University of Maryland Thread

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Just like you, the social scene is a key part of what i look for in a school where i'm going to be spending 4 years or more of my life. I'm a Cali party girl from LA and live my life by the whole cliche, "I work hard to play hard." I'm a first year student at the Shady Grove campus (with no car BTW) but I make it a point to socialize with students from both campuses.

Baltimore does have a social scene, (inevitable with so many students) but since the city's in the ghetto (think USC environment - school's relatively safe, but smack in the middle of the ghetto), the nightlife is mostly dive bars, wing nights, and house parties - not really any hot clubs around if that's your venue of choice. The scene doesn't really change much. The people are a good time of course, but the parties are about the same. With drink specials like $1 beers, meals around $5 and such you get more bang for your buck, but less variety to choose from. Pay for a cab/walk to most places. If you are familiar with the SF city, Bmore is kind of like that but without the prominent gay community. It's got the little niches of places to go. Around campus the environment is pretty comfortable since most of the patrons are members of the university or hospitals in the area. Fed Hill is like Berkeley, with the cutesy feel of the small stores aligned down the street. Mt. Vernon is home to many of the "clubs" in Bmore, or basically the area where the richer people of Bmore and Hopkins students live. Fells point is like the Bourbon Street of Bmore. Inner Harbor is the main touristy area by the water with a couple restaurants and across the street from the Gallery mall.

DC/Rockville area has a different social scene. Because we're a smaller group over here, we tend to hang out more often than the kids in Bmore (study daily in the library, eat out together, going out like every week, or multiple times per week). I live literally across the street from the DC metro, so when we go out we try to change things up each time. There's the Bethesda scene with young professionals from around the area, free poker tournaments, and happy hours. Adams Morgan is your equivalent to like a Hermosa Beach or Pacific Beach (for all you Cali ppl) type dive bar street with delicious jumbo pizza and hot dog places and lots of themed type of places to go. Dupont Circle is the hotspot of nightlife in DC with most of the hottest clubs and bars of all different types of music genres. And then there are those days when we go sightseeing - White House, national monuments, Smithsonian, other museums. If you have a lovely significant other you want to take out to dinner, or just want a nice dinner for a special occasion, there are over 100 highly rated restaurants in and around DC with probably 10 fold more variety than Baltimore. Of course there are tons more places in DC to name, but you get the idea. The con is that DC area is more pricey than Bmore so you would probably be spending about the same amount of money if you were to go out to a club in CA (avg $8/mixed drink or $4/beer). Take the metro to get to all these places. There are also the nights where we just have like house "gatherings" (i wouldn't call them parties just yet since there are only like 40 of us) - game nights, poker, rock band, potlucks, etc.

So there are social scenes at both places, but very different in style.

If anyone else wants a comparison of both campuses, I'm probably your best bet if you're looking for a straight forward answer. I'm here to just give you the info, not to coax you to choose my campus..that's your choice. just pm me :)



great post above!!!!!!

bmore is definitely a blue collar city....alot of cheap bars, wing nights, 50:1 guy to girl ratio nights........as for the crime? its inevitable.......living in the outer suburbs is not bad.........during my four years, i never thought about living in the city........probably the best, and safest, decision i ever made........traffic isn't too bad........and you can always take the metro into the city.........

shady grove campus in rockville is in montgomery county......one of the most affluent counties in the US......pretty much a suburb of DC.......i have friends in NoVa and visit them occasionally to go out......the night scene in DC >>>>>> bmore......DC is a nice mix of people from all around the US........great singles scene.......alot of young professionals.........extreme opposite of bmore, where the majority of people grew up there, went to high school there, and want to move away........

all you people at the SG campus, if you need any furniture or even a CAR!!!!!! let me know.......private message me........im moving back to LA this may and need to sell EVERYTHING........pass the word to your classmates down there

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Thanks for all the awesome information everybody.

Do any current students know of any other students who sought after maryland residency status? was anyone successful?

