University of Toronto Pharmacy c/o 2020

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For those who have not previously registered at U of T and accepted their offers, have you guys received your student number? If not, do you know when we receive it?

Just accepted my offer and did not receive a student number. It says on the FAQs sheet that a student number should be assigned to us by mid-July.

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Congrats to everyone who got accepted! :)

I didn't make the final round. I felt confident that I did well in 7/10 stations
Here are my stats:
VA: 52
Biology: 79
RC: 97
QA: 72
Chemistry: 91
Composite: 87

cGPA: 3.04 ~73-74%

What would be the best way to improve my application? Should I retake the PCAT or focus more on my cGPA?
 
Congrats to everyone who got accepted! :)

I didn't make the final round. I felt confident that I did well in 7/10 stations
Here are my stats:
VA: 52
Biology: 79
RC: 97
QA: 72
Chemistry: 91
Composite: 87

cGPA: 3.04 ~73-74%

What would be the best way to improve my application? Should I retake the PCAT or focus more on my cGPA?

Hey there, 1T9 here :)
Your PCAT and cGPA both look fine (though if you are taking another year of school, raising your grades would be more convenient than re-taking the PCAT since you've already met the cut-offs). If you are thinking of applying next year, I would reflect back on the interview and focus on that, since that is what differentiates the candidates from each other. Perhaps practice with a friend or even with a pharmacy student who can provide you with feedback. The tricky thing about the MMI is that you have 10 different ears to judge your answers so it's hard to gage how well you did overall. All the best and feel free to ask more questions!
 
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Hey there, 1T9 here :)
Your PCAT and cGPA both look fine (though if you are taking another year of school, raising your grades would be more convenient than re-taking the PCAT since you've already met the cut-offs). If you are thinking of applying next year, I would reflect back on the interview and focus on that, since that is what differentiates the candidates from each other. Perhaps practice with a friend or even with a pharmacy student who can provide you with feedback. The tricky thing about the MMI is that you have 10 different ears to judge your answers so it's hard to gage how well you did overall. All the best and feel free to ask more questions!

Thank you. Yeah, I would definitely practice more for the interview and improve my answers.
Also, they are changing the PCAT again this July and using new norms. Their website says that the scores will be converted to new equivalent scores. I am not sure if I would receive the updated scores. I did email them but has anyone been through this process before?
 
Hi guys,
I got accepted and here are my stats:
Cgpa ~ 81%
Pcat:
Verbal 68
Biology 99
Chemistry 99
Reading 68
QA 72
Composite 96
Writing 3.0

I felt confident about 6 stations and ok in 3, bombed 1. I really think the PCAT carried me through. PCAT is a useful tool to make you more competitive IMO, because you only study for it once, ace it once. Unlike the gpa which takes years to build, and interview which is stressful/on the spot/hard to prep for. I studied for 2.5 months using Dr. Collins and kaplan.
 
Hi, does anyone know if we'll be allowed to record lectures?
And do any current students recommend handwriting over typing out notes during lectures? (My laptop is unfortunately broken)

Thanks in advance!
 
Hey guys,

I wanted to congratulate all of you who got accepted this year. I was initially waitlisted when results came out a few weeks back, but thankfully received acceptance on Friday evening and wanted to take the time to share some thoughts on the process this past year in the hope of benefitting others who might be in similar situations.

My stats were as follows:

cGPA: 3.05!! (~73%)

PCAT:
Verbal - 91
Biology - 95
RC - 84
QA - 96
Chemistry - 99
Writing - 4
Composite - 98

I feel very comfortable interacting with people and in social settings and so consider myself strong in that category, which usually translates into decent interviews. As far as the interview went, I felt really good about 3 of them, did okay on 6 and completely destroyed one question. I did so bad that it was still on my mind as I was going to the next rooms. Altogether I felt good about the whole thing and thought I had a decent shot. They say interview is the most important part, and I guess given my circumstances I would have to say that is very much the case.

For the pcat, I used Dr. Collin and Kaplan over the course of 3-4 weeks. I studied about 8-9 hours a day. There are tons of practice to go over and they help alot for the question on the actual test. I also purchased the online sample tests from the Pearson pcat website and they really help with the timing of the sections to get a feel of what it will be like to do the test on day of. For chemistry and math, collins is really good as most of the material is relevant to actual test questions. For biology I found Kaplan to include some material that collins didnt cover. For verbal, I made lists of words to read over everyday and collins comes with a list of questions that are very similar to actual test questions. Overall, its fairly straight forward and the best way is to do well is to make sure all the material is covered and studied over throughly.

