Oregon OHSU vs University of Michigan

[snow]

Hi, this is my first post and I would like to start by saying thank you for all the help that your posts have provided.

I am having a hard time deciding where to go to dental school next year.
I was accepted to UCLA, OHSU, Louisville and University of Michigan - all of which are out of state for me. I have narrowed it down to Oregon or Michigan due to me having a family (2 kids, Husband and dog) and these citieis seem to fit better with who we are, although i will take other advice.

Could anyone give me any pro/cons or anything that might help in making our decision a good one.

Thank you

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[bcdds09]

Hi, this is my first post and I would like to start by saying thank you for all the help that your posts have provided.

I am having a hard time deciding where to go to dental school next year.
I was accepted to UCLA, OHSU, Louisville and University of Michigan - all of which are out of state for me. I have narrowed it down to Oregon or Michigan due to me having a family (2 kids, Husband and dog) and these citieis seem to fit better with who we are, although i will take other advice.

Could anyone give me any pro/cons or anything that might help in making our decision a good one.

Thank you

First off, congrats! That's a very impressive list of schools.


In regards to tuition, you would be better off going to UCLA because of how easy it is to gain in-state tuition after one year. Although you didn't mention that as one of your top choices, I thought I would just throw that out there.

I have interviewed and been accepted to Michigan and from what I could tell, it is a really friendly environment that is suitable for raising a family. I have not personally been to OHSU, but I believe it's the same case.

You're definitely going to get more extreme weather in Michigan, so if you don't like the cold too much, I would maybe stay with OHSU. I like the smaller class size of OHSU as well.

Either way, good luck!

 

[xiphoidprocess]

Oregon is AWESOME
The school is right in the middle of the city of Portland
The Pacific Ocean is a 2 hr drive away
The mountain is a 1hr 30 min drive
Sometimes, you get to experience all four seasons in one day
Rains almost 9 months straight
Summers are the best
Great city life
Everyone is down to earth and friendly
You'll love Oregon!

 

[snow]

Thanks for the info.

About UCLA, I am aware of the option to establish residency but even with that and a 1 time deans scholarship it will not offset the cost of living (with a family) in LA from what I have researched.

I LOVE SNOW! but rain in Portland for 9 months? My husband might not be able to handle that one. But I loved being in portland....

Maybe some other people can chime in too.

Thanks Again

 

[huk1985]

I don't know how much Oregon costs, but if cost of living and tuition is an important factor, I wouldn't go to Michigan. It's not possible to gain in-state tuition and cost of living in Ann Arbor is not cheap at all..

 

[informatique]

cost of living in Ann Arbor is not cheap at all..

Are you kidding me? I'm coming to Michigan from out-of-state and have been looking at apartments on real estate websites on or near the central campus and the range for a studio/1-bedroom has been $650-$1000/month. The most expensive place that I've looked at was Tower Plaza at 1000. That really isn't too bad compared to other cities.

 

[huk1985]

You have a husband, 2kids and a dog and want to live in Tower plaza? I've lived in Tower plaza for three years of my undergrad and even the biggest 1-bedroom (1500/month) is not big enough for two. I believe tower plaza's two bedroom is very near 2000 or maybe over. However, tower plaza is probably the most expensive option in Ann Arbor. With that said, I am not kidding you when I'm saying Ann Arbor is not cheap. Only place I've been to that had more expensive rent than Ann Arbor is LA, SF and Manhattan. I think near the central campus (5~10minute from D-school) for two-bedrooms you can't find anything under 1400/month.

 

[MKD1960]

You have a husband, 2kids and a dog and want to live in Tower plaza? I've lived in Tower plaza for three years of my undergrad and even the biggest 1-bedroom (1500/month) is not big enough for two. I believe tower plaza's two bedroom is very near 2000 or maybe over. However, tower plaza is probably the most expensive option in Ann Arbor. With that said, I am not kidding you when I'm saying Ann Arbor is not cheap. Only place I've been to that had more expensive rent than Ann Arbor is LA, SF and Manhattan. I think near the central campus (5~10minute from D-school) for two-bedrooms you can't find anything under 1400/month.

Ann Arbor is quite expensive. I am deciding between UDM & U of M and even w/private school tuition I'm probably leaning toward UDM because I can live at home.

 

[jrobi]

you can find cheaper housing if you live off campus. i know plenty of dental students at u of m that live 10-20 min away and commute...it's definitely do-able and worth it if you ask me!

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

I honestly do not know much about Michigan and Ann Arbor, but I know that U of Mich dental school is one of the best schools out there.

I do know quite a lot about OHSU because I lived in Portland for 3 years.

-1) I don't like rain and it often rains there...
+2) If is quite cheap. Apartments are very cheap. It is possible to get a 2-bedroom apartment close to campus for 700$ a month.
-3) Portland always seemed to me like a port city... There is really not much to do there, no cultural life (subjective opinion, I am originally from Moscow, Russia and those are really not comparable... But I doubt you'll have much time for doing things anyways...)
+4) Friendly people.. very friendly.
+5) Summers are super nice.

It feels to me that OHSU would be a better fit for you... The school is pretty good as well although, I would say, not the level of U of Mich.

 

[diplo123]

Well I've lived in Portland. It's a great city. Although it does rain quite a bit, there are definitely sun breaks. An as you get into May you get more and more sun, up until about October when the rains return. It's not that bad. We get less rain than Houston by volume, it's just spread out over a longer period of time.

 

[snow]

You have a husband, 2kids and a dog and want to live in Tower plaza? I've lived in Tower plaza for three years of my undergrad and even the biggest 1-bedroom (1500/month) is not big enough for two. I believe tower plaza's two bedroom is very near 2000 or maybe over. However, tower plaza is probably the most expensive option in Ann Arbor. With that said, I am not kidding you when I'm saying Ann Arbor is not cheap. Only place I've been to that had more expensive rent than Ann Arbor is LA, SF and Manhattan. I think near the central campus (5~10minute from D-school) for two-bedrooms you can't find anything under 1400/month.

Thanks for the response and I appreciate the input, but just to clarify - Living the plaza was just a comment on accomadations in Ann Arbor by another person that was just helping out. Happy Holidays

 

[huk1985]

Well, I can basically break it down for you. Oregon probably have the edge financially and quality of life. Because Ann Arbor's weather is just plain cold and everything costs so much here. Also, there's not much to do here except sit around and watch the snow especially with a family. Ann Arbor is much of a college town than a suburb, although suburb regions is not that far. With that said, Michigan's dental school is great. So it really depends which of the three factors is more important to you.

 

[YungJoc87]

OHSU is in an absolutely beautiful area with mountains and trails, etc.

If you are a nature fanatic go OHSU!

All the people take really good care of themselves and the culture is centered around athleticism (mainly runners-Steve Prefontaine's legacy).

I'm wait listed there so don't take my spot!!!

I've also heard that the dental school was built on a really steep hill so if you have bad knees or something, not a good idea. And their equipment in the dental school may not be the most advanced- you might want to check that out.

 

[DROCKINDAHOUSE]

Go to Michigan so that you can go watch Wolverine football games. A game in "the big house" has to be awesome. They'll be better next year.