NYU vs Stonybrook-decision in 5 days, pls give me ur thoughts!

[cowsarecute]

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Hi everyone! Sorry for making another NYU vs X school but I was going through the pages and read every post I saw about NYU (there isnt as much about Stony) and I still cant make a clear choice :/ So I was hoping to get some fresh opinions on the 2 schools. I have to make the 2nd NYU deposit before April 1st so I only have a few days left to decide

I really loved NYU when I visited during my interview but of course the cost of tuition, the large class size and the fact that Stonybrook has a lot better reputation is holding me back from fully embracing going to NYU.

Also as of right now I would love to specialize in Ortho- which school do you think I would have a better chance at this? NYU has a huge class size but Stonybrook seems to have more competitive students..

I'd love to hear from you guys- if you got into both schools and wanted to specialize after graduation, would you pick NYU or Stonybrook? THANK U! =)

 

[Touchless]

If I had a choice between those two, I would go with Stonybrook because it has a smaller class size. I rather compete with 100 students than 300 students. Ranking 25/50 is not as bad as ranking 150/300 because you know there are only 24 people ahead of you.

 

[Regmata]

I cannot believe you even have to ask this question...

 

[TheWiredNerv]

Go to whatever school you see yourself fitting into best. If I was in your situation I would pick Stony 😉.

 

[tamkhan]

I'd have to say Stony for this one. But, honestly, like TheWiredNerv said, go with where you feel comfortable. I've chosen BU over NYU, even though I think NYU is better in many ways. I just didn't feel comfortable enough in Manhattan.

 

[blankguy]

Hi everyone! Sorry for making another NYU vs X school but I was going through the pages and read every post I saw about NYU (there isnt as much about Stony) and I still cant make a clear choice :/ So I was hoping to get some fresh opinions on the 2 schools. I have to make the 2nd NYU deposit before April 1st so I only have a few days left to decide

I really loved NYU when I visited during my interview but of course the cost of tuition, the large class size and the fact that Stonybrook has a lot better reputation is holding me back from fully embracing going to NYU.

Also as of right now I would love to specialize in Ortho- which school do you think I would have a better chance at this? NYU has a huge class size but Stonybrook seems to have more competitive students..

I'd love to hear from you guys- if you got into both schools and wanted to specialize after graduation, would you pick NYU or Stonybrook? THANK U! =)

I'd pick stonybrook. The rustle and bustle of the big city with traffic jams can be annoying and very distracting. The class size at NYU is too large. Lodging is going to be expensive too. You get a good education at stonybrook if not better clinically at significantly less money. Also don't talk about specializing we first have to find out the hard way what it takes to stay a float in dental school. We need to learn to walk before we run. Take it one step at a time.

 

[Streetwolf]

Well you should still have something of a plan regarding specializing but remember that you really don't get exposure to the different specialties until most of your didactic grades are set in stone. So keep your grades up just in case.

Sucks, huh?

 

[cowsarecute]

Everything you guys are saying is right about stony being the better AND cheaper choice and about not counting my eggs before they hatch (specializing) but I still can't shake how much I liked NYU. Right now its 5/5 for Stony ahh! If i work my butt off at NYU do you think I could get as good an education as I would at Stony? That's one thing that worries me, plus I always thought NYU would be better clinically! Also do you know which school sends a higher percentage of grads onto specialization? And if Stony is more competitive wouldn't it be harder to get to the top 5% of the class at Stony than at NYU? Thanks again guys!!

 

[mydat]

Hi everyone! Sorry for making another NYU vs X school but I was going through the pages and read every post I saw about NYU (there isnt as much about Stony) and I still cant make a clear choice :/ So I was hoping to get some fresh opinions on the 2 schools. I have to make the 2nd NYU deposit before April 1st so I only have a few days left to decide

I really loved NYU when I visited during my interview but of course the cost of tuition, the large class size and the fact that Stonybrook has a lot better reputation is holding me back from fully embracing going to NYU.

Also as of right now I would love to specialize in Ortho- which school do you think I would have a better chance at this? NYU has a huge class size but Stonybrook seems to have more competitive students..

I'd love to hear from you guys- if you got into both schools and wanted to specialize after graduation, would you pick NYU or Stonybrook? THANK U! =)

Seems to me that you would be much happier in NYU.
other than the cost issue, NYU might be better for you.

 

[tamkhan]

Specialization will mainly depend on two things:
-board scores (part I)
-class rank

I can assure you that both places will have equally competitive students. NYU is not an easy place to be in, especially this year.
NYU is great school, undoubtedly, but high tech gadgetry and brand new chairs and what not; they count towards nothing when it comes to being a competent dentist. Look at the curriculum, student to professor ratio, the organization of the class, clinic shifts etc. These are things that will matter most in your learning process.

