<p>Hi everyone! Before you get scared off by this huge wall of text, please remember that reading is good for the soul! And uh...karma is a beautiful, beautiful thing...
So, here goes -
I was accepted to 7 schools and have narrowed it down to the following: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Iowa, University of Kansas, and University of Southern California. I'd want to go into pharmacy for the first three colleges, and pre-med for USC. I'm leaning towards pharmacy right now, but you never know! I've received nice 4-year scholarships from UI and KU (UI's amount is more impressive than KU's, just so if I want to include it in my resume in the future) and nice grants for UNC and USC. I know that UNC and USC are more prestigious, but if my grant somehow dissapears...then my college life will be a very dark and miserable experience ];The amount I have to pay for all of them is as follows: KU<UI<UNC<USC. They're all in the 17-25k range. I want to go on the 2 year + 4 year track for pharmacy and UNC has an amazing pharmacy program, but I'm OOS so my chances of getting in are reduced (they're EXTREMELY state-favored). Plus, statistics show that 83% of their acceptees already hold a graduate/4 year degree....I wouldn't have this. If I go there and don't get in, I may have to add a year or apply to another pharmacy school...however, I won't have any of the scholarships previously offered as a financial cushion. But, as with all top schools, I'd have more opportunities in research and other programs. UI's not as prestigious, but it has a very nice pharmacy program too. The thing is...(correct me if I'm wrong) it's in the middle of nowhere. Everyone tells me that I'll be bored there and only have cornstalks as friends. KU's nice as well, but, according to people I've talked to, it's programs and opportunities to get into higher-level occupations in pharmacy are not as great as the others. USC is just flat out expensive. 58k a year...yeah if my grant were to one day vanish, I'll probably kill myself out of desperation...if I hadn't already from my decision to go to medical school. BUT CALIFORNIA'S AN AWESOME PLACE.
So, fellow CCer's, any suggestions/feedbacks are nice. If you read through this entire post, kudos to you! Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>Oh come on T^T Help a sister in need</p>
<p>Iowa is in the middle of nowhere. you are correct in that. I actually visited Iowa last summer and i went to the pharmacy school. Let me tell you that their pharmacy school is very, very nice and very new. I also toured Purdue’s and it was nice but very old. Iowa’s was much nicer. have you visited all of the campuses? UNC is a great school but i agree that it might be hard to get into pharmacy school. i’d say that your best bet is to visit each and then choose.</p>
<p>I would like to but I haven’t had the time lately…so I’m relying on web images…</p>
<p>i think it’s vital to visit before you choose! how come you haven’t visited any?</p>
<p>I’ve been super booked lately >< Wahhh…deciding is so hard!</p>
<p>“UI’s not as prestigious, but it has a very nice pharmacy program too. The thing is…(correct me if I’m wrong) it’s in the middle of nowhere. Everyone tells me that I’ll be bored there and only have cornstalks as friends.”</p>
<p>Where are you from, and who are you talking with?</p>
<p>The University of Iowa is located in Iowa City. It is a city. You cannot see a single cornstalk from campus. There is a scenic river that flows through the center of campus (and flooded parts of the campus a couple of years back so there is likely to be major construction). The “downtown” area closest to campus is full of all kinds of nifty artsy shops and coffee bars. One of the truly great bookstores [Home</a> | Prairie Lights](<a href=“http://www.prairielights.com/]Home”>http://www.prairielights.com/) in the country is located smack in the middle of that neighborhood. If you want mall-type shopping, there is a huge mall on the edge of town. Iowa City is well served by city and university buses so you won’t need to have a car. There is a lively independent music scene, and there is plenty of theater at a number of venues in town. If you’ve got to get out of there, the airport at Cedar Rapids is only 20 minutes away.</p>
<p>I have only been to KU once about a million years ago, but it is a perfectly respectable institution as well. If money is an issue, and you really want the pharmacy degree, it is fine for you to choose the least expensive option. Pick up the phone and call all of the financial aid offices and find out what the rules are for your scholarship offers. Do you need to maintain a certain GPA? Are they good only for as long as you are in a pre-pharm/pharm program, or if you wake up one morning sick to death of science, can you keep the money as a Russian Lit major?</p>
<p>Here is a nice calculator that will let you compare the offers. Run the numbers through it, and see what you think. [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Advanced Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid) If you were my kid though, you’d be on the plane to Iowa or Kansas for sure. Graduating from KU or U of Iowa will not keep you from getting any place that you want to go in life.</p>