Extremely low GPA, should I just give up?

[cityoflights]

Hi, everyone I'm sort of new to this forum and haven't really been on here until recently. I just finished my undergrad with a shameful 2.5 GPA I can't really discuss this with my parents nor anyone actually. I can't face them and I don't know what to do next in life. Some part of me is still lingering to keep pursuing pharmacy as though there is still hope. I would like to receive some feedback and advice from successful people like you guys here or if there were anyone out there like myself (doubtful) who can share what they did. I'm 22 years old and probably need to spend another 3-4 years to retake classes, from the looks of my mediocre grades. Would there still be even a chance if I were to get good grades? Tell me I should give up or continue. Thank you so much for reading and especially to those that replies. Thanks.

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[thesituation559]

Do NOT give up. Get volunteer hours, pharmacy technician certificate. Letters of reference from professors and pharmacist and Score high on the pcat. Study really hard for it. Do not just give up. That is only ONE aspect. You are right around the bare minimum most schools accept but it's not impossible. Good luck to you.

 

[V5RED]

Is there a reason your grades were poor?

ie:
Did you go to a school known for grade deflation like Harvey Mudd?
Did you simply not try very hard in school?
Were these grades the result of you trying your best? By that I mean seeking help from professors, trying to improve study habits, and completing all assignments.

If it is the 3rd one, you should probably seek another career. You would be jumping in to a field that is becoming oversaturated while being near the bottom of the pack in terms of potential to do well.

 

[xNeenax]

I think you should continue.
To make it easier, look at pharmacy schools that have a minimum gpa you can attain. There are some pharmacy schools that require at least a gpa of 2.5ish. There's a pharmacy school in Texas that has a minimum 2.5 gpa and I'm actually going to apply there
When do you plan on applying? Have you completed your pre-reqs? Retake one or two classes if you have time, especially Anatomy lab, if you don't want retake all of them. Do well on the PCAT and of course get some pharmacy experience. If you have passion and interest in pharmacy then that can take you a long way.

I really don't know the situation that you're in that caused you to make low grades, but understand that your taking pre-pharmacy courses to prepare you for pharmacy school. You must show that you can handle it because pharmacy school is going to be harder.

 

[cityoflights]

Thank you so much for everyone's encouragement. Sometimes it's all that someone needs to keep their hope alive.

It's not a good excuse but I was very lazy and never went to class. If I did I would fall asleep in class...I joined a fraternity and was super busy with that but miraculously I passed my classes and I got lucky. I took very random classes unrelated to my major - many I failed with D- and never retake. Then in my major upper division courses in my final year of college I started to attend all my lectures because I realized I was already a senior. I crammed all the science classes that I needed to graduate in a year (even 5 science classes per quarter). I was still getting C's as I always do even going to class....I speculate that it may be I did not learn anything in my basic fundamental science classes that would help me to succeed now in the harder sciences? It was also too late for me to switch out of science because I would never graduate if I did. However, the upper division really had me interested in science more than ever and I enjoyed going to classes and I want to become a pharmacist. I wish I could relive my younger days with the mind set that I have now.

If I retake all those classes? Will those retakes replace my old grades? Which ones should I retake? Some schools are semesters so I don't know how that works in relation to my quarter grades with I earned B's. Should I retake those B classes?

Thanks again for your replies.

 

[xNeenax]

Thank you so much for everyone's encouragement. Sometimes it's all that someone needs to keep their hope alive.

It's not a good excuse but I was very lazy and never went to class. If I did I would fall asleep in class...I joined a fraternity and was super busy with that but miraculously I passed my classes and I got lucky. I took very random classes unrelated to my major - many I failed with D- and never retake. Then in my major upper division courses in my final year of college I started to attend all my lectures because I realized I was already a senior. I crammed all the science classes that I needed to graduate in a year (even 5 science classes per quarter). I was still getting C's as I always do even going to class....I speculate that it may be I did not learn anything in my basic fundamental science classes that would help me to succeed now in the harder sciences? It was also too late for me to switch out of science because I would never graduate if I did. However, the upper division really had me interested in science more than ever and I enjoyed going to classes and I want to become a pharmacist. I wish I could relive my younger days with the mind set that I have now.

If I retake all those classes? Will those retakes replace my old grades? Which ones should I retake? Some schools are semesters so I don't know how that works in relation to my quarter grades with I earned B's. Should I retake those B classes?

Thanks again for your replies.

My friend did what you did, but not to your extent. She made two C's in Chem. and Cal. and a D in Ochem., but now she's retook Ochem and Aced it (she took a very very easy professor ) and I'm confident she'll get As in Chem and Cal after retaking it. She's really pulling herself up, she got straight As last semester. I worked hard from the beginning and I'm still making Bs and not improving oh well.

I see a fire in your heart. I think you can get through this. Retake as many classes as you can especially the ones that you got Ds in, sometimes pharmacy schools look at all of your science courses you have taken, not just the pre-reqs.
Retaking classes depends on the pharmacy schools you want to go to. They may not consider your Cs. However, they won't forget about that D that you made, so you really have to pull yourself up. Some schools might take an average of all those retakes.
I'm not familiar with quarters, but don't retake Bs, it's not necessary unless you really really needed to. As and Bs are good.
Pharmacy schools love to see improvement in your grades, so you have a good fighting chance.

 

[BadgerPharm]

Schools typically like to see an upward trend of grades if you had a shaky start. Those C's your senior year may not display the discipline that adcoms are looking for.

