How important is the PCAT?

[Quacker21]

Here are my stats. I'm reasonably smart, but I futzed around in college a little:
GPA: 2.7
PCAT: 99% overall, just found out Monday
Experience: Only in health field, nothing pharmacy specific

I applied to 3 Pharmacy schools: UT Memphis, David Lipscomb, and Belmont. Lipscomb rejected me because I didn't read their rules carefully enough and didn't send in a secondary to them. I thought they were going to ask me to fill out a secondary like an idiot.

UT Memphis just sent me a rejection letter on Tuesday. No interview, no secondary, and they aren't responding to emailed questions. I'm not sure they even had my PCAT score because Belmont claims they don't have it yet, and I spoke with them today.

Anyone have a prediction about my shot with Belmont? Will my PCAT score improve my chances, or am I screwed because I've never had any pharmacy experience and my GPA is low?

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[216168]

Here are my stats. I'm reasonably smart, but I futzed around in college a little:
GPA: 2.7
PCAT: 99% overall, just found out Monday
Experience: Only in health field, nothing pharmacy specific

I applied to 3 Pharmacy schools: UT Memphis, David Lipscomb, and Belmont. Lipscomb rejected me because I didn't read their rules carefully enough and didn't send in a secondary to them. I thought they were going to ask me to fill out a secondary like an idiot.

UT Memphis just sent me a rejection letter on Tuesday. No interview, no secondary, and they aren't responding to emailed questions. I'm not sure they even had my PCAT score because Belmont claims they don't have it yet, and I spoke with them today.

Anyone have a prediction about my shot with Belmont? Will my PCAT score improve my chances, or am I screwed because I've never had any pharmacy experience and my GPA is low?

You're main problem might be that most schools don't accept the January PCAT for the same year admission. You should probably look into that!

 

[Nelson]

If 2.7 is their min acceptable gpa and they accept Jan pcat AND your letter of intent is as stellar as your pcat then you MIGHT get an interview. An awesome pcat usually will pull up someones chances if they have a low gpa, but its pretty late in the game this year.
Good luck.

 

[Quacker21]

You're main problem might be that most schools don't accept the January PCAT for the same year admission. You should probably look into that!

No, Belmont definitely accepts January. My letter of intent wasn't the best essay I've ever written, but it wasn't just, "I like science and math and I want to be a pharmacist someday" either.

I'm a little worried about my recommendations...I sent 4 to Belmont, but they seem to have only logged 2 of them, and those were the 2 weaker recs. I'm trying to straighten it out with them, but it's slow going.

 

[yappy]

I find it odd they would not consider you as a serious applicant if admissions had knowledge of your PCAT score. GPA is subjective depending on institution, instructor, and class mate abilities. Why wouldn't the admission board recognize according to their only objective measure (PCAT), you're more suited for pharmacy school then 99% of the other applicants?

 

[Tatodotcom]

I find it odd they would not consider you as a serious applicant if admissions had knowledge of your PCAT score. GPA is subjective depending on institution, instructor, and class mate abilities. Why wouldn't the admission board recognize according to their only objective measure (PCAT), you're more suited for pharmacy school then 99% of the other applicants?

just because you get a 99 on the pcat does not mean youre 99 percent more "suited" than other students. what makes someone suited for pharm school is gpa, e.cs, lor, pharm exp, etc..... schools look at everything, and yea your pcat score of 99 will help, but your gpa of a 2.7 isnt helping you out at all, and i dont care how subjective your institution is....schools shouldn't and i dont believe ever will only look at one thing during the admission process

 

[pwnttothemax]

I find it odd they would not consider you as a serious applicant if admissions had knowledge of your PCAT score. GPA is subjective depending on institution, instructor, and class mate abilities. Why wouldn't the admission board recognize according to their only objective measure (PCAT), you're more suited for pharmacy school then 99% of the other applicants?

wow that's naive of you!

when you apply for anything, be it job or school, there's a 3.0 gpa cut. if you have below 3.0 they generally file you into a different stack and you're automatically get less consideration

 

[Transformer]

How important is one's PCAT score?

Generally, a high PCAT score will help an applicant with a low GPA get an interview; assuming you've met all the minimum requirements.

Every school is different. Thus, the importance placed on PCAT scores and other requirements will be different for each school. For this reason, you should contact your schools of interest and ask them this question.

 

[JumboPharm09]

Do you guys have solid facts and sources to base this information on? Or are you just throwing out advice that you think is right?

There seems to be a lot of speculation from pre-pharmers and I'm curious as to how/where you all have obtained this information.

 

[tprice108]

Do you guys have solid facts and sources to base this information on? Or are you just throwing out advice that you think is right?

There seems to be a lot of speculation from pre-pharmers and I'm curious as to how/where you all have obtained this information.

