Pharmacy School Admissions - The Truth

What are my chances? Low GPA, but improving. Good PCAT.

2012-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Question: I stumbled upon your blog and am so grateful to you for creating this discussion board. I have found all of your answers informative and somewhat reassuring.

Statistically, I am aware that I am not a great candidate for pharmacy school.
Current Cummulative 2.25
PCAT: tentative score in the 90's
Pharmacy Tech: 2 years.

After graduating top 5% with Honors at a competitive High School, I completed all my undergraduate coursework; but was academically disqualified as my GPA (1.8) was not enough to graduate. I had significant family problems and my grades following this period were pretty much F's and D's.

Since then I have moved closer to home, attended a CC, and restarted the prereq with a CC GPA of 3.5. I am also shadowing and working at a specialty pharmacy. I have obtained LOR's from important personnel ( Ochem, speech, Bio professors, and Pharmacist) basically vouching on my behalf. Is this decent enough to show admissions I am more than capable of excelling in their competitive pharmacy curriculum?

Pharmacy has always been my dream career; and after working at the store, I have loved it even more, not with just the chemistry/biology aspect of the job but with helping and developing a connection with those in my community.

My final and most important topic/question to you are as follows:
What can I do to improve my chances of getting in?
How likely is it for me to be accepted with a 2.2 and tentative high PCAT scores and experience?
Since my semester hours are so high, it would take me about 150 semester hours (averaging 5 yrs) with a 4.0 to bring my GPA to a 3.0. I would have to retake A LOT of courses for the third time some of which I have already received A's for- how would this affect admissions?

Thank you.

Answer: Thanks for your question. Your poor GPA will undoubtedly have an impact. However, you are not the first and will not be the last applicant to be in this situation. I can only advise you to completely "own" what occurred and do everything you can to explain the situation and how you have grown from it. I would strongly suggest that you have a letter of recommendation from an academic advisor at school who can attest to your motivation to the profession and explain how you have overcome the initial setbacks.

For your sake, I hope that your PCAT will be your saving grace. I would expect that you will get some interview invitations based on that alone and the AdComs interviewing you will try to make a determination whether you are admittable based on that. Obviously, you will need to sell yourself to the school because some will simply not be able to look past the poor transcript.

Your chances at being admitted at the most prestigious, competitive schools are poor. That doesn't mean you cannot (or should not) be considered a strong candidate for pharmacy school. You need to make sure that every part of your application is stellar to have a chance. I wouldn't consider retaking many classes unless your prereqs are in dire need of improvement because improving your cumulative GPA will be rather difficult. Instead. begin communicating with the schools where you will consider applying and explain your situation to them and how much you would like to attend their school. See what advice they can share and do what they ask of you.

Why do they ask for parents info on PharmCas

2012-02-06T14:03:00.000-08:00

Question: How important is the parent information requested on the PharmCas application? Do schools look at this?

Answer: It is my experience that this information is unimportant unless:
1) The school gives preference to under represented minorities, including first generation college students, and you indicate that your parents did not attend college.
2) Your parent was a graduate of the university that you are applying to.

Even if this does not seem to impact you, I would fully complete this section of the application.

Thanks and good luck.

What should I not say in my personal statement?

2012-01-22T08:58:00.001-08:00

Question: Can you give me advice on what "not to say" in my personal statement?

Answer: I think personal statements are an opportunity for the applicant to really show why they want to be a pharmacist. There are a lot of outstanding things you can mention, but several things I suggest you NEVER mention.

1) "I want to be a pharmacist because I'll make a lot of money". Now most applicants don't use this verbiage, but this is what they are getting at. Often referred to as a "secure financial future" in personal statements. Although you may be thinking this, don't write it. It isn't looked upon favorably by any committee I have ever been a part of.

2) "I couldn't get into medical school, so I decided to try pharmacy". You might think I am joking, but I'm not. Every year, I read this multiple times. Your personal statement should explain why you want to be a pharmacist, not why you fell into this choice.

3) "I've always liked Chemsitry". Although not as agregious as the previous two, I would suggest avoiding such a generic reason. We see this one far too often. The joke in our committee is that if you like chemistry so much, you should be a chemist. Pharmacy involves a lot more than just learning the periodic table.

Please email with any questions or feel free to post them on the forum (link at right): pharmacyschooladmissions@gmail.com

Also, I would appreciate you mentioning this blog to anyone interested in the profession of pharmacy.

Thanks and good luck!

Supplemental questions similar to PharmCas

2012-01-21T07:52:00.001-08:00

Question: First of all, I really appreciate you guys for creating this blog. It has answered a lot of my questions already =). I have a question about the supplementals. I noticed that some of the supplemental questions are similar to the Pharmcas personal statement question. Do you think we could use the same ideas from the Pharmcas personal statement but just reword it?

Thanks a lot for your guys' help!

Answer: Thanks for your email. I am glad that you have found the blog to be useful. To answer your question, you can certainly use some of the same "ideas", but be careful.

If by "ideas" you mean the desire to help people, etc... of course you should reinforce this. However, don't use the same examples and stories, etc. I have seen this occur many times and committees always look at this with disdain. Take the time to put your thoughts and feelings on paper, doing you best to answer the questions asked on the supplemental application.

If your supplemental answers answers overlap some of what was said in your PharmCas personal statement, that is probably to be expected. Just don't overdo it.

Former pharmacy student reapplying

2012-01-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

Question: Firstly, I want to thank you very much for your blog. Your advice and answers to many questions have really helped me a lot.

I recently received my PCAT scores-
Verbal - 89
Biology - 60
Reading Comprehension - 73
Quantitative Ability - 73
Chemistry - 43
Composite - 73

Do the chemistry and the biology scores significantly reduce my chances of admittance?
I finished 2 years pre-pharmacy at a 6-year pharmacy program but had to leave due to my family relocating. During the 1st year, I was doing very well with As and Bs. The 2nd year, however, was mostly Bs and Cs (in Organic Chemistry and Physiology), as well as failing a MedMicro course. I have an overall 3.03 GPA, but will my 2nd year of science courses and biology and chemistry PCAT scores really be looked down upon even if I stress in my personal statement that I am willing to push myself much more?

Answer: The first question I have, and one I imagine most AdComs will have, is, "Are you eligible to return to your former school of pharmacy"? If so, you stand a much better chance of being considered. If not, things get a little more difficult for you. You will likely need a letter from your former Dean acknowledging that you are eligible to return to your previous school.

I would advise you to explain your family situation and the decision you made to leave school. Some members will question whether or not you are committed to being in pharmacy school considering your past experience. Your PCAT scores are probably acceptable for most schools, but you are correct in assuming that your Chem score might hurt your chances a bit. Do you plan to retake the PCAT? At some schools, a PCAT Chem < 50 will automatically be rejected.

Your GPA and poor academic history needs to be addressed also in as positive a way as possible. I agree that your statement needs to offer more and explain your circumstances in greater detail. Try to use your early pharmacy school experience to your advantage, mentioning that you found it challenging and rewarding, but life circumstances required you to take a leave from school. It's worth a shot.

Good luck.

Academic vs Financial aid probation

2012-01-10T07:52:00.001-08:00

Question: I had a question regarding academic probation on pharmcas. It specifically states this: "Were you ever the recipient of any action (e.g. dismissal, disqualification, suspension, probation etc.) by any college oruniversity for unacceptable academic performance or conduct violations? "

I have only taken one semester at a University I received financial aid during it. Anyways, due to struggling financially, I withdrew from two courses (a lab/lecture) and worked full-time again. The next semester, I went back to a CC and I saw on the University website today that I was on financial aid probation in Fall of 2008. I'm not sure what the difference is between financial aid probation and academic probation or if it is one in the same?

Does this qualify for the action that pharmcas is referring to? Do I need to report it?

Answer: I doubt that financial aid probation would be a concern for any committee when reviewing your file. In my opinion, unacceptable academic or conduct violations refer to those specific areas (ie, poor grades and/or conduct) only and not to any issues relating to your failure to make financial remittance. I would not report this on your PharmCas application.

What are my chances at getting into pharmacy school?

2011-12-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

Question: I just finished my final semester of undergraduate work and my cumulative gpa should be around 2.9. I know that isn't great and unfortunately I went through more family problems than I care to admit and that caused me to have a couple D's and F's on my transcript. Most of them came in the ochem area. I will graduate with a biology degree and don't plan to start applications for school till this summer for fall 2013. I also know that my school throws out my old grades if I retake a course so I'm assuming that my gpa through pharmcas won't actually be as high as it says on my transcript. I have also taken the pcat twice with my composite scores in the 60's, but I do plan on preparing all spring and taking it one more time this summer hopefully scoring in the 80's or 90's. I also work full-time in a hospital pharmacy as a pharmacy technician and will have numerous letters of recommendation from pharmacists as I work with 15-20 of them regularly.

I know that my gpa and grades are a huge obstacle, but I know that I want to go to pharmacy school so I will stick with it either way and am willilng to work as a technician until I do get in. I do also plan on applying to 15 or more schools during the summer as I have read that some people have gotten consideration based on the fact that they showed through submitting so many applications that they were very serious about getting in. I do also plan on making most of those applications to schools that are in the candidate or pre-candidate status as I'm hoping that will also help things out.

Please let me know what you think my chances are as well as anything that you think that I could do to improve my chances going forward. Thanks for reading everyone and I appreciate the feedback.

Answer:
The key for an AdCom will be your Organic Chemistry grades. I know my primary concern would be your ability to succeed in a chemistry heavy curriculum. That being said, every year we admit applicants who have struggled with various courses before "getting it" and your case sounds similar. Use your statement to acknowledge the earlier difficulties but then use your experience to show how you persevered and succeeded despite the initial setback. This will show your determination and motivation for the profession. A letter of recommendation from an OChem professor would certainly augment that as well.

I think you have a decent chance of being offered interviews and, therefore, a chance at being admitted. I wish you the best and hope you will keep us posted.

Good luck.

When should I begin my pharmacy school application?

2011-12-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Question: When should I begin my pharmacy school application. I just completed my first semester of my sophomore undergraduate studies but do not plan to apply until next cycle at the earliest.

Answer: It really depends where you want to apply and when you will have the necessary prerequisites completed. I would suggest that you begin identifying schools of interest to you and contacting them now to begin a professional dialogue with the Admissions office. request materials be sent to you and set up campus visits if time permits. Begin looking for volunteer / shadowing / work experience in pharmacy sooner rather than later.

The application process begins long before you actually submit your application.

Good luck.

Terrified of interviews - suggestions?

2011-12-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

Question: I have an interview scheduled and I am absolutely horrified. I get extremely nervous and have a hard time formulating a decent response under pressure. I was wondering if you had any advice? And I was wondering just how important an interview is? How much is the oral interview weight in comparison to the written portion of the interview?

Thank you for your help.

Answer: The interview is pretty important. I think most Adcoms expect applicants to display some nerves, but try to relax as best you can. I've seen an interviewee answer a single question for 5 straight minutes without stopping because he was so nervous... just take your time in responding and try to keep your answer somewhat brief if you can.

The written portion is simply to see if you can formulate thoughts and put them into writing without having a week or month to do so (as you would when submitting your personal statement). I think the oral portion is much more important personally.

Good luck with the interview and please keep us posted.

PCAT 92 - What are my chances?

2011-12-05T18:44:00.000-08:00

Question: I am a seniordouble majoring in Chemistry and Biochemistry. I am currently applying for pharmacy school and was wondering how competitive I am.

I took the PCAT over the summer and my composite percentile rank was a 92, my current GPA is 3.810, and I have A's in all the prerequisite science classes (Bio, Organic, etc).

I feel like academically I am competitive, but I don't have a lot of pharmacy experience. I have shadowed a few pharmacists, but nothing too extensive. I also feel like my volunteer work is lacking. I have been very involved in undergraduate research since my sophomore year and haven't had much free time outside that. I have done some volunteer work like tutoring and random other projects here and there, but nothing too consistent.

Any input would be very helpful. I just want to make sure my lack of community service isn't going to keep me out.

Answer: Based on the information provided, I think you will be a very strong candidate. Grades, PCAT, etc are all top notch it appears. You're as ideal a candidate as anyone will get in those areas to be honest.

As far as experience and volunteerism, I'm not one who dwells on it much when I review applications although I have some colleagues who place greater emphasis on it. If you have some shadowing experience, you should at least mention it in your statement or essays to point it out. If you can share a story or something you witnessed during your shadowing, that's even better.

I hate to say this, but I put virtually no stock in volunteer work outside of health care or pharmacy specific work that is well documented - I've found that much of what is listed by applicants is somewhat exaggerated anyway. Again, that's my opinion of it.

All in all, I think you have an excellent chance of being offered interviews and likely admission to pharmacy school this year.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

3.1 GPA - What are my chances?

2011-12-05T18:41:00.001-08:00

Question:
I have not taken the pcat yet, I plan to this summer.
That being said I will be applying for schools next year and as of now my gpa is around a 3.1...so not phenomenal, but it is at an academically challenging liberal arts institution (i don't know if that is put into consideration at all).
I don't have pharmacy experience, but I do volunteer a decent amount. I also have undergraduate research experience in microbiology dealing with bacteria, of which I presented at a small university conference and was published in a minor journal.
I am curious how I would fair in the process and what I could do to help insure my success in applying?

Answer: A GPA of 3.1 is good enough to get you an interview at a lot of schools - where do you plan to apply? Obviously, you should spend as much time as possible preparing for the PCAT as this can help you tremendously. Although significant experience is not required, I would encourage you to at least get some experience shadowing a pharmacist. This will help you when you write your personal statement and supplemental essays as well and give you talking points during a pharmacy school interview.

I imagine you will be a strong candidate, but there are many variables involved so it's hard for me offer anything confidently. I wish you the best and I hope that you will consider contributing your thoughts and experiences on the application process to others via the forum.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T16:54:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend. I certainly appreciate everyone who has contributed to this site and to the forum. We hope that you will share the site with a classmate, colleague, or friend.

forum: http://www.pharmacyschooladmissions.com

What are my chances #3

2011-11-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

Question: I'm a community college student and I'm planning to apply for a pharmacy school.

I took the PCAT last September and the result was:

Verbal ability: 412/68
biology: 417/75
Reading comprehension: 396/38
Quantitative Ability: 447/95
Chemistry: 405/53
Composite: 415/73

Conventions of language: 2.5/2.74
Problem solving: 2.5/2.77

My GPA is 3.58 and I don't have any experience in pharmacy retails.

