Hunter vs. Stony Brook

[mk992987]

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Hey everyone,

Just looking for some advice. I haven't gotten accepted to either of these programs. But applied to and am interviewing at both. I'm going to have a real tough time deciding between the two if I am accepted to both. The yearly cost is pretty much the same.

Hunter is in the city whereas stony brook is LI. Stony brook class size is 60 whereas hunter's is 28.

Is there anyone out there currently in a PT program at one of these schools and can maybe shed some light on this? I just want to be prepared on what to do if this situation occurs, since I'll have to respond rather quickly.

Thanks!

 

[Cronos]

Great question. Unfortunately I do not think we have a student from either here. I myself am more in favor of Hunter for several personal reasons. It is in the city which really appeals to me at this point in my life, I can commute from my parents house so I can save on housing, I can eat my parents dinner (which far surpasses anything I would be preparing for myself) and save some food cash, 28 students is a perfect amount for me to socially shine and I feel as though the class is one whereas 60 can easily divide into several smaller groups. I think that's it for me. They are both good programs and I think it depends on your personal situation to choose between the two.

Could you post or pm me your stats that got you those interviews? I'm applying next cycle and always like to compare my stats to other applicants, especially those that interviewed 🙂

And goodluck with the interviews. Hopefully someone else can better answer this question, I'd be very interested in their response as well

 

[Balliamo402]

Just wanted to bump this up & see if anyone who is in either program can give their perspective, advice, and the like. 🙂

I received acceptances from both Hunter and Stony Brook. Being a NYS resident, I would get in-state tuition at SBU, but Hunter is still SO cheap! I'm assuming that the tuition info I found online is up-to-date (or at least more or less reflective of current rates), but for all 3 years, Hunter is ~32K, and SBU is ~80K.

http://www.physicaltherapyprereqs.com/category/compare-dpt-programs/dpt-programs-in-new-york/

I absolutely fell in love with SBU's program when I went to interview. I got such a great vibe from the faculty and the current students. I love that they have the University hospital right there.

On the other hand, I know Hunter has great affiliations as well. Unfortunately, the interview process did not include a tour or the opportunity to really get to know the faculty or current students. They ARE in the process of constructing a new health and sciences building in collaboration with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (not scheduled for completion until after 2017, however). Hunter's DPT program is temporarily using a floor of the 68th St. campus, as the Brookdale campus is undergoing complete renovation and replacement of equipment, having suffered greatly from Sandy. The earliest I would be able to visit Hunter's actual PT facilities, then, might not be until later this spring.

I apologize for such a long post. I have just under 2 weeks to let Hunter know if I accept their offer. I would GREATLY appreciate any bit of insight! If there are any current students of either program, PLEASE feel free to chime in!

 

[Fabregas]

Balliamo:

Congratulations on being accepted at Hunter - I think they are choosing 28 seats from nearly 300 applicants, so that's a feat. Well done.

I am finishing up at Hunter in May; I'm doing the last of my clinical rotations now. I personally can't speak to any program but the one I'm in, and frankly, I'd be skeptical of anyone whose opinion ranged beyond their own experience.

I've had an excellent experience. Which isn't to say that everything has been perfect and rosy every step of the way, but I don't really think there's much question that Hunter's program offers incredible value, especially in today's academic market. Our program's equipment and facilities did take a pretty severe blow from Sandy, but I wouldn't worry too much about it - you don't need much more than some great, experienced lecturers, a pliable brain, some plinths, and a couple of anatomical models to learn a ton. I'm sure the anatomy lab will be operational by the time you'll need access to it. From what I gather, they'll be back home before long.

And I will certainly say that it's been really stimulating to be amongst 27 of the brightest, driven, and fun people that I've shared classtime with over the past 3 years. They know how to pick 'em.

Good luck with your decision and future work.

 

[Balliamo402]

Balliamo:

Congratulations on being accepted at Hunter - I think they are choosing 28 seats from nearly 300 applicants, so that's a feat. Well done.

I am finishing up at Hunter in May; I'm doing the last of my clinical rotations now. I personally can't speak to any program but the one I'm in, and frankly, I'd be skeptical of anyone whose opinion ranged beyond their own experience.

I've had an excellent experience. Which isn't to say that everything has been perfect and rosy every step of the way, but I don't really think there's much question that Hunter's program offers incredible value, especially in today's academic market. Our program's equipment and facilities did take a pretty severe blow from Sandy, but I wouldn't worry too much about it - you don't need much more than some great, experienced lecturers, a pliable brain, some plinths, and a couple of anatomical models to learn a ton. I'm sure the anatomy lab will be operational by the time you'll need access to it. From what I gather, they'll be back home before long.

And I will certainly say that it's been really stimulating to be amongst 27 of the brightest, driven, and fun people that I've shared classtime with over the past 3 years. They know how to pick 'em.

Good luck with your decision and future work.

Thanks very much for your input. It sounds like your experience as a DPT student has been great so far.

Does Hunter use cadaver labs? I visited once and unfortunately did not get to see all of the rooms in the PT building. Are any of the labs shared with the nursing students?

Also, do most of the students commute or have housing within a reasonable distance of the Brookdale campus? If I do decide to go to Hunter, there is a possibility I might commute from Long Island (bus + train + walking = ~1.5 to 2 hours one way). Would you advise against this? Do you happen to know what most of your classmates do?

Thanks so much!

 

[notion]

Hey Balliamo,

I am in a similar situation as you. I have also been accepted to Hunter and really like the idea of the small class size, the opportunity to experience the city, and of course the affordable tuition. However, I live on long island also and the commute would be too exhausting for me. The only way I could manage is if I moved closer or into the city, but then there goes the money I would save on tuition to pay for rent...

My first choice was Stony Brook, but I had a hiccup with PTCAS so my application didn't make it in on time for the first interview, so my interview is in Feb. I am probably counting my eggs before they hatch, but if I get accepted to Stony Brook, I will be even more confused. I have already been asking everybody their opinion and its pretty split. I am hoping more people chime in and am curious as to what you will ultimately decide!

 

[Balliamo402]

Hey Balliamo,

I am in a similar situation as you. I have also been accepted to Hunter and really like the idea of the small class size, the opportunity to experience the city, and of course the affordable tuition. However, I live on long island also and the commute would be too exhausting for me. The only way I could manage is if I moved closer or into the city, but then there goes the money I would save on tuition to pay for rent...

My first choice was Stony Brook, but I had a hiccup with PTCAS so my application didn't make it in on time for the first interview, so my interview is in Feb. I am probably counting my eggs before they hatch, but if I get accepted to Stony Brook, I will be even more confused. I have already been asking everybody their opinion and its pretty split. I am hoping more people chime in and am curious as to what you will ultimately decide!

Yes, I'm worried about getting burnt out by the commute alone! I'm currently a senior at Hunter and I've been commuting for the past few years, and many times I've been able to make the commute work FOR me by using my time on the bus/train to be productive. But getting to the Brookdale campus would require more transfers and walking, plus the stress of unreliable bus transportation on LI (my experience), and I just feel that right there is valuable time during which I could be studying! Plus, who wants the additional stress of dealing with a late bus!?

Anyway, you make a great point: that money saved on tuition (Hunter route) would then be spent on housing closer to Brookdale. So I feel in the end the costs between going the Hunter route and the SBU route might be more or less the same.

What have others told you? Most people have simply told me to go with the cheaper school, i.e., Hunter, but I don't think many of them realize what a hassle it will be to get to and from school. Thankfully I have a few more days to weigh the two and make a final decision.

 

[Fabregas]

Thanks very much for your input. It sounds like your experience as a DPT student has been great so far.

Does Hunter use cadaver labs? I visited once and unfortunately did not get to see all of the rooms in the PT building. Are any of the labs shared with the nursing students?

Also, do most of the students commute or have housing within a reasonable distance of the Brookdale campus? If I do decide to go to Hunter, there is a possibility I might commute from Long Island (bus + train + walking = ~1.5 to 2 hours one way). Would you advise against this? Do you happen to know what most of your classmates do?

Thanks so much!

yes, there is a cadaver lab. it is located 10 feet from the classrooms, which is very convenient. as far as i am aware, it is only shared with students from the staten island dpt program, and they use it at a different time of year - so you probably won't ever see them. we were able to go back during our second year to do some further elective dissection work, which was useful after having a year of dpt study under our belts.

students come from all over. if i had to give you a rough breakdown, i'd say that maybe a third live in manhattan, a third in brooklyn/queens, and a third further afield commute from LI / Westchester / NJ. It is certainly viable from LI, it just depends on you and what you want to put up with. it is also possible to get affiliations out there, which makes life easy, though hospital placements are not easy these days - lots of closures and fewer spots for students. also, you will definitely be able to find places to live in the city if you decide you hate the commute. it's common for people to find others in the program that you like to room with as well.

 

[pthan]

Just wanted to bump this up & see if anyone who is in either program can give their perspective, advice, and the like. 🙂

I received acceptances from both Hunter and Stony Brook. Being a NYS resident, I would get in-state tuition at SBU, but Hunter is still SO cheap! I'm assuming that the tuition info I found online is up-to-date (or at least more or less reflective of current rates), but for all 3 years, Hunter is ~32K, and SBU is ~80K.

http://www.physicaltherapyprereqs.com/category/compare-dpt-programs/dpt-programs-in-new-york/

I absolutely fell in love with SBU's program when I went to interview. I got such a great vibe from the faculty and the current students. I love that they have the University hospital right there.

On the other hand, I know Hunter has great affiliations as well. Unfortunately, the interview process did not include a tour or the opportunity to really get to know the faculty or current students. They ARE in the process of constructing a new health and sciences building in collaboration with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (not scheduled for completion until after 2017, however). Hunter's DPT program is temporarily using a floor of the 68th St. campus, as the Brookdale campus is undergoing complete renovation and replacement of equipment, having suffered greatly from Sandy. The earliest I would be able to visit Hunter's actual PT facilities, then, might not be until later this spring.

I apologize for such a long post. I have just under 2 weeks to let Hunter know if I accept their offer. I would GREATLY appreciate any bit of insight! If there are any current students of either program, PLEASE feel free to chime in!

I have an interview for Stony Brook in February. Would you mind telling me what kind of questions they asked during your interview?

 

[Balliamo402]

It will be a panel - I had 2 faculty members and a second year student.

Aside from the general questions like "why PT" and how I would personally define the job of a PT, they were very interested in my experiences and what I got out of them. You will probably also be asked some type of ethical question (mine dealt with cheating). No crazy, stumping questions (in my experience, though it seems that the other applicants that day felt the same). The thought of being interviewed by a panel was very daunting at first (for me, anyway!), but it really wasn't bad at all. I think the most important thing is to have a clear sense of why you are pursuing PT.

Best of luck!

 

[pthan]

Thank you so much!

 

[pthan]

It will be a panel - I had 2 faculty members and a second year student.

Aside from the general questions like "why PT" and how I would personally define the job of a PT, they were very interested in my experiences and what I got out of them. You will probably also be asked some type of ethical question (mine dealt with cheating). No crazy, stumping questions (in my experience, though it seems that the other applicants that day felt the same). The thought of being interviewed by a panel was very daunting at first (for me, anyway!), but it really wasn't bad at all. I think the most important thing is to have a clear sense of why you are pursuing PT.

Best of luck!

How long after your interview did you receive your acceptance letter?

 

[Balliamo402]

I received a call about a week and a half later.

 

[pthan]

I received a call about a week and a half later.

Thanks!

 

[ymr31]

I am currently in the same position as you except i have been accepted to SBU. I had an interview a few months ago from Hunter ( i thought it went really well...) but i still havent heard back. Hunter was my top choice b/c of the class size as well and i loved the professors i spoke to (and students). SBU makes me nervous b/c of the larger class size. I would really like a smaller class size, but we'll see what happens. do you know anything about what the tuition would be for hunter after 3 years? i am trying to figure out hope much more/less it would be than SBU if i decided to find an apt in the city...
Thanks!

 

[goingplaces]

I interview at hunter late jan. and they said they will answering me back by mid feb. anyone did interview late jan and hear back anything.

 

[Igor Kozlov]

I interviewed Jan 15th and heard back that I'm wait listed 2 weeks later

 

[111589]

Wondering if anyone knew the dates that interviews were held or being held for SB? Thanks

 

[Balliamo402]

Wondering if anyone knew the dates that interviews were held or being held for SB? Thanks

From the website:


INTERVIEW DATES FOR 2012 - 2013:

September 21, 2012 – Early Decision ONLY
December 7, 2012
February 2, 2013
February 22, 2013