If you're planning on retaking a handful of courses, you should almost consider completing all the pre-reqs at a different university/cc. That way you can demonstrate your drive to become a pharmacist, as well as establish a completely new GPA rather than slightly bumping up your gpa with retakes where you completed your undergrad. Although the new grades will be averaged with the old at the end by pharmcas, schools might like to see the initiative in starting fresh. Again, this all depends on the number of courses you plan on retaking.

Definitely talk with a pre-pharm advisor, though. At this stage they can be of tremendous help.

I also agree with obtaining as much pharmacy experience/volunteer hours as possible.

 

[cityoflights]

I have no upward trends from freshman to senior year but rather consistent with the C's and few B/A so I'm very concern. I know I didn't play it right in undergrad so now I will have to face the consequences. I just hope that I can still be accepted if I were to earn A's and rack up work experiences at this point. I want to retake all the pre reqs. Though I have D's in classes like Women Studies, History, etc I don't think I should retake those??? I also want to retake at a different institution closer to home rather than my alma mater but this university I'm looking at is a semester system. I have no idea how that will work out in relation to my previous quarter system courses. But you are right I should seek an adviser at my school. I had always been afraid to see one.

 

[thesituation559]

The only thing I would worry about is your study habits. With that GPA your PCAT scores need to be competitive (takes a lot of studying). Your undergrade is where your studying matures. High school I NEVER opened a book. Same goes for the first year of college. Second year when I started taking classes towards Pharmacy school? I was in for a rude awakening. I had no studying background no idea what was going on in chem and I jumped right into pre cal (no real math since freshman year of high school) so I had to study 5-6 hours a day. i Learned a lot my second year. I just finished my third year taking OCHEM, PHYSICS, and BIO 1B which is a very difficult class and I got A's in all 3 working my butt off. Moral of this story is working hard will benefit you in pharmacy school.
I look at the Pharmacy school like the NFL draft. I don't how many of you are familiar with this so I'll try to explain. Every Pharmacy school wants the best. Why would they pick someone with a low GPA? When you can get a student with 3.0 to 4.0 GPA who shows the can study and make it? Why would an NFL Team choose a player that shows inability to grasp concepts in the draft? The PCAT is like the NFL combine (google it) do well and you have a shot. Good luck to you, and REMEMBER hard work no matter what pays off in the end ( at least I hope lol)

 

[ValeRx]

If your grades sucked in easy undergrad classes how do you think they will look if you were in pharmacy school?

 

[chemguy79]

If your grades sucked in easy undergrad classes how do you think they will look if you were in pharmacy school?

I agree with this message and honestly, I wish that more people would have the foresight to understand this. If you are doing poorly in pre-reqs, how do you think that you are going to do in pharmacy school?

Is it possible to succeed with a poor GPA in pre-reqs? Sure, it is possible. However, is it likely? Probably not without completely overhauling study habits and ensuring that you have the concepts solid from the pre-requisites. They're not called pre-REQUISITES for nothing.

 

[ValeRx]

I'd also like to point out if you have to keep retaking classes in undergrad, you cannot do this in pharmacy school and you will fail. I can't speak for other schools but at mine if you fail one class you are on academic probation and have to wait until the following year to repeat it and move on. If you fail another class you are out of school for one year completely. If you don't maintain at least a 2.5 you won't graduate either.

 

[ValeRx]

I look at the Pharmacy school like the NFL draft. I don't how many of you are familiar with this so I'll try to explain. Every Pharmacy school wants the best. Why would they pick someone with a low GPA? When you can get a student with 3.0 to 4.0 GPA who shows the can study and make it? Why would an NFL Team choose a player that shows inability to grasp concepts in the draft? The PCAT is like the NFL combine (google it) do well and you have a shot. Good luck to you, and REMEMBER hard work no matter what pays off in the end ( at least I hope lol)

Totally wrong in most of this post. A school will readily take a 3.0 student who has a good resume over a 4.0 robot with no social skills. Pharmacy is about interaction with others. I'm curious to see how our 3.9+ students will fare on rotations when they have to think on their feet and don't have 90 minutes to work out the problem. Also, a lot of schools don't give a **** about the PCAT. There were people in my class who got less than a 30.

 

[xNeenax]

In my opinion, a lot of students start lacking when they first go to college because it's a new experience for them, but that doesn't mean that they're incompetent.
I would just start all over again but you do know that grades aren't really all that (depending on what school you go to). In my state it's really competitive from what I've heard, but they mostly consider your interview for acceptance and then they look at PCAT scores and grades.
A lot of people told me that the interview is the most important thing that can decide your whole future.
I think you're smart because you said made Cs in your lower science classes and you continued to make Cs in your upper level classes. If it was me, I would have failed. You just didn't try that's all. Redo some (or all) of your pre-reqs, but this time use your intelligence.

 

[RDgoingMD]

Keep Going,

In my experiance in the field of Nutrition, just because you are book smart does not mean that you will be able to apply it to real life. I had grades much like yours in Undergrad, however during my internship I had almost a 3.8 GPA, because it was all about how I took what was in the book and applied it.

As an employer I had an employee who was very book smart, however he almost killed two patients because he could not apply the principles to real life situations.

If it is really what you want to do, keep going!!!

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

If your grades sucked in easy undergrad classes how do you think they will look if you were in pharmacy school?

There is always the possibility that since in pharmacy school you have a "bigger goal", so to speak, there is good potential of actually pushing yourself to succeed. Haha, I doubt you can get away with this excuse when applying to pharmacy school though.

With undergraduate all you are getting in the end is a bachelors. It's good, but not "amazing". Whereas with pharmacy school in the end you would be getting a doctorate, that sounds prestigious in just the name itself. I am pretty sure fighting for a doctorate has the potential of turning a person around for the better.