Here is my question: My chemistry and reading comprehension are awful, but I belonged to the top 3% on national organic chemistry by which the head of chemistry department is going to write a really good LOR for me. Is it considered helpful and to increase my chances? If I have some other volunteers at church and non-profit art organization, do they also help?

I don't know whether I'm qualified to apply for pharmacy school. Overall, I feel like something is missing.

Answer: To be clear, your Chemistry and Reading scores on the PCAT are not "awful". The average score of admitted students is probably higher, but I have seen many, many applicants get interviews and offers of admission with worse PCAT results than yours.

Your GPA > 3.5 and this is a huge plus for you. Plus, a composite score of 73 is very good. Performing as well as you've indicated in Organic Chemistry will definitely help your chances as would a letter of recommendation from a professor (or chair) in that area.

I think you might be surprised at how strong of an applicant you are. That being said, and as I advise all students, I would encourage you to apply to more than one pharmacy school to increase your chances. It is never wise to put all of your eggs in one basket.

Good luck.

What are my chances #2

2011-11-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Question: Hello, I applied to pharmacy schools and interviewed with one of the schools recently.
I am really worried about my chances of getting admitted to the school since my stats are not that great.
Can you comment on my stats as a member of admission committee point of view?

My PCAT scores are > 80 except a low reading.

My GPAs are > 3.0

I am really really worried because my verbal and reading section are way too low since I am an international student.

Can you please comment on these?

Answer: Assuming the rest of your application is acceptable, the primary issue that an AdCom would have is with your Verbal and Reading scores, as you pointed out. However, I think most of us use the score primarily to help us identify an area that might be a concern rather than to keep someone out of pharmacy school. In your case, because your other areas are so strong, I would have no trouble admitting you assuming that your interview went well.

One of the main concerns that pharmacy schools have is the risk of sending students into clinical sites who might not be able to confidently ask and answer questions due to a language barrier. If we sense that this might be an issue, it is usually because of low PCAT Verbal/Reading scores, a poorly written personal statement, or perhaps a letter of recommendation notes a concern. The only way we can confirm or deny this is during the interview.

My personal experience is that only on very rare occasions have I felt that a student was ill equipped to be a pharmacist due to communication issues. More frequently, students (even those who are not native English speakers) perform just fine during the interview and put these concerns to rest.

I hope that helps. I wish you the best.

What are my chances?

2011-11-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Question: I recently took the PCAT and submitted my application for admission into a pharmacy school. I have a question regarding my GPA and PCAT scores which are as follows:

Verbal Ability: 432/89%
Biology: 435/91%
Reading: 450/97%
Quantitative: 403/47%
Chemistry: 449/95%
Composite: 434/94%

Conventions of Language: 2.5, Mean~2.74
Problem Solving: 2.5, Mean~2.77

My question is: Although my overall GPA at 3.59 and composite PCAT score at 94 percentile are decent, will my quantitative score of 47 and writing scores at 2.5's make me less appealing as a pharmacy school candidate? I didn't have time to finish these sections adequately. I would greatly appreciate your insight regarding my chances of getting into the pharmacy school of my choice.

Asnwer: Your GPA and PCAT scores are excellent and you will be a very competitive applicant at any school of pharmacy. Personally, I do not think that you need to be concerned about your average Quant score or writing score. As long as your statement and letters of recommendation are outstanding, I think you will have multiple interviews and likely admission offers.

Congrats and good luck.

Should I finish my prereqs at a 4 year school or at a community college

2011-10-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Question: I am looking to take classes to become eligible for pharmacy school. I'm 27, have an BS biology and an MS in secondary science education. I currently work full time. The classes I still need to take are:

Calc
Ochem 1 and 2
Micro biology
Anatomy and physiology

I need to choose between taking these classes ( probably 2 at a time for work reasons) at a 4 year university and and a community college. The university is over twice as expensive. From an admissions standpoint taking in my non traditional status is it worth my while to pay more for the state university over the cc?

Thanks for your guidance!

Answer: Most applicants in your situation choose the community college route. I think Adcoms are conditioned to understand why this is the case and typically aren't overly concerned with it. My recommendation would be to go that route as well. Make certain, however, that you excel in those classes.

Thanks for your question and good luck.

When should I start preparing for pharmacy school interviews?

2011-10-17T14:11:00.001-07:00

Question: I have submitted my PharmCas info and supplemental applications. I have a GPA of 3.9 and my June PCAT was 95. I anticipate receiving interviews although I am trying to keep my expectations muted. at what point should I start preparing for interviews? Will you be available to offer any preparatory advice?

Answer: Thanks for your email. As you know, the admission process is broken into several steps. The first is your application, then inteviewing, then decision making.

Since you have registered with PharmCas, taken the PCAT, and completed your supplementals, etc, you can probably start thinking about the interview process. Each school (usually depending on whether thay have rolling admissions or not) will have a different schedule for inititating interviews.

Interviews are usually a bit stressful for applicants as evidenced by the beads of sweat and the sometimes non-stop chatter they give us during the interview. Understandably so, but most interviewers are trying to sell the school to you as much as you are trying to sell yourself to the school. I've not met any interviewers who were difficult with an applicant intentionally.

As far as your question, we are always happy to answer question about interviewing - whether it be preparation or things that you wonder about after the interview. In my opinion, as a reviewer, interviewing is where the fun starts.

If you have questions, please post on the forum in the interview section.

Thank you.

PCAT score review

2011-10-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

Question: just took PCAT- preliminary score report shows as the following:

Verbal Ability: 427 86%
Biology: 430 88%
Reading: 381 18%
Quantitative: 457 97%
Chemistry: 443 93%
Composite: 428 89%

40y old trying to change careers. Already have the following degrees:
- BS in Polymer chemical engineering
- MS in Chemistry
- MS in Computer Engineering

would like to know if this PCAT score is enough or to retake the exam.

Answer: The PCAT score is great... the odd low Reading score probably won't count against you too much, particularly considering the Verbal score is oustanding. Personally, I wouldn't retake the exam.

The key (and I cannot emphasize this strongly enough) is to adequately describe your motivation for the career change - that is what an AdCom will want to see expressed in your personal statement, essays, and interviews. The questions you need to be prepared to answer Why Pharmacy? What makes you think that pharmacy is a good fit? What have you learned in your previous career that you can apply to a career as a pharmacist?

Good luck.

Ahhh, the pharmacy school application season begins again

2011-10-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we have run this site for the past couple of years in an effort to demystify the pharmacy school application process while providing objective and honest answers to your questions. We have reviewed countless personal statements, essays, and answers to supplemental questions and responded to more emails than we can count. I have personally enjoyed getting to know many of you and seeing you through this process.

Now that the application cycle has again begun in earnest, I hope you will understand that we now have very little time to review statements on a request by request basis from the users of the forum for the next several months. There have been a number of users and current pharmacy students who have offered their help and if you look in this erea of the forum, hopefully you can find someone willing to assist (link: http://www.pharmacyschooladmissions.com/viewforum.php?f=11).

We will always respond to emails sent to us directly, but we again appreciate your patience as do get backlogged from time to time. We ask that you include your forum username along with your email.

We'd like to think that we are different than many of your other sources of information and we believe that we can offer constructive advice from a perspective not available to many of you on a large scale.

We wish you the very best and hope that you will share our site with a colleague, classmate, friend, or anyone who might benefit from the site.

Best-
Admissions

Am I kidding myself?

2011-09-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Question: Hello, I just stumbled upon your blog and found it very interesting. I am 29 and have a bachelors degree in business admin. I always wanted to do Pharm, but as a teen picking a major, I was pushed to buisness by my parents. I didn't do well in school like many 18-19 year old kids do in the first few years, and had to really turn it on my last few semesters to finish with a 2.7.

I really want to go back and do what I should have from day one, but now with a family and other obligations it makes it difficult. I have looked into all of my options and have found a way to do it, but it involves me moving my family and basically leaning on my wife and her family to make it through the 3-4 years. We are willing to do this but it can only work with 1 school. Once I take a few pre-requisites, I will meet all of the requirements, but they get 1700 applications for 140 seats, and I will be on the low side for GPA. I would hate to take 4-5 courses in Bio and Chem and then apply to get shot down. With really needing the perfect storm to be able to make this work, am I kidding myself?

Answer: Hmmm... are you kdding yourself? No. Will it be easy? Definitely not.

Every year I interview applicants who are in a similar position to you who are willing to make major sacrifices to pursue their professional goal. It can be done although I am often amazed at how students manage school, family, children, work, etc in a place far from home.

Of course it's impossible for me to offer guidance without knowing much more about your circumstances and what school you would like to attend. I think before doing anything you need to contact this particular school and speak with an Admissions counselor. Make a list in advance of all the questions you have about prereqs, admission requirements, incoming class statistics, financial aid, etc. I have found that most people in the Admissions arena can usually give you a pretty good idea where you stand when it comes to likelihood of being admitted so that would be the place to start.

Best of luck and please keep us posted.

How should I address a DUI?

2011-09-15T16:33:00.001-07:00

Question: After graduating I made a HUGE error in judgment and was arrested and was charged on a misdemeanor DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol). Should I mention this in my personal statement that is part of PharmCas? I have already fully disclosed this information to several supplemental questions for certain schools that ask of this but I haven’t for schools that did not. I understand that having a record is highly looked down upon and have definitely learned a lot from my experience. So I was wondering what the best course of action would be.

Answer: You can't change what has happened obviously, so you need to impress upon the committee that you have learned and matured from your error in judgment. Whether you do that in your personal statement or in the supplemental application probably doesn't matter.

Keeping in mind that you will be required to list any criminal offenses, there really isn't any way to completely avoid discussing it. However, I wouldn't belabor the point. I do think it is important that you address it head on but I should also add that it has been my experience that committee members view issues like a DUI differently depending on the age at which it occurred. Whether right or wrong, I think you'd be given a little bit more latitude if this occurred at age 21 rather than at age 41. Either way, you should address what you learned from the experience. If you did community service, such as working with young adults to educate them about the dangers of drinking and driving, include that as well.

Good luck.

What is a "good" GPA to get into pharmacy school?

2011-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Question: What is a good gpa for pharmacy school?I don`t know if you are the right person to ask, but any advice/pointers you might have would be very much appreciated. Please help

Answer: There are many factors involved when a committee is reviewing an application and one of the more important ones is the applicant's GPA. It is difficult to say what a "good" GPA is, but the higher the better of course.

If you are able to maintain a GPA > 3.5, you have an excellent chance at receiving an interview if your PCAT scores are comparable and your statement and LORs are deemed sufficient. If you have a GPA = 3.0-3.5, your chances are probably diminished slightly. Please understand, however, that it has been my experience that a GPA = 3.0 with a PCAT = 99 would have a better acceptance rate than an applicant with a GPA = 3.5 and a PCAT = 50.

When we start reviewing applicants with an overall GPA < 3.0, there is less chance that these prospective students will be granted admission. Certainly, some will receive interviews and others will be waitlisted, but a GPA at or above a 3.0 is a threshold I would encourage you to stay above if at all possible.

On occasion, I have even encouraged my advisees to add an additional unrelated course (cooking, pottery, etc) before applying to pharmacy school in cases where they are teetering on a 3.0. By doing so, you might be able to add 3-4 credit hours of "A" work to help boost your GPA ever so slightly and stay above 3.0. So, to answer your question, do everything you can to stay > 3.0.

Good luck.

Should I apply to pharmacy school now? Or wait?

2011-08-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Question: I would really like to thank you for creating a blog that answers the questions of the pharmacy school hopefuls. I have already gained much knowledge just by reading some of your recent answers to questions. It sounds like an attempt at flattery to gain your favor, but I truly am grateful. My local school's advisory department are either too booked, or lack the experience, to help me guide in the direction of pharmacy school, so your blog was extremely helpful. My only wish is that I have found this site when you started it. Now to my questions...

I am not sure how confident I should be about my eligibility, hence my question:

How eligible should one make him/herself before initiating the application process?

I graduated with a BA degree in Philosophy and English 9 years ago with a GPA of about 3.3. I have completed most of the science, math, and economics prerequisites at a community college, with GPA of about 3.9, but I divided out the load over the span of 4 years. I am planning to take some upper division course at a four year school to augment my prerequisites, which should allow me to broaden where I can apply, and hopefully show that I can handle tougher classes. (This has been quite confusing because many of the schools require the same courses, exception of one or two),

Most of my healthcare volunteer experience were attained at hospitals. Though it may not be relevant, I have been committed to volunteering at my church for about 10 years as a teacher, coordinator, and director of high school programs. I have been phasing myself out of our programs in hope to develop my own career. I have no lab research experience and no experience in the pharmacy. I have just started looking for shadowing experiences and volunteer research opportunities since pharmacy technician positions are still quite scarce.

I am planning to take the PCATs, though most of the school I have looked into do not require them. Since my course were done at community colleges, I am hoping the PCATs can help.

I wanted to know if you would advise me to withhold my application until next year to make myself more eligible to become a pharmacy student. I feel like I am trying to rush into the application process because I am 32 and I am worried that I may have to redo my prerequisites since they are getting older. I am hoping to gain experience in the lab and the pharmacy this upcoming season but also feel that it may be insufficient because applications deadlines for some of schools start in November (which would give me about a month or two of experience at best).

What would you recommend?

Answer: Thanks for your email (and flattery). Hopefully. I can answer your questions adequately.

I have advised a number of students in your situation over the years, but each case is unique so I apologize for any generalizations. Because your grades appear strong through your initial degree and now your prereqs, I don't see any reason why you should withhold your application for next year. Make sure you contact the schools that you are interested in and get as much information as possible as to what you need to do to become eligible to apply. Make sure that you can complete the necessary prereqs for each program in time.

In a situation like yours, pharmacy experience would help. The question that we often discuss when someone is making a career change is why they are choosing pharmacy. It would help you discuss your motivation if you had some shadowing or volunteer experience to reference when you are asked this question. I know I sometimes roll my eyes when an interviewee tells me they have always wanted to be a pharmacist and that it is their life's calling, but they seem to have no idea what a pharmacist actually does.

