is this a right choice? expansive pharmacy school.

[jso1226]

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hi, im a high school senior whos trying to decide which school to go to.
im considering virginia tech and purdue.
i got into purdue pre-pharmacy which takes 6 years to complete the pharmd. and i dont have to take the pcat, also its one of the best pharmacy schools!

however, its too expansive..
for this year's financial aid i got :
- Fedral perkins loan program : 2000.
- federal sub stafford loan : 3500.
- federal unsub stafford loan : 2000.
- federal parent plus loan: 19067.
these are the only loans. and i got 11000 of grants + scholarships and 2500 of work study.


if i go to va tech, i will end up w only a small amount of debt because im instate.
but they wont offer what purdue can.
i will prolly have to apply for pharmacy school after 2+ years of pre-pharmcy at va tech.

if i go to purdue i will have to take the risk of money...
i feel like it would be reallly hard to apply to pharmacy college after going to va tech since i have to take the pcat and more competitions.

do you think its worth to go to purdue now?
pls help me...
thanks.

 

[IrishRxMan]

If you got accepted to Purdue, I'd take a serious look at attending there. True, you will have to take the PCAT most likely and you will have to apply to pharmacy school when you have enough pre-reqs under your belt. You may not get in the first or second try. If you go to Purdue, you'll be a pharmacist for sure in 6 years. The debt shouldn't worry you at this point. You will have 30 years to pay it off and the interest should be a tax deduction for you. You'd be better off paying the minimum payments the first decade and starting both a 401K and IRA and contributing the max to both every year for those 10 years. You'll have a great start to your retirement fund and you can then slack off on your contributions to retirement and seriously focus on eliminating your school debt. You didn't mention how much per year it will cost to go to Purdue. (and I mean what the tuition is including fees and such)

 

[Sparda29]

I thought Obama is going to forgive all my student debt after 10 years.

 

[bacillus1]

Expansive? I thought both schools had large campuses

I guess you mean expensive.

And about Obama: that's only if you have a federal job.

 

[BallerinaRx]

I thought Obama is going to forgive all my student debt after 10 years.

If you are on the income-based repayment plan, any remaining student loan debt is forgiven after 25 years on the plan.

http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/IBRPlan.jsp

 

[Moni526]

Expansive? I thought both schools had large campuses

I guess you mean expensive.

And about Obama: that's only if you have a federal job.

LOL!!!!

 

[jso1226]

You'd be better off paying the minimum payments the first decade and starting both a 401K and IRA and contributing the max to both every year for those 10 years. You'll have a great start to your retirement fund and you can then slack off on your contributions to retirement and seriously focus on eliminating your school debt. You didn't mention how much per year it will cost to go to Purdue. (and I mean what the tuition is including fees and such)

whats the 401K and IRA?
It costs 40,000 per year to attend purdue.
i was almost set on this school until i found out how much debt i would be buried under. im scared i might drop out in the middle.

oh and i meant "expensive" haha.

 

[jso1226]

any other opinions pls?
i dont know what to do .. haha

 

[crazybob]

If I were in your position, I would go to the school in my home state, and take as many years as it takes in college to finish pre-reqs and be prepared for pharmacy school. If it took until my senior year of college to feel well-prepared, that's what I'd do.

Some people apply and attend pharmacy school after their sophomore year of college, and most of them do just fine. But if you do the same, you might feel that you don't experience college the same way that most people do. If you don't like the typical college experience, then it won't be much of an issue for you, but that's something to consider.

Once you're done with pharmacy school, you'll be out working every day. You won't always have a chance to go back and hang out with your friends like you did when you were in school, because your classmates will also be working, taking care of their kids, etc.

If you're completely set on pharmacy school and you want to focus on nothing else for the next 6 years, then it's a great option to take. But if you have had thoughts about going to college for maybe 3 years or even getting a degree first, then you could go to the school in your home state and then apply to pharmacy school.

 

[crazybob]

Expansive? I thought both schools had large campuses

I guess you mean expensive.

It might sound like "expansive" if you had a bit of a scottish accent

I think I still do sometimes, but it's completely unintentional

 

[fiorio]

purdue is 0+6 school now?
i thought it is 2+4, you still have to applied after 2 years anyway
although they gave huge preference to their own pre-pharm kids though.

 

[jfm5958]

purdue is 0+6 school now?
i thought it is 2+4, you still have to applied after 2 years anyway
although they gave huge preference to their own pre-pharm kids though.

You're right. Purdue is not a 0+6 school. You still have to apply after completing the pre-reqs, and yes, they still give preference to Purdue pre-pharms.

And to the OP, my opinion (although not unbiased ) is to head to Purdue.

 

[jso1226]

thanks everyone

 

[IrishRxMan]

whats the 401K and IRA?
It costs 40,000 per year to attend purdue.
i was almost set on this school until i found out how much debt i would be buried under. im scared i might drop out in the middle.

oh and i meant "expensive" haha.

401K and IRA are retirement plans. 401k is through your employer and an IRA is on your own. You can set up an IRA anytime you want with just about any banking institution. I wouldn't shy away from a school because of cost. You will have 30 years to pay off that debt if you choose to take that long. You will be young and you will have plenty of time to pay it off without it hindering your life. That being said, once you graduate you shouldn't immediately go out and buy a bunch of "toys" that you've been salivating over. Wait and get them as you have the money to at least put a healthy down payment on the whatever it is.