I mean, if I ever get into pharmacy school, I will very likely pushing my ass a lot more than I have been in undergrad. With Dr. in front of the name, the high paying job, and all that within reach...Hell, I will chain myself to a desk in the library and get that perfect grades/scores.

Basically, while I agree with you to a certain extent, I am pretty sure their are certain cases where "the bigger the reward, such as a doctorate would be I am assuming, the more likely you are to put in the extra effort".

 

[cjflahave]

I think you have a shot, but I also think you need to retake a lot of your upper level science classes in order to show an upward trend. The grades you received in these classes are nothing special, and I believe the Adcoms will see this and think to themselves; can this student handle pharmacy school class load? Without a stellar PCAT or application I believe their answer would be no.

My GPA when I graduate with a Psych degree was around 2.5, but when I decided to do pharmacy I needed to take the science prerequisites I did not take the first time through school. My GPA for those classes, which took 2 years to complete going to school full time, was around a 3.5.

Work hard and you will succeed!

 

[owlegrad]

Totally wrong in most of this post. .... Also, a lot of schools don't give a **** about the PCAT. There were people in my class who got less than a 30.

I am always amazed by how important some people think the PCAT is. It boggles my mind. It's like because it is a hard number people think it is more important than EC's, LOR's, experience, and even GPA! I would rank it the lowest out of those for the reasons you mention plus some others.

 

[ttpharm]

You shoulda changed your ways after your first few quarters... Change study habits, less partying? Its understandable if it was due to personal reasons, but if its something you could have changed then you have only yourself to blame.

 

[rxlea]

Can anyone guess what my response is?

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

Can anyone guess what my response is?

All will be well and just do a post-bachelor program, if there are ones for pharmacy that is?

 

[cityoflights]

I think you have a shot, but I also think you need to retake a lot of your upper level science classes in order to show an upward trend. The grades you received in these classes are nothing special, and I believe the Adcoms will see this and think to themselves; can this student handle pharmacy school class load? Without a stellar PCAT or application I believe their answer would be no.

My GPA when I graduate with a Psych degree was around 2.5, but when I decided to do pharmacy I needed to take the science prerequisites I did not take the first time through school. My GPA for those classes, which took 2 years to complete going to school full time, was around a 3.5.

Work hard and you will succeed!

Thank you so much for everyone's encouragements and criticisms. They're most def helpful to me and surely to those who are in my boat reading this thread. There seems to be different views about the PCAT? I know many many pharm schools don't require PCAT scores so this test then does not really matter in admission process? I was hoping to redo all my pre-reqs in order to prepare for this exam.

I have a question for cjflahave since we have the same ug GPA and you are in Pharmacy school now I was wondering if you did your pre-reqs at a univeristy/state/cc? Does it matter where? Just as long as we earned A's? I pretty much fulfilled almost all pre-reqs because I am Biochem major. I'm redoing my classes so it probably still looks worse unlike in your case where you have never taken them?

 

[cjflahave]

Thank you so much for everyone's encouragements and criticisms. They're most def helpful to me and surely to those who are in my boat reading this thread. There seems to be different views about the PCAT? I know many many pharm schools don't require PCAT scores so this test then does not really matter in admission process? I was hoping to redo all my pre-reqs in order to prepare for this exam.

I have a question for cjflahave since we have the same ug GPA and you are in Pharmacy school now I was wondering if you did your pre-reqs at a univeristy/state/cc? Does it matter where? Just as long as we earned A's? I pretty much fulfilled almost all pre-reqs because I am Biochem major. I'm redoing my classes so it probably still looks worse unlike in your case where you have never taken them?

I did mine at a state university. I'm not sure if it matters or not. It's probably best to see how the schools you want to attend view community colleges. A's need to be your goal, but a B here and there won't hurt you. Showing an upward trend shows the Adcoms that you are more mature student than you were when you first started college.

In my opinion the rest of my application was excellent. I had a letter of recommendation from a alum of the school I wanted to attend. One from my organic professor, who I worked for doing organic lab prep. And a third from another pharmacist who is a good friend of mine. My personal statement was very personal and explained my poor performance my first time through college.

Like I said work hard and you will succeed.

 

[R2pharmD2]

I am always amazed by how important some people think the PCAT is. It boggles my mind. It's like because it is a hard number people think it is more important than EC's, LOR's, experience, and even GPA! I would rank it the lowest out of those for the reasons you mention plus some others.

The one advantage that the PCAT has over the other factors that you've mentioned is that it levels the playing field for everyone. Everybody takes the same PCAT, but not all GPAs are created equal. Personally, I think some of the other factors are a bit of a joke. I really don't see why pharmacy schools care about ECs unless you've held a leadership position or volunteered in a pharmacy, honestly. And how many people get LOR's from professors they barely know? Or from a pharmacist that they stood beside for a few shifts?

I'd say GPA should be the #1 factor considered, with the interview a close #2. If you're trying to determine whether someone has the social skills and ability to think on their feet to be a good pharmacist, doesn't the interview tell you far more than a list of extracurricular activities or a letter from some random professor/pharmacist that you've never met? I'd probably rank the PCAT slightly ahead of experience for #3. A good PCAT score certainly doesn't mean you'll be a good pharmacist, but it does speak to the ability to learn and retain information. There are people who, for whatever reason, don't test well though, and I'd guess that's why you see schools accept applicants with low PCAT scores who are well qualified otherwise.

Dang, this post became substantially longer than I intended

 

[cityoflights]

The one advantage that the PCAT has over the other factors that you've mentioned is that it levels the playing field for everyone. Everybody takes the same PCAT, but not all GPAs are created equal. Personally, I think some of the other factors are a bit of a joke. I really don't see why pharmacy schools care about ECs unless you've held a leadership position or volunteered in a pharmacy, honestly. And how many people get LOR's from professors they barely know? Or from a pharmacist that they stood beside for a few shifts?

