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I GOT INTO THE PHARMACY SCHOOLS BOTH FROM RUTGERS AND USP-UNIVERSITY OF THE SCIENCES IN PHILIDELPHIA-PHILIDELPHIA COLLEGE OF PHARMACY. USP GAVE ME $5000 SCHOLARSHIPS. WHICH ONE IS BETTER? WHICH ONE I SHOULD GO?

By Crnchycereal (Crnchycereal) on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 03:20 pm: Edit

I think the answer to your question is simple: turn off your caps lock.

By Shahab (Shahab) on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 03:34 pm: Edit

isnt rutgers like number one in the nation for pharmacy?

By Lamom (Lamom) on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 04:23 pm: Edit

Try talking with recent grads. Ck the state board sites and ck percentage of ea school who pass the boards.

By Renobi888 (Renobi888) on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 04:35 pm: Edit

Hey, i live in Jersey, and without a doubt it is Rugers. If that's the field that you want to get into than look no further. Around these parts (central JErsey) there are plenty of Pahrmeceutical companies (Merck, J& J) that probably feed on Rutgers grads.

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 04:17 pm: Edit

thanks you guys. i'll take your words and go to rutgers. does anyone know anyone went or current in rutgers for pharmacy?thanks

By Virgo007 (Virgo007) on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 06:02 pm: Edit

Rutgers Pharmacy is one of the top schools in the nation.

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 06:07 pm: Edit

thanks , do you know anyone who has a connection with rutgers pharmacy? do you have a rank for pharmacy? how do you know?

By Shahab (Shahab) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 02:23 pm: Edit

its pretty common knowledge i think... by the way check the campus before you decide for sure...it can be a dealbreaker sometimes- rutgers has the 13th worst dorms in america (2002 USNews i think) and the campus is kind of huge and unfriendly looking. If you don't mind that, then rutgers is the place for you.

By Horseman (Horseman) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 02:59 pm: Edit

Rutgers has a good pharmacy school, no doubt, but USP has a better one. If you want to live in a great city, have good internships, go to USP. Rutgers is a great school for pre-pharmacy, imo USP is better. Rutgers is huge, and the pharmacy pogram is large, however USP's pharmacy program is smaller, and much more compact. USP also has better placement for grads. Best of luck!

Rank/School Average
reputation score
(5 = highest)
1. University of California–San Francisco 4.5
2. University of Texas–Austin 4.2
3. University of Kentucky 4.0
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor 4.0
5. Purdue University–West Lafayette (IN) 3.9
University of Minnesota 3.9
7. Ohio State University 3.8
University of Arizona 3.8
University of Florida 3.8
University of Maryland–Baltimore 3.8
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill 3.8
University of Tennessee–Memphis 3.8
13. SUNY–Buffalo 3.7
University of Illinois–Chicago 3.7
University of Washington 3.7
16. University of Utah 3.6
University of Wisconsin–Madison 3.6
18. University of Southern California 3.5
19. University of Iowa 3.4
Virginia Commonwealth University 3.4
21. University of Kansas 3.3
22. Medical University of South Carolina 3.2
Philidelphia College of Pharmacy & Science 3.2
University of Georgia 3.2
25. University of Mississippi 3.1
University of Nebraska Medical Center 3.1
27. Rutgers College of Pharmacy (NJ) 2.9
St. Louis College of Pharmacy 2.9
University of Oklahoma 2.9
Washington State University 2.9
31. Auburn University (AL) 2.8
Creighton University (NE) 2.8
Mercer University (GA) 2.8
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center 2.8
Univeristy of Missouri–Kansas 2.8
Wayne State University (MI) 2.8

Reference: U.S. News

By Jurseygirl (Jurseygirl) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 04:24 pm: Edit

Are you a Jersey resident? Rutgers would be much cheaper for you than USP. Average SAT score for USP is 1100, Rutgers 1350-1400. 'Nuf said.

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 05:03 pm: Edit

no, i'm not a New Jersey resident. i'm a new yorker. but if i decided to go to rutgers, then my family will to rutgers just to get the tuition reduction, more opinions, thanks.

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 05:12 pm: Edit

and jursey girl, where can you find the incoming freshman profile for the pharmacy program@rutgers?

By Jamimom (Jamimom) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 05:14 pm: Edit

Go to the school you like best. Family friend is a pharmacist. He graduated from USP many years ago. Says it does not matter which school you graduated from in the field. Job prospects are great in this field if you become a pharmacist. Most of the programs are very competitive so congrats in getting into those two schools. As long as they will get you out as a pharmacist, not a pre pharmacy program where you will have to continue before being able to work, you will be fine. My only take is that Rutgers is more well rounded with more options and more of a student community and facilities, more diversity in the type of students. But visit both schools--you live close enough to do so. Again congrats

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 05:20 pm: Edit

thanks Jamimom, my mom wants me to go to rutgers, because the reputation is better. but usp offered a $5000 merit scholarship. i don't know. i also applied to the pharmacy@st.john's university, i'm still waiting for their decision. do you know anyone who went or current at rutgers for pharmacy? by the way, what schools did you apply to? if you don't mind, what are your stats?

By Virgo007 (Virgo007) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 05:27 pm: Edit

If you get accepted to Rutgers pharmacy, GO TO RUTGERS PHARMACY.

