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If you are a high school senior or first-year college freshman and are motivated to become a pharmacist, then our Early Assurance Programs may be ideal for you.
These programs offer you the opportunity to gain an early acceptance into Midwestern University’s College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus (CPDG) and complete your prerequisite courses at an affiliated school in a two-year timeframe. If you fulfill all program requirements, then you may enjoy these benefits:
For details, go to Eligibility & Application Instructions
We are pleased to announce:
For students planning to start pharmacy school at Midwestern University in 2021 or later, CPDG will begin offering a single three-year, year-round curriculum that begins in June each year, with an eventual May graduation date. This new curriculum will continue to provide the high quality pharmacy and experiential education that Midwestern University is long known for, in an efficient timeframe for the benefit of our students. Curriculum details to come.
We have affiliation agreements with the following schools for the completion of your prerequisite courses:
Benedictine University - Lisle, IL
Dominican University - River Forest, IL
Elmhurst University - Elmhurst, IL
Hebrew Theological College - Skokie, IL
Illinois Institute of Technology - Chicago, IL
Lewis University - Romeoville, IL
Loyola University Chicago - Chicago, IL
Rockford University - Rockford, IL
University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne, IN
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - Milwaukee, WI
Complete details for these schools can be found in the Four-Year Schools / DAP Program section below.
College of DuPage - Glen Ellyn, IL
Moraine Valley Community College - Palos Hills, IL
Prairie State College - Chicago Heights, IL
Complete details for these schools can be found in the Community Colleges / PPA Program section below.
* For the 2020-2021 Early Assurance Program application cycle, the submission of ACT/SAT scores will not be required, due to the current challenges in taking these exams. This applies to the current cycle only, and the requirement could be reinstated in future application cycles. If scores are available, they may be optionally submitted as a means to enhance the application.
Applications for both programs and tracks are free and available in the Applications section on this page. Applicants should additionally reflect a motivation for and commitment to the pharmacy profession. Upon review of completed applications and submitted transcripts, invitations for participation in Interview Day will be extended, after which conditional admission decisions are rendered.
Participation in the Early Assurance Program is not a binding decision to attend Midwestern University upon completion of prerequisite courses.
All grade-point averages (GPAs) shown are based on a 4.0 scale.
Pre-Pharmacy Course Work | Required for ADMISSION into Early Assurance Programs | Required for TRANSFER into MWU-CPDG 3 | |
Four-Year Schools | Track 1 / high school applicants | 3.2 1 | 3.0 |
Track 2 / affiliate school freshmen | 3.0 2 | 3.0 | |
Community Colleges | Track 1 / high school applicants | 3.0 1 | 3.2 |
Track 2 / affiliate school freshmen | 3.2 2 | 3.2 |
1 Weighted cumulative high school GPA
2 From two semesters of full-time college coursework at the affiliate school
3 A minimum 2.5 GPA in science courses must also be achieved in addition to other program requirements for Early Assurance transfer into Midwestern University’s College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus.
Eligible students may access the applications via the following links:
Track 1 Application - Deadline: November 1st (early decision) or February 15th (regular decision). To apply to affiliate schools for the pre-pharmacy coursework, please contact the institution(s) directly. If you are applying to more than one affiliate school, this can be designated in the application.
In addition, college entrance exam scores* must be forwarded directly to Midwestern University with the following codes:
ACT: 6400
SAT: 3788
* For the 2020-2021 Early Assurance Program application cycle, the submission of ACT/SAT scores will not be required, due to the current challenges in taking these exams. This applies to the current cycle only, and the requirement could be reinstated in future application cycles. If scores are available, they may be optionally submitted as a means to enhance the application.
Track 2 Application - Deadline: June 6th.
For both Tracks, official transcripts should be forwarded to: Midwestern University, Office of Admissions, 555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515. (Transcripts for Track 2 applicants should reflect two semesters of full-time course work at the affiliate school.)
After the Midwestern University Office of Admissions receives all completed application materials, applicant files are reviewed to determine which applicants merit invitations to participate in the interview process.
During the interview process, candidates will:
Seperately, applicants may tour the Midwestern University campus, which may be scheduled via the Office of Admissions.
Following applicant interviews, files are forwarded to the Admissions Committee for review. The committee may recommend to accept or to deny a student's conditional admission. These recommendations are then forwarded to the Dean for final approval. The Dean—via the Office of Admissions—notifies applicants of their status within two weeks of their interviews. Conditionally accepted applicants will be ensured a seat at CPDG upon successful completion of the program requirements.
All five of the following academic conditions must be met to retain admission to CPDG for the respective summer quarter. If any conditions are not met, then the student will no longer be a participant in the Early Assurance Program and will be encouraged to apply to MWU CPDG via the traditional application process (i.e. complete a full PharmCAS application, interview again, etc.).
