University of Texas at Austin

www.westernu.edu/pharmacy/
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Do you guys at UT know how many people are being interviewed this year?
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bigdogc said:
i refered to myself in third person, as "the big dog", and they just seemed to love it....
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i'll do that. i'm thinking maybe "E-man" instead of the big dog though?
 
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FixLittlePeople said:
Knickerbocker, did you get an interview?
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I managed to get an invitation.

I thought that things were nerve-wracking before, but they are likely to be more so in the near future! From what I've seen from last year's messages, they accept a small number of people between interview rounds and save the bulk for April, after the last set of interviews.

On the positive side, this means that those who interview later have about the same chance to get in as those who interview early.

I will say that UT is absolutely my first choice, but I'd happily go to the Antarctic College of Pharmacy if it were the only school that would take me. However, if UT did accept me in April or May and I already had an acceptance from another school, earlier in the cycle, I would hate to look like a jerk and cancel the earlier school.

Well, there is no sense in speculation like this - I may very well botch my interviews and not get in anywhere :(
 
nehe87 said:
I'm applying to pharmacy schools this fall, and my top choice is UT Austin. I was just wondering, for you guys out there who got accepted (especially for this coming fall session), what kinds of stats did you have? Did you do anything special that you think made you stand out? I know there are only about 125 spots offered at UT, and it's EXTREMELY competitive. I just wanted some insight from all of your experiences, if you would be willing to offer it. I'll take any advice given! :)
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This is the stat for UT Admission:
http://www.utexas.edu/pharmacy/admissions/ad_stats.html

However, there is no info about what % of applicant got interview..
I also got invitation for 1st round of interview. Good luck to us! :luck:
 
30 minutes really seems like a short interview to make a final decision. So much can go wrong in that time :scared:

I wonder if they have decisions already made (either accept right away or put into pool) and just use the interviews to make sure that we aren't bad choices when seen in person.

Anyway, I just thought it seems brief when compared to the time an interview at UH and TT takes.
 
Also, does anyone know how the slideshow and tour work? I picked a time for my interview, but there was nothing specific about the rest.

Do they have a number of slideshows and tours throughout the day and I join whichever is nearest my interview? Or do we all wait for one after interviews are all over?

If I have to sit around there all day, you'll figure out who I am from the
:scared::scared:I want in, but they aren't going to take me:scared::scared: that I will be doing.
 
Knickerbocker said:
Also, does anyone know how the slideshow and tour work? I picked a time for my interview, but there was nothing specific about the rest.

Do they have a number of slideshows and tours throughout the day and I join whichever is nearest my interview? Or do we all wait for one after interviews are all over?

If I have to sit around there all day, you'll figure out who I am from the
:scared::scared:I want in, but they aren't going to take me:scared::scared: that I will be doing.
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Ahh, I see you're getting more nervous by the minute, Knickerbocker! I think we all are, but here's my take on the interview/tour/slideshow process:

My interview is at 3:15 on Friday, and from what I've gathered, they'll do the interview part first (30-45 minutes) then take you on a tour/slideshow thingee for a few hours (could be shorter though in reality) with several other students who interviewed. Even if you're the only one on the tour--No fears, though! Remember it's normal to be nervous--everyone there will be nervous! Once you've done the interview, just enjoy the ride afterwards and don't do anything majorly stupid and immature on the tour, and you'll be golden! :D
 
Does UT still have the Pharmacy Student Research Training Program? I found a link to it, but it is an application for 2004, so I was curious.

Thanks.
 
Knickerbocker said:
30 minutes really seems like a short interview to make a final decision. So much can go wrong in that time :scared:

I wonder if they have decisions already made (either accept right away or put into pool) and just use the interviews to make sure that we aren't bad choices when seen in person.

Anyway, I just thought it seems brief when compared to the time an interview at UH and TT takes.
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My interview actually lasted about an hour, not because they asked a lot of questions but because we kept getting off on tangents. I think I was asked 5 or so questions.
 
mike36 said:
My interview actually lasted about an hour, not because they asked a lot of questions but because we kept getting off on tangents. I think I was asked 5 or so questions.
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Hopefully I won't have a "thank you, I've heard enough" interview that lasts only 15 minutes.

I can't wait for the interview feedback server to be back online so that I can see questions that were asked.

What size photo should I bring with me? Wallet or 4x6?
 
Where do you find 'interview feedback'? On the UT Pharmacy website? I don't think it matters what size picture of you since it just for the file when they are making their final decision. I suspect no 8x10s. Anyone else going Saturday morning? I picked 10am to beat traffic and whatnot.
 
I am pretty sure I brought a 4x6 photo last year.
 
