low GPA

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sjk6483

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anyone got accepted with very low GPA please let me know soem examples. I submitted an application with very low GPA and want to get some hope waiting for the result...😕
 
My GPA is lower than I would like it to be, but I have gotten five interview invitations and an acceptance already. Check my pharmapps.
 
My GPA is lower than I would like it to be, but I have gotten five interview invitations and an acceptance already. Check my pharmapps.

you are a minority so your gpa wont matter much. if a Caucasian girl has similar stats to you she will have harder time getting interviews.
 
you are a minority so your gpa wont matter much. if a Caucasian girl has similar stats to you she will have harder time getting interviews.

I am having a hard time understanding your statement. Please elaborate on that. I am a black pre-pharmacy student, so I would like you to break it down to me. I have a really high GPA and did 7+ years as a pharmacy technician in the military. Are you saying that just because I am a minority, I will have a better chance getting in?
 
I am having a hard time understanding your statement. Please elaborate on that. I am a black pre-pharmacy student, so I would like you to break it down to me. I have a really high GPA and did 7+ years as a pharmacy technician in the military. Are you saying that just because I am a minority, I will have a better chance getting in?

absolutely. Most pharmacy schools prefer diversity. quite frankly, the schools that accept many minorities has very low scores on pharmacy's licensure exams. My conclusion is based on howard's recent MPJE scores.

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absolutely. Most pharmacy schools prefer diversity. quite frankly, the schools that accept many minorities has very low scores on pharmacy's licensure exams. My conclusion is based on howard's recent MPJE scores.

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so you're saying race plays a factor in getting into a school (it helps you) AND plays a factor in state license pass rates (odds are you'll do worse)?😕
 
anyone got accepted with very low GPA please let me know soem examples. I submitted an application with very low GPA and want to get some hope waiting for the result...😕

low is relative. i consider mine low but also got 5 invites and 1 acceptance so far. so how low is a Low GPA? you can just give me a cut off point or ball park.
 
I consider mine low too, but I'm not making excuses for myself and am quite happy with how this process has gone so far...
 
so you're saying race plays a factor in getting into a school (it helps you) AND plays a factor in state license pass rates (odds are you'll do worse)?😕

take at look at moni's science gpa. is it really 2.8? and moni attened only a community college, and received five interview invites. these pharmacy schools are taking a big risk when they accept students like these, so it is up to them who to accept.
 
Minority status definitely helps. Historically, minorities perform lower on standardized tests. There are language and cultural factors that contribute to this (among other things). IMO, I think it means many of us minorities have to work harder in our professional programs to prove ourselves- to prove that we got into and succeeded in our programs because of our merit rather than our ethnicity. Ironic, isn't it?
 
Minority status definitely helps. Historically, minorities perform lower on standardized tests. There are language and cultural factors that contribute to this (among other things). IMO, I think it means many of us minorities have to work harder in our professional programs to prove ourselves- to prove that we got into and succeeded in our programs because of our merit rather than our ethnicity. Ironic, isn't it?

Too touchy-feely for me.

Point is, you got a Pharm.D and I got a Pharm.D. All this talk of merit this-or-that doesn't matter.

Particularly if you're a good colleague...
 
Too touchy-feely for me.

Point is, you got a Pharm.D and I got a Pharm.D. All this talk of merit this-or-that doesn't matter.

Particularly if you're a good colleague...

I am glad you think that way, but in my experience, many people have looked at a minority and thought that they must have got an easier ride into a program, internship, or had some other opportunity because of their minority status. It is no secret that minorities have an easier time getting scholarships and have programs specifically designed to help them succeed and get an education. IMO, I think whites are now being discriminated against in this fashion. So, it means we MIGHT have to work that much harder to show that we didn't have some advantage getting in because we are minorities- if not to prove that to other people, but to prove it to ourselves. If I got into a program easier than someone else because I am latina, it diminishes everything I have worked hard for. It may be too touchy feely for you and, yes, we will have the same degree, but I am not sure that everyone is going to see everyone as equals as you do.
 
I am glad you think that way, but in my experience, many people have looked at a minority and thought that they must have got an easier ride into a program, internship, or had some other opportunity because of their minority status. It is no secret that minorities have an easier time getting scholarships and have programs specifically designed to help them succeed and get an education. IMO, I think whites are now being discriminated against in this fashion. So, it means we MIGHT have to work that much harder to show that we didn't have some advantage getting in because we are minorities- if not to prove that to other people, but to prove it to ourselves. If I got into a program easier than someone else because I am latina, it diminishes everything I have worked hard for. It may be too touchy feely for you and, yes, we will have the same degree, but I am not sure that everyone is going to see everyone as equals as you do.

