I transferred to a tougher school this year and instead of working harder, I messed up due to procrastination. I ended up with 2 C-'s and 2 D's. My gpa was a little below the required 1.5 so I will be ineligble for spring unless I petition. My overall gpa is still 3.2, if I work harder and bring it higher, will the academic ineligibility affect me if I plan to apply to pharm. school next year?
Academically Ineligible
- Thread starter kordjames
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2008
- Messages
- 630
- Reaction score
- 0
Nobody can really say exactly how it's going to affect you; however, we can all agree that having a D+ average for a semester is going to affect you negatively. Explaining it is a must...but it sounds like you have no real reason other than laziness. You had better get creative.
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2008
- Messages
- 2,215
- Reaction score
- 1,076
D's are unacceptable. So I seriously doubt you will even get an interview based on that alone. 2 C-'s and 2 D's? That sounds like a lot more than procrastination. To me that basically said you didn't even show up to class, let alone put forth any effort.
1
117296
Yes, it will affect you, but no, it's not completely impossible to go to pharmacy school after that.
If I retake a couple of those classes and get good grades in them, will it improve their view?
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2007
- Messages
- 1,730
- Reaction score
- 95
It is possible for you to get in Pharmacy school, and it is also possible that you have to retake those classes. So that, your time of undergraduate will extend. I have seen a few people in sdn has the similar situation, and they got in pharmacy. I do not know how long it took the to fix it, but they got it.
With retaking a couple of those courses and improving my gpa, what are some other things I can do for the ineligibility to have little effect on the school's decision making? Would getting a job as a Pharm tech. a couple yrs make it better?
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2008
- Messages
- 2,215
- Reaction score
- 1,076
Improvement.Improvement.Improvement.
There is no "quick fix" or something that will negate the fact that you were on academic ineligibility. However, improve your grades. Retake the ones you got a D in and blow the next classes away. I got a C- in Freshman Chemistry I, a B- in Chemistry II and a B+ in Chemistry III. Chem was never my strong suit to begin with but with a lot of hard work and determination, I got better at it. Showing an upward trend will look very good on your application.
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2009
- Messages
- 53
- Reaction score
- 0
I withdrew from a calc 2 class because i didnt need if for pharm schools and i had other more important classes to focus on, some supp apps ask to explain anything on your transcripts that may need explaining, so i explained the withdraw, later i got wait listed at a school without even an interview, when i called for an explanation they told me it was because of my withdraw, it showed that i cant handle the pressure....
BUT i got accepted elsewhere, so just get back on track
BUT i got accepted elsewhere, so just get back on track
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2005
- Messages
- 43
- Reaction score
- 0
Show an upward trend, retake any pre-req classes you made a C or D in, make sure ur other areas on the application are strong. You'll need to explain why you did so poorly that semester at some point, but you were at a new school, adjusting can be difficult, there may have been personal, family, illness issues. Try to be grateful for the semester off, take classes at a community college, work, study for the PCAT, and just try to refocus on your goals and how you will accomplish them.
I did poorly one year, but I retook some classes, made a 99 percentile on my PCAT, had a great essay, a good explanation for my bad semester and how I was able to re-focus during my time off, work experience, and I practiced for the interview a lot. Basically I did everything I could to make sure my application was very strong despite my bad year.
Also, I think it would be good for you to show that you can take a heavy courseload and come out with high grades. It'll show you can handle the pressure and that this bad semester was just a fluke.
You can contact the schools you want to apply to for advice. Do whatever you have to do to get the information you need. I think most people do that after they've applied somewhere and got rejected to find out how they can improve for the next round though.
Like I said, I did terribly my first year in school but I overcame it in other ways and was accepted my first time applying.
I did poorly one year, but I retook some classes, made a 99 percentile on my PCAT, had a great essay, a good explanation for my bad semester and how I was able to re-focus during my time off, work experience, and I practiced for the interview a lot. Basically I did everything I could to make sure my application was very strong despite my bad year.
Also, I think it would be good for you to show that you can take a heavy courseload and come out with high grades. It'll show you can handle the pressure and that this bad semester was just a fluke.
You can contact the schools you want to apply to for advice. Do whatever you have to do to get the information you need. I think most people do that after they've applied somewhere and got rejected to find out how they can improve for the next round though.
Like I said, I did terribly my first year in school but I overcame it in other ways and was accepted my first time applying.
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2008
- Messages
- 38
- Reaction score
- 0
Retaking these courses would definitely be recommended. PharmCas will average out the newer and older grades, but some schools will take the better grades into account. As far as "explaining it as a must," I wouldn't say that's 100% accurate. I had some grades I was not proud of in the past and never did I once have to explain anything during my interviews, and I am currently in a pretty good position. Even if you do have to explain it, I don't think they'll be ignorant to straight out call you lazy (which I think is rude) without knowing the facts. Just remember, everyone comes from a different background and may have different events in their lives that may affect their priorities, thus not everyone gets As all the time. So don't let certain forum members here discourage you.
Is it impossible to apply? No, nothing is impossible. Perhaps the better question is how will those 2C- and 2D affect your application. Normally, if you have a high GPA, like 3.6+, then 1 C- or 1 D won't affect your application. However, you have not just 1 but 2C-, and on top of that 2D, and your GPA is at the minimum side... Its all of these combined factors that reduce your chance to get an interview invitation/acceptance letter. Another important factor is what school you are applying and where. Perhaps less competitive schools in some low population states will consider your application The schools in CA are very competitive due to the large applicant pool so I highly doubt you will get any chance of getting an interview if you apply.
Due to the intense competition nature of the program, I think you will have to prove yourself "extraordinary" in your other areas such as volunteer/community/leadership/work/essays in order to balance out your low grades. Even if you retake the classes, the grades are always there, they don't just disappear.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying its impossible for you to get into a pharmacy school, but I think it is very difficult for you to even get an interview invitation. Like I said, your essays/volunteer/leadership/community services need to be better than the other applicants who have higher GPA/better grades than you do.
Last edited:
I still have about 55 more credits to take including the couple classes I will retake (the other two were not prereqs for anything so I probably won't retake them). This semester only Physics I and SpanishIII were important prereqs that I messed up on.
So if I improve my GPA to above a 3.4, would I have the same chance as someone who was never ineligible and got a 3.4 if I do decent in the PCAT and worked a few hundred hours as a Pharm Tech?
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2008
- Messages
- 123
- Reaction score
- 1
If you do good for the remaining 55 credit hours you should be alright, imho. Alot of schools look at your grade trend....many times over the last 45 credit hours. Do good in the classes, good pcat, some explanation on why you did shi**y that semester, and you shouldn't have a problem getting interviews. How you do on those is up to you.
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2008
- Messages
- 123
- Reaction score
- 1
Just so you know....I had two F's (one in a lab, the other a history class) and one W. Granted those were at community colleges in 02' and 03'. I had no motivation at the time and got an associates degree with a 3.11 cumulative. I went back to school in 05' got a B.S. in biology with a 3.45 cumulative. I have received 5 interviews and got accepted to the only school I have interviewed at so far. If you show it was a one time thing....you'll be fine
1
117296
No, you won't have the SAME chance. Unfortunately, what's done is done. Do decently in the rest of your classes and apply with your best possible application.
