Top pick schools and why?

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Tufts and Columbia were two of my tops when I applied, originally leaning more towards Columbia. After interviewing at both and talking to more 3rd/4th years at both though I personally felt a bit better with Tufts. I've heard such great things about the UC schools I'm sure I'd love it there too but as I was out of state I didn't think I had a good enough chance applying. Stony Brook is another I've only heard good things of. Also have a friend who graduated from Maryland recently and loved it.
 
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I feel the same. Hadnt done extensive research on the schools yet but Stony Brook is cheap and in state for me. Almost 1/3 of the price of NYU for the same education.
 
camshaft said:
Tufts and Columbia were two of my tops when I applied, originally leaning more towards Columbia. After interviewing at both and talking to more 3rd/4th years at both though I personally felt a bit better with Tufts. I've heard such great things about the UC schools I'm sure I'd love it there too but as I was out of state I didn't think I had a good enough chance applying. Stony Brook is another I've only heard good things of.
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What those 3rd/4th yrs say about Tufts? They just told me to go to tufts without any reasons.........
 
uop. same education in 3 years
 
University of Washington, its my state school so its like way cheaper! UoP second since its 3 years and my brother went there and liked it.
 
I'm seeing a lot of people saying UoP a lot. Anyone have an idea about what the location is like in San Francisco. Does it get too cold there?
 
mc719 said:
I'm seeing a lot of people saying UoP a lot. Anyone have an idea about what the location is like in San Francisco. Does it get too cold there?
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It's REALLY expensive to live there. UoP provides one of the best dental educations in the country from what I've heard around here on SDN. SF is a beautiful city you'll feel the beauty when you pay your first month's rent. Best thing to do is get about 3 roomates to help offset the expense.
 
To the OP:

It really depends on what YOU want from a school. I'm very involved in church activities and enjoy incorporating it into my everyday life...so I chose Loma Linda. Would it be a great fit for everyone? Of course not. Loma Linda has every specialty program plus some, which is another thing I considered when making my decision to come here. It would be hard to find a school that has more clinical exposure that we do, so it's a great school for producing excellent GPs. Again though, I have no idea as to what's important to you. Do you like to party a lot? Are involved in church a lot? Do you really enjoy doing community service and have over 500 hours of service (ASDOH)? Are you only interested in specializing (Harvard, UoP, NYU, etc...)?
 
Columbia, Penn, Tufts, and NYU are my top picks.

Where I live, the institution's name/prestige is most important to the general public.
 
SoulPower said:
Source?
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Personal observation:

Majority of country club books tennis lessons with the club pro who went to Harvard, and not from the club pro (better coach, better player, nicer, cheaper) who only played for University of Maryland.

My high school has a much longer waiting list than the other private school because our headmaster went to Princeton, whereas the other schools' headmaster only went to Pepperdine (even though their school is in a better, safer, location).

The new, less-established associate dentist from at my work went to UPenn, and our new patients are selecting her over our more experienced dentist who only went to UMichigan.

My neighbourhood is affluent and snobby -- academic prestige seems to play a big role.
 
amalgamgrillz said:
Personal observation:

Majority of country club books tennis lessons with the club pro who went to Harvard, and not from the club pro (better coach, better player, nicer, cheaper) who only played for University of Maryland.

My high school has a much longer waiting list than the other private school because our headmaster went to Princeton, whereas the other schools' headmaster only went to Pepperdine (even though their school is in a better, safer, location).

The new, less-established associate dentist from at my work went to UPenn, and our new patients are selecting her over our more experienced dentist who only went to UMichigan.

My neighbourhood is affluent and snobby -- academic prestige seems to play a big role.
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Fine a new neighborhood? :idea:

UoP - 3 years, strong clinicals, SF; shadowed/spoken to many dentists and a few students who have reinforced its lustre for me.
 
I'm applying to penn, temple, usc, ucla, and uop. My top choices would probably be penn, ucla, or uop. Does anyone know of any schools that offer early decisions? this indecisiveness is killing me. December is a long way off. It's like waiting for christmas man.
 
