So... I have been accepted to Wash U, Rosalind Franklin, and Bradley University for DPT.. I am completely torn as to which I should go to. Each one bring something unique to the table that the other does not. Bradley is the cheapest and Wash U is obviously the most expensive. I have visited each school and can see myself attending all of them. I have heard so many current PTs saying that I should choose the cheapest, but I feel as though turning down an acceptance to Wash U will haunt me for years to come. haha. Please, any insight would be helpful.
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DECIDING ON A SCHOOL
Started by ptdrummer12345
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My vote would be cheapest program. Unless you have family money and don't have to take loans out. Graduate programs no longer can take out subsidized loans so interest starts when you sign up for them. But financial reasons are a big deciding factor for me. I don't want to be over 100K in debt due to 3 years of school and living expenses. loans at an interest rate of 6.8-7.8% a year is getting out of hand. For every 10,000 you take borrow thats $680-780 just in interest building on top of the principle every year. so say u take out 20k your first year. thats 3k extra in interest that have built while you were still in school
66666 Wash U = Washington University?
Hello! I am not definitely not familiar with any of the aforementioned programs. I was accepted to several schools and used the following process in order to narrow my choices down to the one.
I would pull up the following two links. On the first link, scroll down to the section on choosing the right program. Next, pull up the second link.
http://www.apta.org/PTEducation/Overview/
http://www.capteonline.org/apta/directories/accreditedschools.aspx?type=PT&navID=10737421958
Answer all the questions using these two links and rank the programs against one another as best you can using this information. Then I would pull this link up:
http://www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml
Calculate the amount of loan debt you will accrue at each program. Alter the loan term and work through several scenarios. Obviously, the faster you pay off your debt the less you pay, which should be your goal. However, there are several options to help you manage your loan debt found here:
http://www.apta.org/DebtManagement/FederalOpportunities/
I provide you all this information because at the end of the day this decision is yours and yours alone. Although the advice of others is greatly appreciated, you should make the best decision for yourself. I have read numerous posts that say to choose the cheapest program, but I believe one should use a holistic approach. Once you weigh the pros and cons of each program and rank them against one another using the questions on the first link, you should have a better idea of which school is the best fit for YOU. However, I will definitely agree that the cost of the programs is a huge factor when it comes to choosing a school. All schools are accredited and will provide you the education that is necessary to sit for the NPTE and become a practicing physical therapist. I hope this helps and best of luck to you!
I see everyone is telling you to go for the cheapest but personally I think I will be picking temple over Maryland even though it's twice the price. I just have that gut feeling yah know? Like you said about Washington, I think I would always regret not going to temple after how well they have treated me and accepted me
Turning down Wash U's acceptance won't haunt you. What will haunt you is the ridiculous amount of debt you will incur by attending a private institution for PT school. Every school you listed is accredited by CAPTE and will teach you essentially the same thing. So why pay more than you have to? Choose Bradley.
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Wow, that loan calculator really brings the reality out
Yes, it does! However, there are several options out there to mitigate the amount of student loan debt that one accrues during physical therapy school. A good portion of individuals on this forum would suggest that everyone should go with the cheapest program, but personally, I don't believe that should be the sole factor in the decision-making process.
For those interested, NewDPT31 has posted on the other forum how they are approaching their student loan debt using Income Based Repayment (IBR) and combining Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Here is the link to that thread:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ur-financial-situation.1044057/#post-14675337
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It seems like everyone is telling me go your cheapest route.
I am in the same dilemma... I've been accepted three schools [Arcadia, Temple, & Rutgers] but it's really all down to what your priorities are. Any school that is accredited should provide you a great education. I'm still in a huge pickle but you have to go with your gut feeling. Luckily for PT's we can pay our debts without as much struggle as a different graduate program since we have higher chances of getting a job.