 

[small]

I'd go to Stonybrook, it seems like a really cool school. And if you like NYC, isn't Long Island close enough? Of course it wouldn't be like living in the city, but...

 

[TheWiredNerv]

At my Stony Brook interview I was told that every student is given a GPR since Stony has always really pushed their students into residencies before it was NY state law.
Where the GPRs are, I don't know.

You asked about board score, students said no one got below a 90. This is hearsay on their part and not official.

You do sound like you want to go to NYU. Just go to NYU if you will be happiest there!

 

[cowsarecute]

so you guys would pick where you feel happiest at over where you feel you might get a better education? And is it a consensus that it would b equally hard to be top 5% at NYU as at Stony?

 

[musl85]

I'd go to Stonybrook, it seems like a really cool school. And if you like NYC, isn't Long Island close enough? Of course it wouldn't be like living in the city, but...

its long island for a reason hehe. Unfortunately Stony is on the farside of the island. Too long of a commute to get from the end of long island to the city.

but i agree with everyone else. Go wherever you will feel satisfied. Although it is quite an achievemnt to get into stony considering their class size and stats, so congrats on that. 👍

 

[FutureDentist3]

these schools are all accredited and you will get an excellent education regardless of where you go. if you apply yourself and work hard you will get the scores necessary to specialize. i have a little bit of a bias though. im going to NYU in the fall. i fell in love with the school during my interview. reading up about the school, they haven't had the best reputation in the past, i brought that up to my interviewer. he told me that had been true 3 or 4 years ago, but the philosophy there changed recently. that was evident during my tour, the faculty at the clinics seemed very friendly and easy going. if you want to specialize, especially ortho, research is key. when it comes to research NYU is on an upswing with the new facilities and the new dean they hired away from UCSF. don't know much about stony brook. i loved NYU because of the new facilities, the "nonstop action atmosphere," the friendly faculty, and nyc. the only negative is the price. bottom line is go where you're gonna be happy. it seems to me that if you go to stony brook, you might be second guessing that decision down the road. good luck with the decision.

 

[blankguy]

I think NYU gets bashed unfairly. The price and large class size is still an impediment for some to consider going to NYU but on the plus side it does do a lot of research. More than some of the supposedly 'more reputable' schools. It doesn't surprise me that the new dean came over from UCSF which is also a major research school. New facilities are nice and may facilitate learning but it comes at a price. If you are happier at NYU by all means go there, you are more apt to be motivated going there than going to Stonybrook.

 

[Cymbidium]

so you guys would pick where you feel happiest at over where you feel you might get a better education? And is it a consensus that it would b equally hard to be top 5% at NYU as at Stony?

If you go where you'll be happiest then you'll most likely get a "better" education because you'll be in a better mindset. The real question you should be asking yourself is "will I be completely miserable at Stony Brook?" If the answer is no, then go there for the cheap instate tuition! If the answer is yes, then I'll see you in August!

 

[Streetwolf]

its long island for a reason hehe. Unfortunately Stony is on the farside of the island. Too long of a commute to get from the end of long island to the city.

but i agree with everyone else. Go wherever you will feel satisfied. Although it is quite an achievemnt to get into stony considering their class size and stats, so congrats on that. 👍

We're actually in the middle of the island, north shore. If you drove to the city on a good day you should expect it to take up to an hour. If you take the train in it could take 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on where you're starting from.

Stony does have a small class size (39 for my year) and we do get to know each other quite well. So do the professors. They can work more closely with us, even though at times there may only be 1 or 2 walking around preclinic (other times there can be 5). I like the small class size. You won't just become good friends with your 200+ classmates at NYU. You'll probably find a small group (10-15) to hang out with, which is pretty much what I've found here. The only difference is that if you all start to get tired of each other, you'll have 200 other kids to choose from. But I can't see that happening with my friends.

We aren't really cut-throat though some upperclassmen may disagree. We've had a couple small issues to work out here and there but stuff happens. I like to think everyone gets along well with each other.

Clinically AND academically you'll get a solid education here. I haven't actually gotten into the clinic yet so I'm just basing this off of what I've heard. But so far it seems as though they prepare us well for the boards. We take classes with the med students which can be frustrating when it doesn't apply to dentistry, but remember that the med students are getting an education for THEIR boards - which are probably more difficult than ours (don't kill me on this, I'm making a possibly false assumption here). So we'll learn more in those classes.

