I dont think one person (the new NYU dean) can really make a huge change in a short period of time. Since the cost of living in NY is a lot higher, you would have to borrow a lot more money to go to NYU.
I know, before the PBL time, a few seniors had to stay behind because of strict clinical requirements, failing ridiculous competency exams, lack of dental chairs, and patient shortage. Has it been the same with the new PBL system?
Calichick, if you are uncertain about whether you will graduate in 4 years, you should re-apply to programs that give you better chance of finishing the training in 4 years (ie Loma Linda, UCLA, UCSF). I know a guy who dropped out of Harvard (Harvard used to be a 5 year program) after a few months in that program, reapplied and got accepted to our dental school.