USciences in Philadelphia
Northeastern
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
URI (university of rhode island)
MCPHS
St. Louis college of pharmacy
If anyone knows anything about the 6 year pharmacy programs at these schools, that would be really helpful. I don’t know which one to go to.
Reputation, student life, overall quality?
Thank you so much.
Some questions-- I’m assuming you are a junior, so you are just starting to look at schools. Why are you only listing 0-6 schools? There are several other schools that you do two years, apply and go on at the same school for the next 4 years. What state are you from and are finances a concern?
@TitanMom16 0-6 schools are a smoother approach because you have that guaranteed aspect.
Ranking them, it goes IMO
Northeastern
URI
USciences
MCPHS
Albany
St Louis
All these places are really expensive though so keep that in mind. Even getting top scholarships won’t chip enough granite off the block. I know a guy that loved Northeastern but it’s pricey. I know people who love USciences. Yet again, it’s pricey! MCPHS and Albany are not as pricey but they’re not as good. I don’t know anything about URI. The only thing I know about St Louis is the giant fake pill bottle they sent me in the mail as part of the Student Search Service. 
Another thing, ACPHS (Albany) is a 2+4 school, NOT a 0-6. You will have to take the PCAT and get above or in a certain percentile.
@bloodytearz666 Pharmacy is the top major at URI. They have all new buildings and the best dorms (I think they have the brand new ones) Kings of the castle. CVS headquarters is in RI so it’s fully supported.
And not easy to get into. Pretty competitive.
Check out the NAPLEX first time passing rates. URI says 100% job placement
I would agree that 0-6 programs look attractive before you go through the process, be careful of a few things. Several of these programs admit students knowing that they will “thin the herd after 2 years”. For example 500 students start the program and by year 3 there are only 350. By not applying to any schools that are not 0-6 you are missing some great schools. My son is P2 at University of Pittsburgh so I have an obvious bias towards that school. (P2 meaning he has completed two years in Arts &Sciences and just completing second year in School of Pharmacy) Their program is 2&4 but has a conditional acceptance for Freshman, so as long as you meet requirements, you’ll be admitted.
Pitt has a higher ranking than any of the schools you mentioned:
We visited Northeastern, ACP and MCPHS. DS applied and was accepted to those and 4 others. He LOVED Northeastern, but received a full tuition scholarship for four years at Pitt, it’s a higher ranked Rx school, cost of living is less, and he fell in love with Pitt and Pittsburgh when we visited. He loves being part of a large university with all of the positive things that brings–D1 sports etc. Pitt was also recently ranked as a top school for health professions, giving you some flexibility if you decide after two years you’d rather do something else. The school of Pharmacy is in Salk Hall which is shares with the school of Dentistry. The school of Medicine is across the street and there are three hospitals right on campus for internships etc. DS didn’t like the “specialty” schools when we visited (MCPHS, ACP) because there were just too small and didn’t have what a large university has. His Pharmacy class is only 114 but he’s part of a large research university. It’s been great so far.
Pitt is a state school so if you happen to be in PA you pay in state tuition. (We live in upstate NY) You can also consider Duquesne University–I believe their program is 0-6. University at Buffalo has a great program also which is 2+4.
So I’ll end my commercial for Pitt 
. I just think you should not consider only 0-6 programs. If you do well your first two years at a 2+4 (which you would have to anyway to stay in a 0-6 program) you’ll have no issues getting into the program for the final 4 years.
A plug for Ohio Northern here. My son, although sick of cornfields, is very happy there.his education is rigorous and engaging.
A plug for Northeastern University –
DS graduated in 2013 with a BS and PharmD with a minor in business administration from Northeastern University in Boston. He is currently licensed in CA and MA and working on a medical information team in the pharmaceutical industry. Northeastern is one of 10 universities that has a true guaranteed zero-6 year PharmD program (it is a year-around program which includes a bachelor’s degree as well as a PharmD for incoming freshmen) —guaranteed acceptance meaning no test, no interview, as long as you maintain a 3.0 GPA and no grade less than a C.
Excellent co-op opportunities, extra-curricular activities, clubs, and sports (varsity, club and intramural). DS enjoyed campus life and the pharmacy department is extremely helpful and really personalizes the experience. Student life in Boston – can’t get much better than that!
Once you get that PharmD, pass the national and state exams, and you’ve done the 3-4 co-op semesters in the Northeastern program (co-ops are paid jobs, not the APPE rotations), there is a path for varied of job opportunities – clinical, industry and retail. Over half the NU pharmacy class chose post-grad residencies and fellowships and were able to get matched up with programs to meet their needs.
(The percentage of passing the NAPLEX on the first exam is pretty high for all pharmacy schools - http://www.nabp.net/system/rich/rich_files/rich_files/000/000/813/original/naplexschoolwebsitedata2014.pdf) - so that’s probably not something to worry about.
I know students at Rutgers, Ohio Northern, St. John Fisher, URI in PharmD programs and they are all happy where they are! I recommend casting a wide net, see where you get in, where you get money, and what kind of atmosphere you like…City, Suburban, etc. My main point is not to eliminate schools because they aren’t 0-6.
Thanks guys!
debating between Usciences and URI, i have scholarships for both.
URI is cheaper, but apparently Usciences has a good reputation for pharm (being the first pharm school and everything)? Not sure if i should pick the cheaper one or the one with a 'better reputation" (correct me if i’m wrong).
I also heard that apart from its pharm program, uri is kind of a 3rd tier school. Also that rhode islanders don’t really accept the out of state/international kids.
Northeastern is pretty pricey, so it doesn’t seem as appealing.
TL;DR: URI, Usciences, or Northeastern, and why?
I don’t know about tiers but I have never heard anything about RIers not accepting OOS or international students. 40% are not instate. Have you heard that from a lot of people? I think most of my friends were OOS. Have you visited all the schools?
Why don’t you decide based on fit. I’m sure you would get a great job after attending either. But they are completely different.
No I haven’t visited yet. Question: it sounds like you went to URI? Do you know anything about student life, campus, dorms, the people there, etc?
@bloodytearz666 It’s in a rural/suburban area which is very safe. A pretty campus with a central-ish quad which people hang out at in nice weather. A lot of money being put into buildings, Pharmacy is new and gorgeous, a new Chemistry and Forensic Sciences this year and all new Engineering in four years. The food is pretty good and so is the rec center. Basketball is probably the most popular sport. It has Greek life. I was in a sorority and I thought that was fun. Since it’s the Ocean State (the beach is 15 minutes away) there are a lot of water sport options. I learned to sail and scuba dive. Surfing is popular well into the fall at Narragansett beach. With nearby beach communities come benefits in the off season. There are nice beach houses for rent at cheap prices and a nightlife infrastructure. Newport and Providence are about a half hour away. Newport has an upscale and eclectic offerings. Providence has a cool music scene (alternative). Pharmacy dorms are new I think. They have the best and are housed together in a learning community. About 12k undergrads. More girls than boys. 40% OOS. It will be very different from a small school in Philly and far more diverse. You should visit.