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Can anybody can help with sample of UT Interview questions?
It will be greatly appreciated :love:
 
Knickerbocker said:
Also, does anyone know how the slideshow and tour work? I picked a time for my interview, but there was nothing specific about the rest.

Do they have a number of slideshows and tours throughout the day and I join whichever is nearest my interview? Or do we all wait for one after interviews are all over?

If I have to sit around there all day, you'll figure out who I am from the
:scared::scared:I want in, but they aren't going to take me:scared::scared: that I will be doing.
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Well as I remember this is how it went last year: You arrive in the waiting room primmed and prepped and nervous like its your job. You get your name tag and turn in your picture and then mingle with the P1s and P2s that will be there ushering and chatting with the applicants; this is where they'll take a lot of the edge off because all the pharm kids have been in your position before and they're pretty good at making you feel a lot more comfortable. After a while you'll go in for your interview; usually there's a P3 or older student and a pharmacist (not necessarily faculty, mine was a fresh grad from walgreens) but it isn't always this configuration (there are a few double student and double pharmacist interview teams) and they'll talk you down from the jitters after a while. The interview comes and goes and takes about 30-60 minutes (time is not an indicator of how well you're doing!), just be honest and frank. Who you are and what you know isn't going to change between now and then and you don't know what they want to hear (even if you think you do) so its really best to answer with your heart. After its all over and you bask in the relief you head back to the waiting room and chat with the applicants in your interview slot about how nervous you were and how glad you are its over. Then you get corralled together and you go on a tour of the building and a video presentation of what Austin is like and what to expect out of your classes. After that you go home. I recommend you go hang out with friendly faces that night because you'll probably want to unwind and get your mind off the worry.

The tour and interviews are arranged into slots so its kind of like 20+ people will interview at once while another of group of 20+ will be in the waiting room while 20+ are on a tour. Depending on how and when you're scheduled to do what you might have your tour first or vice versa and if your slots straddle the noon hour you'll also have time for lunch. hope that helps!
 
Thanks for the info.

Wow, it sounds like they are interviewing a ton of people. If it were 60 per day, then it would be something like 360 people total. I think I read that we are actually only interviewing for one of 90 spots (rest are already spoken for), so that leaves a 1 in 4 chance for the average candidate.

I thought that the odds were supposed to be better once you were interviewed:(
 
pskull said:
Can anybody can help with sample of UT Interview questions?
It will be greatly appreciated :love:
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It'll vary from interviewer to interviewer, but in my case, I was asked the typical why pharmacy, why UT, and what makes you think you could become a successful pharmacist. As with any interview, definitely have your strengths and weaknesses thought out before going in...they always like you to reflect on one or the other. Then there are the ethical questions...the proverbial "there is no right or wrong answer" questions. I believe mine were should syringes continue to be sold without a script and what if an 18 year old male comes to the pharmacy to buy Plan-B? Do you sell it to him? They want to see your ability to incorporate your values and personal beliefs in order to think through a situation that doesn't have a clear cut answer. Pharmacy experience certainly helps, but it's not necessary to answer these questions. If you don't have the experience, don't get too worried. Just pick your stance and defend it. Like others have posted, don't try to predict what you think they want to hear. Just be yourself and be honest.

If you have any other questions or would like any insight in to any one particular question feel free to PM me or reply back. I'll do my best to help out. Congrats and good luck to all of you heading in next week, and to those still waiting, I know it's hard to wait, but there's still a lot of interviewing to go, so keep the faith, and hopefully we'll see you in March or April!
 
Knickerbocker said:
I thought that the odds were supposed to be better once you were interviewed:(
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I know! Right? Top 50-60% is better than nothing i suppose. Remember that UT attracts an exceedingly talented applicant pool; its pretty humbling.
 
I got my invite, but I didn't know we are supposed to bring a picture. How did you guys know we were supposed to bring one?
 
It seems like P1s posting here all went to schools like UT and Baylor.

Are there people in your class who went to poorly ranked schools?
 
don't worry they're looking to accept you not the school you attended.

(edited for worst typo ever)
 
interviews this weekend = get stoked people.........FREE FOOD :idea:
 
Lateralus1441 said:
interviews this weekend = get stoked people.........FREE FOOD :idea:
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I'm going to stuff myself at my favorite Indian place in Austin in case I don't get in... It will probably be a long time before I get to go there again.
 
Knickerbocker said:
I'm going to stuff myself at my favorite Indian place in Austin in case I don't get in... It will probably be a long time before I get to go there again.
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Yeah, I'm eating at my favorite place (a tai vegetarian restaurant, which I adore even though I'm not a vegetarian) a few hours before the dreaded hour. That way, even if I bomb the interview, at least I had a great lunch. :D
 
Do you guys know anything about the weight of the PCAT? I know that it isn't everything, as the average for 2007 was 77, but can it be a big factor?
 
