Is BU that bad?

[edkNARF]

I just wanted to post this little morsel of information:

A few days ago, I had to get emergency dental care because an old filling had fallen out. My normal general dentist was on vacation, so his associate filled it for me. She graduated from BU in 1995, and she did a great job. Whenever I speak to her about her dental school experience, she has nothing but positive things to say about the school.

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[delicious]

I would argue back that if such a reputation is created within a community, than one should ask how that reputation was acheived?

Boston U is a great school. And there's another little school in Boston too you know, Harvard. They're all great schools.

 

[agaex]

BU, like any other dental school, is a great dental school. LIke others have posted, each school has their own positives and negatives, but each is an accredited dental school and can grant you your degree. What does BU offer that commands its expensive price? It's in Boston, and that's where the money is(there's a reason why so many universities and colleges are in Boston, with so many students clammoring to get in at cutthroat prices). Your beloved Temple on the other hand, is not where the money is. THe question that remains is, where does one want to be for the next 4 years. As so many people have pointed out, you seem to have some sort of angst against Columbia and BU. In this case you state that BU is a money making school, not worth the money etc etc etc. Your negative comments, as most have pointed out, are not necessary since you are not qualified to hold such opinions. It may be true that you went to an interview, saw that it sucked, or that your parents lived in Boston, but you never attended the physical school or attended classes. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and feelings towards their respective schools. You have to wonder though, if BU is such a bad school, in terms of value and education, why do so many people go there? If all the students are so unhappy at that school, why not leave? Opinions are okay, angst is not.

Your arguments against BU, as well as Columbia, is that it's all about the money, and not worth since they have nothing to offer at that price. Well that's quite similar to an argument of Mercedes and Lexus. Lexus is the same if not better than everything the Mercedes is, but at a lower price. But Mercedes can command the higher price, and its not because of the shiny star. People will pay the money for "something extra" that isn't there. I've never heard of Temple University, and in my case, I never considered it. Following your argument, I can say that Termple is inferior to BU since it has no press coverage. See how this makes no sense? That's why your anti BU and Columbia posts don't make any sense.

Again I reiterate as I have in previous posts, the money you pay for dental school is not an issue since you will make it back. Over the 30 year life of the loans (which people should choose since you can never borrow money that cheaply), you as a profesisonal can pay everything off, and retire comfortably. An extra 100K is nothing in the long run, especially since avg yearly income for a dentist is 100K. The big issue that I see for predents to decide, is where you want to be for the next 4 years. Some people prefer the fast-paced and often daunting ares of NYC and Boston, where some feel that the slower and laid back Florida is better. The people you will meet will eventually be your colleagues and if money money money is on your mind, then your advice is already ill advised.

Oh and as I remember, you were the same person that advocated fraud via cancelling checks. Ill advised indeed.

Its true that I did a regional interview in Toronto, but my parents lived in Boston for 10 years, and I visited the school plenty of times during that time cause I initially thought that it was teh school I would eventually end up at. I have talked with one BU grad who was doing a GPR at TEmple and she had confirmed all the negative things I heard about Boston (academic wise....social wise, she said it was awesome!)

Also, I know this is not really a valid point, but since my parents lived there for 10 years and knew I wanted to goto dental school, the unanimous advice from Boston natives from various fields was that Tufts is the superior dental school within Boston....although you will argue that they know nothing about dental schools, I would argue back that if such a reputation is created within a community, than one should ask how that reputation was acheived? I could totally see all the hype about Tufts during my interview there.

About visiting the other 50 dental schools, I would only compare expensive schools with BU, and although I havent visited all the expensive schools in the US, it is well known that each expensive school has something to offer, whereas BU does not.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

You have to wonder though, if BU is such a bad school, in terms of value and education, why do so many people go there? If all the students are so unhappy at that school, why not leave? Opinions are okay, angst is not.

Pretty stupid argument. You make it seem that switching schools is easy...actually its damn near impossible! ONce you enter the school, you've given your soul to that school for 4 years whether you like it or not.

See how this makes no sense? That's why your anti BU and Columbia posts don't make any sense.

no it doesnt make sense

Again I reiterate as I have in previous posts, the money you pay for dental school is not an issue since you will make it back. Over the 30 year life of the loans (which people should choose since you can never borrow money that cheaply), you as a profesisonal can pay everything off, and retire comfortably. An extra 100K is nothing in the long run, especially since avg yearly income for a dentist is 100K.

