PharmCAS

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It seems that I really am just an idiot. I e-submitted my pharmcas yesterday, then I realized that they took off my AP Scores after they processed the first transcript that I sent. It seems that I'm screwed.
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oink2655 said:
I think lying on pharmcas is a BAD decision. I don't believe that there is anything bad about being a reapplicant. Like the user above stated, many people applied to pharm school more than once and got in. When I applied though pharmcas I forgot to checked the previously applied box and was so stressed out. I didn't want the adcom to think that I was a liar so I contacted Pharmcas and the school to let them know that I have applied before.

When/if the adcom finds out that you lied on your application, you will not be given a chance at pharmacy school. I mean, who wants a dishonest pharmacist right?
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thats where ur wrong if u dont say anything u cannot be held accountable it could be a simple mkistake we all do that. its not that important bc they wouldve made it mandatory to answer so if u didnt so be it. its what u are NOW and not in the past. now answering the question and lying is a problem of course if u get caught and i wont recommend it at all.
 
I wanted to lie about being on academic probation when I was a freshman/sophomore. But I decided that it was best to tell the truth because they would find out anyway. This also made for a great fodder for my personal statement. I was still accepted to my school of choice even though I was previously on academic probation!
 
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Regarding the clarification in your first post:

That question on the PharmCAS application does not make a distinction on whether or not the school that kicked him out was a PharmCAS school. It still counts

PharmCAS Instructions said:
Have You Previously Enrolled in a Pharmacy Degree Program?*
Select "Yes" if you previously matriculated into a professional B.S. of Pharmacy or Pharm.D. degree
program anywhere in the world, regardless of whether you completed a term or degree. Pharmacy
technician and pre-pharmacy programs do not qualify.
! If yes, specify college or school of pharmacy. Select pharmacy institution from list.
! Are you eligible to return to the pharmacy degree program? Yes or No. Your designated
pharmacy institutions may require additional information.
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I didn't take any classes last semester that satisfied any of the pharmacy prerequisites. My grades were the same as always and so it didn't affect my GPA very much. Plus I already have a BS.

Can I just save time and not update my pharmcas?

Will I be penalize with my upcoming interviews?

thanks
 
Well alot of schools say report all of your classes from all of the colleges you have attended wether it is a prerequisite or not so I would assume you should do it. Good luck.
 
If you are accepted to a school it not necessary, as far as i know. All you need to do is forward your final transcripts to the school you will be attending.
 
.I am applying to Pharmacy School for Fall of 2008. I did my Pharmcas and everything and my designated schools have received everything. But when I went back to look at the coursework section I found out that I forgot to include one of the class in the planned section.. What should I do??:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(.
 
landakerjenna said:
.I am applying to Pharmacy School for Fall of 2008. I did my Pharmcas and everything and my designated schools have received everything. But when I went back to look at the coursework section I found out that I forgot to include one of the class in the planned section.. What should I do??:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(.
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i literally triple check my courses before submitting my pharmcas...i think you can add/update the course, but it will delay your application process as pharmcas has to recalculate your GPA. if the course is not a pre-req then you should contact the school and let them know about the situation...
 
If it's just listed as a planned course you can change it during the academic update window, which ends Feb 1 I think. Unless you have already submitted the academic update, in which case you might have to contact the individual schools to tell them.
 
Sorry friend....You are officially screwed now. You might not even be able to apply next year. This is what happened to a friend of mine. I would call pharmcas.
 
Since the course you omitted is in the planned section, I think you will be okay. I am assuming that you plan to take it this semester or in the summer. In my PharmCAS application in the fall, I listed a course in the planned section which I am not taking (I didn't need it after all) and I was able to delete it in the academic update for last fall. In your case, I don't think there is an academic update at the end of the spring semester so as long as you let the school know, you should be okay. At least that is what I think.
 
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I feel a lot better now. Thanks a lot guys..
The first thing I do on monday morning is call the schools.
 
I had a quick question about the format of letters of rec sent to PharmCAS. I understand that they recommend using their eLOR service, but what exactly does the evaluator need to send? I've searched the forums and the PharmCAS website but I'm still a bit unsure of what they'll need to put. I found this page that I assume is more or less the form that my references will get in their email to fill out:
http://pharmcas.org/applicants/evalquestions.htm

Is that all that my references will have to do or will they also need to attach a letter with a longer, formal letter as well? I ask because my research professor gets really busy and takes forever to write letters. I'm planning to apply this summer and hope to finish everything as early as possible, so I want to make sure she has ample time if she needs to write a normal letter in addition to filling out the PharmCAS form...
 
