Shenandoah interviews

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I interviewed earlier in November, and was accepted. I received an e-mail from the admissions assistant a few days after the interview telling me I was in and that I would be receiving the official letter in a few weeks (I received it yeaterday).

The interview itself was a piece of cake and quick. A P2 gave me a tour and we chatted while on the tour, then I met with a professor and the P2 for about 20 minutes in the professor's office. Finally, I had 30 min to respond to a pharmacy related question.

Just be yourself and I am sure you will do fine.
 
Yeah. Like Sea Pharm said the interview is straightforward. It will mostly consist ethical questions. Just be honest and straightforward. Don't dance around the questions just get to the point. The essay was pretty easy as well, and again it was also an ethical question. You have two essays questions to choose from. You’re given 30 min. But I was done in a little over 20. Don't try to write too much and don't repeat yourself. Just be honest and to the point in your interview and essay and it's smooth sailing. 😎
 
Fost said:
I got an interview on Jan 11. Anyone else interview already or have an interview scheduled? Any advice?
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I actually had my interview on October 12th, and was incredibly nervous because it was my first interview. The day started off with a 20-30 minute tour of Shenandoah by a current student, a P4 in my case. She was incredibly friendly, and encouraged me to ask questions while I had the chance. After the tour, I was escorted to a faculty member's office, where he and the P4 alternated asking me questions. I only had to answer approx. 9 questions. The best advice I can give you to prepare for these interview questions is study the interview section on SDN. They asked very similar questions to those. They also encouraged me to ask questions as well. Finally, I had to write the essay in a private office. You get to pick one of two topics, and have 30 minutes to write about it. A few days later, I received an e-mail with the good news that I was accepted!

As many have said, the best advice is to be yourself. Try to calm your nervousness, and be strong in your answers. Also, try to think of 5-10 questions you could ask at the interview. They usually end up answering a few of them on the tour anyway, but it's always good to have something to ask! Good luck in January!!! 😀
 
Great synopsis! lol Please try to put this in the interview feedback page if you haven't already. This kind of review is really a great help to pre-pharmers everywhere.🙂 I hate not knowing what to expect, hence the reason interviews for me are soooo sooo stressful.
 
thanks for all the help guys. I looked at their stats from last year and they accepted 76% of the people they interview, and rejected over a thousand. I'm feeling pretty confident.

I have a 3.66 gpa, 94 credits, a 86 on the pcat and 7000 pharmacy tech hours.

what kind of stats did those of you who got in have?
 
Hi Fost, I got an invitation for interview on Jan. 11 too. Kinda scary since it would be the first time I travel to another state for interview by myself. 😉 How long was the whole interview process? I'm wondering if I should rent a car or just use taxi... is the school hard to find? Can anybody from out of state tell me what the experience was like?
 
The whole interview process takes about 1 hour, starting with a 10-minute tour, 20-minute interview, and finally a 30-minute essay.

It may be more convenient and cheaper to rent a car. If you decide to rent one, get a GPS also. It costs an extra $10-12, but it ensures that you will get to the right place, and saves you from anxiety while driving. If you happen to drive in the evening, the road from the airport to the school is really dark, so having a GPS allows you to focus on driving and not worry about directions. (I am not a GPS salesman.)

There is a Holiday Inn Express located 5 minutes away from the school, if you decide to stay. It costs about $87 to book online.

The best way to prepare for the interview is by looking at previous questions posted in the "Interview Feedback." Every question that I was asked has been posted there already.
 
Fost said:
thanks for all the help guys. I looked at their stats from last year and they accepted 76% of the people they interview, and rejected over a thousand. I'm feeling pretty confident.

I have a 3.66 gpa, 94 credits, a 86 on the pcat and 7000 pharmacy tech hours.

what kind of stats did those of you who got in have?
Click to expand...