I'd say GPA should be the #1 factor considered, with the interview a close #2. If you're trying to determine whether someone has the social skills and ability to think on their feet to be a good pharmacist, doesn't the interview tell you far more than a list of extracurricular activities or a letter from some random professor/pharmacist that you've never met? I'd probably rank the PCAT slightly ahead of experience for #3. A good PCAT score certainly doesn't mean you'll be a good pharmacist, but it does speak to the ability to learn and retain information. There are people who, for whatever reason, don't test well though, and I'd guess that's why you see schools accept applicants with low PCAT scores who are well qualified otherwise.

Dang, this post became substantially longer than I intended

Oh shoot, I definitely don't have the GPA. Do you think if I retook all my pre-requisites classes now and start all over from another institution, 10+ classes in the next 2-3 years, would it be possible to raise my GPA to a 3.0 at least? If I were to get mainly A's/B's...I'm so afraid it won't be worth it after wasting 3 years and money. Please advise what I should do. What would you do? Thanks.

 

[R2pharmD2]

Oh shoot, I definitely don't have the GPA. Do you think if I retook all my pre-requisites classes now and start all over from another institution, 10+ classes in the next 2-3 years, would it be possible to raise my GPA to a 3.0 at least? If I were to get mainly A's/B's...I'm so afraid it won't be worth it after wasting 3 years and money. Please advise what I should do. What would you do? Thanks.

If you're dead set on pharmacy, I suggest you retake a semester worth of pre-reqs and then reevaluate your situation. To have a realistic chance at getting in, you need to make excellent grades from here on. As a guess, I'd say >3.5 for your retakes. Do a semester, and if you hit that >3.5 mark, keep going. If not, I'd call it quits and pursue another field, honestly.

 

[susu2731]

I think you should also consider the fact that some pharm schools don't like to see a pattern in retakes or withdrawn classes. They think that if its a pattern in undergrad it may be a pattern in pharm school.
Also, I'm not trying to be discouraging honestly, but I know that Wayne State bases 35% of its admission decision on GPA, 35% on PCAT scores, 25% on interview, and a merely 5% on LORS, volunteer work, pharm experience...etc. But again, that 5% can also be their deciding factor between two similiar competing applicants. So while some say PCAT doesn't mean crap, you would have to actually look into which schools don't weigh heavily on the PCAT.
It's definitely not impossible to get into pharm school with a 2.5 GPA but I'm just saying you should work on the other factors that can increase your chances.

I definitely don't think you should give up, but honestly your best bet is to talk to a prepharm advisor rather than take any chances, and like you said waste a lot of money and time.

Good luck!!

 

[Nguyen]

It seems like you want to retake your entire math/science pre-reqs. You do realize that if your school participates in utilizing the PharmCAS than you are out of luck. They will take your original and repeated courses and just average them together. Assuming you had actually retaken everything and made all A's...your GPA would only average out to a "B" (3.0). While a 2.50-2.75 GPA is the minimum requirement for most pharmacy schools, the competitive GPA is a 3.50 along with ECs, LORs, experience/exposure to the pharmacy field, PCAT scores, etc. I suggest you switch majors to save time and money. 2-3 years is an awful long time to waste, you could be doing something else with that time. No discouragement intended.

 

[Digsbe]

Do you have anything that would help you to stand out? Can you compensate for those grades? You have to remember that there are hundreds (thousands for most schools) of other applicants who are applying for the same seat. Adcoms select those who are most qualified.

I wouldn't say that you should give up, but I will say that you need to reform your study habits. I would try to get an excellent score on the PCAT to compensate for the low GPA along with some pharmacy work experience, good LORs (waive your right of access to them on Pharmcas), some volunteer experience, and try to apply as early as you can. Have you taken the PCAT yet? If you are not accepted to schools I would retake core pre-reqs again. In all honesty though, with raw GPA numbers I don't see you being accepted, especially without a valid excuse for poor grades.

 

[R2pharmD2]

It seems like you want to retake your entire math/science pre-reqs. You do realize that if your school participates in utilizing the PharmCAS than you are out of luck. They will take your original and repeated courses and just average them together. Assuming you had actually retaken everything and made all A's...your GPA would only average out to a “B” (3.0). While a 2.50-2.75 GPA is the minimum requirement for most pharmacy schools, the competitive GPA is a 3.50 along with ECs, LORs, experience/exposure to the pharmacy field, PCAT scores, etc. I suggest you switch majors to save time and money. 2-3 years is an awful long time to waste, you could be doing something else with that time. No discouragement intended.

Average accepted GPA varies widely depending on the school. I've seen from 3.8 all the way down to 3.0, and I imagine there are some newer schools which might even fall below a 3.0. I guess it depends on how you define "competitive", but if the average accepted GPA for a school is in the low 3 range then a 3.5 is well beyond what one would need to be considered competitive, IMO.

Also, just because PharmCAS averages grades doesn't mean that the only thing schools are looking at is the final cGPA. I'm sure there are schools that would give more weight to recent pre-req grades than they would to coursework that could be 4-5 years old by the time the OP applies. If those grades are good (again, >3.5) and accompanied by an otherwise solid resume then a fair number of schools would look past the original 2.5, I think.

I don't intend to give the OP false hope as they certainly do face an uphill battle here, but it's not as if they have to commit to the entire 2-3 years of pre-reqs up front. Some people are able to turn things around and get the grades they need to convince a school or two to give them a chance and others can't, but I don't see why the OP shouldn't spend a semester trying as long as he/she has figured out what they were doing wrong the first time.