I think that if you want your prof to send a normal letter they can, but they don't have to. If you are applying to non-pharmcas schools, you will need that sealed letter.
 
mochiko,

The info you posted is exactly like the one given to your evaluator from PharmCAS. Most of the responses are made by marking a box or circling a response. There is a spot at the bottom to add additional info.

Since you will be asking for a letter of reference well in advance, your PI will have plenty of time to write a letter for you. If the PI is happy to have you in their lab, he/she will be more than willing to write you a letter. I have been in the same situation before, so I know that you still wonder if the wait will push your application closer to the deadline.

You already have a good plan to let the PI know in advance. The one thing you can do is schedule an appointment with your PI to discuss the following. Be well prepared and succinct. ;)

Let your PI know

what schools you want to apply to
give them some information on how you will be applying (i.e. pharmcas and supplemental if required)
what the form will require
when it is due
when you would like to submit everything when you ask for their eLOR

:)Keeping your PI informed will allow them to better assist you with an excellent reference.

Your application will provide more information about you if you have the more formal letter. However, it is not required by some schools. Keep in mind the adcoms only have a short period of time to look over each application, therefore some schools do not accept them or limit the number of LORs.

The best thing to do is contact the school at this time and see what they will be requiring for the class of 2013. While most schools have info available online, you can always contact them to ask for questions about applying.

HOWEVER, PharmCAS restarts each year. Meaning every year you have to submit a complete new application, including eLORs :eek:. The new window each year is available sometime in June. If your eLORs are submitted prior to that time, they as well as your account will be deleted! Your application will be deleted around the end of the spring semester and the new applications can be filled out June 1st. This will help you not feel as rushed, plus it will give you some time to add some things if you feel your application is lacking in some areas.

As far as PharmCAS, you will think I am crazy for telling you this, but I have been assisting PrePharm students for three years with PharmCAS, and they have thanked me for this.

Create a PharmCAS account now. It will take several weeks to gather information to fill out these tedious forms if you are currently going to school, maybe more. By gathering this information now and PRINTING it off, you will have a guide for when you fill out the one you will actually be sending for next year. Remember all pharmcas account are deleted prior to the begining of June, so remember to print it off so you do not lose your work. Also, one of the first things to do is have your official transcripts sent in. This is important because it can take five weeks to verify your grades. Plus, if you enter them in wrong by accident, you will have time to amend your entry.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for the replies. I greatly appreciate your help! :)

I was confused since the PharmCAS website says regarding paper references, "The evaluator should complete the paper form and attach it to a reference letter... on the evaluator's signed official institutional or business stationery." Seems to imply filling out both a traditional letter and their form if sending in paper letters. I can't access the paper form to print out, so I can't see whether it's the same as the eLOR form with all the detailed questions or just a simple waiver/instruction form which would require the traditional letter for substance. If it was the same form, it would probably be better to ask my references to write up a normal letter ahead of time to copy onto the form.

Too bad I can't directly access whatever they send to my evaluators so I can warn them exactly what to expect ahead of time... :(
 
Sorry to bother all, but i have a serious question.

I e-submitted my application and all, paid the fees and whatnot, but sent out my transcript about 3 days before the due date. I understand it takes some time for Pharmcas to get the information processed onto my online profile, but my question is:
What happens if my transcript arrives to Pharmcas after the deadline?
 
http://pharmcas.org/applicants/transcripts.htm
Transcript Info Page

It says that the school may or may not accept the application if transcripts don't arrive by the due date, but PharmCAS will send out the completed application anyway. I guess it all depends on the school and whether they want everything postmarked before the deadline or received before the deadline. Did you personally mail the transcript or did you request it from the school 3 days before the due date? It may arrive on time. I guess the only way you can tell is in the Status section of your application. It should say when your transcripts arrived.
 
SoccerCoach10 said:
http://pharmcas.org/applicants/transcripts.htm
Transcript Info Page

It says that the school may or may not accept the application if transcripts don't arrive by the due date, but PharmCAS will send out the completed application anyway. I guess it all depends on the school and whether they want everything postmarked before the deadline or received before the deadline. Did you personally mail the transcript or did you request it from the school 3 days before the due date? It may arrive on time. I guess the only way you can tell is in the Status section of your application. It should say when your transcripts arrived.
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I got the school to send it for me. I mean I should be fine if the registrar sent it out right? I go to the school Im applying for.
 
You're probably okay then. It seemed as if most schools don't start looking through apps until a couple of days after the deadline anyways. I guess it all depends on the school's policies.
 
