Upenn and NYU acceptance. Smarter to wait a year?

[orionee]

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I have been fortunate to be accepted to Upenn and NYU. Upenn has been my dream school since FOREVER. I have been shooting for Upenn since senior year of high school but was rejected from Upenn's 7-year bio-dental program. I was sorely disappointed and decided to study extra hard, and made it a goal to become accepted the second time around, the traditional way.

Lucky for me, I have been accepted this time around, and was ECSTATIC. However, after the initial rush of happiness, I am really starting to fear the debt I will be in. I didn't apply to many other private schools or out of state schools because I figured 310~340k vs 380k for Upenn, I would pick U penn hands down.

Now I am realizing that the difference in price of an average private or out of state school and Upenn is a lot of money to pay back (40 to 70K which is approximately 80 to 140K with after tax dollars). Upenn has always been my dream school, but I am the type of guy that would feel guilty shopping at a designer store when I could get the same product from Ross.

So does it make sense to re-apply next cycle? I would be re-applying to the cheaper private schools and I would also have another shot at my state schools (which are ridiculously hard to get into). I am leaning towards just enjoying my dream school since I have already put down my deposits. I have talked to an orthodontist who had received his degree from NYU and he told me not to worry about the loans. He has been practicing for 2 years now and he has about $500K that he must pay off but he said he isn't too worried. Am I worrying about it more than I should?

 

[Parklife]

I'm faced with a sort of similar dilemma.

I think you should do whatever makes you happy. Upenn is certainly a name worth taking note of. I would certainly talk about my Upenn dentist around town. It would be great to build up clientele, and people at Upenn..who knows the networking you may accomplish. You will build up colleges and friends for a lifetime. Maybe even your soul mate? Also, if you went to upenn for undergrad you're already familiar with the school. Getting acclimated to a school is hard. I don't think you want that stress on you going into dental school.

I think you should go to Upenn. Waiting a year to get into a cheaper school? That's a year of your life.. You're going to be a dentist. If you start up a dental practice you're going to be ~600k in debt as it is right? You will surely pay back those loans. The salary of dentists has been on an uphill trend as it is.

Besides you already spent money and time applying. You're in so why not go? Most people would kill to be in your position.

That's my take on it.

 

[Tirekicker]

Besides you already spent money and time applying. You're in so why not go? Most people would kill to be in your position.

You got accepted to your dream school!!!

If it makes you feel any better, a year of wages should go a long way to make up for the money you would have saved IF you got into one of the cheaper schools you are considering. It seems too risky to wait another year to possibly save money by getting into a school that you don't even know if you'll like. You love UPenn so go for it!

Remember "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush." 😉

 

[Illfavor]

The difference is amounting to about a year's salary, but it would cost you a year of experience. Why throw that away, at your dream school? It's good that you're trying to financially responsible, but this is probably a decision that could easily have been made at the beginning of the application cycle, since it should've greatly affected where you applied.

 

[dentalprodigy]

Going to either mentioned schools in a scary thought given the loans BUT it's not a good idea to reapply and go through the rigorous selection process again.

Stick 2 your dream school.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

 

[wired202808]

Rejecting the only 2 schools you got into would be the kiss of death for next years admission. Once other schools find out you turned down not only one, but 2 dental schools in the previous cycle there will be no shot for you to gain admissions to the other schools. Pick one school and go there with a smile. That will serve you better than taking a risk by reapplying and most likely not getting admitted elsewhere next year.

 

[385835]

Rejecting the only 2 schools you got into would be the kiss of death for next years admission. Once other schools find out you turned down not only one, but 2 dental schools in the previous cycle there will be no shot for you to gain admissions to the other schools. Pick one school and go there with a smile. That will serve you better than taking a risk by reapplying and most likely not getting admitted elsewhere next year.

How would dental schools know which schools you accepted you last cycle?