 

[cityoflights]

It seems like you want to retake your entire math/science pre-reqs. You do realize that if your school participates in utilizing the PharmCAS than you are out of luck. They will take your original and repeated courses and just average them together. Assuming you had actually retaken everything and made all A's...your GPA would only average out to a "B" (3.0). While a 2.50-2.75 GPA is the minimum requirement for most pharmacy schools, the competitive GPA is a 3.50 along with ECs, LORs, experience/exposure to the pharmacy field, PCAT scores, etc. I suggest you switch majors to save time and money. 2-3 years is an awful long time to waste, you could be doing something else with that time. No discouragement intended.

It's true, 2-3 years is an awfully long time, almost doing an undergrad again. I won't be having any social life in those years and there's no guarantee that it will be a happy ending but for some reason I still want to take that risk. I will probably be 25 when I apply and if none of the schools accept my new improved grades (hopefully) then I will just give up. There is nothing I can do at that point and I won't be living with regrets for not pushing/trying. I think that's my logic for continuing if you guys agree...Plus in that time span I can be preparing for the PCAT to get a stellar score and work...so I'm going to test my full ability for a semester as R2pharmD2 suggested, at an Extension school taking:

Chem I
Chem I lab
Physics I
Physics I lab

What do you guys think of that schedule? Should I be doing Bio I or some other? Also, what do you think of me doing an open enrollment at an Extension school rather than the actual University or State University? Please continue to express your take on my situation. Thanks.

 

[RX2020]

It's true, 2-3 years is an awfully long time, almost doing an undergrad again. I won't be having any social life in those years and there's no guarantee that it will be a happy ending but for some reason I still want to take that risk. I will probably be 25 when I apply and if none of the schools accept my new improved grades (hopefully) then I will just give up. There is nothing I can do at that point and I won't be living with regrets for not pushing/trying. I think that's my logic for continuing if you guys agree...Plus in that time span I can be preparing for the PCAT to get a stellar score and work...so I'm going to test my full ability for a semester as R2pharmD2 suggested, at an Extension school taking:

Chem I
Chem I lab
Physics I
Physics I lab

What do you guys think of that schedule? Should I be doing Bio I or some other? Also, what do you think of me doing an open enrollment at an Extension school rather than the actual University or State University? Please continue to express your take on my situation. Thanks.

I am in similar situation as you. I decided to retake/new classes/pre-reqs. Pharmacy schools like to see the workload you have taken as well as improvements. I finished undergraduate in 2007. went back in 2010
My Fall semester was:
Biology 1 - A - 4credits
Calculus 1 - A - 4 Credits
Anatomy 1 - A - 4Credits
Microeconomics - A - 4Credits
Speech - B+ - 3Credits

Spring 2011 Semester
Biology 2 - A- - 4credits
Anatomy 2 - A - 4Credits
Chemistry 1 - A - 4 Credits
Summer 2011 Semester (1 & 2)
Microbiology - B+ - 4 Credits
Chemistry 2 - Pending - 4Credits

All in all, if you really want to do it, go for it. If you dont get in, you dont have to live with a regret. I was and am working 9-5 job while going to school. Is it easy? No but I dont want to regret by saying I did not try.
Please try if you dont get it, its for a reason

 

[Buk Lau]

It's true, 2-3 years is an awfully long time, almost doing an undergrad again. I won't be having any social life in those years and there's no guarantee that it will be a happy ending but for some reason I still want to take that risk. I will probably be 25 when I apply and if none of the schools accept my new improved grades (hopefully) then I will just give up. There is nothing I can do at that point and I won't be living with regrets for not pushing/trying. I think that's my logic for continuing if you guys agree...Plus in that time span I can be preparing for the PCAT to get a stellar score and work...so I'm going to test my full ability for a semester as R2pharmD2 suggested, at an Extension school taking:

Chem I
Chem I lab
Physics I
Physics I lab

What do you guys think of that schedule? Should I be doing Bio I or some other? Also, what do you think of me doing an open enrollment at an Extension school rather than the actual University or State University? Please continue to express your take on my situation. Thanks.

Why won't you have a social life? Are you going to be THAT busy that you won't have time for yourself? I think you have a good chance of getting into pharmacy school in 2-3 years after you've retaken some classes; but this all depends on you. The same reason you think you won't have a social life is the same reason you got bad grades in undergrad. Getting straight "A"s and volunteering doesn't mean you won't have extra time to mess around. Lots of people, including my friend, seem to think that they will have to lock down and completely forget about everything except studying in order to be successful in their next semester. With that said, only you can be the one who matures and decides to improve your application - another person is not going to install the drive to succeed into you. I think once you start trying harder in classes, you'll learn that you've set a new bar for yourself and this new lifestyle isn't so hard or different from what you have been doing for undergrad. The only thing that is different is that you're studying instead of sitting around being lazy. Best of luck.

 

[cityoflights]

I am in similar situation as you. I decided to retake/new classes/pre-reqs. Pharmacy schools like to see the workload you have taken as well as improvements. I finished undergraduate in 2007. went back in 2010
My Fall semester was:
Biology 1 - A - 4credits
Calculus 1 - A - 4 Credits
Anatomy 1 - A - 4Credits
Microeconomics - A - 4Credits
Speech - B+ - 3Credits

Spring 2011 Semester
Biology 2 - A- - 4credits
Anatomy 2 - A - 4Credits
Chemistry 1 - A - 4 Credits
Summer 2011 Semester (1 & 2)
Microbiology - B+ - 4 Credits
Chemistry 2 - Pending - 4Credits

All in all, if you really want to do it, go for it. If you dont get in, you dont have to live with a regret. I was and am working 9-5 job while going to school. Is it easy? No but I dont want to regret by saying I did not try.
Please try if you dont get it, its for a reason

RX2020: You made amazing grades and your course loads were rigorous not to mention you had a full time job! Thank you so much for the encouragement. Right now I'm very nervous about not being able to to do well if I take too many classes since this is my last shot at pharmacy school. I also want to study for my Pharm Tech license so I can start working sooner than later. Would you mind sharing your study habits/tips and how you were able to succeed?