SoccerCoach10 said:
You're probably okay then. It seemed as if most schools don't start looking through apps until a couple of days after the deadline anyways. I guess it all depends on the school's policies.
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Thanks, I feel SLIGHTLY better. I should still call Pharmcas tomorrow to see if maybe they got my transcript or not.
 
PharmCAS gets LORs in two ways. One way is electronic and the other way is paper.

When you add names of your referees in PharCAS online application, you have to select for each referee whether they will send the LOR electronically or by paper.

Electronic way:
The referee(s) will get an automated email from PharmCAS. The email has a link to a web site which takes the referee to your info in PharmCAS. When they submit the LOR goes into your file.
Paper way:
You will be asked to print a form. Which has a bar coded page and has your info like name, address, SSN, PharmCAS ID etc. You have to take that and the rest of the blank form to your referee. He/She will complete the form and has to attach your information form with the rest of the LOR.....Hope it makes sense.

In your situation, if you have a College Career Services office, you can select Paper LORs and have the referees send the sealed LORs to the office. Now or later in the year, in the new PharmCAS cycle, you can ask your CCS to send the LORs to PharmCAS.
 
i was wondering for those who have had their academic update processed (GPA and all), how long did it take from the time you submitted/transcripts received for PharmCAS to process your application? the reason i ask because it's been a while for me and contemplating whether or not i should send them an email.
does the academic update matter if you were accepted into an institution? does it matter if you interviewed and waiting for an institution's decision? any help/info would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance!
 
They still haven't updated my gpa...and they received my updated transcript on 1/4/08. Should i call them about this i mean the schools i applied to are sending out interview invites any week and they haven't updated my stuff...sheese.
 
which schools are non-pharmcas for this cycle?
 
University of Kansas does not participate in PharmCAS. That's all I know. :laugh:
 
There is a list of Pharmcas schools on their website. I would think every other school would not be Pharmcas.
 
so, I e-submitted back in december and got an email from pharmcas on jan 18 saying my application had been verified and sent to the 2 schools, got emails from both saying they received my application, did supplementals same day, got emails saying they got those.

now, i just got an email from one of the schools saying "you are receiving this email because your application has been verified, but we have not received it."

so 2 questions: I got emails from the schools the same day that I was notified that Pharmcas sent out the app. Are they done electronically?

Is the school just screwed up?

My mailing status has said "New" the whole time. I am going to call the school, but I am just wondering if it is typical to have to wait another month after GPA was verified for the school to receive anything..??
 
Because I did (honest mistake; ignorant mistake). I THOUGHT I had e-sumbitted it but apparently I didn't. And I didn't figure this out until earlier today!! No wonder schools kept mailing me about my application being on HOLD pending Fall grades while I thought I had done everything right! And now since it's past the period to update fall grades, PharmCAS can't override it. :(

Has this happened to anyone before? Did it effect your application process?

It's kind of weird because I've been invited for an interview by one school but my application has been on HOLD for every other school. I'm greatly confused!! :scared:
 
I purposely didn't submit an academic update, I'm just forwarding final transcripts to the school of my choice. That's probably your only option at this point, send transcripts to schools that are not going to consider you until those are in.

The schools I received invites from did so with the proviso that I pass the remaining prerequisites by the start of fall term.
 
pjlee said:
Because I did (honest mistake; ignorant mistake). I THOUGHT I had e-sumbitted it but apparently I didn't. And I didn't figure this out until earlier today!! No wonder schools kept mailing me about my application being on HOLD pending Fall grades while I thought I had done everything right! And now since it's past the period to update fall grades, PharmCAS can't override it. :(

Has this happened to anyone before? Did it effect your application process?

It's kind of weird because I've been invited for an interview by one school but my application has been on HOLD for every other school. I'm greatly confused!! :scared:
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Call your school and tell them what happened ..you should be ok...honest mistake...
 
I had an awkward situation were my professor gave me an incomplete for a gen chem class and he had to correct my grade. I took the course pass/fail because I just wanted a refresher course. Samford university did not consider me because I did not update the grade. I did update my transcripts for the fall semester, but that didn't cut it.
 
I dont understand the policy of repeat classes that PharmCas uses. When it means it takes the average of two classes, how does it do that. Let just use a scenarios here.
I got E in General Biology Class 4 credit x 0.00 = 0.00 Points
I got A when i repeated 4 Credit x 4.00 = 16 points

Now the PharmCasuses both of the classes when calculating the GPA
or does it average it into one course in which i got a C and uses 4 Credit x 2.00 = 8 Credits.

This is very important because if it uses both of the courses to calculate the GPA than it is the same as having C in two classes. If it averages it out and uses only one averaged course is the same as having only one C.

