<p>I’m currently a senior having the most difficult time deciding on what college to go to. It doesn’t help that I’m not exactly sure what I want to do. I’m leaning towards pharmacy, and if not that, then most likely biology/pre-med track. My options are UC Berkeley, UNC Chapel Hill, UVA, and Rutgers Pharmacy. The 6 year pharmacy program at Rutgers is very appealing, but their overall bad reputation scares me. Even if I went there for the pharmacy program, which is pretty well known, would it hurt me that at the end, I would still have Rutgers on my diploma? Would it be better to go to a more prestigious school like Berkeley, struggle through pre pharmacy, and then apply to grad schools for pharm? I really need a lot of input because like I said, I am stressing out so much. Thanks!</p>
<p>I’m just a HS kid, but I’m sure the name on your diploma doesn’t matter that much in life. I say go where you’ll be happy.
But look more into that 6 year program. If pharmacy isn’t what you want to do, you’ll come out of Rutgers with a bachelor’s degree, and you might wish you had gone to another school. But if you want to do pharmacy, you will have saved some time, and money.
However, you can always go into pharmacy after undergrad at any of the other schools. I’m sure you are more than capable of doing the work.</p>
<p>In this situation, it is important because those three and not peer institutions of Rutgers. They are way ahead of Rutgers especially Berkeley which is ahead of Rutgers in everything you can think of.
"but their overall bad reputation scares me. "</p>
<p>Rutger’s doesn’t have a bad reputation at all but compared to those schools its behind. Which one is the cheapest of UNC, UCB and UVA ? If there is a very big price difference, attend Rutgers. You might also change your major so you need to attend the overall better college.</p>
<p>UCB is definitely the most expensive. I have a full ride to Rutgers, $24,000 to UNC, and still haven’t heard back from UVA</p>
<p>I can assure you that Rutgers is considered a fully respectable university by adults from all around the country. Only New Jersey high school students seem to think that it isn’t good enough. Stop listening to your pals.</p>
<p>If you have a full-ride for pre-pharmacy, take it. If you end up changing to another major along the way, you will still have had a couple of years for free. I’m betting that your overall costs would be much less than choosing four years at any of the other institutions on your list. Rutgers has a large number of bio-related majors to choose from if you change your mind about pharm, so you don’t really have to worry about that either. If you do stick with pharmacy, a degree from Rutgers will get you into the workforce two years sooner, and with significantly less debt than any of your other options.</p>
<p>Here is a handy tool for evaluating the numbers. Run your aid offers through it, and discuss the results with your parents. And before you even ask, NO, UC Berkeley at OOS rates is not worth the difference in cost over the cheaper places. Only go there if your parents have scads of money and nothing better to do with the $200,000+ that UC Berkeley will cost your family. [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Award Letter Requirements - Finaid)</p>
<p>Go with Rutgers, not only are you already guaranteed into their pharm school but you have a full ride.</p>
<p>Rutgers is a perfectly respectable school, no one will look down upon a Rutgers degree.</p>
<p>Let’s see, full ride for pre-pharmacy and streamlined entry to pharmacy school at Rutgers, a respectable state flagship? That seems like a very easy choice. Go to Rutgers.</p>
<p>Also, if you decide to not do pharmacy, the absence of cost and debt at Rutgers will help you after you graduate with a biology major (where jobs tend to be low paying).</p>
<p>If you are planning on pursuing an advanced degree, it’s not very important. By the time you are ready to apply for an advanced degree, you will know which schools will give you the most potential for your career goals. Save money on undergrad, and choose a grad school judiciously.</p>
<p>Have you asked your parents if they are prepared to pay $50K/year for UCB? Many parents are surprised at the price for a college education.</p>
<p>I think the problem with accelerated programs like the 6 year pharmacy is that you can’t change your mind about doing pharmacy nor fail classes and if you do, you will have to start all over again.</p>
<p>I think you need to think about where you’ll be happiest, often the pull of more ‘elite’ institutions isn’t just that it will look better on your diploma, but that you’ll be around more intelligent people, better professors and ultimately get a better education, which really is what you should be worried about: where you’ll be happiest/where you’ll get the best education</p>