Which for undergraduate education?>

[Sere14]

Hi again,
I'm a senior in high school and am interested in the pharmacy profession. I have already applied to colleges and have been accepted to uci-honors, ucla, usc, and uop -accelerated 2+3..I'm seeking your advice regarding the pros and cons of going to each of these and which would be the best choice and why. Any insight or experience would also be helpful

Thanks for your help

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[CSzGirl]

One thing to consider: if the school guarantees you a spot in their pharmacy program at the start of your undergrad...

you don't have to apply again!

 

[funnyshoes84]

What were you planning on majoring in? I'm a junior at UCLA, and I LOVE the school and think its awesome, but being a science major here is very demanding especially when all the arts and humanities kids are having fun in the sun You also have to take into consideration how faraway from home you are willing to relocate. I guess all I have left to say is: A Bruin is forever, but a Trojan's only good once!

 

[DrEaMeRcHiCk]

First off....congrats on getting into those schools! I'm a freshman at ucla and what the poster above said, science courses here are pretty intense aka the "south campus people".

My best advice is to make sure you want to do pharmacy. I wa semi in your position a year ago i got into ucla-alumni scholar, ucsd, uci-with 2 years tuition, usc, and uop however not the accelerated program.

I honestly know I want to do pharmacy, I've volunteered in one and know the pros and cons. If I was in your position I would consider uop because not having to apply to pharm school later on is such a weight lifted off your shoulders since the field is getting so much more competitive. However, the place where uop is at, i heard is not that great so remember you're spending at least 6 years there...ask some people from uop what it's like I may be wrong.

But honestly if u know u want to do pharmacy no matter what, take the acclerated program. If you're unsure go somewhere else where you know u'll enjoy your college experience and in the process figure out what you want to do with your life.

I choose ucla because I love the atmosphere, the people, and being close to home...my second choices were uci since that two years paid tuition would realli help and usc which i was getting financial aid from...but honestly I didn't feel at home at those two schools.

Visit the schools and see if you could imagine yourself there...good luck!

 

[BMBiology]

Hello- I graduated from UCI a couple of years ago and I am currently a pharmacy student at USC. It is good that you have many choices. I don't think you can go wrong here. It is really a matter of preference and what fits you.

For me, UCI fits like a groove. Not only did I have the opportunity to double major and do research but I also had the time to occasionally go to the beach and go fishing! The beach is so close! I love the feeling of the ocean breeze when I am on campus. Irvine is also very safe, not like USC. It was voted the safest city in the nation a few years ago. I miss that carefree and secure feelings at night. I still feel that "homey" atmosphere whenever I visit the campus.

UCI is only 40 years old but it has accomplished so much! It has won 3 nobel prizes within the last 10 years. The School of Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences are both very well known. Many of its science programs are ranked with the top programs including neuroscience and organic chemistry, just to name a couple. UCI students are probably not as competitive as UCLA, which is good in my opinion. I didn't have to spend every waking hours studying. I still had time to make myself more "competitive". I did research, worked at a pharmacy, took plently of classes in different areas. UCI is not as crowded as other big universities. I did not have to fight for every class. But dont get me wrong, there are still those ultra competitive students at UCI and you still have to work very hard. The school doesnt baby its students either. A few of my friends were forced to major in something else because of poor grades. However, I feel I probably would have to work a little harder to get the same grades at UCLA. Trust me when I say this: pharmacy schools dont care where you went for undergraduate as long as the school is "respected" like the UCs. I interviewed someone from UC Santa Cruz and she totally blew away the competition.

I also think being an honor student at UCI will offer you many advantages like priority class registration and doing research for a well known professor. I think ultimately you will have to do your research, visit the universities and see what fits you. Everyone is different. UCI fits me but it may not fit you.

I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if there is any questions about UCI or pharmacy schools in general.

 

[Sere14]

Thanks for the responses!

Basically, it all comes down to 3 key factors: where will I be most happy and where will I best succeed.. and unfortunately, cost, which i don't know yet, so we'll just ignore that issue for now.

I'm going to visit them, but would love hearing from you all to help me make the decision. I'm planning to double major or minor in biology and another subject. What do you think about a business type major? I could major in another subject like that and take all the prereqs for pharmacy-but wonder if that leaves me at any disadvantage.

Approx. How much work do you have to put in a week for your studies? I need to know since I want to have sometime to relax and do research, internships. Do you find yourselves buried in books everyday?

Do any of you attend the other schools-like uop? I want to know how you like it there and how you're doing academically, workload, social life ,etc