Great advice!!! 100K might not seem that much now, especially when you are seeing ADA figures and living in your parents basement, but wait till you finish dental school, are more mature, ready to start a family, buy a house, a car, support kids and on top of ALL those bills, a large student loan monthly payment to make.

Anyways, you and everybody else who follows your advice can go ahead and put yourself into more of a financial hole....95% of dentists out there will tell you that you are an idiot for so easily ignorning an extra 100K of debt....but Ill use that extra 100K I save to put a down payment on my house! Last thing I look forward to is to be in my 30s, having gone through 10 years of schooling to still end up in debt...not my kinda way to live!

 

[agaex]

Your credibility was already shot when you advocated FRAUD. Oh it's ok to cheat rich schools/people? Ya talk to the law about that one. No it's not easy to switch schools, but I never said that. I said that if it's really that bad, then you yourself chose the wrong area. Look at Northeastern University. It's student populous HATE the school, but it's funny how Forbes ranked NU as a top ranked business school, specifically because of its practices and post-grad placement of its students. Read passed the jargon buddy.

Pretty stupid argument. You make it seem that switching schools is easy...actually its damn near impossible! ONce you enter the school, you've given your soul to that school for 4 years whether you like it or not.

Great advice!!! 100K might not seem that much now, especially when you are seeing ADA figures and living in your parents basement, but wait till you finish dental school, are more mature, ready to start a family, buy a house, a car, support kids and on top of ALL those bills, a large student loan monthly payment to make.

Anyways, you and everybody else who follows your advice can go ahead and put yourself into more of a financial hole....95% of dentists out there will tell you that you are an idiot for so easily ignorning an extra 100K of debt....but Ill use that extra 100K I save to put a down payment on my house! Last thing I look forward to is to be in my 30s, having gone through 10 years of schooling to still end up in debt...not my kinda way to live!

Oh I'm sorry, did you just insult nearly all working families? Somehow you don't seem to realize that there are more people out there with worse situations then dental students. There are many people out there who start families, have kids, buy house, car, and pay bills. They end up just fine. They're not all dentals students, they are working families. Sure they don't take out exhorbitant loans, but their salaries also aren't exhorbitant as a dentist. As a PROFESSIONAL, you can manage any debt that you have. Reasoning? Dental school wouldn't be as expensive or as lucrative as it is now if they couldn't manage debt. No one said you needed to pay off your debt within 10 years. Financially speaking, to pay off cheap debt that fast is most foolish, although your posts show it. 95% of dentists out there will tell you that you're an idiot if you keep thinking of money money money. As I have said before, your classmates will be your colleagues. And if I were your classmate, I would never recommend you. Money on the mind equates to chintzy work and service. It's not to say you shouldn't think about money, that's fine. But your whole argument reeks of "All I care about myself and the money," begs to say that your future career will be quite bumpy.

Sure we're all just BSing as dental students now, but business practice as well as ethics (which may or may not matter to you, since you think cheating/stealing rich people is ok) , dictate that if money is your only passion, then you'll get washed up by the competition. And competition is a comin'.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Oh I'm sorry, did you just insult nearly all working families? Somehow you don't seem to realize that there are more people out there with worse situations then dental students. There are many people out there who start families, have kids, buy house, car, and pay bills. They end up just fine. They're not all dentals students, they are working families. Sure they don't take out exhorbitant loans, but their salaries also aren't exhorbitant as a dentist. As a PROFESSIONAL, you can manage any debt that you have. Reasoning? Dental school wouldn't be as expensive or as lucrative as it is now if they couldn't manage debt. No one said you needed to pay off your debt within 10 years. Financially speaking, to pay off cheap debt that fast is most foolish, although your posts show it. 95% of dentists out there will tell you that you're an idiot if you keep thinking of money money money. As I have said before, your classmates will be your colleagues. And if I were your classmate, I would never recommend you. Money on the mind equates to chintzy work and service. It's not to say you shouldn't think about money, that's fine. But your whole argument reeks of "All I care about myself and the money," begs to say that your future career will be quite bumpy.

Sure we're all just BSing as dental students now, but business practice as well as ethics (which may or may not matter to you, since you think cheating/stealing rich people is ok) , dictate that if money is your only passion, then you'll get washed up by the competition. And competition is a comin'.

