Western U result --Dec 2nd interview

[anh80]

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[OasisDwlr]

Try searching earlier posts. This topic has come up before (especially in early-mid Dec right after the interview).

 

[Swanchick84]

From previous years, only people from the alternate list have gotten accepted. However, this year could be different b/c it seems like no one is on that list. If you're on HOLD, like everyone else, you still have a chance.

I'm thinking they put all those ppl on HOLD b/c since we all interviewed first, they want to interview more people until they can decide who gets to be HOLD, ALTERNATE or ACCEPT. That's just my opinion though.

 

[anh80]

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[Swanchick84]

Here's last year's acceptance profile:

Application Statistics for the Class of 2010

Total PharmCAS Applications Received 1400

Total Supplemental Applications Received 1216

Total Interviews Conducted 378

Total Offers of Acceptance 203

Class Size 120


I would say that since you got an interview, you application is already competitive. How did you feel about the interview?

Since I don't know your background, general ways to improve yourself are: retake classes, do well in your upper divs, do mock-interviews, talk to pharmacy students about the school of interest, get pharmacy experience, do more extra-curriculums, do research, gain leadership positions.

 

[anh80]

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[Swanchick84]

I have no clue how many got accepted or put on the hold list. I'm an applicant, just like you. 🙂

I think only the admissions committe would know this and it's up to them whether or not they want to release that info.

 

[anh80]

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[Swanchick84]

yes, I was accepted. my stats are floating somewhere in these forums.

Just briefly-
3.2 overall
3.0 sci
4 yrs. pharmacy volunteer experience
lots of other ECs
B.S. in psychobiology from UCLA

 

[anh80]

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[OasisDwlr]

do u think the pharm exp weighs that much? I am missing that at the time of the interview and a solid degree. my degree is in progress right now.

I don't have pharm experience and I was accepted. I have been working in research at a biotech company for the past 3 years though, but I have no community pharm experience. I think you'll be ok as long as you can talk about your decisions when it comes to work and volunteer experience. Not all PharmDs work as a retail pharmacist--there are many more opportunities out there for the profession. Good luck!

 

[anh80]

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[OasisDwlr]

Who knows what they look for. They probably consider everything: essays, interview, etc. and not just stats. But from last year's info, they offer acceptances to about 200 people, meaning around 80 people they initally accept decline and go elsewhere. There is still hope, so don't give up!

 

[Swanchick84]

anh80,

I don't think pharmacy experience weighs in THAT much. If you have been chosen to interview, Western already views you as competitive. They interview only ~400/1200 that's like a 1/3 chance.

I say wait it out, you still have a chance. Good luck! 🙂

 

[anh80]

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[loneranger]

hmm, then i just don't get it. i have 3 years in the ER, been VP & tres for several clubs, 3.35 overall and 3.2 sci. what am i doing wrong or not doing at all?


what's ur opinion.

most likely, you were not able to sell yourself to the interviewers.
take a speech class, improve your interpersonal communication!

 

[Swanchick84]

most likely, you were not able to sell yourself to the interviewers.
take a speech class, improve your interpersonal communication!

While that could be true, it's not necessarily the case. I believe that I sold myself pretty well for my USC interview and even had positive feedback from my faculty interviewer. Unfortunately, I was still waitlisted.

I learned from someone that the faculty interviewer does not have the final say. He/she can write as many positive or negative things when evaluating you, but that alone is not the final decision. The admissions committee reviews your application again with interview and essay results and with that, then they make the final decision.

 

[PolarBear21]

I think you also have to realize the essay portion of the interview can also be pretty subjective, while you think you did a great job, the person reading it might not think the same.

I think my interview at Western today went really well, but sadly I think my essay was pretty trite and boring. Ah well.. just wait and see I guess.

 

[anh80]

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[PolarBear21]

I don't remember the exact wording but it went along the lines of .. Creative people take risks and find that it leads to.. (I forgot the first part actually), but the question basically asked about a risk we took in our lives and how it affected us.

I was sort of blanking out, so I talked about something I knew I could write a coherent, strong essay on, I wrote it and finished it, had 10 mins to spare, and I looked back and realized it was a pretty boring read.

Maybe I should start a thread for Jan 27th interview lol.. it was cool because they didn't keep us there the whole time, I was able to leave before 12:00pm because they said they read SDN and read the complaints 😛

 

[anh80]

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[amusefan]

I don't remember the exact wording but it went along the lines of .. Creative people take risks and find that it leads to.. (I forgot the first part actually), but the question basically asked about a risk we took in our lives and how it affected us.

