I haven't seen much in the way of direct comparison for these two schools other than a post with a few replies last year. Searching only brings up 4-5 year old threads after that.
So I'm currently debating whether UMDNJ or Stony Brook is the best choice for me next year. Both are excellent schools and I am very lucky to have this choice (although its a difficult one to make). I am a NJ resident but cost really isn't an issue here. Summing everything other than Cost of Living, UMDNJ ends up being maybe $7k more than Stony Brook even with the $47k out of state tuition I pay for the first year.
So here are my pros and cons (listed in red) for both schools. If you have any others, let me know and of course, please share your thoughts.
UMDNJ:
* Very strong clinically
* Classes with Dental Students (may be a tiny bit more relaxed than SB's med/dent curriculum
* A bunch of brand new clinics and lecture halls with lots of room. I actually really liked the building and facilities here. Facilities also seemed more spacious than those at Stony.
* The faculty I met here seemed really great.
* Location is central to friends and family (no more than an hour from each)
* Lots of stuff to do (NYC is close, Devil's games, mens league hockey)
* Girlfriend's company has an office right in Morristown
* Cities are not really my cup of tea. I can live in the suburbs, but still its definitely not as nice of an area as Stony Brook.
* Cheating scandals and corruption tarnish the reputation.
* NJ's dire financial condition could result in sizable tuition hikes over the next 4 years.
Stony Brook:
* Very strong academically
* Small class yields better 1:1 time with faculty
* Still very good clinically
* Faculty also seemed great here
* More wooded, suburban setting
* My veteran benefits are higher in NY state than in NJ
* Additional $4k/year grant from NY HESC for veterans
* My friend just graduated from SB Medical School and swears all the Dental students had very high morale.
* Great reputation within Dental Community
* More affluent patient base means maybe more higher end procedures during school
* Located well off the beaten track. 3 hours to family, 2 hours to girlfriend
* Not much to do when I need to blow off steam
* Their hockey team is the Islanders
I am a non-traditional student. I'll graduate when I'm 36, so at this point I have no intention of specializing. I want to complete school, potentially do a GPR, and pay off school loans asap since I'll have less time to save for retirement than many of you young guys. I really can't go wrong going to either school. They were my top 2 choices out of the 13 schools I applied to. I'll come out just a bit ahead financially at Stony Brook, but my quality of life will probably be better at UMDNJ.
Anyways, I'd be interested in hearing other's thoughts on this match up, especially current students at either school
Thanks.
Edit: Does UMDNJ operate on a trimester system that bills your tuition in 3 installments? This is actually important to how I calculate my veteran benefits.
So I'm currently debating whether UMDNJ or Stony Brook is the best choice for me next year. Both are excellent schools and I am very lucky to have this choice (although its a difficult one to make). I am a NJ resident but cost really isn't an issue here. Summing everything other than Cost of Living, UMDNJ ends up being maybe $7k more than Stony Brook even with the $47k out of state tuition I pay for the first year.
So here are my pros and cons (listed in red) for both schools. If you have any others, let me know and of course, please share your thoughts.
UMDNJ:
* Very strong clinically
* Classes with Dental Students (may be a tiny bit more relaxed than SB's med/dent curriculum
* A bunch of brand new clinics and lecture halls with lots of room. I actually really liked the building and facilities here. Facilities also seemed more spacious than those at Stony.
* The faculty I met here seemed really great.
* Location is central to friends and family (no more than an hour from each)
* Lots of stuff to do (NYC is close, Devil's games, mens league hockey)
* Girlfriend's company has an office right in Morristown
* Cities are not really my cup of tea. I can live in the suburbs, but still its definitely not as nice of an area as Stony Brook.
* Cheating scandals and corruption tarnish the reputation.
* NJ's dire financial condition could result in sizable tuition hikes over the next 4 years.
Stony Brook:
* Very strong academically
* Small class yields better 1:1 time with faculty
* Still very good clinically
* Faculty also seemed great here
* More wooded, suburban setting
* My veteran benefits are higher in NY state than in NJ
* Additional $4k/year grant from NY HESC for veterans
* My friend just graduated from SB Medical School and swears all the Dental students had very high morale.
* Great reputation within Dental Community
* More affluent patient base means maybe more higher end procedures during school
* Located well off the beaten track. 3 hours to family, 2 hours to girlfriend
* Not much to do when I need to blow off steam
* Their hockey team is the Islanders
I am a non-traditional student. I'll graduate when I'm 36, so at this point I have no intention of specializing. I want to complete school, potentially do a GPR, and pay off school loans asap since I'll have less time to save for retirement than many of you young guys. I really can't go wrong going to either school. They were my top 2 choices out of the 13 schools I applied to. I'll come out just a bit ahead financially at Stony Brook, but my quality of life will probably be better at UMDNJ.
Anyways, I'd be interested in hearing other's thoughts on this match up, especially current students at either school
Thanks.
Edit: Does UMDNJ operate on a trimester system that bills your tuition in 3 installments? This is actually important to how I calculate my veteran benefits.