I have very similar stats: 3.7 gpa (from a community college), 85% PCAT, 5 years tech experience. I am a current P1 at Shenandoah. I would say you have a great chance of getting in, based on those stats. Also, Shenandoah was by far the easiest and most stress free of my interviews; you've got nothing to worry about.
 
i got an interview invite today for jan. 4... anyone going that day? i'm kind of nervous!! when you guys say ethical questions, what do you mean? can anyone give me some examples? i would really appreciate it!! thanks!! 😳
 
freezedry,

congrats see you there. I have been to the area many times, never that far west, but DC and Baltimore a lot. I would say get driving directions ahead of time,the traffic is pretty intense. Its way to far for a cab from IAD.
 
I have an interview on the 11th of Jan as well.
 
I got an interview for january 4th as well!!! 😀 I am very excited, although a bit nervous. But according to PHARMCAS - they accepted 138 out of 170 interviewed, those are very good odds!
I do not have very high undergraduate (UF) GPA (it is around 2.75 overall and science not better than that). However, I did much better at post-bac level for certain prerequisites GPA=3.4. Right now I am finishing up masters in micro and molecular biology at UCF (grad GPA=3.65) and published 2 papers as primary author in pretty high impact journals. I hope all that grad school nightmare helps out! PCAT - 90, but I took it 3 years ago. I also have 3.5 years experience working in a private retail pharmacy (1 year full time and the rest part time). Since they invited me for interview, they are definately interested - I just hope my undergrad GPA won't mess me up.
It looks like interview is pretty much straight forward and only essay part worries me - dont' really like writing much:laugh:
Well.. now I have to figure out the best way to get up there from florida😎
Good luck on upcoming interviews!!!

P.S.: pReShuZanGL when is your interview? Mine is at 11am.
 
Shprot said:
I got an interview for january 4th as well!!! 😀 I am very excited, although a bit nervous. But according to PHARMCAS - they accepted 138 out of 170 interviewed, those are very good odds!
I do not have very high undergraduate (UF) GPA (it is around 2.75 overall and science not better than that). However, I did much better at post-bac level for certain prerequisites GPA=3.4. Right now I am finishing up masters in micro and molecular biology at UCF (grad GPA=3.65) and published 2 papers as primary author in pretty high impact journals. I hope all that grad school nightmare helps out! PCAT - 90, but I took it 3 years ago. I also have 3.5 years experience working in a private retail pharmacy (1 year full time and the rest part time). Since they invited me for interview, they are definately interested - I just hope my undergrad GPA won't mess me up.
It looks like interview is pretty much straight forward and only essay part worries me - dont' really like writing much:laugh:
Well.. now I have to figure out the best way to get up there from florida😎
Good luck on upcoming interviews!!!

P.S.: pReShuZanGL when is your interview? Mine is at 11am.
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mine is at 1 PM!.. haha im not a morning person so that works for me =).. does anyone know the interview format?
 
i got an interview invite for jan 11 at 11 am. Pretty nervous...

how far away is the airport from the school?
 
I think Dulles airport is about an hour away from Winchester.
 
howd the jan 4th interviews go? im sure u guys did great! 🙂
 
I interviewed last friday, and got an acceptance email this morning. Anyone else?
 
Please,

Has anyone interviewed or been accepted for the entering class of Fall 2008 with a composite PCAT less than 60% or any individual score less than 45%?

I'm trying to find out if they stick to those numbers strictly, as stated on their website.

Quote below:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Is the PCAT required and what are the minimum and average %?

Yes - 60% minimum cumulative score/ 80% average & 45% minimum individual category scores for fall 2007; PCAT scores can't be over 3 years old.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
End Quote


Thanks for the heads up!

E
 
Congrats to you guys😀 Interviewed on the Jan 4th, accepted by email 6 days later.
 
Are all you guys going to attend, or go elsewhere?
 
I have Campbell and UNC-CH interviews coming up. They are my number 1 and 2 choices.
 
