Help me Make a Decision

[zariman]

I have to put a deposit down between Northwestern University and Walsh University by the end of January, and I just can't make up my mind. Both schools have just about equal pros and cons that I'm debating if I should just flip a coin. Northwestern is obviously the more expensive school tuition running at $32,541 vs. $26,677 a year. There is also a big difference in living expenses NU being in downtown Chicago and Walsh being in the countryside of northern Ohio. If I did attend NU, I am planning to live 15 minutes away where I can find an affordable housing for $650-800 a month.

I've done loan repayment calculations for both schools and it turns out I will be making just about $12/hour (post-tax) for 10 years after graduating out of NU opposed to $14/hour for Walsh U. These numbers are based on a $65,000 salary and include undergraduate loans. The reason for a mere two dollar difference in hourly wage despite a large difference in their cost of attendance is because NU offers a private loan through the school which has a low interest rate of 5%. If I were to attend Walsh, I will have to take out loan using Grad PLUS which has a higher interest rate of 7.9%.

I like the fact that NU emphasizes diversity and the people I will meet will be diverse as well. I can't ignore the fact that I will be making more connections at NU. If I were to start my own PT practice in the future, the school name comes into play as well. NU also has access to 400 different clinical sites while Walsh affiliated sites are mostly focused in Ohio and surrounding states.

Do you think the price difference isn't large enough for me to choose Walsh U over a more reputable school in Northwestern U? What do you guys think?

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[Lucky Duck]

I think making a big life decision by flipping a coin is ridiculous. Are you a Batman villain? This is a big life decision and you should ultimately be the person who makes the decision.

Personally if I had to decide between two school one of the biggest factors would how good of a fit the program was for me. Did I feel comfortable and could I see my self there?

Finances have to be a big component, but it sounds like the difference in price is negligible. You have to make a decision if the difference in finances really makes a difference.

Which school will you be happy with (or atleast happier)? You are the only one that can answer this question?

I suggest talking to the people you know the best, your parents, good friends, significant others etc. Talking out the problem might help you figure out how you really feel.

 

[jblil]

I will be making just about $12/hour (post-tax) for 10 years after graduating out of NU opposed to $14/hour for Walsh U. These numbers are based on a $65,000 salary and include undergraduate loans.

IMO computing *today* an hourly post-tax wage for when you will graduate, 3 or 4 years in the future, is very iffy. Many other factors will enter the equation: will you get married, will you have kids, will your employer offer a 401k which will shelter some of your income, will you buy a house and thus have a mortgage deduction, etc. (I am a tax preparer).

In the big scheme of things, the difference between the 2 schools is not that large, about $18K over 3 years. Go with the one that will give you a better education - but base the decision on cold hard facts, and not because you "think" one school is better than the other.

 

[abb123]

I agree with one of the posters above, that cost is only one factor. And also agree that it makes sense to go by what clicks with you. Especially since the difference in cost bw these two programs is minimal,

I think I'd really try to make the decision based on what feels best to you. What program did you feel more at home with? What program did you feel excited about attending? Which program did you feel good about for concrete reasons? For other reasons? I think concrete reasons can really only be part of the picture. If concrete reasons were making our decisions, we might not pick PT in the first place. Some of it has to be based on what feels right to you.

My reaction, based just upon what you've written above, is that Northwestern seems to appeal to you for some reason. It doesn't have to be something you can explain, just something that feels right. I think many of us are struggling with the same questions. I guess everyone has their own way of making decisions, but for me, feeling is a large part of it.

Good luck. Trust that you'll end up in the right place for you!

 

[zariman]

I think making a big life decision by flipping a coin is ridiculous. Are you a Batman villain? This is a big life decision and you should ultimately be the person who makes the decision.

Personally if I had to decide between two school one of the biggest factors would how good of a fit the program was for me. Did I feel comfortable and could I see my self there?

Finances have to be a big component, but it sounds like the difference in price is negligible. You have to make a decision if the difference in finances really makes a difference.

Which school will you be happy with (or atleast happier)? You are the only one that can answer this question?

I suggest talking to the people you know the best, your parents, good friends, significant others etc. Talking out the problem might help you figure out how you really feel.

Yeah, I'm not actually going to flip a coin to make a decision. It was just an expression to describe how torn I am between the two schools.

I am pretty surprised by the responses I'm getting here, because the posts I've read in the past generally emphasizes "Go to whichever school is cheaper since all accredited programs are qualified". I agree that I should be choosing a school that feels right to me. Thus, I'm leaning towards Northwestern U at this point. I am still worried that NU will have a tougher studying environment, because I will have hard time trying to go to classes in the morning with the city traffic and all. Walsh will also have less "distractions/attractions" which will allow me to focus on studies more.

 

[nicolej5]

6 grand a year X 3 years = 18k. That's not a minimal difference in my book. Every single pt I have ever talked to has said go to the cheaper school. It does make a difference, especially when you factor in interest. And living in downtown chicago?? $$$$$$$$. There's no getting around that. You seem happy with both programs, so why not lessen your debt?

