<p>I was accepted into SLU's 5 year Occupational Therapy Program, but I always wanted to go big ten. I'm a decently smart senior in high school: 3.7 GPA 29 ACT and the May 1st deadline is coming up. With SLU being private the tuition increases every year but I got grants and scholarships from them bringing it down to 22,000 a year. The two years of grad school are upwards towards 50,000</p>
<p>At the University of Iowa, I'd get that Big Ten college experience I've always wanted and I would major in exercise science. And if I wanted I could change majors or go on to pursue a masters degree. It would just cost me more, with Iowa being around 28,000 a year for me. </p>
<p>Also, I like the certainty of being in a masters program from the get go. It takes a lot of stress off my shoulders. </p>
<p>Maybe people on college confidential don't look at something like this, but I LOVE the school spirit aspect of Iowa. It's something they carry with them forever and they're proud of it. I just love the big campus feel at Iowa and although SLU has a more personalized experience, I just didn't feel as good there as I did when I visited Iowa. </p>
<p>Options and big ten @Iowa vs. Program @SLU</p>
<p>By the way, I'm paying for most of college myself. My parents don't have all that much money. </p>
<p>How are you going to afford $22,000/$50,000 a year? Even if that is your total cost (not only what you must pay to the school, but also what you will have in living expenses), you can’t get loans that big unless your parents or another adult co-sign. Many students make the mistake of thinking they can afford many colleges they actually can’t. Also, remember that you should not take out loans that in total will be more than the first year’s salary of the career you will have.</p>
<p>Most every college gives you a great experience. You should go for what is best for your career. College is only a few years of your life. You then graduate and go on to more adult experiences.</p>
<p>I, too, at one point in my life really wanted to be a Hawkeye, but went to small, private LAC instead because it was affordable. I knew how much money I had, and the deal at the small LAC was just that much better. </p>
<p>You go to college for 4 years. The debt remains with your for more than double that. Make your selection with an eye to the future. Less money, program that you want (which leads to a very good job, by the way), and this should be a no brainer.</p>
<p>But like the others, I have to ask, how are you coming up with either 22 or 28 K a year by yourself? You know you’re limited to what you can borrow without a cosigner. And even with a cosigner, that’s too much debt. Even an OT salary can’t take that kind of a monthly hit for the loan payment you’ll have.</p>
<p>i’ve heard getting into a masters ot program can be very difficult and selective…personally i would go with the guaranteed program! (IF you are sure that you want to be an ot. ) you will have to figure out how you are going to pay for it though</p>
<p>The athletic training program at Iowa is small and has competitive admissions after Frosh year. They admit 16 students each year, about 50 apply. It is a good program. </p>
<p>The regular exercise science program at Iowa has less stringent requirements but is still a strong program.</p>
<p>Overall, starting salaries for either major are pretty low, high $20,000 to low $30,000. Carrying debt in the $50,000 range would be crazy.</p>
<p>If “paying for it yourself” means borrowing most of the cost, neither school is affordable. I would look into low-cost two-years programs in your area that would allow you to get half your credits out of the way without borrowing.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your comments, they’re very helpful and I hope they keep coming!</p>
<p>My parents would most likely co-sign. And I just looked up the tuition for the OT program and it says 34,000 w/o room/board/dining. I’d probably have to rent an apartment.</p>
<p>Borrowing a huge amount of debt is a very BAD idea, whether it will be repaid by your folks or you. $22,000-28,000 or $50,000/year is WAY too much debt. Please look at your other options. You’re talking over $200K here, BEFORE interest. That’s more than many houses cost and way more debt than should be taken.</p>
<p>I’m a former OT and I’m here to tell you that you need to find the most affordable combined bachelor/master’s OT program you can. You’ll make ok money as an OT, but you won’t make enough to pay back $100K in student loans and still pay your living expenses. You might start out with a relatively high salary but there won’t be a lot of increases over time. It’s a wonderful profession- lots of fun and very interesting, but the long term pay doesn’t increase like careers in business or computer science. The five year program is definitely your best bet!</p>
<p>You also might want to take a gap year and check out programs like Eastern Michigan. Your GPA and ACT score would get you decent scholarship money there. It’s VERY close to the University of Michigan and it’s a large state U so you get a lot of the perks of a Big 10 kind of school.</p>
<p>It’s too risky to take on +$100k debt from any college, and I would include the safest financial bets in the business in that group. (In my mind, the safest bets in the business would be Wharton or CS/electrical engineering at MIT or Caltech. OT is not that safe.)</p>
<p>Furthermore, there’s always a risk that something happens to prevent you from graduating on time (you flunk out; you have an emotional crisis; your parents stop co-signing or their credit falls too low). Then you might have $50k-$75k in debt and no degree at all. You do not want to be in that position.</p>
<p>OP, if your parents don’t have all that much money, they may not be able to co-sign for you anyway, especially if their credit is less than perfect. You really, really, really shouldn’t borrow that kind of money, even if you can. You’ll regret it for decades to come.</p>