<p>I'm a current high school senior from NY, and I've narrowed down my choices to NEU and Buffalo. I have to enroll by May 1st, and I still don't know which is best! :( If anyone can give me some guidance or advice it would be much appreciated!!</p>
<p>Northeastern has the co-op program, which is huge for job placement and networking. It seems like employers consider work experience to be a huge factor on if they will hire a candidate. The campus is awesome, and I love the community. The average lecture size is 140 students, and classes have 10-15 students. Also, I get the notion that the professors are really friendly and helpful, and I met a girl who was able to get involved in research in her freshman year, which is another big factor for me. The program is 0-6, so the attitude between students feels cooperative, and I have to maintain a 3.0 GPA to stay eligible, which I can manage. On the downside, there are no merit scholarships after I'm already enrolled (only external scholarships), and it's obviously really expensive (after scholarships and unsubsidized/subsidized loans, it comes down to $22K/yr).</p>
<p>SUNY Buffalo is one of the most reputable Pharmacy programs in the U.S., and is ranked higher on the U.S. News rankings. It's also much cheaper than Northeastern; I've estimated it to cost about $10K/yr. It has tons of research opportunities and receives a ton in research grants. It's a 2+4 school, so I have to maintain a 3.5 GPA to remain in the Early Assurance program (I don't have to take PCAT). I don't want to say that I can't do it because I know I can, but it definitely will be a lot more challenging than maintaining a 3.0 at NEU. Also the class sizes can get pretty overwhelming; the lectures get up to 400-500 people initially, but taper down to about 30 as I get farther advanced into my major. I come from a school with a 86-person graduating class, and I like to get to know my professors. I also worry that the 2+4 program will make students more competitive/cutthroat towards each other, which is not an environment that I would prefer. Another con is the large commuter base (17.8k/25k students commute) which I fear will make networking more difficult. Other than that, the campus is very nice, and the teaching must be very good to merit its high national ranking. Unlike NEU, Buffalo offers academic scholarship opportunities after I'm enrolled.</p>
<p>Both universities boast over 90% job placement rates, licensing exam pass rates, and great facilities (compounding labs, clinincal simulation labs, retail simulation labs). </p>
<p>Sorry for the wall of text! If anyone can give me any insights into which to choose, or wants to ask questions for clarification, please don't hesitate! Thanks!</p>