Can you honestly tell me how bad my current stats look in the long run?

[Joleybear]

And do schools take your situation into account? I'm 27, a divorcee with 3 kids 7 and under, the younger of whom are both non-verbal and have autism. My kids are in separate schools and we have no car so my GPA isn't what I'd hope because my schedule is insane... however, I still go to school full time and want to apply to Creighton for 2019. The plan is to cram and take the PTCE and then try to get experience this summer as a tech (I have no experience at all because I just dont have time...). I will be paying out of pocket for one course (Org Chem I) so I can finish by the end of 2018 (taking Org Chem II in the Fall) and apply early decision, hopefully, for the 2019 distance PharmD program. Assuming my PCAT is very good (I have never tested below 92% on a standardized test in my life...so I am hoping it goes well), will my low end of experience + GPA possibly be OK and will they likely take into account that I am not a traditional student? I took a lot of my courses in Community College. My GPA started at a 4.0 for a semester or two in college until I ended an abusive marriage and had no help with my kids (my courses at community college were online and I just was completely unable to do my work with 2 toddlers...)... first my grades fell to some Bs and then I failed a semester which brought my GPA below 3.0. My GPA at UIC where I am now is better but not perfect because now I have 3 children, 2 have special needs and my boyfriend works 40+ hours so I am on my own a lot. The only babysitting I get is when I am actually in class so I study with the kids all over me. Plus my GPA went down a lot this semester (I had straight Bs) because two of my kids were in the hospital on separate occasions and I missed class for a while. Anyway here are my grades so far and I am wondering if my PCAT is good if you think I have a chance. Also, I will have only an Associate in Science, but will have over 100 credit hours when I apply. After this bad semester my GPA at UIC = 3.16 (it was 3.5 which is where I am aiming to get back to) and total is still about 3.0 but I hadnt taken classes in a couple years before going to UIC in 2017 so Im not sure what theyll look at more... Feel free to skip past the grades and still respond based on this info if you want but all of my grades are below. Thank you!

CC = taken at community college
UIC = University of Illinois at Chicago

Pre-requisite Courses + grades so far

Science courses
Chemistry, Preparatory - 4 hours, A (UIC)
Chemistry, General Chemistry I (lecture and lab) - 5 hours, B (UIC)
Still need General Chemistry II and Organic I + II

Biology I (Populations and Communities) - 5 hours, B (CC)
Still need Biology II (Cellular and Molecular Biology)

Anatomy and Physiology I (taken online) - 4 hours, C (UIC)
Anatomy and Physiology II (also online...same teacher..do not recommend ) - 4 hours, B (UIC)

Non-Science courses that are Pre-requisites
Psychology - 3 hours, A (CC)
Microeconomics - 3 hours, B (UIC)
Speech - 3 hours, B (CC)
English 102 - 3 hours, A (CC)
English 103 - 3 hours, B (CC)

Other Math courses not required but to give an idea of how I'll likely do in Calc...
Math Course(s)
MATH 118 General Math - 4 hours, A (CC)
Math 140 College Algebra - 4 hours, C (CC)
Math 125 Intro. Statistics - 4 hours, B (CC)
Math 143 Pre-Calculus - 6 hours, A (CC)

18 + hours of random electives...They want 9 hours to be humanities, behavioral or social sciences. I'm not even sure what qualifies for those so if you can tell me that? :/ If I need more please let me know.
French 101 - 4 hours, A (CC)
French 102 - 4 hours, B (CC)
French 103 - 4 hours, A (UIC)
Poetry - 3 hours, B (CC)
Fine Art 104 The World of Cinema - 3 hours, A (CC)
Phil 108 Philosophy of Religion - 3 hours, B (CC)
Pol Sci 201 The National Government - 3 hours, A (CC)
Child Development - 4 hours, B (CC)
Hist 111 History of the American People to 1865 - 3 hours, B (CC)
Soc 201 Introduction to the Study of Society - 3 hours, C (CC)


Any classes I took during my worst semester, I retook (I had 2 Fs, 1 D and 1 C during the semester right after my divorce) from the community college. This year I will take my last 5 known pre-requisites Bio 101 Cellular and Molecular Biology, General Chemistry II with lab, Org Chem I with Lab, Org Chem II with Lab and Calculus as well as some not necessary courses to reach full-time, such as Medical Terminology that I start Jan 16th. Anything else I might need as far as electives? Because I am not 100% sure what humanities or behavioral and social sciences would be. Thank you for your opinions/advice.

P.S. I took Nutrition 3 times lol dont ask ... I love Nutrition. I got an A an F (the divorce semester...) and a B.

