[Canadian] NYU vs. Pitt (OOS)

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ProDentSil

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Hi everyone,

I wanted to get your opinions and feedbacks. First of all I know previous years others have asked for similar comparisons. I need an updated one and specifically between these two schools. I'll give my own opinion based on what I have read, heard, seen in the interview, etc.

I've been accepted to 3 schools and after a difficult process, have been able to narrow it down to NYU and Pittsburgh.

A little about me: I'm a Canadian applicant so every school will be pretty expensive at the end just +/- some from school to school.
My stats were: 3.92 SGPA and 3.88 CGPA, USDAT: 22AA 21 PAT 22RC 21TS
I'm interested in specializing, but have to get more info after I get into dental school.

So NYU:

-The school and facilities seemed very nice (better than pitt i think)
-will get a lot of clinical exposure (massive patient pool) and num1 research opportunities
-they have a two year pre-clinical experience which I'm not sure is it good or meh? won't it be good to be completely ready for clinic with two years of pre-clinical experience and not be stressed when dealing with actual patients?
-I've heard they have the best faculty (some of the best in the country), who can be great connections in the future
-NYC--> I'm a city-life person who is able to perform better in personal and academic life when in a city that theres so much going on (I know I will be studying most of the time, but a 5-10 minute drive from the greatest attractions and activities is a plus) This city is a huge factor that plays for me because I like the type of activities available there compared to Pittsburgh.
-The school has a very good reputation nationally and internationally
-Class sizes worry me a bit and I wonder how hard will it be to show myself. Based on the students, you wont be just another number and throughout the years you become divided into smaller groups.
-One thing on my mind is how hard will it be to specialize after NYU, so let me know what you think.
-I'm not rich and I know everyone says debt will be a great issue, but I'm international everywhere and the annual tuition difference from pitt is around 20-25k. I am spending a lot of money either way so I might as well....Also based on my PERSONALITY at the end of the day good experience/happiness and enjoyment comes prior than the cost in everything in my life
I don't know how bad loan repayment will be though, but students at NYU were very happy and had many plans for their loan repayment.
-They have a diverse program which is a good thing for me :)


For Pitt:
-Their program is also very nice, they have some facilities and experiences that reallyyy caught my attention, from special needs clinic experience, anesthesiology that dental students get to experience themselves
-also has many research opportunities
-Small class size, get to know everyone and be more visible, which is really nice. Everyone walking in the hallways knew each other and started joking around so...., but nevertheless its a matter of how you communicate and I think i have good communication skills even when a larger class size is present.
-Based on what they said their students have a high rate of specializing around 70-80% of the students who applied? not sure if i heard correct.
-they enter clinic shadowing from D1 and white coat ceremony in August while starting school
-Around 20-25k cheaper but honestly I didn't enjoy the city :( the ppl were extremely nice and friendly but the things going on really wasn't a spark for me. Please consider that there will be minimal breaks through the 4 years so I do tend to lean towards a city that I enjoy more, through the hardcore studying days.

So share with me your opinions and feedback. I need to decide soon. Thanks in advance

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Also based on my PERSONALITY at the end of the day good experience/happiness and enjoyment comes prior than the cost in everything in my life

It sounds like you’ve already made the decision in your head. Going to Pitt seems like it will likely become a regrettable experience if you don’t end up enjoying it there. Are you going to regret paying an extra 22-25k more or miss out on living in New York for 4 Years?

Edit:I didn’t read that it was 22-25k more PER year. This changes the situation a lot and it ultimately comes down to whether living in NYC for 4 Years as a Dental student is worth roughly 150k. IMO being a student in New York City is not worth the 150k extra debt unless you come from a wealthy background and can actually afford to enjoy the city with the limited free time you will have
 
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20-25k/yr difference is pretty big considering that it will be a difference of $100k... Idk. I loved Pittsburgh, I don't have an opinion for NYU other than it's expensive. I would like to point out though that NYU doesn't really have a college campus feel... University of Pittsburgh atmosphere is absolutely amazing and I'm sure you can always find some event that is going on at campus, whether it be sports or socials.
 