In summary, as long as the schools where you want to apply will accept your prereqs, I would encourage you to apply this cycle. One word of caution: if you are going to take the PCAT, make sure that you are well prepared. I know applicants who had admittable grades and then they took the PCAT without adequate preparation and they really damaged their chances with terrible PCAT scores. Just something to keep in mind.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

I got my degree in 3 years, but my GPA suffered because of it.

2011-08-20T10:48:00.001-07:00

Question: During my undergraduate studies, I was a little bit worried about how I was going to afford four full years of college, so I tried to go lightspeed and finished my degree in three years instead of four by averaging about 20 units a quarter and doing four summer sessions at my university (not community college). I think that as a result of this, my GPA suffered somewhat (~3.5). Do you think that the admissions people will take my heavy course load into account positively to counter my less-than-ideal GPA, or could they hold it against me for making such a foolish decision?

Answer: First of all, a GPA of 3.5 is pretty good. In most cases, it is above average of the admitted class. If you have a degree as well, that will be beneficial to you.

As a rule, we do look at how heavy an applicant's course loads are. I think most committee members would be impressed by your efforts and know that you are prepared for the rigors of pharmacy school. I would address your heavy course load in your personal statement - use it to your advantage. State something like this, "I was focused on finishing my degree in three years and I challenged myself by taking heavy course loads. While this may have affected my ability to earn all A's, I was still were able to maintain a 3.5GPA while completing a degree in three years at a major institution of learning."

Best of luck.

How should I address past academic struggles?

2011-08-15T09:30:00.001-07:00

Question: I used to attend a decent university in my area several years ago to study management. But my interest was never in management. My first semester ended ok (a few Bs and a C) but at this point I was already sure I didn't feel like being in school anymore. The next semester began and I was going to class but somewhere down the line I started skipping classes and eventually just stopped going. I received 4 Fs for the semester. I was thinking of maybe squeezing in those classes into this summer and next so I can show the committees that I can do well in those classes, but is that really necessary? I don't really know what to do. How do I make my past disappear? The student I am now is not the student I was. Sometimes I wonder how I'm even going to write a personal statement to explain my situation.

Answer: I will be honest with you and let you know that your past academic transgressions with work against you strongly. However, it isn't impossible for you to gain admission. You need to very specifically address in your personal statement the causes of your academic failures. As you know, your overall GPA will be significantly lower than most of the other applicants because of the Fs you had early on. You want to point out the positives: greater focus and resolve since determining you wanted to be a pharmacist. Point our you vastly improved grades in your science courses compared to your management courses. There would be no benefit of retaking managment courses at this time.

I strongly suggest that you get experience in pharmacy, whether shadowing, volunteering, or beginning a technician job. This will help show the committee that you are committed to the profession and a strong LOR from a pharmacist there will help more than you know. Depending on where you plan to apply, your PCAT score could really make a difference.

Good luck.

Can I use the same experiences in my personal statement again and a supplemental answer?

2011-08-07T20:26:00.001-07:00

Question: One of the supplemental questions that I have encountered is "What unique, personal qualities and/or life experiences will you bring to your pharmacy career?"
My question is: If I already talked about an activity or a life experience that answers this question in my PharmCAS personal statement, would it be advisable to talk about it again for the supplemental?

Answer: I think it is fair (and expected) to use elements of your personal statement in your supplemental application responses. However, do not copy and paste them verbatim! I have seen reviewers literally throw files in the reject bin because the applicant didn't take the time to specifically answer the questions asked on a supplemental application. School officials, administrators, and deans can spend a great deal of time determining what to ask on their supplemental applications. These are important to their institution. Take the time and give an answer that incorporates some of what you have said in your statement, but take a slightly different approach to reinforce what you feel are your most important attributes. You owe it to yourself and to the school to thoughtfully answer the specific questions designed to find a "good fit" for their program.

Thanks for your question.

Do extracurriculars matter?

2011-08-03T05:11:00.001-07:00

Question: I have been filling out my application on PHARMCAS and was curious on your thoughts about extracurricular activities. Do you put much emphasis on this? I have many, many examples from my years in undergraduate school but since I have been out in the professional working world for 10+ years, I do not have as much in way of extracurricular activities in recent time. I do a lot of volunteering with my church, but that is about all. Do I even bother putting all my extracurriculars from college?

Answer: Every institution and committee will tell you that they want well rounded applicants. That being said, my honest reaction to your question about extra curricular activities is that they won't make or break your application.

I usually look through that section of the PharmCas report pretty quickly and don't focus on it much. You should use your church volunteering, of course. I would say you might as well go ahead and list of the ECs you did in college, particularly if they had any relationship at all to health care. If you helped at a blood bank, use it. If you did a Alzheimers Walk or Race for the Cure, use it.

In the end, will it make a difference one way or the other? Probably not, but listing something is probably better than listing nothing. I wouldn't fret about it or spend too much time on it, however.

Best of luck.

AdCom online web discussion #11

2011-07-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of setting up another pharmacy school adcom online web discussion. If you are interested in participating, please reply to the thread on the forum at the link below:

http://www.pharmacyschooladmissions.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1115

Date and time to be determined.

-Admissions

99 followers of this blog... and counting

2011-07-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

I thought by now I'd have at least one hundred :)

I hope that you will please take a moment to follow the blog and to register on the forum so you can share your pharmacy school application story. We are humbled by the wonderful response we have received and the many emails from students thanking us for our assistance after they've been admitted to pharmacy school. Please let us know how we can help you achieve your dream also!

-Admissions

PCAT July 20, 2011 - share your thoughts and results

2011-07-20T19:28:00.001-07:00

We hope everyone performed their best on the July 2011 PCAT! Please take a moment to share your experiences with the forum.

Link to forum: www.PharmacySchoolAdmissions.com

Overall GPA = 2.48 - what do I do?

2011-07-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

Question: Hello, I am about to be a senior and i'm pre-pharmacy. However, my gpa is very low (2.48) and I failed Organic I twice. I'm currently retaking Orgo I and will likely get a B in the course and I plan on taking Organic II w/ the lab in the fall in hopes of getting an A in both. I was wondering what I could do to overcome that hurdle? What would I need to do this year to get back on track? I have been really stressed out because I feel like I messed myself up BIG time. I have also been making C's in my science pre-pharmacy courses as well. I am not finished with all of those courses yet. Do you recommend me retaking those courses after I graduate next summer?

Answer: There is no question that your chances at being admitted to pharmacy school are damaged by poor academic performance, but don't give up hope. The factors that weigh heavily are your overall GPA and failing Organic Chemistry twice. It's pretty dificult to overcome that, but this is what you need to do to even have a chance:

1) You will need to improve your Orgo scores (obviously). The B and A that you expect/hope will help tremendously.
2) Whatever you can do to get your overall GPA > 3.0 is worth the effort. That may mean taking a couple of extra courses, but a GPA < 3.0 is below the minimum threshold for many programs.
3) Take the PCAT and do extremely well. Depending on where you plan to apply, this may be your saving grace. In light of poor grades, a strong PCAT can tilt the scales in your favor.
4) Begin dialogue with admissions counselors at the schools where you might consider applying. Explain your situation and that you are doing everything possible to make yourself a competitive candidate for their program. Ask for advice and any recommendation they may have.
5) Use your personal statement to explain your motivation for pharmacy and be forthcoming about your academic troubles. If there is a reason for your struggles, be honest about it. Tell the committee that you lacked focus or partied too much as an undergrad and it hurt your grades - hey, we've all been in college before and understand that good students can get themsleves into a bind when they are away from home for the first time. Most importantly, tell the committee how you have learned from whatever caused the difficulties and what you have done or will do to be a successful pharmacy student.

Good luck!

A message to pre-pharm clubs and student organizations

2011-07-10T04:26:00.001-07:00

Thank you to the many university and community college students who belong to pre-pharmacy clubs and organizations and who contribute to our forum. Many of you have been very helpful in distributing information from our blog to others in your group and we appreciate it.

If you belong to a pre-pharmacy organization at your school, please forward a link to this blog and to our pharmacy school admissions forum to others in your group. We will help as many students as time permits. And this service is free, so what more can you ask for? :)

If you have an organization website or facebook/myspace page, please add a link to us. The greater participation, the more valuable a resource we can be for each other.

blog: http://www.PharmacySchoolAdmissions.blogspot.com
forum: http://www.PharmacySchoolAdmissions.com

Thank you!
-Admissions

Am I too old to be starting pharmacy school now?

2011-07-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Question: At the age of 27/28, do you think I'm too old to be going on this endeavor? Do you think there will be an affect on my ability to handle the work of pharmacy school.

Answer: I know many students much older than you who have successfully completed pharmacy school. Whether you can handle jumping back into a rigorous program after not having taken any courses for several years is something I cannot answer for you.

I wish you the best and encourage you to pursue your dreams.

Application question about being a "Native English" speaker

2011-06-27T19:52:00.001-07:00

Question: I haven't had the chance to say thank you! Thank so much for reviewing my personal statement, it truly boosted the quality of my personal statement to a whole 'nother level! :) I have another question for you, and this is regarding language. On PharmCAS under the Personal Data section, it asks, "Is English your native language?" while some other supplemental applications ask "Is English your first language?"

I was born into a Korean family, and didn't speak English until I entered pre-school, and from then on I spoke primarily in English, although I spoke in Korean with my parents at home. That being said, I'm more fluent and use English more often than I speak Korean.

Would I click "yes" or "no" in regarding the question on PharmCAS? My gut feeling is telling me to click no, but because I speak English better than I do Korean, I'm somewhat confused on what I should do.

What constitutes a person's "native language" and what distinguishes a "native" language from a person's "first" language? If I answer no, then I am required to take the TOEFL exam for certain schools for their "english proficiency requirement". If you could clear that up for me, I'd truly appreciate it.

Answer: Good question. My hunch would be that it would be best to identify yourself as a native English speaker. You might indicate that you are bilingual, but consider yourself more fluent in English. I have seen a couple of examples of public universities (not necessarily schools of pharmacy) that will require TOEFL if an applicant doesn't indicate being a native English speaker. I am unaware of any benefit that claiming being a non-native English speaker would afford you.

It would be my recommendation to say you are a native English speaker if you are comfortable and fluent with the language.

Good luck.

Does nepotism exist when reviewing pharmacy school applications?

2011-06-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

Question: A friend and classmate of mine was accepted into a school of pharmacy where one of her parents is a university researcher. I was waitlisted. I know for a fact that her PCAT and GPA were substantially lower than mine and I was frankly surprised that she was even given an interview based on what I know about her application. Is it unfair for me to assume she got in because of nepotism?

Answer: True story, several years ago we had rejected an applicant whose grades were just not acceptable. A rejection letter had not been sent out yet, however. Shortly after the decision was made, one of the committee members came back to the group and asked that we look at this particular application again, which we did. At this point, someone in the admissions office indicated that the applicant was the child of a professor.

There was great disagreement whether we should even reconsider the application simply based on her parent's connection with the school. I was quite unhappy when some of the same committee members who were quick to dispatch the application as a rejection now wanted to grant an interview (and subsequently admit) this individual. I give credit to the applicant and her parent, however, for neither had mentioned to anyone that there was a relationship between "Applicant Smith" and "Professor Smith". They wanted the decision to be made on merit only, but one of the committee members recognized the name and home address on the application and asked the parent, which set off the aforementioned chain of events.

So, in a politically correct world, I would tell you that nepotism does not exist. That all applicants are judged purely on their merits and nothing else. That everyone has a equal chance. At most institutions, I believe that to be true. However, I have seen firsthand that nepotism or favoritism can play a role in the decision making process and I agree that it is not fair. I do my very best (as most committee members do) to create a level playing field for all applicants, but sometimes there are flaws in the system and you may have exposed one. I hope that you are also granted admission and don't feel that his/her acceptance is the reason you were not admitted at this time.

How to answer a question about religion?

2011-06-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Question: I am applying to school of pharmacy that has a religious foundation in Christianity. I am Jewish. One of the supplemental application questions specifically asks how I will use the values of the school. I'm not sure how to answer this as I don't have the same belief system. Help please.

Answer: This is an excellent question. Without knowing how the question is worded, my answer would be this: As administrators and admissions committee members, I suspect we all want to attract the best students regardless of belief system. I imagine if you asked the school what percentage of the students accepted each year were Catholic, you might be surprised at how low the figure is. So, don't let the question deter you.

In answering a question that appears to have a religious component, I would suggest visiting the school web site and familiarizing yourself with their mission statement and goals. If the school emphasizes caring for the poor, for example, perhaps you can share any life experiences where you volunteered or exhibited these values. I imagine that as prospective health care professionals, most applicants share a core set of values including, but not limited to, helping others. If you can apply that philosophy into your response on a supplemental application question that you feel is religious in nature, I'm sure you will be fine.

Good luck.

How can I overcome poor grades in undergrad?

2011-06-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

Question: How do pharmacy schools view applicants who have already done poorly in pre-requisites but then retake them in post-baccalaureate programs? Should I retake these courses only, or should I also take other upper-division courses I've never attempted (as in academic enhancer track type versions of post-bac programs)? Or am I just taking this all too seriously?

Answer: We have many applicants who are transitioning to pharmacy from other professions and we also have many who always had an interested in pharmacy, but were unprepared or unqualified during their undergraduate studies. I appreciate the way that you acknowledged and accepted the reasons for your struggles and I think it will help to explain them in your personal statement. I have no problems admitting a more "mature" student who might have had issues when they were younger if it is apparent that they have learned from those experiences and have now shown their aptitude and motivation to pursue pharmacy school.

If your sole purpose is to attempt to get into pharmacy school, I would probably advise against taking new upper division courses as I'm not sure you are going to get the added benefit that you think you might. Instead, if you retook some of the core sciences that you did poorly in, you put yourself on a level field with many of the applicants you will be compared with and that should probably balance the playing field for you. These courses would also probably help some in your PCAT preparation.

Ultimately, you need to stress the aspects of your application such as starting a pre-pharm club, etc. Show the committees that you have made attending pharmacy school your #1 priority and you have dedicated yourself to that goal. Gain some pharmacy experience or shadow a pharmacist who can write you a positive letter of recommendation. If you can do all of those things successfully, I see no reason why you wouldn't be a strong candidate for pharmacy school.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

Working as a 1st year pharmacy student - retail vs hospital

2011-05-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

Question: I will begin my first year of pharmacy school this fall without having any type of pharmacy experience. I would like to get some hands on real world experience while in school. Would you recommend I look for a job in a hospital or a drug store?

