Can I bother you to help me decide? (MCPHS vs. Western)

[boongs]

Hello everyone,

I know this is kinda greedy of me to make a whole thread for myself but I am seriously desperate for some opinions. Since I have heard responses from all the schools I applied to, the 2009-2010 cycle is complete for me. I have been offered seats to 4 schools and I am seriously debating between 2 of them. I was hoping that you all can help me come to a conclusion. The 2 schools I am debating between are MCPHS Worcester and Western University. Here is my pro arguments for both and if I miss anything please feel free to add.

MCPHS - Worcester
Pros...

• I have been living in SoCal my whole like and would love to experience living in the east
• Accelerated 3 year program
• Tuition $40,000 for 3 years = $120,000
• Dorms

Cons...

• Still have 2 outstanding courses and will need to take summer school for those (important b/c I have been attending school for the last 5 years including summer nonstop and was hoping for atleast the summer to relax before continuing further education)
• Lots to worry about (drive over? sell car, plane, then buy used car?)
• Difficult to return and find a job in California if I find the winter hard to bare?

Western University
Pros...

• A summer vacation (no outstanding courses)
• Excellent weather
• Convenient since its fairly local
• Easier to find a job?

Cons...

• No dorms
• Not having experienced the East... probably will never get to
• Tuition $40,000 for 4 years = $160,000
• 4 years?

If you could please provide your opinion, I would greatly appreciate it. For those who are curious I'll list the results for this cycle heh.

UCSF: rejected (no interview)
UCSD: wait-list
USC: hold
UoP: hold
Western: accepted
Loma Linda: accepted but declined offer
Touro: accepted
CNCP: withdrew application after interview invite

Purdue: rejected (no interview)
MCPHS - Worcester: accepted
WSU: withdrew application after interview invite

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[TolueneRX]

i would just pick Western...after that you can live any where you want to 'experience'..for now..convenience is key. that's my take.

 

[Jonathaneus Ng]

i will say MCPHS. If you pick Western, you will stay here...4ever

 

[sokeen]

MCPHS. It'll be a great experience living away from home, you might learn a something from this experience. Tuition is a little cheaper while you'll finish the program very soon.

 

[Monalyce]

I'd vote MCPHS as well. I'm a big proponent of moving at this time in your life. It'll help you grow as a person and a pharmacist. Even with travel costs, you'd still be saving money.

 

[dtran01]

It is worth mentioning that the opportunity cost of taking Western is a whole extra year of income and that you had to pay an extra year's tuition. In short, we are talking about 100K + 40K.

Putting aside taxes, I think it is important to think of the BUYING POWER of $140,000, and not of it just as a number.

With that extra year of work, you can put a huge down payment on a house, or make enough to pay for 5 years of rent in a superbly luxurious home, buy FIFTY state of the art 55" LCD TVs, or buy not one but two porsches.

If you went to Western, you'd instead have nothing to show for that extra year.

Clearly it is not all about money, but if you are already looking to live in the east, this is food for thought.

 

[rxlea]

MCPHS for sure. Cheaper, awesome place to live, accelerated, and the school has some great affiliations/rotation sites. DO IT- you know you want to

 

[boongs]

It is worth mentioning that the opportunity cost of taking Western is a whole extra year of income and that you had to pay an extra year's tuition. In short, we are talking about 100K + 40K.

Putting aside taxes, I think it is important to think of the BUYING POWER of $140,000, and not of it just as a number.

With that extra year of work, you can put a huge down payment on a house, or make enough to pay for 5 years of rent in a superbly luxurious home, buy FIFTY state of the art 55" LCD TVs, or buy not one but two porsches.

If you went to Western, you'd instead have nothing to show for that extra year.

Clearly it is not all about money, but if you are already looking to live in the east, this is food for thought.

right exactly. i was thinking about this as well. i have been leaning towards MCPHS but its just so difficult to choose as quite honestly I can go wrong either way.

 

[aznsensazn3]

I don't know where any of those schools are. I don't even know what MCPHS stands for. I'm gonna say Western because it's name is shorter not requiring a 5-letter acronym. lol. Midwest schools FTW! I think you're first going to decide whether or not you want to go straight into retail or try to pursue a residency. If it's just retail, go to wherever it's cheapest. If it's residency, go to where you will get the best chance of getting in somewhere.

 

[boongs]

I don't know where any of those schools are. I don't even know what MCPHS stands for. I'm gonna say Western because it's name is shorter not requiring a 5-letter acronym. lol. Midwest schools FTW! I think you're first going to decide whether or not you want to go straight into retail or try to pursue a residency. If it's just retail, go to wherever it's cheapest. If it's residency, go to where you will get the best chance of getting in somewhere.

haha whoops...

Western University is in Pomona, CA and
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is in Worcester, MA

you do make a good point. I think most MCPHS graduates go retail while Western is more distributed across

 

[AQ47]

Sure, take Worcestor, Mass. and give me your seat. You do want to get out of school fast do you not?

