Fall Grades

[tootoo30]

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When applying to pharmacy school and the application deadline is after the date that fall grades are issued, do the schools not consider the fall grades when deciding on who gets an interview? I'm asking because I was told by the admissions secretary at Xavier that they don't look at fall grades. Seems kind of weird to me. If I can get them to send them out before the deadline would they consider them in that case?

Thanks for any help

 

[Phrm Girl 24]

When applying to pharmacy school and the application deadline is after the date that fall grades are issued, do the schools not consider the fall grades when deciding on who gets an interview? I'm asking because I was told by the admissions secretary at Xavier that they don't look at fall grades. Seems kind of weird to me. If I can get them to send them out before the deadline would they consider them in that case?

Thanks for any help

Usually schools start giving invites during the fall semester, and some towards finals week. I applied to western and USN last year and I updated my fall grades with USN before getting invited to the interview. With western they invited me to the interview before fall semester was over, then after the interview I e-mailed my counselor and updated my grades to become more competitive. Also Pharmcas has academic update, but they don't recalculate your gpa. It all depends on the school.

 

[tootoo30]

Thanks for the info. I will be applying to Xavier which does not utilize PharmCas, so I guess I have to wait and see. I wanted to use my fall grades too to be competitive because I don't have many pre-requisites completed but I will be finish by the spring semester.

 

[pharm1288]

Usually schools start giving invites during the fall semester, and some towards finals week. I applied to western and USN last year and I updated my fall grades with USN before getting invited to the interview. With western they invited me to the interview before fall semester was over, then after the interview I e-mailed my counselor and updated my grades to become more competitive. Also Pharmcas has academic update, but they don't recalculate your gpa. It all depends on the school.

so then our fall grades has no effect on our overall gpa when we apply? I was hoping my fall grades would bring up my gpa🙁

 

[FLPharm2Be]

Well, you have two options with Fall grades (applies to Pharmcas schools):

1) You can submit your application soon and your Fall grades will have no impact immediately because you haven't finished the semester.

Benefits: Application processed earlier for schools, rolling admission schools can consider you for interviews this fall, can receive an acceptance before the end of the year

Cons: Fall grades will not be calculated in the GPA until the academic update window at the end of December

2) Wait until Fall grades are processed at the end of the year and submit your application then

Benefits: GPA will include Fall grades and lower GPAs won't exclude you from consideration (if you are borderline)

Cons: Later submission means later consideration from rolling admission schools and acceptance slots will have already started to fill up before you have e-submitted

In the end, the choice is yours. I chose to submit early without my fall grades and felt that was the best choice for me. I had so many credits that one more semester of grades would have very little impact on my gpa and I felt the early submission would benefit me more.

 

[Sparda29]

I'd say to submit now, but do the academic update when the time comes. PharmCAS DOES recalculate the GPA.

That and I'm pretty sure schools change their minds on students when they find out that their grades slipped during the Fall/Spring semesters before matriculation.

 

[UES Girl]

When applying to pharmacy school and the application deadline is after the date that fall grades are issued, do the schools not consider the fall grades when deciding on who gets an interview? I'm asking because I was told by the admissions secretary at Xavier that they don't look at fall grades. Seems kind of weird to me. If I can get them to send them out before the deadline would they consider them in that case?

Thanks for any help

I was told by the admissions staff at several schools ( I am not going to specify at which ) that if you submit the application early they basically do not look at your Fall grades to determine who gets the interview and you are at a disadvantage compared to those applicants who already finished all their pre-reqs and have their grades. The reason why is because they look at your application when you submit it "as is ", as in "what have you accomplished and which classes you took up to this point" thing. If they did look at your fall grades in determining who gets the interview, then they would have to look at everybody's grades, determine who took which classes, what level of difficulty those classes were ( doctoral, graduate, undergraduate, which level of undergraduate ). This is the answer I have got from when speaking to admissions staff and I am just paraphrasing it.

 

[pharm1288]

If we update our fall grades by the academic window does pharmcas automaically re-send our transcripts to the schools?

 

[tootoo30]

Yep, they are right! I'm applying to Xavier and they do not look at fall grades. I think they do that because their students have to submit their application by Oct. 15 and transfers have until Dec. 15, so to keep it fair they don't look at anyone's fall grades. I'm cool though, because without my fall grades my gpa is still competitive, its just that I'm taking Organic I w/Lab now and they won't know if I do good or bad.

 

[tootoo30]

so then our fall grades has no effect on our overall gpa when we apply? I was hoping my fall grades would bring up my gpa🙁

Yeah, I feel your pain! I was hoping the same thing. Had I known this, I would have overloaded my summer semester, but I'm still going to apply because all they can do is say yes or no LOL

 

[UES Girl]

Yep, they are right! I'm applying to Xavier and they do not look at fall grades. I think they do that because their students have to submit their application by Oct. 15 and transfers have until Dec. 15, so to keep it fair they don't look at anyone's fall grades. I'm cool though, because without my fall grades my gpa is still competitive, its just that I'm taking Organic I w/Lab now and they won't know if I do good or bad.

Well, I am really glad to hear that everything worked out well ! Good luck to you and I hope you get into your first choice !

 

[AsianGuy26]

so then our fall grades has no effect on our overall gpa when we apply? I was hoping my fall grades would bring up my gpa🙁

I hope they wouldn't look at my fall grades... Biochemistry/Pharmaceutics/Pharmaceutical Anal./ and Pathophysiology are going to kill my chances.

 

[tootoo30]

Well, I am really glad to hear that everything worked out well ! Good luck to you and I hope you get into your first choice !

Thanks, that's my first and only choice LOL and goodluck with your applications, I'm sure this year will be good to both of us 😀

 

[Sparda29]

Hmm, I guess that makes the first year that much more important for Pre-Pharmacy students.