UPitt vs Buffalo

[bassman65]

I have been accepted into both programs and there are various pts that i really like about both. Of course when i visited them both, the students didn't have anything but great things to say about either school. Does anyone out there have any opinions on either one?

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[syn_apse]

i got into both last year but decided not to attend either. if i had to pick between the two though, i would have gone to buffalo since it is a lot cheaper! both are great schools though so you can relax knowing there is no right or wrong decision

 

[Pittisit]

I was accepted to both schools a little over 4 years ago. After spending a lot of time thinking over the pros and cons of both, I decided to attend Pitt and am very happy that I did. I know several people at different dental schools and everyone is in basically the same situation. Every school has their advantages and disadvantages. It is very important that you find a school and a city that you want to spend four years of you life at. I can't speak for Buffalo but I can list some of the major advantages that I have found here at Pitt:

Advantages
1. Very modern Simulation Clinic
2. IV sedation anesthesia certification (if desired)
3. Implant Center (opportunity to place implants during 3rd and 4th year)
4. A lot of patients
5. Put several students in to residency programs.
6. Faculty and staff that are open-minded and willing to try new things.
7. Great lab techs Jim and Norm
8. Admissions and financial aid are very helpful and thoughtful and make dealing with loans very simple.

If you have any specific questions please feel free to PM me.

 

[bassman65]

did either of yall reject your state school to go to a more expensive public school? I'm a new york state resident so UB would be about half as expensive as UPitt.

 

[ncalcate]

did either of yall reject your state school to go to a more expensive public school? I'm a new york state resident so UB would be about half as expensive as UPitt.

I'm currently at Buffalo's DDS program, so I am a little biased. But if I were you, I would think long and hard about passing up in-state tuition to go to a more expensive school elsewhere. Roughly, it looks like Pitt costs about $100,000 more than in state at Buffalo. Contrary to what a lot of naive pre-dents on this board seem to think, an extra $100,000 in tuition is a lot of money, and it is not something you should easily dismiss.

I mean no disrepect towards Pitt or to the previous poster, but I would really think hard about whether a Sim Lab, IV sedation, etc. are really worth the extra $100,000.

For what its worth, I'm from Boston, and I passed up two big-name Boston private schools (BU and Tufts) to come to Buffalo. Both BU and Tufts allegedly had lots of great facilities, but I couldn't justify $300,000 for those schools when I could come to Buffalo for $150,000. And so far, I have no regrets, and I have a lot of classmates here who passed up expensive private schools to come to Buffalo too.

Good luck in your decision. And regardless of whether you go to Buffalo or Pitt, you'll be great clinician after 4 years.

 

[Lesley]

I'm currently at Buffalo's DDS program, so I am a little biased. But if I were you, I would think long and hard about passing up in-state tuition to go to a more expensive school elsewhere. Roughly, it looks like Pitt costs about $100,000 more than in state at Buffalo. Contrary to what a lot of naive pre-dents on this board seem to think, an extra $100,000 in tuition is a lot of money, and it is not something you should easily dismiss.

I mean no disrepect towards Pitt or to the previous poster, but I would really think hard about whether a Sim Lab, IV sedation, etc. are really worth the extra $100,000.

For what its worth, I'm from Boston, and I passed up two big-name Boston private schools (BU and Tufts) to come to Buffalo. Both BU and Tufts allegedly had lots of great facilities, but I couldn't justify $300,000 for those schools when I could come to Buffalo for $150,000. And so far, I have no regrets, and I have a lot of classmates here who passed up expensive private schools to come to Buffalo too.

Good luck in your decision. And regardless of whether you go to Buffalo or Pitt, you'll be great clinician after 4 years.

Hi ncalcate, Does UB School of Dental Medicine allow a change in residency status, so out of state students can qualify for in-state tuition after a period of time? Thanks in advance.

 

[ncalcate]

Hi ncalcate, Does UB School of Dental Medicine allow a change in residency status, so out of state students can qualify for in-state tuition after a period of time? Thanks in advance.

Yes. If you move to Buffalo and establish residency, you can pay in-state tuition for years 2, 3, and 4. Establishing residency is easy. It means just getting a NY drivers license, having a lease, registering to vote, things like that. No one I know had any problems doing that, and all of my second year classmates are now paying in-state tuition.

If you want really detailed info, you can check out this link: http://src.buffalo.edu/studentaccount/residency.shtml

I did hear rumors that if you come with your spouse and he/she then works in NY, you can become a resident in less than a year. But that is just a rumor, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[oldboy]

Yes. If you move to Buffalo and establish residency, you can pay in-state tuition for years 2, 3, and 4. Establishing residency is easy. It means just getting a NY drivers license, having a lease, registering to vote, things like that. No one I know had any problems doing that, and all of my second year classmates are now paying in-state tuition.

If you want really detailed info, you can check out this link: http://src.buffalo.edu/studentaccount/residency.shtml

I did hear rumors that if you come with your spouse and he/she then works in NY, you can become a resident in less than a year. But that is just a rumor, so take it with a grain of salt.

Actually, if you buy a house (houses are really cheap in buffalo) before the start of the first semester you will qualify for instate tuition the first year, even if you move here from out of state. It is possible and both I and others I know have successfully done it. It is a loophole that isn't publicized.

 

[Lesley]

Thanks for the info. UBCDM sounds very reasonable. Happy Holidays!