Early Decision Questions Thread

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"If, however, you are denied admission as an Early Decision applicant, you may apply to other PharmCAS institutions for an additional fee." - PharmCAS

anyone know how much this additional fee is?


If I am not mistaken, for each additional school you apply to it's an additional 40.00.

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as in additional 40 dollars to the 40 dollars for each school?
 
as in additional 40 dollars to the 40 dollars for each school?


Ok lets put it this way. You pay the initial PharmCAS fee of 150.00 which will only cover 1 school. If you want your application to be sent to 2 schools then you pay 190.0. If it's for 3 schools, then you pay 230.00 etc. These increases are all at 40.00 increments per school after that initial fee.
 
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i see. but that's normal.

i'm asking if there's any sort of additional fee if you did early decision and didn't get in, as if it's like a penalty.
 
I think the "additional fee" is simply the fees you'd have to pay for each additional school, ie. $40 per school. I doubt they'd punish you for not getting in. After all, not getting into early decision means you have to apply to other schools - which means more money for them.
 
I think the "additional fee" is simply the fees you'd have to pay for each additional school, ie. $40 per school. I doubt they'd punish you for not getting in. After all, not getting into early decision means you have to apply to other schools - which means more money for them.

exactly. They're basically saying if you don't get into early decision at one school, your application will still be open to send to other schools. You already paid to have your app sent to the early decision school, you don't need to send it again. The additional fee is for those other schools.
 
exactly. They're basically saying if you don't get into early decision at one school, your application will still be open to send to other schools. You already paid to have your app sent to the early decision school, you don't need to send it again. The additional fee is for those other schools.


So I guess I was right then.
 
... anyone else applying Early Decision to a pharmacy school? I kind of have cold feet because I know that I can't go back to PharmCAS and apply to other schools until late October-ish if I get rejected --- but I really, really, really want to go to my 1st choice school and am hoping I can through ED! Anyone else in same boat?


I know how you feel. I'm applying for ED at University of Colorado. Do you have other schools in mind as a back up? I'm worried though because if I'm deferred to regular status/rejected/or waitlisted, then I will barely have enough time to submit other apps by the preferred deadline of November 1st.
 
I know how you feel. I'm applying for ED at University of Colorado. Do you have other schools in mind as a back up? I'm worried though because if I'm deferred to regular status/rejected/or waitlisted, then I will barely have enough time to submit other apps by the preferred deadline of November 1st.

Yeaaah I have backups but I don't want to go to them. My first-choice school would be so perfect for me, and all the backups I have would be pale substitutes in comparison. I am strongly considering not going into pharmacy if I don't get into my school of choice - particularly bc the field is becoming more saturated, the more I think about it I only want to attend a school that gives me every possible human advantage in my subspecialty of choice. I guess I still have time to think about it though ...
 
I'm just curious ... which school is your first choice (if you don't mind sharing)?
 
Hi everyone,

I submitted an early decision application and have already received a response from the school that my status is deferred. I have received the email for half a month now but under the STATUS section in Pharmcas doesn't show that my status is deferred. I plan to apply for other schools with regular decision and it won't let me yet. Does anybody have any idea on how long Pharmcas takes to update this? Thanks.
 
Hi everyone,

I submitted an early decision application and have already received a response from the school that my status is deferred. I have received the email for half a month now but under the STATUS section in Pharmcas doesn't show that my status is deferred. I plan to apply for other schools with regular decision and it won't let me yet. Does anybody have any idea on how long Pharmcas takes to update this? Thanks.

I'm in a similar situation. My school decided not to have early decision anymore because there were not enough ED applicants. I logged into PharmCAS as well and I still cannot add additional schools. I am definitely going to call them in the morning to find out and let you know what happens.
 
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It was the worse decision I ever made about this early decision stuff. Turned in the full application in Mid. July and received a confirmation that it's complete at beginning of September, and it remains silence ever since. I could have applied to so many other schools if it wasn't for this early decision crap; def. bad experience. Not that I care about this school anymore since I am settled for the other school, but it just gets on my nerve big time. Hope other ED have better experience.
 
