How do I overcome a very low GPA that resulted from failing courses my freshman year?

Question:

I have come across your blog while looking for information about the strength of my application. I have a decent application - except for my GPA. I have an 87 composite for the PCAT (lowest was 51 in math), 7+ years of experience as a CPhT, and strong LoR's from 3 different pharmacists. My GPA, however, is abysmal; PharmCAS reports it as a 2.16 for overall and 2.41 for science. This is mostly due to failing two semesters my freshman year, where I lacked any direction or dedication for college. I don't have any F's in the core classes, but no A's either - mostly a mix of C's and B's. I will be completing my bachelors degree this semester, and I have a total of 204 attempted hours, so I am not in a position where I can easily raise my GPA. 

What suggestions do you have for a case like mine? Should I retake some of the core classes I received a C in before applying? Should I apply, and then if I get rejected, call and ask them what I should I do specifically to improve my application? If a school has a minimum GPA, is that a hard line that they do not cross? I feel that outside of getting some community service the only thing to boost my application is to increase my GPA, which requires another 3 years of straight A's full time just to get in the 3.0 range. Thank you for taking your time to read this, and for providing the site for those of us with these hard to ask questions.

Answer:
I think you understand the magnitude of having such a poor GPA - that alone will be enough to keep you out of many schools despite the strong PCAT and your work experience. What you must do is be able to show that the poor grades that resulted in the dramatic lowering of the GPA were isolated to those first two semesters of your freshman year. If you can do that and show progress and a trend upward since that disastrous start, you might have a chance. Admittedly, however, it will be an uphill battle - one you can overcome, but it will take significant effort on your part.

As far as retaking classes, I think anything you can do to show a better understanding of the key material will help you. If you had C's or worse originally and you can now point to an "A" in the same class taken more recently, it adds to the case that you are going to have to make.

Best of luck.

Making a career change and my practice PCAT scores are low because I haven't taken the science courses yet. What should I do?

Question:
I am returning to school after 8 years (change of career). I am registered to take the PCAT in January. I have begun the PharmCas process and am currently taking necessary coursework. This upcoming semester I will be taking Chemistry and Biology. These are subsequently the low scores on the practice test (haven't had any chem or bio since HS). I am incredibly concerned. What can I do to get a snowball's chance at getting into a pharmacy school? Thanks for your help! 

Answer:
This is a risk that we see sometimes when applicants make a career change and decide to retake classes (or take them for the first time) just before the PCAT. It's difficult for an AdCom to separate aptitude and potential. I suspect you have the motivation and potential to do very well in your coursework, but what the AdComs will see based on your probably low subset scores on the PCAT is that you aren't fully prepared for a rigorous academic program like pharmacy school until you have demonstrated proficiency in the core subjects like Chemistry and Biology (as well as Calculus).

My suggestion in cases like yours is to slow the process down. I know that is difficult because many applicants want to hurry and get the core classes done, take the PCAT, start interviewing and subsequently begin pharmacy school. However, what AdComs and schools see are oftentimes unprepared applicants who do not put their best foot forward because they are in such a rush. Is it better to rush and fail or take time and be successful?

If you feel unprepared for the PCAT, and I would suggest that you probably are since you haven't taken the necessary courses to be successful on the exam, delay taking it until you are adequately prepared. I would advise you to take a full year to prepare and do well in your courses and on the PCAT so you are a strong candidate rather than potentially waste the time and money applying to schools this cycle.

Best of luck. Please keep us posted.

How to address a misdemeanor charge on my record when applying to pharmacy school?

Question:

Great blog you're maintaining! Keep it up!
Anyway here's my situation. I was convicted of a misdemeanor-reckless endangerment charge in 2012. I'm currently on unsupervised probation, which will end april 2014. It was because i discharged a pellet gun in my backyard. How serious is such a thing to the admission offices? I'm concerned because my first choice is a very competitive school. How should i address it? In my personal statement? During the interview? I've been prepping hard for the PCAT in Jan and my GPA is decent (3.6). I wouldn't want it all to be for naught.


Answer:
I don't think it will be a serious issue for most AdComs - I've seen worse charges overlooked by committee members before, but it sometimes also only takes 1 vocal member to derail an application.  Mention it in your statement and acknowledge that it was a foolish action. If the schools have questions, I assure you they will ask for more information. 

Good luck.

How much will previous withdrawals impact my pharmacy application?

