UMDNJ vs. Western?

[I MADE IT]

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So it's around that time when final deposits are due, and I still can't make up my mind.

I'm between UMDNJ (my state school) and WesternU.

I absolutely loved Western in terms of facility, faculty, student body, and curriculum (as far as I could tell from the interview), and you just can't beat So.Cal weather. However, I've read too many threads saying to just go to the cheapest school, and since I am in-state, UMDNJ will be $30k less per year, equaling $120k in the span of 4 years. My impressions of UMDNJ was that the faculty didn't really care, and the students weren't as passionate about the school than Western students were. It just felt like they went there because it was cheaper, not because it was their top choice school. In addition, being a state school in heavy debt, there is no facility to speak of. In pre-clinic, you get a head on a stick, quite literally, as opposed to Western where you get those cool body/head thingamabobs. As you can see, I like Western more. However, two things are holding me back from saying that is the school to go to. 1) Western is a new program and won't be officially accredited until end of this month. 2) The cost difference. I was wondering if $120k justifies going to a newer school that I like more (but potentially "not as good of a school" because of it's reputation, or lack thereof), or should I just suck it up, save $120k, and go to my state school. I can always move to California after 4 years... Then again, 4 years is a long time, and I'm afraid my lack of passion for my state school (and NJ weather....) will make the 4 years miserable and a lot more difficult than it already is, as if DS was easy.

Any help much appreciated!

Would also like to add that my plans are to re-locate and work in Southern California (job permitting, of course) after DS/residency. Would choosing UMDNJ or Western put me at a disadvantage/advantage, respectively.

 

[GOCHARGERS]

i really liked western u. it was a tough decision for me to turn it down. i really liked the environment at western u. not 1 single student that i talked to had something bad to say. the clinical preparation that they have at western u is pretty impressive. they have you do a lot of community outreach and even have you run a student clinic along with your classmates. i'm not sure if umdnj offers that same opportunity.

i know a lot of people will say take the cheaper school, but i personally feel that you should just go with your gut decision. western u seems to be headed on the right track.

 

[gryffindor]

Somethings you don't seem to know.

Southern California is the most saturated place to practice in the country.

An extra $120K in debt will hinder your dream of practicing in a place where cost of living is high and associateship jobs are hard to come by and often pay poorly. It will be a severe disadvantage.

There is nothing wrong with training on a head on a stick. The vast majority of practicing dentists learned dentistry this way. A head-body thingamabob is not worth the $120K price tag.

You will regret choosing the more expensive school. Writing loan checks is not a pleasant experience each month and it is overwhelming many new grads. Don't make the next 30 years of your future more difficult just because you want to have "a good feeling" for 4 years in dental school.

 

[chada]

So it's around that time when final deposits are due, and I still can't make up my mind.

I'm between UMDNJ (my state school) and WesternU.

I absolutely loved Western in terms of facility, faculty, student body, and curriculum (as far as I could tell from the interview), and you just can't beat So.Cal weather. However, I've read too many threads saying to just go to the cheapest school, and since I am in-state, UMDNJ will be $30k less per year, equaling $120k in the span of 4 years. My impressions of UMDNJ was that the faculty didn't really care, and the students weren't as passionate about the school than Western students were. It just felt like they went there because it was cheaper, not because it was their top choice school. In addition, being a state school in heavy debt, there is no facility to speak of. In pre-clinic, you get a head on a stick, quite literally, as opposed to Western where you get those cool body/head thingamabobs. As you can see, I like Western more. However, two things are holding me back from saying that is the school to go to. 1) Western is a new program and won't be officially accredited until end of this month. 2) The cost difference. I was wondering if $120k justifies going to a newer school that I like more (but potentially "not as good of a school" because of it's reputation, or lack thereof), or should I just suck it up, save $120k, and go to my state school. I can always move to California after 4 years... Then again, 4 years is a long time, and I'm afraid my lack of passion for my state school (and NJ weather....) will make the 4 years miserable and a lot more difficult than it already is, as if DS was easy.