WTF!!! this is the worst case of someone completely taking my post out of context and into a completely different direction....

I just dont know where to begin, cause you are completely brining this conversation into another direction, so I wont.....but I will say this....I obviously care a lot about money, but not in the sense to buy expensive cars and show it off....more in the sense to be able to be financially stable and be able to adequately support a family...

Sound financial planning is the key to anybody's success, and to me, advocating spending an extra 100K so easily is not sound financial planning...

I just dont want to be in my mid 30s and still writing large student loan cheques every month.....I'd rather use that money for something else...but if you dont mind that, than go right ahead!

 

[agaex]

WTF!!! this is the worst case of someone completely taking my post out of context and into a completely different direction....

Negative. This is why your bashing posts don't make any sense. To say x is bad because of cost y is just much too vague. Temple is a fine school, as is BU and Columbia. Let's just leave it at that.

You may not be content paying loan bills in your mid-30s, but as I said, financially speaking, cheap debt is GOOD debt. 5 year house mortgage can be had for 4%, while 30 year is around 6%. Sure it's cool to pay it off in 5 years, but through investments, in the dental case a practice, you return on your money is a lot more than the interest you'd pay. I too am an advocate for sound financial planning. But paying off cheap debt is just too expensive for me.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Negative. This is why your bashing posts don't make any sense. To say x is bad because of cost y is just much too vague. Temple is a fine school, as is BU and Columbia. Let's just leave it at that.

Jesus christ...i never said BU was bad because of its cost....I just said it didnt offer anything to justify its cost.....if you recall, I did say NYU was an amazing school despite being so damn expensive....at least you can see your money going to some use. Im tired of overstating the same point...agree or disagree, its your call.

Also, I suggest you do a past search on SDN for past BU students posting...I remember when I first joined these forums, there were many BU students on here that posted negative things about the school, except a guy name Pasha who doesnt seem to come on here anymore....do a search.

You may not be content paying loan bills in your mid-30s, but as I said, financially speaking, cheap debt is GOOD debt. 5 year house mortgage can be had for 4%, while 30 year is around 6%. Sure it's cool to pay it off in 5 years, but through investments, in the dental case a practice, you return on your money is a lot more than the interest you'd pay. I too am an advocate for sound financial planning. But paying off cheap debt is just too expensive for me.

are you taking in consideration having to pay taxes?

 

[agaex]

BU can justify its costs because it's in Boston, not the living costs, but because it's in Boston, the so-called Athens of America. Like the Mercedes and Lexus, BU doesn't need to offer something physical to command a price. In Boston, you 're essentially in a city where the people around are near the top of their respective fields. You never know if the person drinking coffee across from you may be a top research of cancer at Harvard. You can't even say that about NYC or UCSF. That's what Boston offers, and BU is in Boston. That's pretty much sums up why BU is so expensive; decent education, but connections galore. I'm done with this, we'll never see eye to eye.

Jesus christ...i never said BU was bad because of its cost....I just said it didnt offer anything to justify its cost.....if you recall, I did say NYU was an amazing school despite being so damn expensive....at least you can see your money going to some use. Im tired of overstating the same point...agree or disagree, its your call.

Also, I suggest you do a past search on SDN for past BU students posting...I remember when I first joined these forums, there were many BU students on here that posted negative things about the school, except a guy name Pasha who doesnt seem to come on here anymore....do a search.

are you taking in consideration having to pay taxes?

Of course taxes are always part of the plan. If there's anything that's certain, it's taxes, even in death. There's a reason why most loans are for 30 years, and it's exactly for what you're talking about. Loans, house, family, a practice, and all the things you listed as you said, cost money taxes inclusive. Even with the income of a sucessful dentist, it's typical to still be in debt even 10 years after graduating, owning a private practice included. That's why 30 year loans are the most popular. They make interest off us, and we don;t have to work ourselves to death!

