What would you do?

[UMpredent]

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Would you choose the cheaper state school (even if you had gone there for undergrad), or would you choose the more expensive private school that seemed to be a better fit for YOU personally?

 

[MTD52]

Would you choose the cheaper state school (even if you had gone there for undergrad), or would you choose the more expensive private school that seemed to be a better fit for YOU personally?

Depends how big the loan repayment difference will be, and how much more you liked it.

 

[bbeth]

Would you choose the cheaper state school (even if you had gone there for undergrad), or would you choose the more expensive private school that seemed to be a better fit for YOU personally?

Depends on whether you want to specialize or not.
I would choose the cheaper state school because the debt scares me the most about dental school. If you want to do research or specialize though (and since you liked the private school), you might want to consider going the other way.

I would also consider the location of the school and where you want to be for 4 years...

 

[UMpredent]

Depends on whether you want to specialize or not.
I would choose the cheaper state school because the debt scares me the most about dental school. If you want to do research or specialize though (and since you liked the private school), you might want to consider going the other way.

I would also consider the location of the school and where you want to be for 4 years...

Why would you go the other way if specializing? At this point in my life, I DO plan on specializing... but a lot can change in dental school. And the locations can't even compare. I've been here all my life and know I might regret not taking the opportunity to move away for four (or more) years.

 

[THINKOFMYFUTURE]

Good question.

I'm not too stingy about money. I'll be a dentist whatever school I attend, and not be in poverty.

To me, choosing a school greatly involves considering the person I will be for the next 4 years; It's not all about money.

It's also about the place, the people, the environment I'll be in, as much as it is about the cost and reputation (if it really matters at all, in the end).

I'm young, and in my prime. Is it right to pick a school based on costs alone, even if it means being an unhappy person during these next precious years?

When I make my decision, I want to put all these things on the table.

 

[Regmata]

Most of you overestimate how unhappy you will be at schools that "aren't the best fit for your personality." Many of my classmates dreaded the thought of coming to Buffalo b/c of the cities reputation. Nobody is miserable here and many of them have fallen in love with the city and plan to stay here. Regardless, it isn't the city that makes the experience, it is the friends you make while in school...and you can make them anywhere.

Nobody is in their prime during dental school. Dental school sucks and is a veritable time sync. Your prime is when you get out, when you have the time and money to do what you want. That extra 1 or 2 grand a month you chose to spend on an expensive private school that did next to nothing to help you spec or gain employment on down the line will really bite you in the ass during your actual prime. Think of what you could do with all that cash...each month

 

[buzpuck11]

Most of you overestimate how unhappy you will be at schools that "aren't the best fit for your personality." Many of my classmates dreaded the thought of coming to Buffalo b/c of the cities reputation. Nobody is miserable here and many of them have fallen in love with the city and plan to stay here. Regardless, it isn't the city that makes the experience, it is the friends you make while in school...and you can make them anywhere.

Nobody is in their prime during dental school. Dental school sucks and is a veritable time sync. Your prime is when you get out, when you have the time and money to do what you want. That extra 1 or 2 grand a month you chose to spend on an expensive private school that did next to nothing to help you spec or gain employment on down the line will really bite you in the ass during your actual prime. Think of what you could do with all that cash...each month

👍 I was facing the same "dilemma" as the OP, and have chosen to return to my undergrad state school (UB). I couldn't justify the extra money just to experience a new city for four years. I'll do that after I graduate and have the time/money.

 

[THINKOFMYFUTURE]

"Nobody is miserable here and many of them have fallen in love with the city and plan to stay here. "

This is pure opinion.

"Regardless, it isn't the city that makes the experience, it is the friends you make while in school...and you can make them anywhere."

This depends on the person; again you submit only your opinion.

"Nobody is in their prime during dental school."

Depends;opinion.

"Dental school sucks and is a veritable time sync."

This statement is a contradiction to your thought of "Friends, not the city making the experience".