Any help much appreciated!

Would also like to add that my plans are to re-locate and work in Southern California (job permitting, of course) after DS/residency. Would choosing UMDNJ or Western put me at a disadvantage/advantage, respectively.

Im going through the exact same thing except I'm debating between UMDNJ vs Tufts. 120k is a huge difference and California is pretty saturated with dentists (but so is north NJ and NYC) but I still it would be easier to find jobs here. Just make sure that if you choose UMDNJ, dont live in Newark. I went there for the grad program and it's a pretty depressing place.

 

[chada]

Somethings you don't seem to know.

Southern California is the most saturated place to practice in the country.

An extra $120K in debt will hinder your dream of practicing in a place where cost of living is high and associateship jobs are hard to come by and often pay poorly. It will be a severe disadvantage.

There is nothing wrong with training on a head on a stick. The vast majority of practicing dentists learned dentistry this way. A head-body thingamabob is not worth the $120K price tag.

You will regret choosing the more expensive school. Writing loan checks is not a pleasant experience each month and it is overwhelming many new grads. Don't make the next 30 years of your future more difficult just because you want to have "a good feeling" for 4 years in dental school.

What about if the cost were to be the same? My parents generally offered to pay the difference in cost (100-120k) if I were to choose Tufts over UMDNJ. I do like Tufts better (facility, location, faculty, administration) but SDN makes me feel like a spoiled brat if I dont go to a cheaper school. The only thing that makes me want to go to UMDNJ is because of the familiarity with the curriculum (did my masters there) and preference to working in NJ/NY area after graduation. Any advice?

 

[MBlue16]

Due to the fact that I am on Western's waitlist, I'll answer with UMDNJ! haha! 🙂

Jokes aside tho, if I were you, I would go to UMDNJ. My first priority in choosing a dental school would be its recognition and my second would be its price tag. Western is a new school and it is more expensive than UMDNJ. Thus, my choice would be UMDNJ.

 

[gryffindor]

What about if the cost were to be the same? My parents generally offered to pay the difference in cost (100-120k) if I were to choose Tufts over UMDNJ. I do like Tufts better (facility, location, faculty, administration) but SDN makes me feel like a spoiled brat if I dont go to a cheaper school. The only thing that makes me want to go to UMDNJ is because of the familiarity with the curriculum (did my masters there) and preference to working in NJ/NY area after graduation. Any advice?

If your family is going to give you $100K, ask them if they would save it and invest in your career. Here are 4 places where $100K would be better spent than getting a piece of paper that says "Tufts."

1) When you want to buy a $500K practice for sale, a $100K gift toward the purchase price would help you get established and make some real money in your career.
2) If you want to start a practice, $100K seed money would be much more useful than the diploma hanging on your wall.
3) If you want to specialize, many specialty programs require tuition and the $100K would be better spent there.
4) $100K would pay for some really good CE courses to learn advanced things not covered in dental school. This helps add to your skill set and treat more complex cases.

The name on your degree doesn't matter. PATIENTS DON'T CARE. Real learning starts after school. If you want to stay in the NY/NJ area, going to UMDNJ will only help you as you would know more local practitioners in the area.

Newark does blow but whatever. If you don't take that spot, someone else will and they will be doing a happy dance because they are going to be a dentist which is exactly what you are going to be as well.

I am only 1 dentist. Go ask this question on Dentaltown and see what other dentists think.

 

[jeffity]

I know plenty about Western and almost nothing about UMDNJ. Even so, I still say go with UMDNJ. Dollars aren't anything to be messing around with these days in dentistry.

 

[ATG20]

Is this a serious question? It's a difference of $120,000.00. I live near Western, and I say with experience that the area is ugly as sin. I toured the campus a few times and was over it. I don't mean to sound rude, but it strikes me as one of those schools that is so expensive the students rave about "how nice and fun" it is to justify the outrageous cost. Don't drink the kool-aid and buy into that: save your money. As Gryffindor said, there are plenty of better ways to save and invest that money over 30 years. Anyone who tells you a $120k difference is justifiable has no financial sense, plain and simple. Get your financial advice from people who have a career, pay all of their bills, and have been working for a few years.

