Question: I am in my 4th year of undergrad and overall my GPA is a 2.7. I had a tough first year of college, and have slacked myself into the situation I'm in now. A 2.7 is not exactly competitive, but I've seen some pharmacy schools with a minimum GPA requirement of 2.75, and some with a 2.5. I still have a few more pre reqs to take (O. Chem, Calc, Bio II) and I want to make As but being real with myself, I would be lucky to get a high C or a low B. I also have a couple Ds (A&P I, Gen. Chem II) but I retook A&P and got an A, and am taking Chem II. again this upcoming semester. Im going to take the PCAT, probably a semester before graduation and then see where it takes me. How often do these students like myself with below average GPAs get considered for admission against peers who posses much higher GPAs? And what other factors do admissions put an emphasis on other than just your GPA.
Answer: Good questions. A very strong PCAT (>90) will do you wonders. Plus, obtaining A's in any courses in progress or retakes would help. If you have pharmacy experience, a strong letter of recommendation from a pharmacist is a must.
Ultimately, you need to convince the AdComs to overlook your first year of college. If you can show improvement after that year, your can make a case that once you decided to pursue pharmacy that your grades improved. Every year we have situations exactly like this where we need to decide what matters most - overall transcript or more recent work.
It's hard to give you guidance on your chances. At some schools, it is probably close to zero, but there are others that might be willing to look past your shortcomings. Your advantage is that there are enough unknowns at this point -PCAT, OChem, Calc grades - that you can still improve your chances.
Good luck.
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