[mz simmonz]

I'm an undergrad from NYC and I'm considering applying to dental schools and I'm very curious about the above three in Cali (of course I'm applying to NY schools as well but just curious about the west coast schools). Visiting the websites aren't enough of course, they only give you the bare details. If anyone can share more specific details about the schools like how competitive they are, how reputable they are, neighborhood the school is located in (I've already visited UCLA), on and off campus life for a grad student, job or internship availability near the area, cost of living, and any info I might need that can't be found on the website (I already know the admission requirements, cost, etc) it would be greatly appreciated. I have a few friends that attend UC's but they havent gotten back to my emails yet so yea, it's a big transition from NYC to CA so I want to be as informed as possible thank you!

[dkstariob]

I'm an undergrad from NYC and I'm considering applying to dental schools and I'm very curious about the above three in Cali (of course I'm applying to NY schools as well but just curious about the west coast schools). Visiting the websites aren't enough of course, they only give you the bare details. If anyone can share more specific details about the schools like how competitive they are, how reputable they are, neighborhood the school is located in (I've already visited UCLA), on and off campus life for a grad student, job or internship availability near the area, cost of living, and any info I might need that can't be found on the website (I already know the admission requirements, cost, etc) it would be greatly appreciated. I have a few friends that attend UC's but they havent gotten back to my emails yet so yea, it's a big transition from NYC to CA so I want to be as informed as possible thank you!

UCSF is very good. It's pretty competitive, but apparently students don't "speak too highly of it." Of course San Francisco has an unbelievable high cost of living. Everything is inflated and you should know about the neighborhood...very bold and liberal.

UCLA has a very very VERY good neighborhood. It has a recognized dental school. UCLA or UCSF, don't know the rankings (might be close), but I would think that UCLA has more name appeal than UCSF, which is a school you don't hear about often even though UCSF is a better school in terms of dental education. Housing is expensive, but with roommates it's definitely manageable. It does have a good reputation because UCLA is considered a public Ivy. I'm sure there is competition. I would assume that there are a lot of job opportunities.

USC has a good dental school, but bad neighborhood. Like real bad. Think University of South Central. I'm not saying this because I'm a Bruin, but I ALWAYS see SC kids come to our neighborhood, Westwood, to hang out at Diddy Reese and other restaurants because their neighborhood is crap/dirty while our area is really clean. I'm sure the cost of living is MUCH MUCH cheaper and of course there will be competition. Don't know about the internship availability.

Apparently the rankings were discontinued because schools were complaining about the items that decided a school's ranking. Here were the last rankings.
Last Rankings

[::kitty::]

you might want to take a look at the Newsweek magazine featuring just grad schools--i think it came out last month or this month :] it gives rankings to popular grad schools

[Shmindy]

UCSF is a very good school. It is a medical school. Though people might not recognize it by name because it is not a large undergraduate school it is very competitive. As far as which area is better to live in I would choose Sf over LA area. Yes, UCLA is in a good neighborhood which corresponds to higher housing costs. USC is also a good dental school but the neighborhood is bad. Though, most students dont' live in the neighborhood surrounding the school.

If you are used a more urban atmosphere and like to live in an urban atmosphere SF is the better choice. Yes, housing costs are high in SF but you don't have to live in SF. You can live in south of SF or in the East Bay and BART runs to most areas.


I would say come out visit the programs and areas and decide which you like better.

[watcher]

I'm an undergrad from NYC and I'm considering applying to dental schools and I'm very curious about the above three in Cali (of course I'm applying to NY schools as well but just curious about the west coast schools). Visiting the websites aren't enough of course, they only give you the bare details. If anyone can share more specific details about the schools like how competitive they are, how reputable they are, neighborhood the school is located in (I've already visited UCLA), on and off campus life for a grad student, job or internship availability near the area, cost of living, and any info I might need that can't be found on the website (I already know the admission requirements, cost, etc) it would be greatly appreciated. I have a few friends that attend UC's but they havent gotten back to my emails yet so yea, it's a big transition from NYC to CA so I want to be as informed as possible thank you!

