Here is a recap of the last activity:
A recruiter from Auburn University - Harrison School of Pharmacy in Alabama came to talk to students about the application process as well as their school and why students should consider them as well as other eastern and southern schools rather than just looking at those in Utah. Here are some bullet points of advice or information about Auburn and other pharmacy schools in general that I thought were helpful:
- Graduate schools like to see how you did in the hard classes. Calculus 2 and Organic Chemistry tend to be classes designed to "weed out" students who aren't serious and they are really just prerequisites to see how you can handle yourself in difficult classes.
- the PCAT's purpose is to predict a student's success in their first year of pharmacy school
- Organizational skills and positions look very impressive on an application so be sure to convey yourself in a light that will demonstrate these skills to the school you are applying to
- Volunteering: while some graduate schools may have hour requirements, most schools just want to see consistency and they want to see what type of person you are and what type of service you have made time for out of your busy schedule.
- DON'T USE FORMAL ESSAYS! Graduate schools compare your application essay to those on the internet and if they are over a certain percentage similar they will toss yours out. Make it your own. If you are determined to go through 8 years of schooling, study like crazy, and then work in this profession until you are at age to retire there has to be a good reason why. Convey that to the school your applying. Be sure to make it sincere, original, and personal. This a great opportunity to show the school who you are.
- When you hear "rolling admission" apply early! Rolling admission means that they start holding interviews once they start receiving a lot of applications and that they might have filled up all of their slots before applications are even due
- Find out how interviews will go. Don't be shy to ask your graduate school about the interviewing process.
- Practice: Practice doing interviews in front of the mirror and mock interviews.
- Prepare responses to common questions like: "Tell us about yourself," "Why do you want to be a pharmacist?" "What made you choose our school?" "What is your most significant accomplishment?" (with this question they are trying to see your values) "Why should we choose you?"
- Make and keep eye contact
- Some things that Auburn looks for in their applicants are: "honest, care, communicate, problem-solving, and citizenship"
- Auburn is a school that takes into account the academic rigor of schools from which their applicants are applying. Some schools don't do this but for those that do BYU is a very impressive school to have on your resume.
- When you are applying to schools be sure to look at location and how they teach what they teach
- In your resume make sure you include recent accomplishments, portray yourself in a constantly improving light. Show them that you are only getting better and better and that the best is yet to come.
- Auburn's tuition is $36,000/year but they do have some scholarships available
- The representative recommended taking the 3 Pearson practice tests before taking your PCAT. The first one soon, the third one a week or so before you take the real one and the second one somewhere in between.
- The PCAT is not a test of concepts but of specificity therefore it is in your best interest to take practice exams, buy a book, enroll in a prep course, or use some other effective way of prep so you can know exactly what they are looking for
- He also encouraged those planning on taking the PCAT to google: dr. collins pcat study guide
- BYU Pre-Pharmacy
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