TUFTS or UNLV

[ElCubanito]

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I sent my deposit check already for Tufts and I will likely attend this fall but UNLV is still stuck in the back of my head. Ok, so Im a Cali resident and I just dont know if I will get used to the temperature (today high is 29F), culture, and having my family 3000 miles away. I dont know which school might have superior education and Im feeling kind of nervous about the choice I made.

Which school would you go and why If you had the option?

 

[steve0036]

I sent my deposit check already for Tufts and I will likely attend this fall but UNLV is still stuck in the back of my head. Ok, so Im a Cali resident and I just dont know if I will get used to the temperature (today high is 29F), culture, and having my family 3000 miles away. I dont know which school might have superior education and Im feeling kind of nervous about the choice I made.

Which school would you go and why If you had the option?

Tufts

 

[darius99]

I just dont know if I will get used to the temperature (today high is 29F),

and the predicted low for tonight is 9 degrees .

 

[sahard23]

I'm in the same predicament, have sent my deposit to both BU and UNLV. I'm also a so cali girl, and I'm not sure about the east coast. The programs both seem to have its pros and cons but I'd like to see what others think. Thanks!

 

[teefRcool]

Sahard did you apply to other schools or were those your only choices? Congrats by the way. Picking schools must be fun.

 

[losingfaith27]

I'm in the same predicament, have sent my deposit to both BU and UNLV. I'm also a so cali girl, and I'm not sure about the east coast. The programs both seem to have its pros and cons but I'd like to see what others think. Thanks!

Go to UNLV. Everyone in my class from Cali wishes that they just stayed on the west coast. And those who are here will be heading back west. I'm on the eastcoast and regret not having stayed in cali. Tufts is a good clinical school. All of these schools mentioned above or in another thread (Temple versus UCSF) are expensive except UCSF. Why would you go to Tufts, Temple or BU when you can go to UCSF, a better school, and one that is a lot cheaper. I've never heard anyone speak of BU as a great dental school either. You want snow go to Tahoe or Mammoth. When you're close to getting out you'll realize how expensive dental school is and wish that you stayed cheap. BU is probably the most expensive school in the country. You realize that when you finish BU you will owe 300K, and interest rates even though historically low now are on the rise. Even if you have to go to USC go. It doesn't really matter much which school you go to. There are disgruntled students at all programs, and all schools have weaknesses. The bottom line is that if you can't get into UCSF or UCLA then it's gonna cost you a bundle, and why suffer thru 4 years of miserable weather when you can soak up the sun in cali, be able to see your family once in a while. There will be some that disagree with me, but this is coming from someone who is from cali, not some eastcoast person who loves life here. And don't let anyone tell you that life in Philly is better than life in LA or San Francisco. And if you love snow, the snow out west is far superior. Tufts and UNLV are both good schools, both in my opinion are better than BU.

 

[sahard23]

Thanks for the replies. My choices at this moment are USC, BU, and UNLV I withdrew from UCONN and NOVA post interview, and decided not to attend the NYU interview. I havn't heard from the UC's so the next cheapest option in UNLV. I'm just worried about the student diversity at the school. I guess my main focus tho should be on the education I'm recieving since I do plan to move back to Cali!

 

[toothtutor]

[UNLV is a great school. They have great faculty and TOP NOTCH facilities. Your education at any dental school will have more to do with what you put into it rather than where you go. And do you really want to do snow? By the way UNLV isn't cheap. Out of state you are looking at close to 60 thousand a year. Instate like 40. Also you will be taking the WREB at UNLV which I believe Cali will be accepting if not already.

 

[DIRTIE]

[UNLV is a great school. They have great faculty and TOP NOTCH facilities. Your education at any dental school will have more to do with what you put into it rather than where you go. And do you really want to do snow? By the way UNLV isn't cheap. Out of state you are looking at close to 60 thousand a year. Instate like 40. Also you will be taking the WREB at UNLV which I believe Cali will be accepting if not already.

Why do you make up tuition costs?
instate is 30K

 

[Rezdawg]

BU is probably the most expensive school in the country.

