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Rx MPLS

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It looked like next year's P1 class needed a new thread...so here we go!

Post away, Class of 2016 applicants! :D
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Excited, nervous, and scared at the same time! I just applied to the U of MN, College of Pharmacy. I also just completed the supp app yesterday. Just waiting patiently (at least...trying to..) for my PCAT's to post and have my app deemed complete.

Any suggestions about the process? I think my overall app is strong, however, I have a very poor PCAT score. :(

If the U of MN decides to reject me....will they send me a notice right away? They're my first choice so if I don't get in, I have to move towards plan B until the following year. :(
 
pharmacy28 said:
Excited, nervous, and scared at the same time! I just applied to the U of MN, College of Pharmacy. I also just completed the supp app yesterday. Just waiting patiently (at least...trying to..) for my PCAT's to post and have my app deemed complete.

Any suggestions about the process? I think my overall app is strong, however, I have a very poor PCAT score. :(

If the U of MN decides to reject me....will they send me a notice right away? They're my first choice so if I don't get in, I have to move towards plan B until the following year. :(
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If you're concerned about your PCAT score, you could take it again (and study harder!). If you let them know you're taking it again, the U won't look at your application until your second PCAT is complete. Still, if your overall application is strong otherwise and you've already completed a degree, getting a decent PCAT score may really up your chances of getting an interview.

A degree really helps...most admitted students have degrees. I know people get admitted without degrees, but I imagine they usually have pretty stellar stats.

Don't think about Plan B yet; it's far too early to start down that road. Just do what you can to get an interview, then show them how amazing you truly are. Good luck! :luck:
 
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Rx MPLS said:
If you're concerned about your PCAT score, you could take it again (and study harder!). If you let them know you're taking it again, the U won't look at your application until your second PCAT is complete. Still, if your overall application is strong otherwise and you've already completed a degree, getting a decent PCAT score may really up your chances of getting an interview.

A degree really helps...most admitted students have degrees. I know people get admitted without degrees, but I imagine they usually have pretty stellar stats.

Don't think about Plan B yet; it's far too early to start down that road. Just do what you can to get an interview, then show them how amazing you truly are. Good luck! :luck:
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That's just it. I want to take it again for this cycle, however, Pearson has a policy which states that if someone scores 50 pts or more on their second attempt within 13 months, they will void it. If they do that, I'll have to appeal and it'll just take more time. I purposely submitted everything early so that I would have a higher chance of getting selected for an interview. I guess it back fired! PharmCas was submitted before my I took my PCAT's. Now, I'm just relying on my extrac's/leaderships, LOR's, and experience (10 yrs in various settings). I'll be graduating in May 2012 with my BS so basically I have a degree in their eyes.

I did, however, send an email explaining my situation to Sara L. (ad counselor) and she suggested I go ahead and apply/submit my app/supp anyway. I'm not sure if I have a chance because my scores are so low (below average). I just hate standarized tests. It was mainly because of the time pressure :(. I tend to panic and then everything starts to look foreign to me.

Do you know of anyone who's gotten accepted with low PCAT's?
 
pharmacy28 said:
That's just it. I want to take it again for this cycle, however, Pearson has a policy which states that if someone scores 50 pts or more on their second attempt within 13 months, they will void it. If they do that, I'll have to appeal and it'll just take more time. I purposely submitted everything early so that I would have a higher chance of getting selected for an interview. I guess it back fired! PharmCas was submitted before my I took my PCAT's. Now, I'm just relying on my extrac's/leaderships, LOR's, and experience (10 yrs in various settings). I'll be graduating in May 2012 with my BS so basically I have a degree in their eyes.

I did, however, send an email explaining my situation to Sara L. (ad counselor) and she suggested I go ahead and apply/submit my app/supp anyway. I'm not sure if I have a chance because my scores are so low (below average). I just hate standarized tests. It was mainly because of the time pressure :(. I tend to panic and then everything starts to look foreign to me.

Do you know of anyone who's gotten accepted with low PCAT's?
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Well...I'm sure a degree would be helpful!

