FALSE statement. PA residency rules aren't accomodating to OOS like other states (eg Cali). You must be an established PA resident for at least 1 year prior to get in state status. Otherwise you are OOS for your tenure as a student.
Both are good schools, not sure what the price diff will be but I think it will be more or less the same. Go with your gut, but I'd take Tufts over Temple if I were in your shoes.
+1 I was going to point this out, but you beat me to it.
Ghostface17,
Ok, I want to start off and admit I am doubly biased. I do think Tufts is a great choice, and, as I've said before, I did not like Philadelphia back when I lived there. I personally would not go back to Philly, but there are people that love it.
That being said, I did take a few classes at Temple while there, and I did tour the dental school. I don't believe this is a no brainer, though, as I've said with other comparisons.
I am going to list some positives and negatives and try to be as objective as possible.
For Tufts: Based on what I have seen, I believe Tufts has some of the best facilities and clinical training in the country. The five-story expansion of the school that ended in 2011 added onto an already strong facility. The faculty seems intelligent and as though they are genuinely interested in helping you to succeed. The students seem to love the school, which I feel is also important. I think having students that have a passion for the school will carry on to when they are alums, which I believe is the reason so many alums of the school come back to donate their time. I am not only going to be spending four years at the school, but the people I went to class with and learned from at the school are most likely to be my closest contacts within the profession. I feel like the great people and top facilities make Tufts one of the best schools in the country.
One downside, as I realize, is the price tag. While I believe in the school, there is a reasonable limit where I think the price is too much of a difference when comparing schools. There are some great state schools out there, and if you can get into one in state it is very understandable to go that route. Also, while I like the larger class Tufts, I can understand how some people may consider it to be a downside.
For Temple: Based on what I saw on the tour, I felt like clinical training you will get at Temple will be some of the best in the country as well. Their facilities seemed to be very nice. I didn't get to speak with any of the students, but the administrative staff I spoke with seemed helpful and friendly. I would assume that the faculty are also top notch, and will take the time to really help you to be very well prepared to be a dental professional. I think they have the benefit of being in an area where you never have a shortage or patients, and you will get many different types of them as well. It will offer incredible experience to see all these different types of cases.
One downside is the safety. The area around Temple's campus is not safe. I took classes at the school, and spent a lot of time down there. I was on the e-mail list serve and many times I received e-mails advising me to avoid streets near campus because either someone was murdered or that someone had been stabbed/mugged and the perpetrator was still on the loose. While I was fortunate to never have been, I do know friends there that have been mugged at gun point. True story. Also, while I thought Temple's facilities are very nice, I personally feel Tufts are better. It wasn't some drastic difference, which I saw at some of the schools I interviewed at or toured, but that's what I felt.
Obviously, I suggest Tufts. I do believe you will have a very difficult time qualifying for state residency, which makes the price pretty close. At the end of the day, it comes down to your gut feeling about which school you feel is the best fit for you. Anyway, it's a good problem to be in a position where you're deciding between two great schools.
👍 Best of luck.
