RVU vs. KCU

[torresea]

Hi all I am having trouble choosing between the rocky vista an kansas city masters program. They are both extremely far from me, so location isn't a problem. I heard many positives and negatives from both programs making my decision even harder. At first I was leaning towards kansas city and already put down my deposit, but recently I am taking rocky vista into consideration more because of the small class sizes. I would appreciate any advice.

 

[ZEH]

I am a current student at RVU in the MSBS program. I can't speak on behalf of Kansas city's program but if there is any questions I can answer for you regarding RVU please feel free to message me.

 

[torresea]

I am a current student at RVU in the MSBS program. I can't speak on behalf of Kansas city's program but if there is any questions I can answer for you regarding RVU please feel free to message me.

Yes please!
So one of my biggest concerns is the cost of living and where to live near the school. Also I heard that the school is in a suburb so I don’t know if that plays too much into the environment of the school?
One of the things I did love about RVU were the smaller class sizes. I also heard you get into the medical school if you receive a 3.6 the first semester is that true? Also, how doable are the classes to get that GPS and is there a minimum MCAT score?
Sorry for all the questions I just need to decide soon and I want to make sure its an informed decision.

 

[ZEH]

So cost of living here is brutal in my opinion. You can look online at the local apartments in Parker. Some people live a little bit outside of Parker to save some money but for me it wasn't that much of a difference in price so I chose to live closer to campus. The school is kind of in the suburbs and it has a lot of shopping for groceries nearby (and a fantastic farmers market in downtown Parker), restaurants, a Walmart, Park Meadows Mall, and basically anything you would need. The train station if you want to go to downtown Denver is also really close.

The smaller class size is a huge a bonus! As far as acceptance to their medical school, the COM likes to accept students from the MSBS and many people in our class have gained an acceptance into the COM. The classes are hard but the GPA is doable. I hope that helps you make your decision! If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

 

[torresea]

Thank you that was really helpful!!! Do you have any recommendations for apartments. I did look online at the apartments and they were high, I’m hopefully going to get a roommate to help. The cost is one of the reason why I was turned off, Kansas City is cheaper.

 

[ZEH]

I get it cost really worried me too when I was deciding where to go. Overall there were other reasons that for me out weighed the added cost in rent.

I say just keep looking the prices here fluctuate a lot and getting a roommate can definitely help with the cost. I currently live at Parker Flats which is really nice and within walking distance to restaurants, the park, the grocery store, etc. and has great walking trails right behind it. It's about 15 mins to campus with traffic. Some other popular places that my classmates currently live at and like are Park Sixty Four which is also in downtown Parker, Broadstone Montane (can be very expensive), Ranchstone (pricing depends on when you look), and Courtney Downs. You can also call and ask if they have any specials for RVU students and most places will waive the application fees and deposits.

I am not sure if you are from Colorado but the other thing I will suggest is if you look anywhere outside of the Parker area just be aware that I-25 is a nightmare during rush hour and E-470 is an expensive toll road.