UCSF Specific Questions

[thaliagoo]

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Hello all,

I remember coming to this site last year often during my application process and I found it extremely helpful. As a way of paying back, I am open to any questions you may have to UCSF specifically. I will also answer questions about UCSD and USC since I also applied and interviewed there, but my knowledge is more limited for these schools. Feel free to PM me as well if you don't feel like sharing.

Good luck to everyone out there!

 

[mustangrolla]

do mind sharing u'r stats?

Im reapplying to UCSF with only a slightly higher GPA. Does UCSF give extra consideration for the poor souls that didn't get in and are reapplying?

 

[MuraRX]

I applied to UCSF last year, got on the waitlist, but they didn't get to me. I'm reapplying and just wondering how you like it so far? Also, do you live in campus housing? If so, how is it?

And thanks for offering up your advice!🙂

 

[thaliagoo]

I applied to UCSF last year, got on the waitlist, but they didn't get to me. I'm reapplying and just wondering how you like it so far? Also, do you live in campus housing? If so, how is it?

And thanks for offering up your advice!🙂

Hey Mura!

UCSF is great- the people here are quite nice, and I love San Fran! Classes thus far seem a lot easier than I expected- granted, I already took them in college. There is only one hard course- Clinical Pharm- which I have an exam on Tues. Well I really hope things go well for you this round. I might be seeing you during interviews. Hey, if you need a place to stay, I'd be happy to host. 🙂

As for my stats, at the time of application, I had a 3.6 overall GPA with 3.4 in science. I was a biochem major came from a small liberal arts college in the East Coast (not well known, or anything). I was female and Asian (Vietnamese) and pretty involved in extracurriculars. I must emphasize EC because it's big at schools like UCSF and UCSD. They want well rounded applicants. Also, if you're a pharmacy technician, that is a big ++ because it shows your committment to pharm. I wasn't but I wish I had the experience, it's particularly useful too when you're taking pharm classes.

Did you get an interview last year? Was there something that changed (like you just obtained your Bachelors)? I would say that if you reapplied, you do get some plus points because it shows committment but your stats is still a major factor. You should also work on boosting your application with other things like work experience and leadership! Good luck!

 

[gimpsd]

Class of 2010 rocks. Good luck on CP111 thaliagoo.

 

[MuraRX]

Hey Mura!

UCSF is great- the people here are quite nice, and I love San Fran! Classes thus far seem a lot easier than I expected- granted, I already took them in college. There is only one hard course- Clinical Pharm- which I have an exam on Tues. Well I really hope things go well for you this round. I might be seeing you during interviews. Hey, if you need a place to stay, I'd be happy to host. 🙂

As for my stats, at the time of application, I had a 3.6 overall GPA with 3.4 in science. I was a biochem major came from a small liberal arts college in the East Coast (not well known, or anything). I was female and Asian (Vietnamese) and pretty involved in extracurriculars. I must emphasize EC because it's big at schools like UCSF and UCSD. They want well rounded applicants. Also, if you're a pharmacy technician, that is a big ++ because it shows your committment to pharm. I wasn't but I wish I had the experience, it's particularly useful too when you're taking pharm classes.

Did you get an interview last year? Was there something that changed (like you just obtained your Bachelors)? I would say that if you reapplied, you do get some plus points because it shows committment but your stats is still a major factor. You should also work on boosting your application with other things like work experience and leadership! Good luck!

Thanks for all the tips Thalia!

I did have an interview last year and I got a spot on the waitlist, but when classes started I was still 5 spots away from getting in 🙁

I'm not a pharmacy tech, but I just landed a volunteer opportunity at a community pharmacy near my home. I graduated (B.A. Biology) in 2005, but did not have any extracurriculars. I worked to support myself throughout undergrad, which, after all the studying, didn't leave much time for anything else. I have however, been working in healthcare since highschool (since 1998) and I have done research at my current job which has resulted in authorship on a soon to be published article in a medical journal. This is not technically an "EC", but should I put it on my application as an EC? Since it was part of my job, I'm not sure.

As far as what have I done since? I have taken some more courses (calc-based physics & stats for research) and will be starting my volunteership soon. Not sure how my gpa will be affected since I'm having a little trouble with the calc-based physics (calculus not my strong point), but I am taking it b/c when evaluating my classes last year, the adcom let it slide that my physics was not calc-based. The point was to show that I was willing to do whatever I had to, but I'm scared it might come back & bight me in the a** 😳

 

[akaykay]

Hey Mura!