"Your prime is when you get out, when you have the time and money to do what you want."

Says you?

"That extra 1 or 2 grand a month you chose to spend on an expensive private school that did next to nothing to help you spec or gain employment on down the line will really bite you in the ass during your actual prime."

So, let me ask you this, why should anyone even attend an expensive private school?
According to you, you will pay 1-2 grand more, not get into specialties, and won't even be employed.

"Think of what you could do with all that cash...each month."

Notice, words like "I'm and "my" indicate my personal perspective on things. Follwing statements then, apply not to anyone else, but myself alone. In my concluding lines, it could not have been made clearer that I am not trying to pass things on as fact, unlike you have done, so prevalently, throughout your entire message.

According to you, private schools are too expensive, you can't specialize (since "expensive private schools did next to nothing.")

And to you, you shouldn't even consider anything but the cheapest school, since that way your 'prime' will be spent spending less money per month.

The point of my post was to suggest how it would be wise to consider all the factors without being swayed by money, location, reputation, or yes, any one factor alone before making a decision. Just in-case you missed it.

 

[MTD52]

I think you're going to have a very different point of view once you go through school and start paying back your loans.

 

[THINKOFMYFUTURE]

Maybe, maybe not. Everybody is different. We each harbor dissimilar notions of security, and, for me, as long as it does not land me in financial peril, I won't be one to look back and regret the four years spent in a place where I personally would find more enjoyable.

But that doesn't mean I'll go around telling people, "Look, save costs. It's the best, and only way - avoid private schools," Followed by some fluff commenting that merely attempts to justify my inherent biases in someway.

 

[gimmecaffeine]

Don't know if this will add to the discussion, but I did my calculations between a private out-of-state school and a public in-state school - and if I did my math correctly, after I take out the max $40,500 / yr from federal, my cost difference came out to be about $3000 / month. 😛

(based on general numbers provided by schools)

 

[THINKOFMYFUTURE]

Don't know if this will add to the discussion, but I did my calculations between a private out-of-state school and a public in-state school - and if I did my math correctly, after I take out the max $40,500 / yr from federal, my cost difference came out to be about $3000 / month. 😛

(based on general numbers provided by schools)

Appreciate your work.

Now, to one person that $3000/ month would be unfathomably bad. So bad, that they would ultimately decide against going this route.

To another, they may think it worth it. And, they may justify this by whatever predispositions.

Neither is wrong. What is wrong, is condemnation of either.

 

[MTD52]

Maybe, maybe not. Everybody is different. We each harbor dissimilar notions of security, and, for me, as long as it does not land me in financial peril, I won't be one to look back and regret the four years spent in a place where I personally would find more enjoyable.

But that doesn't mean I'll go around telling people, "Look, save costs. It's the best, and only way - avoid private schools," Followed by some fluff commenting that merely attempts to justify my inherent biases in someway.

I guess you're entitled to your opinion, but as with any school IMO, it's all what you make it of it. It's the same thing when choosing a college. College is college, and you can make any school good if you want to and if you like the people there.

And that "fluff" that you're referring to will be back by any dental student or dentist that you talk, or at least that I've talked to. Many (though not all) dentists I've spoken to have repeatedly said to keep the money in your pocket, and if you ask any recent grad, I would bet most of them say the same thing. In your defense, if you really didn't like a school at all, I wouldn't say to overlook that entirely based on cost, but for the most part, you are largely underplaying the financial aspect.

