Improve your chances for pharmacy school.

[The Fisherman]

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This is the first forum i've ever signed up for and i really like what i've been reading in this thread. Okay, so for the most part of college career, i didn't know what i wanted to do, but after joining the prepharmacy club this school year, i realized that i want to pursue pharmacy no matter how long it takes. The only thing that is holding me back is my GPA. Its been going up since i started to focus on my classes and it is at a 2.6 right now. I have been volunteering at a local pharmacy for the past school year, i'm involved with the prepharmacy club on campus, joined a mentorship program at one of the local pharmacy schools, and i attend lectures to learn more about the field. Ive also had the same job throughout college where i basically work the max amount of hours alloted to students. In addition, i work as a wildland firefighter over the summers. I really want to apply this summer, but after reading the majority of these responses, i do not think that my GPA is competitive enough. I am a very hard worker and i can get excellent LORs from my employers and the pharmacist i work for recently asked me if i wanted one. My question is: should i apply this summer or just stay an extra year to take the PCAT, retake my prerequisite classes to raise my GPA and then apply next summer. Money is an issue for me and i would rather not spend money to apply if my app. won't be as competitive as most. Although if you think i should go ahead and apply anyway, please let me know as well. Please be honest and Thank you everyone

 

[AniriW]

this is seriously such a great thread, bump 🙂

 

[inquirer89]

Fisherman, if by "apply this summer", do you mean enter pharmacy school by Fall 09? If so, then it may be too late as many of the schools (if not all) are wrapping up deadlines by now. But you can start applying to schools for Fall 10 starting this summer, when PharmCAS- an application tool that most pharmacy schools use- opens up for the new cycle. Then you can apply very early and improve your chances...just like what the original thread post advises.

Try to get a high PCAT to balance out your current GPA. Will you have your Bachelor's? That's a plus, along with your ECs and pharmacy experience. Work hard to keep those grades rising and good luck!

 

[The Fisherman]

Fisherman, if by "apply this summer", do you mean enter pharmacy school by Fall 09? If so, then it may be too late as many of the schools (if not all) are wrapping up deadlines by now. But you can start applying to schools for Fall 10 starting this summer, when PharmCAS- an application tool that most pharmacy schools use- opens up for the new cycle. Then you can apply very early and improve your chances...just like what the original thread post advises.

Try to get a high PCAT to balance out your current GPA. Will you have your Bachelor's? That's a plus, along with your ECs and pharmacy experience. Work hard to keep those grades rising and good luck!

Oops! when i said "apply this summer," i meant for Fall 2010. I will not have my bachelor's until december this year and i won't take the PCAT until october. I know Pharmcas opens up in June, but if i apply early, i won't be able to add all that to Pharmcas until later in the year when they have been completed. Applying early would put my app. at the top of the stack, but will it really be taken seriously considering my low GPA?

 

[lkrsfanforever]

I totally agree with you!!! applying early is the key! the first time i applied to pharmacy school i turned in my apps mid october, i was rejected and put on hold w/o any interviews. when i reapplied the next year i turned in my apps by the end of june, i got interviews right away (november and december). i learned from my mistake and encouraged my sister to do the same, she finished her apps by end of june/beginning of july and got interviews to 5 of 6 schools she applied to...

and our gpa arent high 3.3-3.4ish

best of luck!

 

[Deja]

everything except using ratemyprofessor.com sounds good... everytime i trust that site i get burned, i think ppl who review the professors dont know what the hell they are talking about

 

[inquirer89]

Oops! when i said "apply this summer," i meant for Fall 2010. I will not have my bachelor's until december this year and i won't take the PCAT until october. I know Pharmcas opens up in June, but if i apply early, i won't be able to add all that to Pharmcas until later in the year when they have been completed. Applying early would put my app. at the top of the stack, but will it really be taken seriously considering my low GPA?

They will take you seriously, although they will wait to receive your PCAT score in order to take a more formal look at your file. I applied in early late October, and at that time my GPA was mediocre and my PCAT sucked...but I applied anyway to "beat the crowd". I worked hard to get straight As at the end of my Fall semester and to get a higher PCAT, so by the time Academic Update came around, my stats looked much better. Soon after, I got an interview and got accepted.

You can also email your schools and update your file yourself. I sent emails letting them know of my progress (which the initiative probably impressed them).

 

[medicalCPA]

Bumping, so that those applying this cycle can take advantage of the useful advice in this thread.

 

[tootoo30]

+1

 

[AKN16]

The OP has the magic fingers...he/she wrote the bible of improving one's chances of getting into pharmacy school. Everybody use it- it's got good helpful info!

 

[farheen]

can anyone tell me that is it really important to do a bachelors degree before getting admission in california universities? and is it possible for me to get admission in unis like UCSF without any bachelors? arent the pre-reqs enough?

Real worried 😕
reply as soon as u can

 

[SmKN808]

can anyone tell me that is it really important to do a bachelors degree before getting admission in california universities?

unless you're applying to USC or Northstate... nope! but keep in mind, as schools do get more and more saturated. it's only a matter of time before they start requiring a BA/BS degree, upon matriculation.

and is it possible for me to get admission in unis like UCSF without any bachelors? arent the pre-reqs enough?

yes... http://www.pharmcas.org/collegesschools/directoryalphastate.htm just click on any cali school of choice. scroll down to prereqs and it should tell you just above courses, if a bachelors and or how many hours are required. hope this helped and best of luck!

 

[Phenylethylamin]

IGNORE THIS POST.

This thread poped up in my google search and I replied. Just to realize it's 3 years old. My bad!!

 

[eddie269]

bump. =)

 

[PharmtoCS]

Excellent advice. However, it is largely irrelevant now with the ease of getting into pharmacy schools.

 

[aboveliquidice]

Excellent advice. However, it is largely irrelevant now with the ease of getting into pharmacy schools.

Your crusade against the pharmacy profession is interesting. Misplaced, but interesting.