Which school to choose? West Coast Pharmacy 2019 or Manchester Pharmacy 2019?

[048860]

I got accepted to both Manchester and West Coast. I can't decided which school to choose. They both are not accredited so that doesn't help me. Anybody have some input for me to help me make a decision?

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[rasdent1234]

Can you wait another year and reapply to accredited schools?

 

[PharmtoCS]

Neither of them.

 

[donewithcosmo]

I sent you a private message. I am (or was) in the same predicament that you were in with the exact same schools. I can tell you what I decided on and why. The pros and cons and why. I know you don't have much longer to decided. Look on your profile I left my contact information.

 

[048860]

Can you wait another year and reapply to accredited schools?

I could but I don't want to wait another year and hope to get it. Plus I would be taking random classes and wasting a whole year.

 

[YF786]

If you wait another year you will get in. there is so many schools that are accredited and they do accept people. I personally would not recommend west coast to anyone. They charge 1600 or more per unit. It's insane!!! And they are not accredited. I wish you best of luck.

 

[rasdent1234]

I could but I don't want to wait another year and hope to get it. Plus I would be taking random classes and wasting a whole year.

Boost your GPA, ECs, personal statement and work to gain a bit more experience. You are already discounting your ability to improve. Remember there are 3 year programs as well. Good luck with your choice.

 

[048860]

Thanks for the reply. The tuition for both schools are about the same so I guess both schools are insane.

If you wait another year you will get in. there is so many schools that are accredited and they do accept people. I personally would not recommend west coast to anyone. They charge 1600 or more per unit. It's insane!!! And they are not accredited. I wish you best of luck.

Is the $1600 per unit the only reason why you wouldn't choose West Coast University?

 

[donewithcosmo]

Manchester will be accredited next year. Taking a year off to wait for a school to become accredited when they will become accredited while you study there doesn't make sense. Every school at one point or another was unaccredited.
West Coast is expensive for a new program they have three more years before they become accredited.

 

[rasdent1234]

Manchester will be accredited next year. Taking a year off to wait for a school to become accredited when they will become accredited while you study there doesn't make sense. Every school at one point or another was unaccredited.
West Coast is expensive for a new program they have three more years before they become accredited.

Tell that to my friend of a friend who was at Hilo Pharmacy School and thought the same. Sure it might be likely the school will become accredited but why would you ever want to take a chance when there are other options? This is a huge lifetime and expensive investment. By waiting another year, OP can also earn some money and put it toward pharmacy school and take out less loans. I haven't heard of pharmacy schools closing anytime soon. Why take a chance on something you don't necessarily need to? Now that doesn't make sense.

 

[alprazolamborghini]

these new schools are killing our profession. It's all about the money sigh...

 

[donewithcosmo]

Tell that to my friend of a friend who was at Hilo Pharmacy School and thought the same. Sure it might be likely the school will become accredited but why would you ever want to take a chance when there are other options? This is a huge lifetime and expensive investment. By waiting another year, OP can also earn some money and put it toward pharmacy school and take out less loans. I haven't heard of pharmacy schools closing anytime soon. Why take a chance on something you don't necessarily need to? Now that doesn't make sense.

Any time people talk about accreditation they bring up Hilo pharmacy school. That debacle occurred BEFORE there were checks and balances in place to make sure schools were following the proper course of action to become accredited. Now there's an accreditation board that's in place to make sure that doesn't happen again and it hasn't. In order to advance to Candidate status ( Manchester) there are numerous obligations they had to follow and many campus inspections that they had to pass. Go back 10 years and you'll read the exact same posts about not going to Pacific University and University of the pacific because they were also at one point not accredited.

 

[rasdent1234]

Any time people talk about accreditation they bring up Hilo pharmacy school. That debacle occurred BEFORE there were checks and balances in place to make sure schools were following the proper course of action to become accredited. Now there's an accreditation board that's in place to make sure that doesn't happen again and it hasn't. In order to advance to Candidate status ( Manchester) there are numerous obligations they had to follow and many campus inspections that they had to pass. Go back 10 years and you'll read the exact same posts about not going to Pacific University and University of the pacific because they were also at one point not accredited.

There are still potential problems that can arise before advancing from Candidate to Accredited status. I understand the probability of attaining the accreditation status but the sacrifice, time, money spent should lead to a guarantee, not leaving the door open to any risk which you can't control.

 

[YF786]

Thanks for the reply. The tuition for both schools are about the same so I guess both schools are insane.

Is the $1600 per unit the only reason why you wouldn't choose West Coast University?

Not just the tuition, it's a new program and I feel like they will have problem getting students rotations. This past year ucsd and ucsf had the same problem and went into probation. Also there is chapman close by too and theirs is a new program too. Overall also I have heard from students who mentioned if you fail one course in the program you are kicked out of the program and u still owe the loans though. I would make an appointment with the school and go in and see it they are pretty quick about that. I visited he schools and I decided it's not for me, it looked like any other private school that was seriously looking into filling up seats. Good luck to you.

 

[donewithcosmo]

Not just the tuition, it's a new program and I feel like they will have problem getting students rotations. This past year ucsd and ucsf had the same problem and went into probation. Also there is chapman close by too and theirs is a new program too. Overall also I have heard from students who mentioned if you fail one course in the program you are kicked out of the program and u still owe the loans though. I would make an appointment with the school and go in and see it they are pretty quick about that. I visited he schools and I decided it's not for me, it looked like any other private school that was seriously looking into filling up seats. Good luck to you.

I did't know that. West Coast University will kick you out if you fail one class? The students that this happened to were Pharmacy students are students in their other program?