info on USC:

my friend went to dental school at USC (and i also attended USC, but as an engineer). from hearing my friend vent, apparantly 1/3 of the students eventually drop out of the dental program. the courses are very rigorous and competetive, and i rarely got to see him. (i do, however, have to add that he had a girlfriend, a very needy one at that, and that could play a part in him seemingly not having any time for anything else) that's as far as my knowledge of the dental schools go. and i wouldnt really trust rankings that came out over 10 years ago.

as for other information, USC is not in the greatest neighborhood. (but considering you're coming from new york, South Central might give you a nostalgic feel ) but ktown is a 5 minute drive away (and much better than the one in queens!).

sidenote: a lot of SC students do frequent westwood. usually because they have friends who attend the school. i know few SC students who go to there for the pure sake of hanging out (with the exception of a diddy riese run). there's plenty of places in LA to chill.

southern cal is littered with USC dental school grads, and working the alumni network will pay off great dividends if you choose to take advantage of it.

as for job/internships, you might want to speak with a career counselor at the school to get a better answer.

cost of living...depending on whether you will have a roommate will cost you 500~1500/month in rent+utilities. living in south central isn't as bad as people say, but it is pretty ghetto. but depending on where in NY you're from, you might feel right at home.

finally...the lifestyle...LA lifestyle is all about driving around and hanging out. USC is very much a commuter school. that means you can get your best studying done over the weekend, because campus is pretty much abandoned. and on the flip side, there's a lot of places to go and have fun. it's just that unlike manhattan, all the places to hang are spread apart. you cant walk into the next district and find a whole different array of spots to have fun.

LA's really laid back. people dont really pay attention to their surroundings. making friends is harder than it is up in NY. you cant walk on a red light, even if there are no cars around. there's no real 'city' life. but on the bright side, it doesnt smell like garbage. the weather is always warm and dry. and korean/asian food is much better on this side.

[dkstariob]

info on USC:

my friend went to dental school at USC (and i also attended USC, but as an engineer). from hearing my friend vent, apparantly 1/3 of the students eventually drop out of the dental program. the courses are very rigorous and competetive, and i rarely got to see him. (i do, however, have to add that he had a girlfriend, a very needy one at that, and that could play a part in him seemingly not having any time for anything else) that's as far as my knowledge of the dental schools go. and i wouldnt really trust rankings that came out over 10 years ago.

as for other information, USC is not in the greatest neighborhood. (but considering you're coming from new york, South Central might give you a nostalgic feel ) but ktown is a 5 minute drive away (and much better than the one in queens!).

sidenote: a lot of SC students do frequent westwood. usually because they have friends who attend the school. i know few SC students who go to there for the pure sake of hanging out (with the exception of a diddy riese run). there's plenty of places in LA to chill.

southern cal is littered with USC dental school grads, and working the alumni network will pay off great dividends if you choose to take advantage of it.

as for job/internships, you might want to speak with a career counselor at the school to get a better answer.

cost of living...depending on whether you will have a roommate will cost you 500~1500/month in rent+utilities. living in south central isn't as bad as people say, but it is pretty ghetto. but depending on where in NY you're from, you might feel right at home.

finally...the lifestyle...LA lifestyle is all about driving around and hanging out. USC is very much a commuter school. that means you can get your best studying done over the weekend, because campus is pretty much abandoned. and on the flip side, there's a lot of places to go and have fun. it's just that unlike manhattan, all the places to hang are spread apart. you cant walk into the next district and find a whole different array of spots to have fun.

LA's really laid back. people dont really pay attention to their surroundings. making friends is harder than it is up in NY. you cant walk on a red light, even if there are no cars around. there's no real 'city' life. but on the bright side, it doesnt smell like garbage. the weather is always warm and dry. and korean/asian food is much better on this side.

Wow, that was well stated. Yeah Korean food in LA rocks.

