BA vs. BS

[mamalone]

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To make this short:

My GF is transferring to a four year university and then wants to go to pharmacy school. I tell her that a BS will be make her application much more beneficial than a BA, but she wants to make her time at the 4 year college easier by taking a BA major. I even go on to tell her that why would she want to make it easy by going for a BA when pharmacy school is going to be astranomically harder. She is just setting herself up to be a poorer pharmacy student.

Anyway, my question is: how competitive can an applicant be with a BA in Public Health than if that person were to get a BS in Public Health Sciences?

Thanks!

 

[delano2000]

To make this short:

My GF is transferring to a four year university and then wants to go to pharmacy school. I tell her that a BS will be make her application much more beneficial than a BA, but she wants to make her time at the 4 year college easier by taking a BA major. I even go on to tell her that why would she want to make it easy by going for a BA when pharmacy school is going to be astranomically harder. She is just setting herself up to be a poorer pharmacy student.

Anyway, my question is: how competitive can an applicant be with a BA in Public Health than if that person were to get a BS in Public Health Sciences?

Thanks!

Pharmacy schools don't care as long as the pre-reqs are completed.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Right on the money! ^

 

[lauradiddle]

Pharmacy schools don't care as long as the pre-reqs are completed.

👍

Let her major in what she wants. As long as she has all the pre-reqs, a BA doesn't make you any less qualified than someone with a BS. I went BA Biology because I thought two more semesters of German was more appealing than Calc II. Other than that, my coursework was no different than what my BS Biology peers did.

 

[dudecoolname]

Pharmacy schools don't care as long as the pre-reqs are completed.

This.

You can be an undeclared major even, as long as you have completed all prerequisites, and have all of the other application requirements taken care of, you're good to go

/thread

 

[mamalone]

well no duh you can just get the pre-requisities done and apply. But what I am asking is how competitive a person can be with a BA vs a BS.

So far only two of you addressed that.

 

[crazybob]

well no duh you can just get the pre-requisities done and apply. But what I am asking is how competitive a person can be with a BA vs a BS.

So far only two of you addressed that.

It's the courses she takes that will determine how she prepared herself.

A BS or a BA by itself does not say anything about how many science courses or how many pre-pharm requisites a person took.

A person with a BA degree might meet all the requirements of a Bachelor of Arts, but still take a lot of upper-level science courses. A person with a BS degree might meet all the requirements of a Bachelor of Science, but still take the minimum number of science courses required.

 

[delano2000]

well no duh you can just get the pre-requisities done and apply. But what I am asking is how competitive a person can be with a BA vs a BS.

So far only two of you addressed that.

As far as I know, no preference is giving to someone with a BA over a BS or vice verse. If you have an undergraduate or graduate degree then you are very competitive assuming everything else is in order. Now if you want to compare degrees to see who would be more competitive over the other, it would be better to compare a bachelors with a masters/doctorate (eg. PhD). Of course someone with a graduate degree may be considered more attractive as a candidate.

 

[UNMorBUST]

No difference. Let your GF do what she wants.

 

[wandernkind]

well no duh you can just get the pre-requisities done and apply. But what I am asking is how competitive a person can be with a BA vs a BS.

So far only two of you addressed that.

Gosh, OP is so respectful! And telling his girlfriend what to do. Shesh!

 

[UNMorBUST]

Gosh, OP is so respectful! And telling his girlfriend what to do. Shesh!

I was going to say I felt bad for his GF, but I refrained.

 

[mamalone]

I apologize for that comment, I did not mean to come off as rude. I'm simply stating that we all know that all we need are the pre-requisites to enter pharmacy school. But, of course, there is much more to it than just the grades in those courses that go on your application. My main two concerns for her is:

1. She is contemplating a major that is "easier" just as a means to get her bachelors. I am personally concerned that a BA will weaken her application vs a BS. Add on top of the fact that she has taken most of her pre-requisites and her grades are average at best. So I'm really concerned about making her application as competitive as possible. But it appears that no one agrees with this, so I will leave it alone unless someone wants to chime in with a different point of view.

2. The other problem I see with this is that she wants to take it easy. By doing this, I feel she is a.) taking undergraduate too lightly and b.) she is not effectively building better study habits and skills that she would likely build in a slightly more difficult major.

