He is absolutely right. Not only will experience increase your chances of getting in, it is something you should want for yourself. You are about to spend almost a quarter of a million dollars (in most cases nowadays) and spend 4 years in graduate school. This is the job you will have for the rest of your life. Do you want to blindly commit? I've known several people that wanted to be pharmacists until they experienced it. It's a good thing they found out they didn't like it before it was too late! I've also known some that went to pharmacy school with no experience and regret their decision to be a pharmacist. I actually knew one that went BACK to school to persue another degree, and new career.