University of Texas at Austin

[tharper14]

I don't know what an S permit is.

I'm not too familiar with UT but on the website it says that with an S permit you can park in the university garages and it's only for students living off-campus.

http://www.utexas.edu/parking/parking/student/

I don't mind walking a bit as long as it isn't a hassle finding parking. Sounds like C is the way to go?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[txpharmD2b]

I have an S permit. These run out pretty fast so you have to find out the day they start selling them because the garages that are in high demand will be gone. I park at the San Antonio Garage (which is really close to the pharmacy building). It's about a 5 min walk (bc of the slight detour due to recent construction.)

I recommend it over C parking because there will ALWAYS be a parking spot for you. I don't know how C parking is but some of my friends say it's a hassel sometimes. S permit may cost more...but it's worth it.

 

[texasRx]

for those who just got acceptances, has anyone gotten their packet in the mail yet?

 

[FixLittlePeople]

I remember getting the packet a few weeks after.

Any of you P1's, do you recall how long it took for your CASH (financial aid) page to update wtih your financial aid info? My FAFSA has been done a while back, they say I'm complete, but it keeps saying that my financial aid information is not yet available. Hope it won't be August...especially as a P1, one have to arrange for housing and whatnot...thanks guys for all the help

 

[tharper14]

for those who just got acceptances, has anyone gotten their packet in the mail yet?

Nope.

 

[mike36]

I remember getting the packet a few weeks after.

Any of you P1's, do you recall how long it took for your CASH (financial aid) page to update wtih your financial aid info? My FAFSA has been done a while back, they say I'm complete, but it keeps saying that my financial aid information is not yet available. Hope it won't be August...especially as a P1, one have to arrange for housing and whatnot...thanks guys for all the help

I don't remember when I found out how much I was getting, but you should expect to receive your money AFTER classes start. This is because you are not registered for classes until very late. If you need to, you can take out a tuition loan from UT and pay it back when you get your financial aid.

 

[evildarklord198]

what are gonna be inside of the packet UT's sending? stuff about finaid, immunizations and things in that nature...not any confetti like Tech?

 

[Lateralus1441]

congrats to the COP 2012! get off SDN and go party RIGHT NOW!

 

[evildarklord198]

i just completed my FAFSA on the web yesterday....I know it's probably too late because I read somewhere deadline for the fall 2008 with UT is April 1st, and it's fast approaching....if I don't get financial aid early enough for the Fall, what should I do? Go to the local bank and loan?

 

[mike36]

i just completed my FAFSA on the web yesterday....I know it's probably too late because I read somewhere deadline for the fall 2008 with UT is April 1st, and it's fast approaching....if I don't get financial aid early enough for the Fall, what should I do? Go to the local bank and loan?

You can get a bank loan if you need to, but I think your FAFSA is fine. I think a lot of people typically wait until the last minute to do it (as in hours or minutes before the deadline).

 

[Knickerbocker]

congrats to the COP 2012! get off SDN and go party RIGHT NOW!

Some of these people still need to finish their prereqs so that their acceptance isn't revoked...

 

[Knickerbocker]

For those of you who reapplied and weren't UT students, did you have to do the transfer application a second time?

 

[MrPrePharmD]

Does anybody know where to find the average NAPLEX scores for UT or Texas schools in general. There is an abundance of data on passing rates, but that's really not much help.

 

[bamobrien]

i forget where they are on the site but the last time i saw it the last few years have been 98, 97, 98, 76% (in sequential order)

 

[Knickerbocker]

I apologize to those who I am quoting, but all of this is there in the previous ten pages. I've been looking at improving myself and trying to figure out where I've gone wrong. Unfortunately, I've come across some mysteries that, at face value, seem to point to an inconsistent system. This makes me feel like I'd be wasting time and money trying to reapply.

i was declined last year for not having pharmacy letters or experience. i had a good gpa, great pcat, lots of extracurricular. i dont mean to offend, but this is really distressing to me. i've gotten experience and pharm letters now but where else could i have tripped up?

I didn't have a pharmacist write an LOR and had no pharmacy experience. Also, keep in mind that those with lower PCATs/GPAs do not post as much as those with higher scores.

Why did mike36 not need pharmacy experience? He said that he had some clinical lab science work, but that's not pharmacy. Whatever the case, hopefully Bamobrien will be accepted.

Just as a background...I graduated from the nursing program at UT. I was able to get an interview last year and felt pretty good about the interview. Dr. Wilcox didn't really say much about improving my scores and raising my gpa. Mainly, he said that I should volunteer in a pharmacy, fix my essay to pinpoint exactly why i wanted to do the switch from nursing to pharmacy. Looking at my essay from last year, I can see why they couldn't find the reasons why I wanted to switch. I wasn't very clear on my essay and mainly glazed over the topic.