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Firstly, congratulations. However, unless you forgot to mention a scholarship from NYU, the price difference will be over 150K between NYU and Pitts. Both programs are top tier, and while i can see how living in NYC will be attractive, you will probably be with several roommates vs maybe 1 or living alone in Pitts. Personally i would go with Pitts.
 
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I'm interested in specializing
Why?

And, $100,000 is a ridiculous price difference. You do know that many dental residencies charge tuition, right? Some as much as $200,000 - $300,000. You also know that this "financial aid" from schools actually has to be paid back, right?

Big Hoss
 
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It sounds like you’ve already made the decision in your head. Going to Pitt seems like it will likely become a regrettable experience if you don’t end up enjoying it there. Are you going to regret paying an extra 20-25k more or miss out on living in New York for 4 Years?
It sounds like you’ve already made the decision in your head. Going to Pitt seems like it will likely become a regrettable experience if you don’t end up enjoying it there. Are you going to regret paying an extra 20-25k more or miss out on living in New York for 4 Years?

Interesting, yeah re-reading what I have written its like I just need a slight confirmation if NYU will be right :D
 
20-25k/yr difference is pretty big considering that it will be a difference of $100k... Idk. I loved Pittsburgh, I don't have an opinion for NYU other than it's expensive. I would like to point out though that NYU doesn't really have a college campus feel... University of Pittsburgh atmosphere is absolutely amazing and I'm sure you can always find some event that is going on at campus, whether it be sports or socials.

Thanks for the feedback :)
 
Firstly, congratulations. However, unless you forgot to mention a scholarship from NYU, the price difference will be over 150K between NYU and Pitts. Both programs are top tier, and while i can see how living in NYC will be attractive, you will probably be with several roommates vs maybe 1 or living alone in Pitts. Personally i would go with Pitts.

Thank youu.
Why 150k? based on tuition+other instrument costs At NYU it said around 88-90K a year, and at pitt it said 66K. Living not included in either.
Adding living, yeah 150k> would make sense, but I mean thats the price tag of living in one of the greatest cities.
 
Why?

And, $100,000 is a ridiculous price difference. You do know that many dental residencies charge tuition, right? Some as much as $200,000 - $300,000. You also know that this "financial aid" from schools actually has to be paid back, right?

Big Hoss

Why specialization?
Because first, I want to go the extra mile in education and I have this nice view in specialization, that facts hopefully will support after I enter the dental field.
Also another major reason that I have in my head (correct me if I'm wrong or share your views), is that since I have no family, relatives, or close friends in this field, I feel as a GP it will take me quite a long time to become established and noticed, while I feel specialization will bring more opportunities for me as a person starting this route.
 
$100,000 + interest could easily be a year and a half of after tax earnings. I wouldn’t take that lightly.
 
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Thank youu.
Why 150k? based on tuition+other instrument costs At NYU it said around 88-90K a year, and at pitt it said 66K. Living not included in either.
Adding living, yeah 150k> would make sense, but I mean thats the price tag of living in one of the greatest cities.

Yes, I included living hence i wrote 150k difference. You can probably live in pitts on like 16-18k/year with a roommate or maybe 20k/year alone. In NYC you will be living with room-mates for 30k/ year. Personally I think Pitts has a nicer program but if money isn't an issue or you have some form of plan to ensure you pay the loans off in a reasonable time then all power to you. Go with NYU.
 
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I was accepted to cheaper dental schools, but denied them thinking I would get a better experience here :( I do advise anyone applying to dental schools to go to the cheaper ones! I love where I am at and have grown so much, but the amount of debt gives me a heart attack whenever I think about it.

Big Hoss
 
Just out of curiosity, who told you that NYU has the best faculty in the nation?
 
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Hi everyone,

I wanted to get your opinions and feedbacks. First of all I know previous years others have asked for similar comparisons. I need an updated one and specifically between these two schools. I'll give my own opinion based on what I have read, heard, seen in the interview, etc.

I've been accepted to 3 schools and after a difficult process, have been able to narrow it down to NYU and Pittsburgh.

