Tufts, Maryland, or Penn??

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Which school do you think is the best choice?

  • Maryland

    Votes: 38 21.2%

  • Penn

    Votes: 95 53.1%

  • Tufts

    Votes: 46 25.7%
  • Total voters
    179
D

DMDomer12

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Hey SDNers...I could still really use some help with my decision. The more advice I get, the quicker I deposit at just one school and free up the other two haha.

Please let me know where you would choose (Tufts, Penn, or Maryland) and why. They're pretty much all the same exact cost, and I'm looking to leave options open to specialize, but I'm not dead-set on anything in particular. I like Boston and Philly better than Baltimore, but I loved Maryland. I REALLY appreciate any advice/suggestions. Thank you!
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Here is something you've probably read 1,000,000 times:

Go to the cheaper schoooooooooooooooooollll

To specialize, you gotta work haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard , nomatter where you go

not either or, but do both
 
Charmm said:
Here is something you've probably read 1,000,000 times:

Go to the cheaper schoooooooooooooooooollll

To specialize, you gotta work haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard , nomatter where you go

not either or, but do both
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Working hard and needing to be in the top 5...two very different things at all 3 of those schools.
 
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My vote goes to Tufts! Because they have the best student body. If you want to specialize, go to Penn. They have the best specialization rates (assuming you don't believe in the theory that if you're smart enough to specialize, you can specialize anywhere). I don't know too much about Maryland. It's a beautiful school I hear.
 
Very tough choice. I think we need more insight into what you'd like from dental school. And how important debt is to you.
 
dantemac said:
Very tough choice. I think we need more insight into what you'd like from dental school. And how important debt is to you.
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Thanks for being willing to help me out guys!!

I am OOS for Maryland and Penn and Tufts are just the same set price for both IS and OOS. I will have the means to pay for housing on my own, but I will use loans for the rest of dental school (tuition, fees, etc). Thus, I don't really see how price can even factor into my decision. From my calculations, they would all just about equal out in the end.

I am definitely considering specializing, but I don't have my heart set on it. I'd like to have the option, but again I think I could at all schools. I know at Penn it would be MUCH easier, but if I worked hard I could at Maryland and Tufts.

Basically, I want to know where people are happiest. Which students seem to be enjoying dental school and genuinely like their classmates? Which city is the best, and why? Who says that they would make their choice over and over again? Any insights??

Thanks guys!! :)
 
Since cost is not a factor for you, this should be easy:

the only thing positive about Maryland is their techology/facilities. Tufts has that and more, so Tufts>Maryland.
The only thing really "lacking" at Penn, besides its price tag, is their pre-clinic. So if the only thing that really matters to you for your dental education is a nice D1/D2 pre-clinic, then go to Tufts. Otherwise, Penn should be a no-brainer.

Done.
 
DentalGunner said:
Since cost is not a factor for you, this should be easy:

the only thing positive about Maryland is their techology/facilities. Tufts has that and more, so Tufts>Maryland.
The only thing really "lacking" at Penn, besides its price tag, is their pre-clinic. So if the only thing that really matters to you for your dental education is a nice D1/D2 pre-clinic, then go to Tufts. Otherwise, Penn should be a no-brainer.

Done.
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Maryland's curriculum is weak?
 
DMDomer12 said:
I am definitely considering specializing, but I don't have my heart set on it. I'd like to have the option, but again I think I could at all schools. I know at Penn it would be MUCH easier, but if I worked hard I could at Maryland and Tufts.

Basically, I want to know where people are happiest. Which students seem to be enjoying dental school and genuinely like their classmates? Which city is the best, and why? Who says that they would make their choice over and over again? Any insights??
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iralex801 said:
My vote goes to Tufts! Because they have the best student body.
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Im going to agreee with iralex here, thinking that Tufts would be a great fit for you. In my experience talking to Tufts dental students (I have been to visit the school a few times, and I have two people I know attending...a D2 and a D3) and talking to as well as visiting a good friend who is a D1 at UPenn this year, in my mind Tufts wins in terms of happiness quotient/sense of community factors. Those are my 2 cents, but my experience is limited to that of the people I've met and the people I know at both schools.

I think you should definitely talk to more people. My advice would be to talk to people who actually attend the schools you're looking at versus pre-dents who are probably merely speculating. Contact people over SDN and people who were at your interviews as well as their friends in order to get the broadest range of opinions

Oh, and I haven't applied to dental school this year, so I have no vested interest in your decision to attend either school. Just telling you what I think.
 
