NAU or UF?

[CatGrace777]

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I really did not want to be a person asking for help on my decision but at this point I need some advice. I currently live in Massachusettes and my boyfriend and I are completely relocating for which ever school I chose. Considering I have never lived in Florida or Arizona, I am hoping some of you could give me some Pros and Cons to the areas as well as the schools.

I interviewed and got in to NAU Phoenix. I sent my deposit by the deadline because I could not hold off on Umiami's wait list any longer. I am "in the next 5" for UM however they start in May and I can't make the time crunch for relocation so I gave up on them. However, this morning I got an email from UF offering acceptance there. I have never even been to UF's campus and their program does cost more than NAU.

My boyfriend and I both agree that NAU is great because of the price but we also agree that UF is convenient because it would keep us on the west coast. We have no problem with moving far, but part of us knows it would be nicer to have a short flight back to Massachusetts.

Any thoughts, opinions, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Especially about the UF campus, program, or faculty seeing as I may not have a chance to visit the campus before I have to make a decision.

Thanks!🙂

 

[nicolej5]

I am a native az girl and I will tell you right now if you aren't used to the heat it will be a shock. I know you have probably heard that but there's no explaining what 115 degree heat feels like in the dead of summer. That has to be something that you consider, especially coming from back east. Honestly, if tuition and cost of living is cheaper in Phoenix, why consider UF? Don't say because the "flight is shorter." That is a ridiculous reason for choosing a school. How many times do you plan on flying home during school? Once or twice a year? I haven't heard a lot about UF or the surrounding area. Kind of depends where you want to live because they are polar opposites in my opinion. Beach vs desert, crazy humidity vs "dry heat" (there IS a difference 😛), etc. Personally, my mind would have been made up when I saw tuition and COL are cheaper in AZ. Especially because NAU isn't a scrub program by any means. Good luck. *Another thing to take note of is that you can become an az resident after one year with NAU (someone can correct me if that's wrong, I don't know exactly how it works). I'm not sure if that is something you can get with UF.

 

[okramango]

I was also in a similar situation - choosing between two programs that both would require me to move to a new state. NAU Flagstaff was very tempting, because it is in a cooler mountain climate and closer to home (I'm in Northern CA). However, I ultimately chose TWU in Dallas, even though I don't like super hot weather and it will be further away from home, because the cost of tuition and cost of living are both lower, in addition to it being a great program. It is only a few years, and then I can go on with life with less debt on my shoulders. I know it will be worth it.

I can't imagine choosing to attend a program that I have never visited, though. Remember that NAU only has two years of didactic education, and then you will go off to do your clinicals in various locations for the entire third year. That means you would only be living in AZ for two years, and you'll come out of school with less debt. It could be worth it to make the move. Sorry I don't know anything about UF.

 

[CatGrace777]

Thanks for both of your inputs. I have been set on NAU and I think part of me just felt like this option opened and it needed to be considered. And you a both correct in the fact that the money I will save cannot be argued. The COL and tuition for NAU versus UF is so substantial and I won't be there too long, unless I decide I love it on the other coast! So NAU it is! So now any advice on moving to AZ and finding a job would be great! aha