university of maryland Baltimore (Entering 2015)

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africanpharmd14

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Hi everyone, I couldnt find a thread for Umb (surprising o_Oo_O !!)
  1. Post ur prerequisites :bookworm::bookworm::bookworm:
  2. Pcat Scores (for those who have taken them)
  3. General application tips
  4. and any other stuff yall want to discuss ;)
:highfive::highfive::highfive:

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So does this thread already exist somewhere else or is no one applying ............o_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_O
 
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Hi everyone, I couldnt find a thread for Umb (surprising o_Oo_O !!).



    • Post ur prerequisites :bookworm::bookworm::bookworm:
    • Pcat Scores (for those who have taken them)
    • General application tips
    • and any other stuff yall want to discuss ;)
:highfive::highfive::highfive:
1. Took all pre-reqs.
Cumulative GPA 4.0
Science GPA 4.0
2. PCAT Composite 98 percentile
I applied early decision to another school, but I will apply to UMB if my application if deferred to RD.
Is UMB your top choice?
 
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Did u guys hear anything back from the school?
 
Did u guys hear anything back from the school?
I applied here too. I turned in my supplemental back in September however, I heard from several students that attend the school that regular decision applicants are not interviewed until January.... I'm waiting for the interview invite. Hopefully. God willing.
 
I just received an email from them the other day that they have received my application and supplementals, even though the supp has said R on PharmCAS since October 29 :shrug: maybe they sent it to everyone. But waiting until at least January is torture... :dead:
 
Do you guys think they'll start sending the invitations this month? Or nothing at all until January?
 
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maryland does not have rolling decisions and their admissions schedule is dictated by the times that the committee can meet. they also take many steps in reviewing each application thoroughly. if your application meets the minimum gpa and pcat score, you can be sure someone has read every single word of your application - something which bodes well for the poor score but high aptitude/potential students. have patience and dont feel rushed to accept other offers. if you have to accept another offer, pay the depositand if you later interview at and are accepted into maryland, the lost deposit if not even 1% of your cost of attendance. worth it to go to a place you belong or feel at home.
 
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Does any one know if its true that out of state students can receive in state tuition after their first year?
 
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I know it's true. I am an OOS student who successfully achieved in-state status after the first year.

Thank you for the response! What are the requirements to receive instate tuition?
 
Thank you for the response! What are the requirements to receive instate tuition?

Check out: https://www.umaryland.edu/orr/residency/in-state-status/

And definitely look at the Univ. of Maryland Residency Policy (referenced in the above link).

Ultimately you'll need to put together an appeal that rebuts the presumption that you are in the state primarily for school. I recommend moving to Maryland about 3 weeks prior to orientation to give you enough time to get a driver's license and to register your vehicle in MD. You'll need to register to vote, and you'll need to set up utilities or something in your name. You'll need to do it all one calendar year before the first day of classes for your P2 year. This is because you'll need to show you've been a full-fledged resident for one year prior to the academic term in which you're appealing. The office of the registrar publishes these dates. Many current students can help you through the process once you're admitted. Everyone I know who got their basic paperwork done prior to school in their P1 year got in-state status.
 
just got an interview invite! PCAT 94th percentile. pharmcas GPA 3.42. good luck to all.
 
I received an interview invite yesterday too! Really excited! I'm an oos.
 
Anyone going for Feb 6 interview at 12:30? I will be at the airport ~11am that morning, hopefully I'll make it to the interview on time
 
Hi all!
I have an interview Feb. 6 at 12:30 and am a bit nervous. I have 92 PCAT and a 2.77 GPA. My low GPA is due entirely to a very bad first college try (I flunked out) twenty-three years ago. I have a 4.0 for everything since then. My PCAT Chem is 81 and Bio is 69. My Math is only 49. My high composite is due to a 99 vocabulary and 97 reading. I'm unclear how much the poor math score will hurt me. I'm actually good at math, but I'm not as good under that kind of time pressure.
 
Hi all!
I have an interview Feb. 6 at 12:30 and am a bit nervous. I have 92 PCAT and a 2.77 GPA. My low GPA is due entirely to a very bad first college try (I flunked out) twenty-three years ago. I have a 4.0 for everything since then. My PCAT Chem is 81 and Bio is 69. My Math is only 49. My high composite is due to a 99 vocabulary and 97 reading. I'm unclear how much the poor math score will hurt me. I'm actually good at math, but I'm not as good under that kind of time pressure.

Your stats sound similar to mine when I applied. I had a 2.78 GPA and 98th %ile composite. I also started undergrad with a poor performance in engineering, but my last 40 units were a 4.0. I'm now a current student here. University of Maryland does a great job of looking at your application holistically.

Best of luck to all applicants!
 
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Interview scheduled for jan 23!
 
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I am still waiting for an interview invite from them. I am a Maryland state resident with 4.0 GPA and 97% PCAT. I am a little worried now, they are taking too long:nailbiting:. Although I got accepted elsewhere but this school is my first choice. Did any instate students heard back from them???
 
To the people who interviewed today: how was it?? stressful or relaxed? I'm going tomorrow and I'm super nervous!! :nailbiting:
 
Got my acceptance letter today!! Did anyone else? Is there a Facebook group?
 
I also got an acceptance email today! See you guys in June!
 