^^^ I'm gonna go with 'advice that they think is right'. My advice 'that I think I'm right' is that you've still got a good shot. A 99, seriously, thats ridiculous, and I believe that outweighs any bad gpa you've gotten. I don't believe schools follow very strict 'minimum gpa' requirements, b/c I've heard of people being below and at least getting an interview.

 

[HyZaAr21]

You have a very good chance to get in. A 99 PCAT is plain ****ing amazing and your 2.7 gpa could just be due to some bad courses here and there and a not so stellar start freshman year. The only thing to be concerned about is your Pre-req GPA. If that is low (say below a 3.4) then you are kind of screwed. With a low pre-req GPA it pretty much means you are not smart in the sciences. You wanna make sure that you have at least half of your prereqs be As. Otherwise a low gpa will kill your chances. PCAT says a bunch it is a standardized test based on the basic sciences and does not contain the complexities of undergraduate courses. Hard-yes...but better to have a lower PCAT and a higher GPA. I know of students that got in with 50 PCATS and 3.8 GPAs and other with 73 PCATs and 2.8 GPAs.

 

[trailrider400]

I'm thinking that 99 pcat score with that low gpa is just going to make you look like a slacker. A person who's able to get that crazy of a pcat score should be able to make at least a 3.0 and probably should have taken school a little more seriously.

 

[Sparda29]

Wow, a lot of bashing in this thread.

To answer the OP's original question, the PCAT is generally the 2nd most important factor after GPA. You're not going to get into any schools that require a minimum 3.0 GPA, so apply to schools with a minimum 2.0-2.5 GPA, and you should be able to score an interview.

 

[WhiteSnows]

Just apply and see what will happen. Pcat is very important in some schools, and maybe less important in others. I guess you should try to have some experiences in pharmacy.

 

[SHC1984]

PCAT is more important then GPA and if your undergrad is an Ivy or something like that it would help as well(a well-known undergrad is always favored). However I would still try to bring my GPA to a 3.0 just to have a more guarntee spot....Good luck!

 

[bluesickle]

There seems to be a lot of speculation from pre-pharmers and I'm curious as to how/where you all have obtained this information.

The trend in this forum goes as follows:

1. Many people pull information out of their a**es and call it fact.
2. Most of what people ask on this forum can be answered in 3 words, "Call the school!"
3. Coming onto this forum gives you S.F.A. (Search Function Amnesia), which is why the same question is asked over and over and over ...
4. Some seem feeble and desperate before getting their first acceptance but once they do, their heads suddenly swell to the size of a watermelon.
5. If you're not talking about rainbows and ponies, you're automatically labeled a trash talker.
6. Instead of Googling the information themselves, some would rather ask the question, continuously refresh the forum, and bump their own threads until someone gives them a suitable answer. Never tell them to Google it themselves because telling them research their own work is an insult.
7. People with good stats ask "What Are My Chances" questions anyway to get verification from bunch of strangers that their stats are awesome. It helps to feed the ego.

Welcome to the pre-pharmacy forum BTW.

 

[topaz4762]

I have very low PCAT score with 4.0 GPA.
And I got accepted one school, had 2 interviews, and 1 interview left.
I don't think PCAT is really really important unless u have other stats.

 

[xscpx]

The trend in this forum goes as follows:

1. Many people pull information out of their a**es and call it fact.
2. Most of what people ask on this forum can be answered in 3 words, "Call the school!"
3. Coming onto this forum gives you S.F.A. (Search Function Amnesia), which is why the same question is asked over and over and over ...
4. Some seem feeble and desperate before getting their first acceptance but once they do, their heads suddenly swell to the size of a watermelon.
5. If you're not talking about rainbows and ponies, you're automatically labeled a trash talker.
6. Instead of Googling the information themselves, some would rather ask the question, continuously refresh the forum, and bump their own threads until someone gives them a suitable answer. Never tell them to Google it themselves because telling them research their own work is an insult.
7. People with good stats ask "What Are My Chances" questions anyway to get verification from bunch of strangers that their stats are awesome. It helps to feed the ego.

Welcome to the pre-pharmacy forum BTW.

You just totally owned this thread! Win!

 

[atticus27]

The trend in this forum goes as follows:

1. Many people pull information out of their a**es and call it fact.
2. Most of what people ask on this forum can be answered in 3 words, "Call the school!"
3. Coming onto this forum gives you S.F.A. (Search Function Amnesia), which is why the same question is asked over and over and over ...
4. Some seem feeble and desperate before getting their first acceptance but once they do, their heads suddenly swell to the size of a watermelon.
5. If you're not talking about rainbows and ponies, you're automatically labeled a trash talker.
6. Instead of Googling the information themselves, some would rather ask the question, continuously refresh the forum, and bump their own threads until someone gives them a suitable answer. Never tell them to Google it themselves because telling them research their own work is an insult.
7. People with good stats ask "What Are My Chances" questions anyway to get verification from bunch of strangers that their stats are awesome. It helps to feed the ego.

