<p>ok i need your guys opinion, i am very interested in two distinct fields to major in! these two are:</p>
<p>-Packaging (Michigan State University)
-Pharmacy (University of Minnesota)</p>
<p>Now i am a minnesota resident myself, and therefore Pharmacy School at the U of M (supposively the 3rd best pharmacy school in the country) seems like a very good choice to me, as in-state tuition would make it a very good deal for me right? And also the fact that Pharmacy grads make more money too right?</p>
<p>But on the other hand, MSU is a state college, so its cheaper, BUT it's still expensive out-of-state tuition.... and Packaging grads aren't going to make nearly as much right? (the reason of this choice is that MSU is the top packaging school in the nation)</p>
<p>So what is the best choice?? I guess it sorta all comes down to what field im REALLY most interested in right?</p>
<p>First of all, the AACP does not endorse any rankings of pharmacy schools - the numbers you’re looking at are likely based on research funding…ALL pharmacy schools have to meet the same standards and all grant the same degree, a PharmD. You would not be in the PharmD program at UofM for quite some time - they do not offer guaranteed admissions and are a highly competitive school (average gpa>3.5, high 70’s PCAT, and 90% of their admits have a BS already). The PharmD normally takes 4 years after you enter pharmacy school (although there are several 3 year programs).</p>
<p>So, while it seems like a good deal as far as starting salaries go, you would likely be in school for 6-8 years…and be sweating your gpa with some very challenging courses throughout! A lot is going to depend on how well you can do in your prereqs, which are normally taken in years 1 & 2. Then you’ll also need good LOR’s and probably some pharmacy experience if you can get it. I would suggest you plan on applying to more pharmacy schools than just UofM anyway. So, you could actually start at any school, take your pre-reqs and the PCAT, and start applying in your second year if you still think pharmacy is for you…it does not have to be an either/or thing right now.</p>
<p>My advice, if you’re unsure (and most freshmen are), is to pick a school that offers several potentially interesting majors and try to do some shadowing so you can actually see what the work is like and interact with some people in those fields.</p>
<p>^^^^ Everyday you learn something. Never imagined there was a major in packaging. Hopefully someone will come up with a method that that you do not have to use a hacksaw to open that little Christmas present :)</p>
<p>Jokes aside, it seems the packaging major is an innovative curriculum that should have good job prospects. I really do not know much but it looks like an area that companies would really want.</p>
<p>man, within not even a full day do i have a MUCH BETTER understanding!!! </p>
<p>yes, so conclusion here for me is that pharmacy really seems like A LOT more hassle than i was thinking, and really in the end here, i am mostly into pharmacy for the $$$, though it does seem interesting, $$$ really is the main thing driving me, well and no worries about economy, and off course there is a huge need for them if im not mistaken!</p>
<p>But truely i think Packaging Science (jobs would include Packaging Engineering) is VERY interesting, and MSU offers a top notch program!!</p>
<p>*** one more question, anyone know the GPA of acceptance into MSU? and would it be a waste to go there instead of University of Wisconsin Stout, which offers a full year tuition to Minnesota residents, as i am, only about 11,000!!!****</p>
<p>The quickest way to find any school’s admissions averages is through College Board. Put in your stats there, save them, and you can click on “How Do I Stack Up?” for any school you’re interested in. Here’s a link to MSU’s admissions stats:
[College</a> Search - Michigan State University - MSU - At a Glance](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>Whether you can afford the $27K tuition at MSU or the $8100 tuition (with reciprocity) at UW depends on your family’s financial situation. Do you know how much your parents plan to contribute to your education each year? If not, it’s very important you have a talk with them before constructing your college list. They should be estimating their EFC, using one of the online calculators, so you know what the minimum that colleges will expect you to pay out of pocket is (but most will expect more than the EFC). If you post this info, your stats, and what you’re looking for in a school, you may get some suggestions for other schools that will be affordable and meet your needs.</p>
<p>The demand bubble for pharmacists has burst in many areas, especially the urban locations, although it isn’t terribly difficult to find floater positions or jobs in more rural areas. But PharmD candidates having multiple offers with huge signing bonuses before they even graduate or take the NAPLEX are a thing of the past for most students. As pharmacists generally start out high, but do NOT have huge increases (most will top out under $150K), you should think carefully about whether the potential for this career will sustain your interest through undergrad and pharmacy school…most people would not go through all that for money alone and pharmacy is not a glam career (they have to put up with a lot of garbage, especially in retail).</p>
