UCSF (OOS) vs. UPenn

[kwkj7]

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I am applying for the NHSC scholarship but won't know for months. So I guess I have to look at this as paying out of pocket for now... I am super torn between these two... I graduated from a state school in Florida and enjoy the feel of one, but it has also been my dream to go IVY. I am really open to location, I like the east coast and don't mind the cold, have only been to Cali twice to LA. I plan to go into Dental Public Health and outreach dentistry, so I am looking for valuable experiences in that area. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

School 1: UCSF
* OOS
Pros:

• P/F
• really enjoyed my interview and the student culture portrayed. Seemed like they had time to explore activities outside of the classroom/studying.
• Member of LGTBQ+, so I would feel comfortable in SF Area
• DPH post-grad program, but no dual dds/mph

Cons:

• haven't gotten a financial aid package yet, hard to tell finance-wise
• no undergrad campus, more urban.
• far from home
• would be one of the few out of state students

School 2: UPenn
Received 20k/yr dean's scholarship

Pros:

• combined campus feeling, lots of resources available
• lots of community outreach opportunities
• Community Health Honors Degree Program
• dual dmd/dph
• new facilities
• enjoyed my interview, didn't get a big feel for student culture
• more diverse student population

Cons:

• never been to Philly, Heard its OK
• ranked for top 10

Summary: Although very grateful, I never thought I would be in this position! I'm leaning more towards UPenn but I am very open to opinions. I don't feel like I have enough information on UCSF to make a decision. Thanks so much for any guidance/info/help!!

 

[Nana_]

Upenn!! If you have an Ivy dream then definitely Penn!

 

[Azuzu]

UCSF D1 here so maybe I'm biased.
At UCSF you can get in-state tuition after your first year by changing your residency to CA. Even as an OOS student you're eligible for MediCal and CalFresh (EBT). More than 30% of our class is from out-of-state. Every year UCSF tries to make the class more diverse. So I don't think you'd be "one of the few" 🙂

Despite your UPenn scholarship it is still significantly more expensive than UCSF. You can use the scholarship as leverage with UCSF. Let them know that you have this offer and that you're wondering if they can offer something similar or better.

UCSF's class size is 60 vs UPenn's 130.
UCSF is P/F vs UPenn traditional grading. Studying for finals right now sucks and I'm super stressed. But I can't imagine how much worse it would be if I had a GPA that would affect my chances of specializing.

If you need more information about UCSF, reach out to any of the D1s, 2s, 3s etc that are in the Facebook group. They'll be more than willing to help

 

[Pablo Sanchez]

I go to Penn. A couple things of note.

1) I don't think they rank the top 10 anymore.
2) They have a decent amount of involvement in public health dentistry. Penn has a robust community oral health program with sites in underserved parts of the city that you rotate through once a week for a year. They offer a Masters in Public Health. There is a Community Oral Health honors program.

3) Don't be an idiot. You don't have a guaranteed scholarship. Go to the cheapest option.

 

[kwkj7]

UCSF D1 here so maybe I'm biased.
At UCSF you can get in-state tuition after your first year by changing your residency to CA. Even as an OOS student you're eligible for MediCal and CalFresh (EBT). More than 30% of our class is from out-of-state. Every year UCSF tries to make the class more diverse. So I don't think you'd be "one of the few" 🙂

Despite your UPenn scholarship it is still significantly more expensive than UCSF. You can use the scholarship as leverage with UCSF. Let them know that you have this offer and that you're wondering if they can offer something similar or better.

UCSF's class size is 60 vs UPenn's 130.
UCSF is P/F vs UPenn traditional grading. Studying for finals right now sucks and I'm super stressed. But I can't imagine how much worse it would be if I had a GPA that would affect my chances of specializing.

If you need more information about UCSF, reach out to any of the D1s, 2s, 3s etc that are in the Facebook group. They'll be more than willing to help

Thank you! Very helpful info!

 

[Gustavo dos Santos]

UCSF

 

[kwkj7]

UCSF

Any specific reason? I saw your post last year in this forum... where did you end up? (if you don't mind sharing)

 

[kwkj7]

Thank you!

I go to Penn. A couple things of note.

1) I don't think they rank the top 10 anymore.
2) They have a decent amount of involvement in public health dentistry. Penn has a robust community oral health program with sites in underserved parts of the city that you rotate through once a week for a year. They offer a Masters in Public Health. There is a Community Oral Health honors program.

3) Don't be an idiot. You don't have a guaranteed scholarship. Go to the cheapest option.