Almost, but there are a handful of schools that are more expensive.

I've never heard anyone speak of BU as a great dental school either.

What does it take to be great? BU has its strengths and weaknesses, just like every other school. Their student body is becoming more impressive every year (3.55 avg gpa for the class of '09), the students do very well on part 2 and the NERBS, located in Boston, great facilities, etc...

Not sure what it takes to be great, but I dont know of one BU student who regrets coming here. The curriculum is pretty strenuous, but you have to expect that at any school. As long as you are happy during the 4 year run, then thats basically all that matters. If you have a much cheaper option, then go with that...if the difference isnt that great, then choose the place that fits you the best.

 

[heemDMD09]

I've never heard anyone speak of BU as a great dental school either. You want snow go to Tahoe or Mammoth. When you're close to getting out you'll realize how expensive dental school is and wish that you stayed cheap. BU is probably the most expensive school in the country. Tufts and UNLV are both good schools, both in my opinion are better than BU.

What are you talking about? BU is a GREAT school. BU is not the most expensive school in the US. There are plenty of schools that are more expensive. If you look at the 4 year tuition for out of state residents between UNLV and BU, UNLV has a higher tuition rate. BU requires better DAT scores, and has higher average GPAs of its freshman class. Also, we have a higher number of applicants. BU has the highest patient pool in the Boston area. BU is the only school that has extra programs in its curriculum that help to enhance your clinical skills, and management skills in the dental office. I am specifically referring to APEX. APEX is 2 12-weeks long sessions during your first and second years of dental school. Also, there is a month-long summer program that introduces students to dental school called EXCEL. BU is a great dental school. Losingfaith doesnt know what he is talking about. Don't go to UNLV, come to BU.

 

[Col Sanders]

If you look at the 4 year tuition for out of state residents between UNLV and BU, UNLV has a higher tuition rate. .

Your kind of right about the tuition but all out of state students become instate after one year so they will not pay out of state tuition all 4 years just one and the fourth year is 20k instead of 30k for everyone.

 

[smile:)]

In the end if you're only practicing dentistry and not trying to become a faculty, the school you attend does not matter. What matters most is that the school prepares you, which all dental schools do.

Your patients won't care about the school you attended, they'll only care about your performance. Let put it like this, would you whether go to a crappy dentist who graduated from Harvard or a great dentist who graduate from UCONN? This is how patients think.

Why spend thousands of dollars for an out of state education, when in state tuition is much less. In the end you'll have a ton of loans to pay back, and even more to start a private practice. I recently had to choose between Tufts, Marquette and SIU, and I'm an Illinois Resident. I chose SIU, their students perform just as high on the boards (ranked 8th in the nation on their last boards), and the cost of education is the cheapest in the country. Their facilities are also relatively new, not as advance as Tufts, but it'll get the job done.

Why focus on "prestige" in a professional world, where the only thing that matters is performance?

 

[Johnson22]

Thanks for the replies. My choices at this moment are USC, BU, and UNLV I withdrew from UCONN and NOVA post interview, and decided not to attend the NYU interview. I havn't heard from the UC's so the next cheapest option in UNLV. I'm just worried about the student diversity at the school. I guess my main focus tho should be on the education I'm recieving since I do plan to move back to Cali!

Go to USC!!!! We love it here! Why would you want to leave so cal?

 

[toddsl]

What are you talking about? BU is a GREAT school. BU is not the most expensive school in the US. There are plenty of schools that are more expensive. If you look at the 4 year tuition for out of state residents between UNLV and BU, UNLV has a higher tuition rate. BU requires better DAT scores, and has higher average GPAs of its freshman class. Also, we have a higher number of applicants. BU has the highest patient pool in the Boston area. BU is the only school that has extra programs in its curriculum that help to enhance your clinical skills, and management skills in the dental office. I am specifically referring to APEX. APEX is 2 12-weeks long sessions during your first and second years of dental school. Also, there is a month-long summer program that introduces students to dental school called EXCEL. BU is a great dental school. Losingfaith doesnt know what he is talking about. Don't go to UNLV, come to BU.

