Program-Specific Info / Q's How to choose the best OTD program? University Of St. Augustine (USAHS), West Coast University, Stanbridge University

[otstudent95]

Hi I am trying to choose between the University of St. Augustine- San Marcos, West Coast University, or Stanbridge's MSOT program. If anyone is a current student at any of these schools any insight would be greatly appreciated! Why did you ultimately decide on the school that you are currently attending?

Aside from the NBCOT pass rate, and accreditations, what other things should I compare to make the best decision on which school to attend?

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[Socal_brOT]

Hi I am trying to choose between the University of St. Augustine- San Marcos, West Coast University, or Stanbridge's MSOT program. If anyone is a current student at any of these schools any insight would be greatly appreciated! Why did you ultimately decide on the school that you are currently attending?

Aside from the NBCOT pass rate, and accreditations, what other things should I compare to make the best decision on which school to attend?

I got accepted into all three of those schools and will be attending Stanbridge. I chose primarily on location and cost of living to offset as much loans as possible. It is also important to know that the rehabilitative field has undergone reimbursement reduction that may affect your income working in select settings. Overall it is challenging time being an OT now when considering employment, loan repayment, work setting, etc. These were also factors I needed to reflect on when choosing a path between a doctorate and a masters.

Please consider your tuition cost AND cost of living when choosing a school since paying back your loans will probably occur over the next 10+ years. I used this loan calculator Grad School ROI Calculator: Is Graduate School Worth It?

It estimated that it would take me about 8 years after graduation for me to break even and surpass my current income working when considering the lost of income I would have while being a full time student. I am still pursuing OT because it is truly my passion. I will probably have to live with my parents after graduating.

My choice school unfortunately has the most expensive tuition but least expensive for me overall when considering living with my parents and commuting since it is the closest school to me and the others would require me finding housing.

Next, consider your goals. Some programs offer flex paths that let you work and obtain your degree (U of Augustine) which is appealing since I could keep my job but decided I'd rather fully dedicate my mind and time to my real passion and start working as soon as possible even though I would probably come out with less loans to pay if I did the program at U of Aug (they are sometimes flexible in program change requests). I am very active in community service and Stanbridge offered this as mandatory and since this is the closest school to me as well as being in areas I work in, it was a great choice for me. I am able to balance school and social life. So look into your interests such as your lifestyle, environment, and social. Perhaps you like San Diego, Irvine, or DTLA. All of these schools are in awesome locations since a happy mind will contribute to a enjoyable experience. Optionally, amenities such as gym, organizations, local eateries, etc can contribute to enjoyment.

Fieldwork, each school offers a different take. U of Aug pushes majority of students to travel for it if you like to meet new people and explore. Stanbridge keeps in CA if your a home person and want to stay connected. West Coast seems to be a mix. At this time there can be uncertainty even for Stanbridge due to COVID.

Check out the catalog and policies. My choice school happens to have the most difficult policies for students that may not be performing well in the program from my opinion but I intend to do well. Some school's may remove you from the program if you cannot succeed in repeat courses our your GPA does not reach a certain criteria.

Meet the faculty and staff. I felt all the schools did well in different ways but connected to my choice school the most. What was your experience with everyone through interviews, emails, phone calls, etc?

So choose your fit. For me in order, was Stanbridge, Augustine, West Coast. Feel free to message me if you have any further questions.

 

[reems112]

I definitely would not pick St. Augustine. The school does not have the best reviews and a lot of students are not satisfied with their fieldwork placements. They will put you in the most remote parts of the United States. Additionally this program enters around 70-80 students in their cohorts each like round so you wont have individualized attention. I personally would want my teacher and professors to give them that especially if I am paying such a heavy cost on education. And lastly, they dont have many clinical affiliations so you won't be happy. The reason I know this is because I have talked to a few USA students in the OT and PT programs for that matter and believe me the majority of them told me go to a better place with a better ranking than going to a place where they milk you for your money and in return you get a poor experience. The last thing you want is being in so much debt and doing something you hate at the end just because the experience was very rocky for you. Just my two cents though. Im not sure about the other two schools but if they have better rankings and less of a tuition price its truly a no brainer at that point.

