Yes I made the deposit in Wyoming but my parents prefer Midwestern since they are closer to their house. It is also a 3 years school so that is where the decision coming. As far as Roseman, I felt the school has a lot to offer because the students I talked to seem to understand their goal and have good planning for their post graduate job.
Wrote a bunch of advice. Not all-inclusive but hopefully will be of some help.
Just saw the other thread where you mentioned living in a trailer. That is definitely
not the way to go. You will constantly feel unsafe, will pay a ton of money for heating and cooling, will have to live in a cramped space that cannot adequately contain your clothes, books, food, and waste (yuck). Plus you will risk freezing in a trailer during winter. There is always a mold risk since you will have to keep it hot and humid during winter. And you can't park a trailer just anywhere. You have to park them in designated areas such as KOA camp sites which has a daily rate. And you will have to get a gym membership or use the university gym to get showers.
I would recommend against it. No one needs that kind of stress in pharmacy school.
Wyoming has dirt-cheap rent. Call or email the school to see if they have resources for obtaining affordable, good housing. Some universities have on-campus graduate student housing and may allow professional students to live in these accommodations. Some schools set up lists or special meeting dates for incoming students to meet each other and become roommates in off-campus apartments.
I'm roommates with two other pharmacy students. We live in a pretty clean and well-kept apartment in this university town. Our monthly bill including utilities ranges from $400 - $500 for each person.
When I mentioned getting instate tuition, I based it on the experiences of my friends. One went to pharmacy school at UMKC in Missouri and was able to get instate tuition despite being a resident of Kansas. I even heard that a student from Seattle was able to get instate tuition at UMKC in his first year. I also had a friend from NYC go to a state medical school in New Jersey. She was able to get instate tuition her first year by showing the university that she got a NJ driving license, NJ license plates, and a one year lease for an apartment in NJ. (A life-long NYC resident that can drive. Ha!)
Wyoming may be different. So call the school of pharmacy and the university to see if they can give you assistance in this matter. You may not get the first year instate but with years 2, 3, and 4 as instate tuition, your total tuition bill comes to 80K. Make sure you get everything you need for this to happen. I highly doubt you have to own land to get instate tuition. Usually a proof of having had a one-year apartment lease is enough.
And don't go crazy trying to pinch every penny in an effort to minimize living expenses. The truth is, you may have to take out loans for your living expenses. I work to cover a lot of my living expenses, but I have friends who want to have time to relax or want to have extra time to study. Loan totals at my school range from 90K to 140K depending on the student.
Do not be afraid to take out extra loans for living expenses. You will be spending the majority of time studying pharmacy and making important professional connections with fellow students, pharmacy professors, and pharmacists. So you won't have the time to spend too much money.
And don't overwork yourself in order to minimize loans. Working too much could be detrimental to your schoolwork. If you want to get a good residency, you have to have good grades. Worse, it would be tragic if you overextended yourself and you failed out of pharmacy school. You will end up with debt but no degree.
So, find the right balance. If you want to focus more on your studies during the school year, you can make up for it during the breaks. PRN positions are the way to go. Make sure any employer is conscientious of your status as a pharmacy student and are willing to accommodate to your schedule. You don't want be scheduled for inconvenient shifts during finals week. Get connections through friends, colleagues, and the school of pharmacy. My school sends out emails whenever a pharmacy intern position is available. Contact your school to see what is available, they can always help.
I work two eight-hour shifts a week (and sometimes pick up an extra shift if I have time). But that is me. Some people only work a single shift a week or every two weeks. I also make a ton of money during the summer break when I tell my employers that I'm available to work anytime and that I'm available to substitute. Summer is a good time to get extra shifts because people like to take trips. It helps that I work at a retail chain and a large health system with multiple hospitals in it. If I schedule correctly, I can get up to 60+ hours per week. But, again, that is me. My friends think I overwork.
Also compare this school to the two other schools you were accepted into. I did say they were expensive. But that is my opinion. I am not you so I cannot be 100% sure what will work for you. You have to compare the cost, the student body, internship availability, residency matches, location, etc. and see which is the best match for you.
You mentioned liking the Roseman students. Maybe that is the school for you. But before you make a final decision try to get as much information from the students at all the schools you were accepted at.
If you have questions about the student body get to talking with current students and student ambassadors. Ask them about the student interactions at their school.
Are the students cutthroat or willing to help each other?
Will upperclassmen help the incoming students with mentoring and study guides?
Are the professors helpful or outright antagonistic? (probably a mix. you'll find out as you go through school who is who)
Is housing expensive?
What is the living expenses for the average student?
What policies the school has when it comes to grading?
What kind of support systems exist to help students who are struggling with certain subjects and ensure that students succeed? (very important)
Make a list of what you need to know and make sure these questions get answered.
If you are interested in student outcomes, browse the schools websites and look for pages like 'graduating student profile'. If you cannot find it or want newer information, ask the schools to send it to you. The higher the response rate to this survey, the more reliable the survey is. You want to see a high percentage of students being listed as employed or in residencies and a low percentage for undecided/etc (basically unemployed or looking for work.)
Also, if your ultimate goal is to work as a hospital pharmacist in the desirable areas of this country (the blue coasts), residency is a must. It is the filter that high-prestige hospitals are increasingly using to limit applications for their pharmacist positions. Ask the pharmacy schools you were accepted into for a list of residency match lists. The schools should have information about the students who got matched and the programs they got matched into. Compare the lists and see which ones align with your goals.
My school is in the middle of BFE country, but the professors want us to get into competitive residency programs (usually the blue coasts). So don't be too afraid about trying to get a residency in Cali or NYC. The professors will say they want you to come back, but you're not obligated to do so, especially if this training leads to a permanent position in Cali or NYC.
And your acceptance to Wyoming gives you an opportunity to try to negotiate. You can always try to see if the financial aid office at the private schools will give you some hidden scholarship that is not officially listed. But the difference between 40K to 17K is a pretty big gulf to fill with scholarship money.
So good luck. Hopefully everything works out.
