need some advice on pcat score

[LZusman]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I am applying to Long Island University Brooklyn Campus Pharmacy Program. I am currently enrolled in their pre-pharm program, and wanted to know if these scores are good enough to get into the pharmacy program.

VA 379/ 17%
Bio 404/54
RC 389/ 28%
QA 402/ 45%
Chem. 399/ 43%
Composite 395/33%

I also have a overall 3.83 gpa with a 3.75 science gpa and a 3.9 math gpa.

October was my first time taking the PCAT and I did not even study. I'm retaking it in January and know I will do better but I'm just wondering if these scores are good enough for the LIU pharmacy program.

 

[sheerin]

I'm on the same boat. My scores were around your range also, but how do u score around a 400 and receive a 33 at the end. =/ I guess the more numbers you get correct the higher your score

 

[LZusman]

ye i was wondering the same thing. i read online that for LIU you need a 380 overall on the PCAT and a 3.4 GPA so i hope this is good enough or someone who has gotten into LIU pharmacy on the board can clarify this.

 

[sheerin]

ye i was wondering the same thing. i read online that for LIU you need a 380 overall on the PCAT and a 3.4 GPA so i hope this is good enough or someone who has gotten into LIU pharmacy on the board can clarify this.

they look at the percentile. which should be around 80% to be considered competitive.

 

[LZusman]

they look at the percentile. which should be around 80% to be considered competitive.

According to PharmCas, you only need a 380, and it does not mention percentiles.

http://www.pharmcas.org/collegesschools/schoolliupage.htm

 

[Carboxide]

According to PharmCas, you only need a 380, and it does not mention percentiles.

http://www.pharmcas.org/collegesschools/schoolliupage.htm

Well, you're right there. But there's a HUGE difference between "absolute minimum to even consider" and "competitive". Your scores may meet the absolute bare minimum, but they are in no way competitive and will probably not warrant an interview or admission.

 

[LZusman]

I see your point. guess I'm going to study my ass off for the January PCAT.

 

[MrMeowphers]

Never aim for the minimum, it'll usually lead you to failure.

You have to excel so that you stand out of a crowd of competition.

If your school has 500-1000 applicants a year, ask yourself what can you do to stand out amongst the masses?

 

[flipd]

The PCAT is scored oddly, only a few points off and your percentile takes the express lane going south.

I'm a current 4th year Pharmacy student at LIU and I'll let you in on the "REAL" requirements to be accepted into the program.

Don't look at the requirements you see on the LIU website or PharmCAS, they don't mean anything if there are people "better" or "worse" than you. Remember that the pharmacy program is competitive. Acceptance depends on how many competitive applicants there are.

I've had really close encounters with the "higher ups" of the department so I'd know bits and pieces of the story. So first of all, I'm one of the people who got "lucky" because the PCAT scores of my batch didn't count, but we set the standards for the following years. According to the Dean on a recent conversation, a common acceptable PCAT percentile (yeah that's right, percentile) is a 55% and up. Now you may think "hey that's really low" but come on, not everyone can get an easy 80%. For transfer students the requirements would be be MUCH higher. I'd STRONGLY recommend that you do really well on the January exam.

Your GPA is competitive and you're an LIU pre-pharmacy student. You have all the priority in the world to be accepted. 1 out of 3 pre-pharmacy students get into the program. There are 200 seats, 150 reserved for pre-pharmacy students and 50 for transfers. 4000 applicants each year, 300 get interviewed, only 200 are accepted. I say you stand a really good chance of being accepted if you improve on the PCAT. GPA is always priority for the pharmacy department.

I'm not trying to be cocky or anything, in fact I'm probably part of the "lesser" half of the people who got accepted for my batch. For your GPA, they look at your cumulative, science, and math GPA individually. Respectively I had a 3.5, 3.2, 2.6 (had KNIGHT for calculus), and my PCAT percentiles for chemistry, math, and biology were 16, 75, 88 respectively. Now I'm in the program and am doing quite well (haven't had anything below a B so far).

 

[LZusman]

This is the most informative reply i have seen on the site. thank you so much for the info. Sorry that you had to suffer through Dr. KNIGHT lol, i have had alot of freinds who failed him. Well this brings my hopes up a lot. i will improve on the jan PCAT with the Dr. Collins review and raise my chances of getting into pharmacy. thanks =].

 

[flipd]

I may be drifting too far from the topic but I feel like this is something everyone should know.

Don't put all of your attention on the PCAT. As I've said before, GPA is always the department's main focus. Your priority rests in maintaining your GPA. I thought the road was going to be really smooth after my first semester in LIU as a pre-pharm, then I met all of these professors (Danziger, Knight, Shedrinsky just to name a few) who caused my GPA to drop significantly. Don't make the same mistake, watch your professors carefully.

If you maintain your grades, you'll get a letter or an email telling you that you need to schedule an interview. Good. Go through with that and you'll receive another letter towards the end of the spring semester. It can be one of the following: Conditional acceptance, wait list, rejection.

Conditional acceptance: You're currently holding one of the 150 seats reserved for prepharms. You must maintain a competitive GPA or you WILL lose your seat.

Wait list: You're qualified to hold a seat in the program but there weren't enough seats. You're still in competition, but slightly worse off than those conditionally accepted. Exceed someone who's been conditionally accepted on the spring semester of your second year and you get their seat.

Rejection: You need to appeal your status to the department if you feel like you deserve a seat. Otherwise, try applying again next year.

---

Don't scare yourself with rumors regarding the department. Odds are none of them are true. Also watch out for those who want to sabotage you. Yes, they DO exist, and the way they do it can be seen in many forms.

It takes a lot of hard work and LUCK to get accepted. Pharmacy isn't an easy thing; get ready to experience diaphoresis without a myocardial infarction once you're in, but it's all worth it.

Here's one last bit of advice: Have a contingency plan JUST IN CASE. You don't want to be in limbo.