I'd like to go to UM, but out-of-state tuition is so expensive!!

thanks.
 
i did

and boy was it tough

honest truth......if you are a female, your chances are 100 times greater to get in state status

you apply and ONE DUDE makes the decision........its HIS WORD

i applied second yr but i didnt change my license to MD for > 1 yr.......he canceled my application due to that.......although i found 4 other classmates who applied, ALL FEMALES, who did NOT change their driver's license, and had their status switched to in-state

another classmate worked 25 hours a week to meet the salary requirements........he was denied 3 times..........oh yea, he was a male

i got lucky though since my wife found a job with maryland school systems.........all i had to do was reapply after my MD driver's license was valid for 1 year..........

when you come here.........change ur car title, license plate, driver's license, bank account.........EVERYTHING to maryland.........even say you have family here and you will stay here after graduation..........that's the best way

or, if you are a dude, get a sex change

good luck!
 
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i did

and boy was it tough

honest truth......if you are a female, your chances are 100 times greater to get in state status

you apply and ONE DUDE makes the decision........its HIS WORD

i applied second yr but i didnt change my license to MD for > 1 yr.......he canceled my application due to that.......although i found 4 other classmates who applied, ALL FEMALES, who did NOT change their driver's license, and had their status switched to in-state

another classmate worked 25 hours a week to meet the salary requirements........he was denied 3 times..........oh yea, he was a male

i got lucky though since my wife found a job with maryland school systems.........all i had to do was reapply after my MD driver's license was valid for 1 year..........

when you come here.........change ur car title, license plate, driver's license, bank account.........EVERYTHING to maryland.........even say you have family here and you will stay here after graduation..........that's the best way

or, if you are a dude, get a sex change

good luck!

They are changing the rules on residency this year, so supposedly it will be easier. I'm waiting to see how to get it changed as well.
 
it's VERY hard to change, because let's be honest, the school doesn't want you to pay them LESS money. on the other hand though, i've heard of some ridiculous cases of people getting in-state tuition (haha maybe they were all girls?) i'm actually an out-of-state first year student applying for in-state this year so wish me luck..... but i'm a chick, so apparently i have a better chance :p

bottom line: this **** is expensive either way!!
 
it's VERY hard to change, because let's be honest, the school doesn't want you to pay them LESS money. on the other hand though, i've heard of some ridiculous cases of people getting in-state tuition (haha maybe they were all girls?) i'm actually an out-of-state first year student applying for in-state this year so wish me luck..... but i'm a chick, so apparently i have a better chance :p

bottom line: this **** is expensive either way!!



oh yes........the "dude" first denies you via letter

you can appeal by setting up an interview to state your case :idea:

i think this is where a majority or the "females" win the battle :love:

.........like i said.......i know 4 guys who tried.........ALL DENIED :thumbdown:

i know of 10 girls who all appealed.........and ALL were granted after the face to face meeting......... :confused:

hey! i only speak the truth :D
 
:laugh:
oh yes........the "dude" first denies you via letter

you can appeal by setting up an interview to state your case :idea:

i think this is where a majority or the "females" win the battle :love:

.........like i said.......i know 4 guys who tried.........ALL DENIED :thumbdown:

i know of 10 girls who all appealed.........and ALL were granted after the face to face meeting......... :confused:

hey! i only speak the truth :D


were the dudes ugly?:laugh:
 
I'm not sure how bad Brooklyn is, but in Baltimore you will see homeless people, hear about muggings at gunpoint, cars stolen, the crime rate is about a murder per day. Much of this violence comes from the drug trafficking and burglary that goes on around the streets in Baltimore. But be assured that there are plenty of resources to ensure your safety, just as long as you're smart enough to use them and use your better judgment when walking the streets alone. The campus has its own police force aside from the one for the city of Baltimore, so you'll see policeman patrolling the campus area on a daily basis. There are also security guards inside the doors of every building to ensure that only university students and faculty enter the buildings.

I did a rotation in Baltimore this summer. I never felt unsafe even as a little white girl walking around. While there are a fair # of shootings you have to look at who is doing the shooting and who is getting shot. A significant number of these are between gangs/drug dealers. they aren't going out to (I'm brainfarting on the nice neighborhood where my friend lives sort of near Pimlico - up the hill and in the trees) the nicer neighborhoods and mugging you on your way in the house from the car.