<p>yes, i think ill talk to the parents about the financial side like you said. But i have overheard that they would pay me into UofM, which tuition is very expensive, BUT i suppose they have also really liked the idea of reciprocity, but with MSU being prestigious in the particular program im interested in, i think they would let me go to MSU.</p>
<p>Do u think a 3.7-3.9 final GPA in high school would get me in alright? (im not even done with high school, i just am making a rough estimate here)</p>
<p>Regarding pharmacy school … I believe UM requires a 4 year degree prior to getting into pharm school (which then requires another 4 years). I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure that’s what I read when we were researching pharmd programs. I wouldn’t recommend pharmd for anyone who is only in it for the money, to be perfectly honest (I wouldn’t recommend ANY program “for the money” - but pharmd is very narrow - it’s not like it lends itself to jobs in other areas if you hate the field). </p>
<p>MSU has a well-regarded packaging program. The key to getting admitted to MSU is to apply early. I live in Michigan & know many students who had the stats for MSU but applied too late — applying early in the year is essential. As far as money goes, MSU is expensive OOS. You would have to discuss the finances with your parents.</p>
<p>Kelsmom makes a great point, although there are administrative positions open for PharmD’s, as well as research and teaching jobs, you do give up a degree of flexibility. And, please, don’t ever mention the word money on your applications or in interviews…it tops of list of no-no’s from at least one adcom member’s perspective:
[Pharmacy</a> School Admissions - The Truth](<a href=“http://pharmacyschooladmissions.blogspot.com/]Pharmacy”>http://pharmacyschooladmissions.blogspot.com/)</p>
<p><strong><em>but do u think my current GPA would get me in if i apply “early”?</em></strong></p>
<p>and if MSU packaging costs WAY more than UW packaging, than is it really THAT much better of a school? and is the degree maybe worth much more to employers?</p>
<p>i know i found some stats at a liable salary site, and found that MSU grads do make A LOT more than UW grads, is that the ticket there?</p>
<p>See if you can find out who recruits at the two schools (for packaging). MSU packaging program has been around for a long, long, long time so some of that “glow” may just come from volume + time + decades old name recognition. If the same companies are recruiting both schools these days it may not mean that much difference. </p>
<p>Also take the time to look through the curriculum at both schools there might be some distinctions in the program that favor MSU over UW.</p>
<p>yes, it looks as though the starting salary for ALL MSU grads is much higher than UW grads, and in the news is that MSU was given $400,000 towards their packaging program, that’s gotta be a top program then.</p>
<p>ill talk it over with the parents, what do u think though? can i even make it into MSU?</p>
<p>“I believe UM requires a 4 year degree prior to getting into pharm school (which then requires another 4 years)”</p>
<p>This is incorrect. The U of M pharmacy program does not require that you have a bachelors degree, but they seem to look for it in the admissions process as their percentile of students coming in with a BA/BS is relatively high at 89% this year.</p>
<p>Like others have said, do not go into a career for the money! In the long run, it probably will not be worth it. If you are still unsure if you’d like a career, try shadowing in the field and experience it for yourself!</p>
<p>Where are you guys getting your salary data from? According the the most recent figures from the actual packaging program website from MSU packaging undergrads ('08-'09) have an average starting salary of $49,965. According to the UW Stout website packaging undergrads ('09-'10) have a starting salary of $51,000, as well as 100 percent job placement. However, I can tell you that MSU does not have as great of a packaging program as they lead you to believe. They are relying on their laurels, and the program has actually been in decline for several years now. I personally dont hire any packaging graduates out of MSU anymore…they simply cant hack it as a whole. Packaging professionals actually recognize UW Stout as one of the best packaging programs in the nation, if not in the world. I have had far greater success with graduates from Stout. They are far better prepared than their counterparts from MSU. Thats my opinion, hope it helps you decide. I would really just go for the cheaper school either way, college is becoming way to expensive and MSU really offers you nothing over Stout except for the brand name, which isnt even that great of a brand anyways.</p>
<p>I think the OP posted some salary info he found…but that was over a year ago. Good to hear about this rarely discussed major from a working professional though. I actually remember this thread because of the interest in packaging! Wonder where he ended up?</p>