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mc719 said:
I'm seeing a lot of people saying UoP a lot. Anyone have an idea about what the location is like in San Francisco. Does it get too cold there?
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-Year round 60-70 degrees.
-One of most diverse cities in the States.
-Clean!
-Extremely Liberal (which can be good/bad depending on your viewpoints)
-Not a big city at all. It's something like 7 mile by 7 miles which means it's a nice "town" compared to "New York/London." But it has it's benefits, since big cities are a huge sprawl/dirty/more crime/congested/clogged etc.
-"Boasts" world class clubbing/eateries. IMO, it is good, but "bigger" cities like NY or London has a lot more to offer.
-Excellent views/parks aka very scenic
-It's California! aka the Golden State, so it attracts people based on that name alone. (Although, any californian would know that CA has it's extremely bad share of problems)

All in all, it's a "pleasant city." If you don't like suburbia or huge cities, you will like SF. If you like huge cities (NY/London/Paris etc), you will think SF is a "dinky" city with nothing to offer. If you like surburbia, you will think SF is "to fast paced."
 
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Rainee said:
-Year round 60-70 degrees.
-One of most diverse cities in the States.
-Clean!
-Extremely Liberal (which can be good/bad depending on your viewpoints)
-Not a big city at all. It's something like 7 mile by 7 miles which means it's a nice "town" compared to "New York/London." But it has it's benefits, since big cities are a huge sprawl/dirty/more crime/congested/clogged etc.
-"Boasts" world class clubbing/eateries. IMO, it is good, but "bigger" cities like NY or London has a lot more to offer.
-Excellent views/parks aka very scenic
-It's California! aka the Golden State, so it attracts people based on that name alone. (Although, any californian would know that CA has it's extremely bad share of problems)

All in all, it's a "pleasant city." If you don't like suburbia or huge cities, you will like SF. If you like huge cities (NY/London/Paris etc), you will think SF is a "dinky" city with nothing to offer. If you like surburbia, you will think SF is "to fast paced."
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Wow. Very informative. Thank you. It sounds like its definitely worth applying and checking out.
 
amalgamgrillz said:
Personal observation:

Majority of country club books tennis lessons with the club pro who went to Harvard, and not from the club pro (better coach, better player, nicer, cheaper) who only played for University of Maryland.

My high school has a much longer waiting list than the other private school because our headmaster went to Princeton, whereas the other schools' headmaster only went to Pepperdine (even though their school is in a better, safer, location).

The new, less-established associate dentist from at my work went to UPenn, and our new patients are selecting her over our more experienced dentist who only went to UMichigan.

My neighbourhood is affluent and snobby -- academic prestige seems to play a big role.
Click to expand...

Some might say the same about you
 
Dude what's your GPA/DAT?

amalgamgrillz said:
Personal observation:

Majority of country club books tennis lessons with the club pro who went to Harvard, and not from the club pro (better coach, better player, nicer, cheaper) who only played for University of Maryland.

My high school has a much longer waiting list than the other private school because our headmaster went to Princeton, whereas the other schools' headmaster only went to Pepperdine (even though their school is in a better, safer, location).

The new, less-established associate dentist from at my work went to UPenn, and our new patients are selecting her over our more experienced dentist who only went to UMichigan.

My neighbourhood is affluent and snobby -- academic prestige seems to play a big role.
Click to expand...
 
amalgamgrillz said:
Personal observation:

Majority of country club books tennis lessons with the club pro who went to Harvard, and not from the club pro (better coach, better player, nicer, cheaper) who only played for University of Maryland.

My high school has a much longer waiting list than the other private school because our headmaster went to Princeton, whereas the other schools' headmaster only went to Pepperdine (even though their school is in a better, safer, location).

The new, less-established associate dentist from at my work went to UPenn, and our new patients are selecting her over our more experienced dentist who only went to UMichigan.

My neighbourhood is affluent and snobby -- academic prestige seems to play a big role.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I am a true believer that the education you get is what you make of it. However, going to a competitive school is just good evidence for people that you are smart/competent/rich enough to get into that school. Also, being snobby is a horrible quality to have for a neighborhood or a person.
 
amalgamgrillz said:
Personal observation:

Majority of country club books tennis lessons with the club pro who went to Harvard, and not from the club pro (better coach, better player, nicer, cheaper) who only played for University of Maryland.

My high school has a much longer waiting list than the other private school because our headmaster went to Princeton, whereas the other schools' headmaster only went to Pepperdine (even though their school is in a better, safer, location).

