UIC vs SIU vs MWU

[Studoc28]

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Any accepted students please provide insights on pros and coms of the schools?

Also, which one of these three would say is the most "prestiged"?

 

[dp93]

SIU:

cheapest option. by far. a good 80k-90k less than UIC and less than half of MWU. Great clinical education, facilities are in good shape from what i saw at my interview. Students rave about the board score/passing rate of the school. You get a great education at a great price.

downside is location. Alton isn't the greatest city, a bit boring. Edwardsville is a nice town and St. Louis isn't far, both 20-30 minutes away.

UIC:
Still cheaper than MWU. I'd say just because it has the word "Chicago" in its title that it would be the more "prestigious" school (fair or not). Very old facilities, i heard they haven't been updated since 1970s but the students still get a great clinical education. They do a PBL curriculum which isn't for everyone.

get to live in downtown which is awesome. Chicago is a good city to enjoy your youth in.

MWU:
very pricey. I honestly don't know much about the school since i didn't visit it. It is new and therefore the facilities must be top notch/state of the art.

 

[I want to go to there]

MWU has a weak clinical because of its location(suburb) and how new the school is. If you are looking for a clinically strong school, pick one that's located in a metropolitan area.

 

[Screwtape]

I'd cross out MWU immediately due to the obscene price tag. SIU and UIC both have their own strengths and weaknesses. UIC has the "most "prestige", but don't get hung up on that. This decision should come down to your preferences in what you want from a school. SIU is a lot cheaper though, but you are making a major compromise on location (which some people prefer and is not a compromise for them).

Source: interviewed and accepted to all three of these schools, however attend none.

 

[kyak]

SIU: Great boards pass rate, but ask if the students graduate on time and you'll get a lot of fluff [hint: the answer is less than half].

You get what you pay for.

And St Louis is right there - the location is fine.

Talk to recent alumni. Ask them how prepared they felt for their private practice / residency. Ask them if they're going to donate money back to the school. Those two questions, in my experience, are the most informative.

 

[Screwtape]

SIU: Great boards pass rate, but ask if the students graduate on time and you'll get a lot of fluff [hint: the answer is less than half].

You get what you pay for.

And St Louis is right there - the location is fine.

Talk to recent alumni. Ask them how prepared they felt for their private practice / residency. Ask them if they're going to donate money back to the school. Those two questions, in my experience, are the most informative.

Less than half the class graduates on time?? Like they stay a few months late to finish up requirements or what? That seems crazy

 

[dp93]

SIU: Great boards pass rate, but ask if the students graduate on time and you'll get a lot of fluff [hint: the answer is less than half].

You get what you pay for.

And St Louis is right there - the location is fine.

Talk to recent alumni. Ask them how prepared they felt for their private practice / residency. Ask them if they're going to donate money back to the school. Those two questions, in my experience, are the most informative.

this was a problem a few years back when SIU stopped accepting a certain type of insurance and subsequently lost out on a lot of patients. They've since fixed that. I think only 1 or 2 kids need to stay an extra month in the 4th year class right now and lets be honest, its probably their fault for not scheduling patients on time/not being very personable/etc. also SIU does some of the best job in the country in prepping actual dental work. You'll definitely not be lacking in aptitude. Can't disagree on the location, Alton isn't the best but like you said STL is a short drive

 

[ajj70]

I know this is an older thread, but SIU is only one of the less expensive options if you are instate, otherwise it's the most expensive school out there. Granted, their OOS acceptance is only 4% but just an FYI.

 

[dp93]

They usually give in state after 1st year

 

[ajj70]

They usually give in state after 1st year

Really?? Are you positive? I've written them off my list because of the exorbitant cost but logistically it is a school I wanted to apply to. From what they say on the website, Illinois does not get in-state if your purpose to locate is educational.

 

[dp93]

Really?? Are you positive? I've written them off my list because of the exorbitant cost but logistically it is a school I wanted to apply to. From what they say on the website, Illinois does not get in-state if your purpose to locate is educational.

I go there now and all of the upperclassman who were from OOS (Arkansas, New York, Minnesota, etc) are getting in state now. Maybe they changed something but they definitely have/did do it. The school didn't just throw the money at them though obviously, they changed to IL residence I believe

 

[ajj70]

I go there now and all of the upperclassman who were from OOS (Arkansas, New York, Minnesota, etc) are getting in state now. Maybe they changed something but they definitely have/did do it. The school didn't just throw the money at them though obviously, they changed to IL residence I believe

Yes, for any of the schools that give you in-state after a year require you to become a resident of that state--get a DL, vote, etc. there. I'll have to look into this more when I comes time to apply.