 

[Pharmacist Zoom]

I thought Obama is going to forgive all my student debt after 10 years.

that would be a done deal for me tooooo

 

[Tinkerbell22]

401K and IRA are retirement plans. 401k is through your employer and an IRA is on your own. You can set up an IRA anytime you want with just about any banking institution. I wouldn't shy away from a school because of cost. You will have 30 years to pay off that debt if you choose to take that long. You will be young and you will have plenty of time to pay it off without it hindering your life. That being said, once you graduate you shouldn't immediately go out and buy a bunch of "toys" that you've been salivating over. Wait and get them as you have the money to at least put a healthy down payment on the whatever it is.

Qft

 

[jso1226]

Qft

whats qft?lol

 

[ezmcgowan]

Purdue does not automatically advace the pre-pharmacy students. However, it is a great school and not having to worry about the PCAT is a plus. You should just do your pre-pharm close to home then apply to Purdue when you're ready for the professional program. I just wanted to make sure you have your facts straight.

hi, im a high school senior whos trying to decide which school to go to.
im considering virginia tech and purdue.
i got into purdue pre-pharmacy which takes 6 years to complete the pharmd. and i dont have to take the pcat, also its one of the best pharmacy schools!

however, its too expansive..
for this year's financial aid i got :
- Fedral perkins loan program : 2000.
- federal sub stafford loan : 3500.
- federal unsub stafford loan : 2000.
- federal parent plus loan: 19067.
these are the only loans. and i got 11000 of grants + scholarships and 2500 of work study.


if i go to va tech, i will end up w only a small amount of debt because im instate.
but they wont offer what purdue can.
i will prolly have to apply for pharmacy school after 2+ years of pre-pharmcy at va tech.

if i go to purdue i will have to take the risk of money...
i feel like it would be reallly hard to apply to pharmacy college after going to va tech since i have to take the pcat and more competitions.

do you think its worth to go to purdue now?
pls help me...
thanks.

 

[jso1226]

yes i know that purdue does not directly let the pre-pharms get into their professional.
but i love purdue! and.... i just cant stop thinking about this school.

does anyone know how hard it would be to get into their professional program from out of state?

 

[diastole]

How certain are you that you want to be a pharmacist? If you have any kind of doubt then Purdue might not be the best choice. It will cost you way more than your state school and you might end up in a different career anyway.

 

[jso1226]

i really wanna be a pharmacist. i think i will like the job. i have been volunteering at pharmacy every summer.
but im kinda concerned about chemistry.
becuase its not my best subject. im good at math but just okay at chemistry. i took ap chem and ended up with a B. I enjoyed it except the organic chem part...
im willing to study hard but im just worried...

 

[diastole]

i really wanna be a pharmacist. i think i will like the job. i have been volunteering at pharmacy every summer.
but im kinda concerned about chemistry.
becuase its not my best subject. im good at math but just okay at chemistry. i took ap chem and ended up with a B. I enjoyed it except the organic chem part...
im willing to study hard but im just worried...

I'll tell you a little secret. Chemistry isn't nearly as important in pharmacy school as most people think. Now I still have one year of classes to go and that could change but so far it is about learning how the drugs work and then memorizing a bunch of details about them. You don't really have to be good at chemistry for that but you do have to understand a few concepts like acid and bases. My school is set up on the body system approach so it could be different at other schools where you have to take actual chemistry classes for a whole semester. But my point is that a lack of love for chemistry, especially organic, shouldn't keep you from being a good pharmacist.

 

[jso1226]

ive always thought that chemistry takes a huge part in pharmacy study.
but after reading your comment, i feel so much better!
i really want to be a pharmacist and i think i will like it a lot.
do you think purdue will be worth it?

also.. i have another option... which is mcphs.
but i think purdue will be better even though its gonna be more difficult.

 

[unevache]

If you got accepted to Purdue, I'd take a serious look at attending there. True, you will have to take the PCAT most likely and you will have to apply to pharmacy school when you have enough pre-reqs under your belt. You may not get in the first or second try. If you go to Purdue, you'll be a pharmacist for sure in 6 years. The debt shouldn't worry you at this point. You will have 30 years to pay it off and the interest should be a tax deduction for you. You'd be better off paying the minimum payments the first decade and starting both a 401K and IRA and contributing the max to both every year for those 10 years. You'll have a great start to your retirement fund and you can then slack off on your contributions to retirement and seriously focus on eliminating your school debt. You didn't mention how much per year it will cost to go to Purdue. (and I mean what the tuition is including fees and such)

Interest on student loan debt is not tax deductible if you make over a certain amount (it's like 75k or something). So since most pharmacists make over 75k a year, unless you're planning on working part-time you will not be able to deduct loan interest from your taxes. Also if you're married and make over 160k jointly then you will be ineligible to contribute to a Roth IRA (over 110k if you're single). In addition be warned that a traditional IRA, while having the advantage of tax-deferred compounding, could come back to bite you on your arse if income tax rates rise to much higher levels in the future (which is very possible).

If you are on the income-based repayment plan, any remaining student loan debt is forgiven after 25 years on the plan.

http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/IBRPlan.jsp

This plan seems to only benefit people who have A LOT of student loan debt but make very little money. I haven't bothered to do any calculations but I would imagine that pretty much every pharmacist will not be able to benefit from this loan forgiveness plan unless they do something like quit practicing pharmacy and take a stockboy job at Walmart.

 

[jso1226]

i decided to go to purdue!!
im super excited, and i believe its gonna worth it and i will study really hard whatever it takes to get into pharmacy school!
thanks everyone

 

[jfm5958]

i decided to go to purdue!!
im super excited, and i believe its gonna worth it and i will study really hard whatever it takes to get into pharmacy school!
thanks everyone

Good for you! Maybe I'll see you around campus. Good luck!