Question:
I have five withdrawals in my transcript and they all came at a time when I was unsure of what I wanted to do (which I talk about in my personal statement). A supplemental question asked to explain any withdrawals. Does this weaken my application drastically? Should I try to explain each one and how should I approach explaining it? Some of them were due to not being happy with my grade (which is common I hear) and some were due to course load. What do AdComs consider a GOOD reason? Thanks.


Answer:
Withdrawals on a transcript are certainly a negative, but what a committee looks for is a whether there is a pattern of withdrawals. Generally speaking, withdrawing from a class because you were doing poorly and anticipated receiving a less than desirable grade is not an "acceptable" reason. But these are common reasons. The best reasons for withdrawals would be due to illness or personal circumstances (ie, death of family member). A committee will forgive these without much question.

The key is how you explain the withdrawals. I would suggest being honest, yet somewhat vague. A poor explanation might be, "I withdrew from Orgo because I was overwhelmed taking 15 hours, so I withdrew and took Orgo in the summer instead." A committee will look at that and question you have the aptitude to handle the rigors of a pharmacy courseload when withdrawing from a course is not an option.

Good luck.

I bombed the Chemistry section of the PCAT - can I still get into pharmacy school?

Question: 

I bombed my chemistry sections of the PCAT, only getting a 23. Should I even bother applying to pharmacy school with this score? My other scores were average. My last chemistry course I got an A, and am now enrolled in Organic Chemistry, and am on track to receive a B in the class. I have worked as a pharmacy tech for over 2 years now, would this help me in my application process?

Answer:
You absolutely need to have good grades in the didactic courses to offset a significantly low subset score in what most AdComs consider the most predictive element of the exam. If you have A's and B's, that will help you chance, but will it be enough? I cannot promise you that it will. I think your best chance would be to ask one of the professors of record for Chemistry or Organic to write you a letter of recommendation. Inform them of your plans to apply to pharmacy school and that you scored very poorly on the PCAT Chem section. Ask them if they would feel comfortable writing that your coursework is more reflective of your aptitude than the PCAT score and maybe offer an example in the LOR of your chemistry knowledge or excellent lab skills.


If I see an otherwise strong applicant who has a very low PCAT Chem, I'd want to see what I described above. We take seriously the recommendations from professors and if one is willing to state that the student has the knowledge to be successful in pharmacy school, that will make a difference. The key is to make sure that the reviewer will actually write what you are requesting. If they tell you they cannot write such a letter, move on to the next person who might be able to. In some circumstances, we see LORs where a reviewer essentially states that the applicant doesn't have what it takes and then your grave is dug, so to speak.

Good luck.

What are my chances of getting into pharmacy school?

Question:
Verbal - 36
Biology - 80
Reading Comp - 38
Quant - 65
Chemistry - 85

Composite - 65 (terrible, only 1 month to study)

GPA 3.56 and I have tons of activities under my belt (I managed to fill up all 10 spots on the pharmcas application). I have excellent LORs from very good sources. I've been a pharmacy technician for 4 years.

What are my chances?

Answer:
Your scores are far from terrible. You will need to address your low Verbal and Reading scores, but the other subsets are very competitive. With a BS and pharmacy experience in hand, you can make a strong case. As a reviewer, I would be paying close attention to your communication skills as a result of the low Verbal and Reading PCAT scores. If you do well in an interview setting, you can negate the concern.

Good luck.

How far back should I go when listing honors and awards on my PharmCas application?

Question:
I'm working on filling out the PharmCAS information for honors & awards, volunteer experience, etc. My question for admissions is how far back should I go as far as putting down that information?

I know when filling out a resume, you're supposed to delete anything from High School once you finish your freshman year of college, so does the same go for applications?

For example, if I volunteered in a hospital office my Junior year of high school is that still valid to put down? The same question goes for any awards and scholarships I got when I graduated.

Thanks in advance for any advice!


Answer:
Honestly, I hardly glance at that section of the application. Unless there is something truly outstanding or you won an award for something that would be very specific to performing well in pharmacy, it won't impact an AdCom's decision.

I'd say fill in something, but do overdo it. I wouldn't add high school items unless it pertains directly to health care or pharmacy.

Good luck.

Will being a part time student completing pharmacy prereqs at a community college - will this hurt my chances?

Question:
I stumbled across your blog and was hoping that you could help me. I am currently in the process of applying to pharmacy school. I am returning back to school to pursue in a career in pharmacy having previously graduated with a bachelor's of science in apparel merchandising and product development (GPA 3.3) and an associate of applied science in advertising and marketing communications (GPA 3.4). My current GPA for my pre-requisite classes is 3.9. 