Obviously you have to be careful but I think the numbers are a little deceiving. One of my favorite memories from this summer was watching outside movies in the evening in Little Italy.

I stayed almost 45 miles away (with family) and commuted every day by car (MARC train timing was a little off for me). Traffic really wasn't all that bad. I was disappointed I had very little interaction with UMD Pharmacy students at all. I mostly saw medical students and residents.
 
not fer 16 but 15 hhhehhehee

hopefully I see you next August
 
after you interview with the school, how long do applicants wait till they hear whether theyve been admitted or not? also, how will they let you know whehter uve been admitted or not? :confused:
 
i had my interview 10/13 and was emailed acceptance 10/16
 
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Flying out 2morrow for my interview Sat Morning. Anyone else interviewing this SAT?
 
I'm driving down from upstate NY tomorrow- a nice 5.5 hr drive for my interview Sat AM. Should be fun!
 
Just got home from my whirlwind weekend in Baltimore. I think the interview went well. Everyone was very nice and approachable. Just gotta wait until March to see if I get in or not.
 
I found out in about two weeks by email.

Okay. did you apply for early?

does anyone receive their accetance letter after interview even though you didn't apply for early?
because they said they are not doing rolling admission.
if I have my interview this Friday, is it like last interview or something which will have less chance to get in?
I had 4 different options to choose for interview date and i wanted to do early, but i had something going on last sat, so I confirmed my interview on this Friday. Please let me know guys.
 
oh yes........the "dude" first denies you via letter

you can appeal by setting up an interview to state your case :idea:

i think this is where a majority or the "females" win the battle :love:

.........like i said.......i know 4 guys who tried.........ALL DENIED :thumbdown:

i know of 10 girls who all appealed.........and ALL were granted after the face to face meeting......... :confused:

hey! i only speak the truth :D

Can I get Maryland residency & in-state tuition after first year if my wife gets a full time job & works for a year in MD (but not in D.C. right?) and we get the MD license plate/driver's license/bank acct ? Is it possible for her to interview with the dude after an appeal?
 
Hi! I’m currently a student at the University of Maryland Baltimore-School of Pharmacy at the Shady Grove (SG) campus.
I’ve been reading the posts and I’m really excited people are interested in the SG campus. It just seems you aren’t getting an accurate portrayal of what it’s like to be a SG student from those at the Bmore campus.
So, here’s some information about me and the SG campus. Be advised this isn’t everything just a brief introduction.
I’m a non-traditional student, meaning I didn’t go to college until I was in my mid-twenties. I completed all my prerequisites at a local community college in Western Maryland. I have Associate Degrees in the areas of Biology, Chemistry, and Business Administration. My GPA was 3.75 and my PCAT was 86.
I was accepted to the University of Maryland-School of Pharmacy and had the opportunity to choose between the Baltimore and SG campus. I choose SG because I didn’t want to have to relocate to Bmore. Currently, I live approximately 20 minutes from campus and usually crash at another student’s place before an exam or after a Happy Hour excursion into DC. There are a number of us who hang out together on a regular basis. We are not all married with kids; however, they are some.
I’m a member of the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP), the American Pharmacist’s Association (APhA), and was recently initiated into a professional pharmacy fraternity at UMB.
The SG/Rockville area can be described as a suburb on the DC/Metro area; therefore, the cost of living is a bit more expensive here than in Bmore. But, safety is not as much of a concern at the SG campus as it is in Bmore. The area has a number of Metro stops, which makes going to DC quick and easy. A typical Metro ride is 10-30 minutes depending on where you are going in DC.
The SG/Rockville area is a hub for biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms such the Human Genome Sciences, MedImmune, Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Gen Vec, etc. The major national pharmaceutical associations including American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American Pharmacist’s Association (APhA) and federal agencies including the National Insitutes of Health and the FDA are based in DC. So, if you are considering pursuing a career in industry SG might hold some interesting prospects.
Whoa…this post turned out to be longer than I thought. I’ll post again soon; however, in the mean time if you have questions about the SG campus, please contact an SG student. The Bmore students have only been to the SG campus once during orientation and have a limited scope of knowledge about the distance learning pharmacy program and life here in Rockville.
Thanks!

