University of Southern California Application Thread

[HermJ]

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I believe the interview is the the interviewee plus a professor and a current pharmacy student, so it probably won't be a group interview.

For those doing the Nov 13th interview, how are you getting there and where will you stay?
I'm flying from NorCal to LAX and will possibly stay at some motel close to the campus.

 

[Halewafa]

Yes, the interview will be you, a professor, and a current student.

 

[peartiser]

A little late to the party, but I got my interview invite yesterday as well. I submitted my supplemental 8/28. Congrats everyone and see you there!

 

[PYLwar]

I haven't read any requirement but I've heard past applicants tell me that they were advised to keep it 2 pages or less. 3 max.

I think that it has to do with the amount of apps the admissions board has to review.

Thank You..

 

[dnguyen401]

La traffic is the worst. What time are you guys planning on leaving?

 

[Pharmasaurus88]

La traffic is the worst. What time are you guys planning on leaving?

I'm thinking 8-8:15ish. Probably going to get there 30 min early and end up sitting in my car for 20 min haha

Hopefully there is less traffic on a Saturday

 

[x0kandy0x]

I got my interview invite to USC today! I was wondering if they accept on a rolling basis or if they let you know late in the admissions process. All the interns I've asked that havE gone through my store said they heard in march. Does anyone know?

 

[nutenasni]

I got my interview invite to USC today! I was wondering if they accept on a rolling basis or if they let you know late in the admissions process. All the interns I've asked that havE gone through my store said they heard in march. Does anyone know?

I think it depends on when we interview. Most people interviewing in Nov will hear back in Dec unless they're put on active consideration. The interns you met may have had later interviews or were put on active consideration.

Does anyone know what else we should bring besides our id? Do we need a resume or any other paper work?

 

[dnguyen401]

I think it depends on when we interview. Most people interviewing in Nov will hear back in Dec unless they're put on active consideration. The interns you met may have had later interviews or were put on active consideration.

Does anyone know what else we should bring besides our id? Do we need a resume or any other paper work?

I'm going to bring a portfolio with an updated resume 👍

 

[Farmercyst]

I think it depends on when we interview. Most people interviewing in Nov will hear back in Dec unless they're put on active consideration. The interns you met may have had later interviews or were put on active consideration.

Does anyone know what else we should bring besides our id? Do we need a resume or any other paper work?

ID and pen, that is all. No one will be asking for or looking at your resume.

 

[Farmercyst]

I think it depends on when we interview. Most people interviewing in Nov will hear back in Dec unless they're put on active consideration. The interns you met may have had later interviews or were put on active consideration.

Does anyone know what else we should bring besides our id? Do we need a resume or any other paper work?

They've been interviewing 150 in Nov and 100 in the other three interviews. This was posted 12/19/2009 regarding applicants, acceptances and rejections from last year's Nov interview.

I was put on hold too. And in the email, they said that they interviewed 144 applicants, 55 were accepted, and everyone else was put on hold. So yes, they didn't reject anyone yet.

 

[angelberry85]

Thank you Farmercyst for all your help.

I was just wondering, I understand that the interviewers have a copy of our supplemental PS but do they have a copy of our resume as well?

 

[x0kandy0x]

The interns you met may have had later interviews or were put on active consideration.

What's active consideration??

 

[natasha2015]

What's active consideration??

From what I have read, it is essentially the same as being waitlisted. Apparently, they don't reject anyone right away, but put everyone who is not accepted after interviews in Nov, Jan, Feb "on hold".

Please someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

[bruin0289]

Did anyone receive their Checklist and Lack Letter more than a week apart? I received my Checklist on 10/25 and I'm starting to get worried because I haven't received my Lack Letter.

 

[dnguyen401]

Did anyone receive their Checklist and Lack Letter more than a week apart? I received my Checklist on 10/25 and I'm starting to get worried because I haven't received my Lack Letter.

