Hey guys/gals,
I'm torn between two different schools and would appreciate some other opinions to help me decide which school would be the best for my future. I won't list specific school names, but I will give some general information about the schools.
School 1: Top 50 school, but has an expensive tuition (~$34k a year). Is a public university, but their pharmacy school is privatized. Has graduated 10 classes so far. Is a well respected school in the area and has a 98% placement rate with its graduates. Has around a 98% NAPLEX pass rate. When I went for the tour/interview it really seemed like the school really cared about its students and having them succeed. Has options for a dual degree if I am interested in that. Cost of living would be cheaper than school 2 because it is in a much smaller city. School 1 is also in an area I would much rather spend 4 years at.
School 2: Pretty new pharmacy school that is part of a public university. Tuition is about $20k a year. Hasn't really been ranked at all yet. They've only graduated two classes so far. I couldn't even find a published NAPLEX pass rate for their graduated classes. Does not offer dual degrees. Although their pharmacy program is new, they have multiple other respected programs (MD, nursing, etc). Is in a very large city which is something I would not prefer to spend four years in.
Both schools are fully accredited.
So I guess to sum it up, school 1 has a proven success rate in both their exams and employment after graduation, but their tuition is $14k more a year. Granted, the rent would be slightly less than at school 2. School 2 may be just as good of a school as school 1, but since they're new they do not have a lot to prove this fact. Does school ranking really matter once you've graduated and looking for a job or residency? Is the extra $14k a year worth it to go to a school that has a more proven record?
I'm torn between two different schools and would appreciate some other opinions to help me decide which school would be the best for my future. I won't list specific school names, but I will give some general information about the schools.
School 1: Top 50 school, but has an expensive tuition (~$34k a year). Is a public university, but their pharmacy school is privatized. Has graduated 10 classes so far. Is a well respected school in the area and has a 98% placement rate with its graduates. Has around a 98% NAPLEX pass rate. When I went for the tour/interview it really seemed like the school really cared about its students and having them succeed. Has options for a dual degree if I am interested in that. Cost of living would be cheaper than school 2 because it is in a much smaller city. School 1 is also in an area I would much rather spend 4 years at.
School 2: Pretty new pharmacy school that is part of a public university. Tuition is about $20k a year. Hasn't really been ranked at all yet. They've only graduated two classes so far. I couldn't even find a published NAPLEX pass rate for their graduated classes. Does not offer dual degrees. Although their pharmacy program is new, they have multiple other respected programs (MD, nursing, etc). Is in a very large city which is something I would not prefer to spend four years in.
Both schools are fully accredited.
So I guess to sum it up, school 1 has a proven success rate in both their exams and employment after graduation, but their tuition is $14k more a year. Granted, the rent would be slightly less than at school 2. School 2 may be just as good of a school as school 1, but since they're new they do not have a lot to prove this fact. Does school ranking really matter once you've graduated and looking for a job or residency? Is the extra $14k a year worth it to go to a school that has a more proven record?
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