Answer: Based on my own experience as well as conversations with many, many students and pharmacists over the years, I would probably recommend your first job be in a hospital pharmacy setting. Here is the reason why: Hospital pharmacy requires a set of skills that if learned early will help you tremendously as your education progresses. Being familiar with various injectable drugs and how to prepare admixtures is something that many pharmacy students never learn until they begin a hospital pharmacy clerkship.

In my opinion, it is "easier" to learn how to be a community/drug store pharmacist than it is to be a hospital pharmacist. Please understand - I am not saying that one profession is better than the other. If I had to do it all over again, I would start my intern work at a hospital pharmacy and try to learn the business of retail pharmacy with an additional part time job (maybe with an independent pharmacy) in the summer.

Thanks for your question.

A follow up on writing to pharmacy schools when on a waitlist

2011-05-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Another follow up regarding waiting lists:

Pepcid PharmD said...
I was waitlisted at my top choice until recently. I was fortunate enough to have other options. After I got into my first school, I wrote a letter of intent talking about how impressed I was by Top Choice, I'm up to this and that, I got into another school but if accepted I will absolutely attend Top Choice. The school ranked its waitlist a few weeks ago, and I was accepted the very next day.

Was it because I wrote a letter? I can't say for sure. My school has been known to string along waitlisted candidates through the summer. I do think that the letter helped, particularly because I was accepted immediately upon the AdCom ranking the waitlist.

I congratulate you on your acceptance. I am always impressed by succinct well written letters of intent and thank you notes - for those who have followed the blog for some time, you know that I encourage applicants to do this. If anyone has additional questions on the topic, please let me know.

-Admissions

What do I do while on a waiting list?

2011-05-17T11:04:00.001-07:00

In response to a post I made last week about being waitlisted, was the following commnent:

Peggy said...

I can appreciate that being waitlisted is better than being completely rejected, but how is someone supposed to plan? What if their preferred school is across country? There are a lot of factors that need to be taken into consideration, especially if someone has more than just themselves to worry about.

As AdComs, we realize the stress that comes with being placed on a pharmacy school alternate or waiting list. It is our hope and intent to fill our classes with the most qualified candidates as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, for many schools, that process can take a long time. It is my recommendation that you contact the schools where you have interviewed and have been placed on a waiting list with a succinct email (preferably to the Director of Admissions) such as this:

Dear _____,

My name is ____________ and I am a prospective student for the _________ Pharmacy Class of 2015. I interviewed at ________________ on _____ and was immediately impressed by the faculty and facilities of your institution. I am currently on the waitlist for the class matriculating this fall and hope that you will consider me as a strong candidate for admission. It is a dream of mine to become a pharmacist and I would represent _____________ in an exemplary manner as both a student and future graduate. I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

______________________

Good luck to everyone and please keep us informed.

Being waitlisted isn't the end of the world

2011-05-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

As many applicants start to get anxious as they wait on alternate lists for pharmacy school admissions, I thought it appropriate to re-post my thoughts on the subject:

I recently had a conversation with someone I have been advising through the process. She applied and interviewed at her preferred school, but was then informed that she was going to be "Waitlisted". She was extremely disappointed and I understand that, but I would also remind you that it is not uncommon either. A significant number of applicants who are ultimately accepted were waitlisted (or designated as an alternate) by a school at some point during the process. Don't despair if you fall into this category. There are several months between now and school starting next fall and lots will happen between now and then. I have seen students get admitted the day or the week that school starts before.

Hang in there. Regularly contact the school(s) to let them know that you are still interested and would love to matriculate there if the opportunity exists.

Keep us posted on your status and please consider sharing your experiences on our forum - www.pharmacyschooladmissions.com

-Admissions

What should I retake this summer?

2011-05-03T20:20:00.001-07:00

Question: I will be applying for fall 2011 and i won't be taking the PCAT until august. I need to retake a Calc class that I chose to receive an F in (peers told me to take the bad grade versus getting the W, b/c our CC replaces with the better grade) and I was planning on taking it this Fall. Right now my overall GPA is 2.7 and that's with an F in Calc I and a D in Physics I, I plan on retaking them both in the fall. I am taking organic Chemistry I followed by Orgo II all this summer. Would you advise I take orgo II in the fall and Calc during the summer? I think I need Orgo I for the PCAT that's why I think I should keep that but switch up the Calc and Orgo II? I'm not sure what to do !

Answer: I cannot speak to how your CC transcript looks, but be aware that all of your grades will be reported to PharmCas. I would encourage you to retake Calculus in the summer if you can - this will help prepare you for the PCAT also. I agree that an F on your transcript for a prerequisite (and a course the committee will assuredly look at) would paint a very unfavorable first impression and one that you might not be able to overcome.

So, I would take Orgo I and Calculus this summer. Prepare well for the PCAT - if your grades are marginal, you may need a strong PCAT score to get you in.

Best of luck.

Are my grades good enough to apply to pharmacy school?

2011-04-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

Question: I'm a Sophmore and I was planning on taking my PCAT this upcoming October 2011 and applying for pharmacy school. However I have doubts that my overall grades are not good enough to get me accepted. I have repeated 2 courses and recieved a B in both, I was wondering if I would be better off waiting until next summer to apply, yet I do not wish to waste a year floating around in ungrad only taking a few classes here and there if unneceassary. What should I do? Should I just take the risk and apply this year or should I wait it off another year?

Answer: What is your overall GPA and your math/science GPA? Those are two significant factors in determining your chances. What are your grades in the following courses:

Calculus
Bio
Gen Chem
Orgo

The above are the "core" classes that are very predictive of success and any committee will hope to see success from their applicants. With that info, I might be able to better assist you. Since you have already retaken a couple of the classes that you struggled with and completed then with a satisfactory grade, I'm guessing that applying this year would be plausible. Much will be determined by where you want to apply.

Good luck.

Question about the interview process

2011-04-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

Question: Could you provide some insight into how the interview process works? Some schools say individual interviews conducted with faculty, some don't describe their process, some say that interviews are conducted with faculty, students, and/or by a committee of both. Will information usually accompany the offer to interview or does this vary by institution? Thanks so much for your incredibly helpful site.

Answer: I am aware of a multitude of different types of pharmacy school interviews. Initially, you should try to find out if it is open or closed file (for more information, you can review previous blog posts on this topic). In most cases, I have found that someone in the admissions office would be more than willing to assist and answer these types of questions. Trust me, a lot of people ask and you should not hesitate to call if you have questions.

You are correct that the way an interview is handled is very institution specific. At one school you might have a couple of interviews with staff and students and at another you you might only interview with an admissions director. Some interviews have a written component. In the end, ask the school for as much information as you need. If you are looking for specific school information and can't seem to get the answers you are looking for, perhaps we can help if we know where you are interviewing.

If you are interested in becoming a pharmacy technician,
here is a great place to start.

Good luck.

Pharmacy School Interview Preparation

2011-04-05T19:24:00.001-07:00

Question: As my interviews are coming up one for this weekend and another one for following weekend, I really would like to ask you for specific techniques for the interview.

I've been preparing by reading reviews and reading lots of interview books and websites, also doing the mock interview.thus, I know all the basic things, like "what to do", "what not to do".

But if you can tell me your special advice/techniques that you can give me, like how I can really impress the interviewer, or how you have been actually impressed by intervewee, I really appreciate it. Or what particurally do you look for when you interview students? Anything will be a big help for me right now.

Also, is there anything I should be careful for since I'm an international student?

Answer: This is going to sound overly simple, but "be yourself". Too many applicants try too hard to impress the interviewers and it shows. Don't have rehearsed answer for questions, but engage the person asking the questions, making it as conversational as possible.

The applicants I most remember are those that won't stop talking and seem to have answers prepared rather than think about the question and have a dialogue with me. In this case, you would prefer to not be memorable.

As an international student, I assume the interviewer will be closely judging your communcation skills if English is not your native language. Speak slowly and clearly. I wish you the best.

Please let us know how it goes.

Forner pharmacy student wants to re-enroll

2011-03-29T06:41:00.001-07:00

Question: I was once a pharmacy student. I finished all the pre-reqs and 1 semester of the third year before I failed out. My pre-reqs were mostly C's. This was due to personal problems that have been resolved now. Currently, I am about to get a BS degree in Biology at another school. My cumulative GPA is 3.0, but my science GPA is 2.5. I got a C in Genetics and a C in Microbiology w/ lab, although I received a B in medicinal Microbiology in Pharmacy w/o lab. The highest GPA I could get before I graduate is 3.3. I have already gotten a pharm tech license, and worked as a pharm intern (not tech) in 3 different pharm settings, but haven't taken the PCATs yet. Do you think there is a slight chance I could make it back in?

Answer: Good question - every year we have several students who were once in pharmacy, medical, and nursing schools apply to our institution and I have seen students with similar experiences as yours be readmitted to pharmacy school. What we would look at was whether or not you were eligible to resume your coursework at your previous institution. If you left on decent terms, but the personal problems were the primary factor in your academic failures, that would probably help your case. If the school considers you ineligible to re-enroll, our committee would consider that as a significant negative against you. In either case, you must use your personal statement to explain your reason as best you can.

Because your grades are marginal, you will need to show your desire to resume your pharmacy studies and hopefully score very well on the PCATs which would help offset some of the earlier not so stellar grades. Point out that you have matured since your early studies and that you have foucsed on earning your BS in an attempt to re-enroll in pharmacy school. There is something to be said for perserverance. Good luck.

Pharmacy Scool - what are my chances?

2011-03-20T18:31:00.001-07:00

Question: I recently discovered the blog and was spurred to ask a question. I would appreciate your input on my applicant strength in regards to the average applicant you come across. Here are a few stats:

GPA: 3.01, science/math GPA: 2.7

PCAT taken August 2009
Verbal 97
Biology 99
Reading 83
Chem 90
Quant 91
Composite 98

I am a certified pharmacy tech although I have no pharmacy experience as I could not find a job in pharmacy. I have over 200+ volunteer hours at the local Boys & GIrls Club, as well as various charities. I have also worked at various retail jobs (none relating to pharmacy however) since college started 3 years ago.

In regards to my GPA, I know it's low, and its due to my lack of focus my first two years of college. I have averaged roughly a 3.5 the past two semesters, and I feel as though my PCAT scores show I have a handle on science and math. Also, I know I can count on getting a glowing LOR from my current boss, and one from an economics professor (economics is my degree, which I will obtain this year). However, I need to get one from a pharmacist, and I am currently trying to arrange a shadowing visit or two.

So, I know that this is a very long email, and for that I apologize. However, I feel like this gives an accurate snapshot of myself. I'm contemplating retaking a few classes (mostly freshman level biology's) to boost my GPA, but I'm not sure I can fit it into my schedule. I would greatly appreciate if you could advise as to what I could do to add to my application or just comment on the general strength of my application.

Answer: My succinct response is this: You have excellent PCAT scores and those alone will probably get you in to most schools. As noted,your GPA is marginal, but you can address this in your statement. I wouldn't be too concerned in your case and I wouldn't retake lower level courses unless you did very poorly (D or lower) in classes like Gen Chem, Orgo, or Bio. Just try to keep your overall GPA > 3.0.

You seem to have plenty of good work and volunteer experience, so lack of pharmacy experience won't be all that important. Shadowing and an LOR from a pharmacist would be more than enough in your case.

Just make sure that your statement is good and that your LORs are solidly supportive. If so, you have an excellent chance of being admitted to multiple schools.

Make sure the school knows you are committed to pharmacy!

2011-03-08T08:17:00.001-08:00

While noting your attributes, oftentimes applicants will point out their rigorous work schedules and course loads - I think it is a fine idea to do that. In pharmacy school you will have 16-18 semester hours (mostly difficult science courses), so if you have been successful in your undergraduate studies handling similar classes, mention it. However, make sure the committee knows that you are committed to be a full time pharmacy student.

Here is how one potential applicant references her work load:

Persistence has defined who I am in recent years; I have managed to be
financially independent with two part-time jobs resulting in fifty-hour
workweeks: working at a pharmacy and also as a research assistant.
Simultaneously, I am continuing my post-baccalaureate studies and community
service that I enjoy.

This paragraph would concern me as I wonder if you would be able to succeed with your courses if you plan to work part time jobs and keep yourself as busy as you have in the past. I know that pharmacy school is a major financial investment and that many students need to work to pay the bills. Trust me, we understand that. School officials, however, want to make sure that the students they admit will be successful so explain the sacrifice you are willing to make if given this opportunity.

Be very clear in your statement how you plan to handle the rigors of a professional program. Do you plan to cut back or resign from your current position? While volunteering is fantastic, perhaps you might tell the committee that you plan to seek part time employement in a pharmacy instead. Stating that you are 100% committed to being a pharmacy student and will eliminate any unnecessary distractions might be viewed as a positive when decisions are made.

Good luck.

Should I send a thank you note after an interview?

2011-03-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

I am reposting this question because it comes up from time to time. If you have a different opinion than mine, please let me know.

Question: Should I send a thank you letter following a pharmacy school interview?

Answer: Some years ago, I received a thank you note or email from what seemed like most of the applicants that I personally interviewed. Today, however, I receive very few.

What I will point out though, is that I tend to remember those applicants who did send the note (which is the point of sending the note, right?). On several occasions when discussing a file, I have heard a commitee member comment that they received a nice card or email from the applicant being discussed. While it might not sway anyone's opinion, for the time it took to send the note, I'd say it was worth it.

I might also add that if you have been working with someone in the admissions office closely, it would be very polite to send them a thank you email as well following an interview. Sometimes I think they get overlooked

Pharmacy School AdCom Online Discussion #10

2011-02-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

PharmacySchoolAdmissions.com Online Discussion #10

Basic Pharmacy School Interview Preparation

2011-02-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

Question: Hello, I am one of many students who are finding great information in your blog. Thank you so much for your valuable advice. I just got a call for an interview that will be in 2 weeks. Could you give me some advice for interview preparation? And sample interview questions and essay topics?

Answer: Thank you for your kind words. I am glad that you have found the blog to be useful.

My advice regarding the interview is to dress professionally, of course. First impressions are very important - you need to look the part. I suggest you research the institution.. How do their graduates fare on boards? How many pursue residencies, etc? Anything that you can knowledgeably discuss with your interviewers will be helpful to you and show that you prepared for the interview.

