TWU vs university of Miami - how to choose a school?

[Texaggies12]

For the most part I'd just like to know how to really determine what school to go to? Like for me I'm from Texas and got into Texas womans which is a pretty good school and say I also get into miami which is a top 10 school. Miami will cost about 50,000 dollars more than TWU in tuition. What would make Miami worth that much more? I think I'd like to work in sports for a while and save up till I have enough money to begin my own practice. Can anyone give any advice on how to choose a school or what opportunities would come from going to a top 10 school vs a say top 25 school.

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[ClemsonGrad]

Hey, I'm not sure how to answer that question. I may be facing a similar situation with some of the schools I applied to since I applied to many out-of-state programs. I've got an interview with Miami at the end of January..would you mind giving me some insight into what their interview was like and what kind of questions they asked?

Good luck with your decision.. both schools are great from what I've heard.

 

[jesspt]

I'm beginning to think that one of the criteria for acceptance into a PT program should be the ability to use the search function on forums.

 

[watersgoneby]

For the most part I'd just like to know how to really determine what school to go to? Like for me I'm from Texas and got into Texas womans which is a pretty good school and say I also get into miami which is a top 10 school. Miami will cost about 50,000 dollars more than TWU in tuition. What would make Miami worth that much more? I think I'd like to work in sports for a while and save up till I have enough money to begin my own practice. Can anyone give any advice on how to choose a school or what opportunities would come from going to a top 10 school vs a say top 25 school.

TexAggies, I may be biased since I am going to TWU in the fall, but I loved the quality of education (early clinical experience, good facilities, high pass rate for licensure) as well as the price (less than $30,000 for the 33 month program).
I don't know anything about Miami, but from what I've gathered, a good school is a good school, and ranking doesn't mean much as long as your school is preparing you well for your career. Also, I have a family member who is a PT and loves the interns they get from TWU (and UTMB and TTU), and rarely see students who aren't well prepared.
If money/debt is a factor for you, I can't imagine going into extra debt just to go to a top 10 school when your other option offers a quality education with a better price tag.

I'm beginning to think that one of the criteria for acceptance into a PT program should be the ability to use the search function on forums.

I'm sure they will next time- maybe it's his/her first time on a forum (I know I found the site through Google), and there is something to be said for fresh interaction. Even old threads that have been bumped don't always get the same attention as something new.

 

[jbizzle]

Can anyone give any advice on how to choose a school or what opportunities would come from going to a top 10 school vs a say top 25 school.

Figure out which program lets you take the NPTE when you graduate😉


Jesspt-I really am taking your advice to heart and am praying to get into a program that will not get me into debt for the rest of my life. C'mon FIU or even Shanandoah. No more Temple talk from me, the program is great but I dont want to be down $120k and thats just tuition.

 

[jesspt]

Figure out which program lets you take the NPTE when you graduate😉


Jesspt-I really am taking your advice to heart and am praying to get into a program that will not get me into debt for the rest of my life. C'mon FIU or even Shanandoah. No more Temple talk from me, the program is great but I dont want to be down $120k and thats just tuition.

Biz -

Glad to hear it. I don't really understand the love for Temple on this site. The program is fine, but as you have noted, it is expensive. And, when you look at NPTE pass rates, I think it is somewhere around 13th for the 16 Pennsylvania PT programs.

 

[goyo1010]

For the most part I'd just like to know how to really determine what school to go to? Like for me I'm from Texas and got into Texas womans which is a pretty good school and say I also get into miami which is a top 10 school. Miami will cost about 50,000 dollars more than TWU in tuition. What would make Miami worth that much more? I think I'd like to work in sports for a while and save up till I have enough money to begin my own practice. Can anyone give any advice on how to choose a school or what opportunities would come from going to a top 10 school vs a say top 25 school.

Well, it's really up to you. Both schools are great and those rankings are really not that important. Read how they achieve those ratings Newsweek website. And they're from 2008. Too long ago as programs are now stepping things up a lot.

You have to look at:

Is the location good for you?
Is the tuition in your range?
Compare the degree plans or curricula of both schools and see which you think is going to be best for you.
What are the statistics for the PT students, e.g. matriculation rates, licensure exams, NPTE pass rates, employment rates after graduation, etc.
Examine the different faculty members' specializations. Take a look at their curriculum vitae, their research, how long they've been teaching.
Ask around. Ask PTs if they've had any TWU or UM PT students intern with them, or ask if they have an opinion about either school.
Go to their Open Houses and check out their facilities, talk to PT instructors and students, decide which you like better.

Well, the reasons I decided to attend TWU is because of its price and closeness to home really. And the excellence of their education. I was planning to apply to UM and other out of state school, but decided against it simply because they would end up being more expensive and far from home.