This has been my first time applying and luckily I was able to get in. Having been put on a waitlist initially, I felt discourage because I thought I had done all I could in regards to pcat and interview to give myself a decent chance, seeing as how I could no longer improve my gpa drastically from this point onwards. For those of you who are considering applying for the next cycle, remember that as much as your academic records matter (and they matter alot), other aspects of your application are also very closely examined to give you a fair chance. Really give it your best shot and try to cover all grounds to increase your chances. For those of you waitlisted, don't give up and be patient as there is a very real chance that you could be accepted this year, and if not, you could receive another interview for the next cycle and focus mainly on that this year if you are already satisfied with your gpa and pcat.

Cheers,
 
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Hi, does anyone know if we'll be allowed to record lectures?
And do any current students recommend handwriting over typing out notes during lectures? (My laptop is unfortunately broken)

Thanks in advance!
Personally, I find that handwriting helps you better retain the material and study from it afterwards. I also like to draw arrows and jot down formulas, which I couldn't be able to do fast enough if I were to type (lol). It all comes down to preferences-I know that a lot of my class likes to carry their notes on their laptop and type away and it works great for them. If your laptop is broken, maybe consider a tablet with a PDF annotation tool so you kind of get the best of both worlds? :p
 
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Personally, I find that handwriting helps you better retain the material and study from it afterwards. I also like to draw arrows and jot down formulas, which I couldn't be able to do fast enough if I were to type (lol). It all comes down to preferences-I know that a lot of my class likes to carry their notes on their laptop and type away and it works great for them. If your laptop is broken, maybe consider a tablet with a PDF annotation tool so you kind of get the best of both worlds? :p
Thank you for your reply & help!! :)
 
Hi, does anyone know if we'll be allowed to record lectures?
And do any current students recommend handwriting over typing out notes during lectures? (My laptop is unfortunately broken)

Thanks in advance!
if you have a ipad or a macbook, an app called notability is really useful. It lets you annotate and type text on pdfs. and extension called kami pdf is also really good for annotating PDFs and saving the notes after.:)
 
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Upper half and I still havent heard anything yet. Should I be worried? :(
 
Upper half and I still havent heard anything yet. Should I be worried? :(

Hey! If you haven't been accepted yet I wouldn't be too worried! Looking at last year's forum, it seems like someone got off on July 30th and somebody else got accepted on September 3rd! :)
 
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Congrats to everyone who got in! Unfortunately, I didnt make the cut, however, I would like advice from you guys regarding the pcat.
My score:
VA: 68
Bio: 99
RC: 13
QA: 97
Chem: 98
Composite: 95
My RC was below the cut off but I was still offered an interview. I took the pcat twice already, and I was wondering if taking it the 3rd time would be a good idea. Thanks for the help!
 
It might have just been that your RC wasn't good enough. It also might have been that your cGPA wasn't up to par with the rest of those who got in or you messed up at too many interview stations. To be completely honest, its hard to pinpoint one specific thing that didn't let you get in. Your composite is pretty good though, but I would retake it so all your credentials are up to par (they do raise the cutoffs each year or so I have been told).
 
I'm also upper waitlist and haven't heard back. Glad to hear the waitlist has moved a little at least
 
Congrats to everyone who got in! Unfortunately, I didnt make the cut, however, I would like advice from you guys regarding the pcat.
My score:
VA: 68
Bio: 99
RC: 13
QA: 97
Chem: 98
Composite: 95
My RC was below the cut off but I was still offered an interview. I took the pcat twice already, and I was wondering if taking it the 3rd time would be a good idea. Thanks for the help!

Unfortunately, I think they may have taken one of your previous scores that had all the sections above cutoffs. I would definitely retake it a 3rd time! You have a great score overall so I am sure you will do very well on your next attempt; the reading comprehension can definitely be a hit or miss. My previous attempts I scored above 70 on RC but on my latest PCAT, I only scored a 27 and still got in!
 
Hey guys! I'm on the upper half of the waitlist. Seems like theres a few others posting here that are in the same boat. Based on the forum it doesn't seem like there has been much movement, which makes it hard not to worry. :( Hopefully we are able to get some good news soon!
 
