I had a few factors
Cost: Even with in state tuition at Tufts, OOS at Minnesota was about $5k less. Add in the scholarship UMN gave me, the lower cost of living, and it came out to like $15k less per year.
Where we were living: My fiancé and I liked being closed to family and we liked Boston, but we were not super happy in Massachusetts. Having both grown up in Vermont, we missed having easily accessible green spaces, small local vibes, and the celebration of diversity. We didn’t think the high COL and higher tuition was worth staying in an area we weren’t super happy in. Having said that, I find myself missing New England and my old job a ton, and daydreaming about maybe going back as a doctor.
The excitement of trying something different: I was the kid who took the safe option every time. In undergrad I went to the cheaper school that was closer to home. When I didn’t get in to vet school the first time, I took a bunch of years off to gain a ton of experience instead of applying again when I wanted to. When I graduated and moved in with my fiancé, we again chose to stay close to home. I don’t necessarily regret any of those choices, but each one was the responsible and safe option. Moving halfway across the country felt more like the adventure I had been hoping for. I spent 25 years in New England and loved it, but I wanted to experience something and somewhere new. Because cost was a factor and Minnesota was cheaper, it was easier to make the responsible financial decision that let me have that adventure.
The school itself: I flat out liked UMN better and it became my top school pretty quickly during the application process. Tufts class increase was something I was really worried about, and it seemed rightfully so.
This was not an easy decision for me. I asked a lot of people a lot of questions and agonized for a bit. I think the thing that finally helped me was my mom telling me not to pick a school that was close to them because I was worried. My parents aren’t the healthiest and being a plane ride instead of a car ride away is a huge difference. And I also finally decided that no matter what Tufts told me or what scholarships they gave me, it wouldn’t change my mind.
