Question:
Thank you so much for you blog. It has been very helpful as I am preparing for pharmacy school applications. I was just curious what AdComs' opinions are on course load. I've been a full time student (at least 13 units) every semester but how do they view me taking 13 units as opposed to someone who takes 15 or 16 units? I only had one semester of 13 units and the rest varied from 15-18. However, on some of those semesters, I got 4 units from working on a research project with a professor instead of actually taking classes. Is that unfavorable for AdComs?
Answer:
We like to see applicants take (and succeed) in as many credits as possible. This shows us that he/she can withstand the rigors of a pharmacy school curriculum where 18 hours is the norm in many semesters. I don't know that any AdCom is going to frown upon you for taking 13 credit hours when that is enough to be considered a full time student. If most of your semesters were 15-18 credits, you are in good shape and I wouldn't worry or feel as though you need to address a semester with less than that. Getting some research experience can probably only help you (although don't count on it helping much)
Good luck.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Is there a benefit to applying early in the pharmacy school admission cycle?
Question:
From your experience, does applying early decision to a school increase the chances of admission or make an applicant more favorable to admissions committees? Could it possibly also be more difficult?
Thank you!
Answer:
If you are applying to a very competitive school, get your application in as early as possible. These schools have the "pick of the litter" and typically they are going to fill their classes quickly with little attrition once they make their offers of admissions.
However, if you are applying to less competitive schools (and those with rolling admissions), I think there is some advantage to applying later in the cycle. The notion is that these schools ultimately lose committed applicants who end up getting into better schools. When this happens, spots open up later in the cycle which must be filled and it's often students who have applied later and not yet made decisions who benefit from the process.
Good luck.
Thank you!
Answer:
If you are applying to a very competitive school, get your application in as early as possible. These schools have the "pick of the litter" and typically they are going to fill their classes quickly with little attrition once they make their offers of admissions.
However, if you are applying to less competitive schools (and those with rolling admissions), I think there is some advantage to applying later in the cycle. The notion is that these schools ultimately lose committed applicants who end up getting into better schools. When this happens, spots open up later in the cycle which must be filled and it's often students who have applied later and not yet made decisions who benefit from the process.
Good luck.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
I failed an elective undergraduate course - should I retake it or not?
Question:
I am a returning college student who has been out of school for almost 10 years. I've been an assistant store manager at a retail supercenter the whole time, and last year I decided to switch careers and get into pharmacy because the field is very challenging, rewarding, and has a better work/life balance. The courses I took back then are all valid and I got very good grades. The only thing haunting me is an "F" I got in a computer programming course.
After starting back in school last spring, I've been getting straight A's ever since while working 50 hours a week. I've now managed to raise my overall GPA to a 3.35 and my math/science GPA to a 3.5--even with the F on my transcript. I've registered for the PCAT this October and will obviously do everything I can to do well on it. I'm confident I can round out the rest of my prerequisites with A's, which would take my GPA up to a 3.62 by next spring. I am also going to be stepping down as a manager soon and working in our pharmacy as a tech.
My question is, is this "F" in an elective completely unrelated to the field of pharmacy going to kill my chances at admission? Should I retake this class, or since it is has nothing to do with pharmacy would taking an elective that is more aligned with the health field be better?
Answer:
There are times when I might suggest retaking a failed elective, but yours in not one of them. Failing a course that long ago in a field unrelated to your ability to succeed in pharmacy school shouldn't have much of a negative impact on your chances other than the obvious effect on your GPA.
I am a returning college student who has been out of school for almost 10 years. I've been an assistant store manager at a retail supercenter the whole time, and last year I decided to switch careers and get into pharmacy because the field is very challenging, rewarding, and has a better work/life balance. The courses I took back then are all valid and I got very good grades. The only thing haunting me is an "F" I got in a computer programming course.
After starting back in school last spring, I've been getting straight A's ever since while working 50 hours a week. I've now managed to raise my overall GPA to a 3.35 and my math/science GPA to a 3.5--even with the F on my transcript. I've registered for the PCAT this October and will obviously do everything I can to do well on it. I'm confident I can round out the rest of my prerequisites with A's, which would take my GPA up to a 3.62 by next spring. I am also going to be stepping down as a manager soon and working in our pharmacy as a tech.
My question is, is this "F" in an elective completely unrelated to the field of pharmacy going to kill my chances at admission? Should I retake this class, or since it is has nothing to do with pharmacy would taking an elective that is more aligned with the health field be better?
Answer:
There are times when I might suggest retaking a failed elective, but yours in not one of them. Failing a course that long ago in a field unrelated to your ability to succeed in pharmacy school shouldn't have much of a negative impact on your chances other than the obvious effect on your GPA.
My experience is that any AdCom will quickly look past your work from 10 years ago and focus on what you have accomplished since you re-dedicated yourself to the pursuit of a profession in pharmacy.
Good luck.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)