Sorry this might seem confusing, i hope you guys get my point.
 
Do Es have the same rank as Fs at your school? If so, then an A averaged with a E in the exact same course with the exact same number of credits would be like having Cs in two courses.

The idea is that the A doesn't wipe the E from GPA calculations like many colleges do.
 
To answer the question, all your biology classes, except for microbiology, will be put in together and calculated as "biology and other life sciences". Biochem also gets listed separately.

Most pharm schools will technically average out your two grades, but considering that you went from an E the first time to an A the second time around is way more important than the supposed average C.
 
So, from 2000-2005 I was at a 4 yr. University and basically did nothing there - cars, girls, etc were my vices and my only interests back then...didn't know what I wanted to major in, took a bunch of random 1-200 level courses in science, business, english...school wasn't a priority for me at the time :cool::thumbdown:

So I ended up dropping out and working for a while and now I'm attending a community college, but I'm afraid my terrible terrible GPA from my previous run will kill my GPA when PharmCAS calculates the cumulative... not to mention that I'm in community college, who's coursework is a whole helluva lot easier than university coursework.

I'm wondering if schools will see the PharmCAS GPA and basically say "Well, this is garbage, DENIED" and rip up the app, or if they will actually investigate the transcripts and notice the 3 year gap between schools and the drastic difference in GPAs (3.8-4.0 ish now vs like...2.0 range back then :( ) ?

I'm afraid that even if I pull 4.0's for all my prereq's my cumulative GPA will still be pretty bad and thus get me dropped from potential acceptance at whichever schools I end up applying to.

I'm doing some community service, and I know a good PCAT score will help a lot to strengthen my app, but I can't shake the feeling the cumulative PharmCAS gpa will end up biting me in the butt come application/acceptance time.
 
todaparty said:
So, from 2000-2005 I was at a 4 yr. University and basically did nothing there - cars, girls, etc were my vices and my only interests back then...didn't know what I wanted to major in, took a bunch of random 1-200 level courses in science, business, english...school wasn't a priority for me at the time :cool::thumbdown:

So I ended up dropping out and working for a while and now I'm attending a community college, but I'm afraid my terrible terrible GPA from my previous run will kill my GPA when PharmCAS calculates the cumulative... not to mention that I'm in community college, who's coursework is a whole helluva lot easier than university coursework.

I'm wondering if schools will see the PharmCAS GPA and basically say "Well, this is garbage, DENIED" and rip up the app, or if they will actually investigate the transcripts and notice the 3 year gap between schools and the drastic difference in GPAs (3.8-4.0 ish now vs like...2.0 range back then :( ) ?

I'm afraid that even if I pull 4.0's for all my prereq's my cumulative GPA will still be pretty bad and thus get me dropped from potential acceptance at whichever schools I end up applying to.

I'm doing some community service, and I know a good PCAT score will help a lot to strengthen my app, but I can't shake the feeling the cumulative PharmCAS gpa will end up biting me in the butt come application/acceptance time.
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I think that if you have a good PCAT score and you can at least get a decent GPA (at least a 3.0) coupled with a SUPER STRONG personal statement, you should be okay. I would also suggest applying early. Make sure that you look at the school's website that you want to apply to. I would suggest talking to an admissions counselor. They will be honest about your chances at the school, as well as give you tips on how to make your application stronger. There have been many people with similar situations as yours who have posted on the forums who were able to get in to pharmacy school. Good luck!
 
I didn't have the strongest GPA during my sophomore year of college, but have consistently increased and worked very very hard to keep improving. I have lots of EC's, excellent LOR's, and my interviews went well. I wrote a strong personal statement but I didn't even have an outstanding PCAT score. I just made the interviewers believe that I wanted this more than anything in the world. I choose one of the hardest majors at my school to try to prepare myself for the heavy workload that comes with pharmacy school and I emphasized my hard work. I have been accepted at the University of TN and at the University of Appalachia. I have been told by members of the admissions committee that they would rather choose a student who has shown growth and has improved more recently than one who started out with a very high gpa and is now slacking off and getting lower grades. Just work hard, check out the averages for the schools you are applying to (but don't worry too much b/c it is ONLY an AVG) and find something that sets you apart. Apply early and just keep your head up. I applied in nov, interviewed in January and Feb and just found out that I was accepted to Memphis on Friday and to Appalachia on Saturday. You've just got to show them that you are working really hard "right now" and are preparing yourself for pharmacy school. GPA and PCAT are very important, but they aren't the only things that matter. Good luck:)
 
todaparty said:
So, from 2000-2005 I was at a 4 yr. University and basically did nothing there - cars, girls, etc were my vices and my only interests back then...didn't know what I wanted to major in, took a bunch of random 1-200 level courses in science, business, english...school wasn't a priority for me at the time :cool::thumbdown:

So I ended up dropping out and working for a while and now I'm attending a community college, but I'm afraid my terrible terrible GPA from my previous run will kill my GPA when PharmCAS calculates the cumulative... not to mention that I'm in community college, who's coursework is a whole helluva lot easier than university coursework.

