University of Toronto Application Thread

[RocketJumper]

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What are UofT's oop limitations?

One of the 1st year students in the lobby told someone that he didn't think there was any but he wasn't completely sure.

Not sure about the exact number but i think 10% is pretty common.

 

[1ive2die]

Not sure about the exact number but i think 10% is pretty common.

Ya I think its 10%. Nothing to worry about for OOP applicants since I doubt they really reach that cap. If you're qualified, in-line with the rest of the applicants you'll get in.

 

[1ive2die]

the presenter told us at the presentation before the interview that the mmi's were weighed 20% last year...i wonder if thats true because the 1T4's feel that the interviews were weighed the most.

Even if they are weighed less there is still a cutoff for interviews and if you are below the cutoff you can't get in even with a 90 GPA and PCAT so essentially the interviews are worth a lot even if they are weighed less in final selection.

 

[futurpharmacis]

HI,

does anyone the gpa scale the pharmacy admissions committe use in calculating gpa? York has a different gpa scale than u of t and ryerson's is slightly different. medical school admssions commitee use the omsas scale which is also different than u of t's scale. what's u of t's pharmacy scale like?

 

[BigFan]

Hey guys, I just had a question with regards to transcripts...

I went to my school today (Western) to order the transcripts... they told me that they need to wait for grades to be finalized by the faculty which can take up to July... but UofT's deadline is June 10 for transcripts 😱😱😱

So does anyone have/had the same problem? Any words of advise?

I feel your pain, have a similar issue where I'm still waiting for some grades to finalize to send transcripts and I'm cutting it really close to the UofT deadline. What I plan to do is send UofT an email as soon as my grades are in and I have the transcript sent, so, that even if they receive it after the deadline, they would know I sent it beforehand 🙂

Agreed...One guy I met during interview suggested that UofT should just like put each candidate in a pharmacy setting for about half a day and observe their behavior instead of asking bs questions that we will NEVER encounter

...sigh 2 years of pharmacy experiences useless during interview...very frustrating

As mentioned, I think putting people in a pharmacy for half a day is unfair for those that don't have any kind of pharmacy experience. The idea of MMI is to put all applicants in a similar environment and test their critical thinking, logic, etc.... on the spot since that's what happens in a pharmacy environment.
(For the record, I also have pharmacy experience, so, I would've benefited from that idea 😛)

Well I don't really think for the MMI they asses exactly what your opinions on a particular scenario are. I think what they're looking for is just HOW you look at complex situations and how you would approach those situations to get a feel for the type of person you are. And also, how comfortable you are being put on the spot (because as a pharmacist you can be asked a whole range of questions) and how well you communicate those answers =)

But I agree that they should also take into consideration extracurriculars, volunteer work etc.

The issue with taking extracurricular activities, etc.... is where do you draw the line? Should the guy who has 6 years of experience but low grades get in, in comparison to the other guy who has 1 year experience but really high grades? I've seen cases where the first guy gets in just because of the amount of experience he has. Personally, I don't think that's fair because it takes a lot of work to maintain high grades and I find volunteering from experience a lot less stressful. So, my view is, if you add those in, weigh them according so that high grades/pcat/interview still count for a decent amount 🙂

 

[butoias]

The issue with taking extracurricular activities, etc.... is where do you draw the line? Should the guy who has 6 years of experience but low grades get in, in comparison to the other guy who has 1 year experience but really high grades? I've seen cases where the first guy gets in just because of the amount of experience he has. Personally, I don't think that's fair because it takes a lot of work to maintain high grades and I find volunteering from experience a lot less stressful. So, my view is, if you add those in, weigh them according so that high grades/pcat/interview still count for a decent amount 🙂

lol, what I meant to say by that was mostly pharm experience, and just to take a look at extracurriculars like Waterloo does (because I believe after the interview stage Waterloo doesn't look at the AP anymore)

 

[futurpharmacis]

Hey,

This is an odd time to post this since the pcat is not a hot topic right now, but does any body feel that the reading comprehesion is unfair? I mean I studied hard for all the sections and did well on them except for the rc. The ppl who did well on the RC said that you have to know what the test makers are looking for or know how they think? If this is true, then the rc is not truly a test of reading comprehension but whether or not you think like the test makers?