[DividedByZero]

I'm an undergrad from NYC and I'm considering applying to dental schools and I'm very curious about the above three in Cali (of course I'm applying to NY schools as well but just curious about the west coast schools). Visiting the websites aren't enough of course, they only give you the bare details. If anyone can share more specific details about the schools like how competitive they are, how reputable they are, neighborhood the school is located in (I've already visited UCLA), on and off campus life for a grad student, job or internship availability near the area, cost of living, and any info I might need that can't be found on the website (I already know the admission requirements, cost, etc) it would be greatly appreciated. I have a few friends that attend UC's but they havent gotten back to my emails yet so yea, it's a big transition from NYC to CA so I want to be as informed as possible thank you!

wow! that's amazing. i'm actually doing the exact opposite! i go to UCD and applying to dental schools in NY and other places next year.

the thing about cali d-schools is that they are all very very competitive (20+ DAT scores, 3.5+ GPA, tons of extracurriculars minimum). however, they also have some of the best reputations among all d-schools. UCSF is right in the middle of the city and it would be crazy expensive to live there, also, if you're not into that whole city life hustle and bustle everyday... you would get tired real fast there. UCLA is right there in beverly hills/hollywood... great campus, great area, also crazy expensive. USC is another story... it's kinda located in a suburban area surrounded by people of African and Hispanic descent (not that there's anything wrong with that), but yeah.. i would suggest visiting them all of course when you go for your interviews and such. good luck applying to dental school!

[tiennster]

UCSF is a really good school... You're from NYC so you might be used to living in urban areas... so you'd feel right at home. San Francisco has many things to do, it's really social and lively, if you're looking for a city where you can also have fun then UCSF is really good. My godmother graduated from UCSF and opened up her own clinic a year later... Needless to say, she's making alot of money!

UCLA, crowded crazy, urban, but different from nyc and sf. Good school, big big big campus, but it's really nice also.

USC... I honestly know nothing about it except that they rock at football. :x

[clairdeluned]

USC has a good dental school, but bad neighborhood. Like real bad. Think University of South Central. I'm not saying this because I'm a Bruin, but I ALWAYS see SC kids come to our neighborhood, Westwood, to hang out at Diddy Reese and other restaurants because their neighborhood is crap/dirty while our area is really clean.

Apparently the rankings were discontinued because schools were complaining about the items that decided a school's ranking. Here were the last rankings.
Last Rankings

Actually, USC's neighborhood isn't that bad. And I would know, I just went walking around the neighborhood outside campus today with a few friends at 8-9 PM or so and we didn't see a single sketchy person. Besides, I heard Westwood's quality was getting worse these days with gangs running about at night?

I don't know about dental school specifically, but USC is world renowned for having the Trojan Family. As in, it's quite easy to get internships and such because former Trojans are more than willing to help out current Trojans. Every upperclassman I know that is interning somewhere right now got it somehow through the "Family"... a professor hooked them up with someone they knew, they found someone through a web site (there's a website specifically helping out USC students find former Trojans who are looking for interns), etc. All of the schools you listed are good, I really don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Check each of them out and try to talk to current students (Facebook might be a useful tool) and good luck!

[watcher]

Actually, USC's neighborhood isn't that bad. And I would know, I just went walking around the neighborhood outside campus today with a few friends at 8-9 PM or so and we didn't see a single sketchy person. Besides, I heard Westwood's quality was getting worse these days with gangs running about at night?

I don't know about dental school specifically, but USC is world renowned for having the Trojan Family. As in, it's quite easy to get internships and such because former Trojans are more than willing to help out current Trojans. Every upperclassman I know that is interning somewhere right now got it somehow through the "Family"... a professor hooked them up with someone they knew, they found someone through a web site (there's a website specifically helping out USC students find former Trojans who are looking for interns), etc. All of the schools you listed are good, I really don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Check each of them out and try to talk to current students (Facebook might be a useful tool) and good luck!

i still wouldnt walk around 8 or 9pm...especially around the neighborhood outside of campus. most of the time, it's ok, but every once in a while, you just never know

as for the alumni network, it's rockin'! i registered to the alumni site last year, and man...i get emails every other day about asking/offering help with jobs, property/vehicle purchases, parties/gatherings, meet and greets, etc. it's great

[dkstariob]

Actually, USC's neighborhood isn't that bad. And I would know, I just went walking around the neighborhood outside campus today with a few friends at 8-9 PM or so and we didn't see a single sketchy person. Besides, I heard Westwood's quality was getting worse these days with gangs running about at night?