 

[otstudent95]

I definitely would not pick St. Augustine. The school does not have the best reviews and a lot of students are not satisfied with their fieldwork placements. They will put you in the most remote parts of the United States. Additionally this program enters around 70-80 students in their cohorts each like round so you wont have individualized attention. I personally would want my teacher and professors to give them that especially if I am paying such a heavy cost on education. And lastly, they dont have many clinical affiliations so you won't be happy. The reason I know this is because I have talked to a few USA students in the OT and PT programs for that matter and believe me the majority of them told me go to a better place with a better ranking than going to a place where they milk you for your money and in return you get a poor experience. The last thing you want is being in so much debt and doing something you hate at the end just because the experience was very rocky for you. Just my two cents though. Im not sure about the other two schools but if they have better rankings and less of a tuition price its truly a no brainer at that point.

Are the students you spoke to in the OTD program?? Or their PT program? From my understanding, the PT cohort is substantially larger than the OTD cohort. Ive only heard great things from students at St. Augustine so this surprises me and makes me think twice about committing to this school....

 

[OTadventures]

Hi! Since the people on this SDN forum are likely to be in a similar position to you (students applying to programs), it might be good to search previous threads and post your question in the Occupational Therapy New Grads and Students Facebook Group. That way you might get more feedback about what it's like to actually be a student in the different programs. Here's one of the many posts where a prospective student asked about Stanbridge and USA (among other programs). Hope this helps!

 

[otstudent95]

Hi! Since the people on this SDN forum are likely to be in a similar position to you (students applying to programs), it might be good to search previous threads and post your question in the Occupational Therapy New Grads and Students Facebook Group. That way you might get more feedback about what it's like to actually be a student in the different programs. Here's one of the many posts where a prospective student asked about Stanbridge and USA (among other programs). Hope this helps!

Wow, thank you so much! That's super helpful, I actually don't have a Facebook but I should definitely make one if I can get access to info like this!

 

[OTish20]

@OTadventures and I are on the exact same wavelength haha. I was going to say essentially exactly what they said, that this is mostly a forum for prospective students to discuss applications, stats, and the program itself rather than convincing you to go one way or another based on what they heard or their subjective interpretation of the school's program. @reems112 may have spoken to a few students who had a particularly poor experience, but that doesn't necessarily mean that every student has or that you will. I have found it helpful to ask the program itself very specific questions and also to find current or recently graduated students and ask them questions directly as well. I have never looked into these programs you mentioned, but I will say that for-profit institutions (as these three are) don't always have the best reputation and tend to be somewhat volatile in nature. Just make sure you are making the best decision for you!

 

[reems112]

Yes I spoke to a good bit both from OT and PT, But yes you should totally do what your gut says. Because for the most part that will be the right feeling. I personally don't want to go to a for-profit school and if you have better options you should totally seek out for that. And again everyone has their opinions and what they want to get out of their educational experience and program but you do whats right for you ultimately! Good luck!

 

[Socal_brOT]

You definitely have to do more of your due diligence in research when it comes to a for-profit education but there are most definitely outstanding programs and students that come from them. Also, keep in mind that private and non-profit educational institutions can also have their fair share of unethical practices, some can be worse or have a more horrible reputation than for-profit. In fact, some for-profit colleges offer a better return in investment when compared to say a state school where you graduated with a degree in basket weaving. You always got to do the research on your own on the return of investment and not listen to promises made by any type of school whether it be for-profit, non-profit, or even state. It is your responsibility and we are here just for wisdom and discernment, not the final answer.

The price tag of for-profit can be high, therefore it should excel in all areas such as student engagement, credentials of professors teaching there, student services, alumni network, and career support, fieldwork availability, etc. You really have to magnify every area to see if you're getting your money's worth because for-profits are not going to hold your hand most of the time with guidance unless it happens to be a good one (keep that in mind).