If you have been reading posts from the American students, they have complaint about how the pcat really doesn't predict performance in pharmacy school.

I thought the RC was unfair. I wish U of T would disregard the RC when making decisions.

 

[faso123]

Hey,

This is an odd time to post this since the pcat is not a hot topic right now, but does any body feel that the reading comprehesion is unfair? I mean I studied hard for all the sections and did well on them except for the rc. The ppl who did well on the RC said that you have to know what the test makers are looking for or know how they think? If this is true, then the rc is not truly a test of reading comprehension but whether or not you think like the test makers?

If you have been reading posts from the American students, they have complaint about how the pcat really doesn't predict performance in pharmacy school.

I thought the RC was unfair. I wish U of T would disregard the RC when making decisions.

If I was to give advice for the RC, the first thing I'd say is to forget everything you know. Many times in the reading sections I found myself disagreeing with the info they give, or sometimes just not thinking it’s logical. This affected my score in the first try, but with the second try I just started reading with an empty mind and this helped me a lot. Another thing that helps is practicing, many of the sections I practiced were very similar to the ones I got in the pcat, so practice as many as you can and you will definitely see some repetition that will greatly help your score.

 

[iicecream]

It's actually my first time hearing that they have cutoffs for interview like the pcat. I thought they would just rank people based on their average interview score + everything else. Where did everybody hear about it O:

 

[PhArMaCiSt1]

It's actually my first time hearing that they have cutoffs for interview like the pcat. I thought they would just rank people based on their average interview score + everything else. Where did everybody hear about it O:

Ya they have mininums for the interview; I think it was in last year's rejection letter lol

 

[butoias]

Ya they have mininums for the interview; I think it was in last year's rejection letter lol

Really? I don't remember reading that and I forgot my account info for last year. For you, did it say you didn't make the interview minimum?

 

[futurpharmacis]

If I was to give advice for the RC, the first thing I'd say is to forget everything you know. Many times in the reading sections I found myself disagreeing with the info they give, or sometimes just not thinking it’s logical. This affected my score in the first try, but with the second try I just started reading with an empty mind and this helped me a lot. Another thing that helps is practicing, many of the sections I practiced were very similar to the ones I got in the pcat, so practice as many as you can and you will definitely see some repetition that will greatly help your score. [/


Thanks for your tips. Can you please tell me what pcat materials you used?

 

[PhArMaCiSt1]

Really? I don't remember reading that and I forgot my account info for last year. For you, did it say you didn't make the interview minimum?

I don't have the login with me atm to check it, but I found it written on the FAQ section of their website as well:
"Applicants who are selected to attend an interview will then also need to meet minimum standards in university performance and the interview to be considered in final selections."
When you are rejected; they don't specifically tell you why; it is a standard form they send to all rejected applicants.

 

[1ive2die]

When you are rejected; they don't specifically tell you why; it is a standard form they send to all rejected applicants.

Ya I think you are right. However I think if you are outright rejected you likely didn't meet the cutoffs for the interview. If you were waitlisted (top or bottom half) you likely met cutoffs but your application wasn't strong enough for admission.

 

[faso123]

If I was to give advice for the RC, the first thing I'd say is to forget everything you know. Many times in the reading sections I found myself disagreeing with the info they give, or sometimes just not thinking it’s logical. This affected my score in the first try, but with the second try I just started reading with an empty mind and this helped me a lot. Another thing that helps is practicing, many of the sections I practiced were very similar to the ones I got in the pcat, so practice as many as you can and you will definitely see some repetition that will greatly help your score. [/


Thanks for your tips. Can you please tell me what pcat materials you used?

for the RC i used practise tests from Dr. Collin's Notes, kaplan book, cliffs note pcat, and two official pcat practise tests.

