Does being a UB student give you an edge

[sincerelyyme]

Does being a University at Buffalo student give you an edge when you apply to their pharmacy school, or even med or graduate school? Would the adcoms favor you more when they look at your application, as opposed to a non-UB student?

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[weetzie00]

According to their website:
Do you have a preference for certain students (in-state versus out-of-state; UB versus transfer, etc)?
No, all regular applicants are considered equally. UB SoPPS only seeks well-rounded students who are motivated to provide the highest levels of pharmaceutical care.

 

[gilgamesh]

I completed my four year degree at UB. My overall GPA was 3.79, my science GPA was 3.86 and my math GPA was 3.89. My PCAT composite score was an 88, and I was waitlisted at UB in 2010 for the second time.

So my answer to you would be...... no.

It's still a great school to do your undergraduate work though regardless of which pharmacy schools you end up applying to.

 

[desmoulins45179]

The only way you get an edge is if you are an early assurance student (and you can only do this coming straight from high school)

 

[nicolemsm]

I completed my four year degree at UB. My overall GPA was 3.79, my science GPA was 3.86 and my math GPA was 3.89. My PCAT composite score was an 88, and I was waitlisted at UB in 2010 for the second time.

So my answer to you would be...... no.

It's still a great school to do your undergraduate work though regardless of which pharmacy schools you end up applying to.

Are you interview skills up to par?
What exactly is lacking in your application? Those stats are excellent :/

 

[SovietPistol]

Yeah I got into UB with a 3.15 overall GPA, 98 PCAT Composite after getting my Chemistry Degree at Pitt (and working for two years). Maybe it's an interview thing?

 

[gilgamesh]

Yeah and I guess it would have helped to apply early

 

[sincerelyyme]

According to their website:
Do you have a preference for certain students (in-state versus out-of-state; UB versus transfer, etc)?
No, all regular applicants are considered equally. UB SoPPS only seeks well-rounded students who are motivated to provide the highest levels of pharmaceutical care.

oh. yeah. i read that on the site too, but when i was in their chatroom, and i asked them about it, they said that you get points for being a UB student when applying. so that was seemed kind of strange to me...

The only way you get an edge is if you are an early assurance student (and you can only do this coming straight from high school)

i would be in the early assurance program at UB if i actually do go. but i was also accepted to stony brook, and was thinking of going there because if i don't get into UB's pharmacy after two years undergrad or whatnot, i'd have a degree to fall back on in stony brook. should i go to stony brook for two years then try applying to UB pharmacy, or go straight to UB early assurance? any opinions?

 

[treeshadow]

i would be in the early assurance program at UB if i actually do go. but i was also accepted to stony brook, and was thinking of going there because if i don't get into UB's pharmacy after two years undergrad or whatnot, i'd have a degree to fall back on in stony brook. should i go to stony brook for two years then try applying to UB pharmacy, or go straight to UB early assurance? any opinions?

Stony Brook is an excellent institution, especially in the sciences, of course, I may be biased in that. I am graduating from SB this May, applied to UB right on the deadline, and got myself waitlisted for this Fall, possibly due to the interview which was my first.
Personally, I think if you work hard while in the early assurance program and get yourself out there, you shouldn't have to worry about not getting into their pharmacy school.

 

[desmoulins45179]

If you really want to go to UB, and you are sure of that (you don't want to go to other pharmacy schools), then do the early assurance at UB. If you maintain a 3.5 gpa and don't fail the interview (and I mean badly), then you are guaranteed acceptance.

 

[Praziquantel86]

i would be in the early assurance program at UB if i actually do go. but i was also accepted to stony brook, and was thinking of going there because if i don't get into UB's pharmacy after two years undergrad or whatnot, i'd have a degree to fall back on in stony brook. should i go to stony brook for two years then try applying to UB pharmacy, or go straight to UB early assurance? any opinions?

Definitely go straight for UB Early Assurance if it's pharmacy you're after. Getting into UB is substantially easier through early assurance than applying through PharmCAS after two years. It'd be almost like throwing yourself into a lion cage instead of buying a kitten. NB: I'm not saying early assurance is easy by any means, but it is easier than the general application pool.

I'm also not sure of what you mean by having a degree to fall back on at Stony Brook. You are not going to get a degree from SB in two years, so that's a moot point. If you don't get into pharmacy school after two years, it will take you the same length of time to get a degree at either institution.

 

[sincerelyyme]

I'm also not sure of what you mean by having a degree to fall back on at Stony Brook. You are not going to get a degree from SB in two years, so that's a moot point. If you don't get into pharmacy school after two years, it will take you the same length of time to get a degree at either institution.

lol@ the lion and the kitten .
it does take the same length of time to get a degree at either institution, but i thought that graduating from stony brook would be more prestigious. any thoughts about this?
also, if i don't get into pharmacy at UB, wouldn't i have to choose a different major and ditch my pre-pharmacy major, and thus, be wasting classes/time?