 

[nothen2do]

Badvibes, you talk a lot about money, heres a comaparison of BU and Temple as an out of state resident from the ADEA book. BU's tuition for four years=$179,925. Temple, at an increase of tuition of 4.5% per year (as was done with BU)=$154,887. The difference is 25K over 4 years, or just over 6K per year in tuition of the school. Everyone gets it, you hate BU for whatever reasons. But by saying BU is for profit and so expensive, remember that dental school is expensive and that the difference between temple and BU is $6k a year.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

BU can justify its costs because it's in Boston, not the living costs, but because it's in Boston, the so-called Athens of America. Like the Mercedes and Lexus, BU doesn't need to offer something physical to command a price. In Boston, you 're essentially in a city where the people around are near the top of their respective fields. You never know if the person drinking coffee across from you may be a top research of cancer at Harvard. You can't even say that about NYC or UCSF. That's what Boston offers, and BU is in Boston. That's pretty much sums up why BU is so expensive; decent education, but connections galore. I'm done with this, we'll never see eye to eye.

HAHHAHA.....Classic!!!...yet another ******ed post....last time I checked, Philly and New York were none short of top-notch research institutions....UPenn, Columbia, ever heard of them???

But I guess you're right for Boston....hey you never know.....if your lucky, you could easily hop down to Harvard to take a dump....who knows what great mind lies in the stall beside ya?? Or how bout the leading researcher of cancer research at Harvard accidentally going by you in his Cadillac and accidentally splashing you with slush!!! Dude, if that happened to me, I would NEVER wash my clothes ever again!!! Totally worth the extra 100K!!!! were you actually serious with that point?

Of course taxes are always part of the plan. If there's anything that's certain, it's taxes, even in death. There's a reason why most loans are for 30 years, and it's exactly for what you're talking about. Loans, house, family, a practice, and all the things you listed as you said, cost money taxes inclusive. Even with the income of a sucessful dentist, it's typical to still be in debt even 10 years after graduating, owning a private practice included. That's why 30 year loans are the most popular. They make interest off us, and we don;t have to work ourselves to death!

I understand your point, and I do understand that because you are a professional that you can more easily advise them to take on extra debt...however, professional or not, I just dont understand how or why people would want to take on a larger financial burden than they need to....especially when they will graduate from dental school quite late in their life.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Badvibes, you talk a lot about money, heres a comaparison of BU and Temple as an out of state resident from the ADEA book. BU's tuition for four years=$179,925. Temple, at an increase of tuition of 4.5% per year (as was done with BU)=$154,887. The difference is 25K over 4 years, or just over 6K per year in tuition of the school. Everyone gets it, you hate BU for whatever reasons. But by saying BU is for profit and so expensive, remember that dental school is expensive and that the difference between temple and BU is $6k a year.

My obvious response to that is that living in Philly is 1/3 of Boston...plus we dont have extra costs such as laptops, DVDs, etc.

However, I dont ever recall stating that Temple was cheap...after all it is a private school. But at least we get one of the top clinical educations in the country, so I feel like that I will be actually learning a lot during the 4 years and can justify the high tuition. In other words, although its a lot of cash, its going towards a well-respected dental education

 

[egpndoc]

My obvious response to that is that living in Philly is 1/3 of Boston...plus we dont have extra costs such as laptops, DVDs, etc.

However, I dont ever recall stating that Temple was cheap...after all it is a private school. But at least we get one of the top clinical educations in the country, so I feel like that I will be actually learning a lot during the 4 years and can justify the high tuition. In other words, although its a lot of cash, its going towards a well-respected dental education

dr badvibes, come on now. why do you always seem to be in some long drawn debate over something on all these threads. just let it go. people have opinions and different schools match different people. just give your opinion, you dont have to justify it and neither do they. but if you give a fact, then there has to be justification. know what i mean. just leave it be. by the way, i was thinking of going to temple, pm me or reply and let me know all the details you can give please. late.

 

[agaex]

HAHHAHA.....Classic!!!...yet another ******ed post....last time I checked, Philly and New York were none short of top-notch research institutions....UPenn, Columbia, ever heard of them???

But I guess you're right for Boston....hey you never know.....if your lucky, you could easily hop down to Harvard to take a dump....who knows what great mind lies in the stall beside ya?? Or how bout the leading researcher of cancer research at Harvard accidentally going by you in his Cadillac and accidentally splashing you with slush!!! Dude, if that happened to me, I would NEVER wash my clothes ever again!!! Totally worth the extra 100K!!!! were you actually serious with that point?