 

[iralex801]

when youre pulling in 300k a year, 500k debt isnt an issue. even general dentistry salary is more than enough to pay back a hefty loan...never understood the hysterics on this site about loan repayment lol

you got into your dream school. go! 👍

Only the naive pre-dents believe that. Real practicing dentists know that pulling in 300K a year is only among the top percent of dentists lol. Actually with a little bit of research, you'd know this fact also.

To the OP. Go to UPENN. It's not worth it go reapply and risk not getting in. Only choose the cheapest option if you have a choice, but in this case you don't.

 

[omnipoDent]

Only the naive pre-dents believe that. Real practicing dentists know that pulling in 300K a year is only among the top percent of dentists lol. Actually with a little bit of research, you'd know this fact also.

To the OP. Go to UPENN. It's not worth it go reapply and risk not getting in. Only choose the cheapest option if you have a choice, but in this case you don't.

The person referenced above with 500K debt is actually an orthodontist. They average well over 300K a year, so that's probably why he is not concerned about the debt.

To the OP, go to UPenn.

 

[Coenobita]

I'm sure you have a very good application to get multiple acceptances this year, but are you sure you will get in next cycle? Competition gets tougher each year and sometimes the admissions seems kind of random. I would suggest NOT WAITING A YEAR FOR A CHEAPER SCHOOL! Did you do anything significant between the two cycles that would guarantee you a spot at a cheaper school? I wouldn't risk it! Congrats on both acceptances! The interest and payback is very frightening, but you pay for the reputation of the school! Penn..i mean it's Penn!! lol

 

[ShipShapeTeeth]

You got into two great schools, including your dream school, pick one! Don't jeapordize your chances of not getting in next cycle by turning them down. Futhermore, as a post-bacc doing my glide year now, my advice is to avoid unnecessary "time off" before dental school at all costs.

 

[wired202808]

How would dental schools know which schools you accepted you last cycle?

In the Background Information section of your application you must fill out the following questions:

Have you ever applied to dental school prior to the present application cycle? Yes
No

If yes, include the name of schools to which you applied and year(s) of application. If accepted/enrolled, indicate dates of enrollment

Now obviously OP did not enroll but he/she was accepted and put down a deposit therefore I believe they would need to answer this question in full detail and explain that they were previously accepted to UPenn and NYU

 

[herkulease]

Ignore everything else and ask yourself this question.

Can you accept the possibility that you may NEVER get another offer?

You can earn the money to pay back the loans. If you have to live cheap for years so be it. What you can't do is turn back time.

Things change from year to year. You can look on predents and see people who have decent numbers that didn't even get an interview or just 1 and someone else with similar numbers got tons.

 

[tmirchel]

Dream School... I would go.

I really wanted to go to UOP and got in but chose UW because its a lot cheaper. If UOP of my only option I would have gone. Neither were my "Dream". If you feel so strong about this school then go. The fact that you are questioning it may mean its not really your dream.

 

[ugashaun]

You are crazy not to go to upenn. Be proud of yourself for your great accomplishments and go!! There are no guarantees for next year anyway.

 

[dantemac]

I think ultimately you should attend. Yes, you will cry yourself to sleep every month when the banks/government send you loan updates, but ultimately you will be in dream profession at a dream school of yours.

Realize that:
1) You will have to work hard to pay the debt off
2) Your take home pay may not be the doctor lifestyle for a while
3) You should be proud to be in a white coat profession and have a job helping people
4) Another application cycle could mean rejection!!

Time = Money, you would be wasting both waiting another year and using another app cycle up.

 

[iralex801]

youre thinking gen. dentistry. op was talking about ortho so 300 is a fair estimate

Oh. Sorry about that. Yeah, you're right. Orthos make bank.

 

[BobLoblawDDS]

Orthos make bank.

Not anymore, apparently.

 

[SupDanLOL]

Health care is a dead end. Dentistry blows. No one is making money. Incomes are lower. Debt, debt, debt. The world is ending, etc. etc.

BLAH 🙄