Since we're so small, the top 5% just happens to be the 1 smartest person in the class. I *really* doubt they use the 5% thing. They might say top 5 in the class, but I don't know how they work that here. Just ace the boards and you'll be fine. A bunch of people specialize and more or less everyone does a GPR (except now and then an out-of-stater who doesn't need to or want to). I don't know exact numbers.

They work us hard and try to get us to come in over breaks but it's not mandatory of course. Still, people come because they know they need to work on their skills. There's free time but you have to know when you can slack off a bit and when you have to study hard. This isn't undergrad anymore. You can't cram for a test 2 days beforehand. You may need 2 or 3 weeks to study. But FIGURE IT OUT and if you pace yourself well, you'll find yourself with plenty of time in between to just chill out.

Oh and we like to party right after our tests. Those are pretty sweet.

 

[HeatingHomer]

I'd love to hear from you guys- if you got into both schools and wanted to specialize after graduation, would you pick NYU or Stonybrook? THANK U! =)

I picked stony brook although i'm not yet sure if i want to specialize. That does not mean it is the right choice for you. I did not like NYU when i interviewed there.

 

[Regmata]

If you want to choose on where you would be happiest, how happy would you be fighting for a chair at NYU all year long?

 

[predental1984]

If you want to choose on where you would be happiest, how happy would you be fighting for a chair at NYU all year long?

The Dean at NYU said that if there ever is a wait, Its about 15 mins and no more. They split the class into three groups so its not like there are 300 people fighting for 100 chairs.

 

[Regmata]

I don't go to NYU, so everything I relay here is hearsay from the boards and other dental students I know...so maybe there isn't a wait. I have always heard that getting a chair is a pain there though, as is carrying all your instruments around day in and day out. If this has changed and is no longer or never was the case then good for NYU, that is certainly a positive. However, I wouldn't take the Dean's word for it.

 

[tamkhan]

I think chair time is becoming less of an issue at NYU now. With their new patient scheduling system in place (and the fact that they have tons of patients), students are almost guaranteed chair time whenever they want, as far as I can see.

 

[makushin]

There is no choice, go to Stony Brook.

 

[blankguy]

Still even with breaking the class into 3 shifts is going to be annoying.

 

[TheWiredNerv]

The new dean does seem promising for NYU though.

 

[gryffindor]

For ortho, only your boards and class rank matter. Doing meaninful research with a superstar is a much smaller contribution to your application and research can be accomplished at any dental school. I'm not sure that either Stonybrook or NYU uses a traditional #1/39 or #1/300 ranking system - maybe the students here from those schools can comment. If you are worried about cost, go to the cheaper school because going on to do a residency, especially in ortho, is most likely going to mean more debt. IMO, Stonybrook over NYU, based on the huge difference in class size and cost alone.

 

[blankguy]

For ortho, only your boards and class rank matter. Doing meaninful research with a superstar is a much smaller contribution to your application and research can be accomplished at any dental school. I'm not sure that either Stonybrook or NYU uses a traditional #1/39 or #1/300 ranking system - maybe the students here from those schools can comment. If you are worried about cost, go to the cheaper school because going on to do a residency, especially in ortho, is most likely going to mean more debt. IMO, Stonybrook over NYU, based on the huge difference in class size and cost alone.

It seems like a lot of people who go for ortho tend to have research experience. Maybe it will matter if it was a combined Certificate masters program?😕

NYU does a lot of research so that's one area that NYU has an advantage over stony brook.

 

[cowsarecute]

thanks so much you guys (and thanks Streetwolf for gettin back to me!)..i really appreciate it! i'm going to mull over this now but keep the posts coming if there is any more info/advice I should give consideration to...one last thing though! as a response to the post above, do any current NYU or Stony students know if you are ranked by number (#1/39, #1/200)? Please let us know!! thanks =D

 

[dantheman2007]

thanks so much you guys (and thanks Streetwolf for gettin back to me!)..i really appreciate it! i'm going to mull over this now but keep the posts coming if there is any more info/advice I should give consideration to...one last thing though! as a response to the post above, do any current NYU or Stony students know if you are ranked by number (#1/39, #1/200)? Please let us know!! thanks =D

NYU only ranks the top 10. (my friend is actually one of the 10). she's awesome.

 

[tamkhan]

NYU only ranks the top 10. (my friend is actually one of the 10). she's awesome.

I didn't know that.

 

[Regmata]

Its probably not true. Some dental schools keep 2 rankings, the one that they give the students and their own. Students grades are all on file, its just a matter of placing them in order.

 

[dantheman2007]

Its probably not true. Some dental schools keep 2 rankings, the one that they give the students and their own. Students grades are all on file, its just a matter of placing them in order.

only the top 10 list is made public to the students