Tufts or NYU MOT----which is better and why?

[SIKU22]

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Was recently accepted to both programs and feel so torn between both! I know that NYU is half a year longer than Tufts but is more diverse; Tufts seems to be more theoretical but is ranked higher than NYU. Does any of that matter? Does the ranking REALLYmean anything? Both schools are approx. the same in terms of cost.

Any thoughts or new info. to offer, which might help solidify my decision???

please and thanks!!

 

[DiggaDigga]

Hi! I have been accepted to both of these schools too, and am currently trying to figure out how to decide between them.

I don't think the rankings matter that much. They aren't ranked that far apart and the methodology seems weird to me (they place a high value on peer assessment which just I don't think is an awesome parameter).

Some differences that I have discovered
-NYU allows you to perform an extra fieldwork II at the end of their program if you want, allowing you to graduate with an extra specialty. Tufts does not.
-Tufts has same-site fieldwork, which means that they like to place you in the same site for fieldwork II as you were placed for fieldwork I (supposed to make fieldwork II a less stressful experience)
-NYU's gross anatomy has a cadaver lab. Tufts is mostly model based.
-NYU has about 50 students per class, Tufts has about 40 (I there is a significant difference between 40 which borders on small and 50 which borders on large, but ymmv)
-Tufts is located in suburbia-ish town about an hour from the boston, NYU is located in Manhattan (which is not just a difference in location and feel of the place and where you will call home, but also is a difference in living expenses)

They both seem to have good connections to fieldwork IIs, good NBCOT pass rates, and good job outlooks.

I am sure that there are a lot more differences, these are the just the ones that I am currently thinking about. Please share with me any others that I have left out, or other things that you think I should be thinking about that I am not (even if you don't know the answers to how they differ on these things)

Also, please tell me if I am wrong about any of those things

 

[SIKU22]

no you're spot on about the fieldwork and i like that they place you or can place you all over if you wish. many students say because nyu is so large it doesn't focus on students but the cohorts of a grad program would def be more connected and so would the professors no? i think i leaned towards tufts because its a solid 2 years not 2.5....2.5 is more time and more money! tufts is the older program as well and is historic, but if nyu can create students with the same passing rates that's gotta mean something, right? financial aid is supposed to be lousy for both institutions....but i have yet to get my aid decision from nyu. im hoping they are generous because there's no way i could afford 80-90,000 in loans!! ah!

 

[RabbitRun]

My impression is that both of these schools will prepare students well for a career in terms of both preparation and connection, and I think that it ultimately comes down to which setting you prefer. I'm leaning toward Tufts because of the lower cost of living, and the less frenetic surroundings. I mean, I like cities, but I imagine that I'll be working a good deal of the time, and when I want to have a full city experience I can just hop into Boston (it was well under an hour when I made the commute from Medford to Boston on a recent visit).

You're right, they do place students at one location for level I and II, but they also assign two different settings and have a service learning component for a lot of classes, so it isn't as though students go away with experience with only one population or setting. And there is some possibility for more specialization through optional certificate programs, thesis, or additional practicum.

 

[skchb]

Tufts is located in suburbia-ish town about an hour from the boston, .......Also, please tell me if I am wrong about any of those things

Tufts is 20 min from Boston ...it is only 6 miles away... 🙂)

 

[veggieswirl]

Those are both awesome and nationally known programs. A lot of my textbooks were written by professors from those two programs, so I would take which ever one is quicker and cheaper, a licensed OT is a licensed OT.