How hard is it to get into UOP?

[kent100s78]

I am really interested in UOP and was wondering if there are students here who attend and can share some insight about the school. Are they happy? Is there housing for married students? Is really demanding since it is a acclerated program? How hard is it to get accepted into there school? Any info from anyone on the forum would be appreciated. I love the idea of fast-track, I am planning on finishing my degree if everything works out in a 3-year period anyway, so with UOP I could be done all together in 6 years.Plus I love Cali. so many good grappling and kickboxing trainers plus im sick of Brooklyn

 

[SloppyJoe]

UOP is really into DAT scores. If you have a 21 and above, they're willing to forgive just about anything short of murder. But mind you, it's also one of the most applied to schools, so high GPA won't hurt either.

 

[Westside22]

very hard...but not impossible...so have faith..

 

[busdriver]

people always told me that uop focuses on DAT but i dont know anymore. i applied and had 25AA/23Sci/21Pat and still didn't get an interview (i also applied early). my gpa was on the lower side, 3.3 overall/3.1 science but i had a friend who had the same gpa and got an interview...so yeah...i have no clue about uop...

 

[SloppyJoe]

I think the fact that over half of the country applies to UOP, sometimes you just fall through the cracks. You should call and check regularly, although the class is full now...........so its just the waitlist.
Did you get in anywhere else?

 

[busdriver]

yeah i got into ucsf so i'm happy (i wanted to stay in cali). but you know what's weird? i actually did call and check regularly and they just told me they'd contact me if anything new came up...but they never did... oh well...it's all good...

 

[agutier3]

It's NOT all about your DAT scores. UOP looks for a certain kind of person. If you fit with what they are looking for, then you will be called.

Every school has things that they emphasize for admission. The difference with UOP is that they look for things above and beyond scores. The whole package counts!

busdriver-
Congrats with the UCSF acceptance. I'm sure you'll love San Francisco as much as I do.

kent-
Here's a word of advice....personal statement and letters of recommendation are very important. Assuming that your GPA and DAT are great, it is very likely that you will be called for an interview. Of course this is just my opinion. But just from my observations here at UOP, admissions emphasizes character just as much as intelligence.

Obviously you should gear your admissions materials toward the school(s) of interest to you. For UOP.....it's "humanism." Why do you want to attend UOP? What makes you a good candidate? What do you have to offer the school and the profession? What makes you unique or different (if applicable)?

Think about it.....brainstorm.....then write down your reasoning. They want to see that you are a real person. As Dean Dugoni has said to the student body here at UOP several times: "We want to know you are a good person, then we make you a good doctor." There's the philosophy of UOP in a nutshell. Use that knowledge to your advantage.....good luck!

Arby

 

[kent100s78]

Thank you guys for the advice.

I haven't tacken my DAT yet. I am planning too next year and then apply that coming summer. My GPA is around 3.3 and I am sure I will maintain it or get it a bit higher. Like i said before I like UOP because of the fast track program I myself am working on finishing my BS in a 3-year period.I am planning to start studying now for my DaT so hopefully I may get a 20+ on it. I took a free kaplan exam over the net to see what I would score and got 16's across all parts, so I think I am not in bad shape since I took the free exam without ever opening a book. UOP is my first choice beacuse I am dying to live in cali. for a bit and the program I hear is awesome if yo want to do GP plus again it is three years. That year you save there you are cabale of earing 100K+ for that year saved.

 

[vishal_k32801]

At UOp cost for 3 years is $210-240 k, so u do not save anything but for sure you start making money earler than most. All the best.

 

[Mo007]

At UOp cost for 3 years is $210-240 k, so u do not save anything but for sure you start making money earler than most. All the best.

Which takes sometime to pay-back.

As oppose to going to state schools for 4 years, which is around $80,000 for all years together, and takes much shorter period to payback.

The only head-start UOP offers is being a dentist earlier, but not getting out of debt sooner.

 

[Barry20]

Vishal,

I don't know what financial info you are looking at for UOP, but it seems to be off. Tuition is $45K X 4 = $180K, plus $15K in fees for the first year and ~$3K/year after that. That puts you at $201 for just tuition/fees. Add in living costs and you're pushing $300K total. A recent UOP grad told me the average student debt is between $290K-325K. Regardless of when you get out, that's still a $3,000/month payment for 10 years compared to a $1,000/month payment for someone at a state school. I'm sorry, but the $100K that you make your first year won't make up for it. Especially considering the fact that you will take home ~$70K. It's not like all your first year's pay will go toward your loan. This is the reason I chose CU over UOP. That said, UOP is a GREAT school, just not for a frugal bastage like me.

 

[Bickle]

Vishal,

Tuition is $45K X 4 = $180K, .

Dont you mean 45 X 3? UoP is a 3 year program.

 

[KDBuff]

Actually it is 45x4, because the three calender years are broken down into four academic years. When I totalled everything up, I figured with no scholarships, paying for everytihng on your own it would cost around $260,000.