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[capri1722]

Take a look at the AACP’s Pharmacy School Admission Requirements Page here, especially table 5: Pharmacy School Admission Requirements | AACP Pharmacy schools take non-traditional students all the time, and AFAIK it does not factor into your admissions decision. This table can also tell you that your GPA is slightly below average for students who are accepted to Creighton, but a good PCAT score can balance that out.

I have two suggestions for you: 1) Take a PCAT practice exam, preferably an official one, since the score you get on an official practice exam will most closely match your score on the actual exam. This will give you an idea of the test format, content, and what you should focus your studies on. 2) Contact Creighton’s school of pharmacy (according to their website, the email you want is [email protected]) and request a transcript review. You can use an unofficial transcript from your student portal if you’d like. Specifically ask about your grades. They’ll probably tell you some default line like “as long as you’ve earned at least a C in all prerequisite courses you are eligible for admission,” but sometimes you get lucky and they’ll give you feedback. One school I requested a transcript review from (ended up not applying there) added that I had “fantastic grades,” even though they weren’t the greatest.

One other thing, are you sure you’ll have time to study for both the PTCE and the PCAT? I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it will be a lot of work, as neither one is a walk in the park. The PTCE’s grading scale, as you probably know, is 1200-1600, with 1400 as a passing score. I got a 1451 on my first try, but I was so sure I was going to fail, and I wasn’t even thinking about the PCAT yet at that point.

My GPA and PCAT are in my signature, and I’ve already been accepted to one school and received interview invites from two others. You can do this! With all other things equal, AACP says you have a 4:1 chance of acceptance, but with a great PCAT score and a killer personal statement/references, I’m sure you’ll get accepted!

 

[dannnielleeee]

Pretty much all of those elective courses you've taken would count as humanities, behavioral, or social sciences.

Does your school offer any biochemistry? If so, I'd recommend taking that. Genetics and microbiology would be helpful too, as well as look good on your transcripts.

 

[Joleybear]

Take a look at the AACP’s Pharmacy School Admission Requirements Page here, especially table 5: Pharmacy School Admission Requirements | AACP Pharmacy schools take non-traditional students all the time, and AFAIK it does not factor into your admissions decision. This table can also tell you that your GPA is slightly below average for students who are accepted to Creighton, but a good PCAT score can balance that out.

I have two suggestions for you: 1) Take a PCAT practice exam, preferably an official one, since the score you get on an official practice exam will most closely match your score on the actual exam. This will give you an idea of the test format, content, and what you should focus your studies on. 2) Contact Creighton’s school of pharmacy (according to their website, the email you want is [email protected]) and request a transcript review. You can use an unofficial transcript from your student portal if you’d like. Specifically ask about your grades. They’ll probably tell you some default line like “as long as you’ve earned at least a C in all prerequisite courses you are eligible for admission,” but sometimes you get lucky and they’ll give you feedback. One school I requested a transcript review from (ended up not applying there) added that I had “fantastic grades,” even though they weren’t the greatest.

One other thing, are you sure you’ll have time to study for both the PTCE and the PCAT? I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it will be a lot of work, as neither one is a walk in the park. The PTCE’s grading scale, as you probably know, is 1200-1600, with 1400 as a passing score. I got a 1451 on my first try, but I was so sure I was going to fail, and I wasn’t even thinking about the PCAT yet at that point.

My GPA and PCAT are in my signature, and I’ve already been accepted to one school and received interview invites from two others. You can do this! With all other things equal, AACP says you have a 4:1 chance of acceptance, but with a great PCAT score and a killer personal statement/references, I’m sure you’ll get accepted!

Thank you so much! I am going to attempt to bring my GPA up to a 3.4 at UIC at least, by the end of this year (I have at least 30 credits left). I figure that might help me feel OK submitting anything 70 percentile or over. If my GPA stays low I am aiming for 90 percentile or higher... and 1 out of 4 isn't bad odds I guess. I thought it was much worse! Thank you for the link!

 

[Joleybear]

Pretty much all of those elective courses you've taken would count as humanities, behavioral, or social sciences.

Does your school offer any biochemistry? If so, I'd recommend taking that. Genetics and microbiology would be helpful too, as well as look good on your transcripts.

Yes I think UIC offers all of the above but some courses are restricted to majoring students. I am "majoring" in Biology but I dont plan to get a BS because it would take me forever. For example, BHIS is Biomedical and Health Information Sciences and is what Medical Terminology is considered, so I had to request to take it because it is typically only for BHIS majoring students. I've taken it before at community college, but I want to brush up and I needed 2 credits to be full-time (it's 2 credits and online, which is convenient since I'm a mother). I'll look into those courses and see if I have the necessary requirements or if I will by the Fall! I have space in my Fall 2018 semester because I will only have 1 or 2 classes I still need. Thank you for the suggestions!