VCU (OOS) vs Louisville (OOS) vs NYU

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abeezdent

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School 1: Virginia Commonwealth University
* Out of State
Pros:
  • Had in-person interview and enjoyed the student environment, and nice faculty
  • Early clinical hands on exposure
  • Up to date with dental technology (digital dentistry)
Cons:
  • Would need a car for transportation
School 2: University of Louisville
* Out of State
Pros:
  • Had in-person interview and saw the dental building is in the heart of the health sciences
  • Probably cheapest living cost out of all my other options
  • Very good didactic curriculum
Cons:
  • Would need a car for transportation
School 3: New York University
* Out of State
Pros:
  • Received a $25K yearly scholarship for tuition
  • Diverse patient population
  • Large class size could be useful for networking
  • Wouldn't need a car
Cons:
  • Cost of living and high tuition
  • Large class size compared to other schools
  • I also read about students having to find patients to meet graduation requirements - I don't know if this is true since at the interview they said we don't have to worry about looking for patients.

Summary: This has been a hard decision for me, because the three schools are not much different in cost. I am from Florida so all of these schools are far from my family. Living in Manhattan is very expensive but I won't need a car. Louisville and Richmond are similar cities, with similar living costs. I'm looking to specialize at this moment, but I know my perspectives can change once in dental school. I'd also like to know which school has the best matching for residencies. I know all these schools are clinically strong, which makes deciding a little difficult.

When I interviewed at VCU I really enjoyed the school and could see myself being apart of the class. Louisville is also a great school but the environment was less friendly when I interviewed there. My NYU interview was virtual but I had an amazing time meeting the students and my interviewer was so charismatic.

Thank you and I'd love to hear any answer you'd be able to give!

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School 1: Virginia Commonwealth University
* Out of State
Pros:
  • Had in-person interview and enjoyed the student environment, and nice faculty
  • Early clinical hands on exposure
  • Up to date with dental technology (digital dentistry)
Cons:
  • Would need a car for transportation
School 2: University of Louisville
* Out of State
Pros:
  • Had in-person interview and saw the dental building is in the heart of the health sciences
  • Probably cheapest living cost out of all my other options
  • Very good didactic curriculum
Cons:
  • Would need a car for transportation
School 3: New York University
* Out of State
Pros:
  • Received a $25K yearly scholarship for tuition
  • Diverse patient population
  • Large class size could be useful for networking
  • Wouldn't need a car
Cons:
  • Cost of living and high tuition
  • Large class size compared to other schools
  • I also read about students having to find patients to meet graduation requirements - I don't know if this is true since at the interview they said we don't have to worry about looking for patients.

Summary: This has been a hard decision for me, because the three schools are not much different in cost. I am from Florida so all of these schools are far from my family. Living in Manhattan is very expensive but I won't need a car. Louisville and Richmond are similar cities, with similar living costs. I'm looking to specialize at this moment, but I know my perspectives can change once in dental school. I'd also like to know which school has the best matching for residencies. I know all these schools are clinically strong, which makes deciding a little difficult.

When I interviewed at VCU I really enjoyed the school and could see myself being apart of the class. Louisville is also a great school but the environment was less friendly when I interviewed there. My NYU interview was virtual but I had an amazing time meeting the students and my interviewer was so charismatic.

Thank you and I'd love to hear any answer you'd be able to give!
anywhere but NYU...
 
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NYU giving you that measly scholarship shouldn't even be listed as a pro. That's a fraction of a drop in the bucket in terms of what you'll pay overall. That's just an incentive for suckers.
 
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NYU giving you that measly scholarship shouldn't even be listed as a pro. That's a fraction of a drop in the bucket in terms of what you'll pay overall. That's just an incentive for suckers.
Maybe you're not aware of the cost of attendance for an OOS for VCU & Louisville. After the "measly" 25K, all three schools become the same price wise, even NYU a little less regarding tuition. I appreciate your response but I am looking to get insight about the schools since I already did the money calculations and am aware how expensive NYU is.
 
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I think they’re just saying that they wouldn’t need a car if living in Manhattan and would use public transportation
Yeah but this is the only listed drawback for the non-Manhattan schools. There's no reason why one can't use public transportation at those cities either. Sure it's not New York City where such transportation is convenient, but it still costs money to take public transportation. I just don't see this as a huge deal unless the OP can't drive... which is my question.
 
Yeah but this is the only listed drawback for the non-Manhattan schools. There's no reason why one can't use public transportation at those cities either. Sure it's not New York City where such transportation is convenient, but it still costs money to take public transportation. I just don't see this as a huge deal unless the OP can't drive... which is my question.
Gotcha! I see where you’re coming from now
 
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Yeah but this is the only listed drawback for the non-Manhattan schools. There's no reason why one can't use public transportation at those cities either. Sure it's not New York City where such transportation is convenient, but it still costs money to take public transportation. I just don't see this as a huge deal unless the OP can't drive... which is my question.
I just put it as an extra big cost, I can drive. I'm more so interested if anyone has any extra details about VCU and Louisville.
 
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Shoot me a PM if you haven't decided on a school. I am currently a D1 at VCU and can give you some insight on the school's curriculum, culture, rigor, and even Richmond as a place to live
 
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