What do you think of UPENN

[merkman320]

Can somebody give me the pros and cons of UPenn...i hear it has a new clinic built in 2002 but thats all i know..anything will help!!! thanks

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[aurora507]

Can somebody give me the pros and cons of UPenn...i hear it has a new clinic built in 2002 but thats all i know..anything will help!!! thanks

http://www.dental.upenn.edu/about/index.html

You can find a lot of information about unique aspects of Penn's dental program from their website, and decide for yourself whether they're pros or cons.

 

[merkman320]

ive read their website but its like most dental schools website. It says new clinic built in 2002. Heavy emphasis on community service. Ivy League reputation.

But does anybody know any more details about the school...like why choose penn over another school? or any people going or attending penn have something to say about how they enjoyed or disliked there experience at penn. Anything helps...thanks again!

 

[PickMe]

pros
the students there seemed friendly and happy
beautiful school and campus
faculty that will bend over backwards to help you
reputation (which may help if you want to continue your education afterward)
good clinical facilities
they have dent-sim
it seems like they have a lot of social functions for the students (they mentioned a bbq and another night where the school paid for the students to each have a couple drinks at a bar)

cons
PRICE
some may say the weather, ive lived near philly all my life so im used to it
the basement (where a lot of 1st and 2nd yr classes are held) is ugly

i chose penn basically because of how i felt at the interview. everyone seemed really friendly and i felt more comfortable there than compared to other schools that i interviewed at. hope that helps!

 

[fightingspirit]

Can somebody give me the pros and cons of UPenn...i hear it has a new clinic built in 2002 but thats all i know..anything will help!!! thanks

penn is a great school that has a lot to offer, but whatever it offers is certainly not worth the price one pays to go there...

 

[LIer2010]

INSANELY expensive. Not worth it if you got into a cheaper school.

 

[r0entgen]

INSANELY expensive. Not worth it if you got into a cheaper school.

i'm sure the OP knows about the cost, and it's not what he was asking about. and how do you all know it's not worth it? you've never even attended.

 

[cusp of carabelli]

i'm sure the OP knows about the cost, and it's not what he was asking about. and how do you all know it's not worth it? you've never even attended.

technically you haven't either... ...i'm just teasing ya...

let's see...
here are the real pros/cons
pros...
hot girls
the facilities are okay..
hot girls
Surrounding campus is really nice. lots of things to do there...
hot girls
lots of people specialize/do well on boards...(but i think that's more individual on how you study for the thest than anything...)
did I say hot girls?...hehehe..

cons...
you wind up clinically crappy (not as much clinic time spent and have seen preps of recent grads...not too impressive...)
dentsim is waaaaaay overrated (used it...not impressed at all)
price...(my uncle, a penn dental grad) told me not to go there b/c it costs so much...

these are some of the things that a graduate of penn told me when I was taking an implant class there during dental school.....I'm not trying to slam penn or anything...i just think it's not i found it all pretty interesting...and it actually made me glad I went to Temple...(I was pretty much hated my school too...)

bottom line...put together all the schools you get into, think of where you want to practice eventually, eliminate the ones you definately don't wanna go to ...and if it is a toss up, go visit the schools again...on a non-interview day...and talk to the people...w/o telling them you got in....and ask them how they liked the school...and see if it is for you.

 

[nightsleep]

i'm sure the OP knows about the cost, and it's not what he was asking about. and how do you all know it's not worth it? you've never even attended.

yep...there must be lots of ppl that think its worth it - they never have a problem filling classes.

the OP should also think about if philly is a place he wants to live. living in the city is a life experience if you've never done it before and it might be a big factor. its just like a lot of ppl that go to nyu and columbia say living in manhattan is such a great opportunity and a life experience...i think the same about philly.

 

[r0entgen]

technically you haven't either... ...i'm just teasing ya...

yeah, i haven't. and that's why i'm not giving comments to the OP regarding Penn.

 

[LIer2010]

i'm sure the OP knows about the cost, and it's not what he was asking about. and how do you all know it's not worth it? you've never even attended.

Cost of education/living at UPenn for 4 years (with accrued interest during those 4 years, if you were to take out all loans) is about 150-200k more than the cost of attending a state school. No matter how great Penn education is, is it worth that much more money? I think the money issues outweighs all other pros that Penn might have to offer. And I didn't need to attend Penn to know that.

 

[DesiDentist]

Upenn is a great school. From day one I have not regretted a single day. The campus is beautiful with everything here. I live two blocks from campus, everything is close by. The undergrad campus is right next door, and tons of things to do. The school itself is great. The facilities are nice (even though the preclinic years you sit in the 'dungeon,' but regardless of how new the school preclinic days are the dungeon.

Anyways, to sum it up I use the "shoe" analogy four years ago when I chose PENN. If the shoe is cheaper you aren't just gonna buy its cuz its cheaper, but you are gonna buy it if it fits, right? Similarly, hide the price tag and listen to your heart and see if this is where you belong.

I didn't even know Penn was Ivy League. Heck, I applied there and they told me at the Interview Penn was Ivy League. But that doesn't matter anyways, but what does matter is that the professors look at you eye to eye, and respect you, which was important to me. I didn't want to be treated badly like I was in boot camp or something. Trust me this does happen at some schools. Our specialty rate is incredible, with over half the class specializing. We have our own dental library, we have two coffee stores built into our dental school , and yes the study body is amazing. Everyone has something great about them. The balance between studies and socializing is great, which is important.

Honestly, I have many friends all over the US at various schools and sometimes I seriously believe I am so lucky to be here. You won't go wrong, trust me.

DesiDentist

 

[nightsleep]

.

Anyways, to sum it up I use the "shoe" analogy four years ago when I chose PENN. If the shoe is cheaper you aren't just gonna buy its cuz its cheaper, but you are gonna buy it if it fits, right? Similarly, hide the price tag and listen to your heart and see if this is where you belong.
DesiDentist

Thank you!!! If you feel exactly the same about two places and one is costs twice as much as the other, by all means, pick the cheaper one. But, if you know in your heart where you want to be, then little else matters - it will all work out in the end. We can't sit here and think about all the what if's. That's the most important thing I learned during my application/decision process.