 

[jessser987]

Hey- I feel your pain. I was in a similar situation in the beginning of the month. i got in to a school in nyc (i love nyc) and a school in south florida and was torn for many of the same reasons. as much as i love nyc and really liked the school when i visited, i ultimately ended up picking the south florida school due to a cheaper tuition, cheaper cost of living, and higher first time pass rate. it was a tough decision.

i actually currently live in downtown chicago, and have been living here on my own for the past 5 years. rent is really expensive and going out is as well. but it's also an AMAZING city. if you do choose nu i would strongly recommend not living in the suburbs (i know you mentioned living 15 min away for cheaper rent, not sure where exactly you were talking about). traffic in the city is outrageous and you do not want to be commuting every day. i really think if you are sitting in traffic for 2-3 hours a day (which you can be even if you live 15 min away) it will affect your grades. you can find cheaper places in the city if you look hard enough.

i know you guys all thought flipping a coin was ridiculous, but personally i think flipping a coin is a good way to see where you really want to go. if you flip a coin and it lands on the ohio school, and youre like oh wait, maybe i should flip the coin again... then you know you should go to nu. and vice versa. so the coin flip isnt making your decision, but its forcing you to go with your gut.

it will all be ok no matter where you go. you got in somewhere, some people havent yet. congrats and good luck! if you have any questions about living in chicago lmk.

 

[abb123]

I should clarify. I believe that with any decision, it's best to decide what I really want. And to say to myself: what would I do if money didn't matter? This way I can sense my real feelings, without money clouding my perceptions (though it's probably still in the background)

THEN, I try to factor money and pragmatism into it. Is what I really want (e.g., where I want to live, or what I want to study, etc.) strong enough to over-power the money factors? In some cases it does. Like, it may not make financial sense to live in an expensive area, but it's where my heart is.

If after I've done this, if my feelings can't out-argue my pragmatism then I know my decision: pragmatism wins. And I am satisfied because, after all, pragmatism is still a reflection of my feelings. For example, I might feel better about spending less money, because I'll have more flexibility after I graduate. To me, that's pragmatism and feelings having a voice. But I have to find a way to be sure I'm considering both before I decide. I guess that's what I'm saying.

Also, when I'm calculating the "cost of a program," I add a line item for cost of living, since it varies so much. So you might find there's a greater difference between the cost of the 2 schools.

Also when making these decisions, I think it's tempting to go with the school with the "bigger" name. For me, I'm trying to resist that temptation, as I don't think it makes a difference. I've heard almost universally that it doesn't matter.

 

[DPTHopeful921]

well i think its kind of absurd to title "help me make a decision" bc you are the one that ultimately makes the decision. You have to do all the factoring and weighing of options. Where you decide to go doesn't affect any of us in the least. but like someone already said, its sounds like you have a preference towards NU already. So to me, its sounds like your mind is made up, and that your are looking for some sort of justification from the rest of us. If NU is where you want to go, then go there. In the end, we all have to take the same NPTE exam to be qualified and licensed. In the end, its how well we can grasp the concepts presented to us in PT school and how we are able to apply them in the clinical setting. If you think NU puts you in the best position to do that, then great, if you think Walsh University does that, then you should prob go there.

 

[nicolej5]

I just don't understand how the want to live in a specific area "where your heart is" can out weigh the significant cost savings of going to a cheaper school. PT school is 3 years. If you really want to live in a place then go live there after school. You can take the 18K you'd be saving and put it towards an apartment in downtown chicago. I would have a different opinion if you said "I like NU a lot and Walsh is a back up", but you said they were so close you'd be willing to flip a coin (I know you really aren't going to do that). Again, it's just my opinion and you have some big decisions to make. Like someone above said, in the end we are going to take the same NPTE and get the same license.

 

[NewTestament]

Don't make location your number one priority. I can't reiterate this enough. Location is nice, but you're going to be in school 10-12 hours a day, and be studying on the weekends. This isn't a vacation. Pretend like both schools are in the middle of nowhere, then decide which one you would choose. It's easy to be enthralled with a certain city or geographical location, but I live 5 minutes from the beach and rarely take advantage of it during the trimester. Keep costs low, and then go live wherever you want.

Kevin

 

[abb123]

Good point above...

Also, I just want to say that I think it makes a ton of sense to ask others for help making a decision.

Sometimes it helps you grasp things that you just couldn't have otherwise foreseen. Also, sometimes in explaining our situation and hearing from others, it helps you understand what you really want. I 100% agree with that process.

After going through my own decision-making process, I am 90% sure that of my choices, I will be choosing the less expensive, lower hassle school.

 

[zariman]

Thank you for the responses so far. As abb123 said, the reason I am asking others is to attack the decision making process from all sides gathering information from those who are going through a similar situation or those who have already been through the process. I believe such way is more reliable than just going with your gut instincts as said method may be clouded with lack of knowledge and bias.

After weighing in all the resources I've gathered thus far, I have decided to put down a deposit for Walsh University. I just wouldn't feel comfortable going to NU having to justify every dollar I'm spending. In the end, I am going to choose the school that provides the best environment for studying. NU's busy downtown area and high cost of living are detractors to my goal.