PharmCAS

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I left it blank. I used to be an engineer and have some certificate courses that relate to engineering, but since they are not related to pharmacy, I felt like it was fluff. If your certification is state/nationally backed and you have to pay an annual fees (or any frequency) to maintain that certification than I see no reason not to include it. The decision is yours. Just ask yourself if by including this certification, will it make you stand out as an applicant or make you seem more prepared for pharmacy school?
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PharmCAS has finally calculated my GPA. I e-submitted on 10/19/07 and yesterday (11/6/07) I received an email that my GPA was calculated and my application will be sent off to my designated pharmacy schools with the next weekly mailings. Just wanted to give an update to anyone who was still waiting for PharmCAS.

Question though, I see that PharmCAS did not include the grades (into my GPA) I received from the classes I took over the summer. I did send them the official transcript and on PharmCAS it shows that they received it on 9/11/07. I wonder maybe is it because my summer classes are still under the "In progress/planned" section of the the application....hmmm. I was wondering if anyone had this occur to them or I misread the policies or something. I think it's time to call good ole PharmCAS just to make sure.

Anyhoo, good luck everyone!!!:)
 
It took PharmCAS 20 days to send out my application.
 
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I couldn't find this question in the sticky or on the web for that matter:

"Why does Pharmcas average your grades together instead of grade replacement", this seems detrimental to someone who had a bad track record a couple of years ago and has now 'cleaned up' their act so to speak and is currently upping their GPA.

I know some Universities have this practice but if my GPA goes to my pharmacy schools as a 2.2 and I actually have a 3.9 what am I to do? Is there a place on the Pharmcas app. to explain situations like this? OR are they just Nazi's?

My situation is odd enough as is: I have time spent at One Comm. college and then I am spending time at another Comm. College (they removed my prior grades) *time spent at the 2nd college is because of lack of O.CHM at my first*, and then possibly time spent at a University to finish my B.S. (if I do not gain entry to Rx School after my Assoc.)

How is that going to look...? It would be great to have a cookie cutter admission to Pharmacy School but like most of you I have to Work, deal with family, have a life, and still put 110% into school. We are superpeople ladies and gents!, Congratuations! -oh and to those who did have the 'cookie cutter education/lifestyle' good for you 2!
 
Q: What type of courses ARE NOT included in my GPAs?
A: The following types of course types are not counted in the PharmCAS GPA calculations.

  • Withdrawn courses
  • Incomplete courses
  • Audited courses
  • Pass/Fail courses
  • Non-graded transcripts
  • Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and CLEP courses
  • Planned courses
  • In-progress courses
  • Courses from foreign institutions, not including study abroad
  • Deferred courses
 
L2pG4AllEtrnty said:
I couldn't find this question in the sticky or on the web for that matter:

"Why does Pharmcas average your grades together instead of grade replacement", this seems detrimental to someone who had a bad track record a couple of years ago and has now 'cleaned up' their act so to speak and is currently upping their GPA.

I know some Universities have this practice but if my GPA goes to my pharmacy schools as a 2.2 and I actually have a 3.9 what am I to do? Is there a place on the Pharmcas app. to explain situations like this? OR are they just Nazi's?

My situation is odd enough as is: I have time spent at One Comm. college and then I am spending time at another Comm. College (they removed my prior grades) *time spent at the 2nd college is because of lack of O.CHM at my first*, and then possibly time spent at a University to finish my B.S. (if I do not gain entry to Rx School after my Assoc.)

How is that going to look...? It would be great to have a cookie cutter admission to Pharmacy School but like most of you I have to Work, deal with family, have a life, and still put 110% into school. We are superpeople ladies and gents!, Congratuations! -oh and to those who did have the 'cookie cutter education/lifestyle' good for you 2!
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If you have a 2.2, you have a 2.2, not a 3.9. You got a 3.9 by selectively omitting grades. All pharmacy schools SHOULD receive ALL information and will make an educated decision from that...so long as the system is applied to everyone, it is fair. Also, if the grade matrix you receive from pharmcas is also available to schools, then they will receive about 20 different GPA's to glance at (by subject, by year, etc...)

