Official University of Alberta 2014 Pharmacy Applicants - Class of 2018

[kzapf]

Hey everyone! I'm applying to the U of A this year and I'm very excited that I found this forum! I graduated high school in Calgary and decided to take my pharmacy prerequisites over two years at the University of Victoria. My current pGPA and cGPA are both 3.9 but my pGPA may drop to 3.8 by the end of the year.

 

I wish you all the best of luck with your applications, and I hope to see you next year!

[timrim]

I have a 3.47 pre-req and a 3.63 cumulative over my last two years. I am finishing my degree this year. Not sure if my pre-req avg will bring me down.

I have had countless volunteering positions and have worked with and shadowed pharmacists in both the clinical and community setting.

What do you guys think?

[Gretzky]

timrim, your pre-req GPA is too low I think, while your overall is decently competitive. Perhaps you should upgrade a course or two next semester to bring it up to around 3.65ish?

[Hoganhero]

Basically a pre-req of about 3.7 is competitive... right??

[Hoganhero]

Nope, 101 with Apelblat and 164 with Brzezowski.

We'll have 263 together though because only Stryker is teaching.

 

Yes, that sounds right! I have Apelblat for 102 next semester... Hopefully he is better than Jensen:rolleyes:

[Gretzky]

Yep a 3.7 prereq is definitely competitive

[Tacrolimus]

You guys are all very competitive for the program with those marks. Just do a good job on the letter!

 

P.S. If you're in 2nd+ year, I strongly recommend Immunology.

[timrim]

You guys are all very competitive for the program with those marks. Just do a good job on the letter!

 

P.S. If you're in 2nd+ year, I strongly recommend Immunology.

 

Hey Alfredsson. First off congrats on your acceptance. I remember you from last year's forum.

What do you think of my situation? I am afraid a 3.47 prereq will hit me hard, and I can't increase it because I won't be able to graduate this year if I take other courses other than those required for my degree. Only thing I can do is bring my cumulative up (I am thinking to a 3.7 at least).

Also, it's my fourth (and last year) of my undergrad. Do you know if having a degree helps in the application?

[pharmacy233]

Hey Alfredsson. First off congrats on your acceptance. I remember you from last year's forum.

What do you think of my situation? I am afraid a 3.47 prereq will hit me hard, and I can't increase it because I won't be able to graduate this year if I take other courses other than those required for my degree. Only thing I can do is bring my cumulative up (I am thinking to a 3.7 at least).

Also, it's my fourth (and last year) of my undergrad. Do you know if having a degree helps in the application?

 

Hey timrim! Maybe look into a spring course that could raise your prereq GPA? a 3.55 (rounding to 3.6) would give you a greater chance right now a 3.5 is too low apparently the applicant pool for ualberta is always really hard because they receive top marks on the PEBC's a lot.

[timrim]

Hey timrim! Maybe look into a spring course that could raise your prereq GPA? a 3.55 (rounding to 3.6) would give you a greater chance right now a 3.5 is too low apparently the applicant pool for ualberta is always really hard because they receive top marks on the PEBC's a lot.

 

Hey pharmhope thank you for the advice. I think that is the best choice.

 

Do you guys know if having a degree helps with the admission process?

I hear that it does help but I am not sure.

[pharmacy233]

Hey pharmhope thank you for the advice. I think that is the best choice.

 

Do you guys know if having a degree helps with the admission process?

I hear that it does help but I am not sure.

 

Well they claim it doesnt but I think it really would if someone had similiar stats to you?

[Tacrolimus]

Hey Alfredsson. First off congrats on your acceptance. I remember you from last year's forum.

What do you think of my situation? I am afraid a 3.47 prereq will hit me hard, and I can't increase it because I won't be able to graduate this year if I take other courses other than those required for my degree. Only thing I can do is bring my cumulative up (I am thinking to a 3.7 at least).

Also, it's my fourth (and last year) of my undergrad. Do you know if having a degree helps in the application?

 

Hey timrim, thanks.

 

I would strongly recommend improving your worst pre-req course mark in the spring. Let's say you got a B in a course... if you can get an A on the upper level, that's 1.0 right there, and divide it by 10... and you have your GPA go up by 0.1 which is huge, IMO.

 

As for degree, we're told it does not matter.

[Debstep]

Does anyone know what the pGPA that most first years in Pharmacy have? I know UAlberta says they don't discriminate between the years, but it doesn't seem to make sense to me if only about 10 first years make it in each year. A bunch of my friends applying seem to have 3.8 pGPAs in their first year, and yet I still feel like we might not be as competitive.

[pharmacy233]

Does anyone know what the pGPA that most first years in Pharmacy have? I know UAlberta says they don't discriminate between the years, but it doesn't seem to make sense to me if only about 10 first years make it in each year. A bunch of my friends applying seem to have 3.8 pGPAs in their first year, and yet I still feel like we might not be as competitive.

 

They actually prefer if you wait till second year, thats what I was told when I applied last year. So you need a higher GPA than someone with more years of school, 3.8 would probs be sufficient.

[pharmacy233]

Any previous applicants having trouble finding motivation? I cant stand the thought of working hard again just to fail

[timrim]

Any previous applicants having trouble finding motivation? I cant stand the thought of working hard again just to fail

 

Right there with you! It's my third time applying. I know it sucks, but that's just how it is. It's not going to come easy. Think of it this way. There is a reason why it's a tough path, and that's because the end result is awesome . So just keep at it. Work hard. It'll pay off. Good luck with finals!