Yea I am starting to wonder if maybe we are closer to the bottom section of the upper half or if its is just an odd year where these has been little movement.
 
Hello all,

I would like everyone's opinions on my situation. So I got rejected this year but I didn't take the application too seriously because pharmacy is not my first choice of grad school. However knowing that my plan-B also failed I was slightly saddened. I just graduated with a Bsc and I am currently looking for experience and something to do for a year before I apply to graduate programs again. I just want to know what everybody thinks about my chances of getting in for my second time applying.

I finished undergrad with a 78% including summer courses, but my marks are all over the places.. I have 50s and I have 90s so my actual GPA is terrible (around 3.25-3.30ish)
My PCAT score was awful (76 percentile composite) but I will write my PCAT again, this time putting more heart and effort to it. I wrote an admission test for another program where I got 99 percentile so I know I'm capable of doing well.
With the stats above I was surprised I was even invited to an interview. The interview went okay, but I don't think I killed it. After 2 months of waiting I was hit with the rejection letter.

If I was to drastically improve my PCAT score and interview performance, how are my chances?

Thank you
 
Hello all,

I would like everyone's opinions on my situation. So I got rejected this year but I didn't take the application too seriously because pharmacy is not my first choice of grad school. However knowing that my plan-B also failed I was slightly saddened. I just graduated with a Bsc and I am currently looking for experience and something to do for a year before I apply to graduate programs again. I just want to know what everybody thinks about my chances of getting in for my second time applying.

I finished undergrad with a 78% including summer courses, but my marks are all over the places.. I have 50s and I have 90s so my actual GPA is terrible (around 3.25-3.30ish)
My PCAT score was awful (76 percentile composite) but I will write my PCAT again, this time putting more heart and effort to it. I wrote an admission test for another program where I got 99 percentile so I know I'm capable of doing well.
With the stats above I was surprised I was even invited to an interview. The interview went okay, but I don't think I killed it. After 2 months of waiting I was hit with the rejection letter.

If I was to drastically improve my PCAT score and interview performance, how are my chances?

Thank you

Hello,
If your PCAT and interview improve, then I'd say your chances of getting in next year are pretty good! I know some classmates who didn't have the most killer cGPA, but they worked hard on their PCAT and are extremely natural when it comes to thinking on their feet. I do know that the course requirements for 2017 have changed a bit so that university-level English and physiology are pre-reqs, in case you haven't already taken those in your undergrad. All the best!
 
Hello all,

I would like everyone's opinions on my situation. So I got rejected this year but I didn't take the application too seriously because pharmacy is not my first choice of grad school. However knowing that my plan-B also failed I was slightly saddened. I just graduated with a Bsc and I am currently looking for experience and something to do for a year before I apply to graduate programs again. I just want to know what everybody thinks about my chances of getting in for my second time applying.

I finished undergrad with a 78% including summer courses, but my marks are all over the places.. I have 50s and I have 90s so my actual GPA is terrible (around 3.25-3.30ish)
My PCAT score was awful (76 percentile composite) but I will write my PCAT again, this time putting more heart and effort to it. I wrote an admission test for another program where I got 99 percentile so I know I'm capable of doing well.
With the stats above I was surprised I was even invited to an interview. The interview went okay, but I don't think I killed it. After 2 months of waiting I was hit with the rejection letter.

If I was to drastically improve my PCAT score and interview performance, how are my chances?

Thank you
Hey! i know the crappy feeling that comes from having a not-so-hot gpa but there are so many ways to make up for it and prove that youre a good candidate
my gpa was similar to yours (3.45) I had a grade as low as 61% in first year; i came out of first year with a below 3 gpa
PCAT comp: 99, VA: 94, Bio: 99, RC: 97, QA: 98, Chm: 98
and i dont think i aced the interview either

i think if you raise your PCAT you have a really good shot (its clear that my PCAT probably carried me) getting some experience working at a pharmacy may also help level up your interview performance! keep trying :)
 
Hey! i know the crappy feeling that comes from having a not-so-hot gpa but there are so many ways to make up for it and prove that youre a good candidate
my gpa was similar to yours (3.45) I had a grade as low as 61% in first year; i came out of first year with a below 3 gpa
PCAT comp: 99, VA: 94, Bio: 99, RC: 97, QA: 98, Chm: 98
and i dont think i aced the interview either

i think if you raise your PCAT you have a really good shot (its clear that my PCAT probably carried me) getting some experience working at a pharmacy may also help level up your interview performance! keep trying :)

Thank you and greentea326!