A little about me: I'm a Canadian applicant so every school will be pretty expensive at the end just +/- some from school to school.
My stats were: 3.92 SGPA and 3.88 CGPA, USDAT: 22AA 21 PAT 22RC 21TS
I'm interested in specializing, but have to get more info after I get into dental school.

So NYU:

-The school and facilities seemed very nice (better than pitt i think)
-will get a lot of clinical exposure (massive patient pool) and num1 research opportunities
You'll get plenty of clinical exposure and research opportunities at both
-they have a two year pre-clinical experience which I'm not sure is it good or meh? won't it be good to be completely ready for clinic with two years of pre-clinical experience and not be stressed when dealing with actual patients?
Don't all schools have that? You need to be proficient in the preclinical labs before you cut a human tooth. And no amount of preclinical training will make a student completely ready for live patient care
-I've heard they have the best faculty (some of the best in the country), who can be great connections in the future
Meh. Overrated
-NYC--> I'm a city-life person who is able to perform better in personal and academic life when in a city that theres so much going on (I know I will be studying most of the time, but a 5-10 minute drive from the greatest attractions and activities is a plus) This city is a huge factor that plays for me because I like the type of activities available there compared to Pittsburgh.
You'll be way too busy to enjoy the city. It's not worth the extra money. NYC is a nice place to VISIT, not live in. Also, you won't be driving anywhere because you won't have a car. If you plan on having a car in NYC, expect to pay another ~$500 a month to park it.
-The school has a very good reputation nationally and internationally
Sure, so does Pitt.
-Class sizes worry me a bit and I wonder how hard will it be to show myself. Based on the students, you wont be just another number and throughout the years you become divided into smaller groups.
Don't worry about "showing yourself" just do your best wherever you go
-One thing on my mind is how hard will it be to specialize after NYU, so let me know what you think.
You can specialize from anywhere.
-I'm not rich and I know everyone says debt will be a great issue, but I'm international everywhere and the annual tuition difference from pitt is around 20-25k. I am spending a lot of money either way so I might as well....Also based on my PERSONALITY at the end of the day good experience/happiness and enjoyment comes prior than the cost in everything in my life
Financially, Pitt is the WAY better choice. They are both great schools, but you shouldn't make up your mind that you will enjoy NYU more than Pitt, or that you won't enjoy Pitt at all before going to either school. What you WILL enjoy is less debt.
I don't know how bad loan repayment will be though, but students at NYU were very happy and had many plans for their loan repayment.
-They have a diverse program which is a good thing for me :)
How is it more diverse than Pitt?


For Pitt:
-Their program is also very nice, they have some facilities and experiences that reallyyy caught my attention, from special needs clinic experience, anesthesiology that dental students get to experience themselves
Those are positives
-also has many research opportunities
At a cheaper price...
-Small class size, get to know everyone and be more visible, which is really nice. Everyone walking in the hallways knew each other and started joking around so...., but nevertheless its a matter of how you communicate and I think i have good communication skills even when a larger class size is present.
To each their own
-Based on what they said their students have a high rate of specializing around 70-80% of the students who applied? not sure if i heard correct.
You can specialize from any school
-they enter clinic shadowing from D1 and white coat ceremony in August while starting school
You will have plenty of experience at either school. And white coat ceremony is overrated IMO. I didn't even go to mine. I'm curious why Pitt would have it before transitioning to the clinic though.
-Around 20-25k cheaper but honestly I didn't enjoy the city :( the ppl were extremely nice and friendly but the things going on really wasn't a spark for me. Please consider that there will be minimal breaks through the 4 years so I do tend to lean towards a city that I enjoy more, through the hardcore studying days.
No matter what city you're in, you will still be sitting at a desk behind a computer screen reading slides. When you're not doing that, you will be practicing in the lab. What goes on outside will not mean anything because you won't have time for any of it.
That cost is VERY significant. Like you mentioned earlier, it would cost over $150K more to go to NYU. Easily $200K with interest. It's just not worth it. NEW YORK WILL ALWAYS BE THERE. You can go there anytime you want after finishing school. You can take weekend trips, etc. And honestly if you end up doing a GPR you will likely end up living in NYC anyway because that is where the majority of them are located.