This one bothers me the most. She did what was suggested and didn't even get another interview. From what I remember, her GPA and PCAT were pretty typical. Why should she not be allowed to switch from nursing? Mike (not picking on you) made a switch from what he was doing. Others have posted about career shifts as well.

 

[bamobrien]

its been abundantly clear to me since i made that post that i did poorly on the interview last year. didn't really prepare and had nothing to say about experience or the future or current status of pharmacy and it showed.

 

[Happy Hounds]

Aww, dude! "Abundantly clear?!" I feel bad, like I skewered you or something today

Just practice practice practice the next few days, and you'll be ready, confident, and I'm sure your interview will be SUPERB!!!

 

[UTplease]

I have been rejected. I'm honestly not suprised, but I am disappointed. I'm still hoping I get into UH so all is not lost. I didn't bother applying anywhere else. I get too homesick.

 

[MrPrePharmD]

i forget where they are on the site but the last time i saw it the last few years have been 98, 97, 98, 76% (in sequential order)

I was actually trying to find out the average score on the NAPLEX. Like I said, passing rates really aren't that important to me because I feel like you are going to have 1 or 2 people from each class fail even if the instruction is excellent. Your actual NAPLEX score has an impact on your PGY1/2. Everyone you are competing with has passed.

 

[Knickerbocker]

76%? Is that right? That's more than one or two people failing. About 120 people are in each class, so that's about 28 people failing. Surely you meant 96%?

 

[bamobrien]

as i remember its 76. the new nablex is supposedly a lot harder.

 

[MrPrePharmD]

76%? Is that right? That's more than one or two people failing. About 120 people are in each class, so that's about 28 people failing. Surely you meant 96%?

The national average was 71% for Jan-Apr 07. I found this website from West Virginia that give some pretty goo info for the national averages, but nothing about Texas or Texas schools. http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/sop/students/ProspectiveStudentsInfo/NAPLEX_Scores.html

 

[Ethyl Methyl]

76%? Is that right? That's more than one or two people failing. About 120 people are in each class, so that's about 28 people failing. Surely you meant 96%?

I think the number is right. I remember when the UT recruiter came to our school, he showed us a graph of UT's naplex passing scores for the last several years. The graph showed a marked decline in their passing score for last year and more than a few of us in the audience noticed it but he didn't really addressed the issue.

 

[Knickerbocker]

The national average was 71% for Jan-Apr 07. I found this website from West Virginia that give some pretty goo info for the national averages, but nothing about Texas or Texas schools. http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/sop/students/ProspectiveStudentsInfo/NAPLEX_Scores.html

The Jan-Apr 07 numbers are strange. 0 people from that school took it and the national average passing rate was low. However, May 1-Aug. 31 07, the next exam, had a national average passing rate of 97.23% Did the NAPLEX get harder and then easier?

 

[MrPrePharmD]

The Jan-Apr 07 numbers are strange. 0 people from that school took it and the national average passing rate was low. However, May 1-Aug. 31 07, the next exam, had a national average passing rate of 97.23% Did the NAPLEX get harder and then easier?

I think the answer probably lies in when pharmacy students take the exam. I'm assuming that most take it in May, and thus, these scores are generally higher. I'm guessing the people who don't take it at the normal time are those who don't do quite as well. That's the only sense I can make from the oscillating numbers.

 

[Happy Hounds]

Hey knick,

In the A&M thread, you imply those of us who have been accepted or are currently attending the School of Pharmacy are sheep. I take this to mean you feel we can't think for ourselves (in the common slang.) Why do you still post on here if you hate the UT admissions process so much now to the point of having to belittle its students as well?

 

[Knickerbocker]

Hey knick,

In the A&M thread, you imply those of us who have been accepted or are currently attending the School of Pharmacy are sheep. I take this to mean you feel we can't think for ourselves (in the common slang.) Why do you still post on here if you hate the UT admissions process so much now to the point of having to belittle its students as well?

First of all, why is everyone who already got into UT so interested in the A&M thread?

On a second look, it appears that my statement about sheep sounds a bit too far reaching. My comment was directed at a couple people who keep PM'ing me who are in total denial about any strangeness with UT's admissions processes. They say that I don't know about UT, yet they go on to speak as if they know my entire situation. It was also directed at the person who trolled that thread, sa278.

