Rutgers (OOS) vs. BU

[steviexo4]

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accepted to both and trying to decide..NY resident so would be OOS for the first year but believe I can become IS after year 1.. really liked them both but worried about being in Newark..any input is appreciated!

 

[Hyunin1210]

I hear BU is a great school and it will be the cheaper option for you. IDK what the area around BU is like but you have seen Newark. It is one of the most dangerous cities in NJ. Either way you will get a great education. Where would you like to practice after dental school?

 

[oppdave]

Seriously Hyunin? Are you trying to eliminate the competition?
Stevie: Of the 3 schools in Boston, BU is the lowest on the totem pole. And while it may be a perfectly fine school, it will be a lot more expensive than Rutgers. Yes, you can become a Garden State resident after the first year, so calculate the tuition using the ADEA book and the websites of each school. And you don't have to live in Newark, there are perfectly lovely suburbs a short distance away (you just need a reliable car). I don't have a dog in this fight but take everything on this website with a grain of salt. Cost seems to be a huge deciding factor, so do your homework and figure out estimated costs, calculate how much money you will need to borrow and look at some loan tables. Then you can decide how much more per month you will be paying back for many years and decide if it is worth it.
Also consider many other factors--when you have free time, are there things to do that you would enjoy and could afford? Who will you socialize with--just your classmates or are there other options? How large and diverse is your class, including geographic diversity? Most people on this site do not consider the licensing boards they will take when they graduate (which doesn't matter as NJ and MA are the same, but if you intend to return to NY, you will need a GPR or some additional education to get licensed).
The fact is, you will become a dentist graduating from either place. Congratulations and good luck with your decision.

 

[Hyunin1210]

Seriously Hyunin? Are you trying to eliminate the competition?
Stevie: Of the 3 schools in Boston, BU is the lowest on the totem pole. And while it may be a perfectly fine school, it will be a lot more expensive than Rutgers. Yes, you can become a Garden State resident after the first year, so calculate the tuition using the ADEA book and the websites of each school. And you don't have to live in Newark, there are perfectly lovely suburbs a short distance away (you just need a reliable car). I don't have a dog in this fight but take everything on this website with a grain of salt. Cost seems to be a huge deciding factor, so do your homework and figure out estimated costs, calculate how much money you will need to borrow and look at some loan tables. Then you can decide how much more per month you will be paying back for many years and decide if it is worth it.
Also consider many other factors--when you have free time, are there things to do that you would enjoy and could afford? Who will you socialize with--just your classmates or are there other options? How large and diverse is your class, including geographic diversity? Most people on this site do not consider the licensing boards they will take when they graduate (which doesn't matter as NJ and MA are the same, but if you intend to return to NY, you will need a GPR or some additional education to get licensed).
The fact is, you will become a dentist graduating from either place. Congratulations and good luck with your decision.

Chill out. I said Rutgers is a great school in a dangerous area. He mentioned he was a NY resident so I assumed he meant Buffalo. My bad.

 

[steviexo4]

Chill out. I said Rutgers is a great school in a dangerous area. He mentioned he was a NY resident so I assumed he meant Buffalo. My bad.

Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate it! I know Rutgers would save me about $90,000 by the time I graduate if I can become in state after a year and I did like the school a lot, just worried about being a girl in Newark. I know many people recommend living close to campus your first two years so I guess I just don't really know how many people live off campus and what the surrounding towns are like. I just want to go to whichever school will prepare me the best!

 

[steviexo4]

Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate it! I know Rutgers would save me about $90,000 by the time I graduate if I can become in state after a year and I did like the school a lot, just worried about being a girl in Newark. I know many people recommend living close to campus your first two years so I guess I just don't really know how many people live off campus and what the surrounding towns are like. I just want to go to whichever school will prepare me the best!

And I am originally from MA so I have a lot of family and friends there but I don't want that to sway my decision

 

[Hyunin1210]

Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate it! I know Rutgers would save me about $90,000 by the time I graduate if I can become in state after a year and I did like the school a lot, just worried about being a girl in Newark. I know many people recommend living close to campus your first two years so I guess I just don't really know how many people live off campus and what the surrounding towns are like. I just want to go to whichever school will prepare me the best!

