Pcat Terrible Score

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pharm41

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Hello everyone, I recently found out about this forum and I am loving it. I failed PCAT twice and I don't wanna take it again. My GPA is around 3.1 and I have a bachelor degree in MIS, I am a certified tech but I am not working as a tech but I have started volunteering at small private pharmacy, and right now I am suppose to be there but after I found out about my PCAT score I startd thinking may be pharmacy is not for me and I decided to come home after work instead of going to the pharmacy. Should I give up or keep on trying? What is my chance to get into pharmacy school without passing PCAT?

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pharm41 said:
Hello everyone, I recently found out about this forum and I am loving it. I failed PCAT twice and I don't wanna take it again. My GPA is around 3.1 and I have a bachelor degree in MIS, I am a certified tech but I am not working as a tech but I have started volunteering at small private pharmacy, and right now I am suppose to be there but after I found out about my PCAT score I startd thinking may be pharmacy is not for me and I decided to come home after work instead of going to the pharmacy. Should I give up or keep on trying? What is my chance to get into pharmacy school without passing PCAT?
what was your PCAT COMPOSITE
 
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There are some schools that don't look at PCAT scores (in California, I think), but you have to decide if this is really what you want. If it is, find a way to study and do well (90+) on the PCAT.
 
You would have to raise your PCAT unless you apply to schools without a PCAT requirement. But with a 3.1 GPA, that is not that great either, as I've heard non-PCAT schools are even more competitive.

Your best bet (since raising a 3.1 GPA is too difficult with so many classes under your belt) is to raise your PCAT score. Honestly, in order to raise a 19 composite score, you would need tutoring and/or enroll in prep classes.

Note: Some students on here may have obtained a 70 something percentile their first time, and the second time they obtain scores in the 90s. By doing so, they only had to get a couple of more problems right for each section. But if you are the low end of the percentile, there is so much more you have to do just to get to an average score.

If you are set on going to a particular school, just bug them, go speak to them personally, show them that you really want it. They may tell you the same thing everytime, but they might reward your persistence, as you never know. But you would have to be persistent about it by showing them how much you want to get into school.
 
TennisBoy78 said:
You would have to raise your PCAT unless you apply to schools without a PCAT requirement. But with a 3.1 GPA, that is not that great either, as I've heard non-PCAT schools are even more competitive.

Your best bet (since raising a 3.1 GPA is too difficult with so many classes under your belt) is to raise your PCAT score. Honestly, in order to raise a 19 composite score, you would need tutoring and/or enroll in prep classes.

Note: Some students on here may have obtained a 70 something percentile their first time, and the second time they obtain scores in the 90s. By doing so, they only had to get a couple of more problems right for each section. But if you are the low end of the percentile, there is so much more you have to do just to get to an average score.

If you are set on going to a particular school, just bug them, go speak to them personally, show them that you really want it. They may tell you the same thing everytime, but they might reward your persistence, as you never know. But you would have to be persistent about it by showing them how much you want to get into school.

What kind of refreshing course you would suggest? First time I didn't study at all, I was in the process of moving and so many things but since once I paid for it my friends pushed me to take it and see how the test is like. For the second time I studied kaplan and PCAT professor biology, chemistry and math. I didn't do the reading and verbal part and english is my second language. I work full time (sometimes my job requires me to work 60hrs) and taking my prerequisties at the same time. I really want make it but I don't know how.
 
Not trying to judge, but it seems to me as though you have a lot of commitments besides pharmacy. I applaud your efforts but the fact of the matter remains that the GPA/PCAT combination makes or breaks most if not all students (unless daddy is a benefactor). Simply put, I feel that you have to choose what is most important to you and give it your fullest effort. If you can't scale back your workload though, it will not be easy.
 
TennisBoy78 said:
Not trying to judge, but it seems to me as though you have a lot of commitments besides pharmacy. I applaud your efforts but the fact of the matter remains that the GPA/PCAT combination makes or breaks most if not all students (unless daddy is a benefactor). Simply put, I feel that you have to choose what is most important to you and give it your fullest effort. If you can't scale back your workload though, it will not be easy.

I agree with Tennisboy.Most of us are in your shoes.If it is pharmacy you want let the other things go.I have had the same situation.I decided to concentrate on the pharmacy more since if I do not want to keep trying and not getting in.So if you want to take it again in october give it your 100 pct.I almost made a 70 composite which might still get me in.But the applicant pool is averaging mid 80's so I have decided to let other things go and focus on getting in the 90's to secure a spot.I know life must go on but you have to let some repon... rest.We can do this.
 
If you are looking for a course, try [email protected]. They have a distance class. Whatever you do, you have to put a ton of time into it. If you are having trouble with reading comp, try getting a PSAT or SAT book to practice with and move your way up to more difficult PCAT type passages. You can also use the techniques from the SAT books (prior to 2005) to help with the verbal section. I reccommend a Princeton Review old SAT book. Good luck :luck: .
 
you had so much going in your life compared to myself but I got lower composite....

I took the pcat twice and failed miserably...=(. .The first time I didn't study much because didn't have the money to buy study materials and didn't know what to expect. The second time I studied for 2 months from kaplan, dr collins, human anatomy and physiology, general chem, and pearson test 2 and 3. I failed again (Composite 16%- so disappointed and embarrassed)!!! What is wrong with me??? What can i do??? Should I just let it go? Please help....
 
To Lynhchar and op,
Dont lose hope. Getting 80% composite is within your reach. It is really not that hard. I think the important thing is to let us know how you prepared for the test? What was your practice score? How much did you really study for it? Be Honest, you got nothing to lose. We just want to help.
 
:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Nothing to be embarrassed about! Some of the smartest people I know are terrible test takers and visa versa. I've taken now 3 different standardized tests (Series 7, PCAT, Pharm Tech) and oftentimes its deducting what the answer couldn't be to bring you closer to the true answer.

I winged my first PCAT and scored relatively OK (emphasis on relatively), but I know exactly how to study next round.

Took me 4 years of college before I realized how I study the best. You have only yourself to compare yourself to, stop putting all that pressure on yourself.
 
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