What are synchronous meetings? Can you do distance learning in real time and phone in or use an intercom to ask the professor a question while he is lecturing? If not, what kind of interaction can you have with professors? (Office hours if at Baltimore campus? or telephone/email from Shady Groove?)
 
Okay. did you apply for early?

does anyone receive their accetance letter after interview even though you didn't apply for early?
because they said they are not doing rolling admission.
if I have my interview this Friday, is it like last interview or something which will have less chance to get in?
I had 4 different options to choose for interview date and i wanted to do early, but i had something going on last sat, so I confirmed my interview on this Friday. Please let me know guys.


No I did not. I did interview in mid-February though, so I found out beginning of March.
 
No I did not. I did interview in mid-February though, so I found out beginning of March.

Thank you for answering all our questions! Another question about parking. For the interview where is the best place to park? Thanks!
 
Can I get Maryland residency & in-state tuition after first year if my wife gets a full time job & works for a year in MD (but not in D.C. right?) and we get the MD license plate/driver's license/bank acct ? Is it possible for her to interview with the dude after an appeal?




you should change your driver's license and plates >1 yr before applying......

that was my only hold up.......i think i changed my driver's license in like spring 1st yr.........i applied fall second year for in state and he said it has not been a FULL YEAR..........i appealed with the names of 4 FEMALE classmates who got switched to in-state status who did NOT EVEN CHANGE THEIR LICENSES AT ALL.........i still got denied..........because i have Y chromosome

so be sure to switch up everything a year before you apply.........

he finds ANY EXCUSE to deny you.........if you are a guy
 
Thank you for answering all our questions! Another question about parking. For the interview where is the best place to park? Thanks!

I would suggest parking in Lexington garage. If you're going down 395 (Martin Luther King) turn a right at Saratoga St and then an immediate right onto Pine. About one block on your left, you will see the Lexington Garage. Let the person at the front know you're here for an interview and you get the student parking fee (don't remember how much that was). The school is another block down the street, so about a 2-3 minute walk.
 
What are synchronous meetings? Can you do distance learning in real time and phone in or use an intercom to ask the professor a question while he is lecturing? If not, what kind of interaction can you have with professors? (Office hours if at Baltimore campus? or telephone/email from Shady Groove?)

We have recorded lectures that the Shady Grove campus can watch. Usually lectures are posted in about 1-2 hours after the recording. There are organizational meetings that are synchronous in which there's a camera set up on both campus so we can interact.
Most professors here do not have office hours, but rather have an open door policy, though they prefer you to email them before you come in since many are busy with research, etc. Shady Grove students can come down to see the professors, contact them through email, and they do have telephone numbers if that is what you would like to do as well. Many of the professors go down to Shady Grove at least one time. But there are faculty at Shady Grove that are in charge of a certain class so that if you have any questions regarding the coursework, you can just ask the professor at the Shady Grove campus.

I'm sure a Shady Grove student will also try to answer this question with better detail.

Hope that helps!
 
Thank you for answering all our questions! Another question about parking. For the interview where is the best place to park? Thanks!

If you live in a hotel within walking distance, I think it's reasonable to walk. Otherwise, a taxi is also very available as well. I don't know about parking though.
 
Thank you for answering all our questions! Another question about parking. For the interview where is the best place to park? Thanks!

If you check your interview packet, they should have told you that you can park in Lexington Garage and pay $4. The garage is about 2 minutes from the pharmacy building.
 
If any of you are dorky and do check this prior to your interview day of (I know some of you do =P), please be careful when you walk or drive today. The roads are supposed to be very icy.

