Minnesota (IS) vs Marquette (OOS)

[dentalguy1234]

I am deciding between minnesota and marquette. The cost is pretty similar as far as I know. Although if anyone could fill me in on the total cost of attendance for each school I wold really appreciate it. Also, do either of these schools give out many scholarships? My biggest priorities choosing a school are cost and how prepared/competent I will be after graduating. Do either of these schools have a leg up on the other in terms of how ready their graduates are for general practice righ out of school (not really looking o speacialize). The only thing I really know is that Marquette offers clinical experience sooner and that minnesota doesn't have the greatest technology (or at least new technology), but that might not be true anymore. I'd love to hear people's thoughts and experiences with both schools.

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[macsak]

I am deciding between minnesota and marquette. The cost is pretty similar as far as I know. Although if anyone could fill me in on the total cost of attendance for each school I wold really appreciate it. Also, do either of these schools give out many scholarships? My biggest priorities choosing a school are cost and how prepared/competent I will be after graduating. Do either of these schools have a leg up on the other in terms of how ready their graduates are for general practice righ out of school (not really looking o speacialize). The only thing I really know is that Marquette offers clinical experience sooner and that minnesota doesn't have the greatest technology (or at least new technology), but that might not be true anymore. I'd love to hear people's thoughts and experiences with both schools.

2019 data (doesn't seem right to me)
uminn $328,681
marq $345.300

 

[Ryxndek]

Minnesota for IS total COA is closer to 390k now. I believe I’ve posted the COA sheet here somewhere but would be more than happy to send it again OP. Marquette is around 420k if I did the math quickly enough.

Minnesota gives zero scholarships to incoming D1s. You’ll be eligible for scholarships after your D1 year but they’re not super big ones. Believe in the 5-10k range. That’s all I know for now.

So far most D4s I’ve spoken to and some grads that have come in to speak to us have felt pretty solid about their skills for practice after graduation. Minnesota is also working towards updating their technology and they recognize that technology is becoming more important in practice. We’ve taken a digital dentistry mini course last semester that was introducing us into CAD/CAM scanning and printing. Wasn’t anything crazy.

I think when choosing these 2 schools I’d look at costs and where you want to practice after graduation. Marquette is close to MN however UMinnesota has graduated over 70% of the states practicing dentists. So connections will be a lot easier to make if you plan on staying and practicing in MN after graduating. Food for thought.

Of your support system is also in MN, it might be worth staying as well. I wanted to leave MN for OOS schools, but realized having my support system close enough to me that I can utilize it if needed has been a life saver. Honestly. It would have been a lot harder if I was living somewhere else alone and with no one close by. Marquette is only 5 hours away but that can add up after a while.

If you have anything specific about UMN feel free to PM me. I’ve really loved my experience so far and highly recommend UMN if you’re looking to attend. Faculty have been truly awesome and super fun to be around and my classmates are the best. It’s been great and I wouldn’t choose any other school.

Good luck with your decision and where you end up was the right place for you!

 

[Spahrtan]

Would love to know what your final decision is and why? A follow-up comment on this thread after you start classes is nice to see too!

 

[OncePreDent]

I am deciding between minnesota and marquette. The cost is pretty similar as far as I know. Although if anyone could fill me in on the total cost of attendance for each school I wold really appreciate it. Also, do either of these schools give out many scholarships?

You are going to want to do your own research on what the total cost would be, although I do believe they are very similar. You can always try to ask the schools about scholarships as well.

My biggest priorities choosing a school are cost and how prepared/competent I will be after graduating. Do either of these schools have a leg up on the other in terms of how ready their graduates are for general practice righ out of school (not really looking o speacialize). The only thing I really know is that Marquette offers clinical experience sooner and that minnesota doesn't have the greatest technology (or at least new technology), but that might not be true anymore. I'd love to hear people's thoughts and experiences with both schools.

I think you will feel about the same level of competence in either program. You won't struggle to find patients at either program and will have plenty of clinic time at both. These 2 programs are extremely similar. For me, the only major difference from when I interviewed and toured the schools was the culture, clinic, and sim. Marquette has a nicer Clinic, whereas Minnesota has a nicer SIM lab (still a bit outdated). I also liked how at Marquette they have teams for clinical presentations and activities. Yes, I do agree that Marquette is a bit more updated than Minnesota overall. When I toured Marquette, I liked the culture there more than Minnesota. It seemed extremely laid-back. Everyone was joking around; the faculty would joke around with the students and vice versa. It seemed like a really fun culture, and people genuinely enjoyed being there. However, when I toured Minnesota, yes, it was friendly, but it seemed more intense/serious. When I talked to current students at Minnesota, they didn't have the same relationship with the faculty or other students that Marquette had. I would have been a better fit for Marquette. Every class could be different though.

You should for sure talk to @Ryxndek about Minnesota though, @Ryxndek knows significantly more about UMN than me or most people on here.

If I were in your shoes, I would still choose Minnesota just because of the support system. Even if Minnesota isn't the better school (I think they are very comparable), it is nice to be close to home in case anything happens or you just want to see your family. It is much easier than driving +5 hours to get home.