 

[cityoflights]

Why won't you have a social life? Are you going to be THAT busy that you won't have time for yourself? I think you have a good chance of getting into pharmacy school in 2-3 years after you've retaken some classes; but this all depends on you. The same reason you think you won't have a social life is the same reason you got bad grades in undergrad. Getting straight "A"s and volunteering doesn't mean you won't have extra time to mess around. Lots of people, including my friend, seem to think that they will have to lock down and completely forget about everything except studying in order to be successful in their next semester. With that said, only you can be the one who matures and decides to improve your application - another person is not going to install the drive to succeed into you. I think once you start trying harder in classes, you'll learn that you've set a new bar for yourself and this new lifestyle isn't so hard or different from what you have been doing for undergrad. The only thing that is different is that you're studying instead of sitting around being lazy. Best of luck.

Thank you for your word wisdom. I just dread a repeat of my bad undergrad where I was so concerned with social life that I was not able to attend classes and rather be sleeping than studying. I seriously think isolation will help me out this time around - at least until I develop a time managing skill. But now I know what I really want and have to do so hopefully that can keep me going.

 

[Buk Lau]

Thank you for your word wisdom. I just dread a repeat of my bad undergrad where I was so concerned with social life that I was not able to attend classes and rather be sleeping than studying. I seriously think isolation will help me out this time around - at least until I develop a time managing skill. But now I know what I really want and have to do so hopefully that can keep me going.

Good, keep going, it's not as hard as people make it out to be. I also know from experience...I was a total eff off in high school. I graduated with a 2.8 gpa (I don't even know why it was that high). But as soon as I hit college, something changed inside me and I found myself getting better grades and acting more mature about my responsibilities.

 

[cjflahave]

Thank you for your word wisdom. I just dread a repeat of my bad undergrad where I was so concerned with social life that I was not able to attend classes and rather be sleeping than studying. I seriously think isolation will help me out this time around - at least until I develop a time managing skill. But now I know what I really want and have to do so hopefully that can keep me going.

This will help you a ton. Once I knew what I wanted to do, my grades improved and I actually went to class.

 

[RX2020]

RX2020: You made amazing grades and your course loads were rigorous not to mention you had a full time job! Thank you so much for the encouragement. Right now I'm very nervous about not being able to to do well if I take too many classes since this is my last shot at pharmacy school. I also want to study for my Pharm Tech license so I can start working sooner than later. Would you mind sharing your study habits/tips and how you were able to succeed?

I studied everywhere I could've. I had notes on my phone which I constantly read again. I never skipped a class the whole semester. You can do it just keep going!

 

[Superzooi]

Hi, everyone I'm sort of new to this forum and haven't really been on here until recently. I just finished my undergrad with a shameful c2.5 GPA I can't really discuss this with my parents nor anyone actually. I can't face them and I don't know what to do next in life. Some part of me is still lingering to keep pursuing pharmacy as though there is still hope. I would like to receive some feedback and advice from successful people like you guys here or if there were anyone out there like myself (doubtful) who can share what they did. I'm 22 years old and probably need to spend another 3-4 years to retake classes, from the looks of my mediocre grades, at an unstructured post bacc program. Would there still be even a chance if I were to get good grades? Tell me I should give up or continue. Thank you so much for reading and especially to those that replies. Thanks.

My grades in pre reqs

Quarter system
Chem a = B+
Chem b = C
Chem c = B

Ochem a=C+
Ochem b=C
Ochem c=C-

Bio a = C-
Bio b = C-
Bio c = C

Physics a = C
Physics b = B+
Physics c = C

Calcuclus a = A-
Calculus b = C
Calculus c = B

Microbiology = C+
Physiology = C
Anatomy = C
Anatomy lab = D+
Micro Econ = B+

you need a bit of luck on PCAT and hopefully some volunteer/intern experience then you are set. I have more Ds than you do.

 

[wowishi]

I think you should continue.
To make it easier, look at pharmacy schools that have a minimum gpa you can attain. There are some pharmacy schools that require at least a gpa of 2.5ish. There's a pharmacy school in Texas that has a minimum 2.5 gpa and I'm actually going to apply there
When do you plan on applying? Have you completed your pre-reqs? Retake one or two classes if you have time, especially Anatomy lab, if you don't want retake all of them. Do well on the PCAT and of course get some pharmacy experience. If you have passion and interest in pharmacy then that can take you a long way.

I really don't know the situation that you're in that caused you to make low grades, but understand that your taking pre-pharmacy courses to prepare you for pharmacy school. You must show that you can handle it because pharmacy school is going to be harder.

Hey I live in texas and i have the 2.7 gpa ..which pharmacy school are u talking about that just need the minimum 2.5 gpa ?thank you

 

[wowishi]

you need a bit of luck on PCAT and hopefully some volunteer/intern experience then you are set. I have more Ds than you do.

Hey since u said you have more Ds..what did u do to make it up?

