Making a decision between multiple schools

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Vina0_A.D.A

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Deciding between multiple schools? I'm stuck. I recently got into my top three schools and am struggling to decide. My schools are Howard, Columbia, and Tufts. I am a bit turned off by Columbia and Tufts due to the cost of tuition and the cost of moving as well as the colder weather. If I decide to go I would be farther away from my family and my support system. My parents want me to go to Columbia b/c it is an Ivy. I loved my interview at all schools. The facilities at Columbia and Tufts are so beautiful and they are responsive; communication is quick and easy. While Howard has old facilities; It is close to home, it is the cheapest of the two and it is in my comfort zone in terms of feeling comfortable. However, Howard doesn't have the best communication. They take a while to respond. I have spoken to people who say if I want to specialize I should think about going to Columbia.

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Deciding between multiple schools? I'm stuck. I recently got into my top three schools and am struggling to decide. My schools are Howard, Columbia, and Tufts. I am a bit turned off by Columbia and Tufts due to the cost of tuition and the cost of moving as well as the colder weather. If I decide to go I would be farther away from my family and my support system. My parents want me to go to Columbia b/c it is an Ivy. I loved my interview at all schools. The facilities at Columbia and Tufts are so beautiful and they are responsive; communication is quick and easy. While Howard has old facilities; It is close to home, it is the cheapest of the two and it is in my comfort zone in terms of feeling comfortable. However, Howard doesn't have the best communication. They take a while to respond. I have spoken to people who say if I want to specialize I should think about going to Columbia.
Congratulations on your acceptance to your top three schools! Deciding which one to attend can be a difficult decision, but it's important to consider all factors to make the best choice for you.

First, think about location. If being close to your family and support system is important to you, then living with Howard may be the best option. However, if you're willing to be farther away and experience new surroundings, Columbia or Tufts might be better.

Cost is also a significant factor. Tuition and the cost of living in New York City and Boston can be high, so Howard may be the most affordable option for you.

Facilities are important, but ultimately, it's the quality of education and people you're surrounded by that matters most. While Columbia and Tufts have beautiful facilities and great communication, Howard may be more comfortable for you in terms of feeling at home and being part of a supportive community.

It's true that some schools have better connections to certain specialties, but keep in mind that you have plenty of time to explore and decide on a specialization. All three schools have excellent programs, so don't let this factor weigh too heavily on your decision.

Ultimately, this decision is yours to make. Consider all factors, including location, cost, facilities, communication, and specialization, but most importantly, think about where you feel most comfortable and where you think you'll thrive the most. Remember, you'll be spending the next few years at this school, so make sure it's the right fit for you.
Thanks
 
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Columbia tuition is about 93k, while the cost of attendance is about 108K each year. Howard tuition is 43K, cost of attendance is 87K each year. Tufts tuition is 87K, while cost of attendance is 106K each year.
 
Aspen and Heartland only desire that you have a dental license and that you can can cut crowns fast. If you have a private practice patients will want a personable dentist who can make them laugh and make them feel comfortable. But what are your personal goals? Are you wanting to simply make money and achieve financial freedom? Do you want to be an academic dentist? The Columbia thing may mean something to dentists in a dental school.
 
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Columbia tuition is about 93k, while the cost of attendance is about 108K each year. Howard tuition is 43K, cost of attendance is 87K each year. Tufts tuition is 87K, while cost of attendance is 106K each year.
Hmm, if you are thinking about specializing, I would lean toward Columbia. But it sounds like your heart is at Howard. In your position, I wouldn't do Tufts
 
Go where you're most comfortable. Wherever your mental health can be healthiest amidst the insanity of dental school: go there. And if you want to specialize then there's a high likelihood that wherever you are you can (and should) put in the effort, the drive, and the commitment to specialize when that time comes. Like others have said above, whatever you value most in your selection, prioritize what you value when choosing. For me it was a supportive community (family and friends), faculty that care about you and your mental health (Tufts is amazing on the wellness side), nice facilities, and something new. And honestly, wherever you felt the most comfortable is probably a pretty good sign. Like I said, weigh your values and then make the choice. Just my 2¢.
 
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Deciding between multiple schools? I'm stuck. I recently got into my top three schools and am struggling to decide. My schools are Howard, Columbia, and Tufts. I am a bit turned off by Columbia and Tufts due to the cost of tuition and the cost of moving as well as the colder weather. If I decide to go I would be farther away from my family and my support system. My parents want me to go to Columbia b/c it is an Ivy. I loved my interview at all schools. The facilities at Columbia and Tufts are so beautiful and they are responsive; communication is quick and easy. While Howard has old facilities; It is close to home, it is the cheapest of the two and it is in my comfort zone in terms of feeling comfortable. However, Howard doesn't have the best communication. They take a while to respond. I have spoken to people who say if I want to specialize I should think about going to Columbia.
cheapest
 
Go to the cheapest.

If you go to Howard you will save about 80k.
When you graduate you'll have the same realization everyone has after dental school - you're all in the same boat. This isn't law school - no one cares where you went to school. Everyone is basically equal once they graduate.

Which means the day you graduate you can be in one of 2 positions:

1: Graduate from Howard and have 80k spare to buy a house straight away.
2: go to another school and add 80k of soul crushing debt and wish you could go back in time to this exact point of your life right now and change your decision

It's a no brainer
 
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Go to Howard, if you’re smart enough to get into Columbia, you’ll be smart enough at Howard to be top of your class if you want to specialize. State of the art facilities are nice, but the amount of debt isn’t and you’ll be glad you didn’t take it. Be closer to your support system, that is most important and you’ll thank yourself for doing so.
 
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Columbia:
Screen Shot 2023-04-09 at 10.22.38 AM.png

^ I wish all dental schools showed this/made this public - More than 90% of the class pursues a specialty (including GPR & AEGD)

Howard:
The nice thing about Howard is they also have three different specialty programs connected to the dental school: Ortho, OS, and Pedo (not sure what specialty you're interested in) - Postdoctoral Programs | Dentistry
 
but but but but "prestigious"...
I would definitely want to feel the prestige when I sit down for my 20th patient that day at Aspen
 
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Aspen and Heartland only desire that you have a dental license and that you can can cut crowns fast. If you have a private practice patients will want a personable dentist who can make them laugh and make them feel comfortable. But what are your personal goals? Are you wanting to simply make money and achieve financial freedom? Do you want to be an academic dentist? The Columbia thing may mean something to dentists in a dental school.
My personal goal as a dentist is to open an income-free clinic in my home country. Financial freedom is definitely something I would love to have in the future. I haven't been taught about being an academic dentist.
 
My personal goal as a dentist is to open an income-free clinic in my home country. Financial freedom is definitely something I would love to have in the future. I haven't been taught about being an academic dentist.

Go to the cheapest.
Too often once people are drowned in soul crushing debt they make almost every life decision around their debt.
The lower the debt, the easier, and quicker you are able to pay it off and more freedom you have to pursue your goals
 
My personal goal as a dentist is to open an income-free clinic in my home country. Financial freedom is definitely something I would love to have in the future. I haven't been taught about being an academic dentist.
More debt will get in the way of that goal. Your home country won’t care where you went to dental school. They will only care that it was an American one. Our standards are excellent here and people know that. The cheapest sounds like the best option!
 
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