Most of the questions will probably be about you and why you want to attend their school. They will want to get to know you. Some might be institution specific, particularly if there is a religious affiliation to the school. If it is an open file interview, you should be prepared to explain any red flags in your application such as poor grades or substandard PCAT scores.

At an absolute minimum, you should be prepared to thoughtfully explain why you want to be a pharmacist and why you want to attend this particular school. Those are the $1,000,000 questions for any reviewer.

Good luck!

Questions about the supplemental application

2011-02-12T08:32:00.001-08:00

Question: First of all, I really appreciate you guys for creating this blog. It has answered a lot of my questions already =). I have a question about the supplementals. I noticed that some of the supplemental questions are similar to the Pharmcas personal statement question. Do you think we could use the same ideas from the Pharmcas personal statement but just reword it?

Thanks a lot for your guys' help!

Answer: Thank you. I am glad that you have found the blog to be useful. To answer your question, you can certainly use some of the same "ideas", but be careful. I am attaching a link to an earlier blog entry on this topic - http://pharmacyschooladmissions.blogspot.com/2009/07/question-one-of-supplemental-questions.html

If by "ideas" you mean the desire to help people, etc... of course you should reinforce this. However, don't use the same examples and stories, etc. I have seen this occur many times and committees always look at this with disdain. Take the time to put your thoughts and feelings on paper, doing you best to answer the questions asked on the supplemental application.

If your supplemental answers answers overlap some of what was said in your PharmCas personal statement, that is probably to be expected. Just don't overdo it.

It's worth emphasizing this one last time:

Do not copy and paste verbatim from your PharmCas statement into your supplemental essay! I have seen reviewers literally throw files in the reject bin because the applicant didn't take the time to specifically answer the questions asked on a supplemental application. School officials, administrators, and deans can spend a great deal of time determining what to ask on their supplemental applications. These are important to their institution. Take the time and give an answer that incorporates some of what you have said in your statement, but take a slightly different approach to reinforce what you feel are your most important attributes. You owe it to yourself and to the school to thoughtfully answer the specific questions designed to find a "good fit" for their program.

Good luck.

Accredited vs non-accredited schools - explain

2011-02-09T10:15:00.001-08:00

Question: In an earlier post, you mentioned to a student that he might consider looking at non-accredited schools of pharmacy if he thought he couldn't get into an accredited school Could you explain the difference?

Answer: ACPE accredits schools of pharmacy. In most cases, schools are "fully" accredited. However, there have been a number of schools that have opened in the past several years and before they can be accredited, they must go through a multi-year accreditation process. Thus, some are considered "pre-candidate" or "candidate" depending on if they have students enrolled yet or have yet to graduate a class. Here is a listing of schools and their current status.
http://www.pharmcas.org/collegesschools/AAGAccreditation.htm
In rare instances, schools can be placed on "probation" or have their accreditation denied or withdrawn.

Additional information from ACPE:
http://www.acpe-accredit.org/students/faqs.asp

For some applicants, the thought of attending an "non-accredited" school is concerning because of the theoretical risk that upon graduation the degree will not be accepted by their respective state board of pharmacy. I believe this "risk" to be more perceived than real and would not discourage an applicant from choosing this route if it enabled entrance into the profession, particularly if they feel admission is more likely at a non-accredited school than an accredited school.

Please send me an email or add a comment for more information.

When should I just give up?

2011-02-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

Question: This will be the third cycle I have applied for pharmacy school. Once, after two years of undergrad and then again after I finished by BS. My grades are average and my PCAT scores aren't great - composites between 44-58 on three attempts. I have wanted to be a pharmacist for a long time, but I am getting to the point where I need to get on with my life if this dream isn't ever going to happen. What would you say to someone like me who might never get accepted? Should I just give up?

Answer: This is a question that makes me a bit uncomfortable responding to. Of course, in an attempt to be supportive of your goals and dreams, I want to say that you should never give up. I know a young man who desired to go to medical school and applied numerous times only to be rejected year after year. He completed two masters degrees and ultimately a PhD in a science field, but felt unfulfilled and decided to again take the MCAT and apply to medical school one last time. Wouldn't you know he was finally accepted (to his first choice even) and is now in his third year of medical school. So, never say never.

If you have taken the PCAT many times and feel that your scores are keeping you out, you might be right. However, there can be other reasons as well. I have seen applicants with PCATs in the 50's get admitted every year. It can and does happen. What you need to make sure of is that every other detail in your application is outstanding. You want to have the best personal statement possible, the best references for your letters of recommendation, and hopefully you have gained some pharmacy experience. Maybe you could begin a masters program, which will help your job prospects as well as better prepare you for professional school.

If you had no chance based on the information provided, I would tell you. I actually think you can get in and hope that you stick with it. It would be my recommendation to expand the list of schools that you are applying to and start contacting the admissions office at those schools to see what they recommend in a case such as yours, which is not all that unfamiliar.

Best of luck.

How do I overcome a language barrier and get into pharmacy school?

2011-01-31T12:35:00.000-08:00

Question: I have a strong accent because English is not my native language. I'm afraid that if the interviewers do not understand due to my accent, they would reject me. Will this happen?
Btw, your blog is great. I really appreciate every single piece of information you have post so far. Thanks.

Answer: Let's start with the obvious: Our committee initially learns about you by reading your application and personal statement, so an accent or difficulty with oral communication will not become evident until later in the process.

However, if you apply to a school that requires the PCAT, the committee will see your reading/verbal PCAT scores and your writing PCAT score. I have seen scores in the single digits which will have killed applications. Secondly, a committee will see your PharmCas letters of recommendation where the reviewers are asked to grade you on your communication skills. Lastly, the committee will read your personal statement. If you have grammatical issues or difficulty with written communication, it will be known by this point. Assuming you have a satisfactory application after all this is considered, you might be asked to interview.

The interview will be the critical element and you will need to be prepared to answer the questions the very best you can. I know that we have asked candidates to interview for the sole purpose of determining their communication ability. I cannot stress the importance of the interview enough and encourage you to do "mock" interviews with family, friends, co-workers, or even a professor or advisor if they are willing. Research the institution and learn what their interview process is like and determine a plan to maximize your abilities, while minimizing communication shortcomings.

I have taught and precepted many students who spoke English as a second language and many have done very well and been very successful. Focus on what you want to say and how you want to say it and you'll be okay.

PCAT discussion - January 22, 2011

2011-01-23T12:43:00.001-08:00

If you have questions or comments on yesterday's PCAT examination, please share your thoughts with us by adding a comment below or by posting on the forum in the PCAT section.

http://www.PharmacySchoolAdmissions.com

3 year pharmacy schools

2011-01-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

Question: Do anyone of you pharmacy geeks know of any 3 year pharmacy schools? I know of two- Appalachian and LECOM, are there any more? is it okay choosing a 3 year school over 4? or does it have its own side effects? I was also wondering if there are any schools that do not require you to take PCAT, except for LECOM, if you have a bachelors degree?

Answer: Yes, there are several pharmacy schools that have an academic calendar that runs year round and allows completion within 3 years. Someone compiled a list and posted it here: http://www.pharmacyschooladmissions.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=748

I do not believe that one format is better than another. Students should find the program that best suits their particular interests and familiarize themselves with the differences (including length of the program) to make the most informed decision they can.

Good luck.

A comment about academic transcripts

2011-01-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

We have received a number of emails over the past couple of weeks asking us to review PCAT scores and personal statements. I want to make sure everyone also understands the importance of the academic transcript that the Admission Committee receives.

When reviewing a file, there is a lot of information for a reviewer to process. Obviously, not everyone is the same and no two people probably look at things the exact same way. What I offer are my thoughts based on my experiences working with Pharmacy School Admission Committees for a number of years.

That being said, I have had prospective applicants ask why they haven't been given interviews based on the PCAT scores they send me. As many of you know, I think the PCATs are important, but so are the LORs, GPAs, personal statement and your academic transcript. If I am reviewing a file that has a number of withdrawals, F's retaken for better scores, or it appears that a student is "ducking" the most difficult prerequisites at their institution to take them at a lesser school or as a summer course, that can influence my perception of the student.

For example, last year I reviewed a file of an average applicant. PCAT was around 70. GPA was 3.2-ish. Had some pharmacy experience and decent LORs. In many cases, we would have waitlisted the file to see how the class shaped up and we would then revisit this application. Instead, when the committee reviewed the transcript, we saw 10+ withdrawals and D's in GenChem from the 4 year school which were retaken during the summer at a community college (Orgo wasn't attempted at the 4 year school, but were taken at the community college).

What do you think of this file. At face value, the PCAT and GPA were probably acceptable for admission at a number of schools. But, looking deeper into the file raised a number of questions about the applicant's ability to perservere through difficulty. It appeared that every time a course was challenging, he/she chose to drop it. Instead of retaking Gen Chem at the same school, the applicant took it as a single summer course at a less difficult (in this case) school. Ultimately, the committee decided that this applicant probably didn't have the constitution to "gut it" through pharmacy school and she was rejected.

If you have something in your transcript that might be a concern to a reviewer, I suggest you address it. It is possible that the W's were related to an illness or family crisis? Sure. If they had been, we would have considered that. However, forcing the reviewer determine the cause of your difficulties is something I would advise against. If you have a question about whether you should specifically address a transcript "red flag" post a comment below and we'll try to assist.

No pharmacy experience - need guidance

2011-01-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

Question: I work full-time, take full-time courses, and have a large family (with a supportive husband). I have been lucky to secure a weekend, night position so that my weekdays are free for family and college courses. I have no pharmacy experience at all, including shadowing. I do have one day a week free this upcoming semester to do research. Would it be beneficial to me to work with a researcher that I have known for several years in the medicinal chemistry lab, and secure a legitimate letter of reference? Would my time be better spent volunteering on this "free" day at a pharmacy? If I choose the research route, I will not have a reference letter from a Pharmacist.

Answer: In a case such as yours I have often heard adcoms ask the question why someone in your situation wants to become a pharmacist. The catch here is this - if you have no rx experience at all, the question of what motivates you to apply to pharmacy school becomes tricky. I've had applicants such as yourself tell me that they've dreamed of becoming a pharmacist and have sacrificed many things to apply to pharmacy school. However, it always seems odd to me that someone would be willing to do so much for a profession they seemingly know so little about. Spending even a day shadowing a pharmacist would give you some talking points and eliminate some of the concerns an adcom might have. I think you could keep your research position and get your researcher LOR and still take a little time to shadow a pharmacist.

If you are looking for more info about pharmacy programs, check
accredited degrees.

Good luck.

Is pharmacy school attainable at this point?

2010-12-21T20:10:00.001-08:00

Question: My issue is that I do not want to pursue something that will not be attainable. I received a BA in Business about 3 years ago with an overall GPA of 2.6. After working in a retail pharmacy I made the decision to become a pharmacist. I began taking courses at a CC and am now on academic probation ( Grades are B two, Cs, F, a W, and two Ds in an attempt at the same course. On top of working full time while attending class, I was in an accident and missed many classes as a result, in addition to the fact that I had never taken courses of this magnitude and may have been overwhelmed. What can I do, if anything, to possibly be accepted into a professional program? How much will volunteering and community service help? Or should I just begin looking for a career elsewhere? Thanks for your help : )

Answer: Thanks for your email. Of course, there are no absolutes in this world, so I won't tell you that your goal is unattainable. However, you have painted yourself into a corner and don't have much room to get out.

Without knowing the courses you are struggling with or how working full time and your accident affected you, I can only speculate. Although it may be unrealistic, I wonder if you were to dedicate yourself to your studies on a full time basis if you feel that would enable you to be successful. Ceratinly, I have seen cases of individuals with less than stellar academic records who have shown significant improvement once they focused exclusively on their studies and increased their chances of admission dramatically.

At this point, volunteering and community service are not going to get you into pharmacy school. It would appear that you need to markedly improve your grades. If you believe you can do this, even if it requires great sacrifice, that would be your best opportunity. You simply have to weigh the positives and negatives and determine what direction is best for you.

Good luck.

Question about pharmacy school deposits

2010-12-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Question: I've been reading your blog everyday since June and its been soooo helpful! Thanks!

My interviews are coming up soon and now my question is regarding to admission deposit. It seems that each school have $500+ deposit to save your spot for entering class and some school specifically requires the deposit a few weeks later we get acceptance notice.

So my question is, if we still have more interviews coming up and don't know whether we wanna go to that school or not, we have to pay that much money for each school??? Would that be better then if we arrange the interview dates close so we don't have to worry about this kind of issue?

And if you are able to choose the date, would that be better if you arrage the eariler date?(meaning better chance?) or it doesnt matter? Because I want to be well preapared for my interviews....but its coming so soon.

Answer: Thanks for your email. I am glad that you have found the blog to be helpful.

You are correct that a school wants you to pay a deposit to hold your spot. They are willing to make a commitment to you and they are asking that you do the same in return. I am aware of some schools that require significantly higher deposits than $500 with less time to decide whether to accept the offer or not.

I don't know if there is any real advantage to scheduling interviews close to each other. There is no guarantee that the schools will notify you at the same time of their decision. Instead, I might recommend scheduling the interview at the school you most want to attend first and the latter interview a couple of months later. That way, if you get into the first school, you accept the offer. If you don't or are waitlisted, you interview at the second school and see what happens. You might end up making a deposit to School B that you forfeit if School A subsequently offers you admission, but that's a small price to pay for the peace of mind that having a secured spot will bring you.

Let us know how the interviews go. Good luck!

Should I bother applying to a public school as an out of state student?

2010-12-09T09:54:00.000-08:00

Note: This question has been asked in several different ways on multiple occasions.

Question: I have heard that public school (state sponsored schools of pharmacy) give preference to applicants from their state or who plan to work in the state after graduation. How true is this? I live in a rural state with no public school of pharmacy. I have good but not great grades and GPA. Do I even both applying to the big state school as an out of state resident or just start with private schools?

Answer: As noted in a previous thread, I do believe it is more difficult for out of state students to get into public institutions. If you live in Montana, you have a lesser chance of being admitted to the University of Texas (for example) than someone who lives in state. Does this hold true in all cases? Of course not. I don't have the statistics in front of me, but I suspect the large state institutions admit far more than half of their class from in state applicants.

