Admissions?

[ugadawg74]

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I just got accepted to UGA pharmacy school... and I don't understand. My core GPA was dismal (2.5), I had 6 W's, and I retook many classes. I did have a fairly high PCAT score of 89. However, I felt like I didn't do the best I could during the interview. I also had 4 letters of recommendations. I only had 2 years of pharmacy experience and I don't have a degree.

My friend got rejected, and she had a 4.0 GPA, 89 PCAT, and she told me she felt like the interview went really well...

Needless to say, she is pissed at me, cause I was planning on getting rejected...

So what happened here? I've been reading through so many of the post saying that any GPA under 3.0 is not competitive. Why did she get rejected? I just don't understand...😕

 

[Notecard]

Send an email to admissions? I've heard of people emailing COPs to find out why they were rejected but never someone emailing to find out why they were accepted.

Maybe one of her letters was bad. Maybe they didn't like her and did like you. The fact that she's pissed at YOU might suggest to some what kind of person she is? I dunno

Get her to email and find out why she was rejected though. That's a good start.

 

[BabyBelle]

There are a lot of other factors besides GPA & PCAT scores. Other things to consider are strong LORs, pharmacy experience, leadership experience, ECs, essays, etc. Maybe one of those fell flat for her. Also, just because she thought the interview went well doesn't mean the interviewers thought it went well. Maybe they didn't feel like she fit the school or vice versa.

Although a GPA <3.0 is not competitive, it does not mean that it is an automatic rejection. So you should be happy that you were accepted and don't let your friend get you down. Congrats!

 

[30Percent]

If she got invited to an interview her LOR, GPA, PCAT, EC, and essays were fine. The interview is very subjective and her interviewers probably didn't like her answers and felt she wasn't a good fit.

 

[delano2000]

I just got accepted to UGA pharmacy school... and I don't understand. My core GPA was dismal (2.5), I had 6 W's, and I retook many classes. I did have a fairly high PCAT score of 89. However, I felt like I didn't do the best I could during the interview. I also had 4 letters of recommendations. I only had 2 years of pharmacy experience and I don't have a degree.

My friend got rejected, and she had a 4.0 GPA, 89 PCAT, and she told me she felt like the interview went really well...

Needless to say, she is pissed at me, cause I was planning on getting rejected...

So what happened here? I've been reading through so many of the post saying that any GPA under 3.0 is not competitive. Why did she get rejected? I just don't understand...😕

Not many people get accepted to professional schools with a 2.5 GPA. If I were you I would count my blessings and be happy. Hell people with 4.0s can get rejected as well (your friend being a prime example). Be happy you got in.👍

 

[chemguy79]

Honestly, it's your friend's issue to find out why she was rejected ... Not yours. It would be incredibly strange to e-mail the ad com with such a question and I would strongly advice against it. Let your friend do the work on her own accord.

 

[ugadawg74]

Thanks for the help guys, and I am counting my blessings since I was surprised to even get an interview in the first place.

I did email the dean though, asking if I was okay with the prerequisites, since I am not in school this semester, and my last semester had 2 D's, 1 C, and 1 B- (I had so many personal and financial issues last semester, that I was surprised I didn't fail anything).

I just got the okay this morning, so it's all for real. Sorry for my friend though, I can understand her frustration. She helped me out a lot with the process because this was her second time applying, and it was my first.

 

[30Percent]

Thanks for the help guys, and I am counting my blessings since I was surprised to even get an interview in the first place.

I did email the dean though, asking if I was okay with the prerequisites, since I am not in school this semester, and my last semester had 2 D's, 1 C, and 1 B- (I had so many personal and financial issues last semester, that I was surprised I didn't fail anything).

I just got the okay this morning, so it's all for real. Sorry for my friend though, I can understand her frustration. She helped me out a lot with the process because this was her second time applying, and it was my first.

Wow be very grateful that you got in. I thought with a 2.5 you would have a very strong upward trend in grades, but to bomb your last semester like that.

 

[ugadawg74]

Wow be very grateful that you got in. I thought with a 2.5 you would have a very strong upward trend in grades, but to bomb your last semester like that.

Yeah... last semester was so bad and my gpa dropped by .4... so many bad things happened that I couldn't control at all, which led to all the bad things happening that I could control but didn't feel like it because of the stress.

I guess karma does exist.

Karma- Oh wait? I made your life miserable last semester? Here, I'll just make this semester awesome!

 

[bp2313]

But did she get in anywhere else? Cuz her stats are great, she'd look good on paper 😀

 

[ugadawg74]

But did she get in anywhere else? Cuz her stats are great, she'd look good on paper 😀

She got accepted to Mercer, but she was set on going to UGA. She doesn't want to cover the massive cost of going to a private institution.

 

[owlegrad]

She got accepted to Mercer, but she was set on going to UGA. She doesn't want to cover the massive cost of going to a private institution.

Then why even apply, I wonder.

There is probably something you don't know or didn't share about her, on paper she looks great, and I have a hard time imagining someone doing that badly in an interview. Congrats to you and good luck to her.

 

[honey0207]

I'm trying to get into pharm school and I read your story and you are very lucky.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you except I haven't taken the pcats and I haven't finished my pre-reqs yet. I still have to 4 more pre-req. and I got a D on my physics so I have to retake the class again. Right now I am pursuing a sociology degree and will finish fall of this year (December 2011) and I have a 2.88 gpa. I plan to take the pcats sometime next year and get a pharm tech job. I hope my gpa increases since I have to take more classes. Do you think I have a chance of getting into pharm school??

 

[Niosh]

I'm trying to get into pharm school and I read your story and you are very lucky.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you except I haven't taken the pcats and I haven't finished my pre-reqs yet. I still have to 4 more pre-req. and I got a D on my physics so I have to retake the class again. Right now I am pursuing a sociology degree and will finish fall of this year (December 2011) and I have a 2.88 gpa. I plan to take the pcats sometime next year and get a pharm tech job. I hope my gpa increases since I have to take more classes. Do you think I have a chance of getting into pharm school??

I'd say you have a chance. You need to do very well on the PCAT, 85+ composite score would be a good range to aim for. Having a degree will help. You need to do well in your remaining pre-reqs and probably want to have them completed by fall of the year that you will be applying so you can include them in the academic update on PharmCAS. You'll want to have some ECs as well; clubs, volunteering, shadowing, that sort of stuff. It doesn't have to be pharmacy related. I would plan on getting that tech job now. Or at least as soon as you're able, it will likely take longer and be harder than you might think.

Overall you'll need to compensate for the non-competitiveness of your GPA.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

My guess is your friend probably applied very late in the cycle and you applied early?

 

[armorking]

I really feel the interview will make or break any applicant. I felt confident about one of my interviews but was wait-listed since I used that interview as "practice" instead of drilling before I had the interview. I made a mistake but recovered and got into my dream school. Congrats and definitely count your blessings OP!!!