I submitted an early decision application and have already received a response from the school that my status is deferred. I have received the email for half a month now but under the STATUS section in Pharmcas doesn't show that my status is deferred. I plan to apply for other schools with regular decision and it won't let me yet. Does anybody have any idea on how long Pharmcas takes to update this? Thanks.

I emailed PharmCAS and they told me to contact the university to have them change my status in PharmCAS. The frustrating thing is that the university already told me they changed my status AND PharmCAS themselves sent me 5 emails notifying me of my status change update, but still the system won't let me apply to other schools. Very frustrating.
 
I emailed PharmCAS and they told me to contact the university to have them change my status in PharmCAS. The frustrating thing is that the university already told me they changed my status AND PharmCAS themselves sent me 5 emails notifying me of my status change update, but still the system won't let me apply to other schools. Very frustrating.

I think I know what's going on. My guess is that we all have to wait for the deadline of the ED to be over where the schools have to report to Pharmcas of their final decision, which is around late October. I didn't receive any email from Pharmcas themselves about my status yet, only from the school.
 
My application was the opposite. I applied early decision and have an interview. The other day I received an email from pharmcas saying I was no longer an early decision and I could apply to other schools. Mine was messed cause I have not had the interview yet, but the school said they would fix it. I would contact the school
 
I think I know what's going on. My guess is that we all have to wait for the deadline of the ED to be over where the schools have to report to Pharmcas of their final decision, which is around late October. I didn't receive any email from Pharmcas themselves about my status yet, only from the school.

That makes sense, but it sucks big time that we have to wait.
 
Hi everyone, I applied for early decision but wasn't offered an interview. I read that the deadline for the schools to make their decision to Pharmcas is on October 23rd, but as of today, Pharmcas won't let me add anymore schools and my application is still frozen. Can anyone help me out? I thought that once that deadline is over, my application would be free for me to add other schools?
 
Hi everyone, I applied for early decision but wasn't offered an interview. I read that the deadline for the schools to make their decision to Pharmcas is on October 23rd, but as of today, Pharmcas won't let me add anymore schools and my application is still frozen. Can anyone help me out? I thought that once that deadline is over, my application would be free for me to add other schools?


I'm pretty sure the school needs to notify PharmCAS that you have been bumped to the regular pool. I would send PharmCAS an email or give them a call tomorrow. It may be released Monday since the 23rd is on a Friday and no one likes to do things on Fridays :whistle:
 
Since the deadline is passed, I thought they would release my application on that date. I called Pharmcas and they said that the school needs to tell them of their decision for Pharmcas to unlock it, but a friend of mine said that the school is telling him to contact Pharmcas instead.
 
Since the deadline is passed, I thought they would release my application on that date. I called Pharmcas and they said that the school needs to tell them of their decision for Pharmcas to unlock it, but a friend of mine said that the school is telling him to contact Pharmcas instead.

I had a similar situation about a month ago. I applied for early decision at University of Colorado and received an email that they canceled their early decision due to a lack of students applying for it. When I received that email last month from the school, they said they would release me immediately. Initially I thought the school was lagging but after calling PharmCAS a week later, a guy there told me that I.T. from PharmCAS was backed up and it would take awhile for them to change the status. So, it took a week to two weeks to actually change my status and for me to apply to other schools. Your status in PharmCAS will say "was" for early decision once it's updated.
 
Thank you everyone for the replies. But does it really take up to 2 weeks to really update the status? I'm really worried since there are a few schools that I want to apply to and they have the deadline at the beginning of Nov. If it does really take 2 weeks, I'm going to be missing out on those schools.
 
I was wondering what kinda stats you should have if you want to apply early decision...I know strong but in what range? Also do you think if someone is debating doing this they should wait until they get their PCAT scores before submitting their app?
 
currently, there is an option if u want to do early decision or not, if u click yes, does that mean we cant change it later?