I'd go with whatever Sara says; she's seen it all. I don't actually know what my admitted classmates' PCAT scores were (not really an exciting topic of discussion, y'know), but if the average is in the 70s (as stated on the U's admissions page), there were probably both higher and lower scores. I think the U takes a pretty holistic view of the individual applicant, which could work in your favor. You should check out the 2015, 2014, and 2013 UMN threads on here, too, to see what other students said in the past about the application process.

If you get an interview, I think your chances of getting in are pretty good if you can sell yourself.
 
Rx MPLS said:
Well...I'm sure a degree would be helpful!

I'd go with whatever Sara says; she's seen it all. I don't actually know what my admitted classmates' PCAT scores were (not really an exciting topic of discussion, y'know), but if the average is in the 70s (as stated on the U's admissions page), there were probably both higher and lower scores. I think the U takes a pretty holistic view of the individual applicant, which could work in your favor. You should check out the 2015, 2014, and 2013 UMN threads on here, too, to see what other students said in the past about the application process.

If you get an interview, I think your chances of getting in are pretty good if you can sell yourself.
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Thanks for your honesty. Hopefully, everything goes well. :):):)
 
Submitted my supp. app on 8/21 .. :xf: for an interview offer!
 
so it looks like they recently started reviewing my application.. got an email on 8/30.. gaaah the wait ..:xf:
 
tariqsa said:
so it looks like they recently started reviewing my application.. got an email on 8/30.. gaaah the wait ..:xf:
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that's great! Do you mind sharing what the email said? I haven't received anything yet.
 
Thank you for applying to the University of Minnesota College of Pharm.D. program. We have received all application items and your application is complete.

We consider an application complete once we receive a minimum of three letters of recommendation from PharmCAS. If an additional letter of recommendation is submitted to PharmCAS after you receive this email, it will not be included in your application unless you contact us and request it be included.

We will now begin the initial review of your application. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by email. Fall semester interivew days are scheduled for Sept. 23, Oct. 21, Nov. 4, and Dec. 9.
 
tariqsa said:
Thank you for applying to the University of Minnesota College of Pharm.D. program. We have received all application items and your application is complete.

We consider an application complete once we receive a minimum of three letters of recommendation from PharmCAS. If an additional letter of recommendation is submitted to PharmCAS after you receive this email, it will not be included in your application unless you contact us and request it be included.

We will now begin the initial review of your application. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by email. Fall semester interivew days are scheduled for Sept. 23, Oct. 21, Nov. 4, and Dec. 9.
Click to expand...


Thank you for sharing! I just received the same email too. Hopefully, we'll hear back soon. :xf:
 
Good luck!! Let me know if you have any updates =) .. are you from MN?
 
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Just sent in my completed application and they sent me the same email regarding them reviewing my Application. :) Is there anyone from out of state????:)
 
Where are you from? I just submitted mine as well and got the same email message.
 
If you're asking me.. I'm an international student studying in MN.. =)
 
Fall2012app1 said:
Where are you from? I just submitted mine as well and got the same email message.
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MN does not give preference to MN Residents so good luck to everyone. When I emailed them about having my completed application, they replied that they had a delay in their business office and was not able to receive a few supp apps. However, the problem has been resolved and they are now reviewing the completed apps in the order they were submitted.
 
Oh thats nice. International student. I am from Arizona. But was wondering how to do you like the twin cities. and do you live on campus?
 
Hi Pharmacy 28... Do you attend U of MN as well? AND GOOD LUCK EVERYONE whose applying. Lets keep eachother posted !
 
Fall2012app1 said:
Hi Pharmacy 28... Do you attend U of MN as well? AND GOOD LUCK EVERYONE whose applying. Lets keep eachother posted !
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Yes, I attend the U of MN and love it here. Although, I don't live on campus, I sure would like too with all the construction. I am in my last year and hoping for good news about pharmacy school. Good luck and yes, lets keep eachother posted on any news.
 
I'm so anxious! Although I feel that I don't stand a chance.. since they prefer students with a Bachelors degree .. but still keeping my fingers crossed!
 
