just when i thought i had it all figured out...

[pacbum]

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so i've been going back and forth all week between michigan and upenn, and just as i think i've made up my mind on upenn, i get the call from ucla! i'll be honest, i didn't think i had a chance at getting in, but now i'm faced with this difficult, but fortunate, predicament.

so i really got a good vibe from penn, and that's where i thought i wanted to go. philly's cool, not the best city out there, but i think it's in a good location, as in close to nyc, and dc. as for the school, i loved everything about it.

ucla is a great school hands down. great opportunities and the area is really nice. and i'm from cali, so it'd be in state, although not as cheap as i thought. i'm not a fan of the year around program, but other than that, it's am amazing school.

i like the fact that both schools are on the undergrad campus, and both seem spirited, although it's nice to have the ucla sports.

so if i've been in cali my whole life, is it about time to explore something new? it's hard to turn down ucla based on that alone. i want to see how life on the east coast is, but i really can't say no to ucla. now i really can't decide...upenn or ucla? any advice?

 

[DDSY]

Both are great schools. My thoughts, although I did not apply to both schools.

+You are in state. So UCLA will still be significantly cheaper than UPENN.

+Do you plan on practicing in California? If you do, going to UCLA will give some advantage as you'll acquaint yourself will future Cali dentists and some other intangibles.

Other than that, UPENN is a highly regarded school, but so is UCLA. gl

 

[pacbum]

thanks for the reply...ya i know the money thing should be an issue, but it just doesn't seem to be as big of a difference as it should be when comparing an ivy league to an in-state

as far as practicing, i can see myself practicing in CA, but who knows if i'll like the east coast more? that's what's making the decision so difficult. i love ucla and the school, but i love upenn just as well, and i feel like it's time to explore a bit.

any other advice?

 

[mitshi]

thanks for the reply...ya i know the money thing should be an issue, but it just doesn't seem to be as big of a difference as it should be when comparing an ivy league to an in-state

as far as practicing, i can see myself practicing in CA, but who knows if i'll like the east coast more? that's what's making the decision so difficult. i love ucla and the school, but i love upenn just as well, and i feel like it's time to explore a bit.

any other advice?

Try secure some kind of scholarship from either school. It'll be pretty substantial if you ever get it.

 

[SugarNaCl]

U-C-L-A... no doubt 😉

 

[sedent]

I got into Penn and UCLA as well. I am def going to Penn.
At this point, i think i want to practice in cali also.. but truthfully, if you are going to specialize- you can do a specialty program in california and make connections. Penn also seemed a lot more personable than UCLA ( here I felt that they didn't even really know me).
I know that you work hard at both schools, but I have heard Penn students
have a good balance between "work hard and play hard" whereas UCLA students are less social. UCLA is less of a community feel than Penn b/c LA is so spread out and everyone has a car/lives everywhere. I am from LA. At Penn, all grad students live in the same area. If money is not the issue, then go with your gut. I tried so hard to like UCLA, but I couldn't get Penn out of my mind! Good Luck.

 

[bruinpredent]

ucla

 

[GRAD]

it seems like you want to go to penn. dont doubt yourself. explore new things and new places!!

 

[dntlnerd]

I got into UCLA and Penn, I chose Penn. I loved the school. ill make the money back later...

 

[pacbum]

thanks for the replies guys, makes me feel better that others in the situation chose Penn, i thought i would be the only one to do that.

i basically felt the same thing...at penn looks like you have a more well rounded social life, whereas, although ucla is a great school, and the opportunities there are abundant, it seems like you're always busy with school.

still haven't made up my mind but hopefully soon. i still have 2 weeks to decide.

to any ucla students, how much free time do you actually have? are the dental students spread out around LA as far as we think? that was the problem with irvine, the lack of communit there, and that was something that i really didn't like, is it like that at ucla?