 

[teethfordays]

I would definitely choose Western over NJ. Can't beat that California weather. Sure that specific area of LA might not be what you see in movies but it's only a short drive to downtown LA, OC, and SD. But aside from that, it's a brand new school with great facilities and super friendly staff and students. Also, with student run clinics and the externship program it really sets itself apart from other schools. With your future plans in mind, it would also make sense to get your dental education in California vs. the east coast in terms of regional boards and whatnot. West coast is the best coast after all!

 

[doglovernonesto]

I may be biased since I'm from California, but I'm currently doing my masters at Umdnj and while originally I thought about attending Umdnj, the school definitely lacks enthusiasm and administration guidance. It's also merging with Rutgers in July this year, so there will be many changes.

I know $120k is a lot of $$, but go somewhere that makes you happy to be studying for your career! You can always pay the difference back once you become a happy dentist.

If you choose Umdnj, definitely do not live in Newark. There is usually at least one robbery, one car hijack, a couple of house break-ins a week over in the area.

 

[UCSFx2017]

Can't believe this is a serious scenario...UMDNJ waitlisters must be spamming the voting box.

You're supposed to calculate the difference in cost after you pay it off with accrued interest. The difference will be well over $120K.

UCSF and VCU would have had a difference of $70K by the time I would have graduated. By the time I pay it off, the difference would have been $140K. I can probably guess relatively accurately that your difference in cost after accrued + capitalized interest is >$240K.
Do whatever you want but be sure as to what exactly it is that you're getting yourself, especially your future self, into.

 

[ATG20]

I may be biased since I'm from California, but I'm currently doing my masters at Umdnj and while originally I thought about attending Umdnj, the school definitely lacks enthusiasm and administration guidance. It's also merging with Rutgers in July this year, so there will be many changes.

I know $120k is a lot of $$, but go somewhere that makes you happy to be studying for your career! You can always pay the difference back once you become a happy dentist.

If you choose Umdnj, definitely do not live in Newark. There is usually at least one robbery, one car hijack, a couple of house break-ins a week over in the area.

Pomona and surrounding area are not any better. It's gang-infested. The school's a small campus in the middle of the city. The mannequins in the pre-clinic are not any reason to drop an extra 6 figures at ANY school. And Pomona doesn't have that CA-weather you may be thinking of. It's baking hot in the spring and summer. The upside is that the winter is mild and it's relatively close to LA and OC if you can find the time to get away. That said, NYC and Phili aren't far from NJ.

 

[acoburn73]

Somethings you don't seem to know.

Southern California is the most saturated place to practice in the country.

An extra $120K in debt will hinder your dream of practicing in a place where cost of living is high and associateship jobs are hard to come by and often pay poorly. It will be a severe disadvantage.

There is nothing wrong with training on a head on a stick. The vast majority of practicing dentists learned dentistry this way. A head-body thingamabob is not worth the $120K price tag.

You will regret choosing the more expensive school. Writing loan checks is not a pleasant experience each month and it is overwhelming many new grads. Don't make the next 30 years of your future more difficult just because you want to have "a good feeling" for 4 years in dental school.

There are associate openings left and right here in SoCal, as well as at least 50 practices for sale per month. Thanks to the baby boomer-aged dentists starting to retire and close shop, the "saturation" should trickle off. In fact, the dentist I'm shadowing currently said that he expecst the next 5-10 years to bring deals in practices for sale due to the retiring dentists in SoCal. His theory is that these people will all be trying to sell off and retire at or around the same time, so the prices asked will need to be super-competitive, with some dentists having fire sales just to get something back from their 40+ years of service to the field. In fact, he's actually worried about this as he's a boomer himself.