I got an interview invite but I never got a lack letter. But then again, my interview invite was in my spam folder. So check your spam mail, it could be in there! 👍

 

[nutenasni]

Did anyone receive their Checklist and Lack Letter more than a week apart? I received my Checklist on 10/25 and I'm starting to get worried because I haven't received my Lack Letter.

I think you're ok, I got my checklist and lack letter about 3 weeks apart.

 

[bruin0289]

Ohhh okay thanks! 🙂 I've been checking my Spam folder, but I'm still afraid I accidentally deleted it or something lol

Did anyone get an interview invite who submitted everything after 10/8?

 

[Farmercyst]

Thank you Farmercyst for all your help.

I was just wondering, I understand that the interviewers have a copy of our supplemental PS but do they have a copy of our resume as well?

No, not unless they change things from the last couple of years. I won't be able to interview this year, at least not the Nov interview, so if they've changed things, I'm not privy to it. Usually just the supplemental essay.

 

[Farmercyst]

From what I have read, it is essentially the same as being waitlisted. Apparently, they don't reject anyone right away, but put everyone who is not accepted after interviews in Nov, Jan, Feb "on hold".

Please someone correct me if I am wrong.

They do usually reject some people after feb and march, but for the most part this is correct. After the march interview, they usually send a letter/email to see who wants to still be considered and then form the formal "waitlist". I believe that's why one is considered active consideration (they're re-evaluated after each interview) as opposed to a waitlist.

 

[desler]

any tips on the interview??

 

[dnguyen401]

Who's excited for the interview tomorrow? 😀

 

[Pharmasaurus88]

Woot interview done. It was a lot less stressful than I thought it would be. Did anyone else have a group that was like 90% UCLA people?

 

[dnguyen401]

Woot interview done. It was a lot less stressful than I thought it would be. Did anyone else have a group that was like 90% UCLA people?

Woot! I had a room full of people from UCI lol. How did you do on the writing portion?

 

[PharmD in 2015]

it's going to be 3 looooong weeks 🙂

 

[Pharmasaurus88]

Woot! I had a room full of people from UCI lol. How did you do on the writing portion?

One of the monitors told me they try to group people together. I guess I just got grouped along with UCLA people.

I didn't think the writing portion was that bad. Thinking back on it though I'm now not really sure what the main point(s) of it were haha

 

[Dunello]

waddup peeps....

just came back from the interview at usc t'day. does anyone know what the main idea of that paragraph was???! kinda stressin cuz i wasnt that clear on what it was saying...and I dunno what the purpose of the sample was. g'luck everybody

ya i was also in the group with the majority being bruins, and i was one of them. =)

 

[Pharmasaurus88]

waddup peeps....

just came back from the interview at usc t'day. does anyone know what the main idea of that paragraph was???! kinda stressin cuz i wasnt that clear on what it was saying...and I dunno what the purpose of the sample was. g'luck everybody

ya i was also in the group with the majority being bruins, and i was one of them. =)

I think it was more like restating the paragraph in your own words than summarizing it. Sort of hard to summarize something that is already so short.

Yeah.... not sure of the main point there.

Were you in the 9:00 group?

 

[kmapes]

That interview was actually kinda fun. I was in the group with all the UC Davis people. Kinda the odd ball out being from Arizona...

What did everyone else think of the interview?

 

[AoDai]

That interview was actually kinda fun. I was in the group with all the UC Davis people. Kinda the odd ball out being from Arizona...

What did everyone else think of the interview?

<3 Davis! haha from 11:40am?

 

[kmapes]

<3 Davis! haha from 11:40am?

Ha, yep...I was at 11:40.

 

[dnguyen401]

That interview was actually kinda fun. I was in the group with all the UC Davis people. Kinda the odd ball out being from Arizona...

What did everyone else think of the interview?

I didn't think the interview was bad at all. I said everything I needed to say 👍

I think I did horrible on the writing portion though 🙁

 

[Pharmasaurus88]

I didn't think the interview was bad at all. I said everything I needed to say 👍

I think I did horrible on the writing portion though 🙁

I don't think they will be too hard on the writing portion since it's just to see if you can follow directions and can understand and write English.

