Northwestern or cheap state school?

[mlr32]

Can anyone tell me more about Northwestern and if it would be worth it to spend about $100,000 more to go there over a smaller local school.  I really like Northwestern's SLP program, but am having trouble justifying the cost.  Unfortunately, I was also not able to visit Northwestern to see firsthand how it feels.  I am a bit worried that at Northwestern, the professors might be more worried about research than they are about their students.  If you have been able to visit Northwestern (or are a current student), can you tell me your general feelings about the school?

 

I am interested in working in a medical setting, possibly at a rehab hospital or children's hospital--would Northwestern make me more competitive to get a future job in those settings, or does the graduate school not really matter?  I should also mention that the state school that I am considering is not affliated with a hospital and my clinical practicum would solely be at the university clinic besides my externships.

 

Any input would be much appreciated!

[sayjo]

Ok, I am going to preface this by saying that I do not know much about Northwestern's SLP program; however, from what I have heard, there is no special focus on the medical side of things - especially compared to schools nearby like Rush.  I personally do NOT feel like it is worth it to put yourself $100,000 in debt to go there - that's INSANE!  I got my first Master's from Northwestern (on scholarship) and while I did like my classes and the campus, it didn't feel like a different or "special" education.  It's a school, just like anywhere else.  

 

In sum, my advice would be DON'T do it.  Go to a cheaper, local school.  In my opinion, your education will be just as good and you won't have crazy loans to pay back after graduate school is over.

[shuca]

I don't know much about Northwestern either, but I agree with sayjo... $100,000 extra in debt sounds a bit too ridiculous to me. (I wonder how they even fill an entire class every year with outrageous tuition like that?!) I'm not sure how long you plan on taking to repay that loan, but you should look at a loan calculator online and see how much you'll be accumulating on interest alone. The cost difference will actually be even more than $10,000.

 

I personally think what's great about the profession as an SLP is that you need to keep educating yourself. ASHA requires you to have certain amount of professional development hours in order to stay certified, and because there is this requirement, there are abundant selections of courses/training you can take. I think it would be more worthwhile to have financial freedom after graduation and invest in quality continuing education. 2 years of grad school education isn't the only way to make yourself marketable in medical SLP.

 

Also, do you have other life goals that are important to you? (marriage, kids, home ownership, location you want to live in, hobbies, traveling, etc.) Money will affect all of these goals you have, and how willing are you to possibly sacrifice those for getting "better" education?

 

EDIT: Sorry, but after writing all of these I just realized that you didn't mention taking out a loan to pay for your education... Shouldn't have made that assumption. I know some people have parents/family members who are willing to help pay for the cost, or some people take the route of loan forgiveness etc.

Edited March 31, 2014 by shuca

[mlr32]

Thank you both for the feedback!  I think I just needed to be reminded of just how ridiculous the tuition is.  While my parents are somewhat willing to help pay for some of Northwestern's tuition, I would still be taking out a substantial amount in loans.  No education should be worth spending that much money!

 

In the end, all grad schools have to have the same core classes required by ASHA--so there is really no reason for me to think that I won't get a good enough education at my state school!

[Ready42]

I visited Northwestern a few days ago and I felt that they put a lot of emphasis on the research that the faculty was doing. There is nothing wrong with this but I, personally, do not want to do research and it doesn't make sense to me to go to a school so invested in research. The cost is also a major deferring factor. Good luck deciding!