ODU, Shenandoah, or Radford?

[Elauz]

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Hi guys! I have a question for you. If tuition weren't an issue (NOT saying that's the case, I'm just trying to get an idea of the overall quality of the programs themselves), what school would you chose, and why?

 

[Dinked]

ODU for sure

 

[Elauz]

ODU for sure

Thanks for answering! Can you explain why you think ODU is the best?

 

[Dinked]

Everybody is going to have their own opinion, but personally I got accepted to ODU and would have went if I didn't get into my #1 school. They are a big public research university so its well funded and have facility that are big names in the PT world. They are known to produce great clinicians and be very proactive in the community with events. They have been long established in VA, along with VCU, so they have a rich history. I believe radford is fairly new and shenandoah has been around. Another thing is that ODU is public state school so if you are a VA resident you would only pay around 50k for all 3 years, saving a butt load in student loans.

Not saying the other 2 schools are bad, it is just why I would have choosen ODU

 

[Elauz]

Everybody is going to have their own opinion, but personally I got accepted to ODU and would have went if I didn't get into my #1 school. They are a big public research university so its well funded and have facility that are big names in the PT world. They are known to produce great clinicians and be very proactive in the community with events. They have been long established in VA, along with VCU, so they have a rich history. I believe radford is fairly new and shenandoah has been around. Another thing is that ODU is public state school so if you are a VA resident you would only pay around 50k for all 3 years, saving a butt load in student loans.

Not saying the other 2 schools are bad, it is just why I would have choosen ODU

That's great, thank you! I really appreciate your insight because I've only been a VA resident for about a year and a half, and while I've tried to do plenty of research on my own, it's really nice to hear what others have to say about VA schools. Thanks again!

 

[PassionateDPT21]

I didn't get to apply to a school that was public and in-state, so Shenandoah is high on my list because of its ranking, reputation, and lower tuition than a lot of the schools I am choosing from. Not knowing much about osu, they are highly ranked (higher than su) and cost so much less. I would choose odu based on those reasons. And I wouldn't even consider Radford with your other two options. But remember you can't go wrong either way. Its up to you to be happy in that environment and make the best of it. Good luck! Let us know what you decide.

 

[bak54]

This is coming from someone who doesn't know a lot about ODU and didn't apply there, so I'm mostly comparing Radford & Shenandoah.

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I really like Radford over Shenandoah and thought it was a better program. I canceled my Shenandoah interview when I found out I got into Radford (the interview was also during my finals, so that contributed). Shenandoah seems so expensive to me when there are comparable programs elsewhere for much cheaper. I don't know if this is true but I also heard some of the classes are via video conference...? I think Radford gets super underrated because it's a new program, but they have a super awesome facility that is in a hospital (tons of interprofessional connections and opportunities) that also houses med school, nursing, and OT students. It kind of depends on what's important to you. The reasons I'm likely choosing Radford are: several faculty that are orthopedic & manual fellows, research that involves the intersection of PT and exercise science, the opportunity to do a research project (rather than just evidence-based practice course), hospital setting, great opportunities (volunteering in a free clinic, and I know they are super involved and help out at some of the RU basketball games), Roanoke is a booming medical community with Carilion developing new things everywhere, low cost for VA residents, and I felt SO at home when I interviewed and got a great vibe from faculty & current students at the info session. Despite being a new program, they're already fairly competitive with average GPAs in the 3.68 range, which says a lot to me about the quality of students they are able to attract and accept.

That said, as I mentioned, I don't know a lot about ODU. BUT...I've shadowed under an ODU grad and he's fantastic.

Good luck with your decision!! I know it is tough but you really can't go wrong either way.

 

[Elauz]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I have decided to put my deposit down at Shenandoah and I couldn't be happier! Ultimately it was the better choice for me and my husband due to the location, and I really loved my interview day and felt the most "at home" there. Thanks again for your help, and good luck with your decisions and DPT school!