Where is everyone applying?

[jessicaholland1]

I want to apply to a lot of schools to make sure I get in somewhere! lol I'm thinking 10 is about the max I can realistically complete all the supplementals for. I think I've finally finalized the list haha.

How many and where are you guys applying? How did you narrow down your choices?

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[omnione]

I applied last year, but I can attest to how I narrowed the schools down.

25% of my final schools were schools that I felt I probably wouldn't get into, 50% where schools were I had a decent chance to get into but not fully solid, and 25% were schools I felt I had a great shot whether it was an in-state school or a new school that is yearning for any applicant that has heard of the place.

Then, I used Google, SDN, and the schools website to narrow my choices down. I focused on NAPLEX passage rates, location, emphasis on student rapport and faculty teaching talent, etc. Everyone has different focuses of course.

I wanted to apply to 12 but some schools were compatible with me and I messed up on some of the deadlines. I ended up with 6 completed applications to schools that I felt would be suitable places to spend $100,000.

 

[jessicaholland1]

I applied last year, but I can attest to how I narrowed the schools down.

25% of my final schools were schools that I felt I probably wouldn't get into, 50% where schools were I had a decent chance to get into but not fully solid, and 25% were schools I felt I had a great shot whether it was an in-state school or a new school that is yearning for any applicant that has heard of the place.

Then, I used Google, SDN, and the schools website to narrow my choices down. I focused on NAPLEX passage rates, location, emphasis on student rapport and faculty teaching talent, etc. Everyone has different focuses of course.

I wanted to apply to 12 but some schools were compatible with me and I messed up on some of the deadlines. I ended up with 6 completed applications to schools that I felt would be suitable places to spend $100,000.

how did you determine your chances of getting in somewhere? did you just look at average gpa/pcat of admitted students? i cant even find average pcat score data for most schools. I'm having a hard time trying to decide where I would be most competitive.

 

[omnione]

how did you determine your chances of getting in somewhere? did you just look at average gpa/pcat of admitted students? i cant even find average pcat score data for most schools. I'm having a hard time trying to decide where I would be most competitive.

You can use the PSAR from AACP to get GPAs and the applicant-to-accepted ratios. Also, you can find out the distribution of in-state to out-of-state students.

For PCAT, just assume that the average is around 80-85 though some schools have slightly lower averages and some have higher (Florida and Drake for example). So, anything under a 70 is an issue, 70s are borderline, 80s are competitive yet doesn't stand out, and 90s are super.

 

[Omegadramon]

I'm applying this year. I'm currently working on my applications for Mercer University and University of Georgia. One of the main motivation for them is location, location, location. They're close to home and they're financially feasible for me. They both have been around for awhile and have very good programs. UGA is a traditional program that has great research programs in the Pharmacy school geared towards clinical research. I like the direction the program in general is running under the current Dean.

 

[nerv12345]

first time applying. i'm applying to 14 schools...i want to apply to less but i don't want to regret it later if i don't get in anywhere

 

[googleit]

I'm applying to 10+ also just to make sure that I get into a program!

 

[Pharm Buddy]

I am applying to 6... all California schools....
Good Luck to all of you who are applying this year!

 

[CaliRx]

I started out with about 15 schools and then I narrowed it down to about 9ish. I am still working on it. I don't want to spend so much money again since this is my 2nd time applying. The first time I applied to only 5 schools (non-pcat schools) and I regret not applying to more. So this time I still haven't made up my mind. Is it advisable to re-apply to schools that you were rejected from last year?

 

[Rumplestiltazepam]

I started out with about 15 schools and then I narrowed it down to about 9ish. I am still working on it. I don't want to spend so much money again since this is my 2nd time applying. The first time I applied to only 5 schools (non-pcat schools) and I regret not applying to more. So this time I still haven't made up my mind. Is it advisable to re-apply to schools that you were rejected from last year?

Reapplying to the schools shows you are determined but then again if you have not done anything to improve your application then you will most likely get the same results. The schools will want to see that you used the extra year wisely to improve work experience, volunteer experience, grades, essays or LORs if nothing has changed then the application would have gone downhill from the year before.
Assuming you have improved your application, I would definitely reapply, especially to the schools that you called and asked for advice on what needed to be improve on for the next application cycle, again assuming that you did what they suggested...Applying EARLY is an awesome way to boost your chances at those rolling admission schools.

Good luck!!! Applying to 9 schools should keep you busy but it is all worth it when you get to choose between a few of them!

 

[k0ni]

I'm applying to 9 schools, but honestly.. it's starting to feel overwhelming. o__0 I don't want to have to repeat this process all over again.

 

[bravesfan113]

i'm not sure how many i am applying to yet.. i'm still working on my list. but i am for sure applying to Mercer, UGA, South, and Nova

 

[CaliRx]

Reapplying to the schools shows you are determined but then again if you have not done anything to improve your application then you will most likely get the same results. The schools will want to see that you used the extra year wisely to improve work experience, volunteer experience, grades, essays or LORs if nothing has changed then the application would have gone downhill from the year before.
Assuming you have improved your application, I would definitely reapply, especially to the schools that you called and asked for advice on what needed to be improve on for the next application cycle, again assuming that you did what they suggested...Applying EARLY is an awesome way to boost your chances at those rolling admission schools.

Good luck!!! Applying to 9 schools should keep you busy but it is all worth it when you get to choose between a few of them!

Thank you for your advice. I got rejected from all CA schools last year because I have no BS/BA. This year I have continued towards that BS/BA but I still wouldn't have it completed for another year and a half (December 08). So I don't think it would make much of a difference if I re-apply because I called schools such as Western Univ and they said if I don't have a BS/BA it is really hard. But, it does show determination. See the dilemma here. Please help!

 

[terse]

Thank you for your advice. I got rejected from all CA schools last year because I have no BS/BA. This year I have continued towards that BS/BA but I still wouldn't have it completed for another year and a half (December 08). So I don't think it would make much of a difference if I re-apply because I called schools such as Western Univ and they said if I don't have a BS/BA it is really hard. But, it does show determination. See the dilemma here. Please help!

what are your stats? if they're exceptional, then definitely apply and give it a shot.

 

[kidlove]

I'm leaning toward 10... more than 10 I think is a lot because of the time consuming.

I tried to apply to school that is in the PharmCAS system because otherwise it is a hassle to have transcripts + LOR to be mailed.