Should the feel of the campus affect the college decision?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Wisconsin
1

<p>Currently, I have been having a hard time deciding which college to go to. I applied to 7 colleges of which 6 have accepted and replied back to me.</p>

<p>My top 3 choices out of the 7 are:
1. University of Wisconsin at Madison for pharmacology and toxicology
2. University of Illinois at Chicago GPPA for pharmacy
3. University of Texas at Austin for pre-pharmacy (it's listed as undecided though)</p>

<p>However, I have not received my admission letter into UIC GPPA pharmacy yet (the release date for decisions is April 1st), I will assume for simplicity that I have gotten in.</p>

<p>I have visited all 3 of these campuses, UW Madison once, UIC twice, and UT Austin once. I thought UW Madison's campus was beautiful, I loved the integrated city-campus effect and I loved their infrastructure! The location was also amazing, I plan, if I go there, to live on the Lakeshore I also loved the little downtown in Madison, I shopped a little when I was over there during the summer.</p>

<p>UIC's campus, on the other hand, didn't really do it for me. Although I love the fact that it's located in Chicago and very close to its downtown, I detested the almost community-college feel of the campus. The buildings were very plain-looking, there was nothing special about UIC visually-wise that I thought was worth remembering about. There didn't seem to be much going on at UIC unlike the other two campuses I visited.</p>

<p>UT Austin's campus was gorgeous. I visited over winter break so it was brisk, which I liked, and the appearance of the buildings impressed me to no end. You can tell that there's a lot to do on campus and the pharmacy building is gorgeous! (UT Austin has the #2 highest rated pharmacy school in the U.S.!)</p>

<p>However the financial cost varies significantly with each of these Universities, assuming I get 0 financial aid from either of these schools, since I am from Illinois, I would be paying out of state tuition for UW Madison which is around ~36k a year, ~27k for UIC, and ~15k for UT Austin (I would qualify as a resident).</p>

<p>According to my AP Scores, UT Austin would also be receiving the most AP credit, so I could potentially be "further" in my studies there than at the other 2 universities.</p>

<p>The deciding factor, I currently see though is that unlike the other two universities, UIC has the GPPA (Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions) program that allows me, if I maintain a certain GPA and pass the PCAT with a certain minimum score, to be automatically accepted into UIC's Pharmacy School which is ranked around #8 in the nation! That's a big deal for me, I really don't want to have to stress over graduate school more than I have to. The other two schools, UT Austin and UW Madison, though they have better campuses in my opinion, do not have this 8 year program that UIC does and I would have to apply for pharmacy school after my 2-3 years of undergraduate studies.</p>

<p>Are there any current or graduated pharmacy students that can help me with this dilemma? Should I take into account how much I like the campus or should I consider more how convenient I could get into pharmacy school at UIC? I would appreciate it so much if you could give me some insight on any of these schools. Sorry for this long post!</p>

2

<p>Not a Pharmacist. Finances do matter- do not go into debt if you don’t have to. Assured acceptance into the Pharmacy School also can be important, but if you feel you would be competitive at any school don’t let this be your deciding factor. How do you feel about living in Texas? If you are a top student do not settle for a lesser, more expensive school just to avoid the application process. Go where you can enjoy your undergrad experience- and save money. Yes, the campus feel should influence you. You can consider a transfer later, as well.</p>

3

<p>Try this link on the studentdoctor pre pharmacy forum where you’ll most likely receive more informed opinions.</p>

<p>[Pre-Pharmacy</a> - Student Doctor Network Forums](<a href=“Pre-Pharmacy | Student Doctor Network”>Pre-Pharmacy | Student Doctor Network)</p>

4

<p>Spent a few years at UT Austin. It is a great school, from both academic perspective and its city. UW Madison and UT Austin are very similar from that perspective.</p>

<p>Here is the question for you: Can you take the heat in summer of central TX? Do you have an allergy to cedar? These are two show-stoppers for many people.</p>

<p>As for pharmacy, UT is certainly one of the best in the country. Job opportunities will be more when graduated from UT a few years down the road.</p>

5

<p>Given that UW and UT are relatively even on getting in later I’d have to go with UT at half the cost. I lived in both towns and Austin certainly is a fun town to go to college. The winters are very mild and you can leave in summer to do internships or whatever when it’s really hot–but like the cold you can get used to it. There are some great places to cool off too. Barton Springs, Lake Travis etc. Great food, great music, mostly great weather, nice people–Austin is pretty great.</p>

6

<p>At 36k vs 15k per year–no, campus feel shouldn’t matter. But if you’re paying, then you should decide that yourself; and if you’re not paying, then that’s quite a burden to place on someone else.</p>

<p>Feelings change once you live on campus. Go to UT.</p>

7

<p>Yes yes yes, campus feel is completely and totally important in making a decision. Asking multiple transfer students I know, the “environment wasn’t right” and “it was never a fit” are the most common reasons. Yes, if it’s a huge difference in cost, then that’s equally as important. But, 95% of the time, a student can and will eventually find a school that fits the desired environment AND cost. So maybe consider more schools than just the small list. Because this forces you to choose between cheaper education and better environment. I wish someone would have told me this, so I am telling you. I spent months freaking out about Madison, which is an awesome environment but much out of my price range. Then I had an open mind and fell in love with a cheaper and a “better fit school” for me.</p>

8

<p>Thank you all so much for your responses. I feel much more confident now in making my decision. </p>

<p>Right now I’m definitely thinking UT Austin as my first choice. It’s unfortunate though that UT is so hot in the spring and summer, but I am ready to move out of my comfort zone and try something new :)</p>

9

<p>UT is hot in summer. But Barton Spring is cool enough. Boating in the Lake Travis is fun. Bar hopping on the 6th Street is an adventure. Tex-Mex food is fantastic. Texas is just a different country. Go for it.</p>

10

<p>[Pharmacy</a> School Rankings](<a href=“http://www.pharmacyschools.com/pharmacy-school-rankings.html]Pharmacy”>http://www.pharmacyschools.com/pharmacy-school-rankings.html)
[Best</a> Pharmacy Programs | Top Pharmacy Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/pharmacy-rankings]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/pharmacy-rankings)</p>

<p>Rankings are overrated on CC and often misleading, but it is difficult to justify the significant extra cost for roughly equivalent academic and social experiences.</p>

11

<p>Be happy with UT- you’re trading cold, snowy winters for spring/summer heat. Think about us when you are happy outdoors in February- you’re just trading which season to stay indoors.</p>

12

<p>Speaking of snow…We are having a wet snow in Wisconsin right now. Christmas in March! It is beautiful out there…But cold.</p>