 

[PhArMaCiSt1]

Ya I think you are right. However I think if you are outright rejected you likely didn't meet the cutoffs for the interview. If you were waitlisted (top or bottom half) you likely met cutoffs but your application wasn't strong enough for admission.

Ya I just didn't meet the interview cutoffs. I'm not even sure what that cutoff would be at because I've read somewhere that getting a 5 or 6 on your interview is really high. Does anyone have any idea about any of this?

 

[skylen]

Ya I just didn't meet the interview cutoffs. I'm not even sure what that cutoff would be at because I've read somewhere that getting a 5 or 6 on your interview is really high. Does anyone have any idea about any of this?

I saw some of the marks the interviewers gave when they held up the paper for a brief second. I saw marks ranging from 3-7.

 

[MotherRussia]

I saw some of the marks the interviewers gave when they held up the paper for a brief second. I saw marks ranging from 3-7.

When I was interviewed he bubbled a couple. So I think that 3-7 marks could all belong to you.


PS Now that I know about interview cutoffs I'm really scared. My GPA and pcat are pretty competitive,especially GPA,but I'm not a good speaker(in other words immigrant). One more painful month.😱

 

[PhArMaCiSt1]

When I was interviewed he bubbled a couple. So I think that 3-7 marks could all belong to you.


PS Now that I know about interview cutoffs I'm really scared. My GPA and pcat are pretty competitive,especially GPA,but I'm not a good speaker(in other words immigrant). One more painful month.😱

Actually the first bubble is your mark and the second one is if they left any comments so they just bubble yes or no. And the top bubbles are for your applicant number and such; it's all like a scantron format. So you just get one mark. I totally understand what you mean about the cutoffs and I'm afraid too that if I don't meet their interview cut-offs my application will be tossed away 🙁

 

[MotherRussia]

Actually the first bubble is your mark and the second one is if they left any comments so they just bubble yes or no. And the top bubbles are for your applicant number and such; it's all like a scantron format. So you just get one mark. I totally understand what you mean about the cutoffs and I'm afraid too that if I don't meet their interview cut-offs my application will be tossed away 🙁

I'm calming myself down by saying that I have done everything I could,also low number of applicants(so possible lowering of interview cutoffs like pcat (most likely gonna happen)). also pharmacy is good,but its not KEYS to heaven, just BMW🙂

also I called admission department They said that June 10 is more like June 15(they are lenient, delay in mail etc)

 

[Fly to the Sky]

Even though we have a nice discussion here in this forum, perhaps the vast majority of candidates don't come here for discussion. I doubt if we have more than 50 registered accounts here for discussion.
Time is passing by slowly. 😴I wish June 24th would come sooner. All of the 3 admission requirements have been finalized. Boy, who wouldn't be distraught if they found out they didn't get in?

 

[1ive2die]

Even though we have a nice discussion here in this forum, perhaps the vast majority of candidates don't come here for discussion. I doubt if we have more than 50 registered accounts here for discussion.
Time is passing by slowly. 😴I wish June 24th would come sooner. All of the 3 admission requirements have been finalized. Boy, who wouldn't be distraught if they found out they didn't get in?

Ya for sure. After speaking with some of the candidates on the day of the interview, many are graduating this year. So it would suck not to get in, especially if you have been orienting your efforts throughout your undergrad to pharmacy.

 

[masterfunk]

What do you mean by "All of the 3 admission requirements have been finalized"?

Is there anywhere we can see this?

 

[staffpro]

What do you mean by "All of the 3 admission requirements have been finalized"?

Is there anywhere we can see this?

Im pretty sure he meant that all three components are done, everyone is finished school, everyone has written their pcat and everyone is done their interview, at this point its just an administrative waiting game till june 25th. theres nothing to see. ITs just gonna be a simple matter of logging in june 25th and seeing a yes or no.

I want to say i'm confident this year, certainly alot more confident than last year as i feel like my interview (which felt bad after last year) was good this year ( i came out with a big smile on my face).

