Choosing a future alma mater

After asking around, I narrowed my choice to three local schools: Pepperdine University, Cal State University Northridge, and Antioch University. The schools broke down like this:

Pepperdine pluses:

• Considered the premier program in the area
• Has a program designed specifically for working adults
• Campus is close to home
• "High touch" student services

Pepperdine minuses:

• Expensive
• Pricey
• Did I mention it costs a lot of money?

CSUN pluses:

• Nearly as well regarded a program as Pepperdine's
• Enthusiastic, committed, respected faculty
• Strong ties to local therapist community
• Affordable

Minuses:

• Uncertainty faced by public school in California's current budget crisis
• Campus is a bit far from home
• "Self help" administrative ethos -- as in, "help yourself, 'cause you're mostly on your own." 

Antioch pluses:

• Small school, small classes
• A strong personal recommendation

Minuses:

• Expensive
• A long drive away
• Not a "real" university

I quickly dismissed Antioch as a viable alternative. The cost, the distance... it just didn't make sense. My heart (and inner  snob) wanted Pepperdine, but then my son decided to transfer from a reasonably-priced state university to an expensive private art academy, and the decision was made: it would be CSUN. I would become a Matador.