So share with me your opinions and feedback. I need to decide soon. Thanks in advance
Pitt, hands down. Answers in quote.
Make the rational choice, and not one based on emotion. Your future self is going to thank you.
 
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I don't quite understand why international students use the excuse "I'm international so both schools will be expensive." Does being an international student disqualify you from paying the extra $100k+ that NYU costs?
 
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I would have to agree with almost everyone else here, go with UPitt. They even give generous scholarships to people, not sure about internationals but several of My US friends receive substantial amounts of aid that does not need to be paid back.
Getting into Upitt as an international is no easy feat. I've lived in New York City and it'll get old after a year.

Most of the exciting things take time and money which you will have little of. Why not visit NYC and enjoy it as a vacation for a month or two during the summer paying a fraction of what you are about to pay to pretty much be holed up in a room studying all day? You get far more out of the experience spending 2 months actually doing excursions or visiting the nice bars 24 hours a day if you want. And trust me if you want to specialize you have to work extra hard, you will be studying your behinds off every single day, you won't see sunlight.

Pittsburgh is dirt cheap to live in, with apartments running less than 700$. In New York, you pay 1800 for a cardboard box to be near the school. Or you could pay 800$ and commute 40 minutes to an hour back and fourth. And I'll assure you that commute is the worst thing on planet earth. This is coming from a New Yorker.

Financially, UPitt is probably 120k less loans living very well. But this is the tricky part, 120k less loans is not the number you have to pay back. Interest at 7% for 4 years turns 120k into 153.6k by the time you finish school. and that number will keep going up until you pay it all back. How much money would you need to make to pay off 153.6k? At Canada's tax rate, if you intend on working there, you need to make 225k to just pay off that extra money. That is double the amount an associate dentist makes in 2 years and this is not counting the interest continuing to go up on the rest of your loans. By going to NYU, you are basically sacrificing 5 extra years to "live in New York". That is, if you call being holed up in an apartment studying living it up.

And don't you dare tell me you want to specialize with 500k worth of debt. Financial suicide.
 
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I went to Pitt - and the decision between Pitt and Columbia was one of the hardest in my life! What really sold me for Pitt was how much of a family environment it felt like. The class size is usually 80, not up to like 320 that NYU gets after advanced standing come in. Especially your first two years, you're not going to have a ton of time to enjoy that stuff that New York has that Pittsburgh doesn't. And like people said above, you can always take trips. If you're going to be saving 100K, there is no question.

I felt like the restorative, prostho, and endo education at Pitt was amazing - these are the primary things general dentists do in private practice. Once I got out, I was much more comfortable with Prostho than many of my colleagues. The main weakness Pitt has in clinical training is Oral Surgery, but many dental schools are similar, and I don't think NYU would be any better.

Personally, if I had the option, I think I would have rather gone to a newer school that was more externship focused like ASDOH (but that tuition is a doozy), but as far as the more traditional dental schools, Pitt was pretty solid. I think at least 80% of the people who applied to specialty in my class got into what they applied to.

Its a tough decision, but, either way you'll be a dentist. I don't know a ton about NYU, but I don't like the class size, and 100K more a year is not worth it. Most students graduating from traditional dental schools will end up doing a GPR or AEGD, and at that point your training will have been pretty much made comparable anyways.
 
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If your parents or yourself are millionaires then i agree Nyu would be fun. If not then Pitt , for the reasons listed above.
 
Hey, I'm a current D1 at NYU and wanted to give my 2 cents.

I chose NYU over Buffalo, OOS for both of them anyway though I do live in the tri-state area, so being close to home was VERY important to me. What you have to realize about SDN is that it's mostly the overachievers; I hate to generalize, but it seems like many people on this site don't think you can be in dental school and experience life at the same time, and it's all about the money. Sort of ironic because if you mutter anything about dentistry being a well-paid job, "you're pursuing this career for the wrong reasons". If I committed to Buffalo, NY for the next 4 years of my life, I would have been miserable. (No offence to those of you who go there, it's a really great program)

I understand for the people who are 28+, or married with kids, or aren't good with money; maybe your top priority should be money. I'm 23, like to be able to visit my family, love having all my friends nearby, live in the greatest city in the world- and, in the end, I'm financing my own education. And on top of it all, I love school. It's challenging and rewarding and I have not once regretted this decision. A common response to this is "let's see what you think in 10 years" - to which I say, I have already started planning.

