Columbia vs UPenn

Started by ToothBlaster
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ToothBlaster

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Which school is better to attend overall? UPenn or Columbia?
I am a NY state resident (about 1.5 hours from Columbia).
 
with all due respect toothblaster, you have asked this question repeatedly in different threads and precipitated the same answer.

there is no "better" school to attend. the "best" school is the one where you feel the most comfortable (which should be based solely on your interview experience there and not limited/biased/misinformed insights of SDN).
 
I would say Columbia based solely on the fact that Rex Ryan is 10x more awesome (and entertaining) than Andy Reid.
 
Can't speak for Columbia; I'm a first year at Penn and can say that it's a very chill school based on my thus far limited experience. The only things I'm not crazy about are the run-down facilities in the basement and some ridiculous classes that I think are a waste of time (I'm sure other schools have this).

Of course, I might be singing a different tune once GRD lab starts.
 
Come to Columbia if youre the business and know it! We have a certain swagger around here and we don't need to brag for people to know if we got the goods or not. Haters gonna hate us because they want to be us. 🙂
 
Svart Aske said:
Can't speak for Columbia; I'm a first year at Penn and can say that it's a very chill school based on my thus far limited experience. The only things I'm not crazy about are the run-down facilities in the basement and some ridiculous classes that I think are a waste of time (I'm sure other schools have this).
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yup, got 'em here too at Columbia. makes you want to stab your eyes out with an explorer
 
pinetar321 said:
Come to Columbia if youre the business and know it! We have a certain swagger around here and we don't need to brag for people to know if we got the goods or not. Haters gonna hate us because they want to be us. 🙂
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I was just accepted to columbia dental school! Unfortunately, the realization that there are people like you there (with a sky high 3.2), and that 'we are the business, no bragging required' made my decision regarding attendance a very simple one.
 
WhichRoom said:
I was just accepted to columbia dental school! Unfortunately, the realization that there are people like you there (with a sky high 3.2), and that 'we are the business, no bragging required' made my decision regarding attendance a very simple one.
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pinetar321 IS the business and I am too, rocking my 3.1 undergrad. We understand that you don't like being around ppl with sub3.6 gpas. So don't attend and be a hater 😀

Surely you've found another school where EVERYBODY has sky high GPAs and nobody makes sarcasticly pompous remarks.

PS ur jealous cuz u don't got swagger, amirite?
 
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GiTsticker said:
pinetar321 IS the business and I am too, rocking my 3.1 undergrad. We understand that you don't like being around ppl with sub3.6 gpas. So don't attend and be a hater 😀

Surely you've found another school where EVERYBODY has sky high GPAs and nobody makes sarcasticly pompous remarks.
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I just cant go to a school where most students are the cockiest of the bunch and typically weigh in at 115lbs, its best i dont come..
 
WhichRoom said:
I just cant go to a school where most students are the cockiest of the bunch and typically weigh in at 115lbs, its best i dont come..
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:laugh: cool, do your thang

EDIT: for anybody else reading this, although there are cocky people in every class, even ours (myself and pinetar321 not included) I was pleasantly surprised at how very few we have in our class. Although we will regulate on haters if the need presents itself.

My favorite thing about Columbia so far is the group of people I see every day. I realize the above poster got accepted, and that may have been a slip in our otherwise superb admissions committee's judge of character but nobody's perfect. And safe to say, he/she quoted all of Columbia's strengths during their interview like all the rest of us to get that acceptance.
 
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Like I said, haters gonna hate

Also, nice touch making fun of my GPA, kiddo. Are you still in 8th grade?
 
Charmm said:
Reading your comment brings up a few points:

Dental school is a new game; your undergrad numbers dont mean anything when d-school starts. A friend of mine had ok numbers ( 3.3 gpa, 22 dat and he rocked every single class). I hope you dont lose your confidence when people with "low" numbers kick your ***** in dental school that you go.
By the way, dat is a standardized test which means two individuals with dat 21 are pretty much in the same academic level; you could study some dumb major and get 4.0, so what.
The fact that Columbia, unlike any other dental school, reviews applications with "low" numbers shows that the faculty here dont judge applicants by just their gpa and try to find devoted applicants who really love dentistry. Lastly,

Assuming numbers matter, Your numbers are not good enough to brag.
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I couldn't say it any better myself.
 
