Turn Down a Scholarship?!!!

[Geege]

I am lucky enough to have been offered a 50% scholarship for all 4 years of dental school. The downside is, I am not thrilled about the school.. or more so its location. Would I be an absolute fool to turn down such a scholarship? I really think I would be miserable at the location. How important of a role should finances play in this decision vs life experience? With the scholarship, this school would be ~100,000 (including living expenses!) cheaper than the school of my choice. Thoughts?? Thanks in advance!

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[lmaozedong1]

I am lucky enough to have been offered a 50% scholarship for all 4 years of dental school. The downside is, I am not thrilled about the school.. or more so its location. Would I be an absolute fool to turn down such a scholarship? I really think I would be miserable at the location. How important of a role should finances play in this decision vs life experience? With the scholarship, this school would be ~100,000 (including living expenses!) cheaper than the school of my choice. Thoughts?? Thanks in advance!

What schools are they? Seriously, it will help us understand the situation more clearly.

 

[Geege]

What schools are they? Seriously, it will help us understand the situation more clearly.

UDM. Vs. Temple (and yes, I know Philly is no gorgeous city either!)

 

[bing12]

i dont understand the obsession of many students on location. I personally feel that factors that are should be weighted highly are : cost and type of students that attend the school. IMO, you will not have much time to really enjoy the location you will be in. What is important are the type of students that typically attend that school, because you will be with them for the next 4 years ( almost every single day). If you visit a school, and enjoy the current student body, then I believe thats a better indicator of happiness versus the actual location and its surroundings.

If you are going to be saving a large amount of money going to one school over another, and you are afraid the location might not be ideal, I would say go with the CHEAPER ONE. You would have so much more to regret if you go to the more expensive school. You will be working very hard and studying at both schools, with not much time to really enjoy the surrounding areas.

 

[spearmint]

I concure. You would be making a big mistake in the long run if you turn down the school with the scholarship. You will be working your butt off at both schools and will probably be miserable at some point or another at either one. I would rather be miserable and $100K less in debt. With accrued interest, that's about $200k you would have to pay back. Four years will go by fast. Congratulations on getting the scholarship.

 

[Philippines03j]

Cost is definitely important... What don't you like about the location? Is it because you don't feel like you are safe? Not much to do? Not as exciting? It maight not be as fun or whatever but it won't be much fun paying off the extra 100 grand either!

 

[MechZZ]

You guys are out of your mind if you don't think location makes a difference. Dental school is a stressful and it's even worse if you're in a city that you absolutely hate. Picking BU over USC and Nova was probably the easiest decision for me because of LOCATION. I HATE driving around so that throws USC out the window. I also HATED Miami cause I lived there for a year, so that throws Nova out. In Boston, I have family and friends every where.

Yes, you will be holed up in a library studying or wasting away in your labs but this is 4 years of your life we're talking about here. You will occasionally find time for yourself. If you genuinely enjoy one location over the other than it'll go a long ways to relieving the stress of dental school.

 

[Msmouth]

You guys are out of your mind if you don't think location makes a difference. Dental school is a stressful and it's even worse if you're in a city that you absolutely hate. Picking BU over USC and Nova was probably the easiest decision for me because of LOCATION. I HATE driving around so that throws USC out the window. I also HATED Miami cause I lived there for a year, so that throws Nova out. In Boston, I have family and friends every where.

Yes, you will be holed up in a library studying or wasting away in your labs but this is 4 years of your life we're talking about here. You will occasionally find time for yourself. If you genuinely enjoy one location over the other than it'll go a long ways to relieving the stress of dental school.

I would save the money........less stress after school.

So tell me what scholarship and how you got it, pretty please!

 

[Geege]

You guys are out of your mind if you don't think location makes a difference. Dental school is a stressful and it's even worse if you're in a city that you absolutely hate. Picking BU over USC and Nova was probably the easiest decision for me because of LOCATION. I HATE driving around so that throws USC out the window. I also HATED Miami cause I lived there for a year, so that throws Nova out. In Boston, I have family and friends every where.

