PharmD Admissions

Preparing to Apply

There are two major steps you need to complete in order to make sure you are eligible to apply to the School of Pharmacy.

Take the PCAT exam

The last PCAT accepted for Fall 2010 is October 2009; or for Early Decision, the last PCAT accepted is August 2009.  The admissions committee looks for a high composite percentile and a good percentile score in the biology and chemistry components.  The highest PCAT submitted is the exam taken into consideration.

Take All Prerequisite Courses

See our full list of prerequisite courses for details. You do not need to have completed all of your prerequisite courses before beginning the application process. You must have completed them by the time you begin your academic career at the School of Pharmacy, however, so it's important to plan your year before admission carefully.

Meet Minimum Requirements for Admission

You must also have an overall GPA of at least 2.5. If you have attended several schools, our admissions committee will initially look at the cumulative GPA calculated by PharmCAS, but emphasis will be placed on your science courses. Our committee will look at patterns -- for example, whether you were a full- or part-time student, or were working while a student. 

Next: Completing a PharmCAS Application

It's Not Just Academics

While it's important to be academically successful, our admissions committee also seeks well-rounded candidates. Work experience and extracurricular activities, although they aren't required, can strengthen your application. 

The letters of reference you submit with your application also play a part in our committee's decision.  We prefer references from science professors or work supervisors, but it's most important to find people who can speak to your strengths.


What if I Had One Bad Semester?

It is not unusual for students to have one academically weak semester. The admissions committee looks carefully at every application, and when a very strong student has a weak semester, the assumption is typically that there were extenuating circumstances that semester.