Apex is "Free labor" I was at one of the better sites and dind't get alot out of it. (the first one at least. The second one was alot better because you at least have an idea of what is going on. I will tell you this. I can suction much better having compleated my 2 Apex rotations. Now Externship is a different story. I would go to BU for the externship alone.

👍

 

[miss.nyz]

pick tufts... I'm in it and its great. Theres a bunch of people from Cali too. You can always fly home when you get a chance.

I sent my deposit check already for Tufts and I will likely attend this fall but UNLV is still stuck in the back of my head. Ok, so Im a Cali resident and I just dont know if I will get used to the temperature (today high is 29F), culture, and having my family 3000 miles away. I dont know which school might have superior education and Im feeling kind of nervous about the choice I made.

Which school would you go and why If you had the option?

 

[TeethVader]

I'm in the same predicament, have sent my deposit to both BU and UNLV. I'm also a so cali girl, and I'm not sure about the east coast. The programs both seem to have its pros and cons but I'd like to see what others think. Thanks!

Please come to SC! You have the most beautiful smile...I think I'm in love 😳

 

[joyride]

ditto, tufts all the way......even thought your life will be miserable for the first 2 years, but misery loves company 😉

____________
Tufts 08

pick tufts... I'm in it and its great. Theres a bunch of people from Cali too. You can always fly home when you get a chance.

 

[losingfaith27]

What are you talking about? BU is a GREAT school. BU is not the most expensive school in the US. There are plenty of schools that are more expensive.


If you look at the 4 year tuition for out of state residents between UNLV and BU, UNLV has a higher tuition rate. BU requires better DAT scores, and has higher average GPAs of its freshman class. Also, we have a higher number of applicants.


BU has the highest patient pool in the Boston area. BU is the only school that has extra programs in its curriculum that help to enhance your clinical skills, and management skills in the dental office. I am specifically referring to APEX. APEX is 2 12-weeks long sessions during your first and second years of dental school. Also, there is a month-long summer program that introduces students to dental school called EXCEL. BU is a great dental school. Losingfaith doesnt know what he is talking about. Don't go to UNLV, come to BU.

Plenty of more expensive schools...like what? OK Arizona, USC, and UNLV, and a few others slightly more...basically you will be in over 300K debt at all these. The majority of schools are much cheaper.

Higher number of applicants is not a reason to attend. NYU has a huge applicant pool as well. It has a high number because it's a private school and one of the easier programs to get into.

Go to UNLV, not BU. Tufts and Harv are both better choices than BU. I'm not sold on APEX. Not bashing BU...only my opinion, take it or leave it.

 

[sahard23]

Thanks for the honest opinions! I absolutely loved the city of Boston in the Fall and not so much in the winter. Really each school has its strenghts, but I think I'm now 75% leaning towards UNLV. WE'll see im visisiting again in a couple weeks. I agree USC is a fun school but i think four years in LA is enough! And I feel like 4 years in Boston is too much....desicions desicions!

 

[WildcatDMD]

Boston as a city and school are good. I moved here from Arizona, and all I can say right now is that Boston's weather sucks.. really sucks.. Sucks in the Winter, and sucks in the Summer, and a lot of the time in between. (Sorry, I'm still bitter about waiting outside in lines last night freezing my ____ off) I would choose UNLV for that reason alone. 😀 Unless you want to know just how much you will appreciate good weather after living here. Say hi to Dr. Zoller (UNLV's anatomy prof, his last year teaching at BU was my class).

 

[joyride]

Thanks for the honest opinions! I absolutely loved the city of Boston in the Fall and not so much in the winter. Really each school has its strenghts, but I think I'm now 75% leaning towards UNLV. WE'll see im visisiting again in a couple weeks. I agree USC is a fun school but i think four years in LA is enough! And I feel like 4 years in Boston is too much....desicions desicions!

I've went to college in boston and now i'm still stuck in boston for dental school, but if I had to pick between the warm weather in vegas or the cold in boston, I would go for boston. I'm in the library most of the time anyways and I figure having nice weather around all the time would be a distraction for sure. Besides, having nasty weather a lot makes you appreciate the warm days in Boston.