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I have an interview on Feb 16th at 12:30pm. Any one?.... I am kind of nervous hopefully I get in because I was so confused when choosing the schools....too many factors that I submitted my application on the last day (deadline)...late I know, I have to work on that before school starts. Hopefully I don't screw my interview up. I have to conjure up some confidence for that day..... fingers crossed.

congrats to those that got in....:)
 
Got my acceptance on Thursday too! I was a little shocked because they said that we would know in April and a few would know in March but, it's definitely a great surprise!
 
I got my acceptance email today!!! I was super surprised to hear back so quickly! Congrats to everyone else!
 
I just got my acceptance email today as well, I'm thrilled! Congratulations everybody!
 
Congrats to all who have been accepted! Feel free to ask me any questions about the school, program, city, or whatever.
Hey Yossarian87!
I know you said you were an out-of-state student, what made you decide to go here instead of your in state school? I'm having trouble deciding whether I should go with Maryland or my in-state school. I really want to attend UMB but my in-state school is much cheaper.
 
Congrats to all who have been accepted! Feel free to ask me any questions about the school, program, city, or whatever.
Do you have any recommendations for housing? My current lease ends early this summer, so I'll likely be moving to Baltimore shortly after.
 
Hey Yossarian87!
I know you said you were an out-of-state student, what made you decide to go here instead of your in state school? I'm having trouble deciding whether I should go with Maryland or my in-state school. I really want to attend UMB but my in-state school is much cheaper.

There were a couple of reasons.

In-state cost of attendance in CA is higher than out-of-state here in MD, and it's easy to get in-state tuition after a year. I actually didn't apply to any CA schools. My grades were low, but I had a very high PCAT. CA schools are more interested in GPA, so I had no real shot at in-state schools.

Maryland was my top choice though (tied with Minnesota where I was waitlisted). I was impressed with the students at interview day, and I liked the dual-degree options. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in research at all levels. In fact I'm working in a pharmaceutics lab that does interesting translational work. We do experiments in the lab and in the clinic.

Additionally, since I'm still not sure what I'm going to do after pharmacy school, I am working hard to keep my options open for residency and/or fellowship. Many of these programs value work experience, and there are lots of opportunities to work as a student at Johns Hopkins (or other places) on the weekends. I think it's pretty easy to find student intern positions here in Baltimore.

I don't know which other school you're looking at, but make sure that the school has everything you want out of a pharmacy school if you're going to take out loans. If the school doesn't have the tools to allow you to succeed and you can't get into the field you want in pharmacy, it seems like a waste of time and money. But if the other school has everything you need to get to where you want, go with the cheaper option.

I highly recommend you look at your loan payment plan after school. This may make or break your decision. Don't forget, your loans will accrue interest during residency or fellowship, if you go that route!
 
There were a couple of reasons.

In-state cost of attendance in CA is higher than out-of-state here in MD, and it's easy to get in-state tuition after a year. I actually didn't apply to any CA schools. My grades were low, but I had a very high PCAT. CA schools are more interested in GPA, so I had no real shot at in-state schools.

Maryland was my top choice though (tied with Minnesota where I was waitlisted). I was impressed with the students at interview day, and I liked the dual-degree options. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in research at all levels. In fact I'm working in a pharmaceutics lab that does interesting translational work. We do experiments in the lab and in the clinic.

Additionally, since I'm still not sure what I'm going to do after pharmacy school, I am working hard to keep my options open for residency and/or fellowship. Many of these programs value work experience, and there are lots of opportunities to work as a student at Johns Hopkins (or other places) on the weekends. I think it's pretty easy to find student intern positions here in Baltimore.

I don't know which other school you're looking at, but make sure that the school has everything you want out of a pharmacy school if you're going to take out loans. If the school doesn't have the tools to allow you to succeed and you can't get into the field you want in pharmacy, it seems like a waste of time and money. But if the other school has everything you need to get to where you want, go with the cheaper option.

I highly recommend you look at your loan payment plan after school. This may make or break your decision. Don't forget, your loans will accrue interest during residency or fellowship, if you go that route!

Thank you so much for your insight! Maryland is my first choice, however, my in-state school has a good pharmacy program as well. After doing the loan repayment plan as you suggested, It makes more sense that I stay in-state. Thanks!
 
For those who got accepted so fast, what was your stats?
 
85 PCAT 3.4 GPA two years pharmacy experience no degree. I was really surprised to hear back so quickly. I felt like I had a really good interview though.
 
Thank you so much for your insight! Maryland is my first choice, however, my in-state school has a good pharmacy program as well. After doing the loan repayment plan as you suggested, It makes more sense that I stay in-state. Thanks!

Sorry to hear that, but you have to do what's best for you. I've been able to reduce my debt by working and applying for scholarships. The past 2 years I've been able to earn $12k in scholarships (most of it not through UMB) and $18k in income (from working in a pharmacy and from research). It's possible to reduce costs this way, and I strongly recommend putting in effort to do so, regardless of where you go.
 
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Do you have any recommendations for housing? My current lease ends early this summer, so I'll likely be moving to Baltimore shortly after.

This one is difficult. There are plenty of housing options. Your budget and your preferences/priorities will largely drive this decision. You can live close to campus and pay more in rent than living further out and commuting (though you'll need a car and a parking permit). You can live west of MLK, and find cheaper housing with more space. Though that comes at the expense of living slightly further from campus and being in a slightly less well lit/safe area. There are several nice apartment buildings with all the amenities, and there are houses that are good for sharing a space with roommates. University housing (apartments) is a popular choice. What kind of price range are you looking at and what are your values for housing? If you don't feel comfortable answering here, feel free to PM me.
 
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