[Barndog]

Right there with you! It's my third time applying. I know it sucks, but that's just how it is. It's not going to come easy. Think of it this way. There is a reason why it's a tough path, and that's because the end result is awesome . So just keep at it. Work hard. It'll pay off. Good luck with finals!

 

My third time applying also. Really sick of undergrad at this point (5th year sounds cool but is not ) Hopefully third time is the charm!

[SBK1994]

Hey guys, Im currently in my 2nd year of undergrad (nursing) and its not going to hot. Im thinking of switching to kines because I have come to learn nursing is just not my thing and I really am interested in pharmacy. Just a question for the applicants applying for the third time, do they tell you what you can improve on for future applications? And is it GPA that might be contributing to your rejection? I currently have a 3.88 after my first year, however I still have to do majority of my pre reqs.

 

Thanks in advance for the responses

[Barndog]

Hey guys, Im currently in my 2nd year of undergrad (nursing) and its not going to hot. Im thinking of switching to kines because I have come to learn nursing is just not my thing and I really am interested in pharmacy. Just a question for the applicants applying for the third time, do they tell you what you can improve on for future applications? And is it GPA that might be contributing to your rejection? I currently have a 3.88 after my first year, however I still have to do majority of my pre reqs.

 

Thanks in advance for the responses

 

No, they give you little to no feedback on what to improve on (unless you know the right people and/or have connections). It is very GPA based, with a strong emphasis on the pre-reqs. They will calculate an overall/2yr GPA also, but it isn't quite as important as the pre-req GPA. The problem with the GPA system is that is just becomes a big game of numbers. That's all you are is a number in a ranking, they never see you.

One or two bad grades in the pre-reqs can literally ruin you!

 

For example, I have B's in both my English pre-reqs that I'm sure that are dragging me down, but I can honestly say that I did absolutely everything I could to earn those grades (plus, I hoped they might look at the fact that the averages were a C- in those English courses). I worked hard at them and really enjoyed both of them and I can't believe how much I learned! Just couldn't seem to crack the A barrier.

I am currently sitting at approx a 3.4/3.5 GPAs in both pre-req and overall. It is hard to move that at this point since all of my courses are pretty much complete. From what I have been able to gather from the schools I have applied to, I am competitive (been waitlisted and missed admission barely) but I am not at the top. And to get in you have to be at the top. There isn't much room for error.

 

It it is just to the point of absolute frustration. I've held off my degree for this year to try one final time. I am taking two more English courses this year to hopefully bump those English pre-reqs up. But, I have decided this will be my last time applying as I'm not going to hold out for another year (I shiver at the thought of a 6th year). If it doesn't work out again, it just may never work out, but I don't know what else to do. I've done everything I feel that I can realistically do at this point, and I don't have unlimited time and money (I'm sick of working 30 hrs. a week slave wage to pay for school + schoolwork + volunteer) - although I'm quite proud to say that I have 0 student debt (I was always saving that if/when I got in to Pharmacy).

It just really stings because Pharmacy is all I have ever wanted to do since I was 14 years old, and I can't imagine doing anything else. I don't have any regrets on the way I did things, and I can't change anything now anyways.

I just wish it would've worked out.

[timrim]

Hey guys, Im currently in my 2nd year of undergrad (nursing) and its not going to hot. Im thinking of switching to kines because I have come to learn nursing is just not my thing and I really am interested in pharmacy. Just a question for the applicants applying for the third time, do they tell you what you can improve on for future applications? And is it GPA that might be contributing to your rejection? I currently have a 3.88 after my first year, however I still have to do majority of my pre reqs.

 

Thanks in advance for the responses

 

When I got rejected they did not tell me what the reason was, but I talked to Rae Beaumont afterwards and asked what I could improve on for next time. So if you ask then you can find out the reason.

GPA is definitely a major contributor. There is still the letter of intent of course but its not close to being as important as GPA. I did hear that they reject people right away just from looking at the letter of intent. Apparently some people forgot to sign it on the bottom so they got rejected automatically even if they had a 4.0. And of course if it has a lot of grammatical mistakes, and if it seems like there was no effort put into it they would be rejected

[pharmacy233]

just curious how everyones gpa is looking after this semester? I heard last years successful applicants all had unreal GPA and tons of masters and degrees and phD students applied so I am worried that will raise the GPA further this year because people with decent GPAs who got rejected may apply again...

[pharmacy233]

currently at a 3.7 and I Have finished my letter of intent and the resource forms I will be handing them in tomorrow!

[Barndog]

Hey everyone.

 

Has anybody heard offically what the "interview" will be this year?

In the "View Comments" section on beartracks it just shows:

 

A personal interview is required as part of the admission process. For more information see: http://www.pharm.ualberta.ca/Prospective_Students.aspx.

 

However there is nothing posted as of yet on the website. Seems strange...

[pharmacy233]

maybe they didnt get it out fast enough this year so they are prepping the idea for next year?

[pharmacy233]

6. How do I apply for admission to the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences?

The application procedure has three parts:

University of Alberta application

Letter of Intent

university or college transcripts

The University of Alberta application can be completed in one of two ways:

submit an application electronically through the Office of the Registrar

download a printable PDF version of the application from the How to apply webpage to submit a paper-based application to the Office of the Registrar

For the 2013/2014 school year, applications must go directly to the Office of the Registrar no later than March 1 of the current year.

 

The Letter of Intent is a component part of the application process. Guidelines to follow for this letter are available on the faculty's web site. Please send your Letter of Intent directly to the faculty by March 1 of the current year.

 

Send your transcripts and application to the Office of the Registrar. If you are still currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution, you must send your most recent transcripts, and then submit your transcripts for the second term by June 15 of the current year.