UIC or Penn?

[ak47]

Can't decide!! What are some questions I should be asking myself...help! Or any things you would consider if you were trying to pick between these two schools!

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[somethinpositiv]

Can't decide!! What are some questions I should be asking myself...help! Or any things you would consider if you were trying to pick between these two schools!

Talk to Doh Boy Fresh, who had to make the same decision, and chose UIC.

UIC vs Penn

Cost: UIC
- UIC will be about $240,000 in-state vs Penn at $335,000, tuition/fees/living expenses. That's a savings of $100K and worth going to UIC alone. This changes if you are out-of-state or got a Dean's Scholarship, either scenario makes it so you should go to Penn.

Location: UIC
- Chicago tops Filthadelphia in nearly every way. No contest.

Campus: Penn
- Penn campus is beautiful. UIC not so much.

Facilities: Penn
- Despite Penn's dungeonous basement classrooms, I still have to give the edge to Penn. After all, they have far more money to spend on their facilities.

Diversity: UIC
- You'll see much more diversity in the patient pool at UIC than Penn. The dental school class is very diverse as well.

Clinical Strength: Equal
- You'll come out of either a very competent clinician.

Didactics: Penn
- This one is specualtion, but I would imagine Penn to have some of the best professors around. Partly due to it's

Reputation: Penn
- Yeah. It's an Ivy. Love it or hate it. Though some people might think you went to Penn State, just like some people in Chi think you went to UIC if you went to U Chicago haha. Then again, outside of Illinois, no one's ever heard of UIC lol.

Specializing: Penn
- While obviously you can specialize wherever you go, Penn has a knack for producing specialists.

General Dentistry: UIC
- UIC has their clinics set up and run like individual family dentist's offices.

Close to Family/Friends: UIC
- If you're an Illinois resident, this is a good reason to stay.


Hope this helps! But really, the main factor you should consider is cost. It's hard to turn down an Ivy, but even on PreDents, people have turned down Harvard to come to UIC. Who knows, I might see you in class next year

 

[Doh Boy Fresh]

UIC no contest.

It's cheaper to attend. You can specialize out of either or. You get to be close to home. and I belive the penn estimate was closer to 368,000.

Now, with the deans scholarship, it's a toss up... but family is imp to me, and the way i see it, worst case if they really miss me they can come up to chi-town and have lunch with me. OR weekends.

good luck.

 

[somethinpositiv]

UIC no contest.

It's cheaper to attend. You can specialize out of either or. You get to be close to home. and I belive the penn estimate was closer to 368,000.

Now, with the deans scholarship, it's a toss up... but family is imp to me, and the way i see it, worst case if they really miss me they can come up to chi-town and have lunch with me. OR weekends.

good luck.

Really? That's more than NYU, and Penn never gets crap for being way too expensive lol. NYU is always the scapegoat... Though Penn's website has the price at $335,000 if you add it up.

Also, I really don't consider it a toss-up if you got a Dean's Scholarship. There's not too many schools that would be worth giving up the Penn Dean's Scholarship for, in my opinion.

 

[DROCKINDAHOUSE]

Really? That's more than NYU, and Penn never gets crap for being way too expensive lol. NYU is always the scapegoat... Though Penn's website has the price at $335,000 if you add it up.

Also, I really don't consider it a toss-up if you got a Dean's Scholarship. There's not too many schools that would be worth giving up the Penn Dean's Scholarship for, in my opinion.

Thank God for Texas. My total tuition and fees for four years will be around $80K.

 

[somethinpositiv]

Thank God for Texas. My total tuition and fees for four years will be around $80K.

Well, you get what you pay for...

j/k man , Texas schools are great

 

[DROCKINDAHOUSE]

Well, you get what you pay for...

j/k man , Texas schools are great

Lol true true

 

[condoleezarice]

Thank God for Texas. My total tuition and fees for four years will be around $80K.

That Penn figure includes housing, personal expenses, insurance, and everything else- so it can vary depending on how much fun/rent/food is. Still, it's one of the most expensive schools in the country I think.

 

[DROCKINDAHOUSE]

That Penn figure includes housing, personal expenses, insurance, and everything else- so it can vary depending on how much fun/rent/food is. Still, it's one of the most expensive schools in the country I think.

That definitely makes more sense then. I do know that even with every expense considered the average debt for graduates at SA is around $100K.

You can't help but wonder what sort of politics are behind the cost of dental tuition in the various states?

 

[Zanderale6]

Talk to Doh Boy Fresh, who had to make the same decision, and chose UIC.

UIC vs Penn

Cost: UIC
- UIC will be about $240,000 in-state vs Penn at $335,000, tuition/fees/living expenses. That's a savings of $100K and worth going to UIC alone. This changes if you are out-of-state or got a Dean's Scholarship, either scenario makes it so you should go to Penn.

Location: UIC
- Chicago tops Filthadelphia in nearly every way. No contest.

Campus: Penn
- Penn campus is beautiful. UIC not so much.

Facilities: Penn
- Despite Penn's dungeonous basement classrooms, I still have to give the edge to Penn. After all, they have far more money to spend on their facilities.

Diversity: UIC
- You'll see much more diversity in the patient pool at UIC than Penn. The dental school class is very diverse as well.

Clinical Strength: Equal
- You'll come out of either a very competent clinician.

