So what *is* the deal with LIU?

[elleNY]

Thought I would share this with you all. At a close friend's birthday this past weekend, one of my friends from high school who I see on ocassion was there, and it turns out she is in her first or second (I was drinking, forget) year of the professionl phase at LIU. She got in with:

- 3.6 GPA from Iona College, a private catholic school in Westchester County, which is pretty easy and known to be so. I believe she went somewhere before this too (mount st. vincent?), so she bopped around a bit.
- NO PCAT
- NO INTERVIEW
- Not exceptionally brilliant, although a sweet girl.

Accepted. So, whats the deal with them supposedly being really difficult on transfers? Sounds like she got in pretty easily, to me. I will get more information from her ASAP, just wanted insight on this situation.

xo
Elle

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[ValeRx]

Pretty sure you HAVE to interview. It's a requirement.

 

[elleNY]

In the process of getting her number from a mutual friend. Will verify, but I'm almost positive she said she had no interview, and have no doubt in her trustworthiness. But, will try to get more info regardless and give you all the run down!

 

[bklyngirl]

In the process of getting her number from a mutual friend. Will verify, but I'm almost positive she said she had no interview, and have no doubt in her trustworthiness. But, will try to get more info regardless and give you all the run down!

Hi Elle,
Last year was the first year LIU participated in pharmCAS and required PCAT and interview for entrance. LIU prepharm students had to go through the same process as well. So your friend must be at least a 2nd year professional student.
As far as the difficulty in transfer acceptances - it totally mystifies me! You'll notice on this thread that there are some applicants with phenomenal PCAT scores, GPA's and experience that didn't get invited for an interview. Then there are some transfer applicants (like myself) who stats weren't as strong that did receive an invite.
I do know for a fact (after speaking with a LIU first year professional student just recently) that there are a few transfer students in some of his classes right now. So, transfer seats are not in abundance, but some do open up each year.
As far as the 3.6 at Iona, maybe Admissions figured that since Iona is a private school achieving a 3.6 was no easy task??? I agree with you on this, though, after knowing a few students that received their BA from there with extremely high GPA's. These same students struggled through elementary school with me, and were in the bottom 25% of their classes in high school. Go Figure!

 

[elleNY]

Bklyn girl -- You just reminded me.. you're right, she didn't use Pharmcas! She must be in her second year...So Pharmcas has really complicted/made more difficult the admissions process?
Also - you're totally right about Iona.. they give HUGE scholarships to almost anyone who went to a Catholic High School in Westchester, and probably the other boroughs as well. I mean I know people who had C GPA and under 1000 on SATs in HS and went there on a scholarship, to boot. In fact, almost everyone I know who goes there has these kind of stats, including the girl who got in to Pharm school, yikes! Nobody tells you when you're applying and attending competitve colleges that a B GPA could be outranked by an A at a crappy college.. in terms of grad school admissions. GRR.

xoxo
Elle

 

[PharmDKid89]

Bklyn girl -- You just reminded me.. you're right, she didn't use Pharmcas! She must be in her second year...So Pharmcas has really complicted/made more difficult the admissions process?
Also - you're totally right about Iona.. they give HUGE scholarships to almost anyone who went to a Catholic High School in Westchester, and probably the other boroughs as well. I mean I know people who had C GPA and under 1000 on SATs in HS and went there on a scholarship, to boot. In fact, almost everyone I know who goes there has these kind of stats, including the girl who got in to Pharm school, yikes! Nobody tells you when you're applying and attending competitve colleges that a B GPA could be outranked by an A at a crappy college.. in terms of grad school admissions. GRR.

xoxo
Elle

Well just so you know..seats are transfers are very limited compared to seats for pre-pharm, so it's harder, but that's basically applies in every pharmacy school here in the US. If you are want to transfer out to another school or want to switch to pharmacy (considered a transfer then), it's harder on your part. I know MCPHS has only 30 seats for transfers and rest is their kids..speaking of that, I never heard from them 😕. Maybe that girl was one of the lucky ones to get a seat and this year's admissions for transfers is more competitive then when she applied..who knows..

 

[bklyngirl]

Well just so you know..seats are transfers are very limited compared to seats for pre-pharm, so it's harder, but that's basically applies in every pharmacy school here in the US. If you are want to transfer out to another school or want to switch to pharmacy (considered a transfer then), it's harder on your part. I know MCPHS has only 30 seats for transfers and rest is their kids..speaking of that, I never heard from them 😕. Maybe that girl was one of the lucky ones to get a seat and this year's admissions for transfers is more competitive then when she applied..who knows..