For the record, I disagree with this on principle. I would encourage schools to admit a class that is more diverse racially, socially, and geographically. However, this is unlikely to change anytime soon as they are taxpayer funded to provide that particular state with pharmacists for the next generation.

There are exceptions to every rule (and you may be it). The bottom line is this: I encourage you to research all the schools where you consider applying and speak to someone in the admissions office. Ask them what percentage of their class comes from in-state or perhaps how many come from their undergraduate school (if one exists). Use this information to help you decide where you time and money are best spent during the admissions process.

Best of luck.

A pharmacist "friend" is writing a letter of recommendation

2010-12-03T10:50:00.001-08:00

Question: I have a question regarding my letter of recommendation. My friend (who's also a pharmacist that I am working with right now. I've known him for about 10 years now, he tutored me English when I first moved to the U.S. and he was actually the person that influenced me and encouraged me to go into pharmacy...) is writing a letter of recommendation for me, but I know that many schools won't accept references from a friend. Should I ask him to submit his reference as a pharmacist and not mention that he's a friend of mine?

Answer: Unequivocally, the answer to your question is YES. He can list himself under a number of categories that would probably work, but I under no circumstance would I tell you to have him write your LOR as a "friend".

The key point here is to make sure that he understands his reference should be written from the standpoint of whatever relationship he chooses. If he selects "pharmacist", he should be writing about your promise as a pharmacist and the qualities that would make you a good pharmacist - not about knowing you and your family since you were a kid, etc.

The committees that I have been a part of take a very negative approach to applicants who use friends and family to write their letters of recommendation.. I have seen applications with letters of recommendation from parents, siblings, and friends from summer jobs. Please realize you are applying for a spot in a competitive professional school and you want to do everything you can to show the committee that you are prepared for that step. You indicated that you have worked with this pharmacist, so he should have no trouble documenting your abilities, work ethic, and interpersonal communication skilss.

For those readers of the blog who have a pharmacist "friend" that you might consider asking for an LOR, if you haven't done this already, get yourself into their pharmacy workplace and shadow for a day or a week just so the reviewer can say that you did so. That way, at a minimum, you have some experience to show on your application and it would make the relationship mentor-student rather than friends alone.

If anyone has additional questions about letters of recommendation, please let us know.

Pharmacy school application questions

2010-11-28T18:52:00.001-08:00

Question: I have a BS in chemistry. My overall GPA is 2.75. My pre-pharmacy math/science GPA is 2.88. Since some schools give you an exempt from core curriculum (such as history, government, social sciences, etc.) are they going to look at my overall GPA or just the math/science GPA ? I have mostly B's, 4 C's and 3 A's in math/science.

Some schools take an average grade if you retake some classes. So if I manage to replace those C's, I can get a 3.0 math/science GPA. With a low 2.75 overall GPA, should I bother to try ? I have lots of research experience and no pharmacy experience. Do the administration look at research experience ? What's the minimum pharmacy experience that I should have ( a year, a semester ) ?

Answer: I can only speak to my experience, but I believe it to be similar to most schools. We look at the overall GPA, with emphasis on the science and math prereqs. If you failed a civics or government class as a freshman, this won't ruin your application.

As far as retaking classes, we don't take the "average", but we count both grades (which essentially averages them). In a blog entry, this was addressed. If you get the chance, you can review the previous entries and check it out. Certainly, I believe that improving your GPA > 3.0 would be beneficial. (see link:
http://pharmacyschooladmissions.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-is-good-gpa-to-get-into-pharmacy.html)

Different AdComs look at research experience differently. Personally, I don't look at it as being all that helpful to one's application. However, I know some members who do. Pharmacy experience would be preferred.

As far as how much pharmacy experience? The more, the better. But, even one day of shadowing is better than nothing. For more information on pharmacy experience, you can use the search function above and find quite a few posts on the topic.

Good luck.

Low Verbal score on PCAT - chances?

2010-11-20T07:21:00.000-08:00

Question: I recently received my PCAT scores and my composite was 51 my verbal ability dragged down my score as it was only 15 however, my bio was 76 and my Chem was 77 I have a solid GPA of 3.8 with A's in Chem an O Chem. I also have worked in a pharmacy for 2 years as a certified tech. I have LOR's from 2 pharmacist and one teacher. I have leadership in being an athletic team captain and also volunteer work in my mom's nursing home. I am nervous however that with my modest PCAT score that I will not get in. What is your professional opinion?

Answer: A 15 verbal is a concern, obviously. As an AdCom, I would also be interested in your Reading subset and your Writing score. If these were more "normal", I might be able to gloss over the verbal score to some degree. I know some who would not, however. You are fortunate to have such strong Bio and Chem scores as those are infinitely more important to most AdComs. Your Orgo scores and Tech experience are also huge +'s for you.

Where do you plan to apply. So much of the application process boils down to where the student wants to attend. Will a 51 Composite get you into the most competitive schools? Probably not. But it would probably be enough to get you in somewhere or at least get you an interview and then it's up to you from there.

I hope that helps. If you have more info you can share, I'll try to provide additional assistance.

Good luck.

Concern about a letter of recommendation

2010-11-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

Question: I have a question about a L.O.R that I am quite concerned about. Okay so here is the story. A while ago I asked a pharmacist who I volunteered with for one of my two required L.O.R's and he agreed. I was confident that he would give me a positive recommendation from our past experiences so I felt comfortable asking. Very shortly after, I put his information into the PharmCAS Reference section.

I was planning on giving him a copy of my resume and a few other papers later on in the week and I even told him he had until November to finish so I did not expect him to complete it so soon. This was his first recommendation so that might also be a reason why but long story short, there was a misunderstanding and he finished the recommendation in 30 minutes, which I timed between two e-mails that I received! I was very alarmed at how quickly he finished, especially because there was a comments section like you mentioned in the blog and I'm pretty sure he didn't have the letter typed already. In his last e-mail, he told me that he "highly recommended" me for admission but didn't mention the comments or the other sections, only that he finished and received a confirmation email. I checked pharmCAS and the status for his rec is "complete".

I waived my right to see but I'm guessing he put only a few sentences in the comments section and then submitted. I haven't asked him anything yet because it's pretty late. Should I be very concerned about this? I'm guessing because he already got a confirmation email, he can't make changes to his recommendation anyways, is this true? I was hoping something like this wouldn't happen.. do you think my application is shot because of this? And I know it's not his fault at all, he was only trying to help. It was my fault for being so careless and assuming but is there anything at all that I can do now? What would you recommend that I do in this case? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Based on the number of emails we have received, you are not the only applicant with concerns and/or questions about their LORs. Here is my take: If this pharmacist highly recommended you, that should be good enough and I wouldn't stress too much.

Would we like for all of our LORs to be heartfelt novellas about our character and work ethic? Sure. However, he may have had a "stream of consciousness" and just knocked out a very supportive letter for all you know.

As a lesson, your situation does provide a nice case study for others. As noted in previous entries, we encourage you to first explain the application process and what you hope to have your reviewers do to benefit you. Give him/her a copy of your CV or resume and have a brief discussion of what it means for you to be accepted into pharmacy school. An honest, frank request for a positive evaluation is usually well received and I have found myself more likely to provide a student with a thorough and supportive letter when they have given me adequate reason to do so.

All in all, what's done is done. I don't think you have any reason to worry. A high recommendation from a pharmacist will serve you very well even if his comments are on the light side.

Online Discussion #9

2010-11-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

Please Join us on Sunday, November 7 at 9pm ET for our 9th PharmacySchoolAdmissions.com online discussion. Everyone is welcome. Please take a moment to register on the forum (www.pharmacyschooladmissions.com - you can click the mortar and pestle -------> to get to the site) and use your registered username to enter the web discussion on Sunday.

See you then.

-Admissions

LOR from pharmacy supervisor (not RP)?

2010-10-30T08:11:00.001-07:00

Question:
Hi, admissions, Im about to get a letter from my pharmacy supervisor, he is not a pharmD though. He supervises over the other pharmacists, tells them what to do, type scripts; and gives breaks to both techs and pharmacist. I worked with him more than the other pharmacists. Would his LOR be better for me? Can I still submit it?

Answer:

A letter from a pharmacist would be better than one from a pharmacy supervisor who is not a pharmacist. I'm sure you can submit an LOR from your supervisor as someone who can vouch for your work ethic, but it won't carry the same weight as one from an RP would. You might consider having your supervisor write a letter as well as requesting one of the RPs as well.

Good luck.

Struggling with Orgo - what should I do?

2010-10-26T11:24:00.001-07:00

Question: I'm having a really hard time in Organic Chemistry and am very very overwhelmed. What do you notice in terms of Organic Chemistry grades? This is the first semester I'm taking and I am doing terrible. I have strait A's and my masters and never worked hard as I am in this course. Is there still hope for me?! I'm so stressed. I'm really working hard to do well but I feel like my best isn't good enough. Any advice on this would be great! I really appreciate your time to help me!

Answer: You are not the first (and will not be the last) applicant to struggle with organic chemistry. It sounds like the course has not yet completed, so hopefully you still have time to improve your grade.

As far as how an admissions committee will look at Orgo, you are correct to assume that your grade in this course will be scrutinized when your file is reviewed. If you can manage a C or better, I would discourage withdrawing (as noted in previous threads). Instead, meet with your course instructor and begin a dialogue on your difficulties and how you might be able to improve. Maybe they can offer you a tutor or other assistance. Stick with it and do the best you can.

Every year, we admit students with C's in Orgo. I know for a fact that we have admitted students who have failed Orgo and then retaken the course and scored significantly better the second time. If the rest of yor application (PCAT, GPA, LORs) is admittable, don't lose any sleep over your Orgo grade, but exhaust all resources to improve it as best as possible.

How many schools should I apply to?

2010-10-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

Question: I hope to gain admission in the class of 2011. I was wondering how many schools do you think I should apply to? My GPA is 3.25 and I just took the PCAT. I am able to move just about anywhere and just want to make sure I get in so I don't have to repeat this cycle again next year.

Answer: How deep are your pockets? The application and interview process can be quite expensive, so I recommend choosing the schools that you apply to wisely. If you live in California, you can apply to a number of schools and make visits and interviews less expensively than if you live in a state with fewer nearby options.

I last results I saw indicated that 2/3 of the applicants that applied to only one school did not gain admission. So, I would encourage you to identify 8-10 that you are most interested in and contact them. Do a little homework and see if your GPA and academic background fit what their accepted students typically look like. From that list, applying to 5-6 schools is probably reasonable for most applicants.

Best of luck.

Letter of Recommendation - a word of advice

2010-10-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

I reviewed a pharmacy school application today that included a "letter of recommendation" from a professor that was anything but helpful to the applicant's chances. It made me think it appropriate to remind you to have some discussion with those people you ask to write LORs to make sure that they can write a supportive letter. Do not assume that every reviewer will give you glowing marks. If they do not feel they can write a helpful letter, find someone who can.

Question about Letters of Recommendation (LOR)

2010-10-04T20:00:00.001-07:00

Question: I have to choose one of the following professors for a letter of recommendation - who would be better? a) Organic Chemistry professor that I know well, but got a B in his class 2) Physics professor that I never spoke with, but got an A in class?

Answer: I want to remind everyone how important your letters of recommendation are. Grades are PCATs are very important, but it is very difficult to separate the students with 3.0-3.5 GPA's who have a composite of 70-85 on their PCAT. There are a lot of applicants who fit into those ranges and we don't have room to admit everyone. The LORs can make you or break you.

The people that you choose to write a letter of recommendation for you had better know you well enough to write a good letter. We see a lot of letters from professors who probably couldn't pick the applicant out of the class lineup. The letter begins like this, "Bob was a student in my class. He scored a B and ranked 35th out of 100 students in the class....". Obviously, there are cases where this might be the best letter you can get from a certain professor and you have to use it. It's probably not the best case scenario, but we do understand that it can be hard to stand out or develop relationships with professors in some settings.

To answer your question, I would suggest that you choose the professor who knows you well and can speak to your aptitude as well as your character and personal quailities. An LOR which strongly endorses your application can go a long way toward achieving an interview and possible admission. I suspect a letter from either professor would probably be more than acceptable, but one can tell the committee what kind of person you are and that should help you out.

Should I retake the PCAT again?

2010-09-29T14:10:00.001-07:00

Question: Thank you for your very informative blog. I took the PCAT recently for my third attempt and got a composite 80. I understand that pharmacy schools only look at the highest score out of my three attempts, and I wanted to take the PCAT one more time in hopes of bumping my score up to an 84 or higher.

Would it look bad to the admissions committee if they saw my app. and were appalled I took the PCAT so many times? I understand this may vary at different schools, but how would you view it? And how bad would it look if I took the PCAT a fourth time and did worse than before?

Answer: Thanks for your question. It is incorrect to assume that all schools looks solely at your highest PCAT score from your three attempts. I have been involved with the admissions process at institutions that handled things very differently.

My previous school took the highest of the subset scores when reviewing files. For example, you indicated that you have taken the exam three times. This school would take the highest Chem score of the three, the highest Bio score, etc. They would generate their own Composite score from the best subset scores. Obviously, that would boost an applicant's overall "composite" and make it appear that the school was admitting students with better PCAT scores than they really were. Whether they admit it or not, schools do look to see what caliber of students their comparative schools are admitting. If there are 3 or 4 schools in one geographic area, I can guarantee you they know what the average PCAT is of the incoming students at the other schools.

My current institution looks at each exam uniquely, but comprehensively. You may have a composite of 40, then 80, then 60. We would see what the areas of strength and weakness are and determine if your corresponding grades matched what the exam showed. If you scored a 10 on the PCAT Chem every time and had C's and D's in Orgo, you are in bad shape even with a composite of 80. Similarly, if your composite scores are 20, 20, 80 - the committee isn't only going to look at the 80. In this example, your lower scores will be looked at extensively instead of simply accepting your highest PCAT as the final word.

Back to your original question, taking the PCAT multiple times can be good or bad. Not knowing what your first two scores were or where you plan to apply, I would say that your composite score is adequate for most schools. If you did worse on a 4th exam, it would certainly be considered when reviewing your application. That is the risk you take, in my opinion.

I have prereqs to finish this spring.. Apply now or wait?

2010-09-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Question: I am wondering what your thoughts are on applying for pharmacy school for 2011 while still having a few prereq's to finish up this spring. The ones I feel will be looked at closely I need to complete are physics and cell bio. I just want to know that with the money being invested into the pcat, pharmcas app, and supplemental application that it isn't foolish on my part if it's going to be frowned upon that I still have a couple of pre-req's to complete.