To the OP, I am applying to Western myself (along with other schools), but it is indeed my first choice, mainly because I can commute while my wife works full time (our situations are MUCH different). She and I both currently hold 6-figure engineering positions, but for me to quit one of those and attend full time, we need her to keep hers in tact, even though it is more expensive to attend Western. Additionally, the people there are very down-to-earth and are much more genuine than other admins I've met at more established schools. Could just be a case of a new school personality that wears off after a few cycles graduate, but why not get in now and enjoy it while it is still there!

 

[I MADE IT]

This is exactly the problem. As you can see from the poll, we have pretty much a 50/50 breakdown. Even the response, about 50% say, go to the cheaper school. However, the other half says, to follow your heart, and that $120k difference is negligible after years of working. Which one is "correct?" Will that extra $120k debt (plus interest) really make a difference in the long run? Will my "dislike" for UMDNJ just be one of those things that I will easily forget after I get into school and focus on the work?

What about the connections made in DS, would that make setting up and practicing in California easier?

Is "better" environment, a better "feel" about the school, and the possible connections worth $120k? Or will the difference be negligible if I go to NJ and move to CA after school.

 

[periopocket]

?

 

[UCSFx2017]

This is exactly the problem. As you can see from the poll, we have pretty much a 50/50 breakdown. Even the response, about 50% say, go to the cheaper school. However, the other half says, to follow your heart, and that $120k difference is negligible after years of working. Which one is "correct?" Will that extra $120k debt (plus interest) really make a difference in the long run? Will my "dislike" for UMDNJ just be one of those things that I will easily forget after I get into school and focus on the work?

What about the connections made in DS, would that make setting up and practicing in California easier?

Is "better" environment, a better "feel" about the school, and the possible connections worth $120k? Or will the difference be negligible if I go to NJ and move to CA after school.

Most of the Western voters are ignorant predents who have no experience paying off student loans this large. Go ask on DentalTown and I can guarantee a unanimous response in favor of UMDNJ.

 

[gryffindor]

Will that extra $120k debt (plus interest) really make a difference in the long run?

Yes.

Will my "dislike" for UMDNJ just be one of those things that I will easily forget after I get into school and focus on the work?

Yes.

What about the connections made in DS, would that make setting up and practicing in California easier?

No. If you have a good personality and are outgoing, you will easily make connections in your new location.

Is "better" environment, a better "feel" about the school, and the possible connections worth $120k?

No.

Or will the difference be negligible if I go to NJ and move to CA after school.

Yes, it will be negligible.

Why are you asking a bunch of pre-dents who have never probably held a real job or paid any real bills? I was a stupid pre-dent once and thought things like feelings mattered. I've been in the real world. The feelings you had in dental school don't pay the bills. Trust me.

The only thing your dental school tuition buys you is the THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL ON THE PIECE OF PAPER YOUR DIPLOMA IS PRINTED ON. That's it.

I am going to repeat again from my above post 4 things better than a diploma that can $120K buy you.

1) When you want to buy a $500K practice for sale, a $100K gift toward the purchase price would help you get established and make some real money in your career.
2) If you want to start a practice, $100K seed money would be much more useful than the diploma hanging on your wall.
3) If you want to specialize, many specialty programs require tuition and the $100K would be better spent there.
4) $100K would pay for some really good CE courses to learn advanced things not covered in dental school. This helps add to your skill set and treat more complex cases.

 

[I MADE IT]

So I think I have decided on UMDNJ, but then another question came up. What about boards?

I'm looking online and I'm a little confused. There is the NBDE (National Board Dental Examination) and the NERB (Northeast Regional Board of Dental Examiners). Is the NERB a test, or just the organization that supplies the test? If so, is the NBDE the only board that is taken nationally? Then how come there is also the WREB, CRDTS, etc. for each region.

My concern is that if I go to UMDNJ, I will be taking the NERB... does that mean if I go to California, I will have to retake the boards (WREB) or does every state have the same board/licensing? If not, how hard is it to obtain. Should this be something to consider going to Western if I plan on practicing in CA?

