D
deleted892858
UCLA (IS)
Pros:
Pros:
When I was younger, UCLA was like my dream school for undergrad. Needless to say, I was absolutely crushed when they rejected me. Now that I am in a different league now applying for dental school, I feel my sentiments have changed. I simply want to be HAPPY, and a dentist. A happy dentist. I will be a dentist no matter which of these schools I attend, but a couple things get in the way: First, my mother. She and I are extremely close and I know she'd be absolutely crushed if I moved so far to PA. We had a phone call about decisions and it ended in a blowup fight with me in tears and her yelling at the slight suggestion I might select Upenn over UCLA. She was saying "so and so will be so disappointed," (the oral surgeon who mentored me in my pre-dental journey who went to UCLA), and that family should be a chief concern when selecting a dental school. I told her that with all due respect, she will not be paying a penny of my loans, and she will not be the one going through the program - I will, so she has very little say here. If anything, my husband has more of a say. He is in the middle of all this, and hasn't complained a bit. He's been nothing but supportive in all this. I know my mother has separation anxiety to a degree and wants me as close as possible. I get it, but there are so many things pushing me from UCLA - one thing is housing. I recently got married, and my husband is currently applying to be a permanent resident. The process has been very long and difficult and he is currently unemployed due to his work visa being expired. CA would probably be better than PA for finding a job, but we simply cannot afford the average $3000 a month a 1br 1 ba runs for in the vicinity of Westwood, CA where UCLA is. I'd love to be close as possible to campus especially as a D1, but we are a family and we can't compromise with rooming with other people. Now, we have options - borrow money from my mother (which to me is a no go), live with my mom part time (which sounds ridiculous since I am married and would like to be with my husband instead of him being 100 miles away where we currently live), or live in a terrible neighborhood for half that price. $1500 is doable, but the safety concern is still on my mind.
Now let's talk money. UCLA granted me a $20,000 scholarship, and UPenn granted me one for a total of $120,000. UPenn is clearly more pricy, being a private school, but my husband is an accountant and he sat down, pencil in hand, calculating rough numbers. Without including housing, tuition and fees were roughly a wash between UPenn and UCLA, but housing is where the difference really is. Cheap housing in the UCLA area is an oxymoron. I just can't help but think I'd be a massive fool to pass up a scholarship that great...
Anyway, I love both schools. They both have their great attributes and drawbacks as well, but I just feel immense pressure from my mother to pick UCLA. I just think it is so unfair to pressure your child to pick a school just for your own benefit - being close to them. That has to be dead last on my priority list, but I am a people pleaser and don't want our relationship to be strained based on what school I choose. I am a huge fan of UCLA and how most of their students go on to specialize (which I would love to do), but the pressure is just making it worse. I am trying to be as realistic as possible when making a choice and I just need some advice. Sorry for making this so long, I just wanted all the details out there for a broader picture. Thanks for reading!
Pros:
- In state tuition
- Close to home (30 min drive)
- Fantastic program with awesome faculty and students
- p/f/h system
- weather is great
- Many of their students go on to specialize, which I would like to do as well
- Decreased patient pool (?) due to the area
- Housing is stupid expensive (1br 1ba runs average $3000 or more a month anywhere within a 10 mile radius of campus)
- I'd like to have a different experience for once - lived in LA my whole life, UPenn would be a great change of pace in that regard
Pros:
- Supreme clinical experience, and patient pool is great compared to LA
- I love the selectives offered there, they genuinely pique my interest
- Can pursue an MBA there (at Wharton no less) if I desire
- Students were so happy and welcoming there
- Got a total of $120,000 scholarship here
- Weather in PA can be harsh, especially for this California girl
- My husband may have reduced job pool compared to California (please read below for details)
- Will be very far from home
When I was younger, UCLA was like my dream school for undergrad. Needless to say, I was absolutely crushed when they rejected me. Now that I am in a different league now applying for dental school, I feel my sentiments have changed. I simply want to be HAPPY, and a dentist. A happy dentist. I will be a dentist no matter which of these schools I attend, but a couple things get in the way: First, my mother. She and I are extremely close and I know she'd be absolutely crushed if I moved so far to PA. We had a phone call about decisions and it ended in a blowup fight with me in tears and her yelling at the slight suggestion I might select Upenn over UCLA. She was saying "so and so will be so disappointed," (the oral surgeon who mentored me in my pre-dental journey who went to UCLA), and that family should be a chief concern when selecting a dental school. I told her that with all due respect, she will not be paying a penny of my loans, and she will not be the one going through the program - I will, so she has very little say here. If anything, my husband has more of a say. He is in the middle of all this, and hasn't complained a bit. He's been nothing but supportive in all this. I know my mother has separation anxiety to a degree and wants me as close as possible. I get it, but there are so many things pushing me from UCLA - one thing is housing. I recently got married, and my husband is currently applying to be a permanent resident. The process has been very long and difficult and he is currently unemployed due to his work visa being expired. CA would probably be better than PA for finding a job, but we simply cannot afford the average $3000 a month a 1br 1 ba runs for in the vicinity of Westwood, CA where UCLA is. I'd love to be close as possible to campus especially as a D1, but we are a family and we can't compromise with rooming with other people. Now, we have options - borrow money from my mother (which to me is a no go), live with my mom part time (which sounds ridiculous since I am married and would like to be with my husband instead of him being 100 miles away where we currently live), or live in a terrible neighborhood for half that price. $1500 is doable, but the safety concern is still on my mind.
Now let's talk money. UCLA granted me a $20,000 scholarship, and UPenn granted me one for a total of $120,000. UPenn is clearly more pricy, being a private school, but my husband is an accountant and he sat down, pencil in hand, calculating rough numbers. Without including housing, tuition and fees were roughly a wash between UPenn and UCLA, but housing is where the difference really is. Cheap housing in the UCLA area is an oxymoron. I just can't help but think I'd be a massive fool to pass up a scholarship that great...
Anyway, I love both schools. They both have their great attributes and drawbacks as well, but I just feel immense pressure from my mother to pick UCLA. I just think it is so unfair to pressure your child to pick a school just for your own benefit - being close to them. That has to be dead last on my priority list, but I am a people pleaser and don't want our relationship to be strained based on what school I choose. I am a huge fan of UCLA and how most of their students go on to specialize (which I would love to do), but the pressure is just making it worse. I am trying to be as realistic as possible when making a choice and I just need some advice. Sorry for making this so long, I just wanted all the details out there for a broader picture. Thanks for reading!
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