Yes, you will be holed up in a library studying or wasting away in your labs but this is 4 years of your life we're talking about here. You will occasionally find time for yourself. If you genuinely enjoy one location over the other than it'll go a long ways to relieving the stress of dental school.

That's what I was thinking! It has been a few months since I interviewed there, but when I was in Detroit, I remember being miserable! There's nothing to do, everything is run-down and empty! I didn't even see many people out. Now, the school itself is not bad. In fact, it's all pretty new and modern! I'm not sure what it's reputation is, however. And it's surrounded by a steel fence that kinda reminds me of prison.

 

[bing12]

You guys are out of your mind if you don't think location makes a difference. Dental school is a stressful and it's even worse if you're in a city that you absolutely hate. Picking BU over USC and Nova was probably the easiest decision for me because of LOCATION. I HATE driving around so that throws USC out the window. I also HATED Miami cause I lived there for a year, so that throws Nova out. In Boston, I have family and friends every where.

Yes, you will be holed up in a library studying or wasting away in your labs but this is 4 years of your life we're talking about here. You will occasionally find time for yourself. If you genuinely enjoy one location over the other than it'll go a long ways to relieving the stress of dental school.

All those schools are in all very expensive, and I believe similarly priced correct? If so, then it is fine to chose a school based on other factors such as location, because the opportunity cost is low ( you are not giving up something large in order to pursue something else).

BUT, in this case, THE OP should not be willing to gamble a large sum of money for a perceived happiness.

ONE THING IS FOR SURE: if you go to the cheaper school, you are certain to save a large amount of money.

NOT FOR SURE: if you go to the more expensive school, you will be happier.

You may be happy at either school. I am a relatively risk averse person, so I judge things on its level of certainty. If money is of very little importance to you, then go ahead and go to any school you may think you would enjoy more. But if money is of importance, chose wisely and go with the cheaper choice.

 

[punchdrunk7]

All those schools are in all very expensive, and I believe similarly priced correct? If so, then it is fine to chose a school based on other factors such as location, because the opportunity cost is low ( you are not giving up something large in order to pursue something else).

BUT, in this case, THE OP should not be willing to gamble a large sum of money for a perceived happiness.

ONE THING IS FOR SURE: if you go to the cheaper school, you are certain to save a large amount of money.

NOT FOR SURE: if you go to the more expensive school, you will be happier.

You may be happy at either school. I am a relatively risk averse person, so I judge things on its level of certainty. If money is of very little importance to you, then go ahead and go to any school you may think you would enjoy more. But if money is of importance, chose wisely and go with the cheaper choice.

Well said brotha

 

[321931]

To each to his own.

My own personal happiness dictates how well I do in school. If I go to school in a depressing city with high crime, no attractions, no scenery, no scenes, and terrible weather, I would most likely feel "ugh" which translates to worse grades. Not only that, but I'm sure that feeling is contagious within the student body. Just another day in "that" city.

Alot of people make the argument about price>location...which does have some merit, but here is a quote to think about:

"It doesn't matter what job you do as long as it makes you happy." We have all heard that quote before from our parents, siblings and friends. It doesn't matter if you a plumber, dentist, or work as a cafeteria worker. It also doesn't matter if you make 100k, 200k, 10k, 20k, 50k- AS long as it makes YOU happy. The quote can definitely be applied to the OP's price vrs. location situation.

Saving a buck is definitely important, but in the end, choose what makes YOU happy. As long as you are happy, that is all that matters. Personally, I chose a 350K school over 250k. I would rather be in San Francisco then Detroit.

 

[duckdds]

I know people here are saying that cost is most important. But seriously, Detroit sucks. Even with a 50% scholarship I would be hesitant to go to that school just because of the city.

Cost shouldn't be the only part of the decision. If you are not happy with where you are living, the next 4 years are going to be worse than you'd imagine.