I just took the PCAT and got a score of 92%. I am nationally certified and registered with the state board of pharmacy as a pharmacy technician. I have been working part time as a technician for 1.5 years. 

My concerns are as follows. I have only been a part time student since I have returned back to school. This is due to needing to complete prerequisite classes for the pharmacy school prerequisites. I know I can handle a full schedule if I am admitted to pharmacy school. I just want to know if this will count against me. Also, I was going to a private university to complete my prerequisite classes, but I had problems with my financial aid and I can no longer afford it. I have 5 more prerequisites to complete and will have to do so at a community college. Will this affect my chances of being accepted? Also, I have not taken Organic Chemistry yet. I will be taking Organic Chemistry 1 this fall. Will schools consider my application before this class is completed? Sorry for so many questions, I appreciate any insight and ways to help increase my chances of getting accepted. Thank you!


Answer:
Being a part time student can impact a committee's decision. Certainly we discuss this when we review applications, however, because your transcript appears to be rather solid I don't think the impact on your review will be that great.

Taking a few classes at a community college shouldn't have much impact either. No reason to worry about it in my opinion.

Most schools will want to see your Orgo 1 score before making a decision. It is also possible that they might assume you will do well based on your academic history and could extend an offer to you without the score pending successful completion of the course (as well as all other prereqs)

Good luck.

Do AdComs frown on applicants who have taken the PCAT 3 times or more?

Question:
How does the Admissions committee feel about an applicant who takes the PCAT 3 times or more? Is it looked upon negatively when an applicant has taken the PCAT 5 times yet did not get in the 90th percentile?

Thank you

Answer:
One on hand, taking it multiple times shows persistence. However, while the evidence shows that those who take the exam twice score better on the second exam, additional examinations beyond a second one do not benefit the applicant.

If you have taken the PCAT 5 times and all composite scores are less than 30, for example, there is probably enough consistency for us to know you will not succeed in pharmacy school. If your high score among the five exams is in the 80's, on the other hand, you have a better chance obviously. 

The bottom line is that you don't need to score in the 90s to be admitted to pharmacy school, so I wouldn't be as concerned as it sounds like you might be.

Good luck.

Will a low PCAT prevent me from getting into pharmacy school? Should I retake the exam?

Question: 

I have just stumbled upon your blog and I wanted to say thank you for running it. I have already found answers to many questions I have.

My concern with applying to Pharmacy school this year is that I have a low PCAT score. I am considering registering to take the PCAT again in January, which would be the last acceptable PCAT for the schools I am applying to. However, I would like to go ahead and submit my application earlier in hopes of getting interviews and possible admission throughout the rolling admissions.

My PCAT is as follows:
Verbal: 43
Biology: 46
RC: 81
QA: 27
Chemistry: 56
Comp: 50

GPA: 3.68
I will graduate this coming spring with a B.S. in General Science and a B.A. in General Writing.
Science/math courses: A's and B's in most, a C in Biology 1
1 year working as a Pharmacy Tech.
LORs: Organic Chem Professor, History Professor, Pharmacist (Boss)

Would you suggest signing up for the PCAT in January and should this be expressed in early interviews with pharmacy schools, if applicable?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer: 

A higher PCAT would obviously help but may not be necessary depending on where you plan to apply. As you know, your PCAT scores are average. However, your GPA is strong and I have seen a small shift recently where AdComs have favored using the GPA when it doesn't quite match the PCAT.

There are two primary areas of concern on the PCAT: Bio and Quant. You stated that you received a C in Bio which could be a bit problematic for you, but it's also not the end of the world.  In instances of a low PCAT subset score, AdComs can be quickly convinced that it is not an issue if the didactic/lab scores are strong. Unfortunately, your Bio score more or less confirms that PCAT which indicates a lack of understanding. Your Quant score is low, so AdComs are going to immediately look to see how you performed in Calculus. If you struggled in that course, again it may raise a red flag.

 As far as the other subsets, I generally throw out a single low V/R score if I think the applicant has acceptable communication skills as evidenced in their essays and personal statement (and later in their interview). A Chem score of 56 isn't ideal, but isn't low enough to sound an alarm for an AdCom particularly if your coursework is strong and you have a prof LOR.

In summary, I tend to think you can get interview offers at some schools based on what you provided. A strong LOR from a pharmacist will help you significantly. My experience is that someone with similar scores might have to be patient on a waiting list for a while, but I suspect you can get admitted.

Hope that helps. Good Luck.