I have one more question in my mind. How important do you think are the grades for pre-req courses? My grades for pre-reqs are generally pretty low but my GPA survived because I worked harder in my third and fourth year in upper-level courses.
 
Thank you and greentea326!

I have one more question in my mind. How important do you think are the grades for pre-req courses? My grades for pre-reqs are generally pretty low but my GPA survived because I worked harder in my third and fourth year in upper-level courses.
No worries! Tbh, I wouldn't be worried too much about your pre-reqs, especially since the upward trend in your grades shows improvement. Many of my friends were in the same boat as well, but they worked super hard in their last two years even though the pre-reqs didn't go as well the first two years and they got it :)
 
For those of you who are considering retaking the pcat because you did not meet the minimum requirement for a certain section (i.e. those who have written before July 2016). Look at your score reports again, your PRs may have increased from the new adjusted norm groups....
 
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Hi Everyone,

It's my first time posting on this page however I used it as a reference many times throughout my application this year. Unfortunately, I did not get accepted into to both U of T and Waterloo and now I'm asking for advice from you guys to help me improve my application. My GPA is a 3.4/4.3, I just graduated with Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Biological science with a minor in Chemistry. I have worked as a pharmacy tech for 2 years and volunteered at PMH for 5 years (2 of which were in the pharmacy). I thought I did okay in both interviews, obviously was nervous and had a few pauses to think about my answers. For Waterloo I'm pretty sure I did not do well on the FSA because I ran out of time on the essay. However, overall I think I could improve my interview since I did not know what the I interviewers were looking for in the answers. I feel like I am an outgoing person with so much passion for this field. I really hope if I can make some adjustments in my application in order for me to become competitive this year. Although I have been faced with many challenges I don't want to give up on my dream. What do you guys think? Also, what do you think about applying internationally?

PCAT before changes:
Verbal - 30
Bio - 79
Reading - 43
Chem - 97
Quant - 77
Writing - 3.5
Composite = 76%

With changes to the PCAT
Bio - 73
Reading - 50
Chem- 96
Quant - 77
Writing - 3.5
Composite = 83%
 
You could always improve your PCAT scores and try again! Better scores mean less pressure on the interview. Also interviews go a lot better the second time around cause you know what to expect. International is fine, but I didn't apply to those because of the increased tuition rates.
 
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To Future.Pharmacist94, your GPA and PCAT scores are good it was probably cause of the interviews you didn't get in. For UofT MMI interviews I would suggest watching the youtube videos "The Medical Method". They do a good job of explaining what types of questions you get for MMI and how to answer them. Even though it talks about medical school, the types of questions you get are the same. I would also suggest reading up on biomedical ethics, since alot of the stations for the MMI deal with ethical questions and current social issues and stuff. The MMIs have nothing to do with pharmacy or knowledge about pharmacy, they focus on a person's ethical reasoning and critical thinking skills. And when preparing for the Uoft MMIs, practice in front of a mirror it helps cause you learn to notice certain bad habits you might have when you talk. All in all don't give up and keep trying.
 
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Hi Everyone,

It's my first time posting on this page however I used it as a reference many times throughout my application this year. Unfortunately, I did not get accepted into to both U of T and Waterloo and now I'm asking for advice from you guys to help me improve my application. My GPA is a 3.4/4.3, I just graduated with Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Biological science with a minor in Chemistry. I have worked as a pharmacy tech for 2 years and volunteered at PMH for 5 years (2 of which were in the pharmacy). I thought I did okay in both interviews, obviously was nervous and had a few pauses to think about my answers. For Waterloo I'm pretty sure I did not do well on the FSA because I ran out of time on the essay. However, overall I think I could improve my interview since I did not know what the I interviewers were looking for in the answers. I feel like I am an outgoing person with so much passion for this field. I really hope if I can make some adjustments in my application in order for me to become competitive this year. Although I have been faced with many challenges I don't want to give up on my dream. What do you guys think? Also, what do you think about applying internationally?

PCAT before changes:
Verbal - 30
Bio - 79
Reading - 43
Chem - 97
Quant - 77
Writing - 3.5
Composite = 76%

With changes to the PCAT
Bio - 73
Reading - 50
Chem- 96
Quant - 77
Writing - 3.5
Composite = 83%

GPA-wise, there's nothing much you can do at this point, unless you wanna do post-bacc, which I personally wouldn't recommend.