Pick a school where you're happy with

 

[321931]

Personally, the schools that I went to interview at with "nicer" cities had a "happier student body" over those in "terrible" cities. Just something else to think about.

 

[bing12]

Yes it is true that happiness is crucial, what is not true is how to determine the level of happiness or "utility" one will receive at each school. Many try to calculate and estimate their utility levels at each school, but the percent error would be relatively high due to lack of experience in those schools(for the most part). Like I said, you know for certain you would save approximately ( 320K-100K)= $220K (correct me if I am wrong).

The question is: are you willing to pay $220K for the possibility that you were correct in analyzing your utility levels and situation?

I have a question: how much happier do you think you will be at the more expensive school? for example: twice as happy, 1.5x as happy, 5 times as happy. ALSO, how sure are you with this prediction? ( 80%?...75?....99%?).

 

[dentalWorks]

I am lucky enough to have been offered a 50% scholarship for all 4 years of dental school. The downside is, I am not thrilled about the school.. or more so its location. Would I be an absolute fool to turn down such a scholarship? I really think I would be miserable at the location. How important of a role should finances play in this decision vs life experience? With the scholarship, this school would be ~100,000 (including living expenses!) cheaper than the school of my choice. Thoughts?? Thanks in advance!

wait you got a scholarship at UDM or temple ?
how did you get the scholarship?

And to answer the "Would I be an absolute fool to turn down such a scholarship?" = yes

 

[dl9006]

I am lucky enough to have been offered a 50% scholarship for all 4 years of dental school. The downside is, I am not thrilled about the school.. or more so its location. Would I be an absolute fool to turn down such a scholarship? I really think I would be miserable at the location. How important of a role should finances play in this decision vs life experience? With the scholarship, this school would be ~100,000 (including living expenses!) cheaper than the school of my choice. Thoughts?? Thanks in advance!

you're crazy to turn down that scholarship....

philly vs detroit.

they're both pretty ghetto.
it's not like philly is a low crime city
might as well save some money.

 

[MechZZ]

All those schools are in all very expensive, and I believe similarly priced correct? If so, then it is fine to chose a school based on other factors such as location, because the opportunity cost is low ( you are not giving up something large in order to pursue something else).

BUT, in this case, THE OP should not be willing to gamble a large sum of money for a perceived happiness.

ONE THING IS FOR SURE: if you go to the cheaper school, you are certain to save a large amount of money.

NOT FOR SURE: if you go to the more expensive school, you will be happier.

You may be happy at either school. I am a relatively risk averse person, so I judge things on its level of certainty. If money is of very little importance to you, then go ahead and go to any school you may think you would enjoy more. But if money is of importance, chose wisely and go with the cheaper choice.

I would have chosen BU over my state school too. Why? I dislike area where UF is located. We're talking about the same city where the guy from church wanted to burn the Qur'an. You're assuming that people don't know anything about the city OTHER than the school. Believe me, you can definitely get a feel for how you will fit in a city a lot faster than you think.

What I was trying to get with was what Rainee said a lot better than I. I've been in situation where I HATED the city I was in and it does affect your grades. Even if the price tag is steeper, but I'm paying for a better situation for me to perform well in dental school. I know I said you're assuming, but I'm also assuming with the reasons why people pick location. The reasons why I pick the better location is because I'm going to a place where I have a better support foundation(lots of family in the area), would have been just plain more comfortable, and I enjoy cities with good central transportation. If I had that at UF, I would have jumped ship immediately. The whole big city night life and other thrills don't really appeal to me.

Also

WHAT YOU KNOW FOR SURE - Going to a cheaper school will save you money
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW FOR SURE - Will that money you saved equate to happiness?

 

[bing12]

Yes I understand, you have presented that fact you have disliked certain cities and it has negatively effected you. BUT as undergrads, we have not experienced a schedule that dental schools give us. IMO, when you are in class 7-9 hours a day( more or less), and you are studying 2-5(give or take) hours a day, you wont have the luxuries of actually enjoying/not enjoying your location as we do in undergrad ( from what i hear from dental students, they had for more free time in undergrad).