I can tell you why I chose Stanbridge and trusted their reputation, which in SoCal they do have a positive one, a for-profit institution. They have been recognized by numerous websites for nursing from nursing specialized websites and placed high on school rankings that focus on small colleges. In fact almost every ranking/review website including students on Facebook have been majority positive. I found spoke highly of specific programs at Stanbridge They have partnered with non-profit and religious schools to advance education. People that I spoke to in person that graduated have enjoyed their career outcomes. They provide special recognition for community service-oriented students and innovators during graduation, so i love that they promote civic engagement. They invest in giving students the best graduation event, I believe they rent space at the University of California, Irvine (a public state university) to have the ceremony. Linkedin also shows that many Stanbridge students have been able to be placed or hired in great positions when in comparison to other for-profits. They do their best to keep their students situated closely with fieldwork in their home state and I have had a mostly positive experience with the staff. They have a career center that can also support you after graduation and alumni support which some for-profit skim out on... Most professors at Stanbridge are USC doctoral holders and have research backgrounds in academics. I was in contact with the director of the USC post-doctoral program and she recognizes Stanbridge as a program that they would accept into their post-doc even though they are only nationally accredited and not regionally. All these speak high regards to the quality of students that come out of this institution even though it is a for-profit firstly.

 

[Robinhoodfuture OT]

I got accepted into all three of those schools and will be attending Stanbridge. I chose primarily on location and cost of living to offset as much loans as possible. It is also important to know that the rehabilitative field has undergone reimbursement reduction that may affect your income working in select settings. Overall it is challenging time being an OT now when considering employment, loan repayment, work setting, etc. These were also factors I needed to reflect on when choosing a path between a doctorate and a masters.

Please consider your tuition cost AND cost of living when choosing a school since paying back your loans will probably occur over the next 10+ years. I used this loan calculator Grad School ROI Calculator: Is Graduate School Worth It?

It estimated that it would take me about 8 years after graduation for me to break even and surpass my current income working when considering the lost of income I would have while being a full time student. I am still pursuing OT because it is truly my passion. I will probably have to live with my parents after graduating.

My choice school unfortunately has the most expensive tuition but least expensive for me overall when considering living with my parents and commuting since it is the closest school to me and the others would require me finding housing.

Next, consider your goals. Some programs offer flex paths that let you work and obtain your degree (U of Augustine) which is appealing since I could keep my job but decided I'd rather fully dedicate my mind and time to my real passion and start working as soon as possible even though I would probably come out with less loans to pay if I did the program at U of Aug (they are sometimes flexible in program change requests). I am very active in community service and Stanbridge offered this as mandatory and since this is the closest school to me as well as being in areas I work in, it was a great choice for me. I am able to balance school and social life. So look into your interests such as your lifestyle, environment, and social. Perhaps you like San Diego, Irvine, or DTLA. All of these schools are in awesome locations since a happy mind will contribute to a enjoyable experience. Optionally, amenities such as gym, organizations, local eateries, etc can contribute to enjoyment.

Fieldwork, each school offers a different take. U of Aug pushes majority of students to travel for it if you like to meet new people and explore. Stanbridge keeps in CA if your a home person and want to stay connected. West Coast seems to be a mix. At this time there can be uncertainty even for Stanbridge due to COVID.

Check out the catalog and policies. My choice school happens to have the most difficult policies for students that may not be performing well in the program from my opinion but I intend to do well. Some school's may remove you from the program if you cannot succeed in repeat courses our your GPA does not reach a certain criteria.

Meet the faculty and staff. I felt all the schools did well in different ways but connected to my choice school the most. What was your experience with everyone through interviews, emails, phone calls, etc?

So choose your fit. For me in order, was Stanbridge, Augustine, West Coast. Feel free to message me if you have any further questions.

Thank for the insightful information, have you heard anything about west coast university program from pervious cohort?

 

[Socal_brOT]

Thank for the insightful information, have you heard anything about west coast university program from pervious cohort?