If you had previous research experience, I would highly recommend you applying to a research-based thesis master program. It gives you another two-years to develop, mature and get more confidence, as well as learning and adding new skills to your resume. That's something I have done, and I don't regret it at all. Although I did that partially for my medical school ambition, which eventually fell short last year (post-interview rejections, from two schools :() , the additional two years of fully-funded education and a graduate degree did open a lot of doors for me, i.e., R&D jobs, at brand-name global biotechnology/medical device companies. I learned so much in the past year alone, i.e. a lot of industry-relevant lab skills (I even teach PhD-level interns now), also had more work experience to put on resume, made & saved some money and most importantly, how to ace interviews! I bet if I re-apply to medical schools this year, I would have gotten in for sure, but I sorta lost my passion for medicine in general. My recommendation for you is, don't bank on one thing. Plan for safety-nets, multiple safety-nets. It's good to stay positive and upbeat, but at the same time, you have to prepare for the worst case scenarios

I have taken both MCAT (96th percentile) and PCAT (99th percentile). I have to say that MCAT is much much more difficult and time-consuming to prepare than PCAT. Believe me, it is actually fairly easy to get 99th percentile on PCAT, as long as you put in enough work. The key to crack ANY standardized exam is to practice, practice and practice. If you want to be a PharmD so bad that you are willing to sacrifice sleep to become one, then you can definitely do well on that exam.

Speaking of international pharmacy programs, unless you want to go south, don't go aboard for pharmacy education. European countries have dramatically different curriculum, so you would face licensing obstacles once you come back. I live in states now, but I wouldn't even want to get my PharmD in states, even if it's from UCSF. The sky-high tuition cost is just too expensive to justify, at least for me. At UofT, you can get thru all four years with <60k USD for all school-related expense. If you go to states, expect to pay >200k USD for tuition alone over 4 years, not including books & ancillary fees, etc. I am a typical debt/risk-averse person, so I would recommend you staying in Canada for your pharmacy education. :)
 
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Hi Everyone,

It's my first time posting on this page however I used it as a reference many times throughout my application this year. Unfortunately, I did not get accepted into to both U of T and Waterloo and now I'm asking for advice from you guys to help me improve my application. My GPA is a 3.4/4.3, I just graduated with Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Biological science with a minor in Chemistry. I have worked as a pharmacy tech for 2 years and volunteered at PMH for 5 years (2 of which were in the pharmacy). I thought I did okay in both interviews, obviously was nervous and had a few pauses to think about my answers. For Waterloo I'm pretty sure I did not do well on the FSA because I ran out of time on the essay. However, overall I think I could improve my interview since I did not know what the I interviewers were looking for in the answers. I feel like I am an outgoing person with so much passion for this field. I really hope if I can make some adjustments in my application in order for me to become competitive this year. Although I have been faced with many challenges I don't want to give up on my dream. What do you guys think? Also, what do you think about applying internationally?

PCAT before changes:
Verbal - 30
Bio - 79
Reading - 43
Chem - 97
Quant - 77
Writing - 3.5
Composite = 76%

With changes to the PCAT
Bio - 73
Reading - 50
Chem- 96
Quant - 77
Writing - 3.5
Composite = 83%
if youre considering re-taking the PCAT use Dr. collins if you didnt use it the first time around! it got be 99th percentile in 3 weeks of studying during winter break :) its honestly a life saver. the practice tests included are exactly like the format of the PCAT. and for the CR section it really helps you gauge how fast you need to read
 
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If I dont get in I have grad school lined up. What about you?
 
Yea I think I am gonna give up completely at this point. Maybe after grad school :(
 
How likely the person have chances to get in Pharm D program with around 2.7 CGpa and currently pursuing in the last year of BSc? Also do they take into consideration of how well you have done in last two years if you haven't done well in first year?
 
How likely the person have chances to get in Pharm D program with around 2.7 CGpa and currently pursuing in the last year of BSc? Also do they take into consideration of how well you have done in last two years if you haven't done well in first year?