Situations: ( - indicates that its a negative impact, + indicates a positive impact).

A. Go to more expensive school, and you are happy -+
B. Go to more expensive school, you are unhappy. - -

Expected Value: -2

C. Go to less expensive school, you are still happy. + +
D. Go to less expensive school, you are not happy. + -

Expected Value: +2

These expected values are under the assumption that you value both these factors equally. If you do not, redo the math, plug and chug.

My point is: from what i hear from dental students, and from our own life experiences, the students/people you are surrounded with are far more significant towards your happiness than the actual location.

 

[321931]

My point is: from what i hear from dental students, and from our own life experiences, the students/people you are surrounded with are far more significant towards your happiness than the actual location.

I agree with you there, and your reasoning certainly does make sense. However, different individuals place different emphasis on the value of location. We can never get into the head of the OP and see his "value" on location; HOWEVER, since he ASKED/pondered this question, we can assume that LOCATION does matter to him...

Anyways, its a bummer because the two schools he does have in mind...aren't in the best locations. If it was something like SF/LA/NY compared to Detroit, I would encourage him SF/LA immediately. However, as it stands, his two choices aren't that great in terms of "location/lifestyle." I guess I would choose the cheaper one, and hope to get better location school

 

[dentalWorks]

I can never underestand why people base thier decision on "happiness"

#1) how do you know the specific school you are picking is going to make you feel happy? Spending 4-6 hours over the interview day is NOT enough indication of your "happiness" level....

#2) dental school seems like a 8 to 5 job, chances are when you get home, you'll either be too tired to go out, or you'll stay home and study.... either case = no happiness IRRESPECTIVE of which city you are in

#3) People need to underestand that the economy these days (yes even for dentists) isn't doing as hot as before. Landing your "dream" associateship these days isn't as lucrative as what it was in the past. You Need to think about this long and hard because that dental school tuition (with its 6% interest rate) can put a serious choke on your definition of comfortable living.... On top of all this, the banks aren't just going to lend someone who owns a **** load of loans an additional 500-800k to start their own establishment. Banks will maybe do it if you own 100-150, but not when your loans are in the 300ks, no way, not even if your packing an 800 credit score..... Today's banks are being extra anal with loans (and I don't blame them)

 

[redhawk11]

I also turned down a scholarship to go to my favorite school. Granted my situation is slightly different because the scholarship made the price the exact same between the two schools. I got a scholarship to UPenn that halved the tuition and made it the same price as Ohio State (my state school). However, I think you should do more research on the student body, location, and curriculum because that's what really did it for me.

I know money is important, but the main reason you are at dental school is for the education, and if you are in a place that you absolutely hate and aren't comfortable in then you probably aren't going to be learning to the best of your ability. I know if I lived in Philadelphia I would constantly feel stressed and overwhelmed with how large the city is and the thought of being a plane ride away from my family. The atmosphere at Ohio State was extremely complimentary in terms of how the students acted, and they were all excited to talk about the school and how much they liked it.

On the other hand, you might just get used to the cheaper school and grow to like the city okay, but only you know your personality and can answer that question. Just my two cents, but do more research on the schools and then make your decision considering the money as only one factor.

 

[MechZZ]

Yes I understand, you have presented that fact you have disliked certain cities and it has negatively effected you. BUT as undergrads, we have not experienced a schedule that dental schools give us. IMO, when you are in class 7-9 hours a day( more or less), and you are studying 2-5(give or take) hours a day, you wont have the luxuries of actually enjoying/not enjoying your location as we do in undergrad ( from what i hear from dental students, they had for more free time in undergrad).

Situations: ( - indicates that its a negative impact, + indicates a positive impact).

A. Go to more expensive school, and you are happy -+
B. Go to more expensive school, you are unhappy. - -

Expected Value: -2

C. Go to less expensive school, you are still happy. + +
D. Go to less expensive school, you are not happy. + -

Expected Value: +2

These expected values are under the assumption that you value both these factors equally. If you do not, redo the math, plug and chug.

