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[SnowyDPT]

Does anybody else have nightmares about repaying their loans after graduating?

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[DjT3kN]

*raises hand*

 

[SnowyDPT]

Even going to a state school, I am extremely apprehensive about the amount of interest that is going to add up in just a few short years!

 

[DjT3kN]

Unfortunately, I'm going to a private school in Oregon. Much much more expensive.

 

[SnowyDPT]

If you don't mind me asking, where did you decide to attend?

 

[DjT3kN]

Pacific University. But I'm excited for it though because it's a great program just expensive that's all.

 

[SnowyDPT]

That was actually my number 1 until I started crunching the numbers for school, cost of living in the area etc. That will be awesome and is an incredible program. Congrats

 

[SunGiant37]

Yes! I'm literally having anxiety over it. My parents keep tell me to calm down because it doesn't help to lose sleep over the inevitable.

But honestly it's ridiculously scary.

 

[southernswimmer]

I'm trying not to think about it because I get anxious when I do. At least I don't have any undergrad debt...

 

[DesertPT]

Unfortunately, I'm going to...school

Based on your post history immediately after getting your acceptance, I'm thinking you're not actually feeling that unfortunate at the moment.

 

[dancing_DPT]

Holy moly yes. My husband keeps telling me not to worry but I'm unable to stop the sicky-churny feeling I get thinking about it...I'm also going to a state school, so my overall cost is lower but it doesn't change the fact the thought of loans is giving me anxiety with a capital A

 

[camiosyz]

Yay for private schools! I'm going to be up to my ears in six-figure debt, but it is what it is. I unfortunately didn't get accepted into my local state school that would have cost almost half as much in tuition; however, I loved the program I got in to when I went for my interview, so I can't be too upset. I'm actually more uncomfortable with the fact that my boyfriend is going to be mostly supporting me these next three years. I've been making a solid income the last 5 years, so it's going to be weird not having a regular paycheck to use as I please. And yes, I realize not everyone has someone to support them, and I'm VERY thankful.

 

[ptlover]

I work with two therapists both are super young in their twenties fresh out of school by like a year or two. They both explained to me that loans suck yes- but your life doesn't stop just because of it. It's inevitable. All they can do is pay their loans on time and be responsible with money. They both told me that despite loans they live very comfortably. So with that, I try to ease my worries. Yes we will owe money and it sucks to pay so much for something we all absolutely love. But if we didn't love this profession as much as we do then none of it would be worth it . For most of us it is, so we bite the bullet with a smile and take it day by day . We can only worry about whats in our control you know? So breathe and I promise it'll all workout!

 

[jquitt]

Does anybody else have nightmares about repaying their loans after graduating?

1000 times yes. Going to an expensive school is one thing, but having debt from undergrad and a masters program makes it that much worse. I like many commenting above have been told not to worry. Its hard not to though. So yea, it's a major hangup for me considering I'm somewhat of a non traditional student. I'm trying my best to channel the anxiety and look for scholarship opportunities. It does help ease some of the tension I must say.

 

[PTpro]

My wife and I continually joke with people when we tell them what I'm doing that I don't think we'll ever be this happy to be in so much debt. We're hoping to get out with less than $200k. I think eventually we will just be numb to signing for more loans. It's a necessary evil. I don't think it's right that we should pay so much but I'm still excited to finally have somewhat of a light at the end of my education tunnel and start working as a PT.

 

[SnowyDPT]

I'm hoping that wherever I sign on for a job will offer some sort of sign on bonus to help with debt

 

[FitnessPTJunky]

Loans are literally on my mind every single day, but as others have stated, it is what it is. There are a few loan forgivness options out there though, if I'm understanding correctly. I will be living frugal until I have no other choice!

 

[sonflowr2]

Get a job working at a federal, state, non-profit, etc. location. Make the minimum income based payments on your loan (this can significantly reduce your monthly minimum payment). In ten years (120 payments) your debt is gone. I work at one of the California UC hospitals and several of the therapists have gone this route to pay off their loans. It's a great place to work and none of them plan on leaving, so the thought of working there for 10 years isn't daunting at all.

https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

 

[SunGiant37]

Private loans are what scare more to be quite honest.

 

[Mperaza]

Hey everyone,

So yesterday I was pulled from the waitlist at the University of New England and got accepted. To be honest, I was not all that thrilled despite being rejected from everywhere else. It's a private school and I would be moving there from CA. The tuition alone is 105K (assuming they don't raise tuition every year...). Plus, they wanted two grand this Monday. I just feel like I could do better on the GRE ( I got a 148 verbal, 149 analytical, 4.0 essay score) and retake my microbiology course (I got a C) to make me a stronger applicant for one of the state schools here in CA. My prereq GPA is 3.2 and my overall is about 3.3.

In addition, I'm completely burnt out of school. I'm currently taking Physics II, Med Term and Exercise Phys while working 25 hours and would really like a break. I was so set on reapplying that I began looking for another job. While I was putting on my suit to interview for a job that starts at 55K, I got the acceptance email on my phone. Great timing...Let me know what you guys think, but I don't think I'm crazy for reapplying. Thanks!

