U of Waterloo 2011 Application Cycle

[hurahman]

I just finished 2nd year, 3.5 cGPA, 1 year pharmacy exp volunteering as of now, LOR from Pharmacist in the pharmacy, 1 year + 1 summer research experience in Biological chemistry lab (Currently on NSERC), many other ECs but all unrelated to pharmacy

Missing Microbio pre-req, and my last semester marks are pretty bad (Bs and B+s) because my research project got very busy...

Either that or I messed up RC/WR and interview badly

wow, sorry to hear but those are stellar stats. 3.5=high 70s right? If you can get it to 80 then i think you have an EXCELLENT chance!
how did you find pharmacy volunteering?

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[KingOfDoctors]

^my friend got in pharmacy school last year and he quit his so i replaced him...

 

[hanj7]

Who told you that? Ken told me gpa was only rarely a factor after interviews

ehn makes sense... I did mess up the interview/RCWT :S... more waiting for uoft

 

[KingOfDoctors]

sooo did any1 get onto the waiting list for waterloo this year???

 

[nirvana77]

My admission offer is conditional but I am not missing any pre-reqs..did anyone else get a similar offer?

 

[prettysomnus]

do you mean the status on quest is "conditional" instead of "application" ?

 

[prettysomnus]

sooo did any1 get onto the waiting list for waterloo this year???

do we really have waiting list ?

 

[KingOfDoctors]

do we really have waiting list ?

yea that's what i'm wondering...

so if let's say 1/4 of the ppl end up going to UT or UBC...how do they get 120 people for the class of 2011???

 

[nirvana77]

do you mean the status on quest is "conditional" instead of "application" ?

No, on Quest it says "Admit", and then I accepted so now it shows "Intention to Matriculate". In the email, it says the offer is conditional.

 

[sandmeyer]

No, on Quest it says "Admit", and then I accepted so now it shows "Intention to Matriculate". In the email, it says the offer is conditional.

I got this too. I have everything done, yet it says "CONDITIONAL" in the e-mail. In quest, it says I've met all the requirements (albeit the yellow diamond), so I'm not going to worry about it.

 

[Niki1987]

I got this too. I have everything done, yet it says "CONDITIONAL" in the e-mail. In quest, it says I've met all the requirements (albeit the yellow diamond), so I'm not going to worry about it.

Yes I've got this too. I think that is just the general e-mail informing people that if you've got any missing pre-requisites, you must complete them, because it goes on to say that your specific situation will be outlined in the mailed letter/Quest.

On that note, I've also got a yellow diamond next to meeting the requirements thing, even though I've finished them. What does that mean??

 

[Geiser]

Hi. Does anyone else have a yellow diamond next to the Reference Letter part? I got accepted (yay) but have the silly little diamond there to confuse me.

Thanks!

 

[tisane22]

hey guys, so my acceptance email also says conditional, but i am pretty sure i have all the pre-reqs. also i have this diamond thing as well on quest. since we're all getting it i guess we shouldn't be too worried. maybe we could double-check with the admissions committee if we have all of the pre-reqs, so we don't end up being rejected by the end of december just b/c we missed one pre-req.

unless i choose u of t over uw, i look forward to meeting everyone in january. it is going to be great to meet students who are just as motivated and excited about primary health care and the profession of pharmacy as i am.

 

[tisane22]

Hi. Does anyone else have a yellow diamond next to the Reference Letter part? I got accepted (yay) but have the silly little diamond there to confuse me.

Thanks!

that is so weird. i am not sure what that is, i have one besides the required courses, even tho i am sure i have them all. i have a checkmark beside the ref letter. maybe u of w just likes to confuse us. in any case congratulations on ur acceptance!

 

[st3v3n]

I have a yellow diamond beside all 3 Reference Letter, Pharmacy Admissions Profile, Admission Requirements Met. Should I be concerned?

 

[Geiser]

Well.. I'm not so much worried, but confused. Because some people have green checkmarks next to Admission profile and some have diamonds. I have the green checkmark for Admission Profile but diamonds next to the others. I guess the mailed Offer will be more clear?