My point is: from what i hear from dental students, and from our own life experiences, the students/people you are surrounded with are far more significant towards your happiness than the actual location.

This is where you and are going to butt heads. I consider the people you surround yourself with as part of the location of the dental school.

 

[scifijock]

Just spend a little extra money on yourself that you saved by going to the cheaper school. Any city can be enjoyable if you have enough money. Just think... an extra 100k that you could spend on many vacations.

 

[bing12]

I can never underestand why people base thier decision on "happiness"

#1) how do you know the specific school you are picking is going to make you feel happy? Spending 4-6 hours over the interview day is NOT enough indication of your "happiness" level....

#2) dental school seems like a 8 to 5 job, chances are when you get home, you'll either be too tired to go out, or you'll stay home and study.... either case = no happiness IRRESPECTIVE of which city you are in

#3) People need to underestand that the economy these days (yes even for dentists) isn't doing as hot as before. Landing your "dream" associateship these days isn't as lucrative as what it was in the past. You Need to think about this long and hard because that dental school tuition (with its 6% interest rate) can put a serious choke on your definition of comfortable living.... On top of all this, the banks aren't just going to lend someone who owns a **** load of loans an additional 500-800k to start their own establishment. Banks will maybe do it if you own 100-150, but not when your loans are in the 300ks, no way, not even if your packing an 800 credit score..... Today's banks are being extra anal with loans (and I don't blame them)

Amazing arguments, I agree 100%

 

[kitejunky27]

I have to say that location is huge in my opinion

I can say for a fact, all ready being in D school, that being in NYC is making my experience MUCH more bearable. I go to a "difficult" school and I still have time to have fun. If no one had any time at all in d school people would break and become depressed. D school is busy but there is definitely plenty of time to have fun if you manage your time well.

I for one love being able to hop on a subway and be at a show in half hour or at tons of different bars. My late night adventures in NYC help keep me motivated while I am sitting in the library studying (kind of like now, but least next weekend I know I can count on some fun)

going somewhere where you can really enjoy yourself, wherever that need be, on your time off is a huge help to staying motivated and d school is all about staying motivated. its a marathon people.

D schools is 4 years of your young life folks. Dont waste it being miserable

 

[kitejunky27]

read more posts

you guys are freaking out too much about not having a life in D school

you will have a life, go somewhere were you can use it

I could have gone to UMDNJ but i was tired of NJ and Newarks a **** hole. I am confident I am doing better in NY and will therefore have more opportunities presented to me.

 

[321931]

I have to say that location is huge in my opinion

I can say for a fact, all ready being in D school, that being in NYC is making my experience MUCH more bearable. I go to a "difficult" school and I still have time to have fun. If no one had any time at all in d school people would break and become depressed. D school is busy but there is definitely plenty of time to have fun if you manage your time well.

I for one love being able to hop on a subway and be at a show in half hour or at tons of different bars. My late night adventures in NYC help keep me motivated while I am sitting in the library studying (kind of like now, but least next weekend I know I can count on some fun)

going somewhere where you can really enjoy yourself, wherever that need be, on your time off is a huge help to staying motivated and d school is all about staying motivated. its a marathon people.

D schools is 4 years of your young life folks. Dont waste it being miserable

There's a reason why certain schools on SDN have a reputation for having the happiest students. Location, location, location. The environment definitely has an impact on a student's happiness.

Yes, Dentalworks does provide valid counter-arguments; however, I'm sure many students here that claim location matters have looked thoroughly into the school before making such a decision.

 

[cdd365]

Im a student at UDM and my input is that im happy that I chose UDM. First off, your classmates is going to make your 4 years enjoyable or not. It seems to me that people who dont like their school is because they dont bond well with their classmates. Also, the majority of students dont live in detroit. A lot live on the outskirts like royal oak which is a very nice area if you want to go out once in a while. I wish I had a scholarship and if I were you I snatch it up right away.

