How important is it?

[UFpharmhopeful]

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Hi guys, I'm new here. I'm a junior with a 3.96 GPA and 95 PCAT (99 chemistry was my best score but 68 math was my lowest) and do organic chemistry research at my school. I am applying to only UF this year since I'm not in a hurry to get into pharmacy school cause I would not mind getting my bachelor's first and my application is set except for my personal statement. I'm sorry to say it but I've gotten pretty lazy at this point and don't feel like trying too hard for my personal statement. Does anyone know how important the personal statement is at UF? Can I just kind of write a mediocre personal statement and still get an interview? I'm a pretty personable/confident guy so I'm not really worried about the actual interview, I just want to know how important having an outstanding personal statement will be to getting an invitation for an interview. Thanks for your help

 

[Knickerbocker]

Look like another troll post.

 

[UFpharmhopeful]

Not a troll, I promise.

 

[Knickerbocker]

Ok... Then what the **** do you expect us to say?

Sure, be lazy, it's all good. If you want to have a professional career, you don't have to work for it.

Honestly, what do you think is going to separate you from all of the other applicants with a 3.96 GPA and a 95 PCAT?

 

[UES Girl]

How would one get an interview witha mediocre PS ? My mom's best friend is an adcom for med school and she says when they see boring personal statements,often times they don't even finish reading them.

 

[UFpharmhopeful]

Jeez, no need to be angry knickerbocker. I was just wondering if my stats would be enough to get an interview if I had just an average personal statement. One of my professors used to be part of an adcom but for PhD programs and he told me most of the personal statements just kind of all blended with each other so for him and the other adcom members they weren't much of a deciding factor so I was wondering if it would be the same for pharm schools

 

[LoKoTe]

How would one get an interview witha mediocre PS ? My mom's best friend is an adcom for med school and she says when they see boring personal statements,often times they don't even finish reading them.

Thanks for the info! 😀

 

[omnione]

Jeez, no need to be angry knickerbocker. I was just wondering if my stats would be enough to get an interview if I had just an average personal statement. One of my professors used to be part of an adcom but for PhD programs and he told me most of the personal statements just kind of all blended with each other so for him and the other adcom members they weren't much of a deciding factor so I was wondering if it would be the same for pharm schools

Looking at your stats, it probably wouldn't be a deciding factor. Of course, you don't want to write crap and have it stand out. You also have to address the interview afterwards too so don't just rely on your stats.

 

[UFpharmhopeful]

New problem: I've written too much (over 4500 characters) and don't even have an intro or conclusion yet. I shouldn't have an essay without an intro or conclusion right?

Pharmcas states: "Your Personal Essay should address why you selected pharmacy as a career and how the Doctor of Pharmacy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals."

But how does anyone manage to answer all of that AND have an intro and conclusion in under 4500 characters???

 

[UES Girl]

New problem: I've written too much (over 4500 characters) and don't even have an intro or conclusion yet. I shouldn't have an essay without an intro or conclusion right?

Pharmcas states: "Your Personal Essay should address why you selected pharmacy as a career and how the Doctor of Pharmacy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals."

But how does anyone manage to answer all of that AND have an intro and conclusion in under 4500 characters???

This is what I did - I knew realistically I would not be able to explain everything I wanted so I picked something I really wanted to say. I told my background story explaining why I decided to go into pharmacy school - and managed to sneak a few hidden achievements into my story - like I highlighted I am really good at chemistry. Then I picked my biggest most prised achievement/accomplishment and wrote a whole lot about it saying how this accomplishment relates to why I am good candidate for a pharm. D

 

[UFpharmhopeful]

ok.. so it's ok if I just make a claim and don't have supporting evidence? Cause that might be my problem. For example like for education background one of the things I said was that I'm self-reliant when it comes to studying and then I had like three additional sentences on how I became that way. Do I need those like three additional senteces?

 

[acetyl]

...example like for education background one of the things I said was that I'm self-reliant when it comes to studying and then I had like three additional sentences on how I became that way. Do I need those like three additional senteces?

Dude, come on now. Do what you did to get the 3.96 and write a good essay-one that you would think was good if you were an ad. committee member....and I thought you didn't care?