Baby steps get you there the safe and slow way!
 
hey guys, this is a pre-req questions, I'm actually really freaking out...


for anatomy and physiology, i have a 6quarter unit pysio lab, a 4quarter unit physio lecture and a 4 semester unit anatomy class. does this suffice the 6semester/10 quarter hour physio/anatomy pre-req?

also for biochem, i have a 4quarter unit biochem class, does that suffice?


i'm definitely calling in to ask on monday, but i was freaking out BIG time because i JUST REALIZED THIS NOW!!!!! can anyone answer?


thank you! :scared::scared::scared:
 
hey guys, this is a pre-req questions, I'm actually really freaking out...


for anatomy and physiology, i have a 6quarter unit pysio lab, a 4quarter unit physio lecture and a 4 semester unit anatomy class. does this suffice the 6semester/10 quarter hour physio/anatomy pre-req?

also for biochem, i have a 4quarter unit biochem class, does that suffice?


i'm definitely calling in to ask on monday, but i was freaking out BIG time because i JUST REALIZED THIS NOW!!!!! can anyone answer?


thank you! :scared::scared::scared:

The A&P you are good for.

Biochem you need to take one more course. I believe you need 4 semester units of biochem? the conversion factor is 0.66 semester units = 1 quarter unit. Therefor you would need 6 quarter units. However, since you're on the quarter system, I believe you're safe and can enroll in a biochem course in spring.
 
The A&P you are good for.

Biochem you need to take one more course. I believe you need 4 semester units of biochem? the conversion factor is 0.66 semester units = 1 quarter unit. Therefor you would need 6 quarter units. However, since you're on the quarter system, I believe you're safe and can enroll in a biochem course in spring.


thank you for your prompt response binghamkid, you're the best! i think I'm okay on the biochem as well, i just read the school's webpage and they say to convert quarter into semester units you multiply by .66, thus 4*.66 = 2.64. The website goes on to say that anything over .5 may be rounded up, thus 2.64=3 (the required semester units). hooray..... I THINK!:idea:
 
thank you for your prompt response binghamkid, you're the best! i think I'm okay on the biochem as well, i just read the school's webpage and they say to convert quarter into semester units you multiply by .66, thus 4*.66 = 2.64. The website goes on to say that anything over .5 may be rounded up, thus 2.64=3 (the required semester units). hooray..... I THINK!:idea:


Haha, you're welcome! I'm glad you don't have to stress out over it =) You should hear from the school in a little while I imagine, so good luck =) Last year we found out around beginning of March. I know they added an additional interview date on the 29th of February, so it may be pushed back a week.

Just to be on the safe side, I would still call on Monday and ask for them to verify that you are ok and get them to send you an e-mail confirmation that they've verified you are ok on your prereqs. Last year we had that issue for a couple students, and the only reason we were saved was because we could prove we got an e-mail A-OK from someone in the office who had checked our file.
 
Thanks for all the information. What is a typical week like for a SG student in terms of Labs or test that need to take. That is what is the maximum amount of time on campus for in-class activities? Thanks Spirala
 
anyone interview on the mid Feb get the answer yet? waiting is killing me, I check my email hundred times a day :( . I got in VCU but still want to know the result from UMB
 
I haven't heard anything but I was interviewed in the beginning of Feb.
 
Thanks for all the information. What is a typical week like for a SG student in terms of Labs or test that need to take. That is what is the maximum amount of time on campus for in-class activities? Thanks Spirala

I'm sure a SG student would be better at answering this - but in the meantime...
as far as I know, they have study hours designated at the university (i believe they are not required times, but a good time to come in, be with classmates, and get help from professors).
Last semester SG students came up to baltimore twice for their labs. This semester, both their labs are on the same day.
Their tests are at the SAME time as us (exams at 730am, quizzes at whatever time we have them).
Some organizations, including SGA, also have synchronous meetings so they can come into SG and also participate in the meetings.
Aside from that, they can come into SG campus/come up to Baltimore as much or as little as they would like.
 
I'm sure a SG student would be better at answering this - but in the meantime...
as far as I know, they have study hours designated at the university (i believe they are not required times, but a good time to come in, be with classmates, and get help from professors).
Last semester SG students came up to baltimore twice for their labs. This semester, both their labs are on the same day.
Their tests are at the SAME time as us (exams at 730am, quizzes at whatever time we have them).
Some organizations, including SGA, also have synchronous meetings so they can come into SG and also participate in the meetings.
Aside from that, they can come into SG campus/come up to Baltimore as much or as little as they would like.