Can some1 explain to me what exactly is early decision? Is early decision only applying to 1 school, and if u get in u have to go that school? Or can i app to multiple schools as early decision ?
 
early decision...you can apply to multiple school but if you look carefully at those early decision school, only some pharmacy school has it. Western, UOP, most of california school don't have it. Some school may have early decision and regular one as well but make sure that the school you are applying is part of the early decision. If your school is NOT listed there, then choose "no". Good luck!
 
Sorry to say but the above poster is completely wrong. http://www.pharmcas.org/applicants/edp.htm

You can only apply to one school during ED, and have to wait for their decision. If you get in, you have to go, if you don't get in, you're then, and only at that point, allowed to apply to other schools.
 
Early decision is a binding option - best utilized if there is one program that you are dying to get into. If you choose a school - ONE SCHOOL - that is ED, and you get in, you are obligated to go to that school. Your application is NOT released to any other school.

However, if you choose a school that is ED and you do not get in, PharmCas will release your application to the rest of the schools for the regular admission process.

So, ED is not an option where you can apply to several schools and have a choice and just get a whole bunch of acceptances early. Doesn't work like that.
 
Early decision is a binding option - best utilized if there is one program that you are dying to get into. If you choose a school - ONE SCHOOL - that is ED, and you get in, you are obligated to go to that school. Your application is NOT released to any other school.

However, if you choose a school that is ED and you do not get in, PharmCas will release your application to the rest of the schools for the regular admission process.

So, ED is not an option where you can apply to several schools and have a choice and just get a whole bunch of acceptances early. Doesn't work like that.


Mmmm...good to know.:thumbup:
 
I apologize if there is already a thread regarding this. I wanted to apply for early decision but not quite sure what that means.

Does it simply mean that I must commit to the school if I get in? Which I have no problem with if I get accepted.

Wondering if it also includes the clause that says I can't apply elsewhere until I get an answer from that school?

I would also like to apply elsewhere to have back up. However, because I don't quite exactly understand how early decision works I just wanted to know that I can still apply to other schools before it's too late while I wait from my top choice.
 
I apologize if there is already a thread regarding this. I wanted to apply for early decision but not quite sure what that means.

Does it simply mean that I must commit to the school if I get in? Which I have no problem with if I get accepted.

Wondering if it also includes the clause that says I can't apply elsewhere until I get an answer from that school?

I would also like to apply elsewhere to have back up. However, because I don't quite exactly understand how early decision works I just wanted to know that I can still apply to other schools before it's too late while I wait from my top choice.

It's always nice to go ahead and use the SEARCH function first. I really don't know how hard it is to find it, but it's your best option.

(I am not familiar with PharmCAS's process as Texas does not use it for 5 of the 6 schools here.)
 
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So if I apply early to a school...I'll know if I get a interview by october-ish? and if i'm denied an interview/denied application/etc. pharmcas will THEN send my application to other schools? so... this would really suck if I get rejected by the ED school and some schools that i apply to are on a rolling admission basis?

also...do all schools allow ED applicants to re-apply as regular admission students?
 
So if I apply early to a school...I'll know if I get a interview by october-ish? and if i'm denied an interview/denied application/etc. pharmcas will THEN send my application to other schools? so... this would really suck if I get rejected by the ED school and some schools that i apply to are on a rolling admission basis?

also...do all schools allow ED applicants to re-apply as regular admission students?


As long as it's still within the school's deadline. If the deadline has passed then that's it for that school.
 
i think specifically i was asking if schools will just put my application into regular admissions if i was rejected for ED... basically without me having to do anything? or do i have to notify them saying i want to be put into their regular admissions.

Ex: Lets say I applied earlier to UMaryland, they rejected the ED application. Will they now review me with other regular admission applicants, or am i done for that school?
 
I want to apply for UH early decision process, but this is my first time submitting a pharmcas application so i'm not very familiar with how this works. Can I still do the early decision for UH and apply for regular decision for the other schools just in case I am denied early decision?
 
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IF you are not accepted into your ED choice's program, THEN PharmCAS will reopen for you to send your application to other schools for regular decision.
 
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