Hey everyone!

I just wanted to say good luck to you all! I just started the P1 year at the U of M, so the anxiety of applying for schools is still fresh in my mind. Keep your chins up! I'll try to pop back in and check for questions every now and then. Here's some answers to some questions/thoughts I saw posted:

* Having a degree is very helpful. You can see the admissions stats for the last few years here: http://www.pharmacy.umn.edu/pharmd/admissions/statistics/home.html As you'll see, the vast majority of students have degrees already. I would guess that a decent amount of students coming in this year without degrees are non-traditional students, but don't quote me on that.

* If you get an interview, that's wonderful! You basically have a 3/4 chance of being offered admission if you have an interview. You get notified approximately six weeks after the interview date as to if you're accepted, wait-listed, or denied. Most of the people that don't get offered right away also get put on the wait-list, so there's still hope! I was a wait-lister myself, so I am all to familiar with the stress of that. If you're wait-listed, they will tell you if it's the ranked or unranked wait-list, but you won't find out where you are on the ranked wait-list until May, which is also when they tend to start offering admission off the wait-list.

* You don't need to have a stellar PCAT score to get in. I had an awesome PCAT and I was wait-listed, and one of my friends from undergrad had a "bad" PCAT score (I don't know what it was, or if it even was bad at all) and they got accepted right off the bat.

* No matter what, have a back-up plan.

* Interview tips:
- Practice common interview questions with a mock interviewer (just Google pharm/med school interview questions). You don't want to sound rehearsed, though.
- Dress professionally. Guys: tie, dress-coat/business suit, etc. Girls: business suit, etc.
- DON'T BE LATE
- Be able to answer the questions "Why do you want to be a pharmacist?" "Why do you want to go to the U of M?" and "Which campus would you prefer and WHY?"
- They take into account how harshly/kindly interviewers score their interviewees, so if you feel like your interviewer drilled you into the ground and you did not do well, don't worry about it. Some interviews are like casual conversations, and some are like being drilled. It just depends on who your interviewer is.
- Have questions for your interviewer. If they ask you if you have any questions for them and you don't, they won't be impressed.
- Have the admissions office # in your cell phone in case you get lost or can't find the room you're supposed to be in.

It's easy to say, but don't stress out about it too much. Once your apps are submitted, you can't change anything so having anxiety about it won't help you at all.
 
thanks for the info =) how long does it take for the AC to let the selected applicant know about the interview date after they have applied?
 
Thank you for your great advice! Are you from Minnesota?
How do you like the program so far?
What can we expect if we do get accepted?
 
HOw do you like the program?! And if you dont mind me asking what are some of the stats of your classmates and yourself? (ie. out of state, male to female ratio,)
 
tariqsa said:
thanks for the info =) how long does it take for the AC to let the selected applicant know about the interview date after they have applied?
Click to expand...

I was told we would hear back within 2 weeks from the receipt of our completed email notification. So, hopefully soon.
 
Fall2012app1 said:
I have a high GPA . but a low PCAT. Im worried!
Click to expand...

I don't have an impressive PCAT considering my 3.97 GPA :( .. but how low is your "low" PCAT if you don't mind me asking..

One good thing about the school is that they don't have a min for the PCAT and I talked to one of the advisors at the U and they told me to mention my weakness in the optional essay since my PCAT composite is low only because of verbal and reading..
 
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tariqsa said:
thanks for the info =) how long does it take for the AC to let the selected applicant know about the interview date after they have applied?
Click to expand...

It depends on how close you are to a specific interview cycle. I would call the admissions office for that, but chances are it'll be 2-4 weeks.
 
Fall2012app1 said:
Thank you for your great advice! Are you from Minnesota?
How do you like the program so far?
What can we expect if we do get accepted?
Click to expand...

You're welcome :)

I am born and raised in MN. I also did my undergrad here. I guess I'll never leave :p There's people from all over the country and the world in the program. I believe this year's class represents 12 countries... don't quote me on that though.