 

[Arijos0222]

bump.

 

[Just Peachy]

So I think I have decided on UMDNJ, but then another question came up. What about boards?

I'm looking online and I'm a little confused. There is the NBDE (National Board Dental Examination) and the NERB (Northeast Regional Board of Dental Examiners). Is the NERB a test, or just the organization that supplies the test? If so, is the NBDE the only board that is taken nationally? Then how come there is also the WREB, CRDTS, etc. for each region.

My concern is that if I go to UMDNJ, I will be taking the NERB... does that mean if I go to California, I will have to retake the boards (WREB) or does every state have the same board/licensing? If not, how hard is it to obtain. Should this be something to consider going to Western if I plan on practicing in CA?

This is something I wish I had known to think about when I was applying for dental school. I am graduating from Western in 34 days (who's counting) and then moving back to the southeast for a GPR then to set up shop. My classmates took the WREB (and rocked it, btw), and I'm having to wait to take the CRDTS or CITA when I get back to where I'm going to work. It was going to be a huge hassle and cost an arm and a leg to go somewhere else and take the exam I need, so I decided to do a GPR so I'll at least have a job when I graduate that doesn't require me to be licensed just yet. It kind of stinks to delay the licensure exam for a year, and if I had known to think about that I might not have wandered out west. Maybe with CA accepting licensure by residency and the upcoming portfolio licensure it won't be as much of a hassle for you though if you decide to go that route. Something to check into for sure. Either way you'll make it work. As much as I have enjoyed Western, that extra $120K in tuition would make me think twice. I just did my exit loan counseling and my loan payments are no joke - yikes.

 

[Msmouth]

This is something I wish I had known to think about when I was applying for dental school. I am graduating from Western in 34 days (who's counting) and then moving back to the southeast for a GPR then to set up shop. My classmates took the WREB (and rocked it, btw), and I'm having to wait to take the CRDTS or CITA when I get back to where I'm going to work. It was going to be a huge hassle and cost an arm and a leg to go somewhere else and take the exam I need, so I decided to do a GPR so I'll at least have a job when I graduate that doesn't require me to be licensed just yet. It kind of stinks to delay the licensure exam for a year, and if I had known to think about that I might not have wandered out west. Maybe with CA accepting licensure by residency and the upcoming portfolio licensure it won't be as much of a hassle for you though if you decide to go that route. Something to check into for sure. Either way you'll make it work. As much as I have enjoyed Western, that extra $120K in tuition would make me think twice. I just did my exit loan counseling and my loan payments are no joke - yikes.

Would you mind telling us what your monthly payments are approximately? I think it would be helpful for many of us. Maybe someone should set up a poll in the dental forum to see what average monthly payback is over X amount of years.

 

[ATG20]

Would you mind telling us what your monthly payments are approximately? I think it would be helpful for many of us. Maybe someone should set up a poll in the dental forum to see what average monthly payback is over X amount of years.

His are bound to be different from yours. You can easily determine all of this through a financial aid calculator. UCSFx2017 has posted loads of these files, even one in this thread for varying loan amounts with different repayment schedules.

I hope people aren't going to school without having their budget planned thoroughly. Otherwise, it'll be a shocker when one gets that first letter from the Dept. of Education.

Ballpark calculations for a 10-yr repayment on a loan of 320k: ~3800/month.
360k: ~4200/month.
*I didn't include loan origination fee amounts.
Paying these back will be challenge. Making larger, lump payments to pay it back in <10 will be impractical on a new graduate's salary, especially in CA.

The estimates from WesternU itself put the 4 year COA at ~400k (see their website Budget), which is insane. The reason I calculated the loan amounts at 320 and 360, is because I believe you can shave their estimated COA down significantly. I'm a very frugal and money-conscious person, and I don't think you'll be able to get below 300k, however, unless you're living at home.