LaFleur said:
Im going to agreee with iralex here, thinking that Tufts would be a great fit for you. In my experience talking to Tufts dental students (I have been to visit the school a few times, and I have two people I know attending...a D2 and a D3) and talking to as well as visiting a good friend who is a D1 at UPenn this year, in my mind Tufts wins in terms of happiness quotient/sense of community factors. Those are my 2 cents, but my experience is limited to that of the people I've met and the people I know at both schools.

I think you should definitely talk to more people. My advice would be to talk to people who actually attend the schools you're looking at versus pre-dents who are probably merely speculating. Contact people over SDN and people who were at your interviews as well as their friends in order to get the broadest range of opinions

Oh, and I haven't applied to dental school this year, so I have no vested interest in your decision to attend either school. Just telling you what I think.
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Thank you all for voting and giving me your input. I know we are all kind of in the same boat, but I appreciate hearing what my peers are thinking about the schools.

I don't want to sound conceited at all, and I'm definitely not on here trying to brag. I was shocked to get interviews and even more shocked and blessed to have been accepted. I just want to hear some outsider advice from those other than my family (we live closest to Penn so you know what school they're voting for!).

Thanks so much Fleur! I also got your PM. I've decided to go back and visit both schools and try to talk to the students. I'm also going to try to look up info I was given at the interviews and contact current students to get their perspectives. Good luck applying next year :D
 
At tufts, students go out of their way to help each other. The older class takes time out to help the new class. All the students love it.....I have no clue about other schools.
 
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Dude, Are you really going to base your decision off a poll? About half of the voters probably didn't get into a school. And the other half of the voters are just going to vote for the school they interviewed at. Which leaves you no where. You're capable of getting good grades and acing interviews...it can't be that hard to make a decision.. So tired of these threads!
 
timwatley said:
Dude, Are you really going to base your decision off a poll? About half of the voters probably didn't get into a school. And the other half of the voters are just going to vote for the school they interviewed at. Which leaves you no where. You're capable of getting good grades and acing interviews...it can't be that hard to make a decision.. So tired of these threads!
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No, I absolutely will NOT base my decision off of this poll. I've worked extremely hard to have the options that I do today. I am writing on here because I am really struggling with my decision and was hoping to hear something exceptionally positive or new about a school that I may have missed at the interviews. If you didn't see, I have already arranged to go back and visit them again. I was really just hoping for some informational feedback and I'm sorry you feel that this is a stupid idea on my part...if you have anything constructive/helpful to say about the schools, I'd appreciate your feedback.
 
DMDomer12 said:
No, I absolutely will NOT base my decision off of this poll. I've worked extremely hard to have the options that I do today. I am writing on here because I am really struggling with my decision and was hoping to hear something exceptionally positive or new about a school that I may have missed at the interviews. If you didn't see, I have already arranged to go back and visit them again. I was really just hoping for some informational feedback and I'm sorry you feel that this is a stupid idea on my part...if you have anything constructive/helpful to say about the schools, I'd appreciate your feedback.
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Then what's the point of the poll? Is it a purposeless poll? To each their own I guess. Cheers.
 
If cost is not an issue, I'd go to penn cause they dont rank the 11th on, supposedly they only rank top 10.
 
All 3 are really good schools. I'd vote for Tufts for several reasons.
 
If your looking where dental students seem to be happy and in a warm familial atmosphere...i'd say tufts too! Both from talking to students - slash knowing first years and also alumni who are working orthodontists with kids (they all had no regrets and enjoyed their experience there)...if your okay with a big class size, Tufts has a great atmosphere. Dental school is going to be tough, but its nice knowing that people are helping each other out! I don't really know a ton about UPenn, but Tufts is great clinically, and thats coming from my dad whose on the OMFS committee at cook county hospital Chicago - he has a second year resident who was a recent graduate from tufts...
 
sperten said:
At tufts, students go out of their way to help each other. The older class takes time out to help the new class. All the students love it.....I have no clue about other schools.
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Thanks Sperten, do you go to Tufts or do you have a friend I could talk to?? I'd love to get as much input as possible from the students before I decide! I have two friends at Penn D3, D4, but none at Tufts.

Also thanks for your great input Katwoman, I appreciate it!

And @tim, the poll is just something fun I put on here so that those who didn't want to type something down could still voice their opinions. It's not exactly what I wanted, but the results have still be interesting and it's gets SDNers to read the thread. If they have something good to say, perhaps they'll be willing to type it out once they're already on the page!
 
timwatley said:
Dude, Are you really going to base your decision off a poll? About half of the voters probably didn't get into a school. And the other half of the voters are just going to vote for the school they interviewed at. Which leaves you no where. You're capable of getting good grades and acing interviews...it can't be that hard to make a decision.. So tired of these threads!
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First off, you should chill. seriously
Secondly, yes it is "that hard" to make a decision.
Actually, its probably the most important decision of ones life.
 