Also, being busy with work/having a life, etc... is no excuse for bad grades. People who work, have a life, are busy also get decent grades...so try explaining that one to an adcom.

Anyway, apply to schools that institute some form of academic forgiveness (USN comes to mind). You will still have to list your failed classes to my knowledge, but your perceived GPA will look higher.
 
Sorry, I'm just hella antsy, and I know it takes "up to 5 weeks" ....anyone else waiting for pharmcas to calculate gpa and send app?

I sent mine October 27th.

When and how long did it take people to get their crap figured out by pharmcas?
 
Took them exactly 21 days to send out my application after I submitted.
 
teclhie said:
Sorry, I'm just hella antsy, and I know it takes "up to 5 weeks" ....anyone else waiting for pharmcas to calculate gpa and send app?

I sent mine October 27th.

When and how long did it take people to get their crap figured out by pharmcas?
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GPA usually gets calculated quite quick... then you have to wait like 2-3 weeks before PharmCas sends things out... so maybe about 3-4 weeks before your schools' receive everything... but you never know... maybe they'll do it a lot quick but I doubt that because everyone is now trying to send in everything so it's going to cause congestion... Good luck with your applications!!
 
I think its completely fair to average grades! Otherwise everyone could just keep retaking classes and get a 4.0. You can always discuss your low grades in your personal statement. A lot of schools also have a place to tell them anything you want to add, or they might ask you in an interview. If you can show the adcom you have a pretty good trend of decent grades going on now, you should be fine even if you GPA is decreased by PharmCAS.
 
FaBpHaRm2Be said:
PharmCAS has finally calculated my GPA. I e-submitted on 10/19/07 and yesterday (11/6/07) I received an email that my GPA was calculated and my application will be sent off to my designated pharmacy schools with the next weekly mailings. Just wanted to give an update to anyone who was still waiting for PharmCAS.

Question though, I see that PharmCAS did not include the grades (into my GPA) I received from the classes I took over the summer. I did send them the official transcript and on PharmCAS it shows that they received it on 9/11/07. I wonder maybe is it because my summer classes are still under the "In progress/planned" section of the the application....hmmm. I was wondering if anyone had this occur to them or I misread the policies or something. I think it's time to call good ole PharmCAS just to make sure.

Anyhoo, good luck everyone!!!:)
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I took 3 classes over the summer, and grades were reported for 2 of them. I emailed Pharmcas to find out what the problem was, and they said that the grade for that class didn't show up on my transcript, so at the academic update period, I can try to get that grade posted again. That was crazy to me... How can a grade not show up on the official transcript but when I log in to check grades, it's there? :confused:
 
confettiflyer said:
If you have a 2.2, you have a 2.2, not a 3.9. You got a 3.9 by selectively omitting grades. All pharmacy schools SHOULD receive ALL information and will make an educated decision from that...so long as the system is applied to everyone, it is fair. Also, if the grade matrix you receive from pharmcas is also available to schools, then they will receive about 20 different GPA's to glance at (by subject, by year, etc...)

Also, being busy with work/having a life, etc... is no excuse for bad grades. People who work, have a life, are busy also get decent grades...so try explaining that one to an adcom.

Anyway, apply to schools that institute some form of academic forgiveness (USN comes to mind). You will still have to list your failed classes to my knowledge, but your perceived GPA will look higher.
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The 2.2 is an exaggerated GPA in order to get a answer the actual GPA is more like 3.4 or 3.5 but that is still no where near a 3.9. I'm trying to understand what you mean by selectively omitting? Meaning that when I retake a class and I do not count the previous course that I am selectively omitting the previous grade and going with the current one and not the average?

Thanks for the suggestions, I love this place.

oh and the work was around 80hrs a wk and 16 credits for a year and it sucked. School is always a priority over work unless you need food on the table.
 
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L2pG4AllEtrnty said:
oh and the work was around 80hrs a wk and 16 credits for a year and it sucked. School is always a priority over work unless you need food on the table.
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You're not the first, and you won't be the last to have this kind of situation. Some of the people applying for school will have backgrounds that were easier than yours, and some will have it harder. Schools average grades to get a better overall picture of you, not just a snapshot of the most recent year. It's all a part of you.