I like it so far, although we've only had four days of classes and two days of orientation. There's tons of organizations and opportunities to get involved. We're already being set up with local pharmacist mentors, are already loaded with reading and homework/studying, and it seems like there will be a decent balance types of studies for the semester. The professors seem really nice and everyone really wants you to survive... I mean succeed. Just kidding, it's really not going to be that bad. We'll see how it goes from here.

You'll get a bunch of info at your interview regarding what happens if you get accepted. You need to submit a $500 deposit within a few weeks to secure your spot (non-refundable if you decide to go somewhere else) and fill out some paperwork. That's basically it for now. You will also need to fill out a form regarding which campus you want to attend. They'll give you the details on that when they ask you to interview though.

About campus selection - they say that no matter which option you pick it won't affect your chances of getting accepted, but that's not true. Admissions might tell you its true, but other faculty will say it's not. If you say you'd only go to one campus and most people in your chunk of interviews pick that same campus, you're competing with more people for less spots. It's less confusing than it sounds. If you get offered admission to one campus, you have to accept that campus or lose your spot (they make this very clear at the interview, but you might as well know now).
 
One last note - if you guys ever have questions or concerns, just call or email admissions. They are employed specifically to answer your questions, they don't mind doing it, and they are the best resource to answer your questions. I called and emailed them a bunch about important and trivial things and they were always friendly and answered all of my questions.

Also, if you think of something you wish you had had on your application that you forgot to put on before you submitted it (I forgot research, shadowing, and presenting research at the ACS national conferences on my PharmCAS. Who does that? Seriously? Me, apparently.) then you can try to find a way to work it into your interview. Some interviewers ask if there's anything you'd like to add, and some also give you their email addresses in case you think of anything else you forgot to mention in the interview. Take advantage of it if they do offer that!
 
What does the AC look at when selecting an applicant? I mean do you know anyone who got accepted at the COP with an avg PCAT score between 60-70 ?
 
tariqsa said:
What does the AC look at when selecting an applicant? I mean do you know anyone who got accepted at the COP with an avg PCAT score between 60-70 ?
Click to expand...

I don't know a specific person (people don't generally go around spewing about their PCAT scores), but I can guarantee you there are several, if not many. The average percentile accepted for 2011 was the 74% (http://www.pharmacy.umn.edu/pharmd/admissions/statistics/home.html).

Here's the selection criteria: http://www.pharmacy.umn.edu/pharmd/admissions/criteria/home.html
 
Also, if you currently attend the U of M (Twin Cities, I'm not sure about the other campuses) you can get a P1 mentor. There's a brand new program starting this year between the Pre-Pharmacy club and MPSA that pairs pre-pharmacy students with a P1. Then you can have your own personal contact to help you through the application process and to answer questions. I was told today that there's 47 students signed up already.
 
One last thing: if you are questioning whether you should take biochemistry or not... do it. You will be grateful you did once you get to biochemistry of medicinals.
 
PharmD for Me said:
About campus selection - they say that no matter which option you pick it won't affect your chances of getting accepted, but that's not true. Admissions might tell you its true, but other faculty will say it's not. If you say you'd only go to one campus and most people in your chunk of interviews pick that same campus, you're competing with more people for less spots. It's less confusing than it sounds. If you get offered admission to one campus, you have to accept that campus or lose your spot (they make this very clear at the interview, but you might as well know now).
Click to expand...

I assume applying early is to our advantage then, right? Would you say it would only become a problem once it gets closer to the end of the cycle?
 
tariqsa said:
What does the AC look at when selecting an applicant? I mean do you know anyone who got accepted at the COP with an avg PCAT score between 60-70 ?
Click to expand...

Keep in mind, their AVERAGE is in the mid-70's which mean there are people who scored on both sides (highs and lows). The U of MN will take the WHOLE application into consideration though. So, that's actually to our benefit.

Well, at least that's what I've been told. Hopefully, it's true :oops:
 
pharmacy28 said:
I assume applying early is to our advantage then, right? Would you say it would only become a problem once it gets closer to the end of the cycle?
Click to expand...

