Choosing the right offers

[fiorio]

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Hello everyone
Assume you are accepted by your top 5 pharmacy schools, now you have FIVE offers, and you have to pick one.
What factors will you take consideration when you making the decision?
you know, some school have high reputation, some is located in a nice place, some has low tuition. And once you make a wrong decision, you have to suck it up for 4 years.
so I really like to hear everyone's opinion on this issue.
Maybe it is too early to start a thread like this, i hope this thread goes on and on.

coz i'm facing the problem now, i got accepted by Midwestern CCP and U of Kentucky. and i applied 10+ schools and probably more offers early next year.

 

[UFpharmhopeful]

You pretty much said it, there are a ton of factors. It depends what you're into. Some things to think about are proximity to family, weather, nightlife, whether you like a collegetown or not, size of school, football team. I hate cold weather so that knocked out like 90% of schools and I love football and a collegetown atmosphere so for me I think UF is perfect. In-state tuition is a bonus

 

[omnione]

I would take the list of factors that you have, prioritize them, and rank your schools based on that list. Do remember that you are still making an educated guess and that no school is a perfect match, just like finding that significant other.😉

For example, location, educational quality, and cost were my top factors. Location played a huge role in me selecting Creighton over Iowa and Wingate. It was not a fun decision to make and I do wonder occasionally what my life would have been had I went to either Iowa and Wingate. However, I never dwell or regret because I feel that I made a confident and informed decision that has worked out well for me so far.

 

[fiorio]

one of the factor i considered pretty important for me is academic quality. but, there is no way for me to know the academic quality unless i am in that school. i don't believe the ranking at all.
is there anywebsite like for reviewing colleges?

 

[omnione]

one of the factor i considered pretty important for me is academic quality. but, there is no way for me to know the academic quality unless i am in that school. i don't believe the ranking at all.
is there anywebsite like for reviewing colleges?

I haven't seen one for pharmacy schools. Anyone else know?

 

[eelo]

one of the factor i considered pretty important for me is academic quality. but, there is no way for me to know the academic quality unless i am in that school. i don't believe the ranking at all.
is there anywebsite like for reviewing colleges?

"Academic quality" still can be pretty subjective.

For example- if you're the type of student who does better in smaller classes than large ones, or who does better in smaller surroundings than in large, busy ones, then the 'quality' of your academic experience will be impacted by this. If you become anxious if the buildings around you are more than 30 stories high, then you probably won't want to go to one of the big-city schools because that anxiety will impact your academics. Conversely, if you require public transportation, you'll need to avoid the smaller, rural schools.

In other words, the only person who can sort this out for you is you.

 

[Sea Pharm]

For me I am picking the school where I can get the most exposure to research and have the opportunity to be involved. I am looking at what professors are researching and amount of $ they are getting from the government.

 

[Farmercyst]

For me quality also has to do with approachability of the instructors and extra-curricular opportunities (Clubs, Frats, Student associations, P&T competition, clinical skills competition, patient counseling competition, drug quiz bowl, etc)

You can also look at age of the institution and it's reputation in pharmacy and other fields. Loma Linda's pharmacy program is pretty new, but their reputation in medicine and dentistry is pretty high nationally and internationally, meaning they probably know how to recruit and train faculty to meet their needs. How many residency slots they offer, what type of residencies they offer, etc. The residencies can give you an idea of the direction of the college of pharmacy. For instance USC has 3 community-pharmacy residents. One residency specializes in international travel related pharmacy (immunizations/travel-related disease prophylaxis), I'm not 100% on the other two. They also run a pharmacy-run indigent clinic using pharmacist intervention to improve outcomes. This is on the forefront of pharmacists expanding outside of dispensing and traditional clinical roles. Sure, these aren't necessarily incorporated into your eduction, but the residents teach at the school, their preceptors teach at the school, so you have a feeling what their backgrounds are and what emphasis will be given where. What rotations do they offer? CDC/FDA, pediatrics, oncology, geriatrics, other specialties? If they don't have classes/rotations in what you're interested in, why go there?

So there's a lot of stuff to consider beyond just who, where, and how much?
Granted most people are lucky to be able to make a choice, but since you asked....