 

[wowishi]

hey guys can someone tell me what should i do and how is my situation with these grades.
Chem 1=C
Chem 2=C
OChem 1= F i RETAKE IT AND i GOT B+
ochem lab=A+
Ochem 2=B+
oclem lab 2= A+
Biology1=B
Biology 2=D i retake it I got C
Biochem 1=B
Biochem 2=C
pHYSICS UNIVERSITY 1= B
PHISCICS UNIVERSITY2=C
Calculas 1= B
Calculas 2=C
statistics=A
Humanities=B
behavioral neuroscience B-
Biochem Lab=C-
Genetics D
Advanced writing(research paper) count as the highere biology course=A+
History 1 and 2 both=A
gov 1=A gOVE 2=B
English 1=C English 2=A
and I'm graduating next semester in biology major(BS) I'm taking A&P and molecular cell biology this semester and i still have three more biology classes for the next semester...can someone tell me that do i have any chance to get into pharmacy schools with these grades if i do good on my pcat? I'm a second language student and i had to learn english too that's why I had hard time on some of my classes ....and I'm a pharmacy tech certified and have two years experience working in pharmacy so far and still working

 

[xNeenax]

Hey I live in texas and i have the 2.7 gpa ..which pharmacy school are u talking about that just need the minimum 2.5 gpa ?thank you

From the schools I'm applying to in Texas, Incarnate Word and I think OU too.
BTW when you're retaking classes you got a D in, it's better to get an A or a B instead of a C because it's really not much of an improvement also when you average out a D and a C it's really low.

 

[hmmmmm]

There is always the possibility that since in pharmacy school you have a "bigger goal", so to speak, there is good potential of actually pushing yourself to succeed. Haha, I doubt you can get away with this excuse when applying to pharmacy school though.

With undergraduate all you are getting in the end is a bachelors. It's good, but not "amazing". Whereas with pharmacy school in the end you would be getting a doctorate, that sounds prestigious in just the name itself. I am pretty sure fighting for a doctorate has the potential of turning a person around for the better.

I mean, if I ever get into pharmacy school, I will very likely pushing my ass a lot more than I have been in undergrad. With Dr. in front of the name, the high paying job, and all that within reach...Hell, I will chain myself to a desk in the library and get that perfect grades/scores.

Basically, while I agree with you to a certain extent, I am pretty sure their are certain cases where "the bigger the reward, such as a doctorate would be I am assuming, the more likely you are to put in the extra effort".

oh, so you need a reward to care about what you're learning?

i'm guessing you'll also need rewards to actually care about pt care.

what a selfish person.

and what'll likely happen is that once you get in, you'll realize that grades don't matter once you're in and become a constant C grade student.

I am always amazed by how important some people think the PCAT is. It boggles my mind. It's like because it is a hard number people think it is more important than EC's, LOR's, experience, and even GPA! I would rank it the lowest out of those for the reasons you mention plus some others.

lol

pcat is a standardized test

its useful to use it and see if you actually retained the info you learned in your 2 years of undergrad or how solid your science foundation is.

many rx studnets got in with no or little prior experience and most old timer rxist went to this profession with no experience as back then there was no such thing as job shadowing.

The only thing I would worry about is your study habits. With that GPA your PCAT scores need to be competitive (takes a lot of studying). Your undergrade is where your studying matures. High school I NEVER opened a book. Same goes for the first year of college.

thats cause you are in the americian for profit education system and have the no child left behind policy (aka grade inflation).

Second year when I started taking classes towards Pharmacy school? I was in for a rude awakening. I had no studying background no idea what was going on in chem and I jumped right into pre cal (no real math since freshman year of high school) so I had to study 5-6 hours a day. i Learned a lot my second year.

wow, it took till 2nd year till you learned pre-calculus.

impressive. there are students in china learning calculus in grade 10 in highschool

Hi, everyone I'm sort of new to this forum and haven't really been on here until recently. I just finished my undergrad with a shameful c2.5 GPA

translation: i partied in undergrad and learned nothing.

I joined a fraternity and was super busy with that but miraculously I passed my classes and I got lucky.

thats because you get a C for writing down your name and having a pulse at most crappy uni these days.



pharmacy student gpa's is like doing the limbo, how low can you go?



if this guy gets accepted, it just shows how the for-profit schools are willing to scrape the bottom of the barrel in order for them to get that sweet sweet tuition $

 

[xtsukiyox]

:troll:

 

[headortail]

cityoflights: I'd say you should re-evaluate your situation before deciding to spend the next 2-3 years doing something that may not benefit you in the end.
During my undergrad., I had a downward trend of GPA, which is something you don't want to have... I did really well in my prereqs (aka freshman and sophomore year averaging a 3.7). Then with my junior and senior years, I had personal circumstances where I had a few C's in my science upper-division courses, the rest B's, and only 2-3 A's. My GPA wasn't that low, but it's not stellar either.
However, the important thing is I know I can perform well in science courses, and pharmacy is what I really want to do. I'm now in pharmacy school and doing well. Most pharmacy classes are not too hard, but they definitely require a strong foundation in pre-requisite courses.
My take: spend a quarter/semester retaking O.Chem, Bio, Physics, and see how you perform in those classes. If you can do well (B+/A- average), and you can stand what you're studying (aka you don't feel extremely miserable studying for an O.Chem test), then keep going. BUT if you really struggle getting a B/B+ average dong pre-req courses while putting in all your effort, pharmacy school will be very, very hard. Think 4 core graduate science courses per semester (plus other pharmacy practice classes which aren't "hard" per se, but you still have to go to class and complete projects for them). There is no point in doing something that makes you feel miserable, and I know quite a few people that keep trying (which is a good thing, but not for all circumstances), finally get into pharmacy school, but then give up because they can't handle the course load. There are other options out there that, while they may not give you a "doctorate" in the end, might be a better fit for you personally.

