Interview and Selection Process

College of Pharmacy-Glendale

The Director of Admissions and the Admissions Committee review applicant files when