 

[DrDDSman]

It would also help to compare the two schools in question. I think the OP is talking about Michigan (maybe Minnesota) vs X private school. If Michigan, I personally would love to spend 4 years in Ann Arbor (not to mention its a pretty good school too), but that's because I've never lived there. Minnesota is a different story. But I have a feeling once you get settled into where ever you go, you'll make great friends and have a great time with them (when not studying, that is)

 

[MTD52]

But I have a feeling once you get settled into where ever you go, you'll make great friends and have a great time with them (when not studying, that is)

This is a big part of what I'm saying. At the end of the day, school is what you make of it, and there aren't any BAD dental schools. You might have a "better" experience somewhere, however you wish to quantify that, but in the end, everyone should (provided you put in the time and effort) have enough knowledge to be an efficient dentist. Your experience will be based on you and your classmates, not necessarily what you think the school might provide. And your success will be determined largely by what happens after you graduate, not during school. I'm not saying just forget about everything and don't look into the schools, but just realize you can do just fine anywhere.

 

[Regmata]

Actually, when I say no one is miserable, many have fallen in love with the area and some would like to stay...it isn't an opinion. That would be a quantifiable fact. You could question the validity of the statement if you like and maybe you would prove me wrong. There could be a few unhappy students in my class that don't like dental school solely because of the location and aura of a state school. However, I know most of my classmates pretty well and if these students exist, they are few and far between.

When I stated that it isn't the city that makes the experience, but the friends you make, you are right about it being my opinion. What you are not taking into consideration is that my opinion is derived from my experiences and my interactions with many other people from many dental schools who also are actually experiencing...dental school. While that statement may not be true for all, it will be true for many.

If you consider 70+ hour work weeks, choking on ivorine dust while high off PMMA fumes and dozing off because you have barely slept the past few weeks due to exams to be your prime...you are a different kind of person than I am. Dental school has it moments, but nobody that I have spoken with has ever described it as a highpoint in their life. Save graduation day.

Dental school does suck, it is hard and it consumes much of your life. That being said, your classmates are going through it with you...suffering together isn't as bad as suffering alone and it actually facilitates some enjoyable times. I was referring to dental school itself with that statement though, not your entire life while in school. There is life outside of school, how much depends on what year you are and what time of year it is.

No where did I ever say that students will not get into specialty programs or get a job if they attended a private school. What I said is that attending the private school would do next to nothing to make you more attractive to programs or employers. Students get specialty slots and jobs primarily based on their own hard work and achievements, not on what school issued their diploma.

I got your point, seems like you may have missed mine. Myself and countless others on this thread (most with more real world experience than you) have stressed expenses as one of the primary factors to be considered during dental school. Money doesn't seem to be a great concern for you. Maybe your parents are very wealthy, maybe you inherited money, maybe you just never had any of your own so you don't value it like someone who has worked hard for it or maybe you just value things very differently from myself. Either way, with all of these opinions on here, you can choose whether or not to listen, it is of no consequence to me.

 

[HopefulDent]

I can truly sympathize with both sides of the argument. I can see how much of a factor finances can play in the future and it think the situation varies case by case. As a California resident, the cheapest i can expect to depart from dental school with is $260,000+. If i had to choose between a state school elsewhere for $50,000 vs my $250,000+ debt here in California, i think finances are almost undeniable important. In my case, i have to pay either $260,000 for the UC system or $350,000 for private. In either regard, the cost is tremendous, but what is valued more? Life experience or living by finances? I understand both can be done in sync, but where you reside may influence what experience YOU get out of dental school.

I understand much life experience will come after dschool and that dschool is what you make of it, but is this worthy enough to undermine factors aside from financial as significant decision factors? It is subjective as every individual is different and is entitled to their own opinion entirely. Some people here are married and have kids... some have a fiancee (such as myself)... and others come from wealth. I personally worked all my years through undergrad and have paid my way from the start. This makes me reluctant to take out tremendous amounts of loans, but the simple fact of the matter is that nothing in life is for sure. You only have one shot and never know when your time will come. I've seen some of the healthiest people die from heart attacks, some of the most defensive drivers pass away from traffic accidents, and some of the most daring individuals outlive them all.

For whomever reads this, do what make YOU happy. No one can ever walk in your shoes and know what YOU are feeling. Whatever decision you make, never look back in regret. Follow your heart and you can't live in regret.