Oh geez, do you ever give up? Yes it was a very serious point. New York, maybe. Philly? not a chance. Like it's said, Boston is considered the Athens of America, where many scholars of multiple fields culminate. Last time I checked, Harvard University is still considered the token Ivy school, more so then UPenn and Columbia. That's why the president of Harvard caused such a stir several weeks ago when he said that females were biologically not cut out to be in the science field. It caused a stir because he's the president of Harvard. If it were anyone else, it probably would have faded into the noise. But coming from one of the world's, if not the entire world, best institution, it means something. You can be critical all you want, but your arguments are quite nonsensical. It's not the fact of one school versus another, it's more like 30 schools in one small area, where Boston has the most schools for its size. No where else in the US can you get this. You should really just drop this. Temple might be a better dental school than say BU, but in terms of academia, BU far outclasses Temple. I don't seem to remember reading any current chemistry research papers from Temple, although David Evans at Harvard seems to always have publications. See what I mean? The school is a little weak in one area, but in terms of the overall, it's great. UPenn and Columbia may be equivalent to Harvard, but right across from Harvard is MIT, and UMass, and the list goes on. That extra money you pay to attend a school in Boston is so that you have the opportunity to rub elbows with the best in the business. The next closest place you could do this is in SoCal. End of story.

I understand your point, and I do understand that because you are a professional that you can more easily advise them to take on extra debt...however, professional or not, I just dont understand how or why people would want to take on a larger financial burden than they need to....especially when they will graduate from dental school quite late in their life.

Well unless you're planning to retire when you're 50, the financial outlook of dentists is exceptional. Even at say 30, when you retire oh say 25 years down the road, you would have taken in over 2million(and I think even you would agree that 2 million is a reasonable take in ), and with some minor investments, living the good life. Sure you might not't be living in the Ritz or sailing in a yacht, but you also won't be eating dinner off a cardboard box either. I'm a big advocate for Boston because there are so many young and talented people there. College is supposed to be the time of our lives, because no amount of money can buy back that youth and freedom. What better place to do it, then in a place with tons of people from around the world. That money I spend to go to school in Boston would be well worth it just so I have the opportunity to meet these new people. But's that my opinion.

 

[nnjh]

Oh geez, do you ever give up? Yes it was a very serious point. New York, maybe. Philly? not a chance. Like it's said, Boston is considered the Athens of America, where many scholars of multiple fields culminate. Last time I checked, Harvard University is still considered the token Ivy school, more so then UPenn and Columbia. That's why the president of Harvard caused such a stir several weeks ago when he said that females were biologically not cut out to be in the science field. It caused a stir because he's the president of Harvard. If it were anyone else, it probably would have faded into the noise. But coming from one of the world's, if not the entire world, best institution, it means something. You can be critical all you want, but your arguments are quite nonsensical. It's not the fact of one school versus another, it's more like 30 schools in one small area, where Boston has the most schools for its size. No where else in the US can you get this. You should really just drop this. Temple might be a better dental school than say BU, but in terms of academia, BU far outclasses Temple. I don't seem to remember reading any current chemistry research papers from Temple, although David Evans at Harvard seems to always have publications. See what I mean? The school is a little weak in one area, but in terms of the overall, it's great. UPenn and Columbia may be equivalent to Harvard, but right across from Harvard is MIT, and UMass, and the list goes on. That extra money you pay to attend a school in Boston is so that you have the opportunity to rub elbows with the best in the business. The next closest place you could do this is in SoCal. End of story.

I don't know jack squat about BU so I'm not gonna get involved in this matter.

I've heard neither positive or negative words about its dental school. But if

the main reason for your pride in BU is because u MIGHT hobnob with the elite

from OTHER universities than your own...

Dude, join a country club...

 

[nothen2do]

My obvious response to that is that living in Philly is 1/3 of Boston...plus we dont have extra costs such as laptops, DVDs, etc.

However, I dont ever recall stating that Temple was cheap...after all it is a private school. But at least we get one of the top clinical educations in the country, so I feel like that I will be actually learning a lot during the 4 years and can justify the high tuition. In other words, although its a lot of cash, its going towards a well-respected dental education

Well, an obvious response to you is the DVD textbook is an option, which is the same cost as books, so either you can buy textbooks or the DVD, and I do recall that NYU (the school you speak so highly of) only has the DVD, no hardcopies. Your whole I dont recall stating Temple is cheap is strange is you make all your money arguments as though BU is stratoshepically expensive when it is very similar to your school. ALong these lines, the fact that Boston is expensive to live in isn't really the school's fault, right? Unless they do set the rental rates?