Did you try MCPHS-Worcester or Manchester? These programs are 4 year professional level only, so your chances for acceptance would have been higher than it would be at Boston.
In regard to LIU's policy - every year conditional acceptances were only given to prepharm's in the 0-6 program at the BROOKLYN CAMPUS. Last year was the first year they required their prepharms to apply through pharmCAS along with transfers, as they changed from a 0-6 to a 2-4 program. However, they will still be given preference for admission to the professional phase if they meet the standards. EVERYONE else will be considered for the remaining seats; this includes LIU Brooklyn students in other majors, LIU students at other campuses outside of Brooklyn, and pre-pharm students attending other colleges.

 

[PharmDKid89]

Did you try MCPHS-Worcester or Manchester? These programs are 4 year professional level only, so your chances for acceptance would have been higher than it would be at Boston.
In regard to LIU's policy - every year conditional acceptances were only given to prepharm's in the 0-6 program at the BROOKLYN CAMPUS. Last year was the first year they required their prepharms to apply through pharmCAS along with transfers, as they changed from a 0-6 to a 2-4 program. However, they will still be given preference for admission to the professional phase if they meet the standards. EVERYONE else will be considered for the remaining seats; this includes LIU Brooklyn students in other majors, LIU students at other campuses outside of Brooklyn, and pre-pharm students attending other colleges.

So you are saying that majority of the seats will be taken by LIU-brooklyn kids? I thought ALL LIU kids in prepharm were given conditional acceptances, not just at the Brooklyn campus. I don't know now..seems like my chances are slimmer than before..

 

[elleNY]

So is there an advance to taking your prereqs at LIU as opposed to elsewhere? Would a college grad be eligible for this?

 

[bklyngirl]

So is there an advance to taking your prereqs at LIU as opposed to elsewhere? Would a college grad be eligible for this?

Actually, no - you have to enter as a freshman straight out of high school. I tried that after completing my first year of college, even said I would start over as a freshman - but was not eligible because I had already earned some college credits. They did say I could come into the school as a transfer and take courses on the pre-pharm track, but would still have to apply to the pharm program as an, in other words "outsider".
The Brooklyn campus fills all 220 prepharm seats with incoming freshman, and whoever don't make the cut over the two years (or decides to change majors/transfer to another school/etc.) leaves an open seat for all of us vultures to fight over!

 

[bklyngirl]

So you are saying that majority of the seats will be taken by LIU-brooklyn kids? I thought ALL LIU kids in prepharm were given conditional acceptances, not just at the Brooklyn campus. I don't know now..seems like my chances are slimmer than before..

That's a question you would have to ask your advisor. But , as far as I know, that's not the case because let's just say that every single Brooklyn campus prepharmer made the cut and were given conditional acceptances, where would that leave space for any outside student? Maybe you will get transfer preference, if seats become available, but would not have the same advantage as a Brooklyn prepharmer.

 

[Pharmacy81]

Unless I'm wrong, all students (current LIU students and transfers) are equally considered for the available positions.

From the website:
The professional program is very competitive and offers no guarantee of admission. Selection is based on several factors that include, but are not limited to, grade point average; test scores; personal statement; letters of recommendation; and interview.

And, from the 2009 Pharmacy Guidelines Booklet:

Admission to the pre-professional phase does not guarantee progression to the professional phase and will depend upon the requirements set forth by the College of Pharmacy.​

 

[elleNY]

I would like to readdress WHY it is that before Pharmcas it was much easier to get in..is this to be said for all schools?

 

[Pharmacy81]

Schools generally participate in PharmCAS if they want to broaden the range of students they reach. LIU presumably did this because they wanted stronger students in their professional program.

The fact that LIU requires all students to apply through PharmCAS sort of implies that they have no preference for LIU pre-pharm students; otherwise, they wouldn't bother, as using PharmCAS generates loads more applications and thus more work for them.

Also, I was told by the Admissions Director of another school that Pharmacy School has been the "it" thing recently, and that significantly greater and greater numbers of students have been applying over the last several years. So, there's more competition each year.

 

[Sparda29]

I would like to readdress WHY it is that before Pharmcas it was much easier to get in..is this to be said for all schools?

Before PharmCAS it was easier for Pre-Pharm students to make it, and a select few lucky transfer students made it in based on which of the pre-pharm students didn't pass their summer classes.

