<p>3kidsinhs, thanks for the kind words. My daughter has a passion and talent for working with the disabled, but she is an average student (3.2 GPA) and BS/MS programs at our state schools are really hard to get into (3.5 - 3.6 GPA min). She is going to have to work really hard to get her grades up or transfer to a private school (which she doesn’t want to do because of the $'s) or settle for becoming an assistant (which she doesn’t want to do).</p>
<p>I’m really nervous for her because I know that she has a gift and would be a wonderful OT.</p>
<p>On the other hand, my son is a techie and school is relatively easy for him. Go figure.</p>
<p>Like many a big city, UA is filled with lots of cozy neighborhoods. Find a neighborhood (or 2 or 3) to hang your hat in and all of a sudden the “big city” is transformed–from a lonely and overwhelming metropolis into an abundant, vibrant, warm resource. By carving out a niche you’ll also have gained a valuable life skill via UA’s tuition-free “hidden” curriculum.</p>
<p>If you stand there in the middle of the street, frozen with fear, you’ll get run over.</p>
<p>Riprorin – for teaching and quite a few medical fields, there are some loan programs that forgive your student loan if you work in an underserved area. For example, I know several teachers at my school got degrees on loans that are forgiven if they teach for a certain number of years in a Title I program. For healthcare fields, I think it’s more along the lines of agreeing to work in a rural area. If the private school is her choice, this might provide some financial relief.</p>