Admissions - Frequently Asked Questions

General Information:

How many applicants do you accept each year?

Each year, we accept 60 students from a pool that has ranged as high as 1500 applicants. Competition can be affected by the size and composition of the applicant pool for a particular year.

Do you give preference to applicants from California colleges?

No.

Do you have rolling admissions?

No. Applicants are reviewed after the deadline and receive equal consideration.

Do you offer an advanced standing program?

No. All students enter our program at the first-year level. No student in advanced standing or transfer students from other schools of pharmacy will be accepted. All students will enter at the first year level.

Are you on a quarter system or a semester system?

Quarter system.

Do you offer tours of your school?

No. We do not offer tours of our school. Information on a tour of UCSD.

Admission Requirements:

What GPA do I need for admission to your program?

A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required for application. In addition, a minimum average GPA of 3.0 is needed for each category of required science courses (Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology and Physics).

Is a BA or BS degree required for admission?

Yes. Starting with the class entering in the fall of 2011, a BS or BA degree is required by the time of matriculation.

Do I have to take the PCAT or GRE?

No. We do not require any standardized test.

Do I have to take the TOEFL examination?

No. We do not require any standardized tests.

The Application Process:

When are your applications available and how do I get one?

Applications are only completed on-line and are available each June 1st. We currently use the PharmCAS application service, at pharmcas.org. Our supplemental application is available at: http://pharmacy.ucsd.edu/application08/login.asp

Do we accept early applications?

No, we do not have a process in place for early admission decisions.

Can I enter in the Winter or Spring quarter?

No, we accept applications for only the fall quarter each year.

Will I be given special consideration if I submit my application early or in the summer?

No. All applications are reviewed after the November 1st. deadline. It is important, however, for applicants to understand that it may take 4-6 weeks for PharmCAS to process an application. If we do not have your application by the time the decision is made to offer interviews, usually the 3rd week of December, we cannot act on it. Therefore, you should plan on getting your application completed as early as possible.

How do I find out the status of my application?

Once you complete your application through PharmCAS, you should check the website frequently to determine if they have any questions concerning your application. Respond rapidly to any questions that may arise as unresolved questions will significantly delay processing of your application. Once completed, your application will be forwarded to us electronically.

When is the application deadline?

November 1st, unless it falls on a weekend, then the deadline is the first weekday following November 1st.

The Interview Process:

When will I be notified of an invitation to interview?

We try to notify every applicant by the end of December. Please do not call our office to check on your status. This hinders the process and delays notification for all applicants. Be patient and wait to hear from us.

Is every applicant interviewed?

No. We receive applications from many more individuals than we are able to interview. We are only able to interview 280-300 applicants.

Can I reschedule my interview appointment?

Our office grants permission to reschedule an interview only for the following 4 reasons: 1. medical emergency or illness 2. conflict with religious observances 3. conflict with a professional exam 4. conflict with a college course examination. Additional details are provided with your interview invitation notice.

How should I dress for the interview?

Professional attire

What should I bring with me to the interview?

You should bring a photo ID and a pen to write your interview.

What if I am late for my interview? or What if I miss my interview?

Extenuating circumstances beyond your control will be considered, but if you fail to appear at your assigned interview day and time, your application will most likely be canceled.

After the Interview:

I'm changing courses that aren't related to the pharmacy prerequisites. Must I notify your office of these changes?

No

When can I expect to hear about an admissions decision?

We try to notify all applicants by the end of the second week of March.

Waiting List (Alternates):

How do spaces in the entering class become available?

Financial issues, personal issues, or medical issues sometimes prevent an applicant from accepting an offer. Every year some applicants are also administratively canceled. This could be for failing a prerequisite, not completing all the prerequisites, or not submitting documents or other verification materials required by the University.

Where am I on the waiting list?

Please do not contact the office to ask this question. We will contact you immediately if we are able to offer you a place in the entering class.

What are my chances?

Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict how many accepted applicants will decline their admission offer or be canceled.

How soon will I know?

Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict when accepted applicants will decline our offer or be canceled. The waiting list remains open until the first day of classes. If your name is on the waiting list, but you are not offered admission by this day, your application will be formally denied via regular mail or e-mail.

How many alternates are accepted each year?

Since the reasons for declining an admission offer or for being canceled are often related to personal or unexpected situations, it is impossible to predict the number of alternates that will be offered admission in any given year. However, our experience has been that some of the applicants each year are offered admission from the waiting list.

If I am offered admission, how will I be contacted?

We immediately contact you by e-mail or telephone if we are going to make you an offer. Therefore, it is very important for you to keep us informed of any changes in your contact information. If we cannot reach you by telephone or e-mail, or if you do not reply within the allotted timeframe, we assume you are no longer interested in attending UCSD.

Denied Applications:

May I appeal a decision of denial?

Only if you feel an error has occurred. Unfortunately, because of our small class size and large applicant pool, most applicants receive denials. We can only accept 60 students each year.

May I apply again in a future application cycle?

Yes. You will have to submit a new application through PharmCAS as well as a new Supplemental Application. We do not save records from previous years so you will need to submit your application as a new applicant.