Also, I did well on my PCAT. I've no idea how "important" it was versus the other factors (letters of rec, ECs, research), but I did get interview invitations from two schools ranked in the top 10 (so you can rule interview/personality out as factors), so I'd like to think that my PCAT score did not hurt (because my GPA most definitely didn't make me stand out).

 

[PharmtoCS]

.

 

[pharmacy]

Hi, everyone I'm sort of new to this forum and haven't really been on here until recently. I just finished my undergrad with a shameful c2.5 GPA I can't really discuss this with my parents nor anyone actually. I can't face them and I don't know what to do next in life. Some part of me is still lingering to keep pursuing pharmacy as though there is still hope. I would like to receive some feedback and advice from successful people like you guys here or if there were anyone out there like myself (doubtful) who can share what they did. I'm 22 years old and probably need to spend another 3-4 years to retake classes, from the looks of my mediocre grades, at an unstructured post bacc program. Would there still be even a chance if I were to get good grades? Tell me I should give up or continue. Thank you so much for reading and especially to those that replies. Thanks.

My grades in pre reqs

Quarter system
Chem a = B+
Chem b = C
Chem c = B

Ochem a=C+
Ochem b=C
Ochem c=C-

Bio a = C-
Bio b = C-
Bio c = C

Physics a = C
Physics b = B+
Physics c = C

Calcuclus a = A-
Calculus b = C
Calculus c = B

Microbiology = C+
Physiology = C
Anatomy = C
Anatomy lab = D+
Micro Econ = B+

Don't give up. I'm older than you and still have not completed all of the prepharm prerequisite yet. I'm sure after retaking some of the courses, your gpa will be higher. Keep going with your desired major.

 

[The Recoverer]

Hi, everyone I'm sort of new to this forum and haven't really been on here until recently. I just finished my undergrad with a shameful c2.5 GPA I can't really discuss this with my parents nor anyone actually. I can't face them and I don't know what to do next in life. Some part of me is still lingering to keep pursuing pharmacy as though there is still hope. I would like to receive some feedback and advice from successful people like you guys here or if there were anyone out there like myself (doubtful) who can share what they did. I'm 22 years old and probably need to spend another 3-4 years to retake classes, from the looks of my mediocre grades, at an unstructured post bacc program. Would there still be even a chance if I were to get good grades? Tell me I should give up or continue. Thank you so much for reading and especially to those that replies. Thanks.

My grades in pre reqs

Quarter system
Chem a = B+
Chem b = C
Chem c = B

Ochem a=C+
Ochem b=C
Ochem c=C-

Bio a = C-
Bio b = C-
Bio c = C

Physics a = C
Physics b = B+
Physics c = C

Calcuclus a = A-
Calculus b = C
Calculus c = B

Microbiology = C+
Physiology = C
Anatomy = C
Anatomy lab = D+
Micro Econ = B+

City of flights, Definitely DO NOT GIVE UP! I used a plan that worked for me and I will share it with you. It's not really a plan, just something very obvious and seems like it would help you out.

In your current transcript ONLY
Chem a = B+
Chem b = C
Chem c = B

Ochem a=C+
Ochem b=C
Ochem c=C-

Bio a = C-
Bio b = C-
Bio c = C

Physics a = C
Physics b = B+
Physics c = C

Calcuclus a = A-
Calculus b = C
Calculus c = B

really count as pre reqs for some pharmacy schools.

APPLY TO SCHOOL THAT ONLY CONSIDER YOUR PRE REQ GPA.

I applied this cycle with a low cum GPA but a high pre req because the upper level classes that pharm schools do not require really ruined my GPA, but I did average on the pre reqs. Good examples that I applied to as well are:

UGA
UMES
Texas Tech,
GOOD LUCK!

 

[kcha90]

cityoflights: I'd say you should re-evaluate your situation before deciding to spend the next 2-3 years doing something that may not benefit you in the end.
During my undergrad., I had a downward trend of GPA, which is something you don't want to have... I did really well in my prereqs (aka freshman and sophomore year averaging a 3.7). Then with my junior and senior years, I had personal circumstances where I had a few C's in my science upper-division courses, the rest B's, and only 2-3 A's. My GPA wasn't that low, but it's not stellar either.
However, the important thing is I know I can perform well in science courses, and pharmacy is what I really want to do. I'm now in pharmacy school and doing well. Most pharmacy classes are not too hard, but they definitely require a strong foundation in pre-requisite courses.
My take: spend a quarter/semester retaking O.Chem, Bio, Physics, and see how you perform in those classes. If you can do well (B+/A- average), and you can stand what you're studying (aka you don't feel extremely miserable studying for an O.Chem test), then keep going. BUT if you really struggle getting a B/B+ average dong pre-req courses while putting in all your effort, pharmacy school will be very, very hard. Think 4 core graduate science courses per semester (plus other pharmacy practice classes which aren't "hard" per se, but you still have to go to class and complete projects for them). There is no point in doing something that makes you feel miserable, and I know quite a few people that keep trying (which is a good thing, but not for all circumstances), finally get into pharmacy school, but then give up because they can't handle the course load. There are other options out there that, while they may not give you a "doctorate" in the end, might be a better fit for you personally.

Also, I did well on my PCAT. I've no idea how "important" it was versus the other factors (letters of rec, ECs, research), but I did get interview invitations from two schools ranked in the top 10 (so you can rule interview/personality out as factors), so I'd like to think that my PCAT score did not hurt (because my GPA most definitely didn't make me stand out).

Also, I think that as a pharmacist, you have a responsibility to master the curriculum in order to provide the best quality counseling for your patients. Although this is a gross generalization, a consistent C student may very well be doing a disservice to the public by becoming a pharmacist who performs at a C-grade level.