"Well-respected dental education." When discussing schools with dentists and advisors, no one ever mentioned Temple, while they have heard and spoke kindly of BU. " will be actually learning a lot during the 4 years and can justify the high tuition," if you arent enrolled in BU. you DO NOT know what kind of education your going to get. All you know is about your experience at your school. All your statments make an opinion (yours) seem like fact and hopefully people reading this forums will understand this. All of your arguments (except for the money issue which seems to be resolved as temple is similarly priced at BU minus $6K/yr.) are on hearsay. So really, enough with bashing others and get over your baby rants over a school you have never attended.

 

[agaex]

I don't know jack squat about BU so I'm not gonna get involved in this matter.

I've heard neither positive or negative words about its dental school. But if

the main reason for your pride in BU is because u MIGHT hobnob with the elite

from OTHER universities than your own...

Dude, join a country club...

I don't pride in BU, but I do defend their high tuition since they are in Boston. The people who are around you in Boston, whether in your own school, or the surrounding schools are near the best that there is. That's not to say that they are the best, but near the top. This creates an environment of great scholarly promise. Much like people go to Hollywood to have a higher chance of becoming a star, young students will equally clamor to get into these expensive private schools in Boston. Why? Because they produce the necessary results to warrant the expense where in some cases, undergrad debt can equal the debt of a few dental schools. This is not to say that all other schools suck, but that schools in Boston are expensive for a reason, even if that reason is not readily apparent. Sorry if I was unclear.

 

[agaex]

Actually, in all my posting, I never really did answer the question to this thread. Sorry about that. BU is not a bad school, and Boston is a fun city to live in. The education you receive there is deemed by the ADA to qualify you for a dental degree. Other schools may have additional or superior clinical training, but that commands neither a price nor additional knowledge since no one, sans the school itself, knows how well you scored/performed. The only difference is the comfort level when you start working, initially. If you ahve a choice, pick where you would like to live for the next four years, not based on how much money you will take out or the perceived quality of education at the school since you will still be dentist in the end.

With that said, I'll stop cluttering this thread with my ongoing rants. Sorry, but sometimes I feel people need to look at things from a different perspective.

 

[Ind201]

I think we all have had enough of this discussion. This is not gna change anyone's mine because those of us who are going to boston, are going to boston. It's best to discuss when we'll actually experience BU and see how classes, facilities etc are. We know badvibes doesnt like BU and isnt gna listen to anything we say and we're not gna listen to anythign he says so i think we shud just drop it!

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Well, an obvious response to you is the DVD textbook is an option, which is the same cost as books, so either you can buy textbooks or the DVD, and I do recall that NYU (the school you speak so highly of) only has the DVD, no hardcopies. Your whole I dont recall stating Temple is cheap is strange is you make all your money arguments as though BU is stratoshepically expensive when it is very similar to your school. ALong these lines, the fact that Boston is expensive to live in isn't really the school's fault, right? Unless they do set the rental rates?

"Well-respected dental education." When discussing schools with dentists and advisors, no one ever mentioned Temple, while they have heard and spoke kindly of BU. " will be actually learning a lot during the 4 years and can justify the high tuition," if you arent enrolled in BU. you DO NOT know what kind of education your going to get. All you know is about your experience at your school. All your statments make an opinion (yours) seem like fact and hopefully people reading this forums will understand this. All of your arguments (except for the money issue which seems to be resolved as temple is similarly priced at BU minus $6K/yr.) are on hearsay. So really, enough with bashing others and get over your baby rants over a school you have never attended.

yah but do students at BU get the choice of buying individual textbooks, or are they forced to buy them all at once?

Also, I do understand your point that although BU is 25K more expensive than Temple on TUITION ALONE, at least Temple offers one of the best clinical educations in the country....what does BU offer? Oh yah, the chance of drinking coffee next to Stephen Hawking.

And about not hearing about Temple Dental, thats strange coming from a dental advisor who should know of the second oldest dental school in the uS that has the second largest patient pool in the country. Is your advisor an idiot? Are you sure this was a dental advisor or just a general graduate school advisor? If the latter, than that person would obviously conclude that Harvard Dental school is the best school in the nation, right? If the former....well, perhaps its best to look elsewhere for advice.

