comparable.
Cost of attendance:
Maryland : 67000/year (possibly state scholarships)
UCSF: 90000 first year. ~75000 second year and on
UPENN: 95000/year
Maryland : 67000/year (possibly state scholarships)
UCSF: 90000 first year. ~75000 second year and on
UPENN: 95000/year
(just tuition:
Maryland: 25000/year
UCSF: 52500 first year, 40000 second year on.
UPENN: 60000/year)
Maryland: 25000/year
UCSF: 52500 first year, 40000 second year on.
UPENN: 60000/year)
Other than cost, I would be very interested in specializing, so any advantage to it could be a plus for me (penn > ucsf > umb?). During upenn interview, I was really impressed with the amount of students that get into specialty programs, and how friendly the students were. Location-wise, San Francisco wins for me by far. I would love to try living in the west coast, and San Francisco sounds much more appealing than baltimore and philly in terms of safety. Yet I would also like to try living in Philly as well, because it is also a fun city to live in.
When it comes to grading system, UCSF could be the least stressful. UCSF has a Pass/Fail/Recommendation system, Upenn has GPAs yet ranks only down to 10th, and Maryland has a standard GPA/ranking system. I am also curious how grading system will play into specialty matches especially when the boards are going pass/fail now.
This decision making process has been very difficult for me. Everyday, I am leaning towards a different school because each school has its pros and cons at different criteria. I would love to hear if someone here's gone through similar situation. I really thank you for taking your time to read this, and I would really appreciate any thoughtful comments and insights.
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