Why a candidate is not admitted
The following are some reasons a candidate may fail to gain admission to the College of Pharmacy. Competitiveness is based on the applicant pool each year.
Incomplete application
An application is incomplete if the candidate:
- failed to take the PCAT within the required time period.
- failed to submit the application on time.
- failed to pay application fee on time.
- was missing letters of recommendation by 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, Dec. 15.
- failed to take correct required courses.
- had missing or incomplete information in the application.
The Admissions Committee (AC) strictly enforces the deadlines. No exceptions are made.
Qualifications
Based on the qualifications of the 2009 applicant pool, a candidate must have had all of the following to receive an interview invitation:
- Science GPA ≥ 3.0
- PCAT chemistry subscore ≥ 40 %
- Experience in a pharmacy setting. While research is a unique/valuable experience, it is not acceptable as the only type of pharmacy experience. The AC expects to see at least 4-6 months, or at least 50 hours, of work or volunteer experience in a pharmacy setting at the time the application is submitted. This assures the committee that the student has an understanding of the profession. (Please e-mail us if you have any questions or concerns about your particular experience.)
- A “B” or higher in Organic Chemistry lecture in anatomy and physiology courses.
- Strong letters of recommendation
Competitiveness
The following is helpful information if a candidate received an invitation and attended the interview but was not accepted:
- The Admissions Committee evaluates a candidate’s application holistically. For some candidates there may be one particular area that must be corrected to be competitive (i.e. unacceptable on-site essay score). For others, it is not one area, but a culmination of small details.
- We recommend every applicant do the following to increase his or her competitiveness: practice interview skills, gain quality pharmacy experience, become involved in organizations and community service, and be active in Prepharmacy Club (if there is one at the applicant's college or university).
Helpful Resources for applicants :
- UA Career Services
- Tips from Career Services about Interviews
- Math and Science Tutoring (MASTRs), 520-626-9398
- Prepharmacy Club
- Pre-Health Advising Center (to explore other health related professions)
If you think you may have a problem with your written communication skills, please view the following websites:
- Writing Skills Improvement Program, 520-621-5849
- Writing Program
Other IMPORTANT things to know about applying:
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