Penn vs In-State

[predentalstudent0]

Hey SDN. I'm chilling in the mid-west right now trying to weigh acceptance options. I have had a lot of experience in my state school and really like the people, atmosphere, etc. But after being accepted to Penn, I have been forced to reconsider attending my state school as I am interested in pursuing a competitive specialty after dental school and definitely want to be guaranteed a spot somewhere. Do you Penn is worth the extra 700k (tuition and living costs) for the prestige? How have others dealt with this situation?
Thanks for any help!

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[Lemillion]

Didn't run into this situation but I did attend a state dental school and enjoyed it. Ended up specializing too. I think it's ultimately what you make of it. You can go to your state school, run the table and be in the top 10 of your class. Being top 10-20 in your class will keep you pretty competitive depending on which speciality you would like. The extra 700K will accumulate over time with interest and will be brutal paying it back. I left dental school with 120K in debt and being debt-free shortly after graduating was an amazing feeling. Being able to practice without student debt looming over you is freeing in a way.

Edit: Had a friend I made through conferences and she attended Penn. We ended up specializing in the same field and graduated at the same time. No difference between where our careers have gone so far.

 

[macsak]

Hey SDN. I'm chilling in the mid-west right now trying to weigh acceptance options. I have had a lot of experience in my state school and really like the people, atmosphere, etc. But after being accepted to Penn, I have been forced to reconsider attending my state school as I am interested in pursuing a competitive specialty after dental school and definitely want to be guaranteed a spot somewhere. Do you Penn is worth the extra 700k (tuition and living costs) for the prestige? How have others dealt with this situation?
Thanks for any help!

NO

 

[sobertiger]

700k?? Do you mean 70k?

 

[Ivy.ch]

Don’t do it! It’s a trap!

 

[predentalstudent0]

700k?? Do you mean 70k?

That was an exaggeration 😅 but it will be significantly, atrociously more expensive of course

 

[predentalstudent0]

Didn't run into this situation but I did attend a state dental school and enjoyed it. Ended up specializing too. I think it's ultimately what you make of it. You can go to your state school, run the table and be in the top 10 of your class. Being top 10-20 in your class will keep you pretty competitive depending on which speciality you would like. The extra 700K will accumulate over time with interest and will be brutal paying it back. I left dental school with 120K in debt and being debt-free shortly after graduating was an amazing feeling. Being able to practice without student debt looming over you is freeing in a way.

Edit: Had a friend I made through conferences and she attended Penn. We ended up specializing in the same field and graduated at the same time. No difference between where our careers have gone so far.

Thanks for this! I appreciate it and feel like my state school is the move

 

[GoDental101]

Penn if you want to specialize. You will have no trouble paying off debt as a specialist.

Please go to the cheaper school. This guy has no idea.

 

[deleted903013]

Penn if you want to specialize. You will have no trouble paying off debt as a specialist.

Is this a joke?

 

[Lemillion]

Thanks for this! I appreciate it and feel like my state school is the move

You're welcome! Glad to help. Best of luck!

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

I am interested in pursuing a competitive specialty after dental school and definitely want to be guaranteed a spot somewhere.

And how exactly does UPenn guarantee you a spot in the specialty of your choice? Do they teach things that other schools don’t? Are they the only school that does research? No other schools have service opportunities?!

What is a fact is that they are part of a growing list of schools that will leave you over $600,000 in debt. That is not in question.

Big Hoss

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Okay, so after doing a little digging around a.k.a. SDN stalking, it appears you want to go into ortho. So here’s the deal, I want you to go to UPenn for dental school and residency so you’ll have over $1,000,000 in student loans. Then I want you to call in to the Dave Ramsey Show. It makes for good entertainment.



Big Hoss

 

[GoDental101]

Okay, so after doing a little digging around a.k.a. SDN stalking, it appears you want to go into ortho. So here’s the deal, I want you to go to UPenn for dental school and residency so you’ll have over $1,000,000 in student loans. Then I want you to call in to the Dave Ramsey Show. It makes for good entertainment.



Big Hoss

I hope they watch this. The interest alone is $5800 a month. That doesn't even touch the principal. Please please think this stuff through. He is working 6 days a week and making $250,000 a year. You should be able to make that working 4 days a week as a GP. Specializing is not the golden ticket to going to the more expensive school.

 

[PerioDont]

Absolutely not worth it to go to the more expensive school.

 

[predentalstudent0]

Okay, so after doing a little digging around a.k.a. SDN stalking, it appears you want to go into ortho. So here’s the deal, I want you to go to UPenn for dental school and residency so you’ll have over $1,000,000 in student loans. Then I want you to call in to the Dave Ramsey Show. It makes for good entertainment.



Big Hoss

The legend Hoss! This thread feels official now.

Hoss, you are right -- I appreciate this tough love. The more I though about it the crazier (stupider) the idea was. My state school rules anyway, don't even know why I would go anywhere else.

I love this consensus against the Ivies; it feels like students are tricked constantly into going to that fancy school and accruing Ramsey-level debt.