My GPA is fairly good, I am volunteering at a hospital pharmacy, am a certified pharmacy technician with 2 years chain/retail side experience, and will hopefully do alright on the pcat this October. Just curious to what your thoughts are on this.

Answer: There are two parts to this question:
1) How will you perform on the PCAT without having completed your preqreqs?
2) Will the school "frown" if prereqs are not yet completed?

Most applications that we receive and review have courses yet to be completed listed on them. For example, we have applicants applying after their first year of college with the hope of beginning pharmacy school following their second year. These applicants usually have multiple prereqs to complete, so that should not be a concern for you.

The question I have for you is, "Do you feel well prepared for the PCAT without having completed the outstanding prerequisite courses?" In your case, if you have completed Gen Chem, Bio, and Calculus, I think you should feel prepared for the PCAT. It is my opinion that Physics and Cell Biology are not going to significantly add to or detract from your PCAT scores.

I would encourage you to begin the application process at this time and take the PCAT in October. With an acceptable GPA and pharmacy experience, you have positioned yourself well to be a acceptable candidate. If your PCAT scores are good, you have a great chance.

Good luck.

Review of PCAT score - one low area

2010-09-16T20:19:00.001-07:00

Question: I recently recieved the following PCAT scores:
Verbal Ability: 442 - 96%
Biology: 425 - 86%
Reading Comprehension: 402 - 48%
Quantitative Ability: 426 - 80%
Chemistry: 485 - 99%
Composite: 436 - 95%

Although I am very happy with my composite score, my reading score is terrible and really stands out from the rest of my scores. I was wondering that since I am applying to top tier schools, will this reading score severely affect my chances? Should I retake? Thank you!

Answer: I find it peculiar that you would have such a depressed Reading score with an excellent Verbal. What was your written essay score? Usually when we see low Reading/Verbal scores, they are married to each other - both high or both low.

I will say this, however, if you are going to have one area of weakness on your PCAT a single low Reading/Verbal score is what you would choose. Particularly if the other is a 96% as yours was. I would be more concerned if your Chemistry score was in the 40's.

I don't think I would worry much about the single score affecting your chances at all. Your composite is top shelf and that is most important. Your 99 Chem score is impressive as well. If your statement and grades are good and your LORs are adequate/strong, you shouldn't have much to worry about. I would probably recommend against retaking the PCAT. However, if you felt confident that you could replicate the scores in the areas of strength while improving your Reading subset, it would just depend on how much time/money you wanted to spend.

Good luck.

Struggling in first year of pharmacy school?

2010-09-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Question: I just started pharmacy school about three weeks ago, and today I got my first test back, and needless to say it was not good, it was a 64. Does this happen? I'm not used to making such poor grades and now doubting myself, do you see this happen in your school? I drive 3 hours a day, study all the time, I'd say I put in 40 hours for this micro test, and all of my study buddies got A's. I'm not sure what to do, my school has a 98% retention rate, which makes me feel like I'm going to be the one to flunk out. I do have kids, and a family, but have been staying at school all day, and part of the night. Please tell me what your school does in this situation. Do you think I'm overreacting?

Answer: Well, I'll start by saying that pharmacy school is very difficult. I remember having struggles at times as do most professional students. Don't let a single test or one course dampen your hopes. It sounds like you are stretched to the absolute max with travel, family, and school, so try to find a way to simplify things if you can (I know that isn't easy to do). If a particular subject is worrisome, speak with the professor and ask for assistance. Most are willing to help the student with initiative who wants to be successful.

Good luck.

Do I need to rewrite my personal statement?

2010-09-02T17:26:00.001-07:00

Question: I graduated from 4 year college last year, and got a B.S degree with Biochem. When I was in senior year, I applied two pharmacy schools, and I didn't get in. So, last year, after I graduated, I applied two other schools and did not get in either.

Anyhow, I want to give a try again this year, and I'm wondering how I should prepare to write Personal Statement (PS) again. I was reading the blogs and your reponse in one of the blogs is to change the PS when re-applying. I am applying few schools including the old one that I applied last two years. Should I just add few lines of what I have been doing since I graduated in one more paragraph? If so, do you think it is good enough? Please let me know how you would suggest me in term of adding/changing my PS.

Answer: Without knowing a little more (grades, PCATs, etc) it is difficult to give you much advice. I would say this, however: If your personal statement that you used previously didn't get you in, don't you think it would be advantageous to start fresh and write a completely new one? The same probably goes for letters of recommendation.

Have you gained pharmacy experience or something else that will improve your application measurably? Did you take or retake the PCAT and perform better? Have you begun advanced coursework toward a Masters degree? If so, revamp your statement and use something learned from your experiences. If none of the above, I recommend starting from scratch. If you are going to spend the time and money to reapply, you owe it to yourself to give it your very best and not have any regrets or "what ifs".

Good luck.

Trouble starting personal statement

2010-09-02T17:23:00.001-07:00

Question: I am having trouble beginning my personal statement. There's so much I want to write, but don't where to start. Should I tell a story of some kind or just tell the facts?

Answer: Without knowing your background and experiences, it is difficult to know where to begin. Occasionally, a brief retelling of a story is beneficial if you had an experience that impacted you. You might relate start by telling why pharmacy is a good career field for you and the personal attributes you have.

Just to unlock writer's block, start with, "It has been a dream of mine (whether it has been or not - just to get you thinking) to become a pharmacist since....." and go with it. See what you can come up with. You can do this over and over again with different opening statements and just start typing. Ask someone impartial to review them and see what seems right.

Your statement is the first chance to tell the AdCom why you would be a good addition to their pharmacy program - don't waste this opportunity!

Best of luck.

Hiw important is courseload as I finish my prereqs?

2010-08-24T04:48:00.000-07:00

Question: My question is do you know if the admissions look to see if you are taking a light course load? I have almost finished my PREREQs and am only taking one more class to fully complete it before applying. I didn't bother taking any more courses however there were a few that are indeed related to pharmacy.

Answer: Every Admissions Committee that I have been a part of has looked at the course load of the applicant. However, if you are only taking one course because that is all you need, you shouldn't worry at all. I think it would be silly to take a bunch of unnecessary courses just to have a full course load. What is concerning to me, and I suspect many committee members, is when an applicant spreads out their difficult courses as thin as possible to avoid the difficulty of taking multiple rigorous concurrently. While not entirely uncommon, such course scheduling can be looked upon unfavorably by committee members and I have seen this firsthand. Pharmacy school courseloads are substantial in the number of credit hours and difficulty level of the material; having success with a similar courseload can only help your application.

Good luck.

Accredit vs Non-Accredited schools

2010-08-16T19:40:00.001-07:00

Who should write my LORs?

2010-08-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Question: What are the three letter of recommendations we do need? As far as I knew, it was

1) A Professor
2) An employer
3) Personal, but not a friend or family relative.

I somewhat have number 1, but he has not responded to my phone message or my email yet. Number two, I intend on shadowing at a pharmacy this coming month or so. Number three, I' not very sure on, could you explain this one?

Answer: Every school is different in how many LORs they require and who they "suggest" you have them from. Certainly, one should be from a professor. Preferably a science professor. If you are employed in pharmacy, I strongly suggest you get a pharmacist LOR.

However, each institution is different. Some request that you have an alum write an LOR. Others want a second professor (science or otherwise). For your third LOR, I would advise you get an LOR from someone who can judge your character and work ethic. Perhaps you have experience volunteering with a church group, Habitat, hospital, etc. If you have none, another teacher or employer would work.

I recommend that you research each school that you intend to apply to and map out who they want LORs from. There will be a great deal of overlap, but some differences as well.

Kaplan guide helpful for PCAT?

2010-08-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

Question: I was really happy to have discovered your blog today! I am currently planning to take the August PCAT. My question is quite typical of any student in hopes of pharmacy and it is simply, how would a Kaplan PCAT Study Guide be enough?

I am very worried because I stare at my three university textbooks (chemistry, biology and calculus), sigh as I glance over at my notes, and then see the Kaplan PCAT Study Guide. I feel overwhelmed! I know two weeks isn't a lot of time left to study but I just don't know how to go about with my approach in studying. I feel stressed and under pressure. Any advice?

Answer: I am glad that you have found the blog helpful. I think the Kaplan guide can be useful in preparing for the PCAT, but it is not sufficient to teach you everything you need to know. Obviously, that is why you have completed your prequisite courses and I would hope that the knowledge gained in Chem, Orgo, Bio, and Calculus would be enough for you to at least satisfactorily complete the exam.

I think it would be very useful to ask others who have taken the PCAT how they would prepare and what they thought was beneficial. I hope that some of the followers of this blog would give their advice as well (I will add this as a blog entry). Also, don't overlook the Reading and Verbal sections of the PCAT, as well as the Writing section. These make up a significant portion of the test and can help you out tremendously if you are deficient in the other areas tested.

Note to blog followers who have taken the PCAT: Please offer your insight and suggestions by adding a comment below. Thank you.

Has anyone taken a PCAT prep course?

2010-08-03T13:06:00.001-07:00

Question: I am considering paying $1300 for a PCAT prep course. Yet when I asked a mentor pharmacist her opinion on a prep course she thought itwould not be necessary especially considering the cost. Are there people who have found the course helpful and people who haven't? I realize it will depend on the type of student and study skills yet feedback would be helpful. Thanks!

Answer: Thanks for your email. A question was asked regarding study guides earlier (see above). My initial thought is that the review course may not be worth the money, but if you are a non-traditional student who could use a serious refresher on chemistry, biology, etc, it may be worth considering. If you are a traditional student, I suspect a study guide would be sufficient.

Note: Please provide comments/feedback if you have taken a prep course or found a different study guide or method to be helpful (or less than beneficial). Thank you.

PCAT score review

2010-07-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

Question: Dear Admissions, This site has been so helpful in my pursuit to gain a better understanding of the pharmacy application process. Thank you so much for creating this site. I just received my June 2010 scores and I was wondering if you could tell me if I should retake it in October.

I know my scores are probably the very minimum required, but will that hurt my chances of even getting an interview even if my PS, LORS are strong?

My second question is: Which part of the score is weighted more heavily by the admissions committee: the individual scaled scores from each sub test, overall composite score, or the percentile ranking of each sub test?

GPA: 3.14
Verbal: 68%
Bio: 60%
Reading Comp: 62%
Math: 60%
Chem: 59%
Composite: 64%

Answer: First of all, thank you for the kind words. I am glad the site has been helpful. Just as a reminder, the advice I offer is based on my own experiences only, so other schools and committee members may have a different viewpoint. That being said, this is how I would advise you:

Your PCAT subset scores are very consistent. Unfortunately, this probably works against you a bit. In some ways, you might be better off if your PCAT Chem/Bio/Quant were in the 80s-90s and something else brought the composite down as those scores tend to be weighted more than verbal and reading.

I would suggest that your retake the PCAT. A PCAT composite score in the 60s will get you admitted to a handful of schools, however, I wouldn't be surprised if you feel into the alternate pool. You didn't indicate where you are applying so I can't offer much in terms of likelihood of receiving interviews. I think at our institution, based on scores and GPA only, (assuming average or better personal statement and LORs), you would probably be a middle of the road alternate.

Your scores simply aren't good enough for most schools to grant you immediate admission when a significant number of applicants will have better PCAT scores and a higher GPA. As time goes on and applicants begin to choose where they will be attending, waitlisted students are pulled into the discussion. If you can increase your composite > 70, your chances increase. I have found that applicants tend to fare better the second time they take the test, so there is little downside in trying, in my opinion.

Good luck.

Traditional vs. Non-Traditional students

2010-07-29T06:55:00.002-07:00

Question: Why would a CC student who takes 1 to 2 classes at a time and work part time to full time job(s) be considered a poor predictor of success for pharmacy school? I hope pharmacy schools take into consideration that not all students (especially while the economy is down) have the means to attend a University full time. Many students I know have families, work, and still manage to do well in 2 science classes per semester.

Are you implying that some Non-traditional pre-pharmacy students are currently at a disadvantage compared to traditional full time students?

Answer: A disclaimer: I am answering this based on my committee experience only which may not reflect the opinion of every committee. Let's start with this: every application is unique and is judged uniquely. When we are discussing an applicant, we don't begin by saying, "Who would perform better in our program - Applicant A from the 4 year school or Applicant B from the community college?". Each applicant is judged independently and a decision in made based on the merits of each. Please understand that a student with a lower GPA from a high ranking 4 year school (who may also have great references, experience, PCAT scores) could be chosen over a student from another university or CC with stellar grades but poor recommendations, PCAT, etc. Grades matter, but we have to consider much more than GPA alone. Course load is something that is important to many of us. Yes, we realize that many applicants have jobs, families, etc and cannot attend school full time. Is having a lesser class load a poor predictor? Many committee members would say so.

My example using an applicant from an elite 4 year univeristy with marginal grades was simply to say that I wouldn't use poor grades from such an institution as a reason to keep someone out. That being said, we have offered admission to many qualified CC and non traditional students. I have personally interviewed many excellent candidates (who are now great pharmacists) that did their schooling at community colleges.

Something that we see occasionally is the 4 year university student who seems to take all of their difficult coursework (ie, Orgo, Biochem, etc) during the summer or at a CC rather than during the regular school calendar at their university. This can raise eyebrows with committee members and I would generally discourage it.

Please let us know if you have additional questions on this topic. pharmacyschooladmissions@gmail.copm

Community College Question

2010-07-29T06:55:00.001-07:00

Question: Do you guys consider the difficulty of the school where prerequisites were completed? Would you view a 3.5 at a top-tier school the same as a 3.5 at a community college?

Answer: We have addressed this before, but the question is asked in one form or another somewhat frequently. The honest answer is, no, we would not look at a top tier univeristy and a Community College the same. However, the difference between a low end 4 year school and a CC might not be looked at too differently.

We have admitted an applicant with a 2.0 from Berkeley and rejected a 4.0 from a Community College before. I know students reading this who are taking their prerequisites at a community or junior college won't like reading this, but please understand: In many cases, we put great emphasis on the courseload a student takes. Typically, at a 4 yr univeristy a student takes 15-18 hours per semester (or equivalent) which shows they can handle the load of pharmacy school. Oftentimes, a CC student takes 1-2 courses at a time and does very well, but it may be a poor predictor of success for pharmacy school because they aren't prepared for the courseload of 17-18 semester hours that pharmacy school demands.

