Help me decide...Attend or wait a year?

[ag20]

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Hey, I have a decision to make and would like some input. I applied to and was accepted by only 1 school. It is private and is a good school, but the only reason I applied to only this school is because it is the only one I will have finished all of the prereqs for by this summer. However, there is another school that is public and nationally recognized. This school would have been my top choice, but I would need another year to finish their prereqs. So here is what I am looking at:

Choice A) Private School
+Already accepted
+Teaching school, not research....heard great things about faculty, form great relationships with their students and want them to succeed
+Close to home
- Tuition is high


Choice B) State Public School
+In top 5 of rankings and is nationally recognized (yes I know ranks don't matter....but their reputation is prestigious in the field of pharmacy)
+Tuition is low
+Also a good school
+State resident and therefore have higher chance of acceptance
+Personally know three professors and people on admissions committees
who would be willing to write me recommendations or "remember my name"
-Large class, professors also do research and may treat students as numbers
- Wait another year, take more prereqs, maybe get accepted or maybe not

My stats are descent...3.6 GPA and high 70s PCAT. Lots of experience.

I should also keep in mind of my age...20 years old...so time is not a large factor for me. Not too worried about cost of tuition either because I plan on applying to scholarships (company or military, etc.) and assuming a scholarship is awarded to me then cost for the private and public school will be about the same (rough estimate).

I am leaning towards the safe side and just go to the private school. But it would be a waste to not use my contacts and cheap tuition for the prestigious public school. What do you think?

 

[gtpederson]

From a purely economic perspective:

Is the difference in tuition (over 4 years) more than the ~100k you'd be missing out on by graduating and starting working a year early?

If not, then your only "con" for the school you've been accepted to becomes a non-issue.

Personally, I'd go with the teaching school. A great researcher != a great teacher.

 

[diastole]

Aesop wrote a fable about this very situation. It involves birds in hands and all of that but it still works.

 

[aboveliquidice]

...

Aesop reference is spot on. Right now - which pharmacy school you attend does not matter. That may change in the future - but right now, it does not hold any weight (on your future career prospects).

As such - getting in and getting it done is the only major factor. Cost is something that should be considered - so definitely add that into your decision making process.

If it were me - I would go to school this Fall rather than waiting it out.

 

[evilolive]

Are you talking about UNC? I would wait another year and finish my college degree. You're only young once, but you've got many many years to work as a pharmacist. That's my two cents.

 

[255942]

I understand that I may be in the minority, but I think students need to look at this as an investment in your future. I don't hold anything against anyone who wants to attend a local state school (as I did) and save money rather than pay more at a private institution.

I have had many students graduate with loans > $100-200k (when including undergraduate studies). The fact is, the day you graduate and pass boards you will be earning a salary around $100k/yr - you will have plenty of time and resources to pay your loans back. Please don't let your decision rest solely on tuition. As noted above, one extra year of earning power at $100k would require you to save $25k/yr for four years of schooling.

My recommendation is to find the best fit and choose that school. If you believe that School B is better for you, ask School A for a deferral until next year and see what they say.

 

[BelmontUSOP2]

Admin, you aren't in the minority on this one...at least from the perspective of someone 25 yrs out of school....for what that's worth.

I too, fervently believe that "fit" is the most important decision point in deciding where to study. This is a four-year decision, and so one of the primary criteria should be along the following lines:
- Does this place feel right...can I see myself here and happy?
- Can I be me here? Or, will I have to put on a mask?
- Will I be seen here? Will I be a person or a number?
- Can I envision looking forward with excitement to coming back to campus in August of year 2, year 3, etc.? Will it still be a rush?
- Is the culture built on kindness?

These may not be the criteria that are expressed the same way by others, but, at the end of the day and at the end of the decision-making process, they are the ones that count the most. Because, these are the questions that deal with you, not the institution.

Eric H. Hobson, Ph.D.
Assoc. Dean
Belmont U SOP

 

[ag20]

Thank you for the advice everyone. There are a lot of valid points suggested, and based on them I have decided to attend the private school this Fall.

 

[rphfan2009]

Hey, I have a decision to make and would like some input. I applied to and was accepted by only 1 school. It is private and is a good school, but the only reason I applied to only this school is because it is the only one I will have finished all of the prereqs for by this summer. However, there is another school that is public and nationally recognized. This school would have been my top choice, but I would need another year to finish their prereqs. So here is what I am looking at:

Choice A) Private School
+Already accepted
+Teaching school, not research....heard great things about faculty, form great relationships with their students and want them to succeed
+Close to home
- Tuition is high


Choice B) State Public School
+In top 5 of rankings and is nationally recognized (yes I know ranks don't matter....but their reputation is prestigious in the field of pharmacy)
+Tuition is low
+Also a good school
+State resident and therefore have higher chance of acceptance
+Personally know three professors and people on admissions committees
who would be willing to write me recommendations or "remember my name"
-Large class, professors also do research and may treat students as numbers
- Wait another year, take more prereqs, maybe get accepted or maybe not

My stats are descent...3.6 GPA and high 70s PCAT. Lots of experience.

I should also keep in mind of my age...20 years old...so time is not a large factor for me. Not too worried about cost of tuition either because I plan on applying to scholarships (company or military, etc.) and assuming a scholarship is awarded to me then cost for the private and public school will be about the same (rough estimate).

I am leaning towards the safe side and just go to the private school. But it would be a waste to not use my contacts and cheap tuition for the prestigious public school. What do you think?

You made a smart choice with "A" and I would have done the same thing myself. I figure why wait another year? Your already in...congrats again and best of luck 🙂