Try using my previous advice and search for BU topics on these forums....about a year ago, there were a few BU students on here and they gave their two cents on their BU experience.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

I don't pride in BU, but I do defend their high tuition since they are in Boston. The people who are around you in Boston, whether in your own school, or the surrounding schools are near the best that there is. That's not to say that they are the best, but near the top. This creates an environment of great scholarly promise. Much like people go to Hollywood to have a higher chance of becoming a star, young students will equally clamor to get into these expensive private schools in Boston. Why? Because they produce the necessary results to warrant the expense where in some cases, undergrad debt can equal the debt of a few dental schools. This is not to say that all other schools suck, but that schools in Boston are expensive for a reason, even if that reason is not readily apparent. Sorry if I was unclear.

Man, I cant get over such a ******ed argument!!! John Hopkins is the best medical school in the world, and yet its located in Baltimore....pretty cheap city. Philadelphia, also a city with numerous institutions is also a cheap city to live in. UNC is the top school in public health, and have internationally well known researchers.....pretty cheap city to live in. Someone posted that the University of Washington has one of the largest research funding in the nation, yet Washington is a cheap and beautiful place to live. Are you expecting people to take you seriously?

 

[emsi]

i went on two interviews - in BU and UPENN. i was accepted in both places. well, i choose BU. at least from the first sight ,people in BU seem a lot more friendly than UPENN. it is probably a little bit more expensive, but in a long run no so big deal (although i think $ are quite similar). most important part - good education, beautiful city, friendly people...
p.p seeing the lab and clinical rooms, UPENN seems bit older...

 

[delicious]

i went on two interviews - in BU and UPENN. i was accepted in both places. well, i choose BU.

wow, you chose BU over Penn?! That's an interesting move. Don't get me wrong, BU is a sweet school. But I hear UPenn is even better.

 

[dental2008]

i went on two interviews - in BU and UPENN. i was accepted in both places. well, i choose BU. at least from the first sight ,people in BU seem a lot more friendly than UPENN. it is probably a little bit more expensive, but in a long run no so big deal (although i think $ are quite similar). most important part - good education, beautiful city, friendly people...
p.p seeing the lab and clinical rooms, UPENN seems bit older...

I smell a liar.

This is a coping mechanism for those rejected from good schools but atleast get accepted to a lesser school. He/she couldn't swallow the UPenn rejection so they lie they turned them down to go to BU. Not playing favorites, but UPenn has twice the resources as BU

 

[ncalcate]

Every practicing dentist and physician (read: not a bunch of pre-dents or pre-meds) have consistently given me the same advice: "Go to the cheapest school possible. You'll appreciate it later." They never said "Go to school XYZ because they have better faculty" or anything like that. They always said that it is what YOU (the student) make out of it.

Perhaps this is the reason why BU sometimes gets a bad rap. With sky-high tuition and the obscene living costs of Boston, unless your parents are rich, you'll be walking away with at least $250K in debt.

Also, having lived in and around Boston for nearly my entire life (until I moved so I could attend a state school), stating that you'll be surrounded by a bunch of Einsteins and Nobel laureates is a bit of stretch. Yeah, there are a lot of smart people in Boston, but that doesn't automatically mean that all universities in Boston are filled with these geniuses. Nor does it mean that every single person around you will be a member of Mensa. What it does mean is that you will pay through the nose to live, eat, sleep, and breathe in a city filled with both smart and not-so-smart people.

And to the poster that mentioned that you don't want to pay down "good debt", you missed the point. If you go to a school like BU, you'll end up paying at leats $100K more in tuition than a state school. Regardless of how "good" that debt is, it is still $100K more than the dentist down the street paid who went to a state school. And that will translate into a much longer or more costly loan repayment schedule, regardless of how you slice it.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Every practicing dentist and physician (read: not a bunch of pre-dents or pre-meds) have consistently given me the same advice: "Go to the cheapest school possible. You'll appreciate it later." They never said "Go to school XYZ because they have better faculty" or anything like that. They always said that it is what YOU (the student) make out of it.

Perhaps this is the reason why BU sometimes gets a bad rap. With sky-high tuition and the obscene living costs of Boston, unless your parents are rich, you'll be walking away with at least $250K in debt.