Anyways i was wondering for those of you which are hypothesizing about the bubbles the interviewers filled in. Were you guys like staring at their pages or something lol?

 

[MotherRussia]

We did stare. Some of them did not bother hiding it, most did though

 

[Fly to the Sky]

Thank you staffpro, that's exactly what I meant. 🙂
For the bubbles I didn't bother to look at the interviewer's pencil because I had the concern that if I see one interviewer giving me a low mark, it would arose anxiety inside me and would subsequently affect my performance at the next interview station. But this strategy came at a price now since I don't know how well I did !

😳

My school only starts sending transcripts on May 24th, so I understand that U of T needs time to organize their data. But still, this waiting game is cruel.


Best of luck for everyone!

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

 

[1ive2die]

Thank you staffpro, that's exactly what I meant. 🙂
For the bubbles I didn't bother to look at the interviewer's pencil because I had the concern that if I see one interviewer giving me a low mark, it would arose anxiety inside me and would subsequently affect my performance at the next interview station. But this strategy came at a price now since I don't know how well I did !

😳

My school only starts sending transcripts on May 24th, so I understand that U of T needs time to organize their data. But still, this waiting game is cruel.


Best of luck for everyone!

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

Didn't notice any individual marks but I did notice a Yes/No question near the bottom of the marking sheet. I wonder what that was.

 

[helloeveryone]

lol, after reading all these posts, I feel like I was the only one out of the 470 interviewees who didn't look at the interviewer's score-sheet/pencil at all. I was just concerned that they will deduct points if they notice I was checking their writings... also, I was afraid I might get stressed if I see a low mark.

Anywho, it's just a BIG waiting game now 😉😉😉

 

[ningning]

I didn't look either -_-. I thought it was important to maintain eye contact lol I probably woulda freaked out anyways if I looked especially if I thought it was a low mark so i decided not to.

P.S.
This wait is KILLING MEEEEEE!!!!!

 

[staffpro]

We did stare. Some of them did not bother hiding it, most did though

uhhh lol, you had nothing to talk about?

 

[staffpro]

i didn't even get a chance to look at the form beyond me knowing it was a piece of paper that they were busy filling in and i guess writing some of the stuff you were saying. At all the stations like FLY TO THE SKY i maintained eye contact and i either finishes like a few seconds before time or I was just about to finish and time was called...

 

[1ive2die]

i didn't even get a chance to look at the form beyond me knowing it was a piece of paper that they were busy filling in and i guess writing some of the stuff you were saying. At all the stations like FLY TO THE SKY i maintained eye contact and i either finishes like a few seconds before time or I was just about to finish and time was called...

Did you talk the whole time or did you get a few questions from the interviewers as well?

 

[BigFan]

lol, what I meant to say by that was mostly pharm experience, and just to take a look at extracurriculars like Waterloo does (because I believe after the interview stage Waterloo doesn't look at the AP anymore)

Yes, I'm not disagreeing but I still wonder where the line is. If 2 applicants have similar gpas but one has an extra year over another because he decided to study pharmacy earlier, does he mean that he's a better candidate and should get in? Personally, I concentrated on maintaining my GPA for scholarship purposes and it was only afterwards that I started to get some pharmacy experience 🙂

Hey,

This is an odd time to post this since the pcat is not a hot topic right now, but does any body feel that the reading comprehesion is unfair? I mean I studied hard for all the sections and did well on them except for the rc. The ppl who did well on the RC said that you have to know what the test makers are looking for or know how they think? If this is true, then the rc is not truly a test of reading comprehension but whether or not you think like the test makers?

If you have been reading posts from the American students, they have complaint about how the pcat really doesn't predict performance in pharmacy school.

I thought the RC was unfair. I wish U of T would disregard the RC when making decisions.

