Do I go to the highly ranked school, or the school where I want to live?

[dancerturnpt]

I am extremely proud to have been accepted in PT school this year. I committed to GW and have been all set to go. GW has a great program that I loved when I visited. I also love Washington DC, and grew up nearby. My parents live in the area and I am planning on moving in with my boyfriend of 2 years. However, I just got accepted into Delaware's program! This of course is a number one ranked school with an amazing faculty. This puts me in a tough position. Do I choose the highly ranked school that I love, or the less highly ranked but also great program where I can live with my boyfriend in my city of choice? Costs are about the same, way too expensive! Any advise? I know this is kind of a great dilemma.

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[futurePTgirl]

I've talked to many physical therapists and they have told me to attend the most affordable school because you don't learn how to become a good clinician in PT school, you learn how to become a good clinician during your clinical experiences.

 

[mlb_25]

As enticing as it is, I wouldn't get caught up with attending a school simply because it has a good ranking. Most anyone will tell you that the PT rankings don't hold merit because the methodology is terrible. Find a school that is affordable and where you feel is a good fit (style of curriculum, clinical opportunities, faculty, research opportunities, location, cost of living, etc.).

 

[dancerturnpt]

I've talked to many physical therapists and they have told me to attend the most affordable school because you don't learn how to become a good clinician in PT school, you learn how to become a good clinician during your clinical experiences.[/QU

I've heard this as well. I think I'm torn a bit because my ego is excited to get into Delaware. It will not be cheap either way, but my living costs will be less expensive at GW.

 

[pickmept]

I was deciding between GW and Delaware too, and am also from the DC area. I've heard ranking is not something to really consider heavily, but rather boards passing rates, and if I remember correctly, GW boasted a 100% pass rate at the time of my interview last cycle. I would look at the schools and experiences holistically! GW is urban, whereas Delaware is in a college town. Delaware has integrated clinical experiences where students are working their own patient caseloads part-time in the in-house clinic for x number of semesters on campus, I believe. And their program is 2.5 years, which yields its own advantages/disadvantages. GW seemed to have the more traditional set-up with clinicals in the last 3 semesters of the program. Other differences I noted were the locations of the buildings (Delaware's program has its own; GW's is in a shopping mall-type facility), cost of living, faculty specialties, etc. Best of luck with your decision! Feel free to message me if you have any questions.