I was sort of blanking out, so I talked about something I knew I could write a coherent, strong essay on, I wrote it and finished it, had 10 mins to spare, and I looked back and realized it was a pretty boring read.

Maybe I should start a thread for Jan 27th interview lol.. it was cool because they didn't keep us there the whole time, I was able to leave before 12:00pm because they said they read SDN and read the complaints 😛

Ummm I got the same topic. I just wrote 2 pages, hope that's enough. I left after my interview also, about 10:45 am That's so cool...

 

[anh80]

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[crystalpink]

I don't remember the exact wording but it went along the lines of .. Creative people take risks and find that it leads to.. (I forgot the first part actually), but the question basically asked about a risk we took in our lives and how it affected us.

I was sort of blanking out, so I talked about something I knew I could write a coherent, strong essay on, I wrote it and finished it, had 10 mins to spare, and I looked back and realized it was a pretty boring read.

Maybe I should start a thread for Jan 27th interview lol.. it was cool because they didn't keep us there the whole time, I was able to leave before 12:00pm because they said they read SDN and read the complaints 😛

Were u in group A?

I got the same topic, and for me that topic was kinda hard to think about. I had no clue about what I was gonna write. Well, at least I could state the thesis statement although I had no idea on how to develop it into 3 body paragraphs ^^;;;;;
I just blabbered here and there, threw in some examples, and added conjunctive words lolz. I'm not so sure if my essay was decent & coherent.
For the conclusion, I just rephrased what I wrote in introduction and in thesis statement.
If only the topic was more interesting, it would be a different story for me. =\


*sighs* I think today, I really messed up with my essay and my interview. >__<
Oh well, what has been done is done.


Btw, I was so surprised knowing that they visit SDN and read all the complaints here. Hahaha.

it's weird how no one started a thread for today's interview unlike the dec 2nd. I remember after the interview everyone was going wild and posting like crazy.

yea, I've been waiting for a topic about today's interview since this afternoon, but I saw none.

I dun feel like creating a topic, so someone please make a thread about today's interview NAO ^^

Ummm I got the same topic. I just wrote 2 pages, hope that's enough. I left after my interview also, about 10:45 am That's so cool...

I wrote 1 and 3/4 pages only =x
Plus, I skipped a line in-between paragraphs. We're not supposed to skip lines, r we? When I read the instruction just a couple seconds before I handed in my essay, I read do not skip lines.
DANG, I DID SKIP LINES!!! OMG.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
I'm screwed *sobs*

 

[ash375]

^^ Crystalpink, I think they meant dont skip lines throughout the whole essay...so you should be fine if you just skipped one btwn paragraphs... I found out that the other group got a way harder topic (something about if you could change any event in history what would it be and why?)....so i think we got lucky!🙂

 

[Swanchick84]

Congrats to the ppl that interviewed yesterday. Now it's all about the waiting game. Just a note about acceptances- the Dec 2nd ppl found out in less than 2 weeks. It was actually about 12 days. Also, don't expect a big envelope either, it'll be one of those small regular envelopes.

Good luck everyone!

btw-I think that both essay prompts were pretty difficult this time around.

Also, when they said they read SDN and complaints.I think the complaints were also from the short evaluation that the interviewees filled out after they interviewed.

 

[anh80]

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[PolarBear21]

Perhaps they are putting everyone on hold that isn't accepted outright and will start putting people on the alternate list once all the interviews are over... sort of like USC.

And swanchick they told us they read SDN during the introductory speech they give in the morning.

I also have to agree that the "changing an event in history" is pretty hard... 🙄

 

[Swanchick84]

And swanchick they told us they read SDN during the introductory speech they give in the morning.

ack! I've posted so much about Western too.

 

[Swanchick84]

did u guys take the tour? the campus is great.

I wish i could do the interview over again. I remember my interview at touro. they placed me on the waitlist because i talked too much, so i toned it down at Western. I think that was the biggest mistake i did during my interview.

sorry about talking too much. i'm just venting.

ohh anh80.. I know how you feel. Last year, I was waitlisted for Touro and Western also. The only thing you can do is learn from the past and hope for the best. Good luck.

 

[crystalpink]

Ooooh.... so the other topic was "changing an event in history."
That's pretty tough, too, but I like that one a lot better than "taking risk thingy" because I would be able to use my imagination better than to think about things that happened in real life (realism or naturalism). I love writing an essay that involves surrealism. ^.^

Well, since u guys said that the essay topics are typically hard for 2007's interview, maybe we should make a thread here to complain about the essay topic, so, hopefully, they'll have a better topic and more interesting topic next year. =D