With all this said, I think it should be important to point out that I graduated with a BA in psychology. I felt my application was weakened due to that and in pharmacy school, I feel that I am behind everyone else because they have a much better grounding in the science courses than I do.

 

[LightRx3]

I apologize for that comment, I did not mean to come off as rude. I'm simply stating that we all know that all we need are the pre-requisites to enter pharmacy school. But, of course, there is much more to it than just the grades in those courses that go on your application. My main two concerns for her is:

1. She is contemplating a major that is "easier" just as a means to get her bachelors. I am personally concerned that a BA will weaken her application vs a BS. Add on top of the fact that she has taken most of her pre-requisites and her grades are average at best. So I'm really concerned about making her application as competitive as possible. But it appears that no one agrees with this, so I will leave it alone unless someone wants to chime in with a different point of view.

2. The other problem I see with this is that she wants to take it easy. By doing this, I feel she is a.) taking undergraduate too lightly and b.) she is not effectively building better study habits and skills that she would likely build in a slightly more difficult major.

With all this said, I think it should be important to point out that I graduated with a BA in psychology. I felt my application was weakened due to that and in pharmacy school, I feel that I am behind everyone else because they have a much better grounding in the science courses than I do.

If this was asked a week ago, I would definitely say to go for the BS degree as it will better prepare the candidate for the science courses in pharmacy school. A strong foundation of the sciences will definitely make life easier in pharmacy school, in my opinion. However, with a new perspective of grades and the daily grind in school, either degree may just be fine. In this case, she may not have the foundation in the sciences, but she may perhaps be able to develop better studying habits in pharmacy school.

As an aside, a chunk of acceptances into pharmacy school is apparently not grade/major-dependent....

 

[UES Girl]

I apologize for that comment, I did not mean to come off as rude. I'm simply stating that we all know that all we need are the pre-requisites to enter pharmacy school. But, of course, there is much more to it than just the grades in those courses that go on your application. My main two concerns for her is:

1. She is contemplating a major that is "easier" just as a means to get her bachelors. I am personally concerned that a BA will weaken her application vs a BS. Add on top of the fact that she has taken most of her pre-requisites and her grades are average at best. So I'm really concerned about making her application as competitive as possible. But it appears that no one agrees with this, so I will leave it alone unless someone wants to chime in with a different point of view.

2. The other problem I see with this is that she wants to take it easy. By doing this, I feel she is a.) taking undergraduate too lightly and b.) she is not effectively building better study habits and skills that she would likely build in a slightly more difficult major.

With all this said, I think it should be important to point out that I graduated with a BA in psychology. I felt my application was weakened due to that and in pharmacy school, I feel that I am behind everyone else because they have a much better grounding in the science courses than I do.

It's kinda of ironic someone with a psychology degree - no offense but one of the easiest to earn IMO is being so pushing/demanding of their better half.

In a long run - yes, given all the other variables are identical a candidate with a BS degree in Biochemistry which requires typically about 30-35 more units of upper division coursework, hence a good another year, will of course be more competetive than the candidate with all the same variables but BA in general biology. More intense classes, means more opportunities to show adcom you can handle pharma school level curricula and put pretty doilies " I aced p-chem" on your application. Upper level sciences, i.e. biochemistry lab, also typically lead to excellent research potential or prospects of getting into a lab, hence another notch on your application.

In the short run - as you probably already know yourself since you are the exhibit A, it really doesn't matter. Are you classmates with MS in chemistry probably having a heck of a lot easier time than you in your pharm chem classes ? Probably yes, nevertheless you are still there and passing just as they are. Therefore chill out a bit and not be so controlling.

 

[mamalone]

I'm pushy about it because I know it worked against me. I'm trying to avoid having my GF fall into the same kinds of mistakes that I've made. Therefore, its not ironic, its simply guidance through my experience.

For me, it did matter, as I stated above. I didn't even get into pharmacy school right away, I'm 4 years out of undergrad before I got in (although, I did not apply every year). I also have other things that make my application more competitive despite my mediocore grades and weak degree. Is it so much to ask to have my GF consider a more difficult major in order to make her application more competitive? Especially when she doesn't even really care about what the major is, "just as long as it helps to get her into pharmacy school."