JFC! You guys sound so depressed, like you're going to a funeral or, I don't know, getting ready to face a firing squad?! Lighten up, enjoy the experience, BE EXCITED! You guys are in the 1st round of interviews! That means you were the best out of EVERYONE that applied, what's that, like at least 800 applicants?! Relax... unless you completely suck at interpersonal skills I'm sure you'll all do fine.

Good luck y'all!
 
tharper14 said:
JFC! You guys sound so depressed, like you're going to a funeral or, I don't know, getting ready to face a firing squad?! Lighten up, enjoy the experience, BE EXCITED! You guys are in the 1st round of interviews! That means you were the best out of EVERYONE that applied, what's that, like at least 800 applicants?! Relax... unless you completely suck at interpersonal skills I'm sure you'll all do fine.

Good luck y'all!
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It's a roller coaster of ups and downs as I cycle through the belief that I stand a chance and the belief that I don't.
 
Knickerbocker said:
Do you guys know anything about the weight of the PCAT? I know that it isn't everything, as the average for 2007 was 77, but can it be a big factor?
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I would like to know more about this. My GPA is not good, but I got a 95 comp with all subtests at least 80. As far as I can tell that's a little below average on SDN, but all the shools I've looked at have averages in the high 70's to low 80's.
 
UTplease said:
I would like to know more about this. My GPA is not good, but I got a 95 comp with all subtests at least 80. As far as I can tell that's a little below average on SDN, but all the shools I've looked at have averages in the high 70's to low 80's.
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Sounds like a great score to me. Remember that people who score lower probably will not post their scores as much as will those that get higher scores.

I am unsure about what actual weight is given to the PCAT score.
 
For those with upcoming interviews, I would advise y'all to get here a little early. There is a lot of construction going on around the pharmacy building. If you're not familiar with the campus, it might take you a bit to figure out how to get to the building.

Good luck everyone!
 
Knickerbocker said:
It's a roller coaster of ups and downs as I cycle through the belief that I stand a chance and the belief that I don't.
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Well relax, knickerbocker, and enjoy the ride! I'm willing to bet you'll get an acceptance letter before the rest of us :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
Awww...i want to get an invite to UT too!
 
Ha! That's funny--tone is such a different thing in speaking vs. email. I didn't mean to sound depressed. By "dreaded," I really meant that I'm yes, excited, but also nervous as all get-out and hoping that I don't screw it up royally at the interview.

Probably should have chosen a better way to say it, anyway! :)

I'm looking forward to the interview, but I'm also like Knickerbocker, on a rollercoaster of nervous ups and downs--have been for what seems like longer than a week, but once it's over, I'm hoping my energies will level out some and I can focus on digesting my lunch.

BTW, one thing I don't get about the stats for the PCAT at UT last year is the Standard Deviation. For other years, it's between 1-3% but for last year, they posted 20% deviations. ???? Were scores really that all over the place?

Anyway, Knickerbocker, I'm sure it's a combination of test scores and GPA. For example, my GPA is 'meh but my PCAT was good. There's lots of in-betweens. Don't expect any of that to come up in the interview, though. I think all they have are your essays.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes, and best of luck to all of you that are interviewing! :horns::horns::horns:
 
Happy Hounds said:
BTW, one thing I don't get about the stats for the PCAT at UT last year is the Standard Deviation. For other years, it's between 1-3% but for last year, they posted 20% deviations. ???? Were scores really that all over the place?

...

Thanks everyone for the good wishes, and best of luck to all of you that are interviewing! :horns::horns::horns:
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The 20% deviations from this past year are standard deviations. The 1-3% numbers from years prior are standard error of means. A standard error of mean is the standard deviation divided by the square root of the sample size.

Good luck to you as well.
 
RNtoPharmacy said:
Awww...i want to get an invite to UT too!
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Yeah, I bet all in 1st interviewees will get in, just going off the posts for last year's interviewees for UT... I think all but one got in and he/she was happy cause they got an acceptance at UH anyway.

Happy Hounds said:
BTW, one thing I don't get about the stats for the PCAT at UT last year is the Standard Deviation. For other years, it's between 1-3% but for last year, they posted 20% deviations. ???? Were scores really that all over the place?
Click to expand...

Yeah I was wondering that too... did they mess up or did UT really accept people with PCAT scores as low as 60 and as high as 99 (or something like that) for 07 while every other year it was >85? Very strange...
 
Knickerbocker said:
The 20% deviations from this past year are standard deviations. The 1-3% numbers from years prior are standard error of means. A standard error of mean is the standard deviation divided by the square root of the sample size.
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Oh, still seems lower though, just by a little...
 
I heard they only use the PCAT to break ties :confused: Which is awful because mine is only so-so.
 
does anyone know what the chances are for reapplicants at UT?
 