Fair enough... My stats aren't STELLAR, I get that, and the truth is I actually didn't go to the 'hardest' undergrad so yeah gpa is all relative. I honestly was excited to get accepted into columbia, and really thought hard about going. That post that started this had opened up a can of worms for me because I was hoping that people at columbia weren't actually like this, and when I saw some actually are, it bothered me because I knew I wouldn't like it there due to this and I couldn't go. Although I was busting on you guys, it was just me biting back for being pissed (deep down) that I couldn't be a columbia DDS, so good luck guys, sorry too
 
WhichRoom said:
That post that started this had opened up a can of worms for me because I was hoping that people at columbia weren't actually like this, and when I saw some actually are, it bothered me because I knew I wouldn't like it there due to this and I couldn't go.
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i'm sorry you feel that way. however, though i do not endorse the arrogance projected by certain students (which generally are few in number), there will be douchebags at every school. guaranteed.
 
pinetar321 said:
Come to Columbia if youre the business and know it! We have a certain swagger around here and we don't need to brag for people to know if we got the goods or not. Haters gonna hate us because they want to be us. 🙂
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GiTsticker said:
pinetar321 IS the business and I am too, rocking my 3.1 undergrad. We understand that you don't like being around ppl with sub3.6 gpas. So don't attend and be a hater 😀

PS ur jealous cuz u don't got swagger, amirite?
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pinetar321 said:
Like I said, haters gonna hate

Also, nice touch making fun of my GPA, kiddo. Are you still in 8th grade?
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never implied anyone was a douchebag. only stated that the mild arrogance is distasteful.
 
Any semblance of arrogance on this thread I assure you was entirely sarcastic. The latter few posts were in response to inflammatory statements by WhichRoom who, like you is apparently incapable of detecting sarcasm. FYI the most sarcastic of all:

GiTsticker said:
Sad to hear we've lost your endorsement.
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PS don't act like you didn't imply it lol, you practically broadcasted it.

flapaTron said:
attention to all who read this thread: not everyone at columbia is a douchebag.
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flapaTron said:
though i do not endorse the arrogance projected by certain students (which generally are few in number), there will be douchebags at every school.
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Another thing...

flapaTron said:
I only stated that the mild arrogance is distasteful.
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Actually no, you didn't. Just sayin'.
 
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WhichRoom said:
I was hoping that people at columbia weren't actually like this, and when I saw some actually are, it bothered me because I knew I wouldn't like it there due to this and I couldn't go.
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Truthfully, you've picked up the wrong idea about Columbia students. Compared to undergrad (CA state school) there are many less cocky attitudes because people are pretty much doing their own thing.
 
GiTsticker said:
Any semblance of arrogance on this thread I assure you was entirely sarcastic. The latter few posts were in response to inflammatory statements by WhichRoom who, like you is apparently incapable of detecting sarcasm. FYI the most sarcastic of all:
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the irony of this entire thread is just mind boggling :laugh:
 
Charmm said:
Reading your comment brings up a few points:

Dental school is a new game; your undergrad numbers dont mean anything when d-school starts. A friend of mine had ok numbers ( 3.3 gpa, 22 dat and he rocked every single class). I hope you dont lose your confidence when people with "low" numbers kick your ***** in dental school that you go.
By the way, dat is a standardized test which means two individuals with dat 21 are pretty much in the same academic level; you could study some dumb major and get 4.0, so what.
The fact that Columbia, unlike any other dental school, reviews applications with "low" numbers shows that the faculty here dont judge applicants by just their gpa and try to find devoted applicants who really love dentistry. Lastly,

Assuming numbers matter, Your numbers are not good enough to brag.
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Not to start this up again, but wouldn't the smart money still be on the kids with high undergrad numbers??? Similar DAT honestly does mean similar mental capacity, but a difference in GPA shows the difference in heart.
 
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ToothBlaster said:
Ok so which school is better to attend overall? UPenn or Columbia?
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toothblaster, this is a moot issue. "better" is subjective and related almost exclusively to the preferences of the individual. there is no absolute "best".
 
Didactically, I have a feeling both schools are going to be on par in terms of preparation for basic sciences, etc. However, I know for a fact that Columbia students can graduate without doing ONE unit of crown and bridge, but at Penn you have to do 30+ to get a D.M.D....

