I am going to be a junior this year. My current GPA is 3.3 and my science GPA is lower around 3.0. I haven't taken the PCAT yet but my practice tests score around the low 80 percentiles and I am aiming for 85ish. I will have two years of hospital volunteer experience by the time I graduate and 4 years of student/faculty research. Do you think I have a chance of getting in to pharmacy school, particularly the University of Minnesota? Are there any schools that I would easily be able to get into? If not, what can I do to improve my chances?
-
CycleTrack and SDN are teaming up to make medical school admissions more transparent and accessible! Read the announcement to learn how we’re supporting the future of CycleTrack’s free application-tracking tools .
Will I get into pharmacy school?
Started by snickerfanclub
Get help with your application
Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.
Yes you will get in. The pcat score is good. You would at least get a interview and then knock them out with your interview skills.
How about a pcat score of like 50-60% composite?
Last edited:
Pharmacy school isn't competitive. The average applicant-to-acceptance ratio is around 4:1. You'll get in as more people are competing for spots in medical and PA schools (The most competitive PA schools have ratios of 20:1). You'll have no trouble getting into pharmacy school with your stats. If you're really worried, take the initiative and contact the dean(s) at the pharmacy schools you want to attend. You may be able to set up an appointment with them, and they will be able to tell you what you need to work on if there is any areas for improvement.
That being said, what is important is minimizing debt. If you spend 200K+ to get a pharmacy degree, then you're doing it wrong. It should only cost you 90-100K max total. You're gonna be screwed financially if you spend 200K on a pharmacy degree.
The best way to minimize debt is to go to your state's flagship university. DO NOT under any circumstances go to a for-profit private school (they actually exist). They will charge you an arm and a leg (200K+ in loans) and provide you with a subpar education. There are plenty of horror stories about students who were mistreated by for-profit schools in these forums. Avoid them like the plague. Heck, I would avoid nonprofit, private schools also, as they are also very expensive. (Sorry about that rant)
tl;dr Public schools are cheap. Contact the pharmacy dean at the state university; you can set up a meeting where they will look over your stats and give you a fair assessment of getting in.
That being said, what is important is minimizing debt. If you spend 200K+ to get a pharmacy degree, then you're doing it wrong. It should only cost you 90-100K max total. You're gonna be screwed financially if you spend 200K on a pharmacy degree.
The best way to minimize debt is to go to your state's flagship university. DO NOT under any circumstances go to a for-profit private school (they actually exist). They will charge you an arm and a leg (200K+ in loans) and provide you with a subpar education. There are plenty of horror stories about students who were mistreated by for-profit schools in these forums. Avoid them like the plague. Heck, I would avoid nonprofit, private schools also, as they are also very expensive. (Sorry about that rant)
tl;dr Public schools are cheap. Contact the pharmacy dean at the state university; you can set up a meeting where they will look over your stats and give you a fair assessment of getting in.