I have been getting helpful PMs from a number of other people. Everyone has some idea of where I went wrong or what I might have done wrong, but unfortunately nobody has pinpointed the problem.

My interview wasn't smooth, but my answers were good. Also, if they supposedly look at us as a "whole," then a little roughness in my interview should have been balanced by everything else. I think "looking at us as a whole" is a euphemism for something else.

 

[Happy Hounds]

First of all, why is everyone who already got into UT so interested in the A&M thread? ...

I think "looking at us as a whole" is a euphemism for something else.

There's no need for more paranoia. I have a few friends who interviewed at A&M and were rejected from UT so I was checking out if anyone had gotten any acceptance emails yet. It was not clear from your comment that it was completely directed at one small group either, but now that you've clarified...

What do you think "looking at us as a whole" is a euphemism for?

 

[Knickerbocker]

There's no need for more paranoia. I have a few friends who interviewed at A&M and were rejected from UT so I was checking out if anyone had gotten any acceptance emails yet. It was not clear from your comment that it was completely directed at one small group either, but now that you've clarified...

It's not paranoia - I was asked why I was posting here despite being angry at UT's admissions process, so I presented you with an analogous question. And what do you mean by "more paranoia?"

What do you think "looking at us as a whole" is a euphemism for?

I think it means looking for stuff like race, background, connection to the school, and other things that get people extra points. I have no proof, of course, but I'm willing to bet that such points are used in a non-standardized way.

Again, it is strange that some people get in with zero pharmacy experience or zero extracurriculars when the school stresses the importance of those items. The stories told by people here seem to point to inconsistencies in how students are treated. Of course, we have to take everyone's word for it, and we have no real proof, but it does appear odd. I haven't seen this behavior for any other school (though it probably does happen to some extent).

It would be nice if I am wrong, but I don't have faith in a system that goes to court for seven years so that it can use race as an admissions factor. When a school's goal is "diversity," they are going to screw a lot of qualified candidates. If I have to reapply next year, I am not going to apply to UT again.

 

[PArTyKikI]

I think the number is right. I remember when the UT recruiter came to our school, he showed us a graph of UT's naplex passing scores for the last several years. The graph showed a marked decline in their passing score for last year and more than a few of us in the audience noticed it but he didn't really addressed the issue.

I second that.

 

[PArTyKikI]

If I have to reapply next year, I am not going to apply to UT again.

No, I would say reapplying, getting accepted and declining their acceptance in the last minute, right before the school starts. That's called revenge. j/k.

 

[Knickerbocker]

Heh, I'm angry, but I wouldn't screw a student out of a spot like that if I had the chance. I just want a fair system that I can trust, and I don't think that is an unreasonable request.

No, I would say reapplying, getting accepted and declining their acceptance in the last minute, right before the school starts. That's called revenge. j/k.

 

[Knickerbocker]

I think the number is right. I remember when the UT recruiter came to our school, he showed us a graph of UT's naplex passing scores for the last several years. The graph showed a marked decline in their passing score for last year and more than a few of us in the audience noticed it but he didn't really addressed the issue.

Hmmm... Do you remember what year the scores dropped? I know that the NAPLEX update was in early 2005. It would be weird for things to have been fine that year but drop in 2006 or 2007 instead.

 

[RNtoPharmacy]

 

[RNtoPharmacy]

IThis one bothers me the most. She did what was suggested and didn't even get another interview. From what I remember, her GPA and PCAT were pretty typical. Why should she not be allowed to switch from nursing? Mike (not picking on you) made a switch from what he was doing. Others have posted about career shifts as well.

It would be nice if someone can answer this for me. I wish there was a way to know what i can improve on before June. Not finding out where I fell short for this application process until then only gives me three months until September when the application for Fall 2009 opens up. I'm not sure what the adcoms are looking for. This partly makes me think that UT doesn't want to take me because they would be contributing to the nursing shortage...heck...i don't really know. If that is the reason...It would be very unfair. Making a career change is my decision. I don't know why they would need me to reapply a third time to SHOW them that this is what i want.

Maybe there were just so many applicants with about the same circumstance as me that is so much better in every aspect they look at that my application looked like a peanut in comparison.

 

[tharper14]

If I have to reapply next year, I am not going to apply to UT again.

Are you still going to meet with Dr. Wilcox to find out why you didn't get in?

It would be nice if someone can answer this for me. I wish there was a way to know what i can improve on before June. Not finding out where I fell short for this application process until then only gives me three months until September when the application for Fall 2009 opens up. I'm not sure what the adcoms are looking for. This partly makes me think that UT doesn't want to take me because they would be contributing to the nursing shortage...heck...i don't really know. If that is the reason...It would be very unfair. Making a career change is my decision. I don't know why they would need me to reapply a third time to SHOW them that this is what i want.