It seems that people tend to remember the minorities a bit more since they stand out a bit if the class is over 90% white.
 
Low gpa means get a high score on PCAT acceptance is like a scale as long as both sides remained balance acceptance is granted.
 
I am having a hard time understanding your statement. Please elaborate on that. I am a black pre-pharmacy student, so I would like you to break it down to me. I have a really high GPA and did 7+ years as a pharmacy technician in the military. Are you saying that just because I am a minority, I will have a better chance getting in?

Probably, yes.

I know other things equal we have to hire minorities or procure from minority vendors.
 
take at look at moni's science gpa. is it really 2.8? and moni attened only a community college, and received five interview invites. these pharmacy schools are taking a big risk when they accept students like these, so it is up to them who to accept.

it still sounds like you're jumping the gun with your connection of lower statistics to ethnicity. that person could have overcome hardships and obstacles that any other nonminority could have faced that made them a stronger candidate to receive those invites/acceptance.
 
fyi, someone was accepted to the UCSF School of Pharmacy with ~2.9 GPA last year. It takes more than just GPA to determine the worth of a candidate.
 
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the GPA is only one factor. as long as you meet the minimum GPA/PCAT score, then you have a shot. Yes, you will have a better chance if your GPA is high, but there are other factors. Just have a great personal statement, Letters of Recommendation, work experience, and good overall coursework. the low GPA might be something they might ask, but they factor everything you do. work experience also, so don't fret, just make sure to have the minimum requirements and let everything else shine.
 
Like everyone said above, you will need to just make the GPA cutoff and make yourself a competitive applicant through other criteria: PCAT, work experience, etc.

Also, joining a professional pharmacy organization shows that you are serious about the pharmacy profession (APha, etc.)
 
Yeah, I talked to my mom today (who is a CRNA and has gone through this stuff) and she said the exact same thing. Me being a minority, I have a better chance of getting accepted because
1) the school is trying to be diverse
2) they receive funding and grants for minorities coming into their programs

It is weird how things work, but at least I have an idea.
 

Of course you are. You had a crap GPA and got accepted to a pharmacy school. Ethnicity does play a part in admissions. My own personal experience has been that minorities get accepted with lower stats. Just the way it is. Not saying that minorities stats are lower because of their race, etc... in fact all the people in my class are mostly very intelligent people and deserve to be there - I'm just saying that a hispanic with a 2.8 will get in over a caucasian/non-hispanic with a 3.2.
 
Even though it seems unfair, I think it is important to have more minorities in healthcare. People from different cultures don't necessarily trust someone who is different from them. The reasons for this vary and are probably very complex, but the fact remains that it is important to get enough minorities in the health professions so that one day, nobody is "underrepresented". Then we won't have to deal with these inequities any longer and people who work the hardest get to the top.
 
Even though it seems unfair, I think it is important to have more minorities in healthcare. People from different cultures don't necessarily trust someone who is different from them. The reasons for this vary and are probably very complex, but the fact remains that it is important to get enough minorities in the health professions so that one day, nobody is "underrepresented". Then we won't have to deal with these inequities any longer and people who work the hardest get to the top.


I am not complaining, because I am one of those minorities who will be representing about 9% of the entire pharmacist population (me being african american). I agree with you 110%
 
I am glad you think that way, but in my experience, many people have looked at a minority and thought that they must have got an easier ride into a program, internship, or had some other opportunity because of their minority status. It is no secret that minorities have an easier time getting scholarships and have programs specifically designed to help them succeed and get an education. IMO, I think whites are now being discriminated against in this fashion. So, it means we MIGHT have to work that much harder to show that we didn't have some advantage getting in because we are minorities- if not to prove that to other people, but to prove it to ourselves. If I got into a program easier than someone else because I am latina, it diminishes everything I have worked hard for. It may be too touchy feely for you and, yes, we will have the same degree, but I am not sure that everyone is going to see everyone as equals as you do.
Totally.. whites are being the minority here in AZ... you know that. Especially in the inner city. I think people notice and make mention of minorities having it easier b/c we all want to make excuses why Juan Carlos and Laquisha have it easier than us, however I know some minorities who don't let their race/color play any role in how they perform in school. We as people don't want to admit that perhaps someone of a, b, or c ethnicity is better than us ... pride issues.

I think if everyone worked as hard as they could and race wasn't even a determining factor things would be much, much easier and unbiased.

