Need honest advice, did I set my sights too high?

[bmclinn]

First, thanks for viewing. I really do appreciate the awesome feedback that this forum provides since my school does not have a PharmD program my counselors are relatively useless. I need to know my chances for getting into in-state and out-state school from those of you whom have gotten interviews/accepted. I'm looking at Butler, UK, Purdue mainly and a few others. Here are some stats:

3.1 GPA - I did awful my Sophomore year, since then I've gotten 3.5+ every semester since so it will go up
Will have a B.S in Nutrition Science, minors in Chemistry & Biology
Shadowed a retail/compounding pharmacy and a Hospital
60+ hrs volunteer for various organizations
Held positions in my fraternity

If I do well on the PCAT (85+) and personal statement will I be competitive for those schools?

Also, I'm trying to find a tech job. I was actually hired for one a few months ago but the day after I accepted they got a call from an employee transferring to their branch which took priority. Kinda BS but it's understandable.

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[ewax]

I think that if you get a PCAT >80 you should be ok for the schools you're aiming for. Just apply early. Good luck.

 

[Thepharmdgentleman]

With that attitude you'll never get in. You sound whiny. Honestly, you did fine, your GPA is way higher than mine. You did fine enough on the PCAT's.
You have volunteer hours that no one cares about. What matters more is your experience and interview skills. Basically do you sound like a tool or not. And if you do not, you'll have no problems getting accepted.

 

[bmclinn]

Could anyone else shed light on volunteer hours? I've never heard that nobody cares about them and find that VERY hard to believe.

With that attitude you'll never get in. You sound whiny. Honestly, you did fine, your GPA is way higher than mine. You did fine enough on the PCAT's.
You have volunteer hours that no one cares about. What matters more is your experience and interview skills. Basically do you sound like a tool or not. And if you do not, you'll have no problems getting accepted.

Not sure where you got "whiny" from... But then again you said my PCAT score is fine when I said I haven't taken it yet. So maybe reading comprehension is something you should work on.

 

[JQT]

If you score above an 85 on the PCAT, that is great and obviously writing a strong personal statement would help you out. You are coming out with a degree and some volunteer experience which is also some good qualities. You might want to check with the programs to see if they only factor in all the pre-req GPA otherwise your GPA is fine.

I believe most applicants have similar things on their applications so YOU do want to stand out from other applicants. Like, leadership positions, work experience, etc. But anyways just remember this KEY POINT: how your experiences have solidified your decision in pursuing pharmacy.

I am 23 years old without a degree but it's not like I bummed around. I got leadership positions, volunteering with the community, as well as 2 years as a pharmacy technician. I also scored a 57 on my PCAT and my GPA is 3.6 (taking majority of classes from a community college by the way; saving money). I was not confident in myself the last years and I was extremely worried I wasn't "competitive" enough to receive interviews or acceptances but I did. For all the 5 schools I applied to, I received 4 interviews and waiting on the other program to start their admission process. I did two interviews so far, one in December and I got accepted and the other one I did 2 days ago.

There are people on this forum who are arrogant and think they are better than everyone else. Just be confident in yourself and don't let anyone talk down on you.

On my interview day two days ago, this person got a 90% PCAT score and was an undergrad at UT Austin and still was rejected. She had no work experience and little involvement in extracurricular/volunteer activities. So really, it is not all about these high numbers. It's whether you have the whole package, the passion, etc.

So have a strong personal statement and recommendation letters as well! I just wanted to give my 2 cents, GOOD LUCK!

 

[ewax]

I think volunteer hours are more for the applicant than for the school (i'm assuming you're talking about volunteering in a pharmacy and not just volunteering in general). By volunteering, not only do you get a feel for the profession of pharmacy, but you also are able to network with pharmacists and technicians that might be beneficial down the line once you graduate pharmacy school. (Obviously volunteering in a pharmacy will also enhance your application if your GPA/PCAT are not stellar.)

I went to pharmacy school with relatively good stats but absolutely no pharmacy work/volunteering experience and I ended up hating it. I still think that pharmacy is a solid career path but unfortunately my heart just wasn't in it.

You should definitely try to expose yourself to as many pharmacy experiences as you can prior to applying so that you will know for sure whether or not you can envision yourself being a pharmacist in the next 4-5 years. Good luck.

 

[PatrickHClassof2017]

I would recommend doing all you can extra-curricular so that you don't have to rely on getting such a high PCAT score. I got a 91 composite (after many attempts), but that took me a whole summer of studying. I have a lot of experience as a pharmacy technician and volunteer. The personal statement is important, but I don't think it ever was taken into consideration with my application. I think your GPA is good, it's much better than mine was, which is why had to offset it with a great PCAT score.

Honestly, I would consider looking at some less prestigious schools. Still apply to the schools of your choice, but look at some others. And you don't sound "whinny;" I was the same way.

 

[bmclinn]

Thank you for the responses, it looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me before I apply in the Fall!

My volunteer work is mainly non-pharmacy, I just put it on there because I wasn't sure if a school cares or not that their applicants are active in the community. I recently applied for a few CVS tech jobs so hopefully something comes to fruition. If I can't get a tech job how could I increase my chances of volunteering at a hospital? They weren't very receptive last year when I asked about volunteering in their pharmacy department.

 

[ewax]

You could always just shamelessly call every hospital pharmacy in your area and ask to speak to a pharmacist about whether or not the pharmacy is willing to take on volunteers.

Also, how many hours do you have shadowing? If your shadowing hours are significant, you may not even have to bother volunteering in a pharmacy at all.

 

[bmclinn]

You could always just shamelessly call every hospital pharmacy in your area and ask to speak to a pharmacist about whether or not the pharmacy is willing to take on volunteers.

Also, how many hours do you have shadowing? If your shadowing hours are significant, you may not even have to bother volunteering in a pharmacy at all.

I have 10 shadowing hours, all from a local pharmacy. 5hrs in retail, 5hrs in compounding. Plan to have around 30 by the end of the semester via hospitals and chains

 

[Quam]

With that attitude you'll never get in. You sound whiny. Honestly, you did fine, your GPA is way higher than mine. You did fine enough on the PCAT's.
You have volunteer hours that no one cares about. What matters more is your experience and interview skills. Basically do you sound like a tool or not. And if you do not, you'll have no problems getting accepted.

Not sure why you say nobody cares about the volunteer hours.

 

[Amicable Angora]

First, thanks for viewing. I really do appreciate the awesome feedback that this forum provides since my school does not have a PharmD program my counselors are relatively useless. I need to know my chances for getting into in-state and out-state school from those of you whom have gotten interviews/accepted. I'm looking at Butler, UK, Purdue mainly and a few others. Here are some stats:

3.1 GPA - I did awful my Sophomore year, since then I've gotten 3.5+ every semester since so it will go up
Will have a B.S in Nutrition Science, minors in Chemistry & Biology
Shadowed a retail/compounding pharmacy and a Hospital
60+ hrs volunteer for various organizations
Held positions in my fraternity

If I do well on the PCAT (85+) and personal statement will I be competitive for those schools?

Also, I'm trying to find a tech job. I was actually hired for one a few months ago but the day after I accepted they got a call from an employee transferring to their branch which took priority. Kinda BS but it's understandable.

Never play the game where you only apply to a few schools, especially only high tier ones. You could be perfectly qualified (or over qualified) but still get rejected seemingly without reason.