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• Admissions
  • Supplemental Applications for Fall 2013 Admission
  • General Information
  • Admissions FAQs
  • Requirements
  • Application Process
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Admissions: Application Process

PharmCAS Application

The UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences accepts applications only submitted through the Pharmacy Centralized Application Service, PharmCAS. All of the schools in California and more than 60 schools across the country are participating in PharmCAS. To submit an application through PharmCAS, go to their website at http://www.pharmcas.org. Follow the directions carefully and be sure to designate the University of California, San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences as one of your school choices. We do not have a rolling admissions process. All applications will be reviewed for admission after the November 1st deadline.

The application period for admission in Fall 2014 opens June 1, 2013 and closes November 1, 2013 . Applications submitted to PharmCAS after 11:59 pm Eastern Time on this date (8:59 p.m Pacific Time) will not be processed and forwarded to us.

• Be sure to follow the PharmCAS directions carefully. Significant delays in processing your application will occur if the application is improperly completed. Only completed applications will be forwarded to us by PharmCAS.
• Complete your application as early as possible. Do not wait until November 1st. Completing the application may take as long as 4-6 hours . You may start your application and go back as many times as you wish to complete it.
• Make sure all the transcripts of your college and university-level work and all letters of recommendation reach PharmCAS by the November 1 deadline. PharmCAS will accept late transcripts and letters; however, they will not consider an application complete and forward it to us until all transcripts have been received. Late transcripts will significantly delay the processing of your application.
• Once an application is considered complete, PharmCAS estimates that it may take 1-4 weeks for the verification process to be completed before applications will be forwarded to us. This is another reason why you should submit your application as early as possible.
• Once you have submitted your application, check the status of it frequently by returning to the PharmCAS website. The quicker you respond to a question they may have concerning your application, the faster it will be processed. It is the responsibility of the applicant to regularly check the status of their PharmCAS application and to submit requested materials in an expeditious fashion.

Supplemental Application

In addition to the PharmCAS application, each applicant to the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences must complete an on-line supplemental application and submit payment of a supplemental fee.

The deadline for completion of the supplemental application and receipt of the $8 0 supplemental application fee is also November 1, 2013 . Applicants who have not completed the supplemental application and/or submitted the supplemental application fee will not be processed. This policy has no exceptions . The link to the supplemental application will be available through this website from June 1, 2013 through 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time on November 1, 2013 . The signature page and the payment of the supplemental application fee must be sent directly to the school and be postmarked by November 1, 2013 .

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation must be submitted directly to PharmCAS. Instructions for submitting letters may be found on the PharmCAS website. Follow instructions exactly. Do not submit letters directly to the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Application Fee Waiver

Students applying to the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences may request a waiver of the $8 0 supplemental application fee. This may be done by providing our Admissions Office with a signed letter from your current institution's Financial Aid Officer or Counselor. The letter should be on institutional letterhead and should explain why the application fee waiver is being requested.

The letter should be mailed to:
University of California, San Diego
Skaggs School of Pharmacy-Admissions
9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0657
La Jolla, CA 92093-0657

Admission Interviews

Following the review of submitted complete applications, the Admissions Committee will invite a selected number of applicants to the UCSD campus for interviews. The interviews are conducted in January/February. Interviews are conducted only following a review of application materials and by invitation of the Admissions Committee. If your PharmCAS application has not been forwarded to us by the time we schedule interviews, we will be unable to further consider your application. It is essential that your PharmCAS and supplemental applications be complete and all materials received by the established deadlines. The interview is an essential part of the admissions process and cannot be waived. Travel and financial arrangements for interviews are the applicant's responsibility. The interview will evaluate the applicant's abilities and skills necessary to satisfy the nonacademic standards established by the faculty. Particular emphasis is placed on the ability of the applicant to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, and on the personal and emotional characteristics that are necessary to become an effective pharmacy practitioner. In addition to the interview, applicants are asked to write a brief essay on a topic that will be provided at that time. Applicants will be assigned an interview date by the Admissions Office and changes will only be considered if the applicant provides documentation of an unavoidable conflict (such as an examination where the instructor will not allow the student to be absent) or medical emergency.

Physical and Learning Disabilities

Students who are admitted must contact and advise the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Student Affairs Office of any physical or learning disabilities as soon as the disability is evident. For more information please see the Office for Students with Disabilities Website at http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/osd/ or via phone (858)534-4382 (Voice/TDD) (858)534-9709 (TDD+TDD Mail).