I recommend everyone taking an intercultural communications class at one point in your life... It's really an amazing learning experience.
 
Even though it seems unfair, I think it is important to have more minorities in healthcare. People from different cultures don't necessarily trust someone who is different from them. The reasons for this vary and are probably very complex, but the fact remains that it is important to get enough minorities in the health professions so that one day, nobody is "underrepresented". Then we won't have to deal with these inequities any longer and people who work the hardest get to the top.

Precisely why I want to add Korean, Chinese and a Slavik tongue to my 4 language repertoire before I start work as an RPh in a hospital setting, especially if I'm working in ambulatory care and not tucked away on staff pharmacy duty. My Spanish and Farsi already put me into a position to assist so many more patients than the Pharmacists who require the services of interpreters a lot of the time. This problem presents itself in HTN/Coumadin clinic often, when I tag along and translate if necessary.

Language barriers often widen to be barriers of all kinds.
 
Totally.. whites are being the minority here in AZ... you know that. Especially in the inner city. I think people notice and make mention of minorities having it easier b/c we all want to make excuses why Juan Carlos and Laquisha have it easier than us, however I know some minorities who don't let their race/color play any role in how they perform in school. We as people don't want to admit that perhaps someone of a, b, or c ethnicity is better than us ... pride issues.

I think if everyone worked as hard as they could and race wasn't even a determining factor things would be much, much easier and unbiased.

I recommend everyone taking an intercultural communications class at one point in your life... It's really an amazing learning experience.

One of my professors stopped practicing dentistry because he is African American. The majority of his patients were African Americans on HMO so he didn't make profits. It would be scary if you become a pharmacist and people stop coming to you because of the way you talk and the color of your skin.
 
I remember looking through all the scholarships and wishing I was some minority! Damned my caucasionness.
 
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/berkeley-high-may-cut-out-science-labs/Content?oid=1536705

The proposal to put the science-lab cuts on the table was approved recently by Berkeley High's School Governance Council, a body of teachers, parents, and students who oversee a plan to change the structure of the high school to address Berkeley's dismal racial achievement gap, where white students are doing far better than the state average while black and Latino students are doing worse.

Paul Gibson, an alternate parent representative on the School Governance Council, said that information presented at council meetings suggests that the science labs were largely classes for white students. He said the decision to consider cutting the labs in order to redirect resources to underperforming students was virtually unanimous.


....👎 Dropping AP science classes .....
 

Cutting AP classes to close the racial gap? I've seen smart people from all races do well out in the world. If some kids of a certain race happen to be lazy or falling behind or not motivated or stuck with bad teachers, the schools shouldn't look at it in terms of race and say that many students of that race are doing poorly, but only say that some students are doing poorly because they are a little behind, a bit lazy, or not motivated very well.

If the schools start dumbing down their curriculum just to close the racial gap, most of the graduates might not be prepared well enough for college. If they are, they would struggle more than the graduates in the past.
 
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It's one discussion if a school's reasoning is that they want to increase diversity regardless of the percentages of qualified ethic groups that apply versus the percentage of each that are accepted, but it's another thing if they're more lenient on minorities because they feel each one is at some kind of a disadvantage based on race alone. Not all minorities are at a disadvantage, and not all whites are socially or economically better off... as I'm sure everyone here knows.

I'm hesitant to even list my ethnicity because I want to be accepted based off of merit alone (although it is hard to hide my last name and my mother's maiden name (which she uses) because she is listed as my emergency contact). I don't know how I would feel if I had a very low GPA, low PCAT, or no degree... I know that I am not severely disadvantaged, so if I was given an acceptance to many schools with much lower than average stats I think I would honestly question my ability to perform.
 
Two words: Affirmative action.

uh NO. affirmative action is illegal (at least in some states) and not used. hence, your ethnicity does not make a quantifiable influence on your acceptance. therefore, those complaining that minorities have it easier...please find reality.

it's all luck of the draw. there's always a counter example to any applicant's stats(strong or weak)/ethnicity(minority or not) and his/her getting accepted or rejected.
 
One of my professors stopped practicing dentistry because he is African American. The majority of his patients were African Americans on HMO so he didn't make profits. It would be scary if you become a pharmacist and people stop coming to you because of the way you talk and the color of your skin.
I've heard similar stories like this. That poor dentist though. HMO payments and any type of "free" insurance are a b to get payment to. I couldn't imagine putting myself in 200k + in debt just to close shop..... The indie pharmacy I shadowed didn't accept any insurance, it was all credit card, cash business. I thought that was the greatest thing ever since sliced bread, because things were run so smoothly and rarely ever were they on the phone, everyone was working at a productive pace and actually getting a ton done versus having to hose up their systems b/c a payment or whatever wasn't going through.