 

[PharmtoCS]

If you're willing to spend $45k+/year in tuition to go to a school with a questionable reputation, then you are selling yourself and the profession short by signing away $200k+ in loans which you will not get what you pay for. There are many cheaper and better schools; you just have to earn a spot in them.

 

[donewithcosmo]

If you're willing to spend $45k+/year in tuition to go to a school with a questionable reputation, then you are part of the problem of the saturated job market. You are selling yourself and the profession short by signing away $200k+ in loans which you will not get what you pay for. There are many cheaper and better schools; you just have to earn a spot in them.

who is the "YOU" you are talking about exactly? What school are you referring to that has a questionable reputation? How does this answer the original question?

 

[PharmtoCS]

who is the "YOU" you are talking about exactly? What school are you referring to that has a questionable reputation? How does this answer the original question?

Anyone who takes out an enormous amount of loans to go to a school that does not have a good reputation when there are much cheaper and reputable ones with higher admission standards. Therefore, my answer to the original question is "neither."

 

[donewithcosmo]

So you're saying that Manchester University has a questionable reputation? Are you saying west coast university has a questionable reputation? Where exactly are you getting this information from, or is that just your opinion, if not back it up with facts. Being expensive, uncredited, new, and hearsay doesn't make a schools reputation questionable.This goes for ALL SCHOOLS. Show me news links and articles on both schools of pharmacy that would make their reputation questionable. I won't wait because you won't be able to find any.

 

[YF786]

So you're saying that Manchester University has a questionable reputation? Are you saying west coast university has a questionable reputation? Where exactly are you getting this information from, or is that just your opinion, if not back it up with facts. Being expensive, uncredited, new, and hearsay doesn't make a schools reputation questionable. Show me news links and articles on both schools of pharmacy that would make their reputation questionable. I won't wait because you won't be able to find any.

I feel like you don't like what you are reading here. No one can stop you from making a decision, at the end of the day it's your choice and what you think is right. I honestly think over here so far everyone has given their honest opinion, now it's up to you what you like to make out of it.
I would not go to any school that makes me take out so much in loans, accreditation is important too. Also with the way pharmacy is going, it's getting harder and harder for graduates to find jobs. With what's going on, I would advice anyone that is interested in pharmacy school to go to a school that has minimal tuition cost. You can take out all the loans you want but at the end they all have to be paid back too and with interest. At that time the school won't come to rescue you, once they take their money from the loans, they could care less about students. Good luck!

 

[rasdent1234]

I feel like you don't like what you are reading here. No one can stop you from making a decision, at the end of the day it's your choice and what you think is right. I honestly think over here so far everyone has given their honest opinion, now it's up to you what you like to make out of it.
I would not go to any school that makes me take out so much in loans, accreditation is important too. Also with the way pharmacy is going, it's getting harder and harder for graduates to find jobs. With what's going on, I would advice anyone that is interested in pharmacy school to go to a school that has minimal tuition cost. You can take out all the loans you want but at the end they all have to be paid back too and with interest. At that time the school won't come to rescue you, once they take their money from the loans, they could care less about students. Good luck!

Exactly. She is defending the schools, which is fine. However, she can't answer the question why going to an unaccredited school with potential risk is a better option than accredited.

 

[donewithcosmo]

I don't have any questions. This original poster asked a question not me. If you make a remark that a school has a sketchy reputation. Then you will be asked where are you getting your information from? You can twist that anyway you like.
Also, West Coast Doesn't kicked students out that fail a course. IF you fail a course the student is allowed to take it over via remediation. This is fact confirmed via the school today. See how that works? The information was gathered from the source and confirmed before I posted it here. Also, I'm not attending West Coast. What anyone thinks of that or any school is no concern of mine. Nor, will it change anything I do in my life. From this point forward, I will be an observer on this post.
Good Luck to everyone reading this, Much Love.

 

[PharmtoCS]

The reality is that the AACP could care less about "checks and balances" or your future. If they really did, then they wouldn't allow schools (I'm looking at you, WCU, Chapman, KGI, and Ketchum) to pop up in areas that are already extremely saturated and where there are not enough hospital rotation sites, let alone jobs, to accommodate students who will be out $200k+ and face an unemployment rate of over 20%. If you decide to spend $30k on a 10-year-old Toyota Corolla or spend your family life savings to sign up for the Hunger Games (yet still come out at a huge disadvantage to the other contestants), then that is your decision and your right to defend it, although chances are that you're going to hear a lot of things you don't want to hear.

 

[rasdent1234]

I don't have any questions. This original poster asked a question not me. If you make a remark that a school has a sketchy reputation. Then you will be asked where are you getting your information from? You can twist that anyway you like.
Also, West Coast Doesn't kicked students out that fail a course. IF you fail a course the student is allowed to take it over via remediation. This is fact confirmed via the school today. See how that works? The information was gathered from the source and confirmed before I posted it here. Also, I'm not attending West Coast. What anyone thinks of that or any school is no concern of mine. Nor, will it change anything I do in my life. From this point forward, I will be an observer on this post.
Good Luck to everyone reading this, Much Love.

If you make claims like this, "Manchester will be accredited next year. Taking a year off to wait for a school to become accredited when they will become accredited while you study there doesn't make sense," then you'll be asked why unaccredited is better and you still cannot answer it. Unless you represent ACPE, how can you guarantee it will? You are fine to make your decision but it is alarming and a disservice to post inadequate advice for others seeking help. So please, just observe.

 

[nataly]

Hello everyone, I cant decide which school to choose- west coast or KGI? they both are candidate status and not fully accredited yet. I need some help please- its a hard decision. many thanks.