NYU and Temple

[will9631]

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This year I was fortunate enough to get into two schools, NYU and Temple, and I'm having a hard time deciding between them. I might get into UNC tomorrow, which would make this moot because I can't pass up my state school, but I was wondering if anyone had any strong opinions they'd like to share about which school, temple or nyu, is better. They both boast strong clinical programs and a large, diverse patient base, and they're both in big cities and have comparable tuition and fees. From what I saw, nyu had better facilities, while temple was smaller and a bit more laid back. New York is a prettier city, whereas I could have a car in philadelphia and go home more often (if I find the time that is, heh). Basically whenever I find an edge for one, I see a reason that the other could match it, so I 'm having trouble with the decision (and temple is waiting for their deposit)

Any opinions or insights are most welcome, in the end I'd like to make an informed decision.

 

[laugh]

Do you mind sharing your stats? Congrads on getting accepted....

 

[kevin512]

I got accepted to both and would have gone with Temple. I think at this point, after visiting the schools, its all personal choice. I personally didn't want to live in a shoe-box. It seemed to me that NYUCD was just another undergrad experience: skip class, sleep in, study all night...

 

[udonzilla]

hey will, i'm stuck with the same exact decision. I am waiting to hear a response from my state school as well and wish you luck with yours. Right now I'm leaning towards NYU because I want to have the experience of living in NY despite the cost differences. NYU is not recommended by a lot of people on the forum so I'm sort of iffy about my choice.

 

[dfdsf]

Temple, definitely Temple . Smaller class and cheaper. Think about it, living four years in NYC is not easy.

 

[will9631]

Do you mind sharing your stats? Congrads on getting accepted....

no problem. my gpa is nothing special, 3.34 over all and 3.24 bcp. My DAT's are what got me in: 17 Qr, 21 OC, 22 GC, 23 BIO, 24 PAT, 25 RC, 22 AA, 22 TS. The previous year I had gotten pretty much straight 19's across the board, so this time I did a Kaplan course. I also have lots of research experience, a little community service, and moderate shadowing experience.


And thanks to all for your input. I hear what you're saying about the cost, but I'm thinking of doing a military commission if I go to NYU (and maybe temple), they pay a 1900 dollar stipend plus all tuition and academic expenses. I figure with the help I'll get from home, I might be able to do 2000 a month in rent and be fairly comfortable (meaning a slightly larger shoebox, at least).

I'm really concerned about the NYU class size, especially since they add 125 international students the second year- it seemed like from what I saw the student body is really fractured into little groups that don't really intermingle, as opposed to temple where they all seem like one big group of friends.

 

[jigabodo]

I think you already answered your own question - you might be fighting for seats a lot if you go to NYU.

 

[loved]

I'm really concerned about the NYU class size, especially since they add 125 international students the second year- it seemed like from what I saw the student body is really fractured into little groups that don't really intermingle, as opposed to temple where they all seem like one big group of friends.

When I went to the interview, I stayed with a D1. She said that at NYU, they split the class into 2 groups, A and B, and the groups attend at different times (one in the morning, one in the afternoon). So in terms of class size, it will pretty much be like Temple.

I was in your situation at one time, and turned down NYU for Temple b/c of the tuition cost. In my opinion, if you are definitely doing dental school through the military, you should go with NYU. You will get the most bang for your buck (or in this case, your military commitment). You might be concerned about the stipend being able to cover living expenses. Some HPSP students take out an extra small loan to cover the cost of living close to the school. However, if you live a little farther down the subway line, then you will be paying as much rent as you would be paying in Center City at Temple.

As for home, NYU is only 2 hours and a Greyhound away.

 

[will9631]

When I went to the interview, I stayed with a D1. She said that at NYU, they split the class into 2 groups, A and B, and the groups attend at different times (one in the morning, one in the afternoon). So in terms of class size, it will pretty much be like Temple.

I was in your situation at one time, and turned down NYU for Temple b/c of the tuition cost. In my opinion, if you are definitely doing dental school through the military, you should go with NYU. You will get the most bang for your buck (or in this case, your military commitment). You might be concerned about the stipend being able to cover living expenses. Some HPSP students take out an extra small loan to cover the cost of living close to the school. However, if you live a little farther down the subway line, then you will be paying as much rent as you would be paying in Center City at Temple.

As for home, NYU is only 2 hours and a Greyhound away.

I'm still not entirely sure about the military thing, I'm trying to make my decision independent of cost factors and then figure out how to pay for it later (though if you have an opinion on the hpsp scholarships I'd love to hear it). I will say that I wouldn't have to rely solely on the stipend to live, since my family has said they'll chip in whatever they'd be paying for me to go to UNC (I have the good fortune of coming from a moderately well-off family). Even if it came to loans, I'm not worried about that, so for me it comes down to how much I'd enjoy the schools and the cities I'd be living in.

The dividing of the class sounds reasonable, but just the fact that they have to do that makes me uneasy. I've generally gotten a better vibe from the schools with the smallest class sizes, the students show more... solidarity.

 

[loved]

I'm still not entirely sure about the military thing, I'm trying to make my decision independent of cost factors and then figure out how to pay for it later (though if you have an opinion on the hpsp scholarships I'd love to hear it).

I see what you mean 🙂
In terms of HPSP, I would just say.. make sure that you know what you're committing to, and that you're comfortable with wrapping your post-grad 8 years around it. In the beginning, the officer just highlighted the benefits for me, and not the cost. As I learned more about the commitment and I thought more about what I wanted for my future, HPSP conflicted with my personal goals (I'm female and I want to have kids soon after dental school and I don't want to have to pick up my bags at the command of the military). Otherwise, I think its great for the person who wants to travel, who is not rebellious.. who doesn't get angry easily and would be comfortable with military life. I hear a mix of opinions on HPSP.. I guess maybe some get lucky with their service and others don't. I do not doubt that attitude is an important factor.

