Concordia University Wisconsin Applicants

MJayHart said:

There aren't many threads about CUW floating around yet. Is anyone on here planning to apply to them? They're rolling admissions, but I want to wait until I visit (next Thursday) to write their supplemental essay about why I want to pursue pharmacy at their school. Anyone with thoughts on this school is encouraged to chime in... Information is scarce!

Click to expand...

Well their first class starts P1 year this year, their tuition is pretty high, and they have way more GE pre-reqs than most schools. I went to a UW system school for my BS that averages sending about 3 to 5 students to pharmacy school per year - mostly to WI or MN. Of the 5 that I know of from undergrad that are going to be P1's this year, only one even applied there - he is going to go there though - don't know him so don't know where else he applied to and/or got into. Most of the people in that I know of that are applying this year aren't applying there either. For those of us that live in WI we feel like it's not worth it to pay so much more for a new unestablished school when we can pay in state tuition at WI or MN. Those that I know of that have considered it thought of it as more of a "backup plan". As of application time last year they really hadn't published enough information about their program for myself or some of the others I know to feel comfortable applying there - especially when we were confident we would get in to some of the schools we were applying to. I think you hit it right on when you said information is scarce... If you don't know much about them you might want to check out their website for prospective undergrads... you may find it interesting...

Looking at the other schools you are applying to - if part of your decision was based on how you would feel about living in the cities the schools are located - I think you'll find Milwaukee is quite a bit different (bigger) than the cities at the other schools you're applying to. I applied to Iowa and considered applying to SDSU - don't really know much about Wyoming. Other than looking at their info because they're in the same state as me, I didn't even consider Concordia. Iowa is one of the older pharmacy schools out there - they have a brand new lab among other things. They have no plans to increase class size or start a satellite program anytime soon - the dean says they want to keep their class size "small". If I remember right Iowa gives some preference to Iowa residents but no so much that it really makes all that much difference. When I interviewed there the (assistant) dean said that most of the people that decline admission after being accepted are WI or MN residents that get into either WI or MN citing in state vs out of state tuition as being their main reason. SDSU's pharmacy program is a bit newer but has still been around a while.

.

Didn't realize it was THAT bad, but then again it is their first class...

I met a few people that had applied there while I was interviewing at WI and Iowa. For the most part they all applied there as a backup plan. When people in the region talk about pharmacy schools usually WI, MN, UIC, are the first ones to come up - then Iowa, Purdue, and OSU. I'd guess where you are it's similar only Iowa would come up first and you'd add in SDSU, NDSU, and maybe a few more western schools. One of the biggest problems that Concordia has (in addition to being new) is who they're competing with for students... Not many people will pick a brand new expensive private school over a well respected public school if they have a choice. I think a semester of tuition there is about the same as or more than a year of tuition at most of the other schools I mentioned - even for out of state in some cases... Most people in the area would consider Milwaukee as the worst place to live out of the bunch too.

Peaches84 said:

Well, they put up a billboard on I-45S that says "You can be a pharmacist!" that looks incredibly hokey, like one of those late-night commercials for medical assistant training.
.

Click to expand...

I believe there is another one on I-43 northbound near downtown.

I completely agree...

Allow me to share a little background. I have my bachelor's degree in Biology (2009 University of Wisconsin). I went to Concordia to improve some of my grades in classes (organic chem and biochem...etc) like getting an A instead of a B or C. I improved my GPA at Concordia to a 3.5, and I have an 85 on the PCAT (not stellar I know, but competitive), and I have worked in a pharmacy for 2.5 years. I applied and everything seemed to be going swimmingly, then I got a notice in the mail that I was placed on the "alternate list". Then an adviser for the pharmacy school called and said I wasn't really a typical case, the adcom was "confused" by my grade in ochem (i got a B+ and the highest grade was an A-), and they felt I was not trying hard enough. So, they wanted me to submit MORE letters of rec and MORE grades, above and beyond what was required of everyone else. So I went to the Ochem prof and asked if she would write one and she said sure no problem. However, a few weeks go by, and I ask again for her to submit this letter and she says she doesn't feel comfortable writing a letter for me...WTF!!! meanwhile...ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE "PRE-PHARMACY SOCIAL CLUB" GET ACCEPTED!!! What bull****, they didn't even get letters in the mail, the same adviser (previously mentioned) just came up to them one day and told them they were in...a little shady. They had lower PCAT scores (50-60th percentile) and lower GPA's/ochem grades (3.0 GPA/C+ ochem) plus half of them didn't have degrees.