:) no problem! Also - I have a few friends that go to Tufts ( I know you weren't asking me) - they are in finals right now, but I can try and see if someone will talk to you. I went to Tufts undergrad which is why I know so much ab the dental school too haha - so I am personally biased. I think I'm going to Tufts too next year - sent my deposit in recently, will still be going on interviews but its definitely one of my top choices....
 
Baker2010 said:
First off, you should chill. seriously
Secondly, yes it is "that hard" to make a decision.
Actually, its probably the most important decision of ones life.
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Thanks Baker, I'm so glad you understand how difficult this decision is!!
 
Yea, I go to Tufts. You can ask anything you want. It is an amazing school with an amazing view. You probably saw it already but .......i just love the view of boston.
 
sperten said:
Yea, I go to Tufts. You can ask anything you want. It is an amazing school with an amazing view. You probably saw it already but .......i just love the view of boston.
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Thanks, just PMed you!!
 
Late to the discussion - all three are good schools. I went to Tufts and enjoyed my time there.

Out of the three, I will say that Tufts offers the least chance of getting shot/stabbed outside the building. On a serious note, Tufts is very strong clinically and you'll have a great shot to specialize if you work hard (though that's the same anywhere)
 
If you have questions about Tufts, pm me and we can chat.
 
On a side note, I thought Maryland had more upside than just the facilities. The campus was nice (immediate area), the city isn't too bad, and their curriculum offers unique things like the Perryville retreat, international externships, and the little mini-GPR selectives. Not to mention the building is gorgeous. Who wouldn't want to show up there every day? (I guess the people stuck in the overflow classrooms?)
 
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I narrowed my decision down to Tufts and Penn and just re-visited Tufts! Everyone seemed SO happy there but still down-to-earth and very serious about their career choice. I think it would be a great fit for me. However, I am going to go back to Penn next week and take another look as well! I think I want to go to Tufts but feel like I should go to Penn.

Regarding clinic, price, and curriculum both schools are almost identical. To me, the major difference has to do with specialization rates and location. But I agree with vellnueve, who said that if you want it and work hard enough, you can specialize anywhere. Additionally, I think Boston is a nicer city than Philly, even though I am sure both are great places for 20-30 year olds to live!
 
DMDomer12 said:
I narrowed my decision down to Tufts and Penn and just re-visited Tufts! Everyone seemed SO happy there but still down-to-earth and very serious about their career choice. I think it would be a great fit for me. However, I am going to go back to Penn next week and take another look as well! I think I want to go to Tufts but feel like I should go to Penn.

Regarding clinic, price, and curriculum both schools are almost identical. To me, the major difference has to do with specialization rates and location. But I agree with vellnueve, who said that if you want it and work hard enough, you can specialize anywhere. Additionally, I think Boston is a nicer city than Philly, even though I am sure both are great places for 20-30 year olds to live!
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Boston is a great place to go to school. Spent 9 years there undergrad + Tufts, with a year off.
 
:( In the same predicament. I'm in-state at Maryland though, so most dentists tell me it's a no-brainer...
 
sperten said:
Yea, I go to Tufts. You can ask anything you want. It is an amazing school with an amazing view. You probably saw it already but .......i just love the view of boston.
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this. hahaha
 
I'll admit I'm a little biased, but I hope you pick Tufts.:thumbup: The new five floors of the school are incredible and the technology is amazing. I had nine interviews, and after all of them Tufts was by far my top choice. You have to make the decision that's right for you, though. I hope to see you this fall.
 
Thanks omnipoDent! I actually am going to attend Tufts next year, just made my official decision and I am going to be contacting both schools early this week. It's more of a gut feeling than anything, and everything about Tufts was so appealing to my personality and career goals. I am excited to meet you this coming fall! :)

omnipoDent said:
I'll admit I'm a little biased, but I hope you pick Tufts.:thumbup: The new five floors of the school are incredible and the technology is amazing. I had nine interviews, and after all of them Tufts was by far my top choice. You have to make the decision that's right for you, though. I hope to see you this fall.
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DMDomer12 said:
Thanks omnipoDent! I actually am going to attend Tufts next year, just made my official decision and I am going to be contacting both schools early this week. It's more of a gut feeling than anything, and everything about Tufts was so appealing to my personality and career goals. I am excited to meet you this coming fall! :)
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Wonderful!:clap: I had the same gut feeling about Tufts. The faculty and students were friendly, genuine, and intelligent. Everyone seemed to love being there. I knew it was where I wanted to go by the end of the interview day. Also, while it was my first trip there, Boston seems like a great city. I look forward to meeting you. Go Jumbos!
 
