School in candidacy stage vs $$$ school

[ss1817]

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I originally posted this on the Pre-PT side but perhaps it would be better suited on this side for those of you who have already been through PT school.


I've heard time and time again on this forum to go with the cheaper school however I have recently found myself in an interesting situation. Back in January I was accepted to a school (School A) that is in their candidacy stage of accreditation. While the lack of accreditation was a bit of a drawback I have been very excited to attend. The faculty was knowledgeable and welcoming, the facility is brand new and state of the art, and the school is located in a part of the US where cost of living is very affordable. The school is slated to be accredited by the time I complete my first year.

I was recently accepted to School B last week off of their waitlist. They are an established program. They too had a great faculty, a lot of community involvement, and good facilities. I left interview day feeling very excited about the program. However, the tuition is expensive and the cost of living in this area is very high. On the flip side there are a lot more job opportunities in this area for my boyfriend who will be moving with me and helping to support us.

I am feeling very torn about which school to choose and only have til Thursday to decide. The biggest concerns for me are accreditation, cost of living, and job opportunities. Does anyone have any insight to share or has anyone been in a similar situation? Thanks in advance for any feedback!

 

[starrsgirl]

This is an easy decision to me....go with the cheaper school. I should ask first, how MUCH cheaper? Can you give a total tuition difference and expected living cost difference? If you are talking under 20K, in my book that's not a huge difference. But more than that is...again, just my own rules of finance.

 

[ss1817]

This is an easy decision to me....go with the cheaper school. I should ask first, how MUCH cheaper? Can you give a total tuition difference and expected living cost difference? If you are talking under 20K, in my book that's not a huge difference. But more than that is...again, just my own rules of finance.

Tuition difference is about 18K over the entire 3 year program. Housing is the biggest factor between the two locations as far as cost of living. Housing where School A is located is about 82% cheaper than the housing where School B is located. Cost of living is estimated to be about 51% cheaper where School A is located.

 

[truthseeker]

go to school A. Period.

 

[starrsgirl]

Tuition difference is about 18K over the entire 3 year program. Housing is the biggest factor between the two locations as far as cost of living. Housing where School A is located is about 82% cheaper than the housing where School B is located. Cost of living is estimated to be about 51% cheaper where School A is located.

So put that cost of living in real dollars. Are you living on loans? If so, it's really helpful to see that amount on paper because it will look very different than 18K of the tuition difference. (Plus I think it's an excellent plan to calculate your living budget anyway now).

 

[NewTestament]

Which one's cheaper? That's you answer. The chances that the school would not get accredited and you would be on the hook for thousands in loans is low. The chances that you will have more debt at school A is 100%.

 

[preptkittty123]

I would personally be scared to go to a school that's not accredited yet. It is a small risk since I think most schools do get accredited in the end but it is still a risk. The $ is also important though. I will be going to a school that graduates their first class in less than a month, so I will know of the accreditation status in a few weeks and I've been nervous about it for a few months even though the schools says they think they will get full accreditation. I can't imagine being in school for an entire year and not knowing. That would be stressful.

I would also look into more than just the financials in this case. Like is either one of the schools closer to where you and your BF are currently located? It could take a toll on your relationship if you pick a school further from home than the other one if he wants to be close to home. You will be busy, hes going to need to make new friends. Also, are living expenses at school A cheaper because it is in the middle of nowhere? Would you or him prefer to be located at school B because it is in the city, a nicer area, etc? Also, if it is easier for him to find a job at school B he will be able to alleviate some of your rent expenses compared to at school A if he can't find a job.

 

[ss1817]

I would personally be scared to go to a school that's not accredited yet. It is a small risk since I think most schools do get accredited in the end but it is still a risk. The $ is also important though. I will be going to a school that graduates their first class in less than a month, so I will know of the accreditation status in a few weeks and I've been nervous about it for a few months even though the schools says they think they will get full accreditation. I can't imagine being in school for an entire year and not knowing. That would be stressful.

I would also look into more than just the financials in this case. Like is either one of the schools closer to where you and your BF are currently located? It could take a toll on your relationship if you pick a school further from home than the other one if he wants to be close to home. You will be busy, hes going to need to make new friends. Also, are living expenses at school A cheaper because it is in the middle of nowhere? Would you or him prefer to be located at school B because it is in the city, a nicer area, etc? Also, if it is easier for him to find a job at school B he will be able to alleviate some of your rent expenses compared to at school A if he can't find a job.

We will be moving from FL so either way it will be a big move for us. He and I are on the same page in that we would both like to spend some time living outside the state as we are native Floridians.
Living expenses are most likely cheaper for school A because it is in a quieter part of the country. It is also located near a large military base so I'm assuming that plays a role as well. I feel as though I could adjust to either lifestyle but he is more of a country boy so I know city life would be an adjustment for him. Hopefully once he is established he would help to alleviate some of the rent expenses in either location.