I applied for 3 and was going to apply for 2 more. Mine all depended on where my husband was looking for a job and where we both had good opportunities. I got accepted into 2 schools and it was VERY hard to choose (considering I liked BOTH schools). I was going back and forth for a long while! One was in a great location (closer to family/friends, and southern comfort atmosphere) with AWESOME faculty/staff (I had a chance to meet with students and faculty at 2 of their preview days) and it's a straight 3 yr doctorate program. The other was a masters program with an option to transition into the doctorate. It didn't have a preview day therefore, I didn't get comfortable with the school but found it had a great reputation and an overwhelming # of surrounding opportunities (i.e. research opportunities, fieldwork opportunities, volunteering, city life, etc.). Nevertheless, my decision was a mutual decision with my husband...so it made my decision a little easier 😉 He encouraged me to choose one over the other (because of the school's high ranking and reputation). On the other hand, he didn't have as good of an opportunity at our #1 pick based on location. So, it all worked out for the best - now we're VERY excited about moving to a new, vibrant & diverse city 😀
As far as tuition goes...I've always been told, don't let money keep you from following your career dreams! I let it stop me before and wasn't going to let it stop me this time. Therefore, it was either now or never for me - I've put it off for too long. That's why we have student loans 😉