 

[Bickle]

Wow! I did not know that. So at UoP your paying 4 times for 3 years? Interesting.

 

[boboli_chef]

UOP was the only school that flat-out rejected me, out of 13 applications. I applied, and never heard from them again until the letter I got a week ago.

So, to answer the original question, yes, it is hard to get into UOP.

 

[Barry20]

KDBuff,

It's a good choice for you to have the Navy pay for your school, especially going to UOP. Debt free, plus pay. Nice!

 

[Barry20]

DentalDream,

The 4 academic years crammed into the 3 calendar years is a common misunderstanding. I didn't realize it until the interview. Had it been just 3 years tuition, I probably would have gone there.

 

[Mo007]

I think many people don't realize this too - the only thing they see is the length of the program. I would go to a state school over UOP hands down - get over with my debt much faster, and make a better living than UOP graduate sooner.

No summer break! + $300K debt! (including living) + Longer to repay debt! = You Tell Me!

 

[KDBuff]

Another common misunderstanding is that UOP students get no breaks. We in fact get one month off every summer. It's hard to justify the price versus a state school, but the price is not much different than any other private school, plus you have an extra year of earning potential.

 

[sxr71]

Another common misunderstanding is that UOP students get no breaks. We in fact get one month off every summer. It's hard to justify the price versus a state school, but the price is not much different than any other private school, plus you have an extra year of earning potential.

In addition, it would seem that some simply don't value the choice - of school, of curriculum and most importantly of location (which also includes alumni are going to be). If everyone went to their state schools they would in most cases have only one school to choose from. Private schools cost the around the same with a few exceptions, and they give you a lot more choice. You could extend this argument to undergrad as well, why wouldn't everyone go to their "default" school and save money. People choose private schools and pay more for all sorts of reasons. Making the assumption that everyone thinks like you (or having the belief that everyone should think like you) is quite the narrow minded way to approach things.

There is a certain time value to saving a year that can help you get settled earlier, it can give you some extra time to enjoy life for some extra time without encumbrance. In terms of your career, it can allow you retire earlier or have an extra year at the prime of your career during which you should be earning a lot more than $120,000. In general less debt is better than no debt, but getting out of a crap town (pardon my French) is sometimes priceless.


In any case this shows the actual expected expense at UOP:

http://dental.uop.edu/finaid/DDS/cost_of_attendence.htm

The total for a single student including inflation is $256,549. It will be slightly higher for students entering in 2004.

I don't know which state school has a four year cost of attendance of $80,000, but I know my school doesn't.

 

[vishal_k32801]

Yes dude,
I have $45,000 coming in scholarship for 3 years..My GPA is 3.95 overall, 4.0 sciences and DAT >23.

UOP here I come...

 

[Awuah29]

Yes dude,
I have $45,000 coming in scholarship for 3 years..My GPA is 3.95 overall, 4.0 sciences and DAT >23.

UOP here I come...

Man. Are you Albert Einstein ?

 

[vishal_k32801]

No, I just concentrate in class and work hard when I am studying. I do spend a lot of time with my friends enjoying life too.

 

[Barry20]

sxr71,

You're point is well said. If you're going to go to a private school, there is no better option than UOP. I'm married and so that weighed heavily in my decision. It just didn't fit my situation well. Like it has been said many times, try to pick the school that fits you.

 

[Mo007]

I don't know which state school has a four year cost of attendance of $80,000, but I know my school doesn't.

These schools have sub-$80K for the 4 years (for tuition and college costs only) - assuming that you are a resident of that state: UNC, UConn, UCSF, UofL, most Texas schools, Medical College of Georgia, i think Oklahoma is another one too, and many other state schools.

OSU i think is less than $100K for sure, because their annual in-state tuition is about $20K... so it would be around $80K too + $20K for the extras.

 

[sxr71]

^^^
Keep in mind that all the figures that have discussed in this thread have been cost of attendance figures (you can't cite COA for UOP and then start talking tuition only when talking about state schools).

Cost of attendance at Ohio State:

http://www.dent.ohio-state.edu/OAA/FA/Tuition, Fees and Budgets.htm

It looks more like $142,000 but the amount they budget for room and board is insufficient even in Columbus, OH (unless you want to live in one of these ratholes around campus).

In any case unless you want to plan out which state you want to be a resident of by moving there a year before you start school, most people have to deal with whichever state they are already in. If I were a resident of Texas, California, Florida or Connecticut I would stay in state without a doubt.



Barry20: You made the right choice for your needs, and that's exactly what I mean by choice. Different schools fit different people. There seems to be an air of disapproval at other people's choices in this forum these days that borders on intolerance.

 

[bingpredent]

Out of all 8 schools, UOP is the only rejection I got..Not even an interview.
Well, in my own experience, I think they're harder to get into than Columbia and Maryland.