I have a few really good friends that are in their third and fourth years at Marquette, so I've gotten some insider info on what the school is really like. It's a new school, with state-of-the-art labs and a relatively progressive cirriculum. That's about all they have going for them.
Their stats are low. 17 AA, 17 PAT for DAT. That's not even average. I know a ton of people who applied as WI residents with some embarrassing DAT scores and they got in. I'm guessing this is what drags the stas down. The common thread among these students was a relative(s) who were alumi. I know of some pretty ridiculous stories about strings being pulled for some people this past fall. The director of admissions told me flat out that his job is to get as many people as possible to apply, even if he knows they don't have a chance in hell. I guess this is assumed, but to have him actually say that to an applicant is in bad taste.
Then you have the whole dental student blog incident. From what my buddies say, the atmosphere among students, staff, and faculty is a bit strange, and there's always drama.
So I guess I would avoid the school. When you have more than half the people you meet from a school tell you they wish another dental school would have given them a shot, that should be a good indication of what student life is like.
But, if you are out of State, smart, motivated, etc., I would consider going there. I can tell you right now that the 40 Wisconsin students, for the most part, won't be a threat to your ranking. Trust me, I know who enters these classes from WI; mostly sons/daughter of alum with below average numbers. In fact, one of the tour guides, a third year from Utah, just got in trouble because he would always tell interviewees that the school is easy because there was little competition. If you think you might want to specialize, consider Marquette.
