advice for a 2.3 gpa ....

[hiroki]

Hey there, this is my 2nd post since finding these forums.

I want to get into pharmacy school, and no this isn't a family tradition nor is it parental pressure.

But I've currently got a 2.3 gpa for my first 3 years of undergrad work. I'm a little behind of course, and am now just entering the real major coursework.

Did my dreams go up in smoke?

I've planned it out, and I've got 3 semesters left [roughly 12-14 classes] before I graduate with a BA in Biology at San Jose State University. I've gotten to know my professors really well in the "baby" science classes [plant, animal, and cell bio], and I've got a pharmacy tech license too [looking for a job for the experience]

I know nothing's impossible, but given the stats for the schools you all are looking at, what's your opinion on my future? Should I start looking for another profession?

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[Rumplestiltazepam]

Many schools cut off at 2.7, so unfortunately the application may never get a look if you can not bring your GPA up. If you can get your GPA up to higher 2.7+ and have great LORs, work experience, and volunteer work you will have a chance at an interview. But with GPA staying around 2.3 in my opinion you wouldn't have a realistic chance, I'm not saying it hasn't happened with GPA that low but it is a needle in haystack when it does. Getting an amazing PCAT score is a must!

 

[nerv12345]

well an advantage to your situation is that you're just entering the major coursework.

do as well as you can in these courses and your cumulative GPA will go up. some schools weigh heavily on you science GPA ...so if you do well in those it will definitely help you even more

 

[Insomniac12]

telling you to work hard for those 3 semesters to get your gpa up is really easy. whether you are 100% motivated to do it or not is up to you.
what I would tell you to do to increase your chances, I'm sure you know.


there's also the pcat.
you can look at the newer pharmacy schools as well.


be positive

Good luck!.

 

[penguins429]

i agree with the above poster --- i'm not certain about all ... but definitely most schools will not even consider your application because of your gpa ... you will have to raise that in any way possible; but even so, you will have a long road ahead of you ...

 

[ADN1226]

If you really want to maintain a bio major do so, but def take challenging classes. I choose to major in mol bio & biochem which is known as the toughest science discipline at my school - primarily bcuz some of our core classes are graduate level --- our classes have a lot of graduate students (which can suck). But i know that really impressed the people that interviewed me. Also I advise you to be open to all schools in the US - look up the schools gpa cut off and go for the ones that have a cut off of 2.5 -- there a quite a few. Def do you research on the schools and pick wisely.

 

[bsps_2007]

schools like to see an upward trend in grades, so if you get all A's for the next 3 semesters they will notice that. you should put all your grades into an excel file and see what your cumulative gpa will be after 3 semesters of A's...gpa's are slow to rise when you have a lot of hours completed. for the '07 application cycle there were still a lot of schools with 2.5 min gpa requirements, but a lot of schools raised it to 2.8. for the '08 application cycle, even more schools are likely to raise their min gpa requirements. once you know what your gpa will be (given that you make all a's), you can start researching schools and get a better idea of where you stand. private out-of-state schools are probably going to be your best bet.

 

[aboveliquidice]

It looks like your fellow SDN'ers covered the subject pretty well - my only addition would be to utilize the search function of this board. Many people have been in a similar situation and have managed to find success. Seek them out on this forum, and if you are still having trouble locating info - do not hesitate to post...

Good

~above~