I also remember reading on this forum a lot about some of Columbia's pitfalls; lots of people dropping out or something. Idk, but it scared me off a little.

I'm at Penn, and it's worst attributes are that it's expensive and certain areas of the school need renovations; the preclinical lab and main student clinic.
 
Romas said:
Didactically, I have a feeling both schools are going to be on par in terms of preparation for basic sciences, etc. However, I know for a fact that Columbia students can graduate without doing ONE unit of crown and bridge, but at Penn you have to do 30+ to get a D.M.D....

I also remember reading on this forum a lot about some of Columbia's pitfalls; lots of people dropping out or something. Idk, but it scared me off a little.

I'm at Penn, and it's worst attributes are that it's expensive and certain areas of the school need renovations; the preclinical lab and main student clinic.
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You just made an account to say this?! :laugh:
 
Romas said:
Didactically, I have a feeling both schools are going to be on par in terms of preparation for basic sciences, etc. However, I know for a fact that Columbia students can graduate without doing ONE unit of crown and bridge, but at Penn you have to do 30+ to get a D.M.D....

I also remember reading on this forum a lot about some of Columbia's pitfalls; lots of people dropping out or something. Idk, but it scared me off a little.

I'm at Penn, and it's worst attributes are that it's expensive and certain areas of the school need renovations; the preclinical lab and main student clinic.
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true story?
 
Dude, at this point, just choose the school that you like more. Based on all your posts, you're really agonizing over this decision and looking at tiny little things that won't make a big difference in the end.
 
7 Iron said:
Dude, at this point, just choose the school that you like more. Based on all your posts, you're really agonizing over this decision and looking at tiny little things that won't make a big difference in the end.
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True, Go to Columbia
 
ToothBlaster said:
Which school is better to attend overall? UPenn or Columbia?
I am a NY state resident (about 1.5 hours from Columbia).
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Gosh Penn/Columbia? save your money and go to Buffalo (you posted in other threads you were accepted there). 😀 haaha take that 120k you save and buy yourself a porsche.😎
 
Romas said:
Didactically, I have a feeling both schools are going to be on par in terms of preparation for basic sciences, etc. However, I know for a fact that Columbia students can graduate without doing ONE unit of crown and bridge, but at Penn you have to do 30+ to get a D.M.D....

I also remember reading on this forum a lot about some of Columbia's pitfalls; lots of people dropping out or something. Idk, but it scared me off a little.

I'm at Penn, and it's worst attributes are that it's expensive and certain areas of the school need renovations; the preclinical lab and main student clinic.
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people dropping out? so far for the class of 2013 we have zero dropouts and 1 student was left back and given a second chance in the class of 2014 (and he/she is making the most of it)


for people getting by in clinic you get complex case points you can do a variety of prost procedures, its not uncommon to do alot of big prost cases and you make outstanding temps and your patient decides they suddenly don't want to pay anymore and peace out on you

and believe it or not some people who are already accepted into certain post grad programs (OMFS, Ortho, etc) want to spend more time working in those areas or shadowing and just try to complete the clinical grad requirements

Columbia is def not everyone cup of tea but you don't have to come out w/random rumors...once you are accepted here they school puts alot of stock in you they just don't toss you out
 
We had 5 out of 80 people leave our class of '14 due to various reasons. Just fyi. Acceptances closer to home etc.
 
achilles2 said:
people dropping out? so far for the class of 2013 we have zero dropouts and 1 student was left back and given a second chance in the class of 2014 (and he/she is making the most of it)


for people getting by in clinic you get complex case points you can do a variety of prost procedures, its not uncommon to do alot of big prost cases and you make outstanding temps and your patient decides they suddenly don't want to pay anymore and peace out on you

and believe it or not some people who are already accepted into certain post grad programs (OMFS, Ortho, etc) want to spend more time working in those areas or shadowing and just try to complete the clinical grad requirements

Columbia is def not everyone cup of tea but you don't have to come out w/random rumors...once you are accepted here they school puts alot of stock in you they just don't toss you out
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I know the crown and bridge requirement point isn't a rumor. And those issues you mentioned about patients no-showing after great temps, etc. is a similar dilemma you'll find at Penn, also in an underserved, urban setting. As for dropouts, I'm referring to c/o 2008 or so back when I was researching/applying to d-school...so I'll admit that maybe that's out of date.
 
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