UCLA vs NSU (urgent!!)

[ms.dentist27]

Help me decide! I have been very lucky to be accepted into great schools. I feel scared to give up UCLA since it is pass-fail and much cheaper, but NSU is in south Florida where I want to live my life, and is close to friends and family. I also feel like it would be an honor to graduate from ucla but I hate the idea of moving to LA. I did undergrad in Rhode Island already. What would you do? Please give me your insight!

UCLA
Pros:

• pass fail
• 88 students
• get in-state tuition after 1 year ($250k tuition/fees + $120k housing/food = $370k total)
• $27500 scholarship

Cons:

• Far from home
• Outdated facilities

NSU
Pros:

• Close to home
• friends + local network
• want to practice here

Cons:

• Super expensive ($350k tuition/fees + $100k rent/food (not needed if stay home) = $450k total)
• graded system

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[Ryxndek]

That cost ain't worth it. Please take the opportunity and go to UCLA. It's a great school and you'll graduate with less debt.

A little weird to ask, but why did you apply to UCLA if you wouldn't attend bc of distance from home? Pass/fail will put you in less stressful situations, as will the smaller class size. LA has many opportunities and you will get a very solid foundation. If you can avoid going to an expensive private school I would highly suggest you take that opportunity. It would be better to graduate with less debt and move back to Florida (where it's already expensive) than to be there and have to take an additional 80k (plus interest) in loans. Which is a ton. 80k is a full 4 years of undergrad.

 

[macsak]

Help me decide! I have been very lucky to be accepted into great schools. I feel scared to give up UCLA since it is pass-fail and much cheaper, but NSU is in south Florida where I want to live my life, and is close to friends and family. I also feel like it would be an honor to graduate from ucla but I hate the idea of moving to LA. I did undergrad in Rhode Island already. What would you do? Please give me your insight!

UCLA
Pros:

• pass fail
• 88 students
• get in-state tuition after 1 year ($250k tuition/fees + $120k housing/food = $370k total)
• $27500 scholarship

Cons:

• Far from home
• Outdated facilities

NSU
Pros:

• Close to home
• friends + local network
• want to practice here

Cons:

• Super expensive ($350k tuition/fees + $100k rent/food (not needed if stay home) = $450k total)
• graded system

cheaper and pass/fail...

 

[LFA20]

UCLA

 

[knewstance]

UCLA. When I interviewed at NSU, the students didn't have positive things to say about the school/clinic.

 

[Ivy.ch]

Stop being an idiot. You know what has to be done.

 

[AlecJ]

Location and being close to friends and family is priceless, in my opinion. I’ve also heard a lot of negative things about UCLA recently, regarding their clinic and faculty. I’d go with NSU.

 

[ms.dentist27]

Location and being close to friends and family is priceless, in my opinion. I’ve also heard a lot of negative things about UCLA recently, regarding their clinic and faculty. I’d go with NSU.

Hi thank you, do you mind elaborating, what negative things have you heard about UCLA recently?

 

[macsak]

Hi thank you, do you mind elaborating, what negative things have you heard about UCLA recently?

you may want to search this forum for issues at nova too...

 

[Ryxndek]

honestly, every school is going to have their quirks and problems. But looking at the bigger picture of what you can control: location and debt, and one is a much bigger factor than the other (4 years vs. 10-20) so I would just think about that too

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

I say go to the most expensive one. It’s universally known that more expensive equals more better.

Big Hoss

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

And, paying back student loans is…

Big Hoss

 

[Rick Harrison]

UCLA without a question.

 

[Symphony7th]

I would choose NSU. I heard from many UCLA students that they didn't have enough patients to practice. You can ask any current UCLA dental student to confirm the fact.

 

[OncePreDent]

How far away is your home from Nova? If you are able to save $100k living from your home & it's your preference, it would be worth it. The cost difference would be $350k NSU compared to $370k UCLA than. Also, if you are going to UCLA you have to factor in the flight costs for holidays (if you are planning on visiting home).

For me flying to SLC (Roseman) from my home is $600-$700 round trip. I am planning to take 4 flights home per year (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Summer, & another weekend for a family event - every year). This puts me at an additional $8k (3-year program) for living in Utah vs my home state. Additionally, there is the cost of driving out there in a nice U-Haul, which is looking like will cost around $2k-$3k (renting truck, gas, hotel for 1 night). So I'm adding an additional $11k to my expenses for living in Utah.

Edit:

Also, have you asked Nova if they could match UCLA's scholarship or get any scholarship?