Fost said:
Are all you guys going to attend, or go elsewhere?
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Still deciding, but I am strongly considering Shenandoah. I liked the area and the faculty I met.
 
Still waiting from the rest, but unless I get into UF or NOVA (that way i dont' have to move out of state) Shenandoah is going to be a place of choice. I must agree with NateAZSD, the faculty👍 and place overall was pretty nice.
 
Shprot said:
Still waiting from the rest, but unless I get into UF or NOVA (that way i dont' have to move out of state) Shenandoah is going to be a place of choice. I must agree with NateAZSD, the faculty👍 and place overall was pretty nice.
Click to expand...

ep79 said:
Please,

Has anyone interviewed or been accepted for the entering class of Fall 2008 with a composite PCAT less than 60% or any individual score less than 45%?

I'm trying to find out if they stick to those numbers strictly, as stated on their website.

Quote below:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Is the PCAT required and what are the minimum and average %?

Yes - 60% minimum cumulative score/ 80% average & 45% minimum individual category scores for fall 2007; PCAT scores can't be over 3 years old.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
End Quote


Thanks for the heads up!

E
Click to expand...


My gpa is 4.0/ 94 credit hours, PCAT 78, but 21% on reading composition ( English is second language). Do you think whether or not I should submit my application?
 
kim84 said:
My gpa is 4.0/ 94 credit hours, PCAT 78, but 21% on reading composition ( English is second language). Do you think whether or not I should submit my application?
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Never hurts to try and submit it ASAP, but I would call and ask if they make acceptions based on strong merit in other areas. In my case I guess they did, my undergrad gpa is pretty low. As far as increasing reading comprehension score - I definately would get a book on "SPEED READING". It is available in most libraries and the techniques they present to you will pretty much will at least double your reading speed while maintaining comprehension (non-native as well, english is 3rd language and I am horrible in all of them!!!).
 
I had an interview this past saturday (feb 23) and got my acceptance email today! The interview process was pretty stress-free, mainly because the professor and student were super nice. I felt comfortable and confident with my questions and I guess it paid off. I had decent PCAT scores, a bachelors in biology with a 3.4 overall GPA and currently working as a pharm tech.
 
elr0019 said:
I had an interview this past saturday (feb 23) and got my acceptance email today! The interview process was pretty stress-free, mainly because the professor and student were super nice. I felt comfortable and confident with my questions and I guess it paid off. I had decent PCAT scores, a bachelors in biology with a 3.4 overall GPA and currently working as a pharm tech.
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Awesome! Congratulations!!! Are you planning to attend this fall @ Shenandoah?
 
Yeah, I'm waiting to hear back from a couple other schools, but if i don't in the next week or so I'm sending my deposit. Don't want to risk anything...
 
I had my interview Feb 14th and just got the acceptance e-mail! I'm sending in my deposit ASAP, so I'll be there this fall!
 
congrats to all accepted!! 🙂
 
Congrats you guys! (Hey- someone from Orlando!) 😀
 
Hi I just received a call for an interview. I was looking at the map and the city seems very isolated. Is there fun things to do? bars, restaurants, student hang out places? any outdoor sports? are people nice in general? I am from Southern Cali where racism is not an issue but heard that it is an issue in many parts outside CA. Thanks in advance.
 
Does anyone have interview coming up in March or April?
 
Winchester isn't a party city, that's for sure... but there are places to get drunk. And DC and suburbs are nearby, although I'm not sure what driving is like on Friday nights in those burbs.

As far as racism, I understand the city is mostly white, and somewhat "back-woods" meaning that you will have culture shock. I don't mean that will translate to racism, but the likelihood will be greater than where you are from. The hispanic population is increasing in Winchester, but from what I understand, the pharmacy school is the largest importer of out-of-towners for the school.
 