Thanks, UD. I am applying for next year 2009 and I have read a lot of posts especially from you which have been insightful and helpful. I would like to do ED I will be doing my PCAT in June. I really would like to go to MD, what can I make sure I do so that I get in? I dont know my overal gpa yet since I have done a number of programs. However I know I did badly when I transfered to a 4 year Univ. for my Jr & Sr year at UCLA for a BS in CompScience (gpa:2.1). Apart from that I have two associates (Math(gpa:3.3) & Health Infor Technology(gpa:3.6)), 2 masters (Comp Sci(gpa:3.6) & Health Infor Management (gpa:3.3)). Now I am doing my chem & Bio preq at another school (3.5). What are my chances? What should I aim for my PCAT. thanks!
 
I am also planning to apply to Maryland ED. I just took my PCAT for the first time in Jan and got a composite of 88 with a 94 and 92 in Biology and Chemistry respectively. I have talked to a MD representative and know that the minium PCAT is 80 with no less then 60 on Bio and Chem. Do you think that this is competitive enough for Maryland? Should I retake? Since I didn't study much for this test and know that I can do better if I really applied myself. I just need to improve in Quantative (67) and Verbal (71), which I know I can do. I got a 84 in reading and 4/4.5 in writing which I hope can make up for my poor verbal score.

I am currently working toward a Gen Bio bachelor. I have 99 credits (not including this semester which is another 13 credits). I did most of pre-req at a Community College (due to financial reasons). Got my Bio 1 & 2 credits from AP. Took Biochem (A+) and Cell Bio (A+) at my current 4 year college, I really worked hard that semester because I wanted to prove to the adcom that I can handle the courseload at a 4yr school. I am currently taking Mammalian Physiology and Biometric (to fulfill my Stat requirment). I have gotten all A's and only 3 B's so far, 2 in my first semester from two History classes :)sleep:) and 1 in Gen Chem 1. I would also have had 1 year of experience at a retail pharmacy when it comes time to apply.

I really really hope that I make a good candidate for Maryland. It is my top choice because it is in-state for me and it doesn't hurt that it is also a top ranked pharmacy school. If accepted, I think I will choice the Shady Grove campus.

Thank you in advance for your feedbacks.
 
I am also planning to apply to Maryland ED. I just took my PCAT for the first time in Jan and got a composite of 88 with a 94 and 92 in Biology and Chemistry respectively. I have talked to a MD representative and know that the minium PCAT is 80 with no less then 60 on Bio and Chem. Do you think that this is competitive enough for Maryland? Should I retake? Since I didn't study much for this test and know that I can do better if I really applied myself. I just need to improve in Quantative (67) and Verbal (71), which I know I can do. I got a 84 in reading and 4/4.5 in writing which I hope can make up for my poor verbal score.

I am currently working toward a Gen Bio bachelor. I have 99 credits (not including this semester which is another 13 credits). I did most of pre-req at a Community College (due to financial reasons). Got my Bio 1 & 2 credits from AP. Took Biochem (A+) and Cell Bio (A+) at my current 4 year college, I really worked hard that semester because I wanted to prove to the adcom that I can handle the courseload at a 4yr school. I am currently taking Mammalian Physiology and Biometric (to fulfill my Stat requirment). I have gotten all A's and only 3 B's so far, 2 in my first semester from two History classes :)sleep:) and 1 in Gen Chem 1. I would also have had 1 year of experience at a retail pharmacy when it comes time to apply.

I really really hope that I make a good candidate for Maryland. It is my top choice because it is in-state for me and it doesn't hurt that it is also a top ranked pharmacy school. If accepted, I think I will choice the Shady Grove campus.

Thank you in advance for your feedbacks.

Wow your PCAT sounds good to me!! I havent taken it so I dont know what to expect. I guess both of us will be doing ED for MD, its my first choice too. They have an infor session coming up in April, I am hoping to attend it. What was your study strategy for the PCAT? How long did u study for and did you just go over past questions or did you read notes and do questions? Thanks for the input. I too would prefer the Shady Grove option.
 
