Are you sure Harvard is number one? Last I heard U Conn was number one when it came to NBDE scores (#1 on NBDE II, and #2 on NBDE I in 2003). Harvard is just a name when it comes to dentistry, no offense. Harvard likes to teach students who want to teach later, they are awesome for that, but the clinical isn't better than other programs necessarily. In other words, you might be smarter coming from Harvard, but that doesn't mean you will be better clinically. If you want a good school, look for one that provides what you are looking for. Personally I didn't go to my NYU interview when I learned how huge the class was. I also didn't choose Michigan (even though they accepted me) because it was just too dang cold for me for four years. If you want to do general dentistry, you go to a school with a good clinical reputation and a large patient pool. If you want to specialize, go to a school with a big name such as U Penn, U Conn, Harvard, ect... This info comes from talking with people who have attended many of these schools and from research on how many people specialize from each school (U Penn is incredible for their ability to get students into specialty programs).