When you average your grades, you need to count ALL grades, even the bad grades in the classes that you retook. That means you need to average the F in with the A.
 
Transcripts received 8/17
Application submitted 10/21
GPA calculated 11/6

So, about two weeks if they already have your transcripts in?
 
L2pG4AllEtrnty said:
oh and the work was around 80hrs a wk and 16 credits for a year and it sucked. School is always a priority over work unless you need food on the table.
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oh i was just being hard on you haha. the above is a good reason, state this in your essay...BUT, USN doesn't really have an essay portion like that (i think). And 3.3-3.4 will get you in somewhere so long as the rest of your app. is good.
 
I submitted mine Nov. 1! It's going to be a long wait.
 
Thanks for your replies to my question eveyone. I did end up calling PharmCAS just to confirm and the rep told me that the update window date (Dec. 14th) is when I will be able to add my summer class grades along with this fall's grades and they will then recalculate my GPA. Thanks again. :)
 
CaliCPhT said:
I took 3 classes over the summer, and grades were reported for 2 of them. I emailed Pharmcas to find out what the problem was, and they said that the grade for that class didn't show up on my transcript, so at the academic update period, I can try to get that grade posted again. That was crazy to me... How can a grade not show up on the official transcript but when I log in to check grades, it's there? :confused:
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I wonder why they updated your summer classes but not mine, and only two out of three of yours at that...hmmm, strange. Well they basically told me the same thing too, so we'll see in December if everything will get straightened out, which it better, lol!! Good luck on the whole application process!!
 
I took the test in August, submitted my application in mid-October.

In the Status column on the right (when you first log in into your application), nothing is shown under "Official Tests". In my application, I noted that I took the test in August. Also, PharmCAS was one of the three recipients I chose when I took the test. Do I have to resend? Has it not been sent because I submitted the application AFTER I took my PCAT? If anyone has experience with this, please chime in!
 
call pharmcas. if they dont have it on file, then you will have to resend it to them. i think it will cost your around 20 bucks or so.
 
So strange...I was just about to call/resend, but I decided to check PharmCAS one last time...guess what showed up :laugh::D
 
Hi , i did a clep test for calculus(for those who don't know what it is,it's a test if you pass it you don't have to take the class) but the thing is i forgot to mention it in the Pharmcas application and i don't think i can edit my information because i already sumbitted it a while ago, so do you know if there is a time where pharmcas allows us to edit our information because i heard that in the end of Decemeber we can edit, but i am not sure since the deadline for my university is december 3 :( so any suggestions?
thank you in advance
 
Contact Pharmcas to let them know you are going to submit the clep transcript. Pharmcas will then send out a revised application (with you update clep score) to your schools, do this soon since your deadline is approaching.
 
Hi,

This should be a quick question to answer for those of you who have already gone through this. I e-submitted to PharmCAS Oct. 31. Will PharmCAS let me know by e-mail when my gpa is calculated and when they finally send out my info. to schools? I've been checking PharmCAS periodically for any updates but am I wasting my time as they will e-mail if anything is updated? They have received all my transcripts and PCAT score already.

Also, any idea as to how long this normally takes? Did it really take 5 weeks for people submitting Nov. 1 and thereabouts?

Thanks for your help!
 
for my application they took about 3 weeks before everything was calculated and sent out...
 
Yep, they send you an email when everything is done.
 
A couple of questions:

[1] Do I need to have my eLORs into PharmCAS for my GPA to be processed because I have all transcripts in, paid my fee, and e-submitted?

[2] Do I need to have my eLORs sent to PharmCAS before they mail my application out to my school?

[3] How long does it typically take this time of year from the time my application is e-submitted to time my application is sent out to the pharmacy school?
 
Interesting screen name...

Do no wait for Pharmcas to receive your LOR's. If you have everything else complete, then go ahead and e-submit so that you can have your application placed into the queue for GPA verification. This can take a few weeks. Then, after your GPA is verified, it can take another week or two before the application is mailed. IF PharmCAS has all of the LORs when they are ready to submit, then everything will be sent together. If not, then they will forward them upon receipt.