Theres no way to know for sure. But first year i had a gpa of ~2.9 and got in my third year after i raised my gpa to 3.43. So i think they take into account the overall strength of your academic performance and definitely not just your prereqs (i did pretty mediocre on those- they ranged from Cs to B+s)
 
Can anyone who wrote the PCAT after July 2016 comment on how the addition of these new passage-based questions was? It's scaring me because it sounds like they're going to make the questions so much more difficult lol.
 
Can anyone who wrote the PCAT after July 2016 comment on how the addition of these new passage-based questions was? It's scaring me because it sounds like they're going to make the questions so much more difficult lol.
I am taking the test on Friday.
 
I took my pcat on Saturday and finally mustered the courage to look at the prelim scores.

VA 412 68
Bio 466 99
RC 409 68
QA 413 72
Chem 472 99
Comp 434 96

I'm pleasantly surprised with the RC since I was repeatedly getting 20-40%ile on the pearson practise tests (PPT). But a little disappointed with QA since I was getting 80-99% on the PPT. Oh well. The bio and chem scores are great as well as the unexpectedly good RC. SDN has played a big role on how I've prepared so thanks guys :)
Hi,
Your scores are greattt. Good job.
Could you please tell me how you prepared for the test? I did the test 3 days ago and I did poorly. I used Dr. Colin's packages, pearson and kaplan (only the bio section).
 
Hey everyone, 1T8 here. Just wanted to share my results from when I got accepted to help you guys out.

cGPA: 3.55 or 82.2%

PCAT (November 2013):
VA 87
BIO 97
RC 86
QA 78
CHEM 98
COMP 96
Writing 4

Please feel free to ask me any questions you want. Whether it's tips, advice, opinions, etc. I'm more than happy to help. Good luck to all! :)
Great scores! Good job. Could you please tell me what you used to study?
 
Hi,
Your scores are greattt. Good job.
Could you please tell me how you prepared for the test? I did the test 3 days ago and I did poorly. I used Dr. Colin's packages, pearson and kaplan (only the bio section).
Hi, sorry for the late reply. And thanks :)
I also used Dr. Collins, and kaplan.

For chem: Nothing beats Dr. Collins IMO. It has all the info you need for that section, broken down into easily digestible packets. And the practise tests are highly reflective of what you will see on test day.

Verbal: This is hard to prepare for but Collins is amazing. I went through all the Collins analogies and fill in the blanks, and I did this multiple times until I memorized them. On test day, I saw multiple questions that were word for word from Collins. I was laughing!

Biology: Kaplan excels in this regard. I read the biology chapter multiple times through, making sure I knew general concepts and details. Collins doesnt suffice here. If you know the Kaplan bio section intimately, you will get 99%ile

Reading: I used Collins. I read practise passages and answered the questions, while I timed myself. I made sure not to go over time, since in the real test, you would get cut off. I also practised with the pearson practise test, not exceeding the time limit. The key here is TIME. Kaplan also had a tip that I used: for each paragraph you read, write a short-hand description of what it's about, in a couple of words. That way you know which paragraph to reread if a question comes up. And I didn't read the passage thoroughly the first time. I speed read and jotted down general ideas for each paragraph.

Math: Both Collins and Kaplan. I found that Collins had too little content and Kaplan had too much. But i guess too much is better than too little. The pearson practise test was helpful in finding out which areas I needed to focus on.

Essay: in didn't really practise for this, other than the pearson practise tests, and I got a 3.0 so I dunno...

General tips: I bought 3 pearson practise tests and did them in a timed manner. They were super helpful because it's the closest you can get to the actual test. Some questions were recycled from the practise test onto my actual test. So definitely recommend doing them.
Also, in the PCAT, timing is important, especially for math and reading. I had to get used to the idea of skipping questions that were long or that I didn't know the answer to, and I would come back later if I had time. This way, your valuable and limited time would be spent answering quick questions and questions you know the answer to, to maximize the number of questions answered. At the end, go back to the troublesome questions. For me, I never finished ALL questions, I ended up guessing at the ones I had left till the end, so it's better to leave difficult questions till the end, rather than going in sequence and not answering questions that could have been easy points. The goal is to maximize points.

Good luck and I hope this helps!
 
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Hey guys! I was wondering, with the addition of a few extra requirements this cooming here, such as anatomy and english, if the average for pharm entry would be expected to go lower lol. Also was wondering if 3.3 gpa is honestly competitive or not. Lastly a few of my friends seem to be waiting till their last year to pply...why is that(other then for rotman advantage)
outta curiousity, what is rotman advantage?
 