__________
Tufts 08

 

[Rezdawg]

The cold weather in Boston is overrated...its not like you sit outside. The only time I ever notice the cold here is when Im waiting for the bus in the morning...and thats for 5-10 min. Boston weather is tough from Oct.-Jan...when it gets dark by 5 pm. You get out of class and its night time. Other than that, its not hard to live here. Im from Texas and I'm used to the cold by now.

As far as the UNLV vs. BU debate, look at costs and how much proximity to home matters to you...with those two factors, the decision can be made easier. Good luck.

 

[drhobie7]

You could develop a hobby of playing poker and work your way onto the World Poker Tour! That would be bitchin.

 

[786mine]

Tufts wins hands down, in tuition cost wise, in diversity wise, in having been an established school wise. you name it, Tufts outwins UNLV. The only thing going in UNLV's favor is being all "paperless" which seems all fancy at first but then again its so plain stupid. the students here (I, being one of them) pay about $5000 in tuition per semester for books which we get in DVD format. it's easy to get a quick search, but to read try staring at the laptop screen for over 8 hours a day and you will see how bad the LCD screens are. the worst part is that each semester the license has to be renewed so what are you going to do once you graduate? keep paying $10k a year to use that dvd with e-versions of the books, or go out and buy books? it's overrated if you ask me.

 

[ncalcate]

If you read dentaltown, every single dentist on there will tell you that the school you go to does not matter in private practice. They always say to go the cheapest school possible.

If there is a significant difference in tuition between UNLV and Tufts, then it is really a no-brainer. Go to UNLV (unless of course someone else is footing the bill).

If you go to Tufts, not only you will be paying sky-high tuition, you will most likely have to rely on the very unreliable subway system (the green line trains break all the time). You will be paying extreme prices in rent to live in not-so-nice areas (you couldn't pay me to live in Allston, Brighton, or Dorchester). And you will be going to an area with incredible car insurance premiums, but with no parking spaces (try finding a place to park in Fenway or the Back Bay).

In all seriousness, make your decision on objective factors, not just because some pre-dent on here says "Tufts is the best clinical school out there."

Good luck.

 

[joyride]

Tufts wins hands down, in tuition cost wise, in diversity wise, in having been an established school wise. you name it, Tufts outwins UNLV. The only thing going in UNLV's favor is being all "paperless" which seems all fancy at first but then again its so plain stupid. the students here (I, being one of them) pay about $5000 in tuition per semester for books which we get in DVD format. it's easy to get a quick search, but to read try staring at the laptop screen for over 8 hours a day and you will see how bad the LCD screens are. the worst part is that each semester the license has to be renewed so what are you going to do once you graduate? keep paying $10k a year to use that dvd with e-versions of the books, or go out and buy books? it's overrated if you ask me.

tufts is all paperless too - records and radiographs, its a much more efficient way to do things.

_________
Tufts 08

 

[786mine]

If you read dentaltown, every single dentist on there will tell you that the school you go to does not matter in private practice. They always say to go the cheapest school possible.

If there is a significant difference in tuition between UNLV and Tufts, then it is really a no-brainer. Go to UNLV (unless of course someone else is footing the bill).

If you go to Tufts, not only you will be paying sky-high tuition, you will most likely have to rely on the very unreliable subway system (the green line trains break all the time). You will be paying extreme prices in rent to live in not-so-nice areas (you couldn't pay me to live in Allston, Brighton, or Dorchester). And you will be going to an area with incredible car insurance premiums, but with no parking spaces (try finding a place to park in Fenway or the Back Bay).

In all seriousness, make your decision on objective factors, not just because some pre-dent on here says "Tufts is the best clinical school out there."

Good luck.