I'm sure you did just fine. 🙂 Good luck. Crossing my fingers for like 4 weeks is gonna be fun.

 

[hitornado]

Finally got back home after my interview. The experience was very low-stress, they definitely made every effort to break the ice a bit and get people to get more comfortable. I was in a group that was at least 1/3 from Davis, which is pretty crazy!

For the writing sample, I just approached it as restating the paragraph in my own words. Really don't get too caught up by exactly what every single thing in the article means; I talked to someone afterward who didn't know what something mentioned in the article was, and got really thrown off by it. Good luck all, I'll see this thread again in 3-4 weeks I'm sure!

 

[desler]

felt good coming out of the interview, but this wait has got me replaying the interview over in my head too much and doubting my answers now!! 😱

 

[dnguyen401]

felt good coming out of the interview, but this wait has got me replaying the interview over in my head too much and doubting my answers now!! 😱

Ahhhhhhhhh same here 👎

 

[waddup]

I turned in my app a few days before the 11/1 deadline. Does anyone know how long it takes before you get invited for an interview?

 

[LightRx3]

I turned in my app a few days before the 11/1 deadline. Does anyone know how long it takes before you get invited for an interview?

Two to three weeks before the interview date. Their next interview is scheduled for early next year, January 22.

As an aside: You should be receiving two additional emails, one containing the lack letter and one stating your application is completed. Your file then will undergo review.

Hope that helps.

 

[natasha2015]

Hello everyone -

I have submitted the supplemental app on 10/31, and my PharmCAS wasn't mailed till 11/8/10. The "your application is complete" was received on 11/12.

I know that timelines vary, but how soon do you think I should expect a "lack" letter?

Thank you!

 

[Halewafa]

I turned in my app a few days before the 11/1 deadline. Does anyone know how long it takes before you get invited for an interview?

Thats when I turned my in last year, didn't get an invite until the very last interview a couple of weeks before it. So if the Jan. 22nd one passes without hearing anything don't worry too much!

 

[TPHSSenior]

I received the lack e-mail letter. I replied back to the sender, Jim Granderson, with several updates but have not received any response. It has been over a week. Has anyone here submitted updates and was it via e-mail reply? How long did it take until you received a revised lack letter?

 

[rxrina]

I received the lack e-mail letter. I replied back to the sender, Jim Granderson, with several updates but have not received any response. It has been over a week. Has anyone here submitted updates and was it via e-mail reply? How long did it take until you received a revised lack letter?

I actually received my lack letter from Xin...so she replied really quickly when I sent her an email about adding a correct completion date to one of my pre reqs. I sent it Saturday and by Monday I got a response.

 

[FredDurst]

Thats when I turned my in last year, didn't get an invite until the very last interview a couple of weeks before it. So if the Jan. 22nd one passes without hearing anything don't worry too much!

Same here. Turned in my application a few hours before the deadline and didn't hear anything for a long time. Got invited to the last interview day.

 

[Farmercyst]

Same here. Turned in my application a few hours before the deadline and didn't hear anything for a long time. Got invited to the last interview day.

Turned mine in 10/26 and invited for last interview.

 

[PharmD in 2015]

The wait is almost unbearable lol. I hope we'll find out about the decision by the end of this week.

 

[dnguyen401]

The wait is almost unbearable lol. I hope we'll find out about the decision by the end of this week.

It feels like forever! 👎thumbdown

 

[PharmD in 2015]

It feels like forever! 👎thumbdown

Yeah... Waiting SUCKS, but I'm glad that I am not alone

 

[kmapes]

The wait is almost unbearable lol. I hope we'll find out about the decision by the end of this week.

I doubt it'll be this week...more likely the end of next week.

 

[dnguyen401]

Did Mr.Granderson say how much they will admit for the first cycle of interviews?

 

[PharmD in 2015]

Did Mr.Granderson say how much they will admit for the first cycle of interviews?

i remember he said "a tiny little bit" only haha... last year, they interviewed 150 people, and they accepted 55 if I remember correctly.