School Recommendations

[MNMan]

Hey I'm new here but I couldn't find any threads that answered my questions (I have several). I'm planning on applying to pharm schools this summer/fall and I'm wondering what schools I should be looking into. I'm from MN so I'll be applying there for sure, and if I get accepted I'll probably end up going there. However, I'd like to have 5-6 other schools as alternatives. My adviser told me that some of the public universities in the midwest really strongly favor state residents. Is it really that much more difficult to get into these schools if you're not a resident? Not just midwest schools, but all OOS public schools? I'd like to go to a school that has a some good residency programs or affiliations, but I know that it's possible to find a residency anywhere if you have the credentials.

I've been looking into Michigan because of their high residency placement rate, but I saw that they require a 300 level stats class. Does anyone know if this is set in stone? I don't think I've seen any other schools with this requirement. I wasn't planning on taking anymore stats and I don't know if I'd be able to fit it in before graduation.

Also, does anyone know if it is more difficult to get into schools like Creighton or Drake? I think they both offer guaranteed admission to their pre-pharm students, but I heard that a lot of those students end up changing their minds or not meeting the requirements and therefore there are still quite a few spots available by the time they enter pharmacy school.

By the way, my GPA is currently 3.71 and I'm a pretty good standardized test taker so I will hopefully do well on the PCAT this summer. I don't have a lot of volunteer hours but I have been working in a genetics lab for a while and I just started working at a local pharmacy. By the time I start applying I should have at least 6 months pharmacy experience, and more than 1.5 years of pharm experience by the time I start school.

Any advice/comments would be great!

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[weetzie00]

Hey I'm new here but I couldn't find any threads that answered my questions (I have several). I'm planning on applying to pharm schools this summer/fall and I'm wondering what schools I should be looking into. I'm from MN so I'll be applying there for sure, and if I get accepted I'll probably end up going there. However, I'd like to have 5-6 other schools as alternatives. My adviser told me that some of the public universities in the midwest really strongly favor state residents. Is it really that much more difficult to get into these schools if you're not a resident? Not just midwest schools, but all OOS public schools? I'd like to go to a school that has a some good residency programs or affiliations, but I know that it's possible to find a residency anywhere if you have the credentials.

I've been looking into Michigan because of their high residency placement rate, but I saw that they require a 300 level stats class. Does anyone know if this is set in stone? I don't think I've seen any other schools with this requirement. I wasn't planning on taking anymore stats and I don't know if I'd be able to fit it in before graduation.

Also, does anyone know if it is more difficult to get into schools like Creighton or Drake? I think they both offer guaranteed admission to their pre-pharm students, but I heard that a lot of those students end up changing their minds or not meeting the requirements and therefore there are still quite a few spots available by the time they enter pharmacy school.

By the way, my GPA is currently 3.71 and I'm a pretty good standardized test taker so I will hopefully do well on the PCAT this summer. I don't have a lot of volunteer hours but I have been working in a genetics lab for a while and I just started working at a local pharmacy. By the time I start applying I should have at least 6 months pharmacy experience, and more than 1.5 years of pharm experience by the time I start school.

Any advice/comments would be great!

I'd take a look at PharmCAS's School Directory. On there, it explicitly states whether or not they favor in-state students in addition to good overall stats about the schools. Even if they favor residents, if your app is competitive you will still be considered. As for Creighton, I'm definitely out-of-state with not-so-amazing stats and I was invited for an interview. If all goes well, sounds like you'll have a great application. Good luck.

 

[desmoulins45179]

By the way, my GPA is currently 3.71 and I'm a pretty good standardized test taker so I will hopefully do well on the PCAT this summer. I don't have a lot of volunteer hours but I have been working in a genetics lab for a while and I just started working at a local pharmacy. By the time I start applying I should have at least 6 months pharmacy experience, and more than 1.5 years of pharm experience by the time I start school.

If you score really well on the PCAT and have good LOR/personal statement, you sound competitive for any school. The pharmCAS directory also has a list of the average gpa and pcat for accepted students.

About the 300 stats course for Michigan - that's why I couldn't apply there. Yes - that is set in stone. You must have an equivalent for their Statistics 350 course. I haven't seen any other schools require this but this is a new requirement for them (it used to be in the first year but now they made it a pre-req).
If your school does not have a 300 level stats course, you should email the admissions office and they will direct you to someone from the Statistics department. You can email her a list of course descriptions of stats courses form your school and tell which one will fulfill their requirement.