Well, I didn't do the greatest on RC the first time because I missed the last 3 stories I read the first 3 stories, reviewed all the questions and just relaxed a bit. With 10-15 min left, I realized that I had 3 more to finish. Panicked a bit, finished them but I don't think it went well considering my RC mark XD
With RC, I found that just going in and answering the questions using the given story was enough. Don't consider what you already know, etc.... and rely on the given info because they might purposely give you something that isn't true(not that I ever got that) 🙂


I can say that I didn't look either to see what marks I got. All I know is that I kept on talking about the subject matter if I felt that I needed to and waited for any follow ups questions answering them to the best of my ability. Several times I'll finish talking just as they knocked on the door to move to the next station.

 

[RedPharmer]

Everyone is so worked up over this waiting game! 😛

Personally, I'm worried about my final transcript being submitted. What if the universities screw up and didn't send my transcript in time 🙁 I'm more paranoid about that.

 

[staffpro]

Did you talk the whole time or did you get a few questions from the interviewers as well?

1-2 questions

 

[Fly to the Sky]

Everyone is so worked up over this waiting game! 😛

Personally, I'm worried about my final transcript being submitted. What if the universities screw up and didn't send my transcript in time 🙁 I'm more paranoid about that.

That's why I'll confirm with U of T via email whether they've received my transcript or not 😛

 

[faso123]

That's why I'll confirm with U of T via email whether they've received my transcript or not 😛

They always say to not do that because they're too busy and don't have time for everyone checking whether their mail made it or not. so i'm personally scared of asking them and i only double checked with my school when they sent the transcripts.

 

[skylen]

They always say to not do that because they're too busy and don't have time for everyone checking whether their mail made it or not. so i'm personally scared of asking them and i only double checked with my school when they sent the transcripts.

Actually, you just need a good reason why you want to know. Last term, my school billed me for breaking glassware around the same time they were sending out transcripts so depending on when they processed my request, they may or may not have sent it. I emailed them and they told me 😛

 

[Fly to the Sky]

It seems that we have less enthusiasm on SDN this year as compared with last year. Maybe that's because last year's SDNs were too hyper-enthusiastic, and that "dried up" this year's spirit?

 

[1ive2die]

It seems that we have less enthusiasm on SDN this year as compared with last year. Maybe that's because last year's SDNs were too hyper-enthusiastic, and that "dried up" this year's spirit?

What's there to be enthusiastic about? It's just a waiting game now.....not really much to think about in the interim.

 

[helloeveryone]

It seems that we have less enthusiasm on SDN this year as compared with last year. Maybe that's because last year's SDNs were too hyper-enthusiastic, and that "dried up" this year's spirit?

Well, in my opinion we are not "less" enthusiastic... but the lower number of posts on this year's forum corresponds to the fewer number of applicants in this year's cycle (there's been at least a 40% drop in number of applicants this year, that's a very significant decrease.)

Also, last year there were a TON of posts about the government cuts with regards to generic drugs which added a lot to the number of posts!


Anyways, hope the time is going by fast for all you guys 😉

p.s. glad that we "survived" the "end of time" so we live to see our acceptance letters 😛😛😛 (hope everyone knows what I mean)

 

[Fly to the Sky]

This may be the year with the fewest number of applicants. I am predicting that over the next couple of years, the number of applicants will progessively increase. This is because U of T have only "stabilized" their admission requirements now and people will eventually adapt to the new situation.
This is our best year ladies and gentlemen!!!! I am almost desperate. So want to get in. But I cannot help but to think that if I find out I don't get in my life would be so miserable 😡

 

[KingOfDoctors]

sooo what's the real effect of the government cuts??

I mean the pharmacy I worked at didn't make any major changes after the cuts as far as I know

 

[1ive2die]

sooo what's the real effect of the government cuts??

I mean the pharmacy I worked at didn't make any major changes after the cuts as far as I know

lol didn't you say you were gonna reject your pharmacy offer?