Financial dilemma - public vs private

2010-07-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Question: I have a dilemma, I don't want to be in 200K of debt. I've been wait listed at a public school, and what if I go to the private school for a week, and then find out I've been accepted at the public school? Do I have an outlet within a timeframe or am I stuck with the private school that will put me in a huge finanical crisis?

Response: Most schools have a window where you can get part or all of your tuition back one school has started. For example, if you leave school by Sept. 1, you might receive a 90% refund of your tuition; before Sep. 15, 70%; and no refund after that date. You should check with the school where you plan to enroll first. I suspect this information is in your enrollment information or may be available on their website.

Good luck.

Low GPA - what should I do?

2010-07-22T06:35:00.001-07:00

Question: I just returned to community college about a year ago. I went to college right out of high school for a couple years. I didn't know what I wanted to do so I got a job and starting working. I've worked several jobs since. I am currently employed at a local hospital (not in pharmacy) for about 4 years now. I recently become interesting in pursing a career as a pharmacist. I took an organic chemistry class in the fall and due to medical problems I ended up failing the course. I am taking the PCAT in august and will be applying to pharmacy schools for admission this year. I intend to graduate with an associate of science completing my courses in the summer of 2011. How much will failing that class be held against me? I plan on retaking the class this fall. My GPA has dropped to a 1.7 now. Will getting a higher score on the PCAT help my cause at all? Or am I pretty much out of consideration at this point? I know right now the odds are stacked against me. Will my work expiernce compensate a little for the bad GPA?

Any advice for me?

Answer: I'll be honest - things are stacked against you. I'll try to touch on each point:
1) Failing Orgo hurts, however, you have a chance to make up for it if your retake the course and do well. As you apply, you will want to make sure they understand what happened in your first attempt (illness, etc).
2) A GPA of 1.7 will obviously not get you in. We have admitted some students in the past with less than a 3.0, but that is usually the cutoff at most schools. So it sounds like you need to get that fixed asap. Do whatever you can to improve your overall and prereq GPAs. Whether that means taking summer courses or online classes, or maybe retaking prereqs, at this point you probably should consider every option.
3) A high PCAT score will solve a lot of problems. If you are serious about pharmacy, you need to really prepare for the PCAT and make sure you do well (a score in the 90s would be ideal).
4) work experience helps, but pharmacy experience helps more. If you currently work in the hospital, see if you can shadow a couple hours here and there. Anything would help.

Best of luck.

A comment on email addresses (sent to us via email)

2010-07-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Suggestion: I am on the admission review committee at _______ (name of school removed), and we enjoy this website - several items have made me chuckle. I have a suggestion to make regarding the use of email addresses when applicants are registering through PharmCas. Applicants - please use your school/university issued email address or one that is professional in nature. Occasionally, we see applicants using semi-inappropriate names and words in their email addresses and it does make us question the maturity of the applicant.

I would suggest not using slang terms, nicknames, or body descriptions in an email address that you are using to apply for professional school. Don't use: sexybaby@ _____mail.com or whosurdaddy@ _________mail.com. You get the idea.

Will you be rejected for using such an email address? Undoubtedly, no. But, please be professional in your approach.

Thank you and keep up the good work.

Response: Thank you for the advice. I agree 100%.

Will a committee check me out on facebook?

2010-07-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Question: I don't have anything entirely inappropriate on my myspace page, but there are photos of my friends and I being "crazy"... drinking, partying, etc. Do I need to worry that an admissions committee will look at the page and use it against me?

Answer: A year or two ago, I wouldn't have expected a question like this. However, as social networking grows and access to personal information becomes available, it would be wise to limit who has access to your myspace and/or facebook information. This past year, I recall only a couple of occasions where a committee member did "look up" a potential applicant on a social networking site and reported what he/she found to the committee. In those cases, nothing of consequence was mentioned - nothing negative at least. But, what if there were inappropriate photos?

However, applying to a professional school is much like applying for a job. This is a competitive field and you want to "look the part". If you allow public access to your personal information on a social networking site, be prepared for it to be viewed and used for or against you. Ask yourself the question, "Would I hire (or "admit") the person I see based on what they are posting online?" Better safe than sorry, right?

A question about letters of recommendation

2010-07-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

Question: I just started working in a pharmacy part-time as a pharmacy tech. When I apply for pharmacy school, I will only have about 6 months experience in a pharmacy setting. I do plan on asking the pharmacist I work with for an LOR. Will it be frowned upon to only have 6-7 months experience in a pharmacy and an LOR from someone who has only know me for 6-7 months. I will have LORs from others I have worked with that have known me longer. Thanks!

Answer: I will start by saying that an LOR (letter of recommendation) from a pharmacist is a good thing. Particularly, if they "highly recommend" you. I believe there are 3-4 different types of pharmacist experience and I will discuss each briefly in the order of importance as a committee will view them:

1) Pharmacy Technician - Part or full time employment at a pharmacy will always earn you extra points. It shows that you are committed enough to the profession to seek employment and experience before applying for pharmacy school. Let the pharmacist you work with know how important it is to you to attend pharmacy school and ask that they write a supportive recommendation.
2) Pharmacy Volunteer - If an applicant has volunteered at a local pharmacy, I think it can help an application. I usually look at volunteering as something an applicant can do if they attend school out of state, but want a little bit of experience with pharmacy. If an applicant has regularly scheduled "volunteer hours" (say, 6-10pm every Monday), that shows an additional level of commitment.
3) Pharmacy Shadowing - This is my "better than nothing" category. Usually it means that you spent a few hours once or twice "shadowing" or spending a day with a pharmacist or at a pharmacy. I have had young people shadow me a few times and I usually kind of enjoy it. The applicant gets a little bit of exposure to what a pharmacist does without the commitment of a pharmacy job or volunteer hours.
4) Pharmacy Clerk - We have a few applicants every year who are the "cashiers" or "stock people" at a pharmacy or independent drug store. This might be the person who runs the cash register at the front of the store or stocks the greeting cards. No real first hand knowledge of how the pharmacy works, but they have been around the business a while and have some connections to the people in the pharmacy. This experience won't add much to your application.

So, to answer your question, I would look favorably upon an LOR from your pharmacist of 6-7 months. Committee members expect to see letters from professors, but a pharmacist who can speak to your work ethic and character will help you out.

I suggest that you provide everyone who writes you an LOR a one page "resume" that lists academic honors, extracurricular activities, work and volunteer experience. Some LORs that we see are written by reviewers who clearly know very little about the applicant and it shows. You need to be proactive and stress the importance that his/her letter will have on the committee no matter how long you have known the reviewer.

Thanks for your excellent question.

Personal Statement - Part 3

2010-07-08T04:53:00.000-07:00

So how long is too long for a personal statement? Or how short is too short? Like all things, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Generally speaking, I think a 1-2 page personal statement allows more than enough space to say everything there is to say. I have read non-PharmCas statements that are 5+ pages long and the committee will get a laugh out of that. I was looking at an application recently that was only 3 paragraphs of non-descriptive sentences. This implied to me that the applicant didn't care to spend the necessary time in drafting a well prepared statement. There is no need for you to be long winded, however, make sure you give yourself ample space to show your value to the school.

I find applicants who make reference to being an accessible member of the health care team and wanting to be there to genuinely help individuals have a great start to their statement.

Personal Statement - Part 2

2010-07-08T04:52:00.001-07:00

There are a couple of things I would advise against doing when writing your personal statement. You statement should not be:

a) a stand up comedy routine
b) a sob story
c) a collection of classes that you excel in (and try to connect them to be a successful pharmacist)

I remember when I was in college and I took a professional development seminar about writing resumes and cover letters. The one thing I remember was, "You should try to stand out among the hundreds of resumes that will be read". My advice to you - do the opposite. Don't try to stand out. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but sometimes when you stick your neck out the ending isn't pleasant. Too many applicants want to tell me a funny story instead of reasons why they want to come to my school to study pharmacy. And we all love the one about a great aunt who had cancer when was 5 years old and he had an epiphany that pharmacy was the career fir him at that moment. You get the idea.

I have read hundreds, if not thousands, of personal statements and supplemental application responses. I appreciate it when someone writes an actual statement about why they want to be a pharmacist. What has guided them to this time in their life? What values do they exhibit that would make them a caring health care professional? Why will my school be better if we admit him/her?

Personal Statement - Part 1

2010-07-08T04:51:00.001-07:00

When an admission committee reviews an application the area that is most subjective is the personal statement. GPAs and PCAT scores can be compared. Why someone wants to be admitted to pharmacy school cannot. While I cannot write your personal statement for you, I am happy to suggest ways to put your thoughts into words. In another blog post I mentioned some things to avoid saying in your statement, but how does one put his/her best foot forward?

Let's start with this: During your application process, you will be asked to write responses to several questions. The first, in most cases, will be your personal essay on the PharmCas application. This will be followed by supplemental applications with university specific questions and then written essays at some schools when you are on campus interviewing.

As an example, for students matriculating in Fall 2009, the PharmCas essay, "should address why you selected pharmacy as a career and how the PharmD relates to your immediate and long term professional goals. Also, describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals". Easy, right? Hardly - I got winded just reading the question, so I can understand why applicants are so concerned about how they respond in their statement. Your assignment is to start thinking about how you would answer this question if asked in an interview. The beauty, however, is that you have months to prepare your answer, write and rewrite, correct and spell check, and then have someone review it before you submit it. In short, relax... you have time to get it right! With a little help, you can get you where you want to go.

Will Pharmacy Tech licensure help?

2010-06-28T19:54:00.001-07:00

Question: I am planning on reapplying to a school this fall. I got my rejection letter from them in the mail in April. Does having a pharmacy tech license increase my chances of getting accepted? And if I do plan to pursue a pharm tech license by completing a 29-wk program starting in July, I will not get licensed until beginning of next year. But I plan to apply to schools as early as possible. This means that I will apply starting next week. Now would the admissions at the pharmacy school see that I am improving myself and am more dedicated towards pharmacy? Would I just have to state that I am pursuing a pharm tech license in my personal letter? My other reason for getting a pharm tech license is so that I can work in a pharmacy in the meantime if I do not get accepted for the Class of 2015.

Answer: I am sorry that you were not accepted this year. Taking the necessary courses to become a licensed Pharmacy Technician will not hurt your chances, but I think it will provide minimal benefit on paper. However, if receiving your licensure allows you to get a position at a pharmacy (which I am not certain if you had previously), then it is well worth it because it has opened to door for you to gain valuable work experience and a letter of recommendation from a pharmacist.

I think you should mention in your PharmCas statement that you are pursuing your technician licensure with the hope of achieving your goal to be accepted into pharmacy school. Committees like to see perserverance and it sounds like you have it.

Best of luck.

Does school attended matter to the committee?

2010-06-25T13:36:00.001-07:00

Question: I have a quick question about one of the blog postings you made recently. In response to someone's question regarding how you filter through applicants, you said you "look at the PCAT score first, followed by the overall GPA, prereq GPA (particularly Orgo, Bio, and Calculus), and then the school the applicant attended."What do you necessarily mean by the school the applicant attended? Is a student that attended an Ivy League or other type ofprestigious school shown preference over one that went to a publicor community college?

Answer: Thanks for your question. I wouldn't say the committee universally gives extra credit for attending an "Ivy League" school, but it is undeniable that there is a diference between the level of education at Harvard and the local CC. The subjectivity and determining the "whole" application is one of the more difficult aspects of the process. While it is a factor, as I noted, there are several things that I personally look at before I get to the school attended.

We are frequently challenged by this question. Is a 3.0 at Harvard better/equal/worse than a 4.0 at a local CC? There is no right or wrong answer, which is why the rest of the application is so important. Have excellent LORs, better than average PCAT scores, some pharmacy experience and I think you'll do fine.

Best of luck.

Should I apply now or finish my degree first?

2010-06-22T17:05:00.001-07:00

Question: I just finished my first year of undergraduate studies and want to become a pharmacist. I can complete the necessary courses and apply this year but I wonder if I would be better off finishing a degree and then applying? Suggestions?

Answer: If your focus is to become a pharmacist, I see no reason why you shouldn't apply for classes matriculating in Fall 2011. Do you have a better chance of gaining acceptance if you have a bachelor's degree? Probably. At some schools, great value is placed on possessing a degree. However, a large number of students are admitted every year without a degree so don't let that deter you if you want to apply now. It is my opinion that the number of schools requiring an undergraduate degree before applying to pharmacy school will increase in the coming years.

My suggestion is to apply now and see what happens. If you aren't accepted during this coming cycle, complete your degree and apply again in two years.

How important are supplemental essays?

2010-06-22T17:00:00.001-07:00

Question: My question is, how important are the supplemental application essays compared to the pharmcas one? Should I just answer the question they ask directly? Should I spend as much time on it as I did with the Pharmcas?

Answer: I think the supplemental essays are probably more important that the PharmCas essay. Think of these as first and second interviews. If you pass the screening interview (PharmCas essay), you get to meet the boss and interview with him/her (supplemental essay).

My experience is that institutions spend a great deal of time and effort to develop supplemental questions that the school feels are important to them in determining which students are the best possible candidates for matriculation. This is particularly true if the institution has a religious affiliation, where you can assume one of more supplemental essay questions will relate to values, etc.

Students who copied and pasted portions of their PharmCas essay or who wrote single sentence answers in their supplemental applications were downgraded significantly. Do not take this portion of the application process lightly.

PCAT feedback - June 19, 2010

2010-06-19T09:01:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure how many of our followers took the PCAT today, but if you did, please provide feedback in the comments section below. Your thoughts or observations would be appreciated by many. How did you prepare? Do you plan to take it again? Please do not post actual questions asked on the exam - they will be deleted.

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We hope to hear from as many of you as possible.

Thank you.

PCAT - June 19, 2010 - Advice, comments, suggestions

2010-06-18T07:23:00.001-07:00

Good luck to everyone taking the PCAT this weekend. If you have taken the exam previously, please use the comments section below to offer any advice. If this is the first time you are taking the PCAT and you have questions that keep you up at night, please post them below and the many readers of this blog can help ease your concerns.

Please provide as much information in your questions and answers as possible.