Wow your PCAT sounds good to me!! I havent taken it so I dont know what to expect. I guess both of us will be doing ED for MD, its my first choice too. They have an infor session coming up in April, I am hoping to attend it. What was your study strategy for the PCAT? How long did u study for and did you just go over past questions or did you read notes and do questions? Thanks for the input. I too would prefer the Shady Grove option.

I actually brought a lot of books but I didn't study long enough to finish them all. I brought the Kaplan book, Cliffnote 5 Practice Exam, Barron PCAT, and Cracking the AP Biology by Princeton (since it helped me get a 5 in Bio). I only got around to finishing the Kaplan book ( I begin studying 3 weeks before the exam so as to keep it fresh in my head...hahaha). I went over my Gen Chem notes (which meant re-reading some section of the textbook). I wish I had gone over more Organic. For math, I totally flunked since I am a hardcore calculator-dependent and my knowledge in Stat & Prob is almost nonexistent. I also recommend going over your old Calulus notes (Kaplan does a horrible job with the Quantative section). I think, however, the best way to study is to retain what you have learned in your pre-req classes so that when it comes time to study it will come fast and naturally. Good Luck!:luck:
 
Wow your PCAT sounds good to me!! I havent taken it so I dont know what to expect. I guess both of us will be doing ED for MD, its my first choice too. They have an infor session coming up in April, I am hoping to attend it. What was your study strategy for the PCAT? How long did u study for and did you just go over past questions or did you read notes and do questions? Thanks for the input. I too would prefer the Shady Grove option.



i got a 99 on my first try, buy a kaplan book and let that be your guide while studying through the textbooks you used in your biology courses. that's truly the best strategy
 
I want to clarify to everyone that's reading - I do NOT answer "do you have a chance/what are your chances/how does my stats look" type of questions.
I am not on the admissions committee - and if I was, I would not be able to answer you anyway. I help do interviews, but I can't tell you how we do them.

I have NO idea what it takes. It changes per person, per situation, per the people who evaluate your application and your interview. One person could have a 3.99 GPA and 99% PCAT and not get in. And you could have a person w/ a 2.5 GPA but still get in. What does that mean?

So what do you ideally need? It's what you've known, and we've said many many times. You need at LEAST the min. PCAT. You need a good GPA, extracurriculars, health/pharmacy experience, and leadership. Be a well rounded student, and EXCEL on your interview.

I would gladly answer any other questions....
Good luck everyone!
 
I want to clarify to everyone that's reading - I do NOT answer "do you have a chance/what are your chances/how does my stats look" type of questions.
I am not on the admissions committee - and if I was, I would not be able to answer you anyway. I help do interviews, but I can't tell you how we do them.

I have NO idea what it takes. It changes per person, per situation, per the people who evaluate your application and your interview. One person could have a 3.99 GPA and 99% PCAT and not get in. And you could have aperson w/ a 2.5 GPA but still get in. What does that mean?

So what do you ideally need? It's what you've known, and we've said many many times. You need at LEAST the min. PCAT. You need a good GPA, extracurriculars, health/pharmacy experience, and leadership. Be a well rounded student, and EXCEL on your interview.

I would gladly answer any other questions....
Good luck everyone!


Oh sorry, my question was more about getting advice for whether or not I should retake the PCAT, as I can only imagine it gets even tougher/more competitive every year.
 
Oh sorry, my question was more about getting advice for whether or not I should retake the PCAT, as I can only imagine it gets even tougher/more competitive every year.


The post wasn't particularly pointed to you, so don't worry too much about it. If you have the min. PCAT score then you can apply. If YOU think the rest of your application is a bit weak, then think about retaking it. Take charge of your situation. Even if we all gave you assurances that your PCAT is fine, would you settle? I would hope not, because in the end, it's you making that decision and it's you that is responsible for it. So sit down and evaluate. Are you satisfied with your application? If you're not, then you know what to do.
 
I want to clarify to everyone that's reading - I do NOT answer "do you have a chance/what are your chances/how does my stats look" type of questions.
I am not on the admissions committee - and if I was, I would not be able to answer you anyway. I help do interviews, but I can't tell you how we do them.

I have NO idea what it takes. It changes per person, per situation, per the people who evaluate your application and your interview. One person could have a 3.99 GPA and 99% PCAT and not get in. And you could have aperson w/ a 2.5 GPA but still get in. What does that mean?

