Duke or VCU?

[wfugrad]

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Hey all!

I was debating applying early decision to the DPT program at either Duke or VCU and would really appreciate people's input, whether you have attended either school, familiar with the surrounding areas or have heard pros/cons about the two different programs. Some background: I am a Virginia resident, so obviously the tuition at VCU is at least half of what Duke's would be which is attractive. Some aspects about Duke's program appeal to me a bit more though like the problem-solving based learning and working in cohorts. I'd love to hear people's opinions of the two programs so that I can be confident I'm making the best decision.

And I know you might say don't apply early decision if I'm not 100% certain, but it would save a lot of money if I were to potentially avoid applying to lots of schools and these are definitely my top 2 choices, so I might as well make the decision now and increase my chances at getting into either one.

Thanks in advance for any help as I have been struggling/stressing about this decision for weeks now!

 

[jblil]

How big is the class at VCU? Duke's is around 70 students. So you may get more personal attention from professors if your class size at VCU is small.
Personally, I don't think any DPT program is worth $50K/yr, esp. when you can find perfectly good ones (e.g., ECU's) for around $7K/yr. I was accepted at Duke in 2012 but declined and chose UNC instead. There are only 30 of us, and we get an ungodly amount of personal help if/when we need it.

 

[wfugrad]

The class at VCU is listed at 54 students, so it is somewhat smaller.

Duke's tuition is $34k/yr which seems to be in the same ballpark as most private schools and VCU's is around $16k/yr.

Jblil, if I were a resident in North Carolina, I think UNC would be a no-brainer for me as it sounds like a fantastic program and the in-state tuition would be a steal for the education. Unfortunately, that's not the case for me and the best in-state program for me seemingly would be VCU. So, in that regards, I'd just like to know a bit more about the reputation of VCU's DPT program, and any first-hand accounts or things people have heard about it would be extremely helpful. On the flip side, any insight into the program itself at Duke would be welcomed too!

 

[artj]

wfugrad,

Did you end up applying to either school early decision? If you did, did you hear back about getting an interview yet?