The new, less-established associate dentist from at my work went to UPenn, and our new patients are selecting her over our more experienced dentist who only went to UMichigan.

My neighbourhood is affluent and snobby -- academic prestige seems to play a big role.
Click to expand...

That sucks. I would move out and find some new friends.
 
amalgamgrillz said:
Personal observation:

Majority of country club books tennis lessons with the club pro who went to Harvard, and not from the club pro (better coach, better player, nicer, cheaper) who only played for University of Maryland.

My high school has a much longer waiting list than the other private school because our headmaster went to Princeton, whereas the other schools' headmaster only went to Pepperdine (even though their school is in a better, safer, location).

The new, less-established associate dentist from at my work went to UPenn, and our new patients are selecting her over our more experienced dentist who only went to UMichigan.

My neighbourhood is affluent and snobby -- academic prestige seems to play a big role.
Click to expand...

It's unfortunate that you live around people who thinks that NYU and Tufts are more competitive dental schools than Maryland or Michigan.

I was more impressed with Michigan than Penn.
 
TheOMSProject said:
It's unfortunate that you live around people who thinks that NYU and Tufts are more competitive dental schools than Maryland or Michigan.

I was more impressed with Michigan than Penn.
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It's all about the name for people in my neighbourhood..not so much the quality of the dental school. I love Michigan --it's by far my favorite school-- I want to be part of the big house. But I'm driven by others' perception, rather than my own personal interests.

I probably won't even get into my top choices, to be honest..but if I had the choice..I'd go with the ones I mentioned before.
 
amalgamgrillz said:
It's all about the name for people in my neighbourhood..not so much the quality of the dental school. I love Michigan --it's by far my favorite school-- I want to be part of the big house. But I'm driven by others' perception, rather than my own personal interests.

I probably won't even get into my top choices, to be honest..but if I had the choice..I'd go with the ones I mentioned before.
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Well you never know. Good luck.
 
I wish bad luck on you. Seriously, you're an adult. Grow a pair of balls and stop looking to others to make your choices for you. I'm seriously nervous about what dictates your decisions.
 
I'm not sure if you're referring to me or the OP (who just wanted to know people's criteria).

If your suggestions about growing a pair and making ones own decisions were for me, let me know, so I can put you in your place.
 
I'm referring to you (kid from the affluent naigh-bor-hood who dreams of schools like hah-vahd) pal. And yes I do cry at things like kids who can't sip through soup because of oral injuries and infections. However, I find someone pining for ivy league schools because of my snobby background pathetic.
 
But I'm driven by others' perception, rather than my own personal interests......


Seriously? You've got deeper problems than where you want to go to school
 
amalgamgrillz said:
But I'm driven by others' perception, rather than my own personal interests.
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I feel kinda bad for you.

To the OP: Choose the cheapest school. You won't regret it when you don't have to pay off the extra $150k plus interest because you thought a "name brand" dental school would make you into a better clinician than a state school. Contrary to popular SDN beliefs, Penn and Columbia do not teach you a special way to do a class I filling.
 
TheOMSProject said:
It's unfortunate that you live around people who thinks that NYU and Tufts are more competitive dental schools than Maryland or Michigan.

I was more impressed with Michigan than Penn.
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Hmm, I never really thought of Mich being noticeably more competitive than Tufts. Last year both had roughly the same accepted GPA and DAT scores, and same ratio of applicants to acceptances. I have a friend in my masters here with similar stats as mine, and he got into Mich but not Tufts, and I got into Tufts but not Mich. I think it's getting harder and harder to generalize the competitiveness of schools against each other. I probably would have been just as happy going to Mich too though. My friend who graduated from Maryland said the people she knows who went to Mich also loved it there.
 
Malcolm1988 said:
I'm referring to you (kid from the affluent naigh-bor-hood who dreams of schools like hah-vahd) pal. And yes I do cry at things like kids who can't sip through soup because of oral injuries and infections. However, I find someone pining for ivy league schools because of my snobby background pathetic.
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Yeah shame on those who have dreams. I guess it would be a better idea to aim for any school, even though it could negatively affect the success of my career. Like it or not, people prefer certain things about their health-professionals. Does that make them ignorant? Absolutely. At the end of the day, I don't see why it's wrong to strive to give people what they want.