Um no, there are no gangs running around in Westwood, just SC kids littering. Besides Westwood will never get as bad as the SC neighborhood. That is a fact. 8 or 9 p.m. with a couple of friends? That isn't even late. I dare you to go outside of S.C. at 12-1 a.m., by yourself. I visited my friend a month ago and I left late after a party (1-2 a.m.) and I saw A LOT of shady people. This probably explains why SC kids always come over to our neighborhood late at night.

UCLA has its own police deparment UCPD as well as the city's police department. It is totally safe.

[watcher]

Um no, there are no gangs running around in Westwood, just SC kids littering. Besides Westwood will never get as bad as the SC neighborhood. That is a fact. 8 or 9 p.m. with a couple of friends? That isn't even late. I dare you to go outside of S.C. at 12-1 a.m., by yourself. I visited my friend a month ago and I left late after a party (1-2 a.m.) and I saw A LOT of shady people. This probably explains why SC kids always come over to our neighborhood late at night.

UCLA has its own police deparment UCPD as well as the city's police department. It is totally safe.

minus the rape route hehehe
but yea...i wouldnt really go outside of SC at midnight.
i dont think there's that many shady people.
most are just neighborhood residents who just havent gotten their life together.
but chances of theft is likely much higher in souch central

[clairdeluned]

Um no, there are no gangs running around in Westwood, just SC kids littering. Besides Westwood will never get as bad as the SC neighborhood. That is a fact. 8 or 9 p.m. with a couple of friends? That isn't even late. I dare you to go outside of S.C. at 12-1 a.m., by yourself. I visited my friend a month ago and I left late after a party (1-2 a.m.) and I saw A LOT of shady people. This probably explains why SC kids always come over to our neighborhood late at night.

UCLA has its own police deparment UCPD as well as the city's police department. It is totally safe.

Er why would anyone walk outside alone at 12-1 AM in the first place, especially in a city like Los Angeles? I don't think it would be wise to be walking outside that late outside of EITHER of the two campuses. BTW USC does have plenty of security around, it's not just UCLA that has security Not to mention that we have Campus Cruiser so we don't have to walk around at night, and DPS which provides bike escorts, walking escorts etc., as well as those bright blue security buttons that are located like every 30 feet around campus and DPS will come rushing over in less than 2 minutes. The USC campus is just as safe as the UCLA campus.

Check out this page and read the little blurbs about robberies near UCLA.

Anyway, I'm digressing from the point. To the OP, make sure you check out all the campuses before you make a decision, don't just take any of our words on here on campus security or whatever.

[watcher]

Er why would anyone walk outside alone at 12-1 AM in the first place, especially in a city like Los Angeles? I don't think it would be wise to be walking outside that late outside of EITHER of the two campuses. BTW USC does have plenty of security around, it's not just UCLA that has security Not to mention that we have Campus Cruiser so we don't have to walk around at night, and DPS which provides bike escorts, walking escorts etc., as well as those bright blue security buttons that are located like every 30 feet around campus and DPS will come rushing over in less than 2 minutes. The USC campus is just as safe as the UCLA campus.

Check out this page and read the little blurbs about robberies near UCLA.

Anyway, I'm digressing from the point. To the OP, make sure you check out all the campuses before you make a decision, don't just take any of our words on here on campus security or whatever.

girls get campus cruiser...guys get the brisk LA evening air as they walk back to the apartments
never has campus cruiser accepted my request or even stopped when i waved and ask for a quick ride.

[JESS.]

there's a forum http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ it may interest you