Knickerbocker said:
The 20% deviations from this past year are standard deviations. The 1-3% numbers from years prior are standard error of means. A standard error of mean is the standard deviation divided by the square root of the sample size.

Good luck to you as well.
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Let's say there was a person who only studied for their stats tests the day of, had no homework in that class, and promptly forgot everything they learned in that class. How would you tell that person what that means???

If the avg composite score last year was 77 with a standard deviation of 21 wouldn't that mean that 15% scores a 98 or higher and like 15% scores a 56 or lower???
 
Happy Hounds said:
Ha! That's funny--tone is such a different thing in speaking vs. email. I didn't mean to sound depressed. By "dreaded," I really meant that I'm yes, excited, but also nervous as all get-out and hoping that I don't screw it up royally at the interview.

Probably should have chosen a better way to say it, anyway! :)

I'm looking forward to the interview, but I'm also like Knickerbocker, on a rollercoaster of nervous ups and downs--have been for what seems like longer than a week, but once it's over, I'm hoping my energies will level out some and I can focus on digesting my lunch.

BTW, one thing I don't get about the stats for the PCAT at UT last year is the Standard Deviation. For other years, it's between 1-3% but for last year, they posted 20% deviations. ???? Were scores really that all over the place?

Anyway, Knickerbocker, I'm sure it's a combination of test scores and GPA. For example, my GPA is 'meh but my PCAT was good. There's lots of in-betweens. Don't expect any of that to come up in the interview, though. I think all they have are your essays.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes, and best of luck to all of you that are interviewing! :horns::horns::horns:
Click to expand...

How 'meh" is your GPA and how good was your PCAT???
 
UTplease said:
Let's say there was a person who only studied for their stats tests the day of, had no homework in that class, and promptly forgot everything they learned in that class. How would you tell that person what that means???

If the avg composite score last year was 77 with a standard deviation of 21 wouldn't that mean that 15% scores a 98 or higher and like 15% scores a 56 or lower???
Click to expand...

You are right about the 98 and 56 scores being within +/- one standard deviation of the average. The percent of students having those scores, however, depends on the distribution of the scores.

Do you remember the normal distribution (or bell) curve? Under that curve, 65% of students would have a score between 56 and 98.
 
RNtoPharmacy said:
does anyone know what the chances are for reapplicants at UT?
Click to expand...

Make sure you can show something for the last year and that your app has improved and that you've made forward progress instead of doing nothing for a year.

Reapplicants are typically interviewed again during April if they want to interview you again. Some people they interview again, others they don't. I don't know if there's any correlation between more people getting in that were re-interviewed vs people that were not.
 
Good luck everyone going tomorrow! and good luck to us going Saturday :eek:
 
Good luck to all the interviewees tomorrow!
 
hm...that has me worried. they don't interview until april? that's a long time to wait, i think. last year, i got an interview in march and waited until mid-may before i found out i was denied. then, of course, you're not supposed to contact the school for an appt to see how you can strengthen your application until sometime in june (?). so i really didn't have a year to improve my chances. ever since september i have been trying to get to volunteer or be a pharm tech and contacted two directors of pharmacy at two different hospitals. I finally got a positive response from the director of pharmacy in the hospital where i work, but he couldn't really squeeze me into the schedule (lots of other already licensed pharm tech orienting) until just the end of december. so, i'm kind of scared that it's not going to show how much i've really tried in my application. in addition, i was already working full time in one hospital (36-48hrs) and prn (12hr every two weeks) in another job. Of course I dropped the other prn job now that I am training as a pharm tech once a week. I just hope it would show enough dedication to the adcoms how much I've pursued this.
 
wbrown said:
Make sure you can show something for the last year and that your app has improved and that you've made forward progress instead of doing nothing for a year.

Reapplicants are typically interviewed again during April if they want to interview you again. Some people they interview again, others they don't. I don't know if there's any correlation between more people getting in that were re-interviewed vs people that were not.
Click to expand...

i hope i can get in this year. :( I don't think my stats are too horrible. I'm a BSN-RN with 3 years of experience working in IMC/Telemetry and floated to ICU a few times. I have done most pre-reqs because I took my science courses for science majors and not just for nursing except for microbiology, which I took last spring. Actually, one of my recommendation letters for this application is from Dr. Weiss from my Microbiology class. My overall GPA isn't horrible, but not stellar either. My science GPA is only a 3.24? and my PCAT score composite is a 79. The end of December, I started as a pharmacy tech in training so I have a recommendation letter from the director of pharmacy, plus one from my nursing supervisor. So now i not only work 3 twelve hour shift/week as a nurse, i also work 8hrs/week in the pharmacy.

what do you all think about me getting in this year as a reapplicant?
 
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