Oh, the interesting subject of campus selection.

Applying early gives you some advantage, but they try to fill each campus at the same rate so applying early won't make much of a difference in campus selection chances.

For example, they fill (made up #) about 15% of each campus at each interview round, regardless of the ratios of the interviewees' campus selections. If the campuses start filling up at uneven rates (this can vary depending on how many students actually accept the offers), then they compensate for it by admitting more to the campus that has a smaller proportion filled.

Or say most people in your interview block choose Duluth and very few choose TC (or visa versa), then the people that picked only Duluth are competing for relatively fewer spots, and if they picked either campus they'll probably get TC instead of Duluth, regardless of preference. It's all a bit of a gamble, unfortunately.

Your best bet is to choose both campuses and then write down your preferred campus on the selection form, assuming you want to go to the U of M over any other school. Visit both in case you find out that you really don't like one campus/city, in which case you'd say you only would accept an offer to that one campus. Does that make sense? It's a bit ramble-y. This is all just as how I understand it... talk to admissions if you want official, 100% accurate info. They will also explain it all on the interview day.


Random, semi-related thoughts:

* It doesn't matter which campus you interview at. Just pick the one that's closest or that you feel the most comfortable with. Another option would be to interview at the campus that you haven't visited so that you have an opportunity to see both campuses without making a special trip just to visit.

* Keep in mind that both campuses receive the exact same education. Your classes are done together via ITV -- besides lab and discussion oriented classes -- and there are professors on both campuses. From what I've seen (in my whopping 5 days of class), there's often multiple professors for each class and they are often on both campuses.

* If you get waitlisted, it won't make a difference when you interviewed regarding where you are on the waitlist or when you find out your placement on it. They do all of that in late April/early May, unfortunately.
 
pharmacy28 said:
Keep in mind, their AVERAGE is in the mid-70's which mean there are people who scored on both sides (highs and lows). The U of MN will take the WHOLE application into consideration though. So, that's actually to our benefit.

Well, at least that's what I've been told. Hopefully, it's true :oops:
Click to expand...




Yes, it's true.
 
GOT AN INTERVIEW FOR THE 23RD!!! eeeeeeee!!! :xf:
 
pharmacy28 said:
that's great! When did you receive the invite? Also, are you studying at the u of mn as well?
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At 7:30 pm today.. I'm studying at MSU, Mankato.. Interview is at Duluth err the drive.. but now I'm soo nervous about the interview.. did u hear back from them??
 
tariqsa said:
At 7:30 pm today.. I'm studying at MSU, Mankato.. Interview is at Duluth err the drive.. but now I'm soo nervous about the interview.. did u hear back from them??
Click to expand...

oh wow! I wonder if they're working late. Ugh! I really hope I hear soon. The wait is killing me. I just want to know if I stand a chance or been denied. I rather find out sooner than later.
 
pharmacy28 said:
oh wow! I wonder if they're working late. Ugh! I really hope I hear soon. The wait is killing me. I just want to know if I stand a chance or been denied. I rather find out sooner than later.
Click to expand...

Greetings! We are pleased to announce you have been selected for an interview for the Pharm.D. program at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. We would like to invite you to interview at our college on Friday, September 23, 2011. Interviews will be held on the Duluth campus only this day.

I didn't expect to get it at all at least at that time!
That's what the email said.. It took them approx. 13days to get back to me regarding the interview. I'm sure they will get back to you soon!! :D :thumbup:
 
tariqsa said:
Greetings! We are pleased to announce you have been selected for an interview for the Pharm.D. program at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. We would like to invite you to interview at our college on Friday, September 23, 2011. Interviews will be held on the Duluth campus only this day.

I didn't expect to get it at all at least at that time!
That's what the email said.. It took them approx. 13days to get back to me regarding the interview. I'm sure they will get back to you soon!! :D :thumbup:
Click to expand...

can I ask, who sent the email?
 
My composite score was a 51 and I GOT AN OFFER FOR AN Interview!!!
 
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