(P.S. I wonder where all of those "anonymous" $1 million donations are coming from...)

I'm not just sour because I didn't get accepted, I got accepted to my top choice school, it just irritated the hell out of me that I wasted so much time and money on that joke of a school. I foresee them having some serious issues in the accreditation process in the future. Especially with the students who cannot do well on standardized tests, if they got a 50 on the pcat, how well do you think they'll do on the NAPLEX when it really counts? If I could give anyone any advice on the school, either get in and kiss ass to the max, and become some admin's favorite little pupil to get in, or just avoid the school completely. The job market is tightening for pharmacists, who do you think they're going to hire, someone out of a brand new program, or someone who graduated from a well established, fully accredited program? Plus, do you think they have enough connections yet for rotation sites and residencies? I highly doubt it. Not with the Medical College sucking up all the spots. Have fun at all the retail sites 😴

You can always go somewhere else and pay $30,000+ per year for pharm school (or less and you can send me the refund ) I for one was not going to play that game, not when I had other options already laid out.


To all the little Concordians who may be reading this post,

Good luck with your accreditation! 😀👎

Peaches84 said:

Well, they put up a billboard on I-45S that says "You can be a pharmacist!" that looks incredibly hokey, like one of those late-night commercials for medical assistant training.
Two of their directors worked at my hospital, just knowing them, I wouldn't go there. Secondly, I know a few members of the inaugural class as well. If a school calls its self a respectable pharmacy school and accepts people that have failed multiple classes (including one girl that took Organic Chem THREE TIMES😱 before she passed it - and by passed it I mean with a C+, not an A or anything - don't want to look like an overachiever) then I would run away from that school as fast as possible. Also, most of the people who I know got in have a sub-3.0 GPA, which I could almost totally understand if you had other redeeming things on your application like even a bachelor's or graduate level degree, tons of pharm experience, etc. but none of them had that.

I initally applied there, then withdrew my application after getting into Minnesota. Even if your GPA/PCAT/whatever isn't awesome, I would strongly encourage you to apply elsewhere.

Click to expand...

I know someone who got into South who took 4 attempts to make it through Orgo. I about **** my pants when she said she got in

MJayHart said:

This is all very interesting. Thanks for the input! I'll see what I can find out today at my visit. Leaving pretty soon.

Click to expand...

You're driving there from Iowa today?

.

phathead said:

I know someone who got into South who took 4 attempts to make it through Orgo. I about **** my pants when she said she got in

Click to expand...

South is one of the new for profit private school. They are known for accepting all the low stat questionable students.

MJayHart said:

Well, after my visit I can definitely say that the campus itself is small, peaceful, and beautiful -- not to mention right on the lake -- and the surrounding neighborhoods are quiet and nice.
The admissions person I was scheduled to speak with wasn't able to talk to me, so I had to talk to someone else who didn't seem very knowledgeable. All my (specific) questions were answered with generic responses that often conflicted earlier answers. For example, she gave three different answers for the number of pharmacy students living on-campus this fall (5, 25, 2). She gave me average PCAT ("72 or 74 or around there") and average GPA ("3.3 or 3.4") statistics for the class matriculating in 2010, but she couldn't give me a range for either. I thought that was a bit strange.
Obviously, the meeting wasn't particularly informing. Neither was the "campus tour" (around one or two buildings and a sand volleyball court), although the pharmacy building is definitely coming along quickly. It sounds like it will be done in time for classes in fall 2011.
Not sure what to think of CUW. I'm going to apply, but I'm not sold on it yet.

Click to expand...

That in itself says a ton...

Well it is a small private school, so you'd expect it to be "nice" in terms of quality of the facilities...

I would have guessed about 3.2/72 for average GPA/PCAT of who they accepted there...