Reading all of this is pretty entertaining. Great to see that this is what some dental students do in their spare time, but i have to give two cents. My take is in line with what a lot of people were saying earlier. Those at prestigious schools think that their prestige is mattering more than it truly is.
What's interesting to point out though is that most of you are debating about West Coast, mostly California schools. I think our regional biases need to be taken into account when posting. This whole Berkeley vs Stanford vs UCLA vs other Cal school stuff is very narrow minded. I go to Emory University in Atlanta (US News #17) and I guarantee some of you have never heard of it the way Berkeley or Stanford or Harvard rings. Most people on the east coast and certainly in the south call it prestigious. A lot of ppl don't even know it use to have a dental school. Actually when US News did a special on Southern Ivies, Emory, Duke, and Vanderbilt topped the list. This is not to rule out Wake Forest, Rice, and other top "prestigious" schools, but my point is that there are many "prestigious" schools that are not Ivys and not California schools. in fact, most of these students (myself included0 got into UCLA, Berkeley, Princeton, etc...but money and other factors definitely play a huge role. Here in the South we have those same arguments that you all are having with your Cali schools.
And that leads me to my next point about public state prestigious schools. Not sure how you all out west/Cali see it, but UNC, UVA, Georgia Tech and even UF are probably the best state/public schools in the country. Now i say this b/c I know more about them being in the south, but those same students can EASILY compete with top West coast schools and northeast ivys.
Bottom line, just because you get into Harvard, doesn't mean you should go. I've heard terrible things about Harvard's clincal exposure for its students and for some, getting the experience is more important than the name. Please people, get off your high horses, there are thousands of people across the country/world who have achieved just as much as you have academically and go to great institutions that US News recognizes and also to great public schools that may not be in your region.
To the pricks who really think name is everything, don't be a demise to the field of dentistry and gloat about your diploma, be a professional and know that you have the same degree as any other dentist, regardless of how they got there.
What's interesting to point out though is that most of you are debating about West Coast, mostly California schools. I think our regional biases need to be taken into account when posting. This whole Berkeley vs Stanford vs UCLA vs other Cal school stuff is very narrow minded. I go to Emory University in Atlanta (US News #17) and I guarantee some of you have never heard of it the way Berkeley or Stanford or Harvard rings. Most people on the east coast and certainly in the south call it prestigious. A lot of ppl don't even know it use to have a dental school. Actually when US News did a special on Southern Ivies, Emory, Duke, and Vanderbilt topped the list. This is not to rule out Wake Forest, Rice, and other top "prestigious" schools, but my point is that there are many "prestigious" schools that are not Ivys and not California schools. in fact, most of these students (myself included0 got into UCLA, Berkeley, Princeton, etc...but money and other factors definitely play a huge role. Here in the South we have those same arguments that you all are having with your Cali schools.
And that leads me to my next point about public state prestigious schools. Not sure how you all out west/Cali see it, but UNC, UVA, Georgia Tech and even UF are probably the best state/public schools in the country. Now i say this b/c I know more about them being in the south, but those same students can EASILY compete with top West coast schools and northeast ivys.
Bottom line, just because you get into Harvard, doesn't mean you should go. I've heard terrible things about Harvard's clincal exposure for its students and for some, getting the experience is more important than the name. Please people, get off your high horses, there are thousands of people across the country/world who have achieved just as much as you have academically and go to great institutions that US News recognizes and also to great public schools that may not be in your region.
To the pricks who really think name is everything, don't be a demise to the field of dentistry and gloat about your diploma, be a professional and know that you have the same degree as any other dentist, regardless of how they got there.
. FYI I applied to Emory and not Berkeley for college, I have no reason to be biased.