Shenandoah has NOTHING to do. This is attested by a couple of graduates, and the student I talked to when I interviewed (nervous as hell, BTW. I really want to get in). It is a place to focus and do well, I guess. The closest place to party will be DC, about 1.45 hours away.

Good luck. I should hear back from them by the end of this week. I hope its positive.

_Kamran
 
I applied way back in mid December, and have not heard anything at from them - not even a confirmation that they received all my materials, rejection, etc. My only transaction with them was when they cashed in my $30 check :meanie:!
 
floating Tech said:
Shenandoah has NOTHING to do. This is attested by a couple of graduates, and the student I talked to when I interviewed (nervous as hell, BTW. I really want to get in). It is a place to focus and do well, I guess. The closest place to party will be DC, about 1.45 hours away.

Good luck. I should hear back from them by the end of this week. I hope its positive.

_Kamran
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I am not sure about 1.45 hrs away... you probably have to drive like a grandma. When I was at the interview there, DC it is only about 70 miles away.
 
I applied in the beginning of December. They sent me an e-mail back in January that they received my application. They called me to invite me for an interview two weeks ago.
If you haven't received anything from them, it might be a good idea to call the school and ask.
 
I just interviewed last week and should hear back tomorrow or Wednesday. I hope it's good news!!!
 
what did you guys think of the school and the surrounding? Is the school your first choice? why or why not? I was accepted to Jefferson and was debating whether to attend the interview at Shenandoah because the trip would cost me 500 bucks. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks
 
Shprot said:
I am not sure about 1.45 hrs away... you probably have to drive like a grandma. When I was at the interview there, DC it is only about 70 miles away.
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Fair enough. Its about 80 miles from DC to Shenandoah University, but you also have to think of the traffic. Rte 50 goes all the way but its clogged with lights. Rte 66 can be HELL depending on time of day and direction.
I guess I mis-informed because my interview fell at 3PM (I was traveling 66-west around 2PM) and it was raining. Slow traffic.
 
pjlee said:
I just interviewed last week and should hear back tomorrow or Wednesday. I hope it's good news!!!
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I interviewed 3/7 and they said since the admission committee doesn't meet over spring break, they would review my application 3/18. I should hear back from them by 3/21. So for you to hear back by tomorrow seems a little early, just to give you a heads up...
 
budobud said:
what did you guys think of the school and the surrounding? Is the school your first choice? why or why not? I was accepted to Jefferson and was debating whether to attend the interview at Shenandoah because the trip would cost me 500 bucks. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...
The school itself shares a building with the nursing school and PT (or PA) school I believe. It is a very new building, built in 1996. Everything is technology driven, including classrooms with cameras and microphones and wi-fi. It is a clean place, but a small place. The library isn't very large, not tooo many study rooms (like cell blocks). Overall nice new building. Decent computer lab, tiny "cafeteria".
The surrounding area is gorgeous. A short trip will take you to main campus, where all the hotels + restaurants + stores will be. It is a small town, more like a layover for travelers. Lots of chain eateries between hotels. A short trip from there, and it is gorgeous terrain. I really love how SU is in a very beautiful rural setting. Lots of mountains, trees, hill/pasture, farms, etc. Granted there is not much to do....but if you are outdoorsy type or enjoy nature or photography, it will be a nice place for you. I would consider whether you really want to attend this school before spending $500 on an interview.
Hope this helps...
 
floating Tech said:
I interviewed 3/7 and they said since the admission committee doesn't meet over spring break, they would review my application 3/18. I should hear back from them by 3/21. So for you to hear back by tomorrow seems a little early, just to give you a heads up...
Click to expand...



Yeah, they told me that they'd meet today so I should hear back about the same time you do, some time this week.
 
Just checked my email and saw I had an email from SU. Unfortunately, not an acceptance but a generic email stating the admissions committee could not meet today and would decide my fate next week. Oh well, another week of waiting won't kill me. I already sent my package back to Temple University so I am guaranteed there.
 
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