Everything in NYC is SUPER expensive, from rent, to groceries, to going out on the weekends (and of course, tuition). I don't eat out much, save for the weekends, and there are many kids in my class who eat out multiple times per day. They either aren't paying for their own education or are stupid; if you come here, don't be like these kids and be smart with your money.

I don't know anything about Pitt's program, but I do have a few friends there and they do like the city, but aren't crazy about it. It is smaller, but with a smaller class comes less faculty and less resources. I can't say we have "the best faculty in the world" at NYU, because I don't know any faculty from other programs, but they are so helpful and want to see you succeed.

It is a huge financial decision, so talk with friends and family and see what they say. It seems very clear that you want to be in NYC, but so does everyone else. What deters them is the price tag. Everyone on this site will advise you against going to NYU, but to me it's about more than just money. If you have specific questions about the program PM me, but my procrastinating time is over and I have to go study.

Best of luck in your decision!
 
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Hey, I'm a current D1 at NYU and wanted to give my 2 cents.

I chose NYU over Buffalo, OOS for both of them anyway though I do live in the tri-state area, so being close to home was VERY important to me. What you have to realize about SDN is that it's mostly the overachievers; I hate to generalize, but it seems like many people on this site don't think you can be in dental school and experience life at the same time, and it's all about the money. Sort of ironic because if you mutter anything about dentistry being a well-paid job, "you're pursuing this career for the wrong reasons". If I committed to Buffalo, NY for the next 4 years of my life, I would have been miserable. (No offence to those of you who go there, it's a really great program)

I understand for the people who are 28+, or married with kids, or aren't good with money; maybe your top priority should be money. I'm 23, like to be able to visit my family, love having all my friends nearby, live in the greatest city in the world- and, in the end, I'm financing my own education. And on top of it all, I love school. It's challenging and rewarding and I have not once regretted this decision. A common response to this is "let's see what you think in 10 years" - to which I say, I have already started planning.

Everything in NYC is SUPER expensive, from rent, to groceries, to going out on the weekends (and of course, tuition). I don't eat out much, save for the weekends, and there are many kids in my class who eat out multiple times per day. They either aren't paying for their own education or are stupid; if you come here, don't be like these kids and be smart with your money.

I don't know anything about Pitt's program, but I do have a few friends there and they do like the city, but aren't crazy about it. It is smaller, but with a smaller class comes less faculty and less resources. I can't say we have "the best faculty in the world" at NYU, because I don't know any faculty from other programs, but they are so helpful and want to see you succeed.

It is a huge financial decision, so talk with friends and family and see what they say. It seems very clear that you want to be in NYC, but so does everyone else. What deters them is the price tag. Everyone on this site will advise you against going to NYU, but to me it's about more than just money. If you have specific questions about the program PM me, but my procrastinating time is over and I have to go study.

Best of luck in your decision!

Hey, I understand that you are 23 and that you are looking at it from that perspective, but in my opinion, that is a little bit small minded. Hear me out. When you take that extra 153k as @Likkriue said, you just caused yourself so much more time to pay back your loans. Is it really worth it too be happy for 4 years and to end up not being happy that you have to pay back that 150k+ over a longer period of time than that and be unhappy at that time.

The reason that we all say that "we'll see in 10 years" is because in 10 years you will regret that decision. According to my math, NYU will cost $571,811.3, if you took everything without the health insurance. Pitt would cost 403,811.3, with everything except the health insurance. you will be paying 34303 in interest on for NYU, and 24228 for Pitt. Do you realize how hard it will be to get out of debt in this case???

I know I sound like everyone else, but Pitt is a NO brainer.
 
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Also when you won't be studying during breaks and stuff, you're going to fly home!! All your classmates are going to go to their families and you'll be in a giant lonely city.
D1 is tough. D2 is ridiculous. You will likely have NO social life. I'm sure others will chime in to disagree and that's fine. Especially true if you want to specialize.
A lecture hall or a library or lab or clinic is all the same. Why pay the premium for the real estate when it doesn't even benefit you?
 
