UNC (OOS) vs. UCLA (OOS) vs. Columbia

[Caravaggista]

Hello everyone!
So this is a long one and i apologize in advance.... I would have never thought I would be in this situation, I have some great schools to choose from, however, it is becoming really hard for me to make a decision. I live in Miami Florida, I am very close to my Hispanic roots and my family. To me is important to be in a city that has cultural diversity and people that I can identify with which is why I would like to branch out into a big city like New York or LA. However, when I visited UNC I got a very homey vibe and felt like everyone was very hospitable and nice. The city that I liked the most was LA, I fell in love with the mountains, the beaches, and the weather... however is really far from home, which will make traveling back and forth more complicated both for me and for my family if they want to come visit.

UNC is graded, UCLA and Columbia are P/F... what I heard from the students is that P/F doesn't stress people out as much. Also, I am seriously considering specializing after dental school so some people say is better to go to a graded school other say that is better going to a big name school.

UCLA's facilities are rather outdated compared to these other two schools, I don't know if the class of 2023 is going to experience the renovations they have planned, so if there are any UCLA students that could clarify this I would be very thankful.

I loved Columbia's campus, their clinic is beautiful and their students were raving about their summers off doing research abroad.... which sounds amazing. Needless to say that they have an excellent platform for networking and finding mentors. However, their tuition is the most expensive one, and even with roommates cost of living is through the roof.

I got an acceptance to UNC Chapel Hill with $168,000 scholarship, 42k per year but it goes down after I become a resident about 50%, so I would be getting 42k the first year and 21k for each year after. I was accepted to UCLA with 20k per year scholarship, and Columbia with no money.
I know most people consider the best choice the cheapest school... but I really liked several things about each one of them and I don't want to make a decision that I will regret after. Thank you all in advance!!!!

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[Charcot-Marie-Tooth]

Sending you a PM

 

[deleted920649]

If I were in your shoes, UNC or UCLA are no-brainers. Both schools are already great and the scholarships should take Columbia out of your final decision, in my opinion. Good luck!

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[Likkriue]

Unc 100000%

 

[futuredentista2023]

I vote for UCLA!

 

[PickleRickelus]

As someone from so cal, you will soon discover that LA is super overrated. The traffic is perpetually atrocious and the COL is ridiculous. Most parts of the city that are not in the tourist areas are also quite hideous. On top of that, LA people are pretty stuck up too so imagine dealing with a patient population who "only wants to see the (insert specialist name)"

Sure, demographically speaking it's similar to Miami so if that's more important to you, then I would go with UCLA. Otherwise, UNC is the clear choice in my opinion.

 

[coldicecream]

That’s a hard decision!
Which school did you end up picking?

 

[Caravaggista]

As someone from so cal, you will soon discover that LA is super overrated. The traffic is perpetually atrocious and the COL is ridiculous. Most parts of the city that are not in the tourist areas are also quite hideous. On top of that, LA people are pretty stuck up too so imagine dealing with a patient population who "only wants to see the (insert specialist name)"

Sure, demographically speaking it's similar to Miami so if that's more important to you, then I would go with UCLA. Otherwise, UNC is the clear choice in my opinion.

Thank you for the input, these are the things I need to hear. I’ve been torn between the two because I think I’m holding on to the idea of moving to LA. However, I’m not that kind of person... I’m very down to earth and straight forward. Some people have said that if you are not looking to be in the entertainment business then moving to LA is pointless. It scares me to end up picking LA and then hating it, same goes to UNC.


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[zToothinator]

I just finished my undergrad at UNC. If you have any questions about the area around UNC, feel free to ask or PM me.

 

[UNCafDDS]

Old data, but:

The racial/ethnic/cultural composition of Los Angeles as of the 2005-2009 American Community Survey was as follows:

• White: 41.3% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 29.4%)
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 47.5%
• Black or African American: 9.8%
• Native American: 0.5%
• Asian: 10.7%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.2%
• Other: 25.2%
• Two or more races: 2.8%

Approximately 59.4% of Los Angeles' residents were born in the 50 United States, and 0.9% were born in Puerto Rico, US territories, or abroad to American parents. 39.7% of the population were foreign-born. Most foreigners (64.5%) were born in Latin America. A large minority (26.3%) were born in Asia. Smaller numbers were born in Europe (6.5%), Africa (1.5%), Northern America (0.9%), and Oceania (0.3%).[2]

 

[UNCafDDS]

@Caravaggista, did you decide yet?

 

[Caravaggista]

@Caravaggista, did you decide yet?

Still talking to friends and family


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[Life of Pablo]

If you didn't get a scholarship to Columbia, then I'd definitely not go there. If I were in your shoes, I would go to UCLA. You said you loved the area and wanted to specialize. It'll be easier to specialize from UCLA due to it being p/f. Also, coming from Miami, it'll be easier to adjust to Los Angeles than Chapel Hill - the people/weather/culture will be more similar in LA.

 

[UNCafDDS]

Unc 100000%

@Likkriue - why do you say this?