Hi everyone! I need some feedback on a decision I’m trying to make. I received two acceptances and can’t decide which school is best for me. I got accepted into a prestigious top 5 in the country school where neurological disorders are their specialty and I would not have to move anywhere. The tuition base total is about 160k. They are very well renowned and I lean heavy into how infamous they are. The second school is in the top 25 schools and the program is only 2 years. The tuition is 110k and I received a 24k scholarship. I would have to move to Philadelphia though which would incur room and board costs. Does anyone have any feedback on which one I should choose?
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PT school commitment decision
- Thread starter NeuroPT96
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If I was in your position, I would personally go with the significantly cheaper option, even if it means I have to move to a different location and rent an apartment somewhere. You received a scholarship as well, which is very generous considering a lot of schools don't offer many. It is still cheaper even with the additional costs of living compared to the school that is 160k for tuition alone. That takes a big chunk out of your graduate school debt in the future once you start paying them off. Don't forget to include the interest that builds up for each loan disbursed per semester over the 2-3 years of being in school as well, which makes the debt even higher.
School rankings don't matter when you graduate and start your job search. Every student comes out with the same starting level of knowledge because the DPT degree is the same for every accredited school. Maybe you will learn a different thing or two at one school or the other based on whoever is instructing you and their experience, but you will not come out with significantly more knowledge than someone that doesn't attend a top school. There are always opportunities to continue learning and expanding your knowledge after school, it won't end there and a lot of it will come from work experience itself. If you want to work in a setting that focuses on neurological conditions for example, choose your clinicals at these places during school because you will learn so much from those kind of experiences.
I can't comment on what the pace and rigor will be like for a school that is only two years versus three and your learning, but you would finish a lot earlier than others and pay your debt off faster in this case. That is my take on what I would do in your shoes, so make the decision that is best for you. Good luck!
Whichever is the cheaper one. The grade of 5 or 25 "top schools" means nothing since all of the schools have to follow the same standards/curriculum to get accredited. If they end up being approximately the same pricewise, school 1 sounds like less Hassle for the move unless you want to move.
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I agree with the above comments regarding school rankings. I know it's hard not to get caught up in the prestige, but at the end of the day, a PT is a PT. I think you should determine the factors that matter the most to you and break it down from there. Cost, for example, is a HUGE factor. 86k vs 160k for tuition is a big difference. Room and board costs can be estimated, which will bring that 86k up significantly, but I still don't think it'll reach the 160k. But also, keep in mind moving and furnishing costs as well. I'd also consider the cities the schools are in. Do you love where you live now/ do you love Philadelphia? Are you going to use public transportation or need a car? Are you looking for a school that specializes in neuro because if so, the connections and education there could be greatly beneficial to you. But if you don't like neuro at all, it might not be worth it to go to that school. Does either have research if that's what you want? It's a tough decision and you shouldn't feel obligated to choose the more renowned one and you shouldn't feel obligated to choose the cheaper one. If I were you, I would look at the program and what it focuses on/what you will get out of it. I know it's hard, but at least it's a good situation to be in - congrats on both acceptances and I wish you the best of luck!
Keep in mind that starting for PT is 60k to 70k. Choosing a program that has tuition at 160k alone is absurd! And it’ll take a super long to pay back. I think you should go with the cheaper option out of the two. If neuro is what you want to get in try looking into your clinical and shadow a neuro PT and you could get some real life experiences. Hope this helps!