I also like the look of zebra print wallpaper --but I won't use it in my office because I'll be catering to the majority of my audience. I'm ok with compromising my interests in order to be more successful....it's ok that you're not as willing.

That's fine that you find my motives pathetic -- some find me methodical and driven. Some might find you to be compassionate/sympathetic for crying about cleft palates...I see it as weak.
 
Rainee said:
-Year round 60-70 degrees.
-One of most diverse cities in the States.
-Clean!
-Extremely Liberal (which can be good/bad depending on your viewpoints)
-Not a big city at all. It's something like 7 mile by 7 miles which means it's a nice "town" compared to "New York/London." But it has it's benefits, since big cities are a huge sprawl/dirty/more crime/congested/clogged etc.
-"Boasts" world class clubbing/eateries. IMO, it is good, but "bigger" cities like NY or London has a lot more to offer.
-Excellent views/parks aka very scenic
-It's California! aka the Golden State, so it attracts people based on that name alone. (Although, any californian would know that CA has it's extremely bad share of problems)

All in all, it's a "pleasant city." If you don't like suburbia or huge cities, you will like SF. If you like huge cities (NY/London/Paris etc), you will think SF is a "dinky" city with nothing to offer. If you like surburbia, you will think SF is "to fast paced."
Click to expand...

Agreed. Rent sucks though. $1500 for a 500sq/ft studio.
 
amalgamgrillz said:
Yeah shame on those who have dreams. I guess it would be a better idea to aim for any school, even though it could negatively affect the success of my career. Like it or not, people prefer certain things about their health-professionals. Does that make them ignorant? Absolutely. At the end of the day, I don't see why it's wrong to strive to give people what they want.

I also like the look of zebra print wallpaper --but I won't use it in my office because I'll be catering to the majority of my audience. I'm ok with compromising my interests in order to be more successful....it's ok that you're not as willing.

That's fine that you find my motives pathetic -- some find me methodical and driven. Some might find you to be compassionate/sympathetic for crying about cleft palates...I see it as weak.
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Gunner
 
Threads like this always fall apart lol.
 
amalgamgrillz, I'm curious as to what part of the country you live in?
 
For me:

1. UOP (clinical, 3 years, SF!)
2. Columbia (NYC!, pass/fail, COLUMBIA!)
3. VCU (In-****ing-state)

lol
 
So far I've heard location, education quality, prestige, and cost. Anything else people want to add?
 
mc719 said:
So far I've heard location, education quality, prestige, and cost. Anything else people want to add?
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Asking the 3rd and 4th years how prepared they feel heading into whatever they're doing after school - GPR, specialty, private practice, etc.
 
Temple/Pitt = In-state
UoP = 3 years
Columbia/Penn = Expensive, but prestigious.
 
NYU=big school, lots of programs, great location
UoP=3 yr + CALIFORNIA BABY!!!
UF=sunshine!
 
The truth is: Dental School Prestige is something that only exists when it comes to specializing. It is true that certain schools have a higher chance of specializing overall and have a name across the country when it comes to placing residents.

Your patients won't care where you went to school despite what "Mr. Affluent Neighborhood" says.

I have always found that word-of-mouth tends to be the most powerful factor in patients choosing a dentist in my area (I.E. how skilled and pain free was their experience with said dentist), not the word or font used on his/her diploma.
 
hoylematt said:
The truth is: Dental School Prestige is something that only exists when it comes to specializing. It is true that certain schools have a higher chance of specializing overall and have a name across the country when it comes to placing residents.

Your patients won't care where you went to school despite what "Mr. Affluent Neighborhood" says.

I have always found that word-of-mouth tends to be the most powerful factor in patients choosing a dentist in my area (I.E. how skilled and pain free was their experience with said dentist), not the word or font used on his/her diploma.
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Obviously Mr. Loma Linda/Cal State would be on the defensive. I think you'd be more inclined to see things a little differently if you went to other universities. I'm not saying prestige should be on everyone/anyone's list.

The OP asked what our own personal reasons were for our top picks, not what we recommend everyone else look for. I could care less what it's like for you guys in your neighbourhoods. This is the reality I live in, so my priorities are going to be a little different than others.
 
amalgamgrillz said:
Obviously Mr. Loma Linda/Cal State would be on the defensive. I think you'd be more inclined to see things a little differently if you went to other universities. I'm not saying prestige should be on everyone/anyone's list.

