<p>@ Confucius - it’s your decision. If your parents let you apply, they should let you go. My sister’s in a current situation right now – dad wants her to go to Cal because it’s the most bang for their buck, but if she gets into any of her 4 Ivies, she’ll go there. I can totally see her just submitting the SIR and declining every other school without consulting my parents. 
They’ll get over it eventually.</p>
<p>Lots of kids have turned down LA and Berkeley for UCSD! I’ve never been judged for it, nor ever regretted my decision.</p>
<p>@ spatel - grad school should NOT be picked because “it would be cool.” many pharmacology programs don’t even concentrate on traditional pharmacology anymore. (take a look at columbia’s pharm program’s research interests and see what i mean - AND they were ranked #1 program in the country a few years ago) while you won’t be in debt post-graduation, you’re not going to make millions after 6-7 years of grad school. most people go on to $40K postdocs. at least pharmacy school can land you in a $100,000 retail pharmacist position right after graduation. </p>
<p>how to decide between a PhD and PharmD or something else? take classes, do your best, intern at a pharmacy, work in a research lab, and see which one you like more. not to be too harsh right now, but high school seniors have too much potential right now to be limiting themselves to one path or another.</p>
<p>lol yeah you’re right astrina. guess i jumped a bit ahead right now.
now one thing that caught me was:
do you mean WILL or WON’T?</p>
<p>but thanks for the tips!!</p>
<p>are we supposed to get an email saying that there is a spot for us for the stay over program/admit day, or do we just assume we are in?</p>
<p>@ spatel23 - if you go into a science-based PhD program, you will NOT emerge with debt. all such PhD programs are fully funded, meaning they (1) pay all your tuition and student fees and (2) give you a sufficient stipend to ensure that you can live and play without having to take on another job. </p>
<p>depending on location and luck, they can get to slightly over $30,000/year (some are untaxed): [2009-10</a> BEST GRADUATE STUDENT STIPENDS - Graduate Student Stipend Comparison - what PhD programs in biological sciences pay their graduate students](<a href=“http://www.wendychao.com/science/stipends/2009-10.html]2009-10”>2009-10 BEST GRADUATE STUDENT STIPENDS - Graduate Student Stipend Comparison - what PhD programs in biological sciences pay their graduate students)</p>