How early to apply?

[CaliCPhT]

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Just looking for some advice on applying to pharmacy school. When suggestions are made to apply early, how early is that? September? October? Just curious.

Thanks!

 

[ADN1226]

The key is ASAP? Since pharmcas is available june 1st, try to get everything in by august.

 

[CaliCPhT]

I'm taking the PCAT in August. Can I apply without having that available yet? If I don't do as well as I hoped, I can retake in Oct without having to reapply?

 

[StringTheorist]

all of the deadlines are usually around the beginning of feb or may, so i would say november is an ideal date if you have everything in order by then.

 

[ForcedEntry]

I'm taking the PCAT in August. Can I apply without having that available yet? If I don't do as well as I hoped, I can retake in Oct without having to reapply?

Have everything you can done before you take the PCAT. Then, once the scores roll in, you press submit and your application is immediately forwarded to the schools. Pharmcas updates once for new class grades, and will always update for new PCAT scores. Each time a change is made, the new information will be verified and resent. There are no additional fees for this. The only time you will incur additional fees is if you add schools.

Be the early bird.

 

[omnione]

I'm taking the PCAT in August. Can I apply without having that available yet? If I don't do as well as I hoped, I can retake in Oct without having to reapply?

Yup....

It takes PharmCAS around a month more or less to go over your transcript. Also, professors may be hard to find during the summer. So, try to assemble your application in May if possible and get as much done before you take the PCAT. That way, your application will be considered the day that schools receive your latest PCAT scores without delay. That timing will be key for schools with earlier deadlines.

 

[abt04]

actually, i wouldnt waste time waiting for the scores to come around. if there are schools that don't require pcats, you are just wasting time by not sending because alot of those schools are on a rolling basis. when i applied, pharmcas told me to send everything asap so that the schools that dont require pcats can have it immediately, and then when the scores are recieved by pharmcas, they will turn around and send it to all the schools that needs the pcats scores. so that way you get the best of both situations (pcat or nonpcat required)


but if you dont believe me (as some people can be skeptical), give pharmcas a call.

 

[Farmercyst]

all of the deadlines are usually around the beginning of feb or may, so i would say november is an ideal date if you have everything in order by then.

Actually, most schools in CA are due by 11/1, so I would be careful with waiting til the november. I'd suggest checking the deadlines your schools posted for this year and use that as an estimate for next years deadlines. Subtract AT LEAST one month from the deadline and try to get it in two to four weeks before that self-imposed deadline. That way at best you're 2+ months ahead of the deadline, at worst you should be two weeks before the deadline (provided you're like me and wait until 1 week before the deadline to start your application)

 

[rx27563]

ok so i will only be able to update my grades one time this cycle? i was going to submit my transcript after this term (spring) on June 1st. Then i take the PCAT in June and im also re-taking two classes this summer so i was going to submit that transcript in august - then another update after the fall semester....is this possible? im confused about the transcript thing...

 

[Farmercyst]

ok so i will only be able to update my grades one time this cycle? i was going to submit my transcript after this term (spring) on June 1st. Then i take the PCAT in June and im also re-taking two classes this summer so i was going to submit that transcript in august - then another update after the fall semester....is this possible? im confused about the transcript thing...

I can't help you on PCAT, I never took it, so never had to worry about how/when it could be updated.

Transcripts will be accepted and updated all the way up until you formally submit it to your first school. So if you send transcripts June 1 they'll be posted when received + processing time. If you take summer courses and submit them, let's say 9/1, then they'd be included if you haven't submitted your application to any school yet. If you have sent your application to at least one designated school then you'll have to wait until the designated "Academic Update" window to update your application with those summer grades. That means don't bother paying for the transcripts, wait til fall grades post, it'll save you money. The AU this year was 12/15-2/1, so it shouldn't matter when your fall grades post. Your winter/spring transcripts would then be sent to the individual schools, if required (Western doesn't require transcripts unless you've been accepted, so I didn't have to send them my winter grades even though I'm an alternate there.) PharmCAS pretty much closes down after the last pharmschool deadline (at that point you're pretty much just checking status, if anything, through pharmcas and everything is done between you and whatever schools you're still in the application process with. (waitlists, acceptances, late interviews, etc)

I'd imagine updating PCAT works the same, but I wouldn't swear to it.