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International student here. Picked Pitt over other acceptances. While I’m still waiting on decisions, I picked Pitt over other great schools (Michigan, UPenn). I thought Pitt was an excellent school with a great program and really really awesome people. Personally, I also liked Pittsburgh a lot (more than Philly). the only place I got into that’d be cooler to go to would be San Fran. However, that place was more expensive and the city is so pricy too
 
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Hey, I'm a current D1 at NYU and wanted to give my 2 cents.

I chose NYU over Buffalo, OOS for both of them anyway though I do live in the tri-state area, so being close to home was VERY important to me. What you have to realize about SDN is that it's mostly the overachievers; I hate to generalize, but it seems like many people on this site don't think you can be in dental school and experience life at the same time, and it's all about the money. Sort of ironic because if you mutter anything about dentistry being a well-paid job, "you're pursuing this career for the wrong reasons". If I committed to Buffalo, NY for the next 4 years of my life, I would have been miserable. (No offence to those of you who go there, it's a really great program)

I understand for the people who are 28+, or married with kids, or aren't good with money; maybe your top priority should be money. I'm 23, like to be able to visit my family, love having all my friends nearby, live in the greatest city in the world- and, in the end, I'm financing my own education. And on top of it all, I love school. It's challenging and rewarding and I have not once regretted this decision. A common response to this is "let's see what you think in 10 years" - to which I say, I have already started planning.

Everything in NYC is SUPER expensive, from rent, to groceries, to going out on the weekends (and of course, tuition). I don't eat out much, save for the weekends, and there are many kids in my class who eat out multiple times per day. They either aren't paying for their own education or are stupid; if you come here, don't be like these kids and be smart with your money.

I don't know anything about Pitt's program, but I do have a few friends there and they do like the city, but aren't crazy about it. It is smaller, but with a smaller class comes less faculty and less resources. I can't say we have "the best faculty in the world" at NYU, because I don't know any faculty from other programs, but they are so helpful and want to see you succeed.

It is a huge financial decision, so talk with friends and family and see what they say. It seems very clear that you want to be in NYC, but so does everyone else. What deters them is the price tag. Everyone on this site will advise you against going to NYU, but to me it's about more than just money. If you have specific questions about the program PM me, but my procrastinating time is over and I have to go study.

Best of luck in your decision!

You decided to turn down 150k or more to go to NYU over Buffalo?. 4 years goes by fast in dental school, Ubuffalo has almost 30,000 people attending, I highly doubt 30,000 people would be attending school up there if it was THAT miserable. In fact many of my friends turned down many schools in the City(Pace, CUNYs Adelphi etc) to go to SUNY buffalo for undergrad.

Many of my friends turned down buffalo for NYU, oh well, its a desicion they and you made. I wouldnt call it a mistake as its not my life and there are many other reasons to go to NYU over buffalo.

However the truth is the that the next 5 years after dental school will be a lot harder because of that desicion.
 
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$150K is literally retirement.
If invested now and left to grow until retirement age, that nest egg would easily grow to over $2M. And that's with never saving another penny again.
I wouldn't pay $2M to get the same piece of paper from a particular city.
 
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I'm deciding between these two as well! I'd go with where you felt you'd be happiest for the next four years, and where you'll make the most of the experience. I know there's a huge bias against NYU on here but I have Canadian friends that attend there who love it (and most people from Canada will recognize the NYU name over somewhere like Pitt that is smaller, if that matters at all to you) and it seems like you had a better feeling from NYC as well. As an international student both options are expensive but you have to go with the best fit for you
 
I'm deciding between these two as well! I'd go with where you felt you'd be happiest for the next four years, and where you'll make the most of the experience. I know there's a huge bias against NYU on here but I have Canadian friends that attend there who love it (and most people from Canada will recognize the NYU name over somewhere like Pitt that is smaller, if that matters at all to you) and it seems like you had a better feeling from NYC as well. As an international student both options are expensive but you have to go with the best fit for you

Again, I gave you the numbers, no hate to NYU, tons of people love it there. Its the financial aspect. Please just listen to the people here for your own benefit. It sounds stupid to say that its where you will be happy for four years. Sorry but there is no other way to look at someone who says that statement, other than to say they are either immature or stupid. Dental school is so tough and while we need to be happy is it truly worth 150k.
 