Thanks for the congrats and ditto to you!

 

[byork]

If you're already admitted, the only thing you have to worry about is getting the required courses done. The LOR, etc... is all behind you.

If you have those done then you don't need to worry. You were accepted. Ie. they don't want you slipping away.

 

[helloeveryone]

Hi guys,

First of all, CONGRATS to all of you who got in An I hope that those who didn't would get into UofT.

So would you guys mind to post your stats PLEASE???
It would be nice if we can like create a table of stats like those people did on UofT's forum... And please also tell us all about your extra-curriculums and pharmacy experience too, thanks.

 

[isw]

Well.. I'm not so much worried, but confused. Because some people have green checkmarks next to Admission profile and some have diamonds. I have the green checkmark for Admission Profile but diamonds next to the others. I guess the mailed Offer will be more clear?

Thanks for the congrats and ditto to you!

I don't think it matters much. If I remember correctly, when I applied to UW for undergrad last year, I had a bunch of random checkmarks and diamonds too... it eventually changed when the system was updated. And my undergrad offer was ALSO conditional. I think it just means that if you **** up badly somehow (no idea how...) they can retract their offer? It's unlikely to happen so congrats to all of you!!!

For those of you who have UW as backup, do you mind disclosing why you chose UofT over UW? Is it the city, program, or what? I'm applying the next application cycle but I'm leaning toward UW because of co-op (need finances ). Does UofT offer to help students find similar student jobs? How do you guys plan to pay for your education?? Sorry for the questions but I'm kind of ignorant still

 

[Geiser]

Hi guys,

First of all, CONGRATS to all of you who got in An I hope that those who didn't would get into UofT.

So would you guys mind to post your stats PLEASE???
It would be nice if we can like create a table of stats like those people did on UofT's forum... And please also tell us all about your extra-curriculums and pharmacy experience too, thanks.

Hey.

83% GPA in Undergrad (Toxicology)
All prereqs completed
Started a Master's program

Extra-curriculars - A Wellness Centre, Distress Centre, Deaf Accessibility
No Pharmacy experience but shadowed a Community Pharmacist.
My Reference was a Hospital Pharmacist I gained contact when a family member was in the hospital

 

[tisane22]

Hi guys,

First of all, CONGRATS to all of you who got in An I hope that those who didn't would get into UofT.

So would you guys mind to post your stats PLEASE???
It would be nice if we can like create a table of stats like those people did on UofT's forum... And please also tell us all about your extra-curriculums and pharmacy experience too, thanks.

hi,

-finished degree in biomedical sciences with ~80%
-one yr. pharmacy experience in community pharmacy
-volunteer work with handicapped people
-extra-curriculars: music and athletics
-and i think i pulled off a good interview and written test

good luck helloeveryone on the next application round

 

[Niki1987]

Hi guys,

First of all, CONGRATS to all of you who got in An I hope that those who didn't would get into UofT.

So would you guys mind to post your stats PLEASE???
It would be nice if we can like create a table of stats like those people did on UofT's forum... And please also tell us all about your extra-curriculums and pharmacy experience too, thanks.

halllooo

Finished biochemistry with Thesis this year ...average 81%
Working as a Pharmacy technician for about a year but..
Letter of Reference was from a Physician
Hospital Volunteering both clinical and as a research volunteer
Some ECs..worked as a tutor/undergraduate clubs
also worked as a respite worker
undergraduate research as well


For my interview I did a scrapbook for the unstructured portion that I put a lot of work into, I think this helped me out (even though at the time, I didn't think the interviewers were as enthusiastic as they could've been)!

 

[phrmer]

I completed 2nd year of Biology/Physiology with 3.85 cGPA. I volunteered at a community pharmacy for a half of a year in gr. 12 and I obtained a reference from the pharmacist. Zero ECs during undergrad. Had some ECs in high school. I also had a lackluster interview and an abysmal writing test. I've mentioned before that I'm missing a statistics course.