 

[PharMarley]

W



Anyways, hope the time is going by fast for all you guys 😉

p.s. glad that we "survived" the "end of time" so we live to see our acceptance letters 😛😛😛 (hope everyone knows what I mean)

LOl.. I find it amusing that a single person can have so many
naive followers to believe his “prophecies”. Not only that but also receive worldwide coverage. There are so many issues around the world, especially in the middle east and north Africa, yet the media focuses on none sense stories. Maybe they should put the same effort into raising money for issues like the Japan relief and other crisis. Maybe I’m all alone in these thoughts.....

 

[RedPharmer]

LOl.. I find it amusing that a single person can have so many
naive followers to believe his “prophecies”. Not only that but also receive worldwide coverage. There are so many issues around the world, especially in the middle east and north Africa, yet the media focuses on none sense stories. Maybe they should put the same effort into raising money for issues like the Japan relief and other crisis. Maybe I’m all alone in these thoughts.....

well as 'nonsense' as it seems, this incident has affected alot of people's lives. People TRULY believed in the end of the world and many people quit their jobs and lost lots of money. The 'prophet' himself spent over 100 million dollars on advertising. To me, that is the 'REAL' news. Who knows what will happen to these people. They may even spawn a cult and try to 'go to heaven'.

 

[Hot Pot]

The Combined Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy-Doctor of Pharmacy Program provides students in the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy with an opportunity to continue their education and gain greater experience through the concurrent completion of a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The Combined Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy-Doctor of Pharmacy Program begins in the 4th year of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BScPhm) program, where students complete the requirements for the BScPhm program in the Fall term, while simultaneously beginning coursework for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Then, in the Winter term, students continue their PharmD programming for the remainder of 4th year and 5th year instead of completing their Structured Practical Experience Program requirements. Students who enter this program will graduate with two degrees - the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree and the Doctor of Pharmacy degree - after completing the additional academic studies. Completing the Combined Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy-Doctor of Pharmacy Program will allow you to: advance your career and become a leader in the Pharmacy profession demonstrate a competitive advantage when applying for unique and interesting positions create and shape the job you want through an innovative patient-focused practice develop the skills and knowledge to become an advanced practitioner obtain and apply cutting-edge information possess the skills to be able to make a difference in complex pharmacotherapeutic situations Please go to UofT Pharmacy for more detail.

 

[Fly to the Sky]

Re: Hot Pot

This seems interesting. But it is irrelevant for us since we (hopefully) will have a new curriculum to work with. It is never too late to go for PharmD after we complete the new BScPhm and when we have several years of work experience.

 

[KingOfDoctors]

well as 'nonsense' as it seems, this incident has affected alot of people's lives. People TRULY believed in the end of the world and many people quit their jobs and lost lots of money. The 'prophet' himself spent over 100 million dollars on advertising. To me, that is the 'REAL' news. Who knows what will happen to these people. They may even spawn a cult and try to 'go to heaven'.

nice one!

 

[1ive2die]

The Combined Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy-Doctor of Pharmacy Program provides students in the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy with an opportunity to continue their education and gain greater experience through the concurrent completion of a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The Combined Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy-Doctor of Pharmacy Program begins in the 4th year of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BScPhm) program, where students complete the requirements for the BScPhm program in the Fall term, while simultaneously beginning coursework for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Then, in the Winter term, students continue their PharmD programming for the remainder of 4th year and 5th year instead of completing their Structured Practical Experience Program requirements. Students who enter this program will graduate with two degrees - the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree and the Doctor of Pharmacy degree - after completing the additional academic studies. Completing the Combined Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy-Doctor of Pharmacy Program will allow you to: advance your career and become a leader in the Pharmacy profession demonstrate a competitive advantage when applying for unique and interesting positions create and shape the job you want through an innovative patient-focused practice develop the skills and knowledge to become an advanced practitioner obtain and apply cutting-edge information possess the skills to be able to make a difference in complex pharmacotherapeutic situations Please go to UofT Pharmacy for more detail.

This seems like an answer for all those 1T4s that were up in arms over the whole PharmD thing. It's a win-win, you only spend 1 extra year getting a PharmD and the university gets to squeeze another year of tuition dollars from you.