 

[desmoulins45179]

also, if i don't get into pharmacy at UB, wouldn't i have to choose a different major and ditch my pre-pharmacy major, and thus, be wasting classes/time?

Almost all of the health science majors have the same pre-reqs. So the classes you need for pre-pharmacy (chem, bio, orgo, physics) can either be used for other majors or are general education requirements. Most of the health sciences have the same core and differ in a few classes (ex. you may want to take physics lab as insurance for another degree program since pharmacy doesn't require it) so you would not be wasting your time

 

[gilgamesh]

lol@ the lion and the kitten .
it does take the same length of time to get a degree at either institution, but i thought that graduating from stony brook would be more prestigious. any thoughts about this?
also, if i don't get into pharmacy at UB, wouldn't i have to choose a different major and ditch my pre-pharmacy major, and thus, be wasting classes/time?

Ugh, don't go to stonybrook lol... Everyone goes home for the weekend there (Long Island) and it is extremely boring.

The two years of pre-pharmacy requisites at UB are also required for most of the health science degrees. Even if you are not accepted after your first two years, you can still earn a four year degree by taking upper-level courses for two more years. It won't be a waste of time at all.

 

[SoPPSAdmin]

I completed my four year degree at UB. My overall GPA was 3.79, my science GPA was 3.86 and my math GPA was 3.89. My PCAT composite score was an 88, and I was waitlisted at UB in 2010 for the second time.

So my answer to you would be...... no.

It's still a great school to do your undergraduate work though regardless of which pharmacy schools you end up applying to.

Selection is based on scholastic achievement, aptitude, personal qualifications, and evidence of motivation toward pharmacy. These are judged from the college record, grade point average, the PCAT, letters of reference and evaluation, a Supplemental Admission Application, and a personal interview. In addition to intellectual and academic competence, the School's Admissions Committee considers communication skills, leadership ability, community service, health care-related or research experience, and motivation for pursuing a career in pharmacy.

So, get good grades, do well on the PCAT, make sure you have good references, and practice interviewing. Also, have your personal statement reviewed by others, get involved in extracurricular activities, and get some health-related experience. An applicant can have a 4.0 and a 400 PCAT, but if the rest of their application is lacking, they likely won't move forward in the application process.

PharmCAS applicants are considered equally if they are in state or out of state.

 

[Praziquantel86]

lol@ the lion and the kitten .
it does take the same length of time to get a degree at either institution, but i thought that graduating from stony brook would be more prestigious. any thoughts about this?
also, if i don't get into pharmacy at UB, wouldn't i have to choose a different major and ditch my pre-pharmacy major, and thus, be wasting classes/time?

I'd place both UB and SBU at about the same prestige level (not that this really matters for applying to pharmacy school or most graduate programs). They're both flagship universities in the SUNY system, both get major research funding, both have large international enrollments. If you want to get nitpicky, UB is a member of the AAU (only around 100 members), so that's a plus. Again, none of this really matters.

Pre-pharmacy is also not a major. It's a concentration. Most of the classes you take are very broadly applicable to the science majors, especially biology and chemistry (even physics, to some extent). Unless you switch into something completely unrelated, like linguistics, you won't have much, if any, ground to make up.

That being said, go to UB if you even vaguely think you want to do pharmacy. Like one of the previous posters said, the Stony Brook college experience is pretty nonexistent. At UB, you'll get an equivalent educational experience at about the same price, plus you'll be better set up for pharmacy and have a good time doing it.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

If you're dead set on Pharmacy, then UB would be your best bet for undergrad.

If you're interested in doing research then Stony Brook would be a stronger choice.

 

[sincerelyyme]

I'd place both UB and SBU at about the same prestige level (not that this really matters for applying to pharmacy school or most graduate programs).

so the school you did your undergrad work doesn't really that much when applying to pharmacy schools? what about where you graduate from? would that matter in terms of getting a job in the end?

 

[Praziquantel86]

so the school you did your undergrad work doesn't really that much when applying to pharmacy schools? what about where you graduate from? would that matter in terms of getting a job in the end?

I don't think the undergraduate school matters all that much at this point, unless you're comparing community colleges to full universities. And in the past, the pharmacy school hasn't mattered all that much, but based on this year's residency match lists and job availability (this is all completely anecdotal, but I think other people will agree) we're right on the cusp of seeing the school make a huge difference. I think pharmacy will eventually end up in a tiered situation similar to law school.