<p>I’m currently studying dentistry in the UK and next year we get the chance to do a placement basically to learn a little more about our field and grow as dentists. And I’ve chosen the US to go, mainly for the good reputation it has for dentistry plus I can fulfil a wish of mine to experience a bit of American college life.</p>
<p>So what I’m looking for is a college that can provide me a good academic experience, where I can learn a lot more about dentistry and perhaps do some hands on stuff too. I’d also like a place that also offers a great social experience: from parties to sports events. I love the idea that you can be a 20 year old student and play american football in front of 30000+ crowds. I’d love to be a part of one of those matches. </p>
<p>I plan on looking at college prospectuses and websites so I too can see what they offer academically. But I’d like to hear student opinions, as you’re the ones who can be even more informative and the most honest!</p>
<p>Well, my first thought is The University at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine, with the UB Bulls football team. It’s the city where they invented Buffalo Wings! Plus, the tuition is very reasonable, even for out of state.</p>
<p>The University of Michigan has one of the top dental schools in the country (ranked anywhere from #1 to #5, depending on who you believe). It’s part of a great and vibrant university, in one of the nation’s liveliest college towns, and Michigan has one of the greatest sports traditions in all of college sports. You want “American football in front of 30000+ crowds”? How about American college football at the highest level played in front of 110,000+ crowds? That’s every home game at Michigan.</p>
<p>Michigan and Buffalo hey? I’ve only heard of those cities on footballing terns but are they good party towns? Large numbers of students, the whole frat and sorority experience?</p>
<p>What about the Ivy league ones and the big California colleges like UCLA or USC?</p>
<p>Another vote for the University of Connecticut – the number one rated dental school in the country and a strong premedical/predental program too.</p>
<p>^^ Michigan doesn’t make the lists of “best party schools” but there are plenty of parties; a large and lively Greek scene (but so much else going on that Greeks don’t dominate social life); a wealth of performing arts & other cultural events; tons of sports, both spectator and participatory; every imaginable kind of student group; plenty of bookstores, coffeehouses, bars, clubs, and restaurants; and a fairly lively local music scene (partly tied in with the music scene in Detroit, less than an hour away). The University itself has about 40,00 students, about 26,000 of them undergrads. There are another 30,000 or so students at other colleges and universities in the greater Ann Arbor area, and Ann Arbor, both the area immediately around the campus as well as downtown just a few blocks away, is clearly the center of gravity for this major youth scene.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure a huge group of dental schools got together and decided not to fill out a PA survey which is why there is no ranking that exist for dental schools…except really old ones that are like ten years old…</p>
<p>correct me if i’m wrong but isn’t michigan quite a cold place? I’m not sure i can be bothered dealing with cold weather! I have enough of that in England anyhow. Some of the other mentioned places sound interesting though</p>
<p>Does anyone know whether any of the colleges mentioned allow students not enrolled at their college to observe their students at work or view any research projects?</p>
<p>I believe that USC has a visiting students program. Also check out the visiting student criteria for UCLA and UCSF in San Francisco.</p>
<p>Also note that while University of the Pacific does have a small but excellent program, the ‘sun, girls and surf’ as mentioned above, is NOT one of the drawing points of San Francisco (my home town) in general.</p>