What are my chances?

[Serie]

Hello

I am currently a student a the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. I am almost done with my pre req's and have about 10 credit hrs to go. My pre pharmacy Gpa right now is at a 3.6 right now. What I am worried about is the grades I received in Organic chemistry is going to weigh me down on the decision. But I heard that our chemistry department is ranked top ten within our country. So I do not know if I will be weighted fairly with other applicants on this. Thanks for your guys input.

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[SoccerCoach10]

Hello

I am currently a student a the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. I am almost done with my pre req's and have about 10 credit hrs to go. My pre pharmacy Gpa right now is at a 3.6 right now. What I am worried about is the grades I received in Organic chemistry is going to weigh me down on the decision. But I heard that our chemistry department is ranked top ten within our country. So I do not know if I will be weighted fairly with other applicants on this. Thanks for your guys input.

What kind of grades do you have in OChem I and II? If it's a C or lower in both, you should retake it, assuming that you are applying to Illinois schools.

 

[yazzman]

Hello

I am currently a student a the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. I am almost done with my pre req's and have about 10 credit hrs to go. My pre pharmacy Gpa right now is at a 3.6 right now. What I am worried about is the grades I received in Organic chemistry is going to weigh me down on the decision. But I heard that our chemistry department is ranked top ten within our country. So I do not know if I will be weighted fairly with other applicants on this. Thanks for your guys input.

3.6 is a good gpa...i would too much about your organic chemistry grade as long you have passed the class..i think you will be ok...

 

[Rumplestiltazepam]

Hello

I am currently a student a the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. I am almost done with my pre req's and have about 10 credit hrs to go. My pre pharmacy Gpa right now is at a 3.6 right now. What I am worried about is the grades I received in Organic chemistry is going to weigh me down on the decision. But I heard that our chemistry department is ranked top ten within our country. So I do not know if I will be weighted fairly with other applicants on this. Thanks for your guys input.

There is a lot more to an application than GPA. GPA is an important part of the overall application and your GPA is very good by the way but no one on here can really give you anything more than a speculative opinion without knowing more about your overall application: volunteering, experience, leadership roles, PCAT, extra curriculars, Degree(s), LORs,essay writing abilities and interviewing skills.

As long as the rest of your application is strong, low marks in a course or two should not hurt you. If you want to know for sure, give the school a call and ask them what they think about it, the advsiors should be able to help you. Maybe they will highly recommend retaking the course and maybe they will say it won't hurt your overall application.

It is always nice to hear people in these forums tell you you will be fine but I would recommend going to the source to get your question answered if you are concerned about it, I assume getting into pharmacy school is very important to you, so make sure to get the best information you can as soon as you can!

Good luck with those last 10 credits!

 

[inquirer89]

Anything above a 3.0 is "competitive". After that, the rest is up to you. Like what Idesiretosling said, GPA and PCAT scores are major but they're not everything. People with a 2.8 got into pharm school while others with a 3.8 didn't.

So a 3.6 is pretty comfortable. If you got a C- then I'd retake it, since a lot of schools don't accept it.

 

[Serie]

Thanks alot guys! I appreciate the feedback. I do have work experience as a pharmacy tech and research experience as well. I have yet to take my pcat's and I am looking to broaden my credentials even further. Is there more leverage between a a student like me who goes to the University of Illinois compared to a student who goes to a lesser known school.

Thanks!

 

[pharmdoc2012]

Grades are good, but also make sure you volunteer in various pharmacy specialities and work in retail pharmacy. This will help out because some schools want to see that your are compassionate about learning about pharmacy. Also, prepare well for the PCAT. There are schools that do not require the PCAT like Southern Nevada, FAMU, Xavier, Albany, and many FL schools. But, still try to take the PCAT!! Good luck to you!!

 

[Serie]

Also, Will I be weighted the same with a person who goes to a CC? It just seems unfair that a person with a 4.0 in a CC is weighted the same with a person from a top 10 public University.

 

[tellsarah]

Is there more leverage between a a student like me who goes to the University of Illinois compared to a student who goes to a lesser known school.