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Wow you're making me re-consider my choice to attend Penn haha. The people who went to Tufts were friendlier.
 
dantemac said:
Wow you're making me re-consider my choice to attend Penn haha. The people who went to Tufts were friendlier.
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I'm not looking to start some argument about Tufts vs. Penn. I went and saw Penn when I lived in Philly. Great campus. Great school. I didn't apply there because after living there for two years, I'd had my fill of Philadelphia. I'm not sure if you have lived there before, but Philly is not for everyone. Some people really like it, though.

After I hit a certain level of schools that I felt all had great facilities, technology, location, name/reputation (even though I'm not sure how much this really matters), curriculum, preparation clinically, board success, and faculty, then the happiness of the student body did have an impact on my choice. For example, the students I met on my USC interview seemed to hate being there. I had other complaints about USC and didn't have them anywhere near the top of my list, but that also bothered me. I don't want to be in my classes with a bunch of students that felt they settled for their school, wish they were somewhere else, and dislike the program/curriculum. From the students I spoke with at Tufts, they felt they learn a lot from the curriculum, love the school, and seemed to have a great relationship with the faculty. I'm not saying everyone at Tufts definitely feels like that, but it seemed to be what I mainly encountered while there.

Also, as I met faculty that were pretentious and rude at other interviews, I thought it was refreshing that they didn't feel the need to be that way at Tufts. I'm going to have to be around these people for the next four years, and I'm going to be associated with them after I graduate. I thought these things helped separate Tufts from the other schools that also had great resources, facilities, etc.. Obviously, I really liked the school. You don't have to feel the same, but that's just how I felt after considering all the places I interviewed. As Penn is your choice, I hope Penn is all great things for you. Penn is an amazing school, but so is Tufts. Personal preference.

I realized the probable sarcasm of your post, but I decided to treat you like a mature adult with a real response. :thumbup:
 
dantemac said:
Wow you're making me re-consider my choice to attend Penn haha. The people who went to Tufts were friendlier.
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Hey Dantemac, I don't think you're being sarcastic, but I do believe that the people at Tufts are VERY, VERY happy. I have yet to hear one bad word said about the school or the city (other than the price tag). That being said, Penn is an amazing school and it is SO hard to turn it down. I have a friend who goes there and she absolutely loves the school and her classmates. It's a personal thing for everyone, and if you made the choice to go to Penn then you made it for personal reasons, and I am sure you will be successful and enjoy your time there :)
 
DMDomer12 said:
Hey Dantemac, I don't think you're being sarcastic, but I do believe that the people at Tufts are VERY, VERY happy. I have yet to hear one bad word said about the school or the city (other than the price tag). That being said, Penn is an amazing school and it is SO hard to turn it down. I have a friend who goes there and she absolutely loves the school and her classmates. It's a personal thing for everyone, and if you made the choice to go to Penn then you made it for personal reasons, and I am sure you will be successful and enjoy your time there :)
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I was being serious. The people at Penn were still extremely friendly, I'd say it was my most relaxed interview actually. But at Tufts, everyone was so nice. It was the only dental school lunch where the dental students just started talking without being asked anything. And they seemed to love the faculty. I just got a great vibe. Plus the building is nice. I have a personal weakness for statistics and proof, and Dr. Gonthier really hit the nail at the Tufts presentation. He gave you the hard data and he even got into the reasons why the ADA and ADEA works like it does.
 
Apparently md its hard to get become in state and tbh baltimore is not the safest, md is a great school but baltimore isnt a lovely safe city. If u liked boston & philly more than go w/ that or the cheapest school
 
Did anyone else pick Maryland over Tufts & Penn?? It's so beautiful! I have friends at all 3 schools, and they're all super happy. I just kind of wish Maryland had a 'DMD' so I don't have to change my sdn username. :D
 
I decided not to choose Maryland over Penn. To me, they offer the same options but just with a nicer facility.
 
dantemac said:
I was being serious. The people at Penn were still extremely friendly, I'd say it was my most relaxed interview actually. But at Tufts, everyone was so nice. It was the only dental school lunch where the dental students just started talking without being asked anything. And they seemed to love the faculty. I just got a great vibe. Plus the building is nice. I have a personal weakness for statistics and proof, and Dr. Gonthier really hit the nail at the Tufts presentation. He gave you the hard data and he even got into the reasons why the ADA and ADEA works like it does.
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Dantemac, I apologize for thinking you were being sarcastic. I believe I may have just read one too many sarcastic and angry comments on SDN over the months I have been following discussions. Penn is a fantastic school. I hope you have a great one there. I have a friend I knew in Philly that ended up at Penn dental, and he really loves it.
 
dantemac said:
I decided not to choose Maryland over Penn. To me, they offer the same options but just with a nicer facility.
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Yeah, and Maryland is bigger on technology/digitizing everything (which is both a + and -). Penn's dual degrees were super enticing, but everything at MD was just so pretty and warm (and I'm in-state, so free meals from mom :)
 
In-state = no question. I have HPSP, I could have gone there technically, but the deadline passed.
 