 

[nameinator]

hey!

just finished 2nd year in microbio & immuno, cgpa 3.91. 1 summer of pharmacy volunteering, and got the reference from the pharmacist. mostly athletic ECs (varsity badminton and snowboarding club), alzheimers patient care, some student societies and some computer tech stuff, all at mcgill.

interview was meh, reading/writing was pretty good. missing 1 humanities course

hope this helps, see you guys in jan

 

[username27]

Looks like it's the second year students turn
I just finished my second year at the University of Windsor and I have a 3.8ish cGPA. I've got two leadership positons in my ECs as well as leaderhsip positons from high school. I've been volunteering at a pharmacy for the past year and a half and the pharmacist there wrote my LOR. I worked in a research lab this past year. I was missing two pre-reqs by the time the school year was over: biochem and genetics.
If you're in and went to U of Windsor, PM so we can chat and maybe we know each other
By the way, I just called Louise to ask some questions and she told me that they sent out 143 offers of admission; do you guys think there will be another round of interviews this year?
See you guys in January!

 

[username27]

oh by the way, my interview was average i would say and my writing test was probably above average!

 

[Brando44]

I got accepted also .....congrats to everybody else who also got in!

My Stats:
-I just graduated with a BSc in Biology and a minor in Chemistry
-3.9 gpa
-pharmacy experience job shadowing a pharmacist
-volunteer experience as a little boys basketball coach and in a hospital
-ECs mostly sports
-interview was ok
-reading and writing test I think I did good
-my reference letter was from a nurse who is a family friend

 

[phenolred]

By the way, I just called Louise to ask some questions and she told me that they sent out 143 offers of admission; do you guys think there will be another round of interviews this year?
See you guys in January!

That's more than I expected to go out. I'm thinking that they must have accepted a higher number of people than there are seats in anticipation that many people will decline and go to UofT or for other miscellaneous reasons. There must not be a waitlist then right? I doubt they will have more interviews though.

 

[byork]

Also, how many people applied and how many people were interviewed?

 

[phenolred]

Awhile back someone mentioned that there were about 600 applicants and 194 were interviewed. I don't know if that's a fact though.

 

[KingOfDoctors]

omg everybody's GPA are so high...i thought most ppl apply to pharmacy with GPA around 3.3 range...

 

[byork]

If 3.3 = 75%, then that's the minimum.

The average should be from 80-82% which can be anywhere from 3.5-3.8.

 

[sandmeyer]

If we are wanting to hold a spot in the class past June 28, does anyone know how much the deposit is? or if there is one..?

Thanks in advance-

 

[helloeveryone]

Oh my god, all these stats look AMAZING!!! you guys truly deserve the acceptances. Congrats again.

Please keep posting more stats guys so we can get a bigger picture. THANKS

 

[happypharmer]

If you're already admitted, the only thing you have to worry about is getting the required courses done. The LOR, etc... is all behind you.

If you have those done then you don't need to worry. You were accepted. Ie. they don't want you slipping away.

Yeah! The yellow diamond thing is confusing me too! I have a check mark for References, but a diamond for Admission Profile! hahaha

I'm pretty sure I'm done my prereqs. But if we're not, do they notify us in the mail? I'm guessing the mail would list out the conditions we have to meet before being fully on board?

 

[JDubz88]

Hey guys,

I applied this year to UW and got in, here are my stats and advice to hopeful applicants in the future. Hope you find it useful!

-graduated yesterday with a H.BSc in Biochem and Human Bio
-cGPA of 3.5ish (although it has progressed over the years from 2.7 in first year to 3.94 in my final year)
-shadowed pharmacists here and there (both community and hospital settings)
-LOR from a pharmacist that is a close friend
-random ECs (a bit of martial arts, volunteered in a soup kitchen, etc.)
-I thought I had a sub-par test (didn't actually finish it), but the interview portion went well for me
-still have 2 half credits to fulfill (phys chem and microbio)

In my personal opinion the keys to getting an interview are:
-writing a strong personal statement (that directly answers the prompt with solid anecdotes supporting your arguments), while writing concisely and in a professional tone
-having a strong LOR that can vouch for your passion for a career in pharmacy
-getting decent or better grades?
-ECs don't need to be in pharmacy; but having some volunteer shadowing experience I would say is highly beneficial (if not a must). Doesn't have to be much, but just to get some exposure in the field

As you can see, my stats aren't extraordinary and I'm missing 2 prereqs. Hopefully this helps out those applying again in the future!