What are you talking about? Las Vegas is one of the most expensive cities to live in the US. UNLV is a commuter school, you can't even afford to live near the school, the prces are so high. On average a student lives 10-15 miles. I live 12 miles away and it takes me a good 30 mins each way, that 1 hour wasted for every day I go to the school. Traffic is Vegas has gone from worse to very bad, lots of reconstruction on the I-15 and US-95, freeway goes from 4 lane down to 1 lane for over 2 miles and you can imagine the backup that causes. Vegas' rent/morgage may be expensive but I think it it still relavitvely cheaper to live here. That all being said, Tufts wins over UNLV hands down.

 

[unlvdmd]

What? People live away from the school for safety reasons. I don't know too many people that want to live with a 5 mile radius of that ghetto. Unfortunatley, that is where the medical district is... hence the local of the dental school. That area of town is actually cheaper than Henderson, etc. People drive out there cause they want to live out there. I live in Henderson and it takes me 20 min in the morning and 30 min afternoon WITH traffic. No biggie 🙂

 

[ncalcate]

That all being said, Tufts wins over UNLV hands down.

You're making an unsubstantiated assertion with no real evidence to back it up.

Boston is one of the most expensive cities to live in. I'm not saying this just because I lived in a suburb of Boston for over 22 years of my life, but because of this:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/09/08/report_rates_boston_most_expensive_city/

In state tuition at UNLV is $30,650 per year (http://dentalschool.unlv.edu/admissions_tuition.html)

Tuition at Tufts is $42850 per year (http://www.tufts.edu/dental/student_services/financial_aid/cost.html)

So basically, you can live in one the most expensive cities in the U.S., pay nearly $50,000 more in tuition over 4 years, and have the "privilege" of commuting on a crowded green line train to school right next to the old Combat Zone. And you're saying Tufts wins hands down????

 

[Rezdawg]

You're making an unsubstantiated assertion with no real evidence to back it up.

Boston is one of the most expensive cities to live in. I'm not saying this just because I lived in a suburb of Boston for over 22 years of my life, but because of this:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/09/08/report_rates_boston_most_expensive_city/

That issue is geared more towards home owners and families of 4. If you are a single student, how much you spend on living is basically up to you. Of course, there are limits, and in general, Boston is more expensive than Vegas. Its all about how you want to live and want your minimum standards are for living. I have classmates that do 40 minute commutes and have apartments for 600 a month. If you want to get by spending less money, it is very possible to do so.

 

[curlieeee]

DEFINITELY UNLV!!! brand new school with brand new facilities!! plus the location is amazing!

Tufts wins hands down, in tuition cost wise, in diversity wise, in having been an established school wise. you name it, Tufts outwins UNLV. The only thing going in UNLV's favor is being all "paperless" which seems all fancy at first but then again its so plain stupid. the students here (I, being one of them) pay about $5000 in tuition per semester for books which we get in DVD format. it's easy to get a quick search, but to read try staring at the laptop screen for over 8 hours a day and you will see how bad the LCD screens are. the worst part is that each semester the license has to be renewed so what are you going to do once you graduate? keep paying $10k a year to use that dvd with e-versions of the books, or go out and buy books? it's overrated if you ask me.

 

[bacchus-D]

I sent my deposit check already for Tufts and I will likely attend this fall but UNLV is still stuck in the back of my head. Ok, so Im a Cali resident and I just dont know if I will get used to the temperature (today high is 29F), culture, and having my family 3000 miles away. I dont know which school might have superior education and Im feeling kind of nervous about the choice I made.

Which school would you go and why If you had the option?

hey I just happend to stumble upon this,
I am an eastern coast grad, this is what my classmates from west told me throughout 4 yrs.. they hate east, too cold, people too uptight.. and you know the worst thing is when they tried to go back to west esp. to california to take California Board, one of them actually had to fly patients to LA and cost him few thousand $$.. and other guys had to pay this company to hook them up with patients.. so if you are ever planning to go back Cal or west coast, stay west coast because it would be easier for you to go to west coast school. Yes you can fly back to west once a while but you don't fly for free plus have you ever snowed in the airport? sucks trust me..
I am an original east coast men, went to east coast schools and working in east coast but i had all my dental school friends were from west and I am sure they agree with me and I hope this helps..