 

[jblil]

Mperaza - I don't know the details of your financial situation, but from what you described in your post I'd decline UNE's offer and re-apply to a state school. You'd probably graduate with 140K in loan (counting living expenses) for the DPT. IMO, it's not worth it.

 

[Romazicon]

I recently took out a 24k unsub. loan @5.25% and a 7k loan fed unsub. loan @ 6.21% for my first year for in-state. Making the yearly budged amounted to ~32k (and tuition being 27k for 2.5 years, this made my heart sink). Scary scary business, but it must be done. I can't imagine you guys who are planning to go to out-of-state or private schools!! RIP bank account.

 

[Kuhdaytee]

Hey everyone,

So yesterday I was pulled from the waitlist at the University of New England and got accepted. To be honest, I was not all that thrilled despite being rejected from everywhere else. It's a private school and I would be moving there from CA. The tuition alone is 105K (assuming they don't raise tuition every year...). Plus, they wanted two grand this Monday. I just feel like I could do better on the GRE ( I got a 148 verbal, 149 analytical, 4.0 essay score) and retake my microbiology course (I got a C) to make me a stronger applicant for one of the state schools here in CA. My prereq GPA is 3.2 and my overall is about 3.3.

In addition, I'm completely burnt out of school. I'm currently taking Physics II, Med Term and Exercise Phys while working 25 hours and would really like a break. I was so set on reapplying that I began looking for another job. While I was putting on my suit to interview for a job that starts at 55K, I got the acceptance email on my phone. Great timing...Let me know what you guys think, but I don't think I'm crazy for reapplying. Thanks!

I'm also from CA and I had a 3.27 overall and 3.2-3.8 pre-req (most around 3.4-3.5 if you include the 2 retakes), and 160V/162Q/4.5W. I applied to CSUF, CSUN, and CSULB in California because CSU's are the only reasonably priced schools in CA. I also applied to 7 out of state schools, including UNE, because I wanted a lower tuition and a better chance of getting in. I got an interview at CSUF and was rejected from all three CA schools, which really sucks. However, I was interviewed/accepted at UMES, and their out of state tuition is the same as CSUF's instate tuition (70K). There are several schools like UMES that I applied to, that are comparable to tuition costs of California schools. I got an interview invite from UNE after I was accepted to UMES, and immediately declined because there was no way that I would pay 35k more than UMES, just for tuition (I'm also guessing that cost of living is more expensive at UNE than in Maryland too).

I agree with the other posters. Retake those classes, but I wouldn't bet on getting into the state schools in CA. You can find cheaper schools elsewhere, that aren't nearly impossible to get into. It's just so competitive here, and it's pretty sad that we're forced to apply elsewhere or go to the insanely expensive private schools here.

 

[ktachiba]

That's pretty risky to reapply next year. Even if you get into a school that's 50K cheaper next year, you're losing 65K+ income for waiting another year. But it's still risky cuz u may not get into a cheaper school next year with the level of competition for admissions increasing.

With that being said, if you feel so burnt out maybe it might be a good idea to wait. But financially, I think it's just as risky to wait another year and hope to get into a much cheaper school while sacrificing a year of PT income.

 

[ktachiba]

Also, those cheaper out of state schools are really competitive as well. I applied to URI and UNLV which have really cheap out of state tuitions and they are very competitive. URI has an average gpa of 3.7

 

[Tyguy1]

I'm also from CA and I had a 3.27 overall and 3.2-3.8 pre-req (most around 3.4-3.5 if you include the 2 retakes), and 160V/162Q/4.5W. I applied to CSUF, CSUN, and CSULB in California because CSU's are the only reasonably priced schools in CA. I also applied to 7 out of state schools, including UNE, because I wanted a lower tuition and a better chance of getting in. I got an interview at CSUF and was rejected from all three CA schools, which really sucks. However, I was interviewed/accepted at UMES, and their out of state tuition is the same as CSUF's instate tuition (70K). There are several schools like UMES that I applied to, that are comparable to tuition costs of California schools. I got an interview invite from UNE after I was accepted to UMES, and immediately declined because there was no way that I would pay 35k more than UMES, just for tuition (I'm also guessing that cost of living is more expensive at UNE than in Maryland too).

I agree with the other posters. Retake those classes, but I wouldn't bet on getting into the state schools in CA. You can find cheaper schools elsewhere, that aren't nearly impossible to get into. It's just so competitive here, and it's pretty sad that we're forced to apply elsewhere or go to the insanely expensive private schools here.

I am on the same boat as well. I applied to all the CSU except for San Diego State with a cGPA of 3.7 and pGPA of 3.5 and a GRE of 150V/ 152Q/ 5AW. I got an interview from Fresno, waitlist at CSUN, and rejected from LB and Sac state. However, I did apply to a few private schools in California which were close to home, in which I received an acceptance! As what Kuhdaytee was saying, there are many out of state schools with comprisable tuition.