Hi, sorry for the late reply. And thanks :)
I also used Dr. Collins, and kaplan.

For chem: Nothing beats Dr. Collins IMO. It has all the info you need for that section, broken down into easily digestible packets. And the practise tests are highly reflective of what you will see on test day.

Verbal: This is hard to prepare for but Collins is amazing. I went through all the Collins analogies and fill in the blanks, and I did this multiple times until I memorized them. On test day, I saw multiple questions that were word for word from Collins. I was laughing!

Biology: Kaplan excels in this regard. I read the biology chapter multiple times through, making sure I knew general concepts and details. Collins doesnt suffice here. If you know the Kaplan bio section intimately, you will get 99%ile

Reading: I used Collins. I read practise passages and answered the questions, while I timed myself. I made sure not to go over time, since in the real test, you would get cut off. I also practised with the pearson practise test, not exceeding the time limit. The key here is TIME. Kaplan also had a tip that I used: for each paragraph you read, write a short-hand description of what it's about, in a couple of words. That way you know which paragraph to reread if a question comes up. And I didn't read the passage thoroughly the first time. I speed read and jotted down general ideas for each paragraph.

Math: Both Collins and Kaplan. I found that Collins had too little content and Kaplan had too much. But i guess too much is better than too little. The pearson practise test was helpful in finding out which areas I needed to focus on.

Essay: in didn't really practise for this, other than the pearson practise tests, and I got a 3.0 so I dunno...

General tips: I bought 3 pearson practise tests and did them in a timed manner. They were super helpful because it's the closest you can get to the actual test. Some questions were recycled from the practise test onto my actual test. So definitely recommend doing them.
Also, in the PCAT, timing is important, especially for math and reading. I had to get used to the idea of skipping questions that were long or that I didn't know the answer to, and I would come back later if I had time. This way, your valuable and limited time would be spent answering quick questions and questions you know the answer to, to maximize the number of questions answered. At the end, go back to the troublesome questions. For me, I never finished ALL questions, I ended up guessing at the ones I had left till the end, so it's better to leave difficult questions till the end, rather than going in sequence and not answering questions that could have been easy points. The goal is to maximize points.

Good luck and I hope this helps!
 
Hi, sorry for the late reply. And thanks :)
I also used Dr. Collins, and kaplan.

For chem: Nothing beats Dr. Collins IMO. It has all the info you need for that section, broken down into easily digestible packets. And the practise tests are highly reflective of what you will see on test day.

Verbal: This is hard to prepare for but Collins is amazing. I went through all the Collins analogies and fill in the blanks, and I did this multiple times until I memorized them. On test day, I saw multiple questions that were word for word from Collins. I was laughing!

Biology: Kaplan excels in this regard. I read the biology chapter multiple times through, making sure I knew general concepts and details. Collins doesnt suffice here. If you know the Kaplan bio section intimately, you will get 99%ile

Reading: I used Collins. I read practise passages and answered the questions, while I timed myself. I made sure not to go over time, since in the real test, you would get cut off. I also practised with the pearson practise test, not exceeding the time limit. The key here is TIME. Kaplan also had a tip that I used: for each paragraph you read, write a short-hand description of what it's about, in a couple of words. That way you know which paragraph to reread if a question comes up. And I didn't read the passage thoroughly the first time. I speed read and jotted down general ideas for each paragraph.

Math: Both Collins and Kaplan. I found that Collins had too little content and Kaplan had too much. But i guess too much is better than too little. The pearson practise test was helpful in finding out which areas I needed to focus on.

Essay: in didn't really practise for this, other than the pearson practise tests, and I got a 3.0 so I dunno...

General tips: I bought 3 pearson practise tests and did them in a timed manner. They were super helpful because it's the closest you can get to the actual test. Some questions were recycled from the practise test onto my actual test. So definitely recommend doing them.
Also, in the PCAT, timing is important, especially for math and reading. I had to get used to the idea of skipping questions that were long or that I didn't know the answer to, and I would come back later if I had time. This way, your valuable and limited time would be spent answering quick questions and questions you know the answer to, to maximize the number of questions answered. At the end, go back to the troublesome questions. For me, I never finished ALL questions, I ended up guessing at the ones I had left till the end, so it's better to leave difficult questions till the end, rather than going in sequence and not answering questions that could have been easy points. The goal is to maximize points.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Thanks for this - very helpful
 
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