difference in the long run on how good of a dentist you are. Ive heard it said that the difference between dentists from different schools is erased in about 5 years after graduation.

Also, there are some schools that it is very easy to specialize from and others where it is difficult to specialize from. I did not plan on specializing, but chose a school where nearly 50% went on to specialize. That left the door open for me to specialize. There were always 15 or so from each class that went in to Orthodontics for example with a greater than 90% acceptance, whereas many schools just get one or two in. As a result, you didn’t really have to be at the top of your class or an amazing candidate, whereas those from some schools had to be number one in their class. It might be worth looking in to what percentage from a given school go on to specialize if there is even a remote possibility of specializing down the road.

Also, tuition and location should be primary considerations. In some cases I would consider this greater than the quality of the school since all schools will teach you to be a good dentist. Being a great dentist seems to more to do with your personal commitment to providing quality work and integrity.