Welcome to the pre-pharmacy forum BTW.

Well said.

 

[atticus27]

PCAT is more important then GPA

Thank you for feeding the subjective garbage monster.

 

[JumboPharm09]

Does anyone on this site actually have credentials to be answering any of these questions? Do other people find it weird that people are asking complete strangers (who they are likely to be competing against) for advice concerning major life choices?

 

[echogene]

Does anyone on this site actually have credentials to be answering any of these questions? Do other people find it weird that people are asking complete strangers (who they are likely to be competing against) for advice concerning major life choices?

Do you think I should get a vasectomy?

 

[JumboPharm09]

Do you think I should get a vasectomy?

Definitely. I've got the number for a great doctor in Tiajuana.

 

[echogene]

Definitely. I've got the number for a great doctor in Tiajuana.

haha, nice! Anyways, yes, it is kinda strange that everyone's asking strangers who are also trying to get into pharmacy school!

 

[JumboPharm09]

I have very low PCAT score with 4.0 GPA.
And I got accepted one school, had 2 interviews, and 1 interview left.
I don't think PCAT is really really important unless u have other stats.

Can we get a little extra info to actually make this post useful? (i.e. PCAT score, schools that gave you interview invites/acceptances)

 

[atticus27]

Can we get a little extra info to actually make this post useful? (i.e. PCAT score, schools that gave you interview invites/acceptances)

Should we include a works cited page sir?

 

[JumboPharm09]

Should we include a works cited page sir?

Only if you want full credit...

But seriously, most of these posts are not useful without relevant information. If you're looking for schools that may be inclined to take students with low GPAs and high PCATs (or vice verse), it's important to actually have the name of the school. Simply posting I have a low GPA and high PCAT and got accepted doesn't really help anyone.

I'm trying to find some useful information, and I thought this forum would provide some of it. I'm just trying to be thorough and trying to cut through a lot of the unsubtantiated B.S. I've seen in some of these threads.

 

[Aggieanthony]

OP,

What's your Jr/Sr GPA, and have you considered a post-bac? It's helpful in a variety of ways, and in many disciplines. And since you've scored so well on the PCAT, your science requirements will easily be met for more post-bacs.

Post-bac is a great chance to separate the "undergraduate" you from the "want to be a pharmacist" you. Not all schools look at them the same, but it's certainly an option with that low of a GPA.

 

[atticus27]

Only if you want full credit...

But seriously, most of these posts are not useful without relevant information. If you're looking for schools that may be inclined to take students with low GPAs and high PCATs (or vice verse), it's important to actually have the name of the school. Simply posting I have a low GPA and high PCAT and got accepted doesn't really help anyone.

I'm trying to find some useful information, and I thought this forum would provide some of it. I'm just trying to be thorough and trying to cut through a lot of the unsubtantiated B.S. I've seen in some of these threads.

I rolled across SDN awhile back and I can tell you this. These forums have been absolutely INVALUABLE to me as a pharmd applicant and have definitely helped me get accepted.

Just don't expect to find solid info in every thread.

 

[trailrider400]

Do you guys have solid facts and sources to base this information on? Or are you just throwing out advice that you think is right?

There seems to be a lot of speculation from pre-pharmers and I'm curious as to how/where you all have obtained this information.

Really, you want solid sources or facts? Okay go to the library and ask the librarian if you will get into pharmacy school (she could give you a good source). Ask jeeves... Ask your parents... This forum is all about advice and opinion but it comes from people who have done this over and over, read thousands of threads in this forum, and have applied to pharmacy school (some of them multiple times). Sure theres some shyttty advice on here and I've probably given some but people come here because there is tons of good first hand info. Why are you here? If someone told me their gpa, pcat, and other application info I would have a very good idea of what their chances would be of getting in to pharmacy school and exactly what they needed to do to improve their application. Heres my source... www.how_to_not_be_a_tool.com...
And to the original poster... Your pcat is awesome. Many schools require a min 3.0 gpa. Check this out and apply. If you don't get in retake courses you did poorly in because your gpa would be (if you weren't accepted the first time) the only thing holding you back. Keep strengthening your application while you apply and make sure you have some pharmacy experience.

