CSUN vs APU (Azusa Pacific University). Which one should I pick?

[mcarta]

Hello everyone,

I am deciding on which school to commit to. As of now I am admitted at CSUN but today, I just a call from APU offering me admission. Both schools have excellent ultimate pass rates and employment rates 6 months after graduation. Hope to hear opinions on which is a better pick!

CSUN
Pros:
- It's a CSU so I get the same spring and Thanksgiving break
- Starts earlier - Fall 2018 (Aug 27th)
- Bigger rec center
- Smaller class size (30+)
Cons:
- I will be living away from home (could be a pro in some ways lol) - additional expenses on top of tuition
- Overall more expensive than APU because of the additional expenses (est. $90k tuition + around $30-40k in living expenses)

APU
Pros:
- Cheaper than CSUN because I get to live at home (est. $105k base cost)
- They will have a new building for the DPT program
- My current boss went to APU. Currently, he still gets students for clinical rotations so I have been exposed to the program and students' feedback (pretty great feedback, they say it's a good program)
- Minimal living expenses since I will be living at home and the only big living expense will probably transportation (est. $40/ week for gas)
Cons:
- Bigger class size (50+ students)
- Evangelical Christian university (not a big con since they don't really care if you're Christian or not)

I would appreciate any opinion on this!

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[deleted797640]

I would be more concerned about their faculty to student ratio than their total class size. In all realism tho rule of thumb when deciding where to go for PT school is pick the cheapest one. End of the day you do not need to place into residency programs like MD students and all DPT schools are certified by the same organization and all students pass the same boards resulting in the same license and the same pay.

 

[PAPERCLIP_DPT]

Are you currently working a decent paying job right now? If so, I think the five month or so difference between the start date of the two programs would matter. If you are working a job that pays well, I would use those 5 months to keep working, save up money, and cut back costs should you choose APU.

But if you're not really working at the moment or your wage isn't significant enough to save up with, I would go with CSUN and just start earlier. You would most likely finish school earlier and work right away as a PT. Graduating from CSUN, you'd be a few months ahead of graduating from APU. That time difference working as a PT after would offset the extra tuition+living expenses between the two anyway.

 

[mcarta]

Are you currently working a decent paying job right now? If so, I think the five month or so difference between the start date of the two programs would matter. If you are working a job that pays well, I would use those 5 months to keep working, save up money, and cut back costs should you choose APU.

But if you're not really working at the moment or your wage isn't significant enough to save up with, I would go with CSUN and just start earlier. You would most likely finish school earlier and work right away as a PT. Graduating from CSUN, you'd be a few months ahead of graduating from APU. That time difference working as a PT after would offset the extra tuition+living expenses between the two anyway.

Yes I am working right now as a PT Aide. I work part time (25-30 hours/week). Thanks for your input!

 

[mlb_25]

From reading this, it sounds the biggest decision is whether you want to live from home or not. Financially it makes sense to live from home but there are other factors to consider such as the daily commute (could be stressful if it's far or if there's a lot of traffic) and your support system at home. Is it conducive to study at home or will you have to stay late at school to study? Will they be paying for food and providing dinner or will you have to do that after you get home? Having dinner ready after a long day of school would sound like a pretty big pro to me. But also consider if being around your family under their house rules might cause additional stress. I would also compare how the curriculum and clinicals are set up at both program and if the clinical affiliations are better at either program. Ultimately it is your decision but you are in a pretty good spot to be choosing from those 2 schools.

 

[JM3_33]

Hello everyone,

I am deciding on which school to commit to. As of now I am admitted at CSUN but today, I just a call from APU offering me admission. Both schools have excellent ultimate pass rates and employment rates 6 months after graduation. Hope to hear opinions on which is a better pick!

CSUN
Pros:
- It's a CSU so I get the same spring and Thanksgiving break
- Starts earlier - Fall 2018 (Aug 27th)
- Bigger rec center
- Smaller class size (30+)
Cons:
- I will be living away from home (could be a pro in some ways lol) - additional expenses on top of tuition
- Overall more expensive than APU because of the additional expenses (est. $90k tuition + around $30-40k in living expenses)

APU
Pros:
- Cheaper than CSUN because I get to live at home (est. $105k base cost)
- They will have a new building for the DPT program
- My current boss went to APU. Currently, he still gets students for clinical rotations so I have been exposed to the program and students' feedback (pretty great feedback, they say it's a good program)
- Minimal living expenses since I will be living at home and the only big living expense will probably transportation (est. $40/ week for gas)
Cons:
- Bigger class size (50+ students)
- Evangelical Christian university (not a big con since they don't really care if you're Christian or not)

I would appreciate any opinion on this!

APU