FWIW, I worked throughout college and currently have a 'real' salaried-job, as Gryffindor put it, so I feel I'm able to chime in. Repaying debt isn't the funnest way to spend your hard-earned bucks. The only thing worse is repaying excessive debt that was easily avoidable. You may be a bit happier at one DS (or so you think), but when you pay out more every month, you'll regret it.

OP, do yourself a favor. Don't make your future life harder on yourself for any perceived short-term enjoyment. DS will be stressful anywhere you go. You'll look back once you're done and be glad you chose the more affordable option. '120,000' sounds trivial now, but as Gryffindor and I have said, it's a very very real amount of money that will severely hinder your buying power as a future dentist. If you want to practice in CA truly, then take the WREB after you graduate. CA isn't cheap at all. Not only is it saturated (i.e. lower salary/higher competition), the home prices are much higher than in other parts of the country, as is the general cost of living. You may not even be able to qualify for a practice loan with that high of a debt:income ratio, meaning you'll be working as an associate until you can attempt to pay down your debt. Saddling up with an extra 120k burden as you move to one of the costliest states to live in is not a financially-wise decision to begin your career on. That said, good luck to you where ever you decide to attend. Let us know once you make a choice! 🙂

 

[acoburn73]

His are bound to be different from yours. You can easily determine all of this through a financial aid calculator. UCSFx2017 has posted loads of these files, even one in this thread for varying loan amounts with different repayment schedules.

I hope people aren't going to school without having their budget planned thoroughly. Otherwise, it'll be a shocker when one gets that first letter from the Dept. of Education.

Ballpark calculations for a 10-yr repayment on a loan of 320k: ~3800/month.
360k: ~4200/month.
*I didn't include loan origination fee amounts.
Paying these back will be challenge. Making larger, lump payments to pay it back in <10 will be impractical on a new graduate's salary, especially in CA.

The estimates from WesternU itself put the 4 year COA at ~400k (see their website Budget), which is insane. The reason I calculated the loan amounts at 320 and 360, is because I believe you can shave their estimated COA down significantly. I'm a very frugal and money-conscious person, and I don't think you'll be able to get below 300k, however, unless you're living at home.

FWIW, I worked throughout college and currently have a 'real' salaried-job, as Gryffindor put it, so I feel I'm able to chime in. Repaying debt isn't the funnest way to spend your hard-earned bucks. The only thing worse is repaying excessive debt that was easily avoidable. You may be a bit happier at one DS (or so you think), but when you pay out more every month, you'll regret it.

OP, do yourself a favor. Don't make your future life harder on yourself for any perceived short-term enjoyment. DS will be stressful anywhere you go. You'll look back once you're done and be glad you chose the more affordable option. '120,000' sounds trivial now, but as Gryffindor and I have said, it's a very very real amount of money that will severely hinder your buying power as a future dentist. If you want to practice in CA truly, then take the WREB after you graduate. CA isn't cheap at all. Not only is it saturated (i.e. lower salary/higher competition), the home prices are much higher than in other parts of the country, as is the general cost of living. You may not even be able to qualify for a practice loan with that high of a debt:income ratio, meaning you'll be working as an associate until you can attempt to pay down your debt. Saddling up with an extra 120k burden as you move to one of the costliest states to live in is not a financially-wise decision to begin your career on. That said, good luck to you where ever you decide to attend. Let us know once you make a choice! 🙂

I just visited Western yesterday and was informed that tuition and materials total roughly $68-70K per year. 4 years = $272,000-$280,000. This does not include living expenses or travel, of course, which add up quickly since most students will require this as part of their loans. I and likely other married, non-traditionals will only be financing the tuition and materials, as I would be a local commuter student with all living expenses paid in cash thanks to a working and supportive wife and sufficient savings account.

 

[ATG20]

I just visited Western yesterday and was informed that tuition and materials total roughly $68-70K per year. 4 years = $272,000-$280,000. This does not include living expenses or travel, of course, which add up quickly since most students will require this as part of their loans. I and likely other married, non-traditionals will only be financing the tuition and materials, as I would be a local commuter student with all living expenses paid in cash thanks to a working and supportive wife and sufficient savings account.