I recently spoke to a friend of mine who graduated from USP and she recommends Rutgers above USP because of the co-op jobs that are available. There is no doubt in my mind that Rutgers Pharmacy is higher in prestige than USP. Listen to Jamimom.

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 05:44 pm: Edit

CONGRATS, VIRGO007, ARE YOU A NEW JERSEY RESIDENT? I'M NOT, I'M A NEW YORKER. WHAT ARE YOUR STATS?

By Jurseygirl (Jurseygirl) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 06:10 pm: Edit

We recently went to Rutgers Pharmacy open house. When I asked what were the average SAT scores that they were looking for, they would not give me an answer. I do not know if stats are available on the rutgers pharmacy website. Girl at open house was denied with 1000 SAT and 3.9 GPA, but that is not surprising. Pokemon- did you look into LIU in Brooklyn?- supposedly very generous with $$$$$.

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 06:15 pm: Edit

I GOT INTO LIU, BUT I'M POSITIVE THAT I'M NOT GOING THERE BECAUSE THEIR BAD REPUTATION, I JUST APPLIED AS A SAFETY PHARMACY SCHOOL. DID YOU APPLY TO RUTGERS PHARMACY? I ASKED THEM TOO, THEY SAID WE WILL LOOK YOUR WHOLE PACKAGE.

By Jurseygirl (Jurseygirl) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 06:45 pm: Edit

Dis only a junior- so we are just starting to look at schools. Did you look at Albany School of Pharmacy?

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 07:07 pm: Edit

yes, but i got deferred. it's so weird that i got into rutgers pharmacy and usp the better schools, and deferred or waitlisted by the worse school.

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 07:27 pm: Edit

i would say college admission is weird, you don't know who they want. they can reject the better students and accept worse students. for instance, columbia, last year, from my school somebody get rejected with 3rd rank in class, and high sat. somebody got in who ranked 50 in class,and lower sat. isn't it weird, like me, better schools accepted me, worse school waitlisted me. are you going to be major in pharmacy?

By Virgo007 (Virgo007) on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 06:23 pm: Edit

Pokemon,

Thank you. Congratulations to you, as well. If you would like to see my stats:

http://www.prstats.com/display.php?user=Skylark

By Spiffybrownboy (Spiffybrownboy) on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 07:37 pm: Edit

Rutgers pharmacy is not all that hard to get into (but competitive nonetheless). A few people I know have been accepted. They've had SATs in the 12 or 1300's, good class rank (top 10% or 15%), usual EC's, etc. etc. Good thing about Rutgers is that it's cheap for in-state students AND they give you money... a table of SAT scores and class ranking they have will give you the approximate merit award you will receive, and I believe it is regardless of which school you apply to (I got 5k a year). Of course, there's also need-based aid. If you're an NJ resident, look no further than Rutgers for pharmacy.

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - 12:17 am: Edit

virgo007, see you next year at rutgers pharmacy. yeah. go, rutgers!

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - 12:18 am: Edit

virgo007, are you a girl or a guy?

By Jamimom (Jamimom) on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - 11:20 am: Edit

I am too old for my stats to matter anymore and I am not a phamacist. I know several kids girls who are going into the field--top students, and have learned a little about what it entails. More than I thought it would.

If cost is a big issue for your family, then you do need to take heavy count on the $5000. But if it is not, do look at both schools, spend a day and evening there if you can. You are close enough to do this without incurring too much cost. Talk to some phamacists and if it is indeed true that it does not much matter which school you graduate from, go to the one you like best. If there is a big difference, then you need to consider that. I tend to agree with your mom, not so much for the rep reason, but because you give yourself more options at Rutgers. I can't think of any course or discipline you cannot study if you should change your mind, if you are at Rutgers. USP is more limited. And kids change their minds about majors all of the time.

By Collegebnd (Collegebnd) on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - 08:52 pm: Edit

My parents are both pharmacists, and both graduated from USP. Like Jamimom said, job prospects in the field are REALLY plentiful. As long as you graduate a pharmacy school with a degree to practice, it is very safe to say that you will have numerous job offers that pay extremely well. My dad (who currently works in a hospital) and my mom (who does not practice anymore) CONSTANTLY get calls from head-hunters seeking pharmacists for various positions. In fact, he has several pharmacist friends who regret attending expensive "prestigious" pharmacy schools because they feel the prestige hasn't given them any advantages over their colleagues who, for the most part, went to less expensive, less prestigious schools. Debating the prestige of pharmacy schools is ludicrous, especially between two reputable schools which will garner you the same job opportunities. In the end, a "prestigious" pharmacy school will give you nothing more than something to brag about, and possibly result in more money taken out of your salary to pay off college debts. With that in mind, I would visit both schools and make a decision that doesn't heavily weight prestige, but takes into account the financial aid, dorms, activities, "feel" of the campus, etc.

By Virgo007 (Virgo007) on Saturday, February 28, 2004 - 03:49 pm: Edit

I'm a girl, but I don't know if I'm going to do into Pharmacy yet. I'm waiting on UPenn- my love- first.

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Saturday, February 28, 2004 - 03:55 pm: Edit

upenn is a great school. i visited last year with my school. by the way, my friend got into the wharton school of business at upenn early decision. which school at upenn did you apply to? do you know anyone else got into rutgers pharmacy?

By Pokemon (Pokemon) on Saturday, February 28, 2004 - 03:56 pm: Edit

what about columbia, virgo007, is that your second choice? which school did you apply to for columbia?seas or college? my mom works at columbia.