Rutgers (OOS) vs. BU

[yegtdsa24]

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Hello everyone! I got into BU and Rutgers this past decision day. I'm pursuing the HPSP scholarship and will only attend dental school with a scholarship. Consequentially, price does not a factor into my decision.

Rutgers (OOS)
Pros:

• Smaller class size (95)
• Easier to get patients from the surrounding area
• Great facilities, open clinic space
• Better reputation

Cons:

• Newark feels less safe, not as nice + walkable as Boston
• Further from friends + family

BU
Pros:

• Closer to friends/family in Boston
• Strong emphasis on digital dentistry
• Newer facilities, great classroom space + recreational areas

Cons:

• Harder to get patients, competing with other Boston schools
• Rumor that they dismissed 1/4 of their class? (would love to hear more about this!)
• Seems that they have a more rigorous testing schedule than Rutgers, more stress

Summary: Both schools seem like they offer strong clinical experience. I'm not positive whether I want to specialize or not, so it's important to me that I get a great GP education. I'm from Boston and would like to stay close to friends and family, however, I don't think I should discount Rutgers for this reason because I was really impressed by their school during my interview.

 

[macsak]

Hello everyone! I got into BU and Rutgers this past decision day. I'm pursuing the HPSP scholarship (which is a major factor in my decision to attend dental school) so I'm not as focused on price.

Rutgers (OOS)
Pros:

• Smaller class size (95)
• Easier to get patients from the surrounding area
• Great facilities, open clinic space
• Better reputation

Cons:

• Newark feels less safe, not as nice + walkable as Boston
• Further from friends + family

BU
Pros:

• Closer to friends/family in Boston
• Strong emphasis on digital dentistry
• Newer facilities, great classroom space + recreational areas

Cons:

• Harder to get patients, competing with other Boston schools
• Rumor that they dismissed 1/4 of their class? (would love to hear more about this!)
• Seems that they have a more rigorous testing schedule than Rutgers, more stress

Summary: Both schools seem like they offer strong clinical experience. I'm not positive whether I want to specialize or not, so it's important to me that I get a great GP education. I'm from Boston and would like to stay close to friends and family, however, I don't think I should discount Rutgers for this reason because I was really impressed by their school during my interview.

cheapest...

 

[yegtdsa24]

cheapest...

I just made this a bit more clear in my OP - I will only attend dental school if I receive the HPSP scholarship. This decision makes the most sense to me after crunching the numbers on the cost of both schools. So, I'm not weighing the cost of tuition in my decision.

 

[macsak]

I just made this a bit more clear in my OP - I will only attend dental school if I receive the HPSP scholarship. This decision makes the most sense to me after crunching the numbers on the cost of both schools. So, I'm not weighing the cost of tuition in my decision.

thanks for clarifying
good luck with your decision...

 

[zdoq]

I think being close to friends/family is a HUGE plus. Having a support system in dental school will make your life so much easier and more bearable. Not saying that you can't make new friends/new support system in a new city, but having that existing structure is a godsend.

 

[yegtdsa24]

I think being close to friends/family is a HUGE plus. Having a support system in dental school will make your life so much easier and more bearable. Not saying that you can't make new friends/new support system in a new city, but having that existing structure is a godsend.

That is a great point. Thank you for providing your opinion!

 

[deleted923283]

I don't understand, what happens when you get denied the HPSP? Are you giving up dentistry even though you've picked a school?

Rutgers still has a somewhat reasonable price with the in-state tuition switch. BU not so much.

I spent many nights walking through Newark after dark and me and my roommates were fine. Gotta know where not to go, just like any city.

Rutgers has plenty of stress, just like any other school. Remember, no one likes dental school.

 

[yegtdsa24]

I don't understand, what happens when you get denied the HPSP? Are you giving up dentistry even though you've picked a school?

Rutgers still has a somewhat reasonable price with the in-state tuition switch. BU not so much.

I spent many nights walking through Newark after dark and me and my roommates were fine. Gotta know where not to go, just like any city.

Rutgers has plenty of stress, just like any other school. Remember, no one likes dental school.

Thank you for sharing. You're right that all dental schools are stressful, that is definitely a smaller factor in my decision. Both BU and Rutgers use a grade scale, so I would expect similar levels of test anxiety and cramming from both schools.

That's good to hear about Newark. I may have gotten the wrong impression - safety concerns were discussed quite a bit on interview day, especially from female students and applicants. Though I do enjoy walkability and the option to not have a car, so Boston wins over Newark in that regard.

And that is correct, I will not pursue dentistry if I'm denied HPSP. Rutgers offers a good price compared to other dental schools, especially coming from a state without a public school. Still, it would be over 400k with tuition hikes and interest. That is more debt than I'm comfortable taking on. I don't want to give up on dentistry, but I don't see a good ROI with that debt level.