What are my chances of getting into pharmacy school?

[natureluver]

I'm MOST worried about my GPA... I have a lot of volunteer experience, but few pharmacy related.

GPA: 3.249
Major: Biology

Certificates/Achievements:
Pharmacy technician cert.
Certificate of completion of Alternative Medicine series
Dean's Honor List for 1 quarter

Volunteer/leadership:
One year of research at an Evolution & Ecology lab on campus
Hospital volunteer for 5 yrs
Pharmacy volunteer for one year
Sunday school volunteer for 10 years
Secretary of Dance club on campus
Member of pharmacy society on campus
Babysitter during summers
Member of National Society of Leadership and Success (Honor Society)

Other extra curriculars:
5 years of piano lessons
Figure skating lessons
fluent in 3 languages

For a while I thought i should give up, since all the "Average GPA's are above 3.5's" but what do you guys think?? How can i be a stronger applicant?

Thank you!!

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[iBeast]

No PCAT?

 

[natureluver]

PCAT's not required for California schools, so nope!

 

[bw6]

If I were you I would take the PCAT. I had a 3.35 in biochemistry and molecular biology which is below average for pharmacy school. A combination of having a difficult major and scoring 89th percentile composite on the PCATs helped me to get into some good schools.
Even if the PCATs aren't required, a good score can do wonders to prove that you are a good applicant. Your GPA isn't HORRIBLE and the pharmacy experience will definitely help you. The difficulty of majors and undergraduate institutions varies widely so a standardized way to judge an applicant is important - that would be the PCAT. If you can score above 75th percentile on PCATs you will have no problem getting into schools. As is, you are somewhat competitive but a PCAT score would really help.
Don't give up!

 

[owlegrad]

The difficulty of majors and undergraduate institutions varies widely so a standardized way to judge an applicant is important - that would be the PCAT.

Do you think that schools that do not use the PCAT agree with that statement? Or that they even look at the PCAT scores at all?

Don't give up!

I agree!

 

[hye345]

If I were you I would take the PCAT. I had a 3.35 in biochemistry and molecular biology which is below average for pharmacy school. A combination of having a difficult major and scoring 89th percentile composite on the PCATs helped me to get into some good schools.
Even if the PCATs aren't required, a good score can do wonders to prove that you are a good applicant. Your GPA isn't HORRIBLE and the pharmacy experience will definitely help you. The difficulty of majors and undergraduate institutions varies widely so a standardized way to judge an applicant is important - that would be the PCAT. If you can score above 75th percentile on PCATs you will have no problem getting into schools. As is, you are somewhat competitive but a PCAT score would really help.
Don't give up!

Actually, I thought that Ca schools didn't even look at the PCAT (good or bad) as a criteria of admission.

 

[natureluver]

i think you're right, hye345. I don't think they even consider the PCAT

 

[bw6]

I am not sure if they look at PCAT scores or not. I didn't apply to any schools that didn't require the PCAT. Seems like they should consider it if you did take it. All I know is my PCAT score was probably the best thing on my application and is really what put me over the edge in terms of competitiveness.

 

[chemguy79]

Actually, I thought that Ca schools didn't even look at the PCAT (good or bad) as a criteria of admission.

Exactly. The PCAT has absolutely no bearing on the quality of your application for California schools, so any mention of the PCAT is completely obtuse, especially after the OP mentioned that the PCAT is not required for California schools.

Case in point, I applied to UCSF with a 99th percentile on the PCAT and they basically said ... That's nice, we don't use it as a part of the admissions process. Good score though!

OP, you basically answered the question for yourself ... You said that you have minimal pharmacy experience, so I would focus on getting more experience to sell yourself to the program. Any EC's that you pursue are just adding more fluff to what you've already done. You should try to diversify your EC's within the field of Pharmacy, if anything.