 

[256476]

So is there an advance to taking your prereqs at LIU as opposed to elsewhere? Would a college grad be eligible for this?

if u take pre-reqs as a pre-pharm from high school and go to brooklyn campus, you technically have an advantage, however not always the case...😡

if you do everything i said aboe but go to cw post, ur considered a transfer student and like bklyngirl said, ur a vulture for the seats

 

[PharmDKid89]

Arrrghh! Why do they have to change everyting?! Man I wish I went to UCONN now and did pharm..they don't go through PharmCas, and if you're in their pre-pharm, you guaranteed a seat unless you don't keep up the minimum GPA requirement..that's just making it harder for us..

 

[bklyngirl]

Unless I'm wrong, all students (current LIU students and transfers) are equally considered for the available positions.

From the website:
The professional program is very competitive and offers no guarantee of admission. Selection is based on several factors that include, but are not limited to, grade point average; test scores; personal statement; letters of recommendation; and interview.

And, from the 2009 Pharmacy Guidelines Booklet:

Admission to the pre-professional phase does not guarantee progression to the professional phase and will depend upon the requirements set forth by the College of Pharmacy.​

Yes, but if a transfer student is competing for a seat against an LIU Brooklyn prepharm student - and they both have compatible stats (excluding PCAT scores, which I don't think are as important as GPA, as of now anyway, with LIU admissions): LIU prepharm student will get the seat!
I have to say that I feel this process is fair. LIU prepharm students have devoted two years of their time and money into the school, and deserve preference if they meet the qualifications. I do know of a student who just started the first preprofessional year at LIU, and the admissions made this very clear at the accepted student meeting: although guaranteed entry into the professional phase has been discontinued, prepharm students will still be given preferential consideration.

 

[PharmDKid89]

Has anyone gotten anything from LIU 😕

 

[atticus27]

Has anyone gotten anything from LIU 😕

Haha. This school really makes you wait huh? When does LIU's Spring semester end? Maybe they don't want a bunch of rejected and angry pre-pharmers up in their grill.

 

[PrePharmDD]

Haha. This school really makes you wait huh? When does LIU's Spring semester end? Maybe they don't want a bunch of rejected and angry pre-pharmers up in their grill.

Hahaha, nice supposition ))))))

we don't mind if they let us, non LIU students, know if we got accepted or no 🙄

 

[Vi89]

Hey, several people just started getting acceptance letters today. LIU is sending out ALL letters, accpetance or decline this week. Therefore, everyone should know very very soon.

 

[PrePharmDD]

Hey, several people just started getting acceptance letters today. LIU is sending out ALL letters, accpetance or decline this week. Therefore, everyone should know very very soon.

Do they e-mail?

 

[DCB]

I got an acceptance letter in the mail today! I do live in New York so probably a bit sooner than some of you. They did not send an e-mail with it! Good Luck everyone, the end is near! 🙂

 

[DCB]

Also one quick side note! I got in as a transfer, so it most definitely is possible!

 

[PrePharmDD]

I got an acceptance letter in the mail today! I do live in New York so probably a bit sooner than some of you. They did not send an e-mail with it! Good Luck everyone, the end is near! 🙂

Congratulations!

 

[Vi89]

I got accepted too!

 

[PharmDKid89]

I got accepted too!

Congratulations! 🙂

 

[ChaiTea]

Yes, but if a transfer student is competing for a seat against an LIU Brooklyn prepharm student - and they both have compatible stats (excluding PCAT scores, which I don't think are as important as GPA, as of now anyway, with LIU admissions): LIU prepharm student will get the seat!
I have to say that I feel this process is fair. LIU prepharm students have devoted two years of their time and money into the school, and deserve preference if they meet the qualifications. I do know of a student who just started the first preprofessional year at LIU, and the admissions made this very clear at the accepted student meeting: although guaranteed entry into the professional phase has been discontinued, prepharm students will still be given preferential consideration.

LIU rejected me and here are my stats, so nothing is guaranteed:


Graduate of Long Island University (2004)

BS in biology
Made Dean's List
Graduated with honors
Premed major
GPA anywhere from 3.4 - 3.7
Did research @ Howard
Translated Japanese @ Fordham
Research assistant @ Long Island University Psych. Dept.
76% on PharmCas


Received a 4 PARAGRAPH REJECTION LETTER from LIU's Pharm.D. program basically telling me my @$$ is too stupid for pharmacy school and I should choose another career altogether...........


So folks, nothing is guaranteed. LIU is just weird (trust me, I was an employee there)

 

[ChaiTea]

I am not without a heart, congrats to those who got into LIU! You will flove downtown brooklyn!

 

[Vi89]

Any females planning on living near the campus or looking for a place?

 

[Vi89]

Here's the group for LIU Pharmacy Students Class of 2013:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=74195942850