 

[1992Corolla]

www.DMDstudent.com Is a site I made about my experiances at temple. I never went to NYU but from sdn it is a love hate relationship. temple is on the rise though (facilities) we just dont know when.

I have really enjoyed my time at temple.

 

[will9631]

www.DMDstudent.com Is a site I made about my experiances at temple. I never went to NYU but from sdn it is a love hate relationship. temple is on the rise though (facilities) we just dont know when.

I have really enjoyed my time at temple.

thank you so much! this will be invaluable to me as I make my decision, I can't wait to go through it

 

[udonzilla]

thank you so much! this will be invaluable to me as I make my decision, I can't wait to go through it

I sort of hope you choose NYU because it'll make me feel better.

 

[kevin512]

www.DMDstudent.com Is a site I made about my experiances at temple. I never went to NYU but from sdn it is a love hate relationship. temple is on the rise though (facilities) we just dont know when.

I have really enjoyed my time at temple.

I didn't know that was your site! It's Kicka$$! Keep up the good work! Do you use a program or anything special to make your webpage?

 

[toofshucker]

I would definitely pick Temple. Not only is it cheaper (so your hand isn't forced when it comes to the military), but from what I have read, the philosophy is different than NYU. Temple is very proud of its 98% graduation rate, and will do whatever they reasonably can to make sure that you become a successful doctor. There are many opportunities to exceed academically (Temple has one, if not the best, perio research department in the country), and clinically, Temple has more patients than they know what to deal with. As a student doctor, you will be able to participate in just about any procedure you could possibly want to, if you show Temple you are serious about learning that discipline. Temple also has a wide range of scholarships that can help to reduce the cost even more.

Also, like you said, you would be able to go home more often, which is huge. There is nothing like ending a rough week of tests, and being able to go home for a few days and do nothing but relax and recharge.

And, like Corolla said, Temple has plans to re-do the clinic and lecture halls. Temple has finally gotten the rooms from the med school and the dental school now owns these facilities, so Temple can finally do the work that is needed to take this school from one of the best clinics in the country, to one of the nicest, best schools in the country.

Like I said, I don't go to NYU, I didn't even apply there. BUT I did choose Temple over other schools (even cheaper ones, 😀) and I would make the same decision again. I highly doubt there is a better school then Temple.

 

[bluejellybelly]

When I saw NYU I wanted to ask for my admissions fee back. Too crowded.
Must be like gladiator when obtaining chairs.

Also, I live in NYC, and I can tell you, Center City in Phillie is nicer than the "cute" parts of NYC because it's not as crowded but with the same charm. There are also ghetto parts of NYC which i'm surprised why people don't seem to notice.

 

[will9631]

When I saw NYU I wanted to ask for my admissions fee back. Too crowded.
Must be like gladiator when obtaining chairs.

Also, I live in NYC, and I can tell you, Center City in Phillie is nicer than the "cute" parts of NYC because it's not as crowded but with the same charm. There are also ghetto parts of NYC which i'm surprised why people don't seem to notice.

yeah, the class size really scares me there. I'm definately going with temple (unless my sister goes to columbia law, then I'd have to reconsider). So far everyone I've met who goes to temple or graduated there absolutely loves it, and thats the most important thing to me.

 

[MB111]

temple for sure. so much cheaper.

 

[NSDDS]

I graduated from NYU so I can tell you a little about it. From a social experience standpoint, I definitely think it's second to none. Wonderful city, lots of friends, overall fun experience. I will honestly say that the administration isn't exactly the most helpful. A lot of my classmates (about 50) were unfortunate and couldn't graduate. Whereas in other schools, administration tries to help you to stay in, NYU seems almost indifferent about it. Clinic can get a little hectic, where chairs are overbooked, but most of the time it works out because there are cancellations. The curriculum is ok, and prepares you well enough for the boards, but the classes are structured so you take them in blocks (i.e. biochem for 5 weeks, followed by anatomy for 8 weeks etc.) Sometimes you end up with a lot of exams coinciding within the same few days (which I guess is expected in any school). They have made some significant changes since I graduated, and they have a new dean who is excellent from what I hear, so a lot of the problems may have been resolved. My wife is actually choosing to attend Temple this year, and I'm happy with that decision.

 

[will9631]

I graduated from NYU so I can tell you a little about it. From a social experience standpoint, I definitely think it's second to none. Wonderful city, lots of friends, overall fun experience. I will honestly say that the administration isn't exactly the most helpful. A lot of my classmates (about 50) were unfortunate and couldn't graduate. Whereas in other schools, administration tries to help you to stay in, NYU seems almost indifferent about it. Clinic can get a little hectic, where chairs are overbooked, but most of the time it works out because there are cancellations. The curriculum is ok, and prepares you well enough for the boards, but the classes are structured so you take them in blocks (i.e. biochem for 5 weeks, followed by anatomy for 8 weeks etc.) Sometimes you end up with a lot of exams coinciding within the same few days (which I guess is expected in any school). They have made some significant changes since I graduated, and they have a new dean who is excellent from what I hear, so a lot of the problems may have been resolved. My wife is actually choosing to attend Temple this year, and I'm happy with that decision.

Thank you so much for your input, you're actually the first nyu grad to weigh in on the issue for me. I do think I would have a good time in new york, and I was impressed by the aesthetics of the clinic at the school. If I hadn't fallen in love with temple I'm sure I would have been happy at NYU. As it stands though, I think I'll do best at temple because its more community oriented and laid back. Again, thanks for your input, it really means alot to me.