I recommend: submit to PharmCAS now (or when you're ready), then follow up with the people writing your letters of recommendation to see where they are in the process and let them know that you need it by x-date ( a few weeks after your submission date)
 
I took a class and got a C-, then retook the class and got an A.

Will it average the grades or give the higher of the two???
 
im pretty sure pharmcas averages the two grades...

some schools only look at the pharmcas GPA, but some schools do their own "in-house" calculations...
 
hmm, that is weird. When i called PHARMCAS and asked them how they calculate the GPA, they told me that they will calculate each repeat as an individual grade, and there is no average.
ARe u sure that they're gonna average it out?
 
OSUpharma said:
I took a class and got a C-, then retook the class and got an A.

Will it average the grades or give the higher of the two???
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I am a high school student and I have the answer for you.

Go call whatever university you are going to/applying to, and ask them. It's the only way to find out. Some univeristies may count both; others may take the higher mark.

You'll thank me later...
 
PharmCAS counts each and every grade from every course you've ever taken from any college. They don't replace grades or take the better of two grades, or anything like that.

Your GPA is basically the average of the two grades, but both grades show up on PharmCAS. For example, a "C" won't be listed next to a course you got an "F" and an "A" in... but your GPA will be a 2.0. If that makes any sense at all.
 
They don't actually 'average' it out. But it does average out in the end.

Ok so that sounds kind of stupid. Let me try to give an example.

So let's say you got a C and an A for an Ochem class or something. The class is 4 credits. If they averaged it out then they'd count it like you got a B for 4 of your credits. But they count both so instead you average a B for 8 credits.
 
jonnyboi303 said:
They don't actually 'average' it out. But it does average out in the end.

Ok so that sounds kind of stupid. Let me try to give an example.

So let's say you got a C and an A for an Ochem class or something. The class is 4 credits. If they averaged it out then they'd count it like you got a B for 4 of your credits. But they count both so instead you average a B for 8 credits.
Click to expand...

Seems a bit unfair... after all, I earned an A.

Oh well, not much I can do about it.
 
I was today morning with an admission officer at one of the schools , i do have foreign credits, she told me when i will apply by pharmcas for the fall of 09, pharmcas will not accept my overseas credits although i still have to send them my evaluation, IS THIS TRUE ??, i have been told that pharmcas only accepts credits from inside the US , and i will have to send my evaluation directly to the school, am realy confused plz advise...and will this affect my chances of getting in ?
 
manutdmax said:
I was today morning with an admission officer at one of the schools , i do have foreign credits, she told me when i will apply by pharmcas for the fall of 09, pharmcas will not accept my overseas credits although i still have to send them my evaluation, IS THIS TRUE ??, i have been told that pharmcas only accepts credits from inside the US , and i will have to send my evaluation directly to the school, am realy confused plz advise...and will this affect my chances of getting in ?
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If you just go to the pharmcas website - you can read that in frequently asked questons section. They do not accept foreign credits.
 
manutdmax said:
I was today morning with an admission officer at one of the schools , i do have foreign credits, she told me when i will apply by pharmcas for the fall of 09, pharmcas will not accept my overseas credits although i still have to send them my evaluation, IS THIS TRUE ??, i have been told that pharmcas only accepts credits from inside the US , and i will have to send my evaluation directly to the school, am realy confused plz advise...and will this affect my chances of getting in ?
Click to expand...

You should really go to pharmcas website - I just went and checked for you and they have a detailed explanaton there in the FAQs.

This is what I found just by going to their website:

Q: Do I need to include courses taken at foreign institutions?
A: NO, you should not enter any coursework taken at non-accredited, non-U.S. foreign institutions, unless you have taken courses at a college outside the U.S. / Canada as part of a Study Abroad program. If you have taken courses at a college outside the U.S. / Canada as part of a Study Abroad program, list those courses as they appear on the U.S. or Canadian institution that gave you itemized course credit for your Study Abroad. However, if the U.S. or Canadian transcript does not list each Study Abroad course separately, you must follow each pharmacy school's instructions for submitting foreign coursework.

NOTE: Transcripts from foreign institutions must be evaluated by one of the five transcript evaluation services listed in the application tutorial and sent to PharmCAS
 
cheburashka said:
You should really go to pharmcas website - I just went and checked for you and they have a detailed explanaton there in the FAQs.