Make it generic like the average accepted person and get on with it. But don't come off arrogant, they won't like that no matter your stats, especially if they are high.

 

[DSpagnoli]

UF teaches its pre-health students to be overachievers

I know, I went there 👍

 

[Pharmpills]

Look like another troll post.

haha ur right post is a waste of time. some ppl never learn and ask ridiculous ques. im not even gonna waste my time replying to the original poster. its like look at me i made a 4.0 and 99 pcat and i cant spend a few hours writing a statement but i can spend time writing here bruaha.

 

[UFpharmhopeful]

Thanks to those who were helpful (not knickerbocker and pharmpills). After lots of hard work (over 10 hours) I have completed my personal statement and my friend who is also a pre-pharm says it is pretty good.

 

[Knickerbocker]

Thanks to those who were helpful (not knickerbocker and pharmpills). After lots of hard work (over 10 hours) I have completed my personal statement and my friend who is also a pre-pharm says it is pretty good.

If you had to go through all of this to actually do your statement, I don't think that you are mature enough to enter a pharmacy program. I hope that your laziness/lack of maturity is apparent enough for the admissions committee to see.

 

[UES Girl]

Thanks to those who were helpful (not knickerbocker and pharmpills). After lots of hard work (over 10 hours) I have completed my personal statement and my friend who is also a pre-pharm says it is pretty good.

No problems ! Congrats on being done with it ! It took me almost like a month and a half altogether to finish it. My bf cried when he read it - and I don't think I've ever seen him cry before in all the years that we dated. I personally think my PS is good but yet again my GPA is not as high as yours so i had to make up for it.

 

[UFpharmhopeful]

Thanks for your help che. You sound like a real sweatheart and I wish you the best.

Knickerbocker though... I don't know what you have against me but you should calm down man. I have nothing against you, I don't know you, and you don't know me... you should kick back and have a beer and enjoy winter break man, loosen up

 

[mattk79]

Thanks for your help che. You sound like a real sweatheart and I wish you the best.

Knickerbocker though... I don't know what you have against me but you should calm down man. I have nothing against you, I don't know you, and you don't know me... you should kick back and have a beer and enjoy winter break man, loosen up

everyone out there has good scores. you really have to make everything just right to get an interview, especially this late in the game. by the way, GOOOOOOO DAWWWGGGGSSSS!!!!!!

 

[AngelaCL]

No problems ! Congrats on being done with it ! It took me almost like a month and a half altogether to finish it. My bf cried when he read it - and I don't think I've ever seen him cry before in all the years that we dated. I personally think my PS is good but yet again my GPA is not as high as yours so i had to make up for it.

Geez, I'm curious what you wrote that could make someone cry. ("I hate my boyfriend and want to go away to pharmacy school to escape him?" ) I think mine is decent, but I haven't read anybody elses to compare, so for all I know mine stinks. But I also don't think it's a brilliant idea to swap statements with strangers like people have been doing here - I'm so paranoid that someone might steal a person's personal statement, which would be such a shame. I took forever to finish my application because I had the hardest time writing mine.

 

[Knickerbocker]

Thanks for your help che. You sound like a real sweatheart and I wish you the best.

Knickerbocker though... I don't know what you have against me but you should calm down man. I have nothing against you, I don't know you, and you don't know me... you should kick back and have a beer and enjoy winter break man, loosen up

I quite calmly stated my opinion of you from what I have seen on this board.

If you don't see the issue at hand, well... That further proves my point.

 

[starrfishes]

I don't think this is a troll post. I don't know why some people automatically think that just b/c someone has a 4.0 and 99 PCAT , s/he can really a very good personal statement. That's not always the case.

You can have high stats but does that mean pharmacy is truly the profession for you? You can be the best of whatever field else there is out there! So are you clear on your motivation to pursue pharmacy? Can someone, who doesn't know you, pick that up once they've read your personal statement?

There will always be applicants of high stats. Look at UCSF (California). They have rejected students who have near to perfect GPAs. So it takes more than just an ordinary personal statement and people who have similar GPAs.

You have to write with an honest passion and really show dedication and a high potential commitment towards the pharmacy profession.

UFpharmhopeful - please keep trying! And ignore those who do not see your perspective. Good luck with your applications.