 

[Pennywisdom]

If I were you, I'd gladly take the scholarship over Temple.

 

[dantemac]

UDM and Temple are both clinically strong and have great patient pools. I've been to Temple so I know it's new and I hear UDM ain't too shabby with facilities either. And they're both cities.

I think you'd be stupid to not take the scholarship. UDM is comparable to Temple and like other people have said on here "location" is relative and will depend on classmates, work ethic, etc.

 

[Geege]

Thanks everyone for the input! You all bring up valid points. A big hang up seems to be that Temple is in Philly.. also not the greatest city in the world. What if Temple were in a better location..Like LA? Or Chicago or NYC? Would you still say that living in Detroit for 4 yrs and the money saved is worth giving up 4 yrs of living in those locations? At any of those schools though, I'm sure the price difference would be even larger.. something like 300,000 which I wouldn't even mention on SDN lol bc I'm sure to everyone else it'd be a cut and dry case. Money is def an issue, but life experience is priceless to me...

 

[Pennywisdom]

Thanks everyone for the input! You all bring up valid points. A big hang up seems to be that Temple is in Philly.. also not the greatest city in the world. What if Temple were in a better location..Like LA? Or Chicago or NYC? Would you still say that living in Detroit for 4 yrs and the money saved is worth giving up 4 yrs of living in those locations? At any of those schools though, I'm sure the price difference would be even larger.. something like 300,000 which I wouldn't even mention on SDN lol bc I'm sure to everyone else it'd be a cut and dry case. Money is def an issue, but life experience is priceless to me...

I don't think living in NYC, LA, or Philly that much better than living in Detroit.

 

[duvaldentist]

A lot of people on here have made some pretty good points, but from my point of view ultimatly the decission is yours and yours alone. Since you have taken the time to post this thread it clearly shows that this issue is a very big factor in your life, so for everyone out there asking how much happiness is worth i think its obvious that its worth a lot to this individual... Ok look at it this way, you can save 100K and lets say be "stable" (content with life) since you saved money, no ones to say that your goining to be miserable and who knows you may even be extremly happy. But on the other hand why not invest the extra 100K, because just as the master card comercials go, having a good dental school experiance is absolutely "PRICELESS". I mean look the dental profession is a good paying field thus yes initialy your total net income will be a little lower since you have a large debt but in the scheme of things it will be well worth the cost. You only get to go threw dental school once so might as well make the absolute best of it. I mean whats wrong with investing in your future its not like your wasting money, all in all in the end it will totaly pay off, so i say go for it invest in your future but most importantly invest in your self (no better way to spend your money). Yes dental school is intense to say the least but you will have some free time, and if your even able to offset the stress of dental school slightly by being in a more suitable enviroment i think it will be worth it, I know i would

 

[dentalWorks]

Thanks everyone for the input! You all bring up valid points. A big hang up seems to be that Temple is in Philly.. also not the greatest city in the world. What if Temple were in a better location..Like LA? Or Chicago or NYC? Would you still say that living in Detroit for 4 yrs and the money saved is worth giving up 4 yrs of living in those locations? At any of those schools though, I'm sure the price difference would be even larger.. something like 300,000 which I wouldn't even mention on SDN lol bc I'm sure to everyone else it'd be a cut and dry case. Money is def an issue, but life experience is priceless to me...

Not exactly priceless... more like $130,000

Wait a mintue, I thought it was $100,000?!?!?! ohhh, remember that (rounding to 6%) interest rate? Over a period of 5 years after graduation, that extra $100,000 you decided to experiment with incurred an additional 30k.

If we are talking 10 years after graduation, that initial 100k turns into 170k+....

 

[321931]

Not exactly priceless... more like $130,000

Wait a mintue, I thought it was $100,000?!?!?! ohhh, remember that (rounding to 6%) interest rate? Over a period of 5 years after graduation, that extra $100,000 you decided to experiment with incurred an additional 30k.