 

[RxDoll]

Ahhh...I am kind of in the same situation!
MCPHS or Washington State University...
Like you, I am from Cali so I LOVE the thought of being in the east coast and finishing in 2 years and 10 months rather than 4 years. However, I've read a lot of negative comments on here from current and past mcphs students while everyone that I talked to at WSU HIGHLY recommended that I go there. Although I'm leaning towards finishing a year early...It is still such a hard decision!!!

Sorry if my thread doesn't help...Good luck deciding... :/

 

[dtran01]

The reason why most graduates from MCPHS go to retail and not residency is because they have the acelerated mindset. If you are willing to do year round schooling to get out earlier, you are not particularly looking to spend that extra year you saved working in residency working for much much less pay.

I dont see why you say you can go wrong either way. Clearly it is a win/win situation whatever it is you pick.

think of what was the biggest purchase you have ever made with your own money and ask yourself how much that cost. now take $140,000 and divide it by that cost and see how many of those you could have bought. that's your opportunity cost.

Rxdoll's situation is different though. WSU is only 16K per year once you get residency, and something crazy like 91% of WSU pharmacy school students get scholarships.

 

[boongs]

The reason why most graduates from MCPHS go to retail and not residency is because they have the acelerated mindset. If you are willing to do year round schooling to get out earlier, you are not particularly looking to spend that extra year you saved working in residency working for much much less pay.

I dont see why you say you can go wrong either way. Clearly it is a win/win situation whatever it is you pick.

think of what was the biggest purchase you have ever made with your own money and ask yourself how much that cost. now take $140,000 and divide it by that cost and see how many of those you could have bought. that's your opportunity cost.

Rxdoll's situation is different though. WSU is only 16K per year once you get residency, and something crazy like 91% of WSU pharmacy school students get scholarships.

ah that was a typo. i meant i can't go wrong either way. that's pretty much what i had in mind. since i will be out a year earlier i can use that year to do residency. in terms of WSU, its $16000 per semester so $32000 a year. the final cost would essentially be similar somewhere around $120000

 

[boongs]

Ahhh...I am kind of in the same situation!
MCPHS or Washington State University...
Like you, I am from Cali so I LOVE the thought of being in the east coast and finishing in 2 years and 10 months rather than 4 years. However, I've read a lot of negative comments on here from current and past mcphs students while everyone that I talked to at WSU HIGHLY recommended that I go there. Although I'm leaning towards finishing a year early...It is still such a hard decision!!!

Sorry if my thread doesn't help...Good luck deciding... :/

Heh I see you're struggling to make a choice as well. Our situations are slightly different in that I'm trying to decide between local and long distance whereas you're trying to pick between two long distances.

In terms of MCPHS, I would understand why some students might dislike the program. I don't know if the interviewer went over the schedule with you but my interviewer informed me that class was M-F from 8-4 with a lunch break. I would assume that they expect us to study the remaining hours of the day so it would be all work and no fun. However, it is a professional school so I would have figured the students would have expected hell, but guess not?

WSU however, is a much larger university with an awesome basketball team. There would probably be more activity opportunities with fellow students in comparison to MCPHS, which is composed of 2 buildings (well technically 3 but 2 of them are connected so...). It lacks any sports team and doesn't even have a library so that's a turn down, however the reward is the accelerated 3 years... this is probably the hardest choice I would ever make in my life and I take it it be the same for you. If you decide to go to MCPHS let me know!

 

[boongs]

Sure, take Worcestor, Mass. and give me your seat. You do want to get out of school fast do you not?

AQ47 if I could go personally hand my seat to you I would trust me

 

[diastole]

I think you end up saving more than $40K for that last year not spent in school. If you are planning on borrowing for living expenses, that can easily add another $10K to $20K. Plus you will have to pay another year of interest before you start chipping away at that debt.

 

[RxDoll]

---Boongs, I've decided that I will be going to MPCHS next year =)

 

[dtran01]

ah that was a typo. i meant i can't go wrong either way. that's pretty much what i had in mind. since i will be out a year earlier i can use that year to do residency. in terms of WSU, its $16000 per semester so $32000 a year. the final cost would essentially be similar somewhere around $120000

If you are a resident (and it is not difficult to get it in Washington state), then it's 16K per YEAR. That would be then around 64K. This, though, is steadily going up each year, as is everywhere else, so maybe a bit more than that.

 

[PonderingChoice]

It is worth mentioning that the opportunity cost of taking Western is a whole extra year of income and that you had to pay an extra year's tuition. In short, we are talking about 100K + 40K.

Putting aside taxes, I think it is important to think of the BUYING POWER of $140,000, and not of it just as a number.

I agree with this post, except I'd note that the 100K is really 70K, after taxes, and that you'd have more time to work a summer job or something with the 4 year school, so you'd make an extra bit of cash that way.

However, there's also interest to consider, which is going to be worse at the 4 year school. So, definitely go to the school which will save you approximately $100K.