UCSF is great- the people here are quite nice, and I love San Fran! Classes thus far seem a lot easier than I expected- granted, I already took them in college. There is only one hard course- Clinical Pharm- which I have an exam on Tues. Well I really hope things go well for you this round. I might be seeing you during interviews. Hey, if you need a place to stay, I'd be happy to host. 🙂

As for my stats, at the time of application, I had a 3.6 overall GPA with 3.4 in science. I was a biochem major came from a small liberal arts college in the East Coast (not well known, or anything). I was female and Asian (Vietnamese) and pretty involved in extracurriculars. I must emphasize EC because it's big at schools like UCSF and UCSD. They want well rounded applicants. Also, if you're a pharmacy technician, that is a big ++ because it shows your committment to pharm. I wasn't but I wish I had the experience, it's particularly useful too when you're taking pharm classes.

Did you get an interview last year? Was there something that changed (like you just obtained your Bachelors)? I would say that if you reapplied, you do get some plus points because it shows committment but your stats is still a major factor. You should also work on boosting your application with other things like work experience and leadership! Good luck!

this is great info. my stats are similar to yours, female & a minority and I have plenty of EC. I'm glad you said tech's get a ++ because I'm a tech (and volunteered as a tech in Africa). glad to hear some positive feedback on UCSF

 

[sdgirl1507]

Hi Thalia

Did you get accepted into UCSD?

Thanks

 

[shaq786]

Can someone please help?

UCSF wants me to send them my high school transcripts!

So do I send my high school transcripts to them along with my supplemental application? Meaning do I get a special envelope with a seal of my high school transcripts and send it all in together?

Or do I get my highschool to send the transcripts to UCSF DIRECTLY?

 

[MuraRX]

why do you need to send High school transcripts? I thought they don't even begin reviewing apps until Nov 1st anyway; is that correct?

 

[shaq786]

why do you need to send High school transcripts? I thought they don't even begin reviewing apps until Nov 1st anyway; is that correct?

Well on the supplemental application help section http://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/pharmd/admissions/steps/2/supp/form/e/ for Form E, it looks like they do want high school transcripts for the Nov 1st deadline. But I dont know if they want them sent alltogether with the supplemental app or sent directly to the school of pharmacy from the high school office?

 

[MuraRX]

Well, if you need to send transcripts, I would contact your high school and have them sent directly to UCSF. If you are really worried about if that's the way to go, call the admissions office and ask them before you send out your supplemental.

 

[Hendlefe]

I wouldn't say Vietnamese people are a minority, especially in the west coast. Our acceptance rate is much lower than that of other groups probably because most of us are in California and all want to go to school in CA. Vietnamese make up 7.9% of applicants which is just behind Blacks (8.29%) and whites (48.42%).

Here's a link of that straight from pharmcas website: http://pharmcas.org/docs/Race04-05.pdf

 

[shaq786]

Thanks for the tip MuraRx.

Can I ask you another question or any other person here that knows how to answer it?

http://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/pharmd/admissions/steps/2/supp/form/d/ for form d, if you click on the pdf part you will see that they want you to list certain prerequisite classes. My problem is under the electives and humanities section, I have a lot of different prerequisites that could be used there. Do I have to list all of them? I also never got them officially approaved by UCSF, but I am sure they will be taken.

 

[mustangrolla]

I wouldn't say Vietnamese people are a minority, especially in the west coast. Our acceptance rate is much lower than that of other groups probably because most of us are in California and all want to go to school in CA. Vietnamese make up 7.9% of applicants which is just behind Blacks (8.29%) and whites (48.42%).

Here's a link of that straight from pharmcas website: http://pharmcas.org/docs/Race04-05.pdf

U'r only considered a "true" minority if u'r not listed on the list, like i am! haha ... i'm under "other asian" for being cambodian .. they need to start sending more interviews my way .. hehe

 

[MuraRX]

Thanks for the tip MuraRx.

Can I ask you another question or any other person here that knows how to answer it?

http://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/pharmd/admissions/steps/2/supp/form/d/ for form d, if you click on the pdf part you will see that they want you to list certain prerequisite classes. My problem is under the electives and humanities section, I have a lot of different prerequisites that could be used there. Do I have to list all of them? I also never got them officially approaved by UCSF, but I am sure they will be taken.

Out of the humanities & electives you have taken, you can pick which classes you want to put in that section as long as they add up to the minimum req'd # of credits the want. They will see your full academic record through PharmCAS anyway.