Maybe there were just so many applicants with about the same circumstance as me that is so much better in every aspect they look at that my application looked like a peanut in comparison.

I thought it was really strange that you didn't get an interview either. I think you had mentioned that you changed your essays... what about your LORs? There might be a good possibility that there was something negative in there... same thing goes for knick too. Something made them think you weren't ready for pharmacy. I don't think you're not competitve enough, but I guess you could try to take the pcat again and get an 85 or above, not that you were far off, though I got in with an 80 so I doubt it would be the reason they didn't give you an interview. I was actually really, really surprised you didn't get an interview. If you want me to proof-read your essays just pm me... I'll have a bit of time in ~5 weeks when the semester ends.

 

[Knickerbocker]

Are you still going to meet with Dr. Wilcox to find out why you didn't get in?

...what about your LORs? There might be a good possibility that there was something negative in there... same thing goes for knick too.

I will meet with him if I am convinced that the oddities I'm seeing while playing Internet sleuth turn out to have a good explanation.

I was allowed to see my LORs after they were sent, and I was pleased with what was written.

 

[tharper14]

I was allowed to see my LORs after they were sent, and I was pleased with what was written.

Well that only leaves the interview...

 

[Knickerbocker]

Well that only leaves the interview...

I didn't think that my interview was *that* bad. It obviously wasn't perfect, but, overall, I gave good answers. Considering that they evaluate us "as a whole," everything else should have balanced it out. Plus, there are a few people getting in who (no offense) speak poor English. It seems like communication would have been somewhat rough for them.

Let's pull myself out of the equation and say that I had a bad interview or that something else was wrong. There is still the question of why some people get in with no pharmacy experience or no extracurriculars. Those gaps should keep them from getting into UT, shouldn't they? If not, then why do some people need those things?

 

[tharper14]

I didn't think that my interview was *that* bad. It obviously wasn't perfect, but, overall, I gave good answers. Considering that they evaluate us "as a whole," everything else should have balanced it out. Plus, there are a few people getting in who (no offense) speak poor English. It seems like communication would have been somewhat rough for them.

Let's say I had a bad interview. Why can some people get in with no pharmacy experience or no extracurriculars? Those gaps should keep them from getting into UT, shouldn't they? If not, then why do some people need those things?

I have no idea. I'm just saying... it's not your gpa, it's not your pcat or lor, I'm assuming it can't be your essay, and you have pharm experience and ec's, so that only leaves one thing. I don't have any answers for you. I have no idea why you didn't get in. Hell, I don't know you at all. I don't know if you act the same way in person as you do on sdn. And really, none of us do. The only person that will be able to give you any answers is Dr. Wilcox. That's why I think you would be crazy to not see him, regardless of whether you decide to apply again or not.

Btw, who doesn't speak good english?

 

[WillMadHarp]

I didn't think that my interview was *that* bad. It obviously wasn't perfect, but, overall, I gave good answers. Considering that they evaluate us "as a whole," everything else should have balanced it out. Plus, there are a few people getting in who (no offense) speak poor English. It seems like communication would have been somewhat rough for them.

Let's say I had a bad interview. Why can some people get in with no pharmacy experience or no extracurriculars? Those gaps should keep them from getting into UT, shouldn't they? If not, then why do some people need those things?

I'm confused what you mean when you say "as a whole". Who said this to you? and how are you proposing that it works? Are you saying that a great answer and a bad answer should even out to being the same as two 'ok' answers?

I've never met a poor English speaking pharmacy student at UT and I've had the opportunity to hang out with many many of the students. some may be awkward or have an accent or are a little introverted but I don't know any that can qualify as having poor English. If you know a specific example PM me with it.

About experience though, only about 5-10 people that aren't Pharmacy Scholars get in each year with with 0 experience . I'm assuming they were able to show their compassion and pharmacy savvy in the interview to such a degree they were able to get away with it or something else that I can't even think of other than maybe legacy (if CoP even has legacy preferences); but to be one of those 5-10 people when 600-800 people apply next year is a longshot, its not like they make up a significant part of the population.

 

[Happy Hounds]

Another thing to consider is the trend towards accepting students with previous degrees and work experience. Last year was the highest yet--several people on this thread that were accepted already have degrees, too, which do count for something. Did someone on this thread get accepted with no experience? I might have missed it if someone did, but everyone I know who has been accepted has had some pharmacy experience (and if they are in college the first time, a ton of extracurriculars and <5 hours of sleep per night!)