 

[wandernkind]

I guess I have a few questions. If you actually are a pharmacy student, why didn't you just go ask your adcom, they know more than most of us can speculate. Two, why are you saying pre-requisites? Doesn't your spell check poke you? . Finally why isn't your girlfriend asking for herself, and just to reiterate my believe that you have no respect for her, you call her your GF? Really. . . *sigh*

 

[UES Girl]

I'm pushy about it because I know it worked against me. I'm trying to avoid having my GF fall into the same kinds of mistakes that I've made. Therefore, its not ironic, its simply guidance through my experience.

For me, it did matter, as I stated above. I didn't even get into pharmacy school right away, I'm 4 years out of undergrad before I got in (although, I did not apply every year). I also have other things that make my application more competitive despite my mediocore grades and weak degree. Is it so much to ask to have my GF consider a more difficult major in order to make her application more competitive? Especially when she doesn't even really care about what the major is, "just as long as it helps to get her into pharmacy school."

Yes, but what you don't realize is that people need to learn through their their own experiences. They need to learn through their own mistakes. What works for you may not work for someone else. There is no cookie cutter dogma.

I wanted to major in biochemistry. That was my college experience - two science majors in two different departments both BS. Do you think if someone told me to major in creative design because it would have helped to be the next blah blah I would have listened to them ?

There is plenty of arguments for both pursuing a hard and easy major. The easy degree are perfect in a sense that it is heck of a lot easier to maintain a good gpa with significantly fewer units to take and easier classes overall. Hence, prettier GPA and nicer application.

 

[mamalone]

I guess I have a few questions. If you actually are a pharmacy student, why didn't you just go ask your adcom, they know more than most of us can speculate. Two, why are you saying pre-requisites? Doesn't your spell check poke you? . Finally why isn't your girlfriend asking for herself, and just to reiterate my believe that you have no respect for her, you call her your GF? Really. . . *sigh*

1. I've told her to make an appointment with the local pharmacy school counselor. I was just looking for a quick and dirty response on the matter.

2. No, I do not have spell check.

3. 🙄

Yes, but what you don't realize is that people need to learn through their their own experiences. They need to learn through their own mistakes. What works for you may not work for someone else. There is no cookie cutter dogma.

I wanted to major in biochemistry. That was my college experience - two science majors in two different departments both BS. Do you think if someone told me to major in creative design because it would have helped to be the next blah blah I would have listened to them ?

There is plenty of arguments for both pursuing a hard and easy major. The easy degree are perfect in a sense that it is heck of a lot easier to maintain a good gpa with significantly fewer units to take and easier classes overall. Hence, prettier GPA and nicer application.

Are you trying to tell me that my experiences cannot help my GF get through school as quickly and smoothly as possible?

 

[UES Girl]

1. I've told her to make an appointment with the local pharmacy school counselor. I was just looking for a quick and dirty response on the matter.

2. No, I do not have spell check.

3. 🙄



Are you trying to tell me that my experiences cannot help my GF get through school as quickly and smoothly as possible?

I love your sense of logic or the lack of thereof, psych major really shows through. 🙂

I am trying to tell you that your gf may end up miserable, studying something she has no passion for, with a ruined college experience if you keep pushing your agenda. Let her live her own life and make her own choices, be it bs or ba.

Ultimately, she is the one going to college not you. She may even change her mind and not pursue pharm school if she gets interested in something else. And fyi, BS is not the smoothest sail to pharm school. It's a hellacious amount of unnecessery work and classes far harder than even pharm school offers - just compare pchem for chem majors to pchem for pharmacy students which is a joke or immunology for micro majors to pharm school immunology, day and night. Not that you would know. 🙄 So it's far from the smooth quick pathway you so eloquently envision.

 

[mamalone]

Sigh, I am going to have to say that we must agree to disagree. If you're going to pick and choose what you want out of my posts, then there is no reason for me to continue to post.

 

[UNMorBUST]

1. I've told her to make an appointment with the local pharmacy school counselor. I was just looking for a quick and dirty response on the matter.

2. No, I do not have spell check.

3. 🙄



Are you trying to tell me that my experiences cannot help my GF get through school as quickly and smoothly as possible?

Sigh, I am going to have to say that we must agree to disagree. If you're going to pick and choose what you want out of my posts, then there is no reason for me to continue to post.

Okay I won't pick and choose.
Your experiences will help your GF in an anecdotal way. All it is saying are what your experiences were. You can give advice and such. However, each person is different and so are their paths to pharmacy school.