I'm wondering if schools will see the PharmCAS GPA and basically say "Well, this is garbage, DENIED" and rip up the app, or if they will actually investigate the transcripts and notice the 3 year gap between schools and the drastic difference in GPAs (3.8-4.0 ish now vs like...2.0 range back then :( ) ?

I'm afraid that even if I pull 4.0's for all my prereq's my cumulative GPA will still be pretty bad and thus get me dropped from potential acceptance at whichever schools I end up applying to.

I'm doing some community service, and I know a good PCAT score will help a lot to strengthen my app, but I can't shake the feeling the cumulative PharmCAS gpa will end up biting me in the butt come application/acceptance time.
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Since you do have that bad GPA in your history, your new prereq GPA needs to be very good and above average along with a good PCAT. You will have to build all other parts of your application. If you use the search feature, this question has been asked a lot and you should find many of the already posted answers and suggestions.
 
do you have many Fs? If so, that will really be detrimental when entering grades into PHARMCAS. If i were you, I'd destroy the PCAT and start writing/rewriting/generating your personal statement now, so that it comes out prestine!
 
I didn't do anything in college either. A few years later I replaced some of my pre-req C's with A's, but I didn't worry about the non-prereq classes, so my PharmCAS GPA is also low (2.8).

Surely they would notice the gap and improvement in your grades. Just to make sure you could mention in your PS how you've matured and are more serious about school than you were then.
 
I have a bunch of F's but "only" (lol) 2 or 3 in science/math courses, the rest are in other non-related 1-200 lvl courses or R's (resignations).

Sounds like I just need to bust my butt from here on out and hope for the best...i've been searching the forums for various questions I had, but I didn't think anyone had such a bad past GPA like I did haha...thanks for the help
 
Get A's, get a good PCAT, get experience and write a good personal statement stressing your personal growth and maturity. I can tell you first hand from personal experience at all 7 of my interviews that low grades in non prereq classes will not hurt you as long as you maintain the upward trend in your math/science grades.
good luck
 
First off, I found a few threads on letters or reference, but it doesn't address my question directly.

I'm planning to apply to pharmacy school this summer, and I have a question about letters of recommendations to those who have applied.

The instutition I attend allows students to store Letters of Reference at the Career Center. From there, the Career Center can send it to PharmCAS or any other centralized application system. I already had my biochem professor write me a letter, which is currently stored at the Career Center. A pharmacist is willing to write my letter, but I'm not sure whether I should have it stored at the Career Center or have her send it directly to PharmCAS this summer.

My question is, if I have my pharmacist send the letter to the Career Center, will she have to send a separate letter to USC/PharmCAS, etc? For the past applicants: will it be better to have her send it to PharmCAS, or can everything be done smoothly if the Career Center stored the letter and sent it to Pharmcas also?

Any feedback will be appreciated!
 
Hey kevintech,

"Hard copy" (actual physical copy)
To be honest, I am too paranoid to have the CareerCenter send it, simply they may either lose it or not send it, esp. since it is your responsibility that everything is done. The only way to make sure of this is to send it yourself.

But PharmCAS now accepts the electronic version, which makes it easier for your references to send a LOR on-time. This is done, when you fill out their information in PharmCAS, including their email address, and they will get an email to paste their letter. PharmCAS will show "completed" and the date the LOR is received.

Bottom line, make sure the people who are writing you a LOR saves an electronic version of it. And have them paste it, once you fill out their info on PharmCAS. This is the smoothest and surest way that it gets in!
 
I think you just retired the thread KnittyTurtle. I've asked other past applicants and they said e-letters are a lot more efficient than paper letters. I think I will have my letters electronically filed. Thanks for the feedback KnittyTurtle :)
 
i don't think you should keep your letter of rec at the career center. the career center lor program is only good for med school, etc because they need more than 3 letter of rec and there are only 3 spots to post lor so the center take up one spot (which contains more than 1 letter). however, for pharmacy you only need 3 letters total so really no point in using this. does it make sense? hahaha, i think i might be confusing you.
 
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