Academic achievements, do I include high school?

[azwethinkweizm]

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I'm looking at my application and it says to list extracurricular achievements and academic achievements. Would it be a good thing or a bad thing to list the ones I got in high school, especially since the majority of them were in high school?

 

[Haleyzx]

personally i wouldn't, even if i don't have anything else to put.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

If I remember correctly, the instructions on PharmCAS say not to include high school.

 

[azwethinkweizm]

If I remember correctly, the instructions on PharmCAS say not to include high school.

I don't know what PharmCAS is nor is it a part of my application.

 

[Passion4Sci]

I don't know what PharmCAS is nor is it a part of my application.

There are schools that don't use PharmCAS????

 

[medicalCPA]

There are schools that don't use PharmCAS????

Umm...Yeah.

 

[diastole]

I didn't use PharmCAS. In fact, it was A LOTtougher to get into the Peace Corps than it was to get into pharmacy school. Crazy.

 

[Passion4Sci]

What an eye opening experience!

 

[delano2000]

What an eye opening experience!

There are a few of the Pharmacy schools in Texas that don't use PharmCAS...The only 1 I believe that accepts PharmCAS is UIW

 

[RXsocal]

If I remember correctly, the instructions on PharmCAS say not to include high school.

OMG, are you serious? -_- I put in that I was captain of the HS Vball team and that I was a club president. Now, I hope I don't get laughed at by the admissions committee.

 

[calisoca]

There are lots of schools that don't use pharmCAS; however, in this instance it might be best to mock the pharmCAS instructions which state not to include things that aren't post-secondary (highschool). I don't think your pharmacy schools really care if you were the captain of any team in highschool. It's not current and everyone was the captain of some stupid club or team in highschool and we all already used that info to get into college.

 

[Transformer]

OMG, are you serious? -_- I put in that I was captain of the HS Vball team and that I was a club president. Now, I hope I don't get laughed at by the admissions committee.

Last year when I applied through pharmCAS, I included both my college and high school leadership positions and volunteer experiences. None of my interviewers laughed at my consistent commitment to volunteer for the same organization(s) throughout high school and college.

Personally, if you feel strongly about your high school leadership and volunteer experiences, I would include it regardless of what PharmCAS says. Good luck 🙂

 

[calisoca]

Last year when I applied through pharmCAS, I included both my college and high school leadership positions and volunteer experiences. None of my interviewers laughed at my consistent commitment to volunteer for the same organization(s) throughout high school and college.

Personally, if you feel strongly about your high school leadership and volunteer experiences, I would include it regardless of what PharmCAS says. Good luck 🙂

I wouldn't--I would follow directions. If it's something that you have been doing consistently since your soph year in highschool, then yeah, that's an entirely different story, include it. But putting on there that you were the captain of your HS volleyball team 6 years ago makes you look (1) like you are scrambling for 'filler' responses because you have nothing more pertinent to jot down, and (2) like you are incapable of following simple directions.

 

[rycetrix]

I wouldn't--I would follow directions. If it's something that you have been doing consistently since your soph year in highschool, then yeah, that's an entirely different story, include it. But putting on there that you were the captain of your HS volleyball team 6 years ago makes you look (1) like you are scrambling for 'filler' responses because you have nothing more pertinent to jot down, and (2) like you are incapable of following simple directions.

Was discussed a little bit in my post and later on:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=7939479#post7939479

I would tend to focus on more healthcare related activities in high school if you want to put those in your application. It will show that you had an early interest in the field.

 

[Passion4Sci]

I wouldn't--I would follow directions. If it's something that you have been doing consistently since your soph year in highschool, then yeah, that's an entirely different story, include it. But putting on there that you were the captain of your HS volleyball team 6 years ago makes you look (1) like you are scrambling for 'filler' responses because you have nothing more pertinent to jot down, and (2) like you are incapable of following simple directions.

I completely agree. Big surprise that I believe in following directions to the letter, but I mean, consider what Joel @ UCSF said about following instructions. "That's the first method of weeding out we've got."

If being the captain of the high school volleyball team was of such great importance to someone, then it can be mentioned in the PS, but PharmCAS directions shouldn't be disobeyed to mention something so... well... superfluous.

 

[inquirer89]

Is not including high school extracurriculars a new rule? I included some high school stuff from junior and senior year, but only because I applied as a sophomore. Generally, I would include activities from within 4 years. If I were applying as a college graduate, then of course you probably shouldn't include your old high school ECs.

 

[thephoenician88]

There are schools that don't use PharmCAS????

my state school didn't use pharmcas, it was cheaper and more personal. Rather than doing pharmcas, then doing a secondary which asks the same questions, and then writing an essay or what ever else you had to do.

 

[koercive]

My first year applying I included the national scholar award from the PSAT. The second time applying I left all of it out. didn't seem to make a difference

 

[confettiflyer]

I'm looking at my application and it says to list extracurricular achievements and academic achievements. Would it be a good thing or a bad thing to list the ones I got in high school, especially since the majority of them were in high school?

i don't even include stuff from the first 2 years of undergrad anymore, and i don't recall listing any activities in HS on my pharm app.

 

[IrishHammer]

Why stop at high school? One time, when I was in Cub Scouts, I won a participation award in the knot-tying contest. I made sure to include it. That's the kind of stuff that really sets you apart from Johnny Bachelordegree.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Why stop at high school? One time, when I was in Cub Scouts, I won a participation award in the knot-tying contest. I made sure to include it. That's the kind of stuff that really sets you apart from Johnny Bachelordegree.

I won a regional spelling bee in 5th grade...

Watch out!

 

[IrishHammer]

I won a regional spelling bee in 5th grade...

Watch out!

Spelling...please. Pharmacists don't need spelling; just throw enough z's, x's, and an errant q in here and there and you're bound to get the right medication.

 

[calisoca]

I won one of my races at a swim meet when I was 12; backstroke--suck on that adcoms. Now when's my interview?