I also really loved Maryland. It is an amazing school with great facilities, and very nice people. The technology, clinics (special needs and PLUS) are also great draws, as is the brand-spanking-new grad student center/library/gym. For me, Maryland was probably my favorite school. However, I personally connected most with Tufts, and Boston was my favorite city. Penn, meanwhile was my dream school, but I didn't feel the gut draw to Penn that I had been hoping for. Additionally, I hated the basements...I know it's only two years of your life, but I couldn't necessarily see myself being happy there on a daily basis.

Bottom line: all three are AMAZING schools. We all worked hard to get in and we're so fortunate to have decisions. I'm excited to be your colleagues, and I can't wait to meet those heading to Tufts this fall! :)
 
DMDomer12 said:
I also really loved Maryland. It is an amazing school with great facilities, and very nice people. The technology, clinics (special needs and PLUS) are also great draws, as is the brand-spanking-new grad student center/library/gym. For me, Maryland was probably my favorite school. However, I personally connected most with Tufts, and Boston was my favorite city. Penn, meanwhile was my dream school, but I didn't feel the gut draw to Penn that I had been hoping for. Additionally, I hated the basements...I know it's only two years of your life, but I couldn't necessarily see myself being happy there on a daily basis.

Bottom line: all three are AMAZING schools. We all worked hard to get in and we're so fortunate to have decisions. I'm excited to be your colleagues, and I can't wait to meet those heading to Tufts this fall! :)
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:thumbup:
 
I'm in a similar boat. I've been accepted to both Tufts and Maryland. I need to put my deposit down by March 2nd on both schools, but every day I'm changing my mind on which one is most appropriate for my circumstance.

Tufts – I thought the facilities were great, everyone was incredibly friendly, and the school was very forward thinking. Even though placing into program isn't as difficult as Maryland, I think that the quality of education and overall program is about as competitive as it gets. The relative lack of a highly competitive applicant pool is likely to due to cost and not quality; Tufts is pricing themselves out of that applicant pool. $400K+ is such a difficult pill to swallow. I absolutely love the New England area. There's such a high density of young bright people that the city has no choice but to be geared towards the interest of this crowd. Boston is also a safe place (homicide rates I believe are around 1/20,000). The biggest downfall I see is that Boston and Tufts are expensive.

Maryland - Also great facilities, friendly, and forward thinking. Very solid program and I love the fact that you can mildly tailor your education to your interest. I have the feeling that the ability to choose your own electives (thus tailoring your education) can help you specialize. I'm without a doubt going for OMFS, so this is helpful. It seems that you can get in state tuition if you plan ahead. Thus, cost may be considerably decreased (cost of attendance should be approx 261K if residency is received after 1st year, 292K if after 2nd year, and 359K if for some reason you can't get residency). To me, Baltimore is not an attractive city. The rate of violent crime is beat only by Detroit. I think the homicide rate is around 1 in 2700. I took a wrong turn after my interview and ended up in some very unsavory areas. Google "Baltimore homicide map". It's a bit unnerving.

Obviously cost is of paramount importance. If I get MD residency, I can save between 110-140K. This makes MD the better choice. But here's the rub; this is an "IF". There's no guarantee. Considering changes in state funding, I could imagine the state intentionally making the process to receive residency for tuition purposes even more difficult than it already is. I would gladly pay an additional 40K (60K post interest) to go to Tufts, but 110-140K (165-210K post interest) is pushing it. I expect my future income to easily handle a 400K+ loan, but that doesn't mean I want to be weighed down by it. I'm an older student and probably wont be done with my residency until I'm 38-40, and that seems like a crappy age to be weighed down by loans. Anyhow, I'm not going to make my final decision until I consult with more people and do a little more analyzing and soul searching. Hopefully I get into my state school (Florida) and this all becomes an unnecessary discussion. :D Either way, I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to go to either of these schools. I don't think I can go wrong with either, but I know there is a better choice between the two.
 
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