Didactics: Penn
- This one is specualtion, but I would imagine Penn to have some of the best professors around. Partly due to it's

Reputation: Penn
- Yeah. It's an Ivy. Love it or hate it. Though some people might think you went to Penn State, just like some people in Chi think you went to UIC if you went to U Chicago haha. Then again, outside of Illinois, no one's ever heard of UIC lol.

Specializing: Penn
- While obviously you can specialize wherever you go, Penn has a knack for producing specialists.

General Dentistry: UIC
- UIC has their clinics set up and run like individual family dentist's offices.

Close to Family/Friends: UIC
- If you're an Illinois resident, this is a good reason to stay.


Hope this helps! But really, the main factor you should consider is cost. It's hard to turn down an Ivy, but even on PreDents, people have turned down Harvard to come to UIC. Who knows, I might see you in class next year

I don't know very much about UIC, but I can comment on what you've said about Penn. I agree with everything with two exceptions. First, based on my own experiences, I'd have to say that (despite our VERY high tuition) our facilities are nothing to write home about. I often wish they were better. Plans are in motion to renovate the main clinic (which could likely happen during your four year stay at the school if you choose to attend). Secondly, I don't think Philadelphia is nearly as bad as you're making it out to be. ... It may not be Chicago, but it's still a pretty nice place to be if you're a grad student looking for something to do other than study teeth on the weekends. I'm from just outside Boston ... and Philly is fine for me.

Regardless, I'm sure either choice you make will be a good one. You're going to come out a dentist. Good luck to you all.

 

[Doh Boy Fresh]

I don't know very much about UIC, but I can comment on what you've said about Penn. I agree with everything with two exceptions. First, based on my own experiences, I'd have to say that (despite our VERY high tuition) our facilities are nothing to write home about. I often wish they were better. Plans are in motion to renovate the main clinic (which could likely happen during your four year stay at the school if you choose to attend). Secondly, I don't think Philadelphia is nearly as bad as you're making it out to be. ... It may not be Chicago, but it's still a pretty nice place to be if you're a grad student looking for something to do other than study teeth on the weekends. I'm from just outside Boston ... and Philly is fine for me.

Regardless, I'm sure either choice you make will be a good one. You're going to come out a dentist. Good luck to you all.

agreed penn's building is good for D3s and D4s, NOT D1s and 2s because they go into a nasty, temperature uncontrolled basement... unlike UIC which is uniformly standard/not bad for students in all 4 years.

 

[somethinpositiv]

While no one is calling Penn's facilities equal to NYU or Maryland LOL, relatively speaking, it's nicer than UIC's. Everything is relative

a couple more,

Class Size: UIC
- Penn's class size is huge. UIC has a small class that can provide individual attention, and perhaps a better learning experience.

Social Scene: Equal
- You'll have a great time at either school. UIC is just a short walk to Taylor Street bars, and just a short ride away from Rush & Division. And they don't call Penn the "Social Ivy" for nothing, they know how to have a good time there as well.

And I stand by my previous statement about Chicago and Philly. Philly is one of the most disgusting cities I have ever been to (I worked in Center City for over a month), and that's including cities in third-world Asian countries. Second worst city that I've lived in, next to Detroit. If anyone wants to know why, send me a PM, cuz I don't want anyone to lose their lunch after reading my post.. Though on the upside, South Street in Philly can be fun.

 

[Doh Boy Fresh]

While no one is calling Penn's facilities equal to NYU or Maryland LOL, relatively speaking, it's nicer than UIC's. Everything is relative

a couple more,

Class Size: UIC
- Penn's class size is huge. UIC has a small class that can provide individual attention, and perhaps a better learning experience.

Social Scene: Equal
- You'll have a great time at either school. UIC is just a short walk to Taylor Street bars, and just a short ride away from Rush & Division. And they don't call Penn the "Social Ivy" for nothing, they know how to have a good time there as well.

And I stand by my previous statement about Chicago and Philly. Philly is one of the most disgusting cities I have ever been to (I worked in Center City for over a month), and that's including cities in third-world Asian countries. Second worst city that I've lived in, next to Detroit. If anyone wants to know why, send me a PM, cuz I don't want anyone to lose their lunch after reading my post.. Though on the upside, South Street in Philly can be fun.

it's not

 

[somethinpositiv]

it's not

w/e, you and your rose-colored glasses DBoy

 

[RAK1987]

to the OP: i had to make a very similar decision.... it was difficult, but i turned down Penn's Dean's scholarship in the end. P/M me if you want some one to talk with about it!!

 

[kag930]

Same decision (UIC vs. Penn Dean's)... chose UIC and now I feel so relieved and happy! And I'm so excited to go to UIC next year. I'll be close to home, hopefully saving some money, and don't forget to take into account where you will be practicing... If you are from Illinois and plan to practice here there is a lot to be said for networking. Plus UIC is highly respected in Illinois. Many patients here probably won't know the diff between Penn and Penn State. PM me if you want more details on how I made the decision. Have you checked out the UIC fb group?

 

[somethinpositiv]

I'm going to Tufts over UIC.

Disregard the Ivy name and the cost, go wherever your heart tells you

My dentist went to Northwestern over UIC back in the day, payed 4 times higher tuition there, and never regretted it for a second. Whichever decision you make, make sure you'll have no regrets.