 

[Kuhdaytee]

I agree with ktachiba. Most out of state schools are more expensive than in state, and are comparable with private school tuition. I'm going to a less known school and the tuition is the same as the cheapest in state in CA, so that was a good decision on my part.

Do some research on out of state schools. See if it's even worth the gamble to wait another year to reapply to different schools, and try to calculate your new GPA if you retake some classes. A year off might not even improve your application a significant amount. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had to pay 100k just for tuition as I already have 17k of loans from undergrad, but I was almost in the same situation as you are. I feel like I would have just went ahead and gotten a crazy amount of loans because I'm ready to start school now, rather than put it off another year.

 

[atcdpt]

I also heard back from une earlier this week regarding my acceptance off the wait list. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought tuition was 115-129 k after you factor in the summer costs. Regardless, I wasn't ready to commit that much especially with the fact that the facilities weren't up to date.(great faculty and area though)


Anyways, I agree with everybody else regarding tuition. I'm also from California and applied to every csu because of the relatively affordable tuition costs. I didn't even consider usc because I think it's absurd to pay over 155 k in tuition in addition to living costs in Los Angeles. Fortunately, I did my research and only applied to schools that I felt I had a shot of being admitted based on my stats and based on their costs. Proud to say that I will be attending Shenandoah university, where tuition rounds out to be 85k(about 10k more than my instate schools).

You can't go wrong with either decision, yes if you take a year off, you lose that much you would have made.. But if you are truly confident that u can get into a school that's 30 k cheaper, and you have that job you interviewed for, by all means take s year off.

 

[ktachiba]

I also heard back from une earlier this week regarding my acceptance off the wait list. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought tuition was 115-129 k after you factor in the summer costs. Regardless, I wasn't ready to commit that much especially with the fact that the facilities weren't up to date.(great faculty and area though)


Anyways, I agree with everybody else regarding tuition. I'm also from California and applied to every csu because of the relatively affordable tuition costs. I didn't even consider usc because I think it's absurd to pay over 155 k in tuition in addition to living costs in Los Angeles. Fortunately, I did my research and only applied to schools that I felt I had a shot of being admitted based on my stats and based on their costs. Proud to say that I will be attending Shenandoah university, where tuition rounds out to be 85k(about 10k more than my instate schools).

You can't go wrong with either decision, yes if you take a year off, you lose that much you would have made.. But if you are truly confident that u can get into a school that's 30 k cheaper, and you have that job you interviewed for, by all means take s year off.

It's about 110-115K in tuition...its the same as most private schools in California (i.e. Western)...no offense to the OP, but a 3.3 GPA and 3.2 pGPA isn't very competitive for cheap state schools and cheap out of state schools. I think it's a big risk to try and get into a cheaper school next cycle while sacrificing a year of PT income and experience, especially with your stats.

 

[ktachiba]

I would only not attend school this year if you feel burnt out...and you shouldn't apply to schools you have no interest in going to, as that's just a big waste of money

 

[starrsgirl]

If you got the job, I would take it and save like crazy for next year. Sound like you may have to retake more classes than just micro though (does a school actually require this??) to boost your GPA. Focus on pre req retakes first. If you are ok with working for a few years (worst case scenario) before PT school it's the right decision for you.

 

[DjT3kN]

Personally, I wouldn't wait to apply next year. As mentioned earlier, the applicant pool is getting more competitive each year. There's no telling that you'll get into a state school on the next cycle... big gamble. Also, your cGPA and pGPA needs to be more competitive. I have a cGPA 3.05 and a pGPA ~3.75ish. I got rejected at most CA state schools (still on waitlist for Fresno State but even that possibility is fading away as summer comes closer). Yes, the loans is a bit much but most people should already have considered that before applying. Pursuing a doctorate is not cheap nor is it easy to get into a program.
OP, the decision is solely yours to make but please consider the pros and cons prior to making your decision. You've been given an opportunity to start your career now, however if you feel confident that you'll get in next year or that you need time to rest from being burnt out.... then by all means take the year off. Because you need to feel ready to start your program as well or else you'll just be defeating yourself in the process and you won't be able to fully commit to learning all you can during your time in PT school. Best of Luck to you!

 

[Mperaza]

I weighed out all the pros and cons and decided to decline my offer. Best of luck to all of you and good luck if you're going in this year. I appreciate all the feed back. (btw, it was actually 122K tuition alone, not 105K)

 

[ktachiba]

I weighed out all the pros and cons and decided to decline my offer. Best of luck to all of you and good luck if you're going in this year. I appreciate all the feed back. (btw, it was actually 122K tuition alone, not 105K)

hmm according to their website, I calculated it to be $113,115 for tuition alone...I think you added another summer semester tuition...they only have 2 summer sessions, not 3

http://www.une.edu/sfs/graduate/costs/doctor-physical-therapy-costs


Regardless, good luck bro! I'm sure you made the right decision for yourself, and seeing how you got into a good program this year, I have no doubt you will be able to get into good programs in the future.

 

[Mperaza]

I appreciate that! Good luck to you too!