Thanks!

Well, being a graduate of a "lesser known school" I will have to say that it depends on the institution. Some programs clearly state they look at "quality of the institution" of pre-reqs, however I believe they are referring to CC vs. University classes and not regional vs. larger state universities. Contact the school to verify.

 

[tellsarah]

Also, Will I be weighted the same with a person who goes to a CC? It just seems unfair that a person with a 4.0 in a CC is weighted the same with a person from a top 10 public University.

Do you work in the admissions office?

 

[collegegirl247]

dont forget to practice your interviewing skills...have somebody interview you!!! IF you destroy your interview it does not matter what your gpa is!!! lol

 

[Serie]

Well I'm just saying that the course load is more rigorous here than at a cc or regional college. half of the university consists of the top 10 percent of high school graduates and the other half consists of the top 5 percent. There are higher standards here such as the plus minus grading system and generally the profs do not care about their students. I just think that people who go to universities are more "mature"

 

[twester]

Well I'm just saying that the course load is more rigorous here than at a cc or regional college. half of the university consists of the top 10 percent of high school graduates and the other half consists of the top 5 percent. There are higher standards here such as the plus minus grading system and generally the profs do not care about their students. I just think that people who go to universities are more "mature"

8 out of 10 students surveyed said their school was more rigorous than any other. I think you might get that propaganda out of your head. 3.6 is a decent GPA, make yourself a strong applicant by getting away from it. If you go into an interview with an entitled attitude because of the alleged superiority of your school, you'll get shot down pretty quickly.

 

[Serie]

But there is NO comparison to a university and CC. Let me ask you this: have you ever been at a top 10 public university in the nation? Have you ever been in a lecture hall of 1000 students where the professor cant even see you? Like I said before, there are HIGHER standards at least here at U of I than any CC or an regional college. It is so hard here to even get an academic scholarship. It is so competitive here that everyone wants that A. The professors intentionally make their tests hard so that there is no variation within scores. If classes here were like CC classes, everyone would get A's and B's. It is hard for me to believe that someone can even compare a university to a CC let alone a regional college. For you Twester, don't even talk about the reputation of U of I if you haven't been here. if you screw up, there are no second chances here. I advise you to look into what this university has to offer. This is no normal state school.

 

[CardaRx]

I went to a workshop at one of the Pharmacy Schools in CA, I asked them the same question. I was told that they prefer pre-req's from a University level than at CC. However, they did mention that they do not care if you went to the ranking top nation school as long as the University is accredited. They also stressed setting yourself apart from others with the same ranking GPA. But different schools have different preferences.

 

[mrblah]

But there is NO comparison to a university and CC. Let me ask you this: have you ever been at a top 10 public university in the nation? Have you ever been in a lecture hall of 1000 students where the professor cant even see you? Like I said before, there are HIGHER standards at least here at U of I than any CC or an regional college. It is so hard here to even get an academic scholarship. It is so competitive here that everyone wants that A. The professors intentionally make their tests hard so that there is no variation within scores. If classes here were like CC classes, everyone would get A's and B's. It is hard for me to believe that someone can even compare a university to a CC let alone a regional college. For you Twester, don't even talk about the reputation of U of I if you haven't been here. if you screw up, there are no second chances here. I advise you to look into what this university has to offer. This is no normal state school.

While what you say is true, most pharmacy schools don't care where you went for undergrad as long as you finish your pre-reqs and attended an accredited school (whether it be a jc/cc or a 4 year institution). There are a few schools out there that do require a bachelors, but most don't require it (although you may gain a few points against other applicants). However, don't assume you will have "more leverage" because your school you attended for undergrad is more "selective". You need to focus on what the adcom wants to see, and not what you think they want to see or what you heard, or what your ego is telling you. Visit the school's website, and see what they require from the application, and focus on those requirements. I once believed that to be more competitive I needed a BA, or attend some well known university. Well, I applied after finishing only the prereq. (just out of curiosity), and combined with decent LOR's, EC's, and decent interview, I got into a fairly competitive program.

