Hello I got accepted into the BS/MS programs for Occupational Therapy at Quinnipiac University and Ithaca College. I am trying to figure out the pros and cons of both schools!
I visited IC and I really liked it but I haven’t visited QU yet. What I have heard about IC is that it is a very liberal school which I really like. They are also very active with racial justice. What does QU offer that might be different from IC?
Please give me some feedback!! 
Ithaca College is in a great location, appears to be liberal enough to suit you, and is categorized as a “more selective” school by USNWR. QU will have its desirable attributes as well, but their competition will be fairly tough in this case. Congratulations on your acceptances.
Thank you for the information!
My D16 is facing a similar decision for Quinnipiac v. Ithaca for BD/DPT. (well she has been accept at Quinnipiac and is still waiting to hear from Ithaca) She has not visited QU either. However a close friend has a daughter who will be attending QU and has visited. They said it was a beautiful campus and it felt like a ski resort, fantastic sports facilities (she is a recruited athlete so that was important to them), some of the nicest upper classman dorms they have ever seen. Her parting words to us when they heard D16 had been accepted and we were wondering what QU was like… “Not going to beat around the bush, there are lots of BMWs and Mercedes in the student parking lots and there’s lots of preppy money on campus and not much diversity”.
Overall, I suspect QU is a bit more conservative that Ithaca, but academically and physical environment they are probably indistinguishable.
Congratulations and good luck choosing.
My impression is that Ithaca is definitely more liberal, Quinnipiac more sporty. A few tidbits from various sources including collegedata.com that may help fill out the picture.
Quinnipiac has 20-30% Greek participation, has I think mostly DI sports teams, and says it meets ~68% of need on average.
Ithaca has virtually no Greek activity, has I think mostly DIII sports teams, and says it meets ~90% of need on average.
@labegg Yes one of my worries was that the students at QU may have more money and I did go to a school with students that were well off. I did not like a lot of them. That doesn’t mean that all of them are like that! I guess I will just have to visit and see what I think.
@porcupine98 thanks for the info! QU actually offered me more aid. I’m hoping that once I finish my CSS that both schools will be able to evaluate my financial situation and give me some more!
Bump
If one school turns out to be significantly less money, go there. Other than that you should visit both schools (perhaps for accepted students day) and then decide which you prefer.
What’s the net cost for each?
To calculate it add (tuition, fees, room, board)
then
subtract (grants, scholarships)
= net cost
@MYOS1634 for IC it would be about $42,251 and for QU about $36,590. I have a 529 which would allot about $10k each year. I have filled out FAFSA and need to do the CSS which I am hoping will help me a bit! Also Ithaca’s website confuses me about the room, board, and meal plans so give or take a couple thousand of dollars for IC.
Actually, the CSS doesnt help. It helps colleges decide if they’ll consider your EFC to be higher than FAFSA’s or not… ie., you’ll pay at least your EFC and could have more if the school uses CSS.
Beside the 529, how much can your parents afford to pay each year?
Right now, if you have a part time job starting now and moving to full time over the summer, plus take on the federal loan, you have about 20K. Your parents would thus have to contribute about 17K for QU and about 23K for IC. Can they?
Where else have you applied?
@MYOS1634 I would imagine my parents could not pay for more that $22k per year. I used to got to a private school that was around that much. I would prefer for them not to pay that much at all cause old pops has to retire!!! Also my mother is retired.
Well, in that case, neither college is affordable.
(Do fill out FAFSA and CSS Profile of course, just in case, but don’t count on them being affordable).
Where else have you applied? What’s in-state for you?
@MYOS1634 I got into Towson University (in state) because it also has an OT program but I would have to apply after attending for one year. So I wouldn’t know if I would get in or not. I got into Eckerd College and Depaul (Don’t really want to go there it was a back up).
I also did apply for an MLK scholarship at Ithaca which would award me a minimum of $25k/year so I’m really hoping on that!
Have you applied to scholarships or Honors at Towson too?
Right now, you need to hedge your bets.
I did not apply to the honors college at Towson but it is affordable. I want the college I go to to be a good price but I also want to be happy there.
Happy and not deep in debt when you graduate.
Apply to Towson’s honors (there are nice perks, and if you don’t like it after the first year, you can just give up the perks and not register for the Honors classes.) You never know. If that’s where yu end up, it’ll provide you with an experience a bit closer to what you’d have at Ithaca or QU.
I’ve visited qu and it is by far the prettiest campus I’ve seen. I loved everything about it and I think youd be able to find your group of people if you went there. I’ve applied and am waiting to hear back but I think it is a great school and have heard great things about the OT program but I do recommend visiting if you can or going on a virtual tour on their website.