I got accepted into all three of those schools and will be attending Stanbridge. I chose primarily on location and cost of living to offset as much loans as possible. It is also important to know that the rehabilitative field has undergone reimbursement reduction that may affect your income working in select settings. Overall it is challenging time being an OT now when considering employment, loan repayment, work setting, etc. These were also factors I needed to reflect on when choosing a path between a doctorate and a masters.
Please consider your tuition cost AND cost of living when choosing a school since paying back your loans will probably occur over the next 10+ years. I used this loan calculator
Grad School ROI Calculator: Is Graduate School Worth It?
It estimated that it would take me about 8 years after graduation for me to break even and surpass my current income working when considering the lost of income I would have while being a full time student. I am still pursuing OT because it is truly my passion. I will probably have to live with my parents after graduating.
My choice school unfortunately has the most expensive tuition but least expensive for me overall when considering living with my parents and commuting since it is the closest school to me and the others would require me finding housing.
Next, consider your
goals. Some programs offer flex paths that let you work and obtain your degree (U of Augustine) which is appealing since I could keep my job but decided I'd rather fully dedicate my mind and time to my real passion and start working as soon as possible even though I would probably come out with less loans to pay if I did the program at U of Aug (they are sometimes flexible in program change requests). I am very active in community service and Stanbridge offered this as mandatory and since this is the closest school to me as well as being in areas I work in, it was a great choice for me. I am able to balance school and social life. So look into your interests such as your lifestyle, environment, and social. Perhaps you like San Diego, Irvine, or DTLA. All of these schools are in awesome locations since a happy mind will contribute to a enjoyable experience. Optionally, amenities such as gym, organizations, local eateries, etc can contribute to enjoyment.
Fieldwork, each school offers a different take. U of Aug pushes majority of students to travel for it if you like to meet new people and explore. Stanbridge keeps in CA if your a home person and want to stay connected. West Coast seems to be a mix. At this time there can be uncertainty even for Stanbridge due to COVID.
Check out the catalog and policies. My choice school happens to have the most difficult policies for students that may not be performing well in the program from my opinion but I intend to do well. Some school's may remove you from the program if you cannot succeed in repeat courses our your GPA does not reach a certain criteria.
Meet the faculty and staff. I felt all the schools did well in different ways but connected to my choice school the most. What was your experience with everyone through interviews, emails, phone calls, etc?
So choose your fit. For me in order, was Stanbridge, Augustine, West Coast. Feel free to message me if you have any further questions.