So what do you ideally need? It's what you've known, and we've said many many times. You need at LEAST the min. PCAT. You need a good GPA, extracurriculars, health/pharmacy experience, and leadership. Be a well rounded student, and EXCEL on your interview.

I would gladly answer any other questions....
Good luck everyone!

I apologize being new in the forum and with time I believe I will learn how to coin my questions not to offend anyone. I am aware that no one is a decision maker on applications and I ask questions with this assumption however there tends to be some people in our forum who have a good feel of the process and I was hoping to gain from that. Thats what the forum is for right if not I apologize again.
 
I know st johns university doesn't accept transfers for the pharmacy program but if i transfer there as a regular student and then apply for pharmacy program..will il be eligible then...

I have done my pre pharmacy courses in a 2 year school
 
I apologize being new in the forum and with time I believe I will learn how to coin my questions not to offend anyone. I am aware that no one is a decision maker on applications and I ask questions with this assumption however there tends to be some people in our forum who have a good feel of the process and I was hoping to gain from that. Thats what the forum is for right if not I apologize again.

No Spirala, it's ok!
I'm not offended. Please, please don't be afraid to ask questions! Even if you think they are stupid, because they're not. Everyone, including myself is guilty of asking these sorts of questions as a pre-pharm. We're here to help you, and guide you. If you've read my posts then you know that I only hope to help as many people as possible into pharmacy school, that truely wish to go there.

And with that, I just wanted to tell you the truth - we honestly can't help anyone with that sort of question. If anyone on SDN were to help answer that question, how accurate is it? and how helpful do you think it would be for you?

Does that kind of make sense?
I hope I didn't scare you off :(
 
No Spirala, it's ok!
I'm not offended. Please, please don't be afraid to ask questions! Even if you think they are stupid, because they're not. Everyone, including myself is guilty of asking these sorts of questions as a pre-pharm. We're here to help you, and guide you. If you've read my posts then you know that I only hope to help as many people as possible into pharmacy school, that truely wish to go there.

And with that, I just wanted to tell you the truth - we honestly can't help anyone with that sort of question. If anyone on SDN were to help answer that question, how accurate is it? and how helpful do you think it would be for you?

Does that kind of make sense?
I hope I didn't scare you off :(


No worries I am not going anywhere until I get a rejection letter from UMB:eek:. I can speak for myself .. I am not looking for "accuracy" but I am looking for "hope"..When you give us hope it goes a long way UD..you may not be aware of this but I am sure through your own unbiased thoughts and suggestions and speculations it has driven and encourage a number of people to apply and work hard on getting in into the pharmacy school that matters. You should be very proud of that. It would not be fair to hold you accountable for advice that did not work in my favor, I would never do that to you.

Originally i didnt know that Univ MD did ED even if you havent completed your prequisites, Howard wants you have completed them. I just found out a month ago. I know this question has been asked many times but is there really an advantage applying ED with respect to UMB? I dont know if any official statistics have been posted that you are aware of but do you happen to know what percentage of EDs get an acceptance letter? I am just reaching out for all the reassurance I can get..If you don't know thats fine. thanks
 
Originally i didnt know that Univ MD did ED even if you havent completed your prequisites, Howard wants you have completed them. I just found out a month ago. I know this question has been asked many times but is there really an advantage applying ED with respect to UMB? I dont know if any official statistics have been posted that you are aware of but do you happen to know what percentage of EDs get an acceptance letter? I am just reaching out for all the reassurance I can get..If you don't know thats fine. thanks[/QUOTE]

Early decision can do many things:
First, it shows the admissions staff that you REALLY want to go here!
At the same time, ED students could be the best of the bunch. There's a need to be selective because there's only a certain number of spots open.
But if you do not get accepted ED, you will be put into the regular admissions pile. And they will look at your application a second time. That second time could make all the difference for you!

Not completing your pre-reqs is a policy that applies both to ED and to regular admissions.

Please let me know if you have any other questions!
 
So wait, I am confused now. So can you apply to Maryland ED without first finishing all your pre-reqs?
 
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