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Watching people obliterate their financial future over the prospect of posting their lives in Manhattan on Instagram is the most painful thing on SDN.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Especially when there are ways to do that without spending 500k.
 
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I'd go with where you felt you'd be happiest for the next four years, and where you'll make the most of the experience.
Says someone who has never known the “joy” of paying back student loans. We have the blind leading the blind. From someone who has actually paid off student loans, go to the cheapest school you get into. Trust me.

Big Hoss
 
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I'm deciding between these two as well! I'd go with where you felt you'd be happiest for the next four years, and where you'll make the most of the experience. I know there's a huge bias against NYU on here but I have Canadian friends that attend there who love it (and most people from Canada will recognize the NYU name over somewhere like Pitt that is smaller, if that matters at all to you) and it seems like you had a better feeling from NYC as well. As an international student both options are expensive but you have to go with the best fit for you


A reality check is needed here.

Remember that dental school is not a vacation. In real life no one is going to care which dental school you went to. Going to dental school is a means to an end. An investment for the rest of your life. 4 yrs will be a blur and you will get to the point of wishing it could end sooner. Most do.

A wake up call. The stress doesn't end when you graduate dental school and are now a dentist. Being a dentist does not mean you will be making bank as soon as you graduate. You will start at the bottom as most do until you gain experience and/or have the ability to purchase or start your own practice.

Debt is a huge black cloud that will affect every financial decision you make in the future. Financing a future home or car. Financing a future practice. Lenders typically look at your debt to determine your ability to pay off your financial commitments. To hedge their financial risk .... those with large debt will typically not secure the best loan rates.

So ..... you still want to be happy for 4 years? Or do you want to hit the ground running when you graduate with less debt?
 
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Here I was thinking NYU was the school people went to because they didn't get into any other school...
 
A reality check is needed here.

Remember that dental school is not a vacation. In real life no one is going to care which dental school you went to. Going to dental school is a means to an end. An investment for the rest of your life. 4 yrs will be a blur and you will get to the point of wishing it could end sooner. Most do.

A wake up call. The stress doesn't end when you graduate dental school and are now a dentist. Being a dentist does not mean you will be making bank as soon as you graduate. You will start at the bottom as most do until you gain experience and/or have the ability to purchase or start your own practice.

Debt is a huge black cloud that will affect every financial decision you make in the future. Financing a future home or car. Financing a future practice. Lenders typically look at your debt to determine your ability to pay off your financial commitments. To hedge their financial risk .... those with large debt will typically not secure the best loan rates.

So ..... you still want to be happy for 4 years? Or do you want to hit the ground running when you graduate with less debt?

This man speaks the truth. Your education is likely going to be double what you take out after interest especially considering the price of NYU. Thats like a million dollars to be a dentist. let that sink in considering what youll make. So much interest acrued that after taxes your basically working really hard for very little income
 
You seem to have already chosen NYU. Get your groceries at trader joes, take the subway, don't eat out and drink every night and NYC is perfectly manageable. Rent is the only real thing that is a killer, but it's up to you what you want your commute to be. From a tuition standpoint, numbers don't lie and you will be paying at least 110k more. I personally liked NYU more than Pitt but again, everyone's situation is different. You'll get hounded on SDN if you compare NYU to any other school. I would discuss it internally bc if you like NYU, you won't get reassurance here.
 
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Thank you everyone for the time you put in typing these amazing responses. I really didn’t expect this amount of info and support.
After going through an intense evaluating persiod (EVEN PUTTING THE COST ASIDE) Pitt Dental Med is actually pretty amazing. From the interview day and how they made us feel comfortable to the stats of their students and opportunities that will be there, for the great price that they offer, I AM PROUD TO BECOME PART OF THE PITT DENTAL FAMILY.
 
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