Also, having lived in and around Boston for nearly my entire life (until I moved so I could attend a state school), stating that you'll be surrounded by a bunch of Einsteins and Nobel laureates is a bit of stretch. Yeah, there are a lot of smart people in Boston, but that doesn't automatically mean that all universities in Boston are filled with these geniuses. Nor does it mean that every single person around you will be a member of Mensa. What it does mean is that you will pay through the nose to live, eat, sleep, and breathe in a city filled with both smart and not-so-smart people.

And to the poster that mentioned that you don't want to pay down "good debt", you missed the point. If you go to a school like BU, you'll end up paying at leats $100K more in tuition than a state school. Regardless of how "good" that debt is, it is still $100K more than the dentist down the street paid who went to a state school. And that will translate into a much longer or more costly loan repayment schedule, regardless of how you slice it.

Actually, every professional I talked to also said the same advice....goto the cheapest school you can that also gives a good clinical education. All I was doing was relaying the advice given to me on this forum.

Anyways, good post! Perhaps since it didnt come from me, people will take the message that we are trying to convey more seriously

I also see that you live in Toronto Jr. now....how are things up in Buffalo?

 

[emsi]

I smell a liar.

This is a coping mechanism for those rejected from good schools but atleast get accepted to a lesser school. He/she couldn't swallow the UPenn rejection so they lie they turned them down to go to UPenn. Not playing favorites, but UPenn has twice the resources as BU

are you ready to bet?
i don't have any complexs and doubts about attending this school. probably you got with your, do you?
p.p. am i smelling a few houndrets bet? or i smell your fear?

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

are you ready to bet?
i don't have any complexs and doubt about attending this school. probably you got with your, do you?
p.p. i'm i smelling a few houndrets bet? or i smell your fear?

Looks like BU doesnt have english requirements.....why is Temple the only school that requires an on-site essay?

 

[emsi]

Looks like BU doesnt have english requirements.....why is Temple the only school that requires an on-site essay?

so...... writing an essay would make you a better dentist?
and going to linguages i can speak 3 and understand well another 3. i also have a dental experience from 3 european countries , canadian too. and you - writing an essay. good job
and why is this attitude? can't you copy with that there are people who likes BU?

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

so...... writing an essay would make you a better dentist?
and going to linguages i can speak 3 and understand well another 3. i also have a dental experience from 3 european countries , canadian too. and you - writing an essay. good job
and why is this attitude? can't you copy with that there are people who likes BU?

Actually, speaking english in an English-speaking country will make you a better dentist....how else are you gonna be able to communicate to your patients (one of the most important jobs of a dentist)....

Dont get me wrong, Im 150% in support of immigrants, and I dont expect a scholarly level of English to be known, but cmon....this guys posts have clearly shown that his english level is quite low.......

Its like if I went to dental school in Romania and only knew broken Romanian, I wouldnt be a really good Romanian dentist, now would I?

 

[emsi]

Actually, speaking english in an English-speaking country will make you a better dentist....how else are you gonna be able to communicate to your patients (one of the most important jobs of a dentist)....

Dont get me wrong, Im 150% in support of immigrants, and I dont expect a scholarly level of English to be known, but cmon....this guys posts have clearly shown that his english level is quite low.......

Its like if I went to dental school in Romania and only knew broken Romanian, I wouldnt be a really good Romanian dentist, now would I?

huh, i studied english for about 7 months and i was able to score excellent on TOEFL, and i'm pretty sure that my patients will be able to understand me. what is more important - my experience ,knowledge and education - they are way more difficult to achieve than knowing well English language. your patients will evaluate your job, not your accent.
p.p. i appreciate your supports of immigrants

 

[Ind201]

Looks like BU doesnt have english requirements.....why is Temple the only school that requires an on-site essay?

i would disagree because pittsburgh had us write a short essay too.

 

[nothen2do]

Originally Posted by Dr.BadVibes
"Looks like BU doesnt have english requirements.....why is Temple the only school that requires an on-site essay?"

USC, UCSF, UCLA as well

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Relax guys, it was a joke!

 

[mtabibian]

From the interview feedback section I can say that even Howard requires that.

Originally Posted by Dr.BadVibes
"Looks like BU doesnt have english requirements.....why is Temple the only school that requires an on-site essay?"

USC, UCSF, UCLA as well