 

[KingOfDoctors]

If 3.3 = 75%, then that's the minimum.

The average should be from 80-82% which can be anywhere from 3.5-3.8.

at UofT 3.3 is 77-79

 

[byork]

at UofT 3.3 is 77-79

That's right. Well the second part of my statement still holds.

Anyways, for the record (and next year's applicants):

My average was 82.6% after 7 semesters at Guelph.
I volunteered in a community pharmacy for 4 months and shadowed a hospital pharmacist for 3 days.
I worked in residence for one year.
I was in a fraternity, we did community service and ran events.
I was on a board that ran the "university center" at Guelph as an undergrad rep.
I worked in a lab one summer.
That's all I can remember... I know I did some more stuff though It adds up over the years.


I didn't prepare for my interview at all. For my 10 minute presentation, I just talked about a trip I took where I backpacked through Egypt and Israel for 3 months. I wrote up my outline while I was being driven to waterloo for my 10am interview. Also, I screwed up my writing test.

 

[ynot90]

Yeah! The yellow diamond thing is confusing me too! I have a check mark for References, but a diamond for Admission Profile! hahaha

I'm pretty sure I'm done my prereqs. But if we're not, do they notify us in the mail? I'm guessing the mail would list out the conditions we have to meet before being fully on board?

I'm also confused regarding the yellow diamonds for the conditional offers and emailed Julie P. about it, but I haven't gotten any response. Did anyone have any luck otherwise, or is she just waiting it out until everything is mailed out?

 

[nirvana77]

Does anyone know if there's a facebook group for us?...I know there was one for applicants in previous year: "University of Waterloo Rx2013 Pharmacy Class".

 

[Memorizing]

hey guys, just wondering about something

Say i applied this year with you guys and i didn't take biochemistry + lab, can i take it this coming fall if they accept me. So can i get a conditional acceptance?

thanks!

 

[nirvana77]

yes u can as some ppl did get accepted with missing a course..but missing courses is not advisable as it puts u at a disadvantage...

 

[parishilton2]

For the people that got into waterloo, when is the deadline to accept your offer?

 

[nirvana77]

It's June 28.

 

[nirvana77]

does anyone know good apartments near the school of pharmacy? I have read about alexandrian... do people who got accepted and don't live in waterloo, prefer on-campus or off-campus housing?

 

[byork]

Did anyone here get on the waitlist?

I think we can expect our packages in the mail soon. They were mailed out on Wednesday, so they could be there by Monday (I hope).

 

[phenolred]

I'm not from waterloo either so I will have to look for housing too. I'm excited to start looking for an apartment! I don't know much about what's available, but I noticed that there were quite a few apartment buildings around the pharmacy school within a few blocks. I also have a couple of friends that are in their P1 year and they said that it was somewhat difficult to find a place due to the time of the year that they wanted to move in.

 

[iLoveChcolate]

hahah sorry im like a week late. I got into UW as well!

I thought i botched my interview a little bit.. its not like i said something rude or didnt know what to say.. my content was decent.. but the way i presented myself was very fob-ish.. I am not a fob.. well at least i havent been for a long time now.. but somehow i was really nervous and acted a fool lol

now just waiting for uoft

good luck everyone

stats 3.71 like 81-82% and i thought interview went ..so -so and writing part was alot better. graduated with a degree in biochemistry on friday!

and to all those hopefuls.. if i get into u of t i will pick u of t so maybe those potentially on the waitlist can have my spot! i havent accepted or declined yet as i am waiting until this friday

 

[st3v3n]

Does anyone know if there's a facebook group for us?...I know there was one for applicants in previous year: "University of Waterloo Rx2013 Pharmacy Class".

Im curious about this too, maybe it is up to us to set one up? There is no mention of it in the letter we received or anything.

 

[nirvana77]

The Society of Pharmacy Students at Waterloo made that group last year, so maybe they will make it for us too