 

[DayTTU17]

Really, you want solid sources or facts? Okay go to the library and ask the librarian if you will get into pharmacy school (she could give you a good source). Ask jeeves... Ask your parents... This forum is all about advice and opinion but it comes from people who have done this over and over, read thousands of threads in this forum, and have applied to pharmacy school (some of them multiple times). Sure theres some shyttty advice on here and I've probably given some but people come here because there is tons of good first hand info. Why are you here? If someone told me their gpa, pcat, and other application info I would have a very good idea of what their chances would be of getting in to pharmacy school and exactly what they needed to do to improve their application. Heres my source... www.how_to_not_be_a_tool.com...
And to the original poster... Your pcat is awesome. Many schools require a min 3.0 gpa. Check this out and apply. If you don't get in retake courses you did poorly in because your gpa would be (if you weren't accepted the first time) the only thing holding you back. Keep strengthening your application while you apply and make sure you have some pharmacy experience.

^ I like this guy

 

[trailrider400]

Only if you want full credit...

But seriously, most of these posts are not useful without relevant information. If you're looking for schools that may be inclined to take students with low GPAs and high PCATs (or vice verse), it's important to actually have the name of the school. Simply posting I have a low GPA and high PCAT and got accepted doesn't really help anyone.

I'm trying to find some useful information, and I thought this forum would provide some of it. I'm just trying to be thorough and trying to cut through a lot of the unsubtantiated B.S. I've seen in some of these threads.

uggg....... sorry no one has time to spoon feed you... you know what I will... I'll take some time out of my night to help you out... check out http://www.pharmcas.org/collegesschools/schoolpagesPARTinstitution.htm this is the pharmcas school pages... It will give you an idea of the minimum gpa the school will accept and the average gpa of the students the school expects to admit. Check out aacp.org as well. It should give you a better idea... Also check out this entire forum of USELESS information. This is going to take a little work can you handle that?

 

[JumboPharm09]

uggg....... sorry no one has time to spoon feed you... you know what I will... I'll take some time out of my night to help you out... check out http://www.pharmcas.org/collegesschools/schoolpagesPARTinstitution.htm this is the pharmcas school pages... It will give you an idea of the minimum gpa the school will accept and the average gpa of the students the school expects to admit. Check out aacp.org as well. It should give you a better idea... Also check out this entire forum of USELESS information. This is going to take a little work can you handle that?

Why are you so angry? I'm asking for information that could be pertinent to a lot of people from someone who likely has it, and you are offended. Those websites are good to see the averages, but looking for extremes might require some firsthand information that I might be able to find on this page.

Are you going to act like this when a patient asks you to clarify drug instructions?

 

[DennisC8723]

There is so much hostility in this thread...haha. The PCAT is more important than GPA for some school and vice-versa for others. For example, UT-Memphis considers your GPA twice as important than your PCAT score.

 

[diastole]

Do they post the average PCAT score for schools somewhere?

 

[atticus27]

Do they post the average PCAT score for schools somewhere?

The AACP site used to have a list but everything is changed on it now. You might be able to find it.

 

[trailrider400]

Are you going to act like this when a patient asks you to clarify drug instructions?

haha nice try! If they ask me for my sources or credentials I just might. And what questions did you have that requires more in depth answers? pm me and I'll try to answer it.

 

[pharrmacy]

Hey guys
I just got my pcat score today and im devastated
My composite score is only 65
I'm applying for UBC and I was wondering if I still have any chances in getting an interview? My school marks are pretty good (87% so far), I have a lot of extra curricular including a pharm tech summer job, and I thought my personal statements were pretty solid.
How much is the pcat weighed?

 

[trailrider400]

Hey guys
I just got my pcat score today and im devastated
My composite score is only 65
I'm applying for UBC and I was wondering if I still have any chances in getting an interview? My school marks are pretty good (87% so far), I have a lot of extra curricular including a pharm tech summer job, and I thought my personal statements were pretty solid.
How much is the pcat weighed?

Was that your first time taking it? Don't worry I did a little worse than that my first time and was able to pull my composite way up. If you don't get an interview just study hard this summer and retake it in august. And are you talking about interviews this spring? Its getting a little late here. And check out the wamc thread stickied at the top of this forum.

 

[YOWAT]

Here are my stats. I'm reasonably smart, but I futzed around in college a little:
GPA: 2.7
PCAT: 99% overall, just found out Monday
Experience: Only in health field, nothing pharmacy specific

I applied to 3 Pharmacy schools: UT Memphis, David Lipscomb, and Belmont. Lipscomb rejected me because I didn't read their rules carefully enough and didn't send in a secondary to them. I thought they were going to ask me to fill out a secondary like an idiot.

UT Memphis just sent me a rejection letter on Tuesday. No interview, no secondary, and they aren't responding to emailed questions. I'm not sure they even had my PCAT score because Belmont claims they don't have it yet, and I spoke with them today.

Anyone have a prediction about my shot with Belmont? Will my PCAT score improve my chances, or am I screwed because I've never had any pharmacy experience and my GPA is low?

u like me. how did it go?

 

[SClENCE]

u should have applied to more schools

2.7 with no pharmacy experience and u are surprised u are rejected?

EDIT: nice grave dig...................................