I'm just reporting, I don't make the numbers. My quote for >300k is meant for the average student who will be relocating and living locally. You're in a fortunate situation that I don't see happening for most.

http://www.westernu.edu/financial-budgets-dentistry

 

[Silent Cool]

If your family is going to give you $100K, ask them if they would save it and invest in your career. Here are 4 places where $100K would be better spent than getting a piece of paper that says "Tufts."

1) When you want to buy a $500K practice for sale, a $100K gift toward the purchase price would help you get established and make some real money in your career.
2) If you want to start a practice, $100K seed money would be much more useful than the diploma hanging on your wall.
3) If you want to specialize, many specialty programs require tuition and the $100K would be better spent there.
4) $100K would pay for some really good CE courses to learn advanced things not covered in dental school. This helps add to your skill set and treat more complex cases.

The name on your degree doesn't matter. PATIENTS DON'T CARE. Real learning starts after school. If you want to stay in the NY/NJ area, going to UMDNJ will only help you as you would know more local practitioners in the area.

Newark does blow but whatever. If you don't take that spot, someone else will and they will be doing a happy dance because they are going to be a dentist which is exactly what you are going to be as well.

I am only 1 dentist. Go ask this question on Dentaltown and see what other dentists think.

Pre-dents should listen to Gryffindor. He/she knows what he/she is talking about 🙂

Money don't grow on trees. 😱

If you have options, choose the cheaper school--always. I'm surprised I have to say it at all.
I can't believe that people even question the whole thing.

All dent schools are equal....except in terms of cost.

Cheaper = better. Always.

 

[Silent Cool]

His are bound to be different from yours. You can easily determine all of this through a financial aid calculator. UCSFx2017 has posted loads of these files, even one in this thread for varying loan amounts with different repayment schedules.

I hope people aren't going to school without having their budget planned thoroughly. Otherwise, it'll be a shocker when one gets that first letter from the Dept. of Education.

Ballpark calculations for a 10-yr repayment on a loan of 320k: ~3800/month.
360k: ~4200/month.
*I didn't include loan origination fee amounts.
Paying these back will be challenge. Making larger, lump payments to pay it back in <10 will be impractical on a new graduate's salary, especially in CA.

The estimates from WesternU itself put the 4 year COA at ~400k (see their website Budget), which is insane. The reason I calculated the loan amounts at 320 and 360, is because I believe you can shave their estimated COA down significantly. I'm a very frugal and money-conscious person, and I don't think you'll be able to get below 300k, however, unless you're living at home.

FWIW, I worked throughout college and currently have a 'real' salaried-job, as Gryffindor put it, so I feel I'm able to chime in. Repaying debt isn't the funnest way to spend your hard-earned bucks. The only thing worse is repaying excessive debt that was easily avoidable. You may be a bit happier at one DS (or so you think), but when you pay out more every month, you'll regret it.

OP, do yourself a favor. Don't make your future life harder on yourself for any perceived short-term enjoyment. DS will be stressful anywhere you go. You'll look back once you're done and be glad you chose the more affordable option. '120,000' sounds trivial now, but as Gryffindor and I have said, it's a very very real amount of money that will severely hinder your buying power as a future dentist. If you want to practice in CA truly, then take the WREB after you graduate. CA isn't cheap at all. Not only is it saturated (i.e. lower salary/higher competition), the home prices are much higher than in other parts of the country, as is the general cost of living. You may not even be able to qualify for a practice loan with that high of a debt:income ratio, meaning you'll be working as an associate until you can attempt to pay down your debt. Saddling up with an extra 120k burden as you move to one of the costliest states to live in is not a financially-wise decision to begin your career on. That said, good luck to you where ever you decide to attend. Let us know once you make a choice! 🙂

If there ever were a plus 1, well.....+1.

+1.

😍

 

[UltimateHombre]

A must read for anyone who is debating the costs of schools...

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=970137