COA vs. Overall Happiness

[GirlsGoneGaga]

Hello,

I seem to be in a situation that I did not think I would get to. I have been accepted into my top 2 choices, each of which have polar opposite price tags. My dream school has a COA of over 100K and is in NYC- a place I believe I will greatly enjoy living in. I was also accepted into my state school, with a COA of about 70K, and not too far from home. This school is not exactly in a city like NY, and is not exactly in a place I would consider to be "my scene". I am just wondering here if cost overrules happiness in a program. In the long run and looking at this long term I know going to my state school is the wise choice, but a part of me would like to venture into an unfamiliar place and grow from that. This price is the limiting factor..

Any thoughts?

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[Azimuthal]

State school.

 

[wiseOldPT]

State school. Living costs in NY are astronomical, which will also factor into your price tag. That will also limit your quality of life, as any activity is a fortune. PT school is also intense, so your time outside of school is quite limited. If you want to live in NYC, do it after school, when you can afford it and enjoy it. Or try to get a clinical placement there. If you care about school reputation (which will not influence jobs in PT), UF is also far better known as a PT school than Columbia (seen your other posts about the decision).

 

[allantois]

Sacrifice 3 years for 20 years down the road

 

[jesspt]

PT school is also intense, so your time outside of school is quite limited

This.

You're going to be a student in NYC; you're not going to "live" there.

 

[ptbusiness]

Agreed w/ the post above 100%! Unless you are one of those few super-smart people who do not need to study much to succeed in school while taking >20 units of classes, you will not have more than a few hours a week to enjoy NYC. If you want to experience NYC life, better go there after you graduate and get a job there.

 

[GirlsGoneGaga]

Agreed w/ the post above 100%! Unless you are one of those few super-smart people who do not need to study much to succeed in school while taking >20 units of classes, you will not have more than a few hours a week to enjoy NYC. If you want to experience NYC life, better go there after you graduate and get a job there.

Would it be difficult to make connections there/ get a job there if I attend a program in FL?

 

[ptbusiness]

Would it be difficult to make connections there/ get a job there if I attend a program in FL?

I haven't tried job search in NY, but you just apply for open jobs, get interviews, get offers, then move wherever you want after you accept the offer. It does not matter where your school was located and where you are living at this moment. You do not need connections to find a job, just indeed.com lol.

 

[wiseOldPT]

Nope, PTs in general do not have issues finding a job wherever they'd like, school not being a factor. You could try to get clinical rotations (either existing affiliations or see if you can set one up) in NY but you should be able to find a job regardless. There are some limitations in big cities (not sure of NYC specifically) just because they have such big population centers that areas like peds can be tough to find work as a new grad, but this is true even if you went to school there.

 

[dancerpt1996]

Hey! Came across this thread and I seem to be in the exact same situation as you, Im an FL native and was accepted to my top two schools one being the state school of FL and the other my dream school in NYC. Ive decided to go with the NYC school, but if you'd like any insight or would like to know what made my decision and discuss, let me know! Congrats on your acceptances!

 

[GirlsGoneGaga]

Hey! Came across this thread and I seem to be in the exact same situation as you, Im an FL native and was accepted to my top two schools one being the state school of FL and the other my dream school in NYC. Ive decided to go with the NYC school, but if you'd like any insight or would like to know what made my decision and discuss, let me know! Congrats on your acceptances!

Thanks! I PM’d you

 

[dptwannabee1]

I was in the same boat as you several years ago. Deciding between my top state school and Duke. I chose the state program and haven't looked back. UF is a top ten program, actually ranked higher( if you believe in the rankings than Columbia.). Not only is tution lower at UF, but COL is extremely low in Gainesville. It may not be your scene, but you are really only there two years, given your clinicals. Cost of living in NYC will be three to four times as much as at UF, so that could be an issue too. When it is all said and done, it will not limit you finding a job in NYC, and perhaps you could choose a clinical there so you could see if you would enjoy the lifestyle. Best of luck!

 

[theheartyroots]

I was in this same boat but I decided to go with the school that would get me out of school with the LEAST amount of debt. I got into a center city school and my alma mater. I LOVED the city school but it was 125k, vs my alma mater who gave me more money-- reducing my cost to 80k. I made the most of my time and I don't regret it!

Remember... when you graduate you'll be making at most 80k as a new grad if you're lucky... average is around 70k. 100k of loans plus 6.8% interest is not fun to graduate with.

If you want to chat more I would be happy to help!! I have a blog which talks about this that you can also check out.


Hope this helped!! Good luck!!