The OP asked what our own personal reasons were for our top picks, not what we recommend everyone else look for. I could care less what it's like for you guys in your neighbourhoods. This is the reality I live in, so my priorities are going to be a little different than others.
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Well what matt is saying is the truth and I don't know why you would take it as him being defensive... Just one example is my father who got his dental degree in Mexico and passed the national board exams to be able to practice in the US. In terms of prestige his alma mater is on the pretty low side being that it is out of country, yet he has the most profitable business, best technique, and just overall work stamina of any dentist I've ever met or shadowed. Not being biased only because he's my father, but I have seriously not seen any other dentist treat 40-50 patients per day like my father does. He has friends that have gone to UCLA pediatrics and USC who have much less business and are actually struggling, which in terms of prestige I don't think it gets much higher. He's always told me that the people who focus on prestige spend more time bragging than doing, which coming down to it probably messes with their patient interaction. He reminds me everyday to let my merits/actions speak for me not some paper on the wall. So in a sense just trying to give an example of how prestige is on the low side of importance. Sure its great to have, but if you want to be a great dentist their are many other factors that are much more important.

To answer the OP going to LLU because it is the closest to my home town of SD and my future wife in Mexico. Also, it is a very affordable califonia school compared to USC and Western. Finally because they have just about every type of specialization offered there as well which leaves the possibilities for future education open.
 
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shiftypoptart said:
Well what matt is saying is the truth and I don't know why you would take it as him being defensive... Just one example is my father who got his dental degree in Mexico and passed the national board exams to be able to practice in the US. In terms of prestige his alma mater is on the pretty low side being that it is out of country, yet he has the most profitable business, best technique, and just overall work stamina of any dentist I've ever met or shadowed. Not being biased only because he's my father, but I have seriously not seen any other dentist treat 40-50 patients per day like my father does. He has friends that have gone to UCLA pediatrics and USC who have much less business and are actually struggling, which in terms of prestige I don't think it gets much higher. He's always told me that the people who focus on prestige spend more time bragging than doing, which coming down to it probably messes with their patient interaction. He reminds me everyday to let my merits/actions speak for me not some paper on the wall. So in a sense just trying to give an example of how prestige is on the low side of importance. Sure its great to have, but if you want to be a great dentist their are many other factors that are much more important.

To answer the OP going to LLU because it is the closest to my home town of SD and my future wife in Mexico. Also, it is a very affordable califonia school compared to USC and Western. Finally because they have just about every type of specialization offered there as well which leaves the possibilities for future education open.
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for a second i thought your signature said that your DAT scores were 7, 14, and 10 lulz
 
UCLAzy said:
for a second i thought your signature said that your DAT scores were 7, 14, and 10 lulz
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Haha now that you mention it it does lead you to believe that thats my score since its 3 numbers next to DAT lol.
 
Yeah, I was at a meeting of dentists once regarding how to get referals/financial success, the dentist from Univ. Puerto Rico was the most financially successful in a room full of Stony Brook, Penn, Harvard, etc. graduates. Prestige means nothing...it is all how you take command of your career and reputation.
 
dantemac said:
Yeah, I was at a meeting of dentists once regarding how to get referals/financial success, the dentist from Univ. Puerto Rico was the most financially successful in a room full of Stony Brook, Penn, Harvard, etc. graduates. Prestige means nothing...it is all how you take command of your career and reputation.
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Again, that definitely depends on where you live. I'm sure he/she would be way more successful than a Harvard graduate in areas like San Diego, Phoenix, Austin, etc. Place him/her in the Hamptons or Beverly Hills, and I'm sure the success would be different.

Sometimes prestige can be everything. Seriously, who cares. I want to aim for certain schools, other people want to aim for others. Everyone needs to get over it lol.
 
UOP is probably going to have its new facility ready in 2 more years. For this year's applying class, you will have ur 1st year in the old building, and move into the new facility for ur 2nd and 3 years. I am not sure how much information does the school wants us to disclose about this new facility so I'll just leave it at this. There will be a new UOP coming soon!!!
 
lol sounds like all the private school are building new things to attract students.
 
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