The Pharmacy Scholarship Thread

[alwayswinter]

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I thought it would be helpful for future pharmacy applicants to compile a list of their merit scholarship offers from various pharmacy schools. If you were awarded any, please list below:

Schools (if public, note whether you are instate or OOS) and corresponding scholarship amount(s)

GPA, PCAT score
Pharmacy experience
Research experience
Other volunteer/extracurricular activities
Other strengths/weaknesses of your application (advanced coursework, etc.)

 

[dreamchaserRx]

Following.

 

[med77]

I was offered a merit scholarship. Only $5k a year, but it's something. They described it as the best scholarship they hand out in the email that I got, but you'd think they'd maybe wanna give me more for a top scholarship. I'm just being greedy 😛 Edit: Forgot to mention that the school is a public school and I'll be attending OOS.

GPA: 3.5 cumulative with my science GPA not much below and my non-science GPA closer to a 3.8

PCAT: 96th percentile overall with a 99 in bio and 97 in chem

Pharmacy experience: None, but I have volunteered in hospitals (2.5 years worth of volunteering at ~6-10 hours a week)

Research experience: 4 years of academic laboratory research experience, both wet lab and field research in a remote location. Did a 6 month internship in an industry lab for analytical chemistry work. Also am expected to be 2nd author on 3 papers from my field research if we ever move forward and actually publish

Other volunteer/extracurricular activities: I volunteered as a tutor with poor kids (sorry I'm blanking on a better way to phrase it right now) for around 9 months. I also did a lot of PR work for my undergraduate university because of my field research (i.e. blog posts, videos, Q&A sessions with incoming students, Q&A sessions with current freshmen, featured in alumni magazine, featured in local newspaper). I also did some volunteer work with the SAR teams while I was stationed for my field research. It was a pathetic position, but you can talk it up real nice if you want to (which I totally did in my interviews and on my application). Had to do some video conferences while I was stationed too. One was with the NSF, one for a research and public outreach institution in Canada, and then a few more with my home university. I don't remember if I ever mentioned these on my application though. Probably not.

Other strengths/weaknesses of my application: Probably biggest strength was the location of where I did my research. It was with a government organization and really remote. Because of my work I got some fancy schmancy medal from Congress and a letter from the NSF...but that's not because I'm necessarily special or anything; anybody who works for x amount of days during a certain period of the year there will get the medal and letter. As for weaknesses, I have one C+ on my transcript that I can't stand to see. That's me being a little bit of a perfectionist I guess. I also have no pharmacy related experience as for a while I was considering going to medical school. Changed my mind after taking the MCAT actually. It's just not something that I want to do for the rest of my life. Some other strengths might have been some of my coursework being intensive chemistry classes, of which I received high marks. I got a pretty good grade in pchem for instance and then As in analytical and instrumental chemistry courses. My letters of recommendation were probably pretty good as well. Dean's list too...but not sure if that really matters

 

[pastoralsymphony]

University of Colorado offered me a scholarship 3k for the first year. I am OOS from California.

GPA,: cumulative: 3.12 science: 2.96 (I Know it's on the very low side--I studied at a pretty competitive undergrad university)
PCAT: 96 (99 on both bio and chem)
Pharmacy experience: Tech experience for 1.5 years, volunteered at independent pharmacy also in high school
Research experience: I did unconventional writing research on food deserts and some fieldwork in a very rural area in Oregon. no outside of classes wet lab experience though.
Other volunteer/extracurricular activities: I did tons of volunteer work (ie. volunteering at a local food bank, soup kitchens, teaching music) while in undergrad and organized many events . Also was heavily involved in organizing a student -led Peace Corps class
Other strengths/weaknesses of your application (advanced coursework, etc.): Biggest strength : Probably my interview and my personal statement because my transcript looks horrid.

I just wanted to let students know that even with a low GPA, you can get into a pharmacy school 🙂 It's not all GPA with pharmacy!

 

[LightYagami]

University of Colorado offered me a scholarship 3k for the first year. I am OOS from California.

GPA,: cumulative: 3.12 science: 2.96 (I Know it's on the very low side--I studied at a pretty competitive undergrad university)
PCAT: 96 (99 on both bio and chem)
Pharmacy experience: Tech experience for 1.5 years, volunteered at independent pharmacy also in high school
Research experience: I did unconventional writing research on food deserts and some fieldwork in a very rural area in Oregon. no outside of classes wet lab experience though.
Other volunteer/extracurricular activities: I did tons of volunteer work (ie. volunteering at a local food bank, soup kitchens, teaching music) while in undergrad and organized many events . Also was heavily involved in organizing a student -led Peace Corps class
Other strengths/weaknesses of your application (advanced coursework, etc.): Biggest strength : Probably my interview and my personal statement because my transcript looks horrid.

I just wanted to let students know that even with a low GPA, you can get into a pharmacy school 🙂 It's not all GPA with pharmacy!

Thanks for posting. I have 2.7 94% pcat wonder if id even get accepted Ucolorado