Can't decide between two schools, please help!

[JoeShmo]

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So I was originally set on going to Creighton (Omaha) and then just the other day I received an acceptance from Western University (Pomona) and now I need help choosing

I am from California and live 1 hour from Western, which in my opinion is huge to be that close to home

Both schools are clinically focused (no specialty programs) I believe clinical education is slightly better at Creighton but overall Ill probably get similar educations from these two schools

Creighton has been around for a while while WesternU is a pretty new dental school (Pomona is not the nicest area). Creighton is also building a new dental school which should be done by my second year

EDIT: From my cost calculations I got Creighton down to 338k and WesternU 388k. So Creighton is about 50k cheaper. HOWEVER, the cost of living is so cheap in Omaha I could buy a condo which could potentially save me another 28k from my calculations. This is assuming I sell it at the end of dental school. I also factored in a 5k potential loss on the condo + 3k for furniture etc. which I think is a fair estimate. If this happens then Creighton is about 78k cheaper than WesternU.

WesternU is on the block system while Creighton is traditional learning style

I kind of want to attend Creighton to experience a new place, new climate, and also has an undergraduate university, but when I break things down it seems it would be smarter to go to Western. I would would have my family super close and they would be a great support system. It would also make moving easier and traveling to and from school easier. I could go home on weekends if I wanted to. I think I would come back to California after school so it would help going to Western by networking and building connections (Although Cali is saturated so what if I love Omaha and want to stay). I have lived in Cali my whole life so WesternU would be more of the same for me while Creighton would be a whole new experience.

If there are any Western U students (Preferably D3/D4) I would love to ask you some questions

Thank you

 

[acesofseven]

So I was originally set on going to Creighton (Omaha) and then just the other day I received an acceptance from Western University (Pomona) and now I need help choosing

I am from California and live 1 hour from Western, which in my opinion is huge to be that close to home

Both schools are clinically focused (no specialty programs) Ill probably get very similar educations from these two schools

Creighton has been around for a while while WesternU is a pretty new dental school (Pomona is not the nicest area). Creighton is also building a new dental school which should be done by my second year

Just from the websites, Creighton is about 378k while Western is 417k. (Although another thread had Western at almost 500k and Creighton at 450k). So it seems that Western is ~50k more expensive than Creighton. So cost is not really a deciding factor for me

I know WesternU has some PBL which I am not the hugest fan of, but I am not sure how much that is integrated into the curriculum. Anyone have some insight?

I kind of want to attend Creighton to experience a new place, new climate, etc. , but when I break things down it seems it would be smarter to go to Western. I would would have my family super close and they would be a great support system. It would also make moving easier and traveling to and from school easier. I could go home on weekends if I wanted to. I think I would come back to California after school so it would help going to Western by networking and building connections (Although Cali is saturated so what if I love Omaha and want to stay). I have lived in Cali my whole life so WesternU would be more of the same for me while Creighton would be a whole new experience.

If there are any Western U students (Preferably D3/D4) I would love to ask you some questions

Thank you

Personally, I would choose WesternU bc I could never live in Omaha (no offense to Nebraskans).

 

[JoeShmo]

Wow what a tough decision. I know for me, moving from home will be the hardest part in attending Creighton; however, the cost of Creighton is around $335K at current projections assuming that you waive student health insurance. That's a big difference from Western's $417K!

If we waive health insurance then we could do that for both schools which would bring the cost down for both

 

[wengerout]

I would go to Western in your case


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[klownzo]

I would go to Western. I've heard great things about both schools but no thanks to Omaha. Like you said, I think cost is close enough that I wouldn't let it be the deciding factor. Either way you can't go wrong though. It's a good predicament to have

 

[JoeShmo]

.

 

[deleted696582]

Creighton since it's cheaper and you're open to a new life experience.

 

[ssm38]

I'd go to Western, mainly because I value being close to family and having a support system nearby. However, at a 78K cost difference, I'd seriously consider the cheaper option. I had to make a similar decision but the cost difference wasn't that huge and I chose to stay close to home.

 

[Faux]

Will end up being +100k difference with interest.

 

[deleted678432]

The best thing to come out of Nebraska is the highway.


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[toofdoc22]

I've heard a lot of good things about Creighton, but whichever is cheaper is what you should pick. Most of your time will be devoted to dental school so location shouldn't be a big determining factor.

 

[schmoob]

Go where it's cheaper. Don't worry about location or experiences, most of your time will be spent studying or in the lab/clinic. You will have an opportunity to have fun, so don't worry. Save yourself the headache of having an extra $100K of debt IMO.
Congratulations on your acceptances and good luck!

 

[chives_irvine]

I would say Creighton because 1.) a new school will mean new facilities and more up to date technology (even if WesternU is pretty new) 2.) ~80k cheaper is a big deal because interest will make it +100k. Even if you pay 6k a month for the debt, it would still be over a year extra (maybe even 2) of being in debt. Personally, I would try to resolve all debt as quickly as possible.

 

[JoeShmo]

Thank you all for your responses!

 

[periopocket]

So I was originally set on going to Creighton (Omaha) and then just the other day I received an acceptance from Western University (Pomona) and now I need help choosing

I am from California and live 1 hour from Western, which in my opinion is huge to be that close to home

Both schools are clinically focused (no specialty programs) I believe clinical education is slightly better at Creighton but overall Ill probably get similar educations from these two schools

Creighton has been around for a while while WesternU is a pretty new dental school (Pomona is not the nicest area). Creighton is also building a new dental school which should be done by my second year

EDIT: From my cost calculations I got Creighton down to 338k and WesternU 388k. So Creighton is about 50k cheaper. HOWEVER, the cost of living is so cheap in Omaha I could buy a condo which could potentially save me another 28k from my calculations. This is assuming I sell it at the end of dental school. I also factored in a 5k potential loss on the condo + 3k for furniture etc. which I think is a fair estimate. If this happens then Creighton is about 78k cheaper than WesternU.

WesternU is on the block system while Creighton is traditional learning style

I kind of want to attend Creighton to experience a new place, new climate, and also has an undergraduate university, but when I break things down it seems it would be smarter to go to Western. I would would have my family super close and they would be a great support system. It would also make moving easier and traveling to and from school easier. I could go home on weekends if I wanted to. I think I would come back to California after school so it would help going to Western by networking and building connections (Although Cali is saturated so what if I love Omaha and want to stay). I have lived in Cali my whole life so WesternU would be more of the same for me while Creighton would be a whole new experience.

If there are any Western U students (Preferably D3/D4) I would love to ask you some questions

Thank you

Why not live at home and go to western, this should even the costs. Otherwise I would go to BUMBLE **** OMAHA

 

[Zaria92]

Thank you all for your responses!

As a dentist who graduated 3 years ago I would definitely say choose Creighton since it's much cheaper.The less debt you have the happier you will be,trust me I went to a very expensive school!!

 

[510586]

As a dentist who graduated 3 years ago I would definitely say choose Creighton since it's much cheaper.The less debt you have the happier you will be,trust me I went to a very expensive school!!

How is your experience as a young dentist? Rural vs suburban/urban? Corporate? Have you done any CE courses?

 

[ssdds]

I would go with the cheaper option. You'll be paying off those student loans for years after graduation

 

[rhemsley]

While I'd agree that overall Nebraska is a pretty lame place, Omaha is pretty different than the rest of the state. I'm sure it's nowhere near as fun as Cali, but there is plenty to do in Omaha and like you said, COL is very affordable. The weather here though...

Oh and as far as saturation, Omaha is hella saturated in dentistry. Within just a 2 mile radius from where I work in Omaha, there are over 20 dental offices.