University of Washington vs University of Colorado Denver

[runnerdude]

Hi all,

I was lucky enough to be accepted into both UCD and UW but am having a hard time determining which school I should attend in the fall. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice not only with each school's educational stature, but also with the cities Seattle and Denver. I'll start with some of the pros and cons that I've come up with.

UCD Pros:
1) Cheaper for out-of-state applicants such as myself - You can develop residency in Colorado after the first year making tuition a lot cheaper than UW. For all four years it's about $200k at UW and $115k at UCD. ~$85k difference
2) New facilities - So many great places to study
3) Distance from hometown - Closer to home than UW
4) Weather - 300 days of sunshine! It's gets pretty cold in the winter, but I actually like experiencing all four seasons.

UCD Cons:
1) Distance from hometown - this might sound weird because I listed this as a pro, but Denver seems to be just a bigger and better version of my current city. I'll be more comfortable there, but I can't help but feel I should experience a new lifestyle of living that Seattle will force me to live
2) No friends - currently, I know no one in Colorado. I have no problem making friends, but going to a new place with no support is rough
3) Large class size - ~160 students

UW Pros:
1) Top 10 school - faculty members at my interview were amazing and the entire vibe I received was great
2) Possibly easier to get residencies - UW PharmD will probably be more competitive
3) Diverse - Seattle is a very cultural city
4) Weather - Doesn't get drastically cold, and Seattle summers (July-September) are great!
5) Great group of friends - They would help me get on my feet when moving there
6) Small class size - ~100 students

UW Cons:
1) Expensive - Out-of-state applicants have it rough
2) Seattle traffic is awful
3) Cost of living in Seattle is much higher than in Denver
4) Weather - Gloomy overcast days can get depressing
5) Distance from hometown - I have a large family and it would be hard to be so far away from them
6) Old facilities - It gives the University character, but the HSC building is old and undesirable to study in

I love professional sports and both cities offer that so I won't go into further detail about it.

I would appreciate any thoughts and input. Thank you!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[radio frequency]

UCD. Do you really want to pay $85k more in tuition alone to live in Seattle? If you aren't sure of the answer to this yet, the answer is "no." You know the costs of living in Denver and Seattle probably differ pretty greatly as well.

Get your PharmD; move to Seattle later. With $85k less in loans, you might actually be able to afford to live there after school! If you go to school there and come out with more loans, don't count on being able to afford housing anywhere near Seattle after you graduate...

 

[runnerdude]

Very true. Financially it's a no brainer. I guess I'm focusing on the prestige of UW and my friends... Thanks for putting it into perspective for me. I appreciate the help!

 

[radio frequency]

Very true. Financially it's a no brainer. I guess I'm focusing on the prestige of UW and my friends... Thanks for putting it into perspective for me. I appreciate the help!

I wouldn't worry about the prestige too much in this situation. Both University of Colorado and University of Washington are solid programs.

My general rule of thumb for evaluating program prestige if I know very little about the school is this:
1. Is it a public school? (most public schools of pharmacy seem to have better reputations than private, though there are a few well known, reputable private schools, too)
2. Is it a nationally known school?
If either of those answers are yes, it's probably a reputable program, and probably pretty decent. Both schools fit the bill here on both answers (even if UCD is not CU Boulder -- the name recognition of "University of Colorado" could be helpful), which bodes well.

As far as your friends...believe me, you won't see your friends too much during your time in pharmacy anyway, plus you'll meet new people in your program. And, as mentioned previously, $eattle is ridiculou$ly expen$ive and if you want to live there later, you're better off saving money while you're in school.

 

[runnerdude]

As far as your friends...believe me, you won't see your friends too much during your time in pharmacy anyway, plus you'll meet new people in your program. And, as mentioned previously, $eattle is ridiculou$ly expen$ive and if you want to live there later, you're better off saving money while you're in school.

I $ee what you did there. haha. I guess school will consume most of my life, but I am used to a heavy work load. I worked on average about 30 hours a week while majoring in biochem for undergrad. Granted, you're definitely right... I told myself I wouldn't do that anymore because it was very stressful and pharmacy classes will be a lot tougher.

This has really helped me. Thank you for the advice! Anyone from UW have anything to say?

 

[88888888]

I don't go to UW. But seattle is beautiful. Lots of rain though. Lots of good Asian food though.

Colorado is good too.

Don't worry about friends.. you'll meet people anywhere.

 

[El Trombopag]

I thought UW was a great program. Well worth it for me as an in-state resident. I believe Seattle/Puget Sound probably has the advantage in sheer number of hospitals, clinics, biotech/research. Makes it fairly easy to snag such internships. Washington State is pretty progressive pharmacy-wise, having the first collaborative practice agreement back in 1979. The Puget Sound is pretty amazing scenery/activity wise, but so is the Denver area. I am envious of my family in Denver getting 300+ days of sunshine. That is seriously a big deal!

All that having been said, I'd still go with whatever ended up being cheaper.