RN2Pharmacy, I don't know what has happened with your application. I'd be happy to take a look at your essays and resume and send you some feedback if you want to email them to me (PM me if you're interested.)

 

[Happy Hounds]

Oh yeah, another thing. They interviewed fewer candidates this year. Last year there were about 100 per round. This year, there were/are approximately 80 per round. I don't know if this means there were fewer applications (unlikely I think) or if they are just screening out more people. I do know a few people who weren't extended interviews, and it's a different story for each person--in some cases it's really surprising, but until I could see the entire application, I'm not really seeing the whole picture.

 

[Knickerbocker]

I'm going to have a degree... I also have lots of good work experience.

Mike36 said that he had no pharmacy experience; One person who got in this year said that they had almost no extracurriculars. If it's not in the past 10 pages, they must have PM'd me, and I won't reveal their identity unless it is ok with them.

I will respond to all of you eventually. I'm kind of overwhelmed at the moment with school stuff, and you guys outnumber me. I'm just a lone West Side Jet facing a group of UT Sharks, and I can't dance-fight all of you at once.

 

[Happy Hounds]

I'm just a lone West Side Jet facing a group of UT Sharks, and I can't dance-fight all of you at once.

 

[Happy Hounds]

Are you really getting ed with PMs?

 

[Knickerbocker]

Are you really getting ed with PMs?

Well, it's over now, but it wasn't so bad because people mostly wanted to help me. The PM'ing was over a number of days and not all at once.

My earlier post was mostly about the messages in this thread that require my attention.

The good news is that, whether UT's reasoning was insane or sound, I've come to accept it. Whatever the reason, I just didn't meet their expectations, so I'll have to find a school where I do.

 

[Lateralus1441]

Well, it's over now, but it wasn't so bad because people mostly wanted to help me. The PM'ing was over a number of days and not all at once.

My earlier post was mostly about the messages in this thread that require my attention.

The good news is that, whether UT's reasoning was insane or sound, I've come to accept it. Whatever the reason, I just didn't meet their expectations, so I'll have to find a school where I do.

Sorry about your situation knick. I remember coming back on in like august and seeing you here already getting ready to apply. You're gunna be a great pharmacist one day. Regarding the admissions, not even I know exactly how it works still to this day. I had a friend who I thought was a shoe-in who barely got a last round interview and might not have done as well as he thought in his interview. Some people here spend all 4 years as an undergrad in the longhorn prepharmacy association, get decent numbers and dont get in. What I have come to learn however, is that humbling yourself before your interviewer must be a huge part of it, because people who I know who had great numbers but had a cocky attitude at the interview weren't accepted. I also know P1s who had numbers that would have led me to believe prior to their acceptance that they had no shot of getting in. Soo, in a nutshell, it comes down to whether or not you could make an interviewer like you more as a person than as a candidate haha. I feel this is unfortunate considering, according to another P1, we've already lost 7 students from the first semester of P1 year and we might lose a few more this semester. A significant portion of those 7 we've lost/will need to hold back are students who are part of an automatic acceptance program. Unfortunately, strong applicants who weren't accepted will not get an opportunity to fill in where some that were accepted didn't meet the expectations of the curriculum.

 

[qtnatty]

Got my rejection letter yesterday. Thankfully I have been accepted elsewhere! Good luck to you all.

 

[RNtoPharmacy]

I thought it was really strange that you didn't get an interview either. I think you had mentioned that you changed your essays... what about your LORs? There might be a good possibility that there was something negative in there... same thing goes for knick too. Something made them think you weren't ready for pharmacy. I don't think you're not competitve enough, but I guess you could try to take the pcat again and get an 85 or above, not that you were far off, though I got in with an 80 so I doubt it would be the reason they didn't give you an interview. I was actually really, really surprised you didn't get an interview. If you want me to proof-read your essays just pm me... I'll have a bit of time in ~5 weeks when the semester ends.

RN2Pharmacy, I don't know what has happened with your application. I'd be happy to take a look at your essays and resume and send you some feedback if you want to email them to me (PM me if you're interested.)

Thanks guys. Tharper- I had new LORs this year. One from my micro professor from UT, which I took during Spring last year. The other two from my new nursing supervisor and the director of pharmacy in the same hospital. I highly doubt they would have said anything negative about me, but i did waive the right to see them. Both the director of pharmacy and my supervisor wanted me to really get in at UT (personal agenda of course...since they want me to stay in Austin to work for them.)

I will PM you my stuff soon. Thanks!