It's been a mixed bag. I know of friends that graduated and enjoyed their experience but this was back when they had started the program. It seems like the quality "may" have gone down over the years with larger cohorts and professor turnover. The founding director left, a well-liked professor starting with B left to start a new OT program as a Director, and look at google reviews and the person that posted the Facebook group in this post and search up the west coast. It seems the professors have some hard personalities. Who knows though because they did hire a new professor for this years cohort and I did an interview with him, he seems okay. Oh and potentially the current director of OT maybe stepping down because I saw a job posting to hire for that position recently so I don't know if she will still be there or not. Those are some yellow flags.

 

[0td413]

Are the students you spoke to in the OTD program?? Or their PT program? From my understanding, the PT cohort is substantially larger than the OTD cohort. Ive only heard great things from students at St. Augustine so this surprises me and makes me think twice about committing to this school....

I am currently at USA in the OTD program and it is a pretty good program. Yes, things could be better, but I would not say it has been awful! In my class there was 52 students: half MOT half OTD. Once fieldwork is over, the MOTs graduate and the OTD students continue, where there is only about 25 in the class.

Also, they do have a lot of clinical affiliations. When COVID was fresh, it was crazy hectic getting people placed for fieldwork due to placements cancelling students (which was a problem for all OT/PT schools not just USA) making the supply of accepting affiliations limited.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[YanniOTD21]

I definitely would not pick St. Augustine. The school does not have the best reviews and a lot of students are not satisfied with their fieldwork placements. They will put you in the most remote parts of the United States. Additionally this program enters around 70-80 students in their cohorts each like round so you wont have individualized attention. I personally would want my teacher and professors to give them that especially if I am paying such a heavy cost on education. And lastly, they dont have many clinical affiliations so you won't be happy. The reason I know this is because I have talked to a few USA students in the OT and PT programs for that matter and believe me the majority of them told me go to a better place with a better ranking than going to a place where they milk you for your money and in return you get a poor experience. The last thing you want is being in so much debt and doing something you hate at the end just because the experience was very rocky for you. Just my two cents though. Im not sure about the other two schools but if they have better rankings and less of a tuition price its truly a no brainer at that point.

Im at USAHS and my OT class is 32! 12 of us are OTDs. The PT class has 50-60 people, but for OT its usually 32 or less.

 

[otstudent95]

I am currently at USA in the OTD program and it is a pretty good program. Yes, things could be better, but I would not say it has been awful! In my class there was 52 students: half MOT half OTD. Once fieldwork is over, the MOTs graduate and the OTD students continue, where there is only about 25 in the class.

Also, they do have a lot of clinical affiliations. When COVID was fresh, it was crazy hectic getting people placed for fieldwork due to placements cancelling students (which was a problem for all OT/PT schools not just USA) making the supply of accepting affiliations limited.

Let me know if you have any questions.

sending you a message!

 

[otstudent95]

I am currently at USA in the OTD program and it is a pretty good program. Yes, things could be better, but I would not say it has been awful! In my class there was 52 students: half MOT half OTD. Once fieldwork is over, the MOTs graduate and the OTD students continue, where there is only about 25 in the class.

Also, they do have a lot of clinical affiliations. When COVID was fresh, it was crazy hectic getting people placed for fieldwork due to placements cancelling students (which was a problem for all OT/PT schools not just USA) making the supply of accepting affiliations limited.

Let me know if you have any questions.

sorry it's not letting me message you, could you shoot me a PM?

 

[futureot1111]

I am currently at USA in the OTD program and it is a pretty good program. Yes, things could be better, but I would not say it has been awful! In my class there was 52 students: half MOT half OTD. Once fieldwork is over, the MOTs graduate and the OTD students continue, where there is only about 25 in the class.

Also, they do have a lot of clinical affiliations. When COVID was fresh, it was crazy hectic getting people placed for fieldwork due to placements cancelling students (which was a problem for all OT/PT schools not just USA) making the supply of accepting affiliations limited.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Hello! I am also trying to choose between West Coast and USA. I was wondering if you could go into detail how your fieldwork placement work? A lot of West Coast students are very happy with the connections they made through fieldwork, and I've heard USA just places you in the middle of nowhere. I'm from LA, I dont want to be in the middle of nowhere in Texas lol.