All pre-pharmacy prerequisite courses must be completed at the affiliated college or university within a two-year period for Track 1 students, and within two years upon acceptance into the Early Assurance Program for Track 2 students. (All courses must be completed by end of spring semester just before transition into CPDG.) Refer to the appropriate required coursework for a particular affiliated college or university.
Minimum cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) must be achieved and maintained to remain in the program, as follows:
Four-year school students (DAP program) – Must achieve a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the conclusion of each spring semester.
Community college students (PPA Program) – Must achieve a 3.2 cumulative GPA at the conclusion of each fall and spring semester.
Only courses taken at the affiliated college or university are to be used in the final cumulative GPA calculation.
A minimum pre-pharmacy science grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 must be also achieved and maintained.
Student must earn a grade of C or higher in all required prerequisite courses. Grades of C- (minus) are not accepted.
Students are not permitted to repeat courses for a higher grade.
In addition to meeting these academic conditions, Early Assurance Program students must:
In order to enhance their performance when later attending CPDG, students should consider these additional experiences:
Program students should meet with their affiliated college or university's assigned academic advisor every semester. The advisor monitors the progress of students and will advise CPDG of any students failing to meet the requirements.
In order for MWU CPDG to monitor the status of students in the early assurance programs, students must request that a copy of their transcript be sent to the CPDG Dean's Office (555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515) at the following times:
Four-year school students (DAP program) – Each spring semester
Community college students (PPA Program) – Each fall and spring semesters
MWU CPDG will follow up in writing to students regarding their academic/program status.
Any student who fails to meet the program requirements will be encouraged to apply to CPDG via the traditional route (submit full PharmCAS application, interview again, etc.). NOTE, the traditional application process is competitive, hence former Early Assurance Program students must compete for available seats and are not guaranteed admission via this route.
Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus has agreements with each of these affiliated colleges or universities to provide the transferable courses and credits necessary for students who have been accepted into the Dual Acceptance Program (DAP).
Links provide listings of prerequisite courses at this affiliate school for this program, as well as contact information at the respective schools.
Benedictine University - Lisle, IL
Dominican University - River Forest, IL
Elmhurst University - Elmhurst, IL
Hebrew Theological College - Skokie, IL
Illinois Institute of Technology - Chicago, IL
Lewis University - Romeoville, IL
Loyola University Chicago - Chicago, IL
Rockford University - Rockford, IL
University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne, IN
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - Milwaukee, WI
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Two-Year Campuses
Required for ADMISSION into DAP | Required for TRANSFER into MWU-CPDG 3, 4 | |
Track 1 / high school applicants | 3.2 1 | 3.0 |
Track 2 / affiliate school freshmen | 3.0 2 | 3.0 |
1 Weighted cumulative high school GPA
2 From two semesters of full-time college coursework at the affiliate school
3 A minimum 2.5 GPA in science courses must also be achieved in addition to other program requirements for Early Assurance transfer into Midwestern University’s College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus.
4 This GPA must be achieved and maintained at the conclusion of each spring semester.
Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus has agreements with each of these affiliated colleges to provide the transferable courses and credits necessary for students who have been accepted into the Pre-Pharmacy Advantage Program (PPA).
Links provide listings of prerequisite courses at this affiliate school for this program, as well as contact information.
College of DuPage - Glen Ellyn, IL
Moraine Valley Community College - Palos Hills, IL
Prairie State College - Chicago Heights, IL
Required for ADMISSION into PPA | Required for TRANSFER into MWU-CPDG 3, 4 | |
Track 1 / high school applicants | 3.0 1 | 3.2 |
Track 2 / affiliate school freshmen | 3.2 2 | 3.2 |
1 Weighted cumulative high school GPA
2 From two semesters of full-time college coursework at the affiliate school
3 A minimum 2.5 GPA in science courses must also be achieved in addition to other program requirements for Early Assurance transfer into Midwestern University’s College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus.
4 This GPA must be achieved and maintained at the conclusion of each fall and spring semester.
The following agreements are not associated with the Early Assurance Programs (DAP and PPA). These are additional early assurance opportunities during the application process.
If you are currently enrolled in Benedictine University's Master of Science in Integrative Physiology (MSlP) program, you may be eligible for a guaranteed interview as an applicant to Midwestern University's College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus Pharm.D. program. To qualify for a guaranteed interview as part of the application process, you must meet the following criteria:
If you are currently enrolled in Arizona Christian University, you may be eligible for a guaranteed interview as an applicant to Midwestern University's College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus Pharm.D. program. To qualify for a guaranteed interview as part of the application process, you must meet the following criteria: