Indiana University or NOVA for Optometry School?

[optom25]

I've been accepted to IU and NOVA for optometry school next year and I am completely torn between the two and don't know which one to attend.

I am Canadian so I will paying out of state tuition for both schools, and they are the same price for me due to scholarships.

Any advice about which school I should pick? I loved them both!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Snakedoctor1]

which one has cheaper housing?

 

[optom25]

IU has cheaper housing. But the tuition at IU is slightly higher. They end up being essentially the same price.

I am wondering if IU has a better reputation than NOVA because it has been around since the 1950s and is one of the older optometry programs?

I know NOVA is pretty well established now, but I still can't shake the feeling that its considered a "new" school and I am wondering how that may effect my chances of getting a job after school?

 

[NotThisAccount17]

IU has cheaper housing. But the tuition at IU is slightly higher. They end up being essentially the same price.

I am wondering if IU has a better reputation than NOVA because it has been around since the 1950s and is one of the older optometry programs?

I know NOVA is pretty well established now, but I still can't shake the feeling that its considered a "new" school and I am wondering how that may effect my chances of getting a job after school?

I do not know much about IU, so I won't speak much to their program. NOVA was established in 1989, so its been around about 28 years. It has been around long enough to establish itself and its reputation. Also, their optometry program graduates have established themselves in the field, which is a big part of it. If it was going to make any difference with getting a job I would say think about where you want to try and get a job after you graduate. There will be more NOVA grads in the south east and more IU grads in the Midwest. I don't think it will really matter, but might help with the relationships you form while in school and in rotations. For example, I'm sure optometrists on the west coast will rave about Berkeley, SCCO, PUCO, etc while optometrists in the north east will rave about SUNY and NECO. That's probably because those are the schools they all went to. On a side note, rankings aren't always reliable because there is nothing official about them but here are a couple to look at.

http://optometry-schools.startclass.com/

https://schools.studentdoctor.net/schools/5/optometry-school-rankings/0?reload=1&r=1485900822876

 

[IowaDoc515]

Similar situation. Torn between a couple schools currently.