I remember looking through all the scholarships and wishing I was some minority! Damned my caucasionness.
Yeah, seriously. When I get out of school I would love to fund a decent scholarship for white females.... there sadly aren't many out there.
 
uh NO. affirmative action is illegal (at least in some states) and not used. hence, your ethnicity does not make a quantifiable influence on your acceptance. therefore, those complaining that minorities have it easier...please find reality.

it's all luck of the draw. there's always a counter example to any applicant's stats(strong or weak)/ethnicity(minority or not) and his/her getting accepted or rejected.


Which is why certain UC's have almost no minorities (e.g. UCLA and the african american acceptance rate was about 2%, ~250 out of 12,189 entering students). I don't think they even consider minority status for admissions. California's Proposition 209 banned preferential treatement of race, sex, or ethnicity for admissions consideration back in the mid-to-late 90's. I believe Michigan is another state that banned affirmative action(?). Maybe its an issue in Arizona ... nicolesm and rxlea are from the AZ area.
 
In regards to Latinos, it is mostly a language barrier and socioeconomic issue, especially if they are first generation US born. Research has indicated that school performance is positively correlated with level of acculturation and parent involvement in school activities/homework etc. If the parents cannot speak English, how will they be involved in their child's education. Of course, this responsibility falls on the qualified teacher. Yet, what does a teacher do with half a class that is English only and half a class that is predominately Spanish speaking? Some schools have decided to pull Spanish speaking kids out into a special class (which costs money) and can be viewed as some form of "special" treatment. There are numerous programs and scholarships for those students in this state that claim to help students succeed in education. Yet, some kids graduate high school barely able to write in English. And those kids are the ones getting full rides to state schools!
 
In regards to Latinos, it is mostly a language barrier and socioeconomic issue, especially if they are first generation US born. Research has indicated that school performance is positively correlated with level of acculturation and parent involvement in school activities/homework etc. If the parents cannot speak English, how will they be involved in their child's education. Of course, this responsibility falls on the qualified teacher. Yet, what does a teacher do with half a class that is English only and half a class that is predominately Spanish speaking? Some schools have decided to pull Spanish speaking kids out into a special class (which costs money) and can be viewed as some form of "special" treatment. There are numerous programs and scholarships for those students in this state that claim to help students succeed in education. Yet, some kids graduate high school barely able to write in English. And those kids are the ones getting full rides to state schools!


I guess it all comes down to the big ol mighty dollar. My parents didn't really speak english to me (and still don't) and the first language I learned wasn't english. Fortunately, my parents had the $ for some nice private pre-preschools and preschools to learn english along with a superficial smatter of other languages. I'm not an URM so I didn't/don't have the same perspective that under represented minorities come from in terms of culture, background, education, socioeconomic status, etc.

The whole minority/education problem also has a little to do with socio-cultural stereotypes of certain ethnicities. Just take a look at at pop culture and modern media ... its unbelievable how much garbage is on tv nowadays (and kids that believe thats how they should act/grow up as). It a lack of proper role models in certain fields. A lot of the scholarships and programs in place are structured to develop future leaders and role models for the next generation of URM.


side note: No one complains how asians are an URM in the NBA (lol :laugh:) because frankly speaking, I'm fairly certain most asians aren't physically suitable nor competitive at the NBA level.
 
I think appearances also has a lot to do with it. A beautiful person will have more doors open for them. Supposedly, stats say judges are more lenient to good looking people so I imagine adcoms are like that too. They're looking for model candidates, so if Mr. or Mrs. Tubby, who are so wide they have half their buttocks hang out when they sit in a chair, adcoms might wonder if they can best represent the healthcare community. I have heard patients are also more likely to follow the advice of doctors who also look healthy and good.
 
I think appearances also has a lot to do with it. A beautiful person will have more doors open for them. Supposedly, stats say judges are more lenient to good looking people so I imagine adcoms are like that too. They're looking for model candidates, so if Mr. or Mrs. Tubby, who are so wide they have half their buttocks hang out when they sit in a chair, adcoms might wonder if they can best represent the healthcare community. I have heard patients are also more likely to follow the advice of doctors who also look healthy and good.

It seems we have hijacked this thread, but you make an excellent point about appearance. I think it might be something more subconscious. We are also more likely to bond with someone of our own ethnicity/culture or someone who has the same mannerisms.
 
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