Rutgers has many safety measures and connections with the police to ensure safety for all students. After the first two years people generally live in society hill which is pretty close to the campus. Rutgers will definitely prepare you clinically and it is known for that. Just be careful and avoid walking too far away from the school and going outside at night. Because of the price difference, I say Rutgers is your best choice.

 

[FeralisExtremum]

When faced with choices like these I prefer to make a list of pros and cons for each school. For example:

Rutgers

Pros:
- is a dental school

Cons:
- everything else

 

[studentdental8]

I went for a BU interview before, the environment is in a nice area and very accessible to T trains and downtown boston. Also seemed very safe to me.

 

[Incis0r]

I went for a BU interview before, the environment is in a nice area and very accessible to T trains and downtown boston. Also seemed very safe to me.

How far (by walking) to the T? I know Tufts is right outside a T stop- is it a similar setup?

 

[studentdental8]

How far (by walking) to the T? I know Tufts is right outside a T stop- is it a similar setup?

Tufts is right next to a T stop (Tufts Medical Center is the name of the stop), BU I think is slightly farther walk to a T stop. Tufts is also near chinatown for food.

 

[BluntForceTrauma]

How far (by walking) to the T? I know Tufts is right outside a T stop- is it a similar setup?

Everything is close to a T stop, its just a matter of walking a max of 15 min, so not bad at all. Plus downtown Boston is a very walkable area, unlike some other parts of the US (Dallas). Basically, Tufts is kind of an outlier by being directly outside a stop, but if all else fails you can take a bus if you don't want to walk.

 

[Incis0r]

Tufts is right next to a T stop (Tufts Medical Center is the name of the stop), BU I think is slightly farther walk to a T stop. Tufts is also near chinatown for food.

Everything is close to a T stop, its just a matter of walking a max of 15 min, so not bad at all. Plus downtown Boston is a very walkable area, unlike some other parts of the US (Dallas). Basically, Tufts is kind of an outlier by being directly outside a stop, but if all else fails you can take a bus if you don't want to walk.

Fantastic, thank you. This is exactly what I was looking for. Have a "like."

 

[ColgateSmiles]

When faced with choices like these I prefer to make a list of pros and cons for each school. For example:

Rutgers

Pros:
- is a dental school

Cons:
- everything else

Hi Feralis! Thanks for your input on this subject. I am currently deciding between Rutgers and Tufts and was wondering if you could elaborate on the reasoning for your strong opinion against RUSDM. Much appreciated! 👍👍👍

 

[FeralisExtremum]

Hi Feralis! Thanks for your input on this subject. I am currently deciding between Rutgers and Tufts and was wondering if you could elaborate on the reasoning for your strong opinion against RUSDM. Much appreciated! 👍👍👍

Looking back, that comment probably came across as really rude - the example list wasn't specific to Rutgers, which has plenty of good things going for it - I just wanted to show what I meant by a pro vs cons list. I interviewed at Rutgers and the only con (which for me was a major one) was the location - I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

 

[ColgateSmiles]

Looking back, that comment probably came across as really rude - the example list wasn't specific to Rutgers, which has plenty of good things going for it - I just wanted to show what I meant by a pro vs cons list. I interviewed at Rutgers and the only con (which for me was a major one) was the location - I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

It was funny tho haha I actually had chuckle!
Aw OK, I see what you're saying with the pros/cons list totally the location is bleak. As a Canadian, I will be forced to pay OOS tuition at Rutgers no matter what, but, even then, it comes out to $65,000 CA less than Tufts. As well I am pretty sure the cost of living (rent) is higher in Boston than Newark.

RUSDM: $309,568 US= 414,821 CA
TUSDM: $358,440 US= 480,310 CA

I know they both have a good clinical reputation but because I have read such mixed opinions I'd be curious to pick your brain (or anyone else) how you feel RUSDM stack up with TUSDM in terms of education, program difficulty, faculty, facilities, student life (class size effect), and reputation.

Thanks in advance really appreciate it!!!