Schools to apply to where I might stand a chance?

[blergh]

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Hello fellow sdn-ers. This website really reminds me of slickdeals.net. <3

So I need some help. My GPA sucks but I was hoping to apply to pharmacy school this year... can anyone please give me some input on schools which might accept someone with my sort of file? Or things I should do to improve my file? I really don't care where I go as long as I get a PharmD out of it. Thanks in advance!
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Stats:
3.2 cumulative GPA
lower science GPA... maybe 3.0 or 3.1...

PCATs: Taken 4 times... highest composite was achieved the 2nd time...
82 composite, 73 chem, 95 math to boost it, 30 biology.
The other scores were far lower than that. except for the one I just took where I got... 72 composite, 75 chem, 64 biology, 70s in the other categories.

Experience:
I volunteered in an in-patient hospital pharmacy when I was a junior in high school for a year. Also, I've been working as a tech in a retail pharmacy for a year now and have been certified for about 10 months.

Leadership:
I've held officer positions in our univ's pre-pharmacy club for 2 consecutive years (this year being the 2nd). I joined freshman year.
Also:
Taekwondo Green Belt
Secretary/Treasurer/Webmaster of Honors Student Council
Webmaster of a honors dorm council
Resident Assistant (RA) in a dorm for one year

LOR's:
I plan to get one from my current pharmacy manager and other from my hall-director/boss while I was RA... I havent built any close relationships with my science professors.. so I'm not sure who else I should get a letter from. Is it ok to use 2 pharmacists?

Other:
I will be graduating with a BS in Microbiology in May.
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Anyone out there know of ppl who've been in my situation and made it in? Really, any input is appreciated. Thanks! 🙂

 

[fatevsdestiny]

Ucsf ofcourse!

 

[omnione]

I would try to find some professor to write a good LOR if possible. Such a letter can test to your academic ability to succeed in pharmacy school whereas a pharmacist really attests to your desire, intelligence, and work habits surrounding the pharmacy.

Your non-stat part of your application is fine and I would keep working in that pharmacy.

So, your main weakness of your application is that your stats fall on the wrong end of the average. You do have to remember that if a school has an average of 3.5 for example, half of the students probably have somewhere in between 3.3 to 3.7. The range could be slightly wider than that at other schools. So, your GPA isn't that bad, but it's probably around the 25th to 30th percentiles of a normal incoming class. You have a semester to nudge that GPA up a little. As for your PCAT, your four attempts probably means that you have thought about applying before, or you took the exam too soon. Either way, your composite PCAT is within the competitive range of many schools, but not for ones like Ohio State and Florida.

I say that your PCAT looks slightly better than your GPA relatively speaking, so you should still apply to schools that use the PCAT. You can also look to the newer schools that nobody knows of yet (Wingate, Hawaii-Hilo, etc.) and your in-state schools that are more forgiving since you are an in-state student.

 

[blergh]

Ucsf ofcourse!

I can't tell whether or not you're kidding. 😛
I thought ucsf was a hard school to get into?
Isn't it one of the top or something? 😕

 

[blergh]

Thank you Omnione!!! Awesome s/n btw. 😍

 

[WVUPharm2007]

The newer private schools and, if you live in a sparsely populated state, your in state school are your best bet. Then again my state only has 1.8 million citizens and the mean GPA for WVU was 3.67 last year....but I WAS accepted with a 3.27GPA. I basically got in based on my PCAT, interview, and writing sample. GPA isn't the be all end all....prepare for the interview like it's life or death, knock it out of the park, and you'll have a shot of getting in.

 

[blergh]

The newer private schools and, if you live in a sparsely populated state, your in state school are your best bet. Then again my state only has 1.8 million citizens and the mean GPA for WVU was 3.67 last year....but I WAS accepted with a 3.27GPA. I basically got in based on my PCAT, interview, and writing sample. GPA isn't the be all end all....prepare for the interview like it's life or death, knock it out of the park, and you'll have a shot of getting in.

What's the best way to prepare for the interview? Would it be necessary to try to explain why my gpa is so low? Thanks. 🙂 Oh, and CONGRATS! 😉

 

[binghamkid]

What's the best way to prepare for the interview? Thanks. 🙂

Interview prep generally involves a lot of practice, mock interviews, and being able to provide a genuine answer to their questions. You can also check the interview feedback forums available here on SDN as well as the FAQ stickied above for more resources. When it gets closer to interview time, I'll put together a thread for more in-depth analysis.

 

[drugdoc]

They were kidding, I assume; UCSF is ranked #1.