This is what I found just by going to their website:

Q: Do I need to include courses taken at foreign institutions?
A: NO, you should not enter any coursework taken at non-accredited, non-U.S. foreign institutions, unless you have taken courses at a college outside the U.S. / Canada as part of a Study Abroad program. If you have taken courses at a college outside the U.S. / Canada as part of a Study Abroad program, list those courses as they appear on the U.S. or Canadian institution that gave you itemized course credit for your Study Abroad. However, if the U.S. or Canadian transcript does not list each Study Abroad course separately, you must follow each pharmacy school's instructions for submitting foreign coursework.

NOTE: Transcripts from foreign institutions must be evaluated by one of the five transcript evaluation services listed in the application tutorial and sent to PharmCAS
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thanks i appreciate your help guys,,but am still confused, so how i will get credit for the courses i took abroad, and why do i need to send my evaluation to pharmcas if they dont use it, how will the courses i took abroad will be calculated into my GPA , scinece and math ..etc..
 
manutdmax said:
thanks i appreciate your help guys,,but am still confused, so how i will get credit for the courses i took abroad, and why do i need to send my evaluation to pharmcas if they dont use it, how will the courses i took abroad will be calculated into my GPA , scinece and math ..etc..
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you NEED to read pharmcas website - it has answers to all of your questions, I do not understand why you can't even bother to do your homework - spend 10 minutes reading that section when I already gave you a link for it.
 
cheburashka said:
you NEED to read pharmcas website - it has answers to all of your questions, I do not understand why you can't even bother to do your homework - spend 10 minutes reading that section when I already gave you a link for it.
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Ok SIR , relax :eek:
 
Guys i still dont get this,,, lets say in calculus (3 hours) i got a D then re took it and got an A ,, what will be the final grade will be? and will they show both grades to schools?
 
manutdmax said:
Ok SIR , relax :eek:
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I am a girl - and I was just trying to help you. You asked the most basic question which can be easily researched - I answered it and gave you a link to find out more. You can't even bother to look at it :( - what's the point of asking a question if you don't read the asnwer to it. I'd hate to imagine what the rest of your application process going to be like.
 
cheburashka said:
I am a girl - and I was just trying to help you. You asked the most basic question which can be easily researched - I answered it and gave you a link to find out more. You can't even bother to look at it :( - what's the point of asking a question if you don't read the asnwer to it. I'd hate to imagine what the rest of your application process going to be like.
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LOOL..I AM GLAD YOU ARE NOT MY SUPERVISOR, nah dont worry i was just confused today becuase i thought all my credits from outside US were lost...it is a long process here to be a pharmacist...hope it will pay off sooooon, am mike by the way :D
 
manutdmax said:
LOOL..I AM GLAD YOU ARE NOT MY SUPERVISOR, nah dont worry i was just confused today becuase i thought all my credits from outside US were lost...it is a long process here to be a pharmacist...hope it will pay off sooooon, am mike by the way :D
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Nice to meet you - good luck with your applications !:)
I am just a poor lab rat - working in the research lab - far from being anyone's supervisor - soyou don't have to worry there. :)
 
manutdmax said:
LOOL..I AM GLAD YOU ARE NOT MY SUPERVISOR, nah dont worry i was just confused today becuase i thought all my credits from outside US were lost...it is a long process here to be a pharmacist...hope it will pay off sooooon, am mike by the way :D
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Nice to meet you - good luck with your applications !:)
I am just a poor lab rat - working in the research lab - far from being anyone's supervisor - so you don't have to worry there. :)

What country did you study in anyways ?
 
cheburashka said:
Nice to meet you - good luck with your applications !:)
I am just a poor lab rat - working in the research lab - far from being anyone's supervisor - so you don't have to worry there. :)
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cool what type of research you do , what state, when u intend to apply for pharmacy, what schools you aim for ?
 
manutdmax said:
cool what type of research you do , what state, when u intend to apply for pharmacy, what schools you aim for ?
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UCSF and UCSD - I am applying this year.

I am in California - San Francisco.

I am doing biochemistry research - I am investigating the expression of different housekeeping genes for qPCR and comparing their efficiency.
 
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