Next kiddo…have them do this matrix BEFORE they send their applications.
Thumper1, you are correct and research backs up your statement. It is a big part of her decision. She seems to like it as she has done over 100 shadowing hours and works part-tine for a PT office as a senior in HS. UDEL does give priority to UDEL students for their GRAD program (top 10 in US).
THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLIES SO FAR, GREAT INSIGHTS.
I will post our decision later in the month.
Did she get into any Honors programs (or can she still apply to any)?
Right now, the one to beat is Delaware. If she got Honors there, it’d be hard to turn down: best value and best shot at DPT while keeping other options open, all in a “good fit” environment.
Elon is the opposite of low-key Greek life so I’d cross it out.
If she is set on going into PT, then I think the best option is Qunnipiac. DPT is a great field. I think it is worth it to have the direct entry. DPT make a lot of money and I think she will make enough to pay off the loans needed. Also since it is in Connecticut she will have the being away experience but still be close to home.
You can’t just say, “I’ll pay for two years and then you’re on your own, kid.”
She won’t have a way to finish her education. The maximum federal student loan for a freshman is 5500, sophomore 6500, junior and up 7500. Graduate students can borrow 20,500.
Anything else she needs a cosigner, so it would generally be on the parents credit report.
If you can only afford two years of study for any of these, you may need to consider community college or some cheaper option.
Do you mean you have 120k per child (full pay at a private college)? Or what else do you mean?
Just one piece of info re. U of F. DS thought it looked good but then we saw in a book (maybe Fiske Guide, or Best 380 Colleges by Princeton Review) that only 10% of the student body is OOS. He decided that he wouldn’t be comfortable with being one of very few non-Floridians as compared to UMD-CP and UDel where there’s a much bigger percentage of OOS students.
@holychild you are right. QU best bang for buck.
@crepes, also good point, but she has been speaking to other OOS on boards and they think it is great they are OOS because Floridians are interested in people out of their area
Out-of-staters make up a huge proportion of the population at UDel. A lot of them are from NJ, which doesn’t have enough college spaces for its graduates (and a lot of people don’t like Rutgers anyway). At Maryland, there are also significant numbers of out-of-staters, many of whom are from NY and NJ. Maryland has a thriving Jewish community, and I think this is one of its attractions for some out-of-staters. Proximity to Washington, DC is another attraction. And for New Yorkers, the opportunity to go to a big sports school (something SUNY doesn’t really offer) plays a role.
Quite a few years ago, my son was faced with the choice of UDel or Maryland. He was in-state for Maryland, and UDel had offered him a merit scholarship that brought the cost down to roughly what he would pay at Maryland. Although he actually liked the UDel campus better and had been very pleased with the place during his visit, he chose Maryland because it had a better program in his major. That major was very different from your daughter’s.
I think a student could have a very good experience at either Maryland or UDel.
Thank you Marian. We are on our way to UoF this weekend then admitted students day for. UMary on March 30. The following week is decision time fo my D. UMary is the last stop and maybe it will stick.
Here are some numbers on UDel from last year.
STATE OFFERS ACCEPTED PERCENT
Delaware 1,764 37.7%
New Jersey 904 19.3%
New York 617 13.2%
Pennsylvania 475 10.2%
Maryland 258 5.5%
International 233 5.0%
Out of Region 158 3.4%
Connecticut 115 2.5%
Massachusetts 97 2.1%
Virginia 50 1.1%
District of Columbia 6 0.1%
Total 4,677 100%
I agree with the posters above who say that if your student is set on a DPT,
then seriously place the direct admit programs at the top of her list, as applying to DPT schools is highly competitive.
Other than QU, does she have any offers from direct admits?
Slippery Rock was the only other 3+3 school which she turned down (suitcase school in the middle of nowhere was her reason).
Wanted to share some thoughts as I have a D18 with plans for OT which is a similar path to DPT. Totally get that direct entry has benefits but we found that most if not all options where either expensive or not at schools she wanted to be at for 5-6 years. Additionally, while entry to graduate programs is very competitive, there are far more options available than there are with accelerated direct entry programs so it’s a tradeoff.
Our strategy was to choose an undergrad program that would be a great fit and get her where she wants to go for grad school. We sought merit, fit, and schools that she could comfortably complete her undergrad in 3 years - we effectively created our own accelerated program using AP/DE credits. This approach also allows for much greater academic flexibility where you can pursue your major of choice as long as you fulfill the grad school entrance requirements. There is very little if any choice of curriculum in a direct entry program.
Ultimately, instate grad school is our goal as it is significantly cheaper but entry is ultra competitive for this reason. If that does not work out, she will apply widely for the next best alternative. Anyways, hope some of this helps with your decisions. Ideal if you have other lower cost options still on the table as the road to DPT is long and expensive.
Did she apply to Duquesne?
Her minor of animal science makes me wonder if she may change her mind about DPT. With this in mind, I would weigh the pros and cons of QU direct admit program that she would attend because she was a direct admit, to a program at UF or U of D where she would be happy with a switch in majors and a workable price tag for you.
A year or so ago I looked into PT programs (my young daughter was enthused about PT at the time and I was casually curious) and noticed U Del was highly ranked (maybe #1) for PT. That stuck in my mind because we don’t live terribly far. I don’t know if graduating from UDel would make it an easier admit for their PT grad program or not, but it might be something to consider.
@crepes UF may have a small OOS population, but it’s important to keep in mind how large and diverse the state is. Culturally, Florida IS NOT a Southern state. The relatively sparsely populated Panhandle tends to have the Southern Cultural influence (some aspects are really great, other aspects not so much, but you get that with any group), but the rest of FL is so diverse in background that I can’t image someone from OOS feeling out of place at UF.
Does she have a direct admit to the PT programs at all of the school’s?
Slippery Rock is a great school for exercise science and PT. It has all new suite style housing (and one traditional dorm left), I do not believe that it empties out on the weekends.
It’s less than an hour from Pittsburgh, where sports teams and hospitals abound.
She could have probably gotten merit at Duquesne or St Francis U in PA, there are several direct admit programs in PA.
Did she apply to Seton Hall in NJ?