If we are talking 10 years after graduation, that initial 100k turns into 170k+....

This thread is very reminiscent of that UCLADDS thread. If I remember correctly, the dilemma was save 100k+(scholarship) by going to UCLA or pay full tuition by going to Harvard. In the end, the name, Harvard, and other various reasons beat out the 100k scholarship. But one of the biggest reasons why he/she chose it was for the life experience/opportunities which are quote on quote "priceless."

To the OP, this thread is just going to be a non-ending battle of happiness/location over money saved/happiness/location. Nothing good will come of it except for thread pooping on each other. Seriously, just look deep into yourself and find out what you want out of school. From there, take that leap of faith and don't look back.

 

[DrDientes]

GO to the Cheaper School! After talking to many 4th years and graduates they all agree that if they were to do it over again, Cost would be there main concern...I know happiness plays a big role in your life, but nobody is happy when you are out of school trying to find a job making say 10,000 a month but 5,000 goes to pay back your loans because you went to an expensive school...

 

[UltimateHombre]

Thanks everyone for the input! You all bring up valid points. A big hang up seems to be that Temple is in Philly.. also not the greatest city in the world. What if Temple were in a better location..Like LA? Or Chicago or NYC? Would you still say that living in Detroit for 4 yrs and the money saved is worth giving up 4 yrs of living in those locations? At any of those schools though, I'm sure the price difference would be even larger.. something like 300,000 which I wouldn't even mention on SDN lol bc I'm sure to everyone else it'd be a cut and dry case. Money is def an issue, but life experience is priceless to me...

I think something to think about is where you are originally from? Have you ever lived in a big city before? I agree with Bing and DW... how do you even know you will be happier in Philly? The fact is that besides weather and scenery... a lot of other factors effect your so called happiness.

It seems to me that if happiness is really your core value and decision maker, you would need to be thinking about your happiness after you graduate. Will that extra 130K in loans make your more or less happy? Will the restrictions that 130K places on practice opportunities make you more or less happy? Would that extra 1000+K a month you save in loan payments make you more or less happy?

Those are questions you should be thinking about... because those are the happiness questions for the 10 years you get out of d-school. IMO happiness of 10yrs > happiness 4yrs dschool.

As a side note... LA cannot be grouped with Chicago and NYC. It's not even remotely similar to the city atmosphere of Chicago and NYC. It's more like a giant suburban area, right next to the ocean, with 80 degree weather all year round. Very much different.

Best of luck in your decision!!!

 

[CurrySpice]

Thanks everyone for the input! You all bring up valid points. A big hang up seems to be that Temple is in Philly.. also not the greatest city in the world. What if Temple were in a better location..Like LA? Or Chicago or NYC? Would you still say that living in Detroit for 4 yrs and the money saved is worth giving up 4 yrs of living in those locations? At any of those schools though, I'm sure the price difference would be even larger.. something like 300,000 which I wouldn't even mention on SDN lol bc I'm sure to everyone else it'd be a cut and dry case. Money is def an issue, but life experience is priceless to me...

It's not simply that Temple is in Philly... it's in a relatively bad section of Philly. My family goes there for concerts every year or two and we always end up harassed by homeless men! But seriously, if you live near the school you will need to be uber conscious about urban safety. I imagine this is so with UDM as well.

Have you calculated out your tuition + living expenses for both schools and found that UDM is actually half of Temple?

My vote would be to attend UDM, get a kickass house in the suburbs, and enjoy the crazy clients you'll see during clinicals.

 

[stoopidboy54]

There are plenty of places and cities around Detroit that are very nice. One weekend for an interview will not give you enough time to find the hidden gems in every location. I would take the scholarship, and keep in mind that every dental school has students that are in similar situations, you'll have a good time exploring and such I think.

 

[John Durian]

Save that $100k and go to Detroit!

Detroit = cold/windy. Philly = cold/windy. You can use that $100k and move/work/vacation in Philly afterward.