Anyways back to your original question, make sure you finish strong. Your 3.6 gpa is considered very competitive, but you may also want to calculate your science/math gpa to see where you really stand. If you need to take the pcat, then you will have to review your ochem 1 material. Do some EC's, and make sure you get some decent LOR's, and definitely brush up on your interview skills.

Apply and good luck.

 

[Serie]

That's my science gpa...It would be alot higher if there wasn't the plus minus scale either.

 

[jpharm445]

But there is NO comparison to a university and CC. Let me ask you this: have you ever been at a top 10 public university in the nation? Have you ever been in a lecture hall of 1000 students where the professor cant even see you? Like I said before, there are HIGHER standards at least here at U of I than any CC or an regional college. It is so hard here to even get an academic scholarship. It is so competitive here that everyone wants that A. The professors intentionally make their tests hard so that there is no variation within scores. If classes here were like CC classes, everyone would get A's and B's. It is hard for me to believe that someone can even compare a university to a CC let alone a regional college. For you Twester, don't even talk about the reputation of U of I if you haven't been here. if you screw up, there are no second chances here. I advise you to look into what this university has to offer. This is no normal state school.

 

[KARM12]

But there is NO comparison to a university and CC. Let me ask you this: have you ever been at a top 10 public university in the nation? Have you ever been in a lecture hall of 1000 students where the professor cant even see you? Like I said before, there are HIGHER standards at least here at U of I than any CC or an regional college. It is so hard here to even get an academic scholarship. It is so competitive here that everyone wants that A. The professors intentionally make their tests hard so that there is no variation within scores. If classes here were like CC classes, everyone would get A's and B's. It is hard for me to believe that someone can even compare a university to a CC let alone a regional college. For you Twester, don't even talk about the reputation of U of I if you haven't been here. if you screw up, there are no second chances here. I advise you to look into what this university has to offer. This is no normal state school.

I went to Illinois....it is a highly ranked state school, but it is no ivy league. Honestly, it wouldn't have made a huge difference if you went to UIUC, UIC, ISU, EIU, or SIU.

The key is to get good grades, get invovled, and interview well...where you went to undergrad may have some influence, but not as big as you may think.

FYI...there are a lot of students that apply from Illinois to pharmacy school...do something to stand out. I remember taking the PCAt with a few hundred of my fellow classmates and only a handful ended up in pharmacy school.

 

[medicalCPA]

But there is NO comparison to a university and CC. Let me ask you this: have you ever been at a top 10 public university in the nation? Have you ever been in a lecture hall of 1000 students where the professor cant even see you? Like I said before, there are HIGHER standards at least here at U of I than any CC or an regional college. It is so hard here to even get an academic scholarship. It is so competitive here that everyone wants that A. The professors intentionally make their tests hard so that there is no variation within scores. If classes here were like CC classes, everyone would get A's and B's. It is hard for me to believe that someone can even compare a university to a CC let alone a regional college. For you Twester, don't even talk about the reputation of U of I if you haven't been here. if you screw up, there are no second chances here. I advise you to look into what this university has to offer. This is no normal state school.

First of all, rant all you like, but Twester is in pharmacy school, you are not. I believe since s/he's been through this process you haven't even begun, s/he has some idea of what the process entails.

Next, you go to U of I. Others, like me, go to regional universities. You have a 3.6, I have a 4.0. Who do you think the admissions committee will consider first? *Gasp* Me! I doubt that adcoms, when making their decisions, consult a crystal ball which says, "All applicants with 3.6 from U of I should be regarded as having a 4.0 for admissions purposes." The disparity in course rigor is what the PCAT corrects for. And no matter how "hard" or "prestigious" your college is, it won't matter if you do not have a decent PCAT score. I also believe that (ceteris paribus) a person with a 4.0/98 has a better chance of being admitted than another with 3.6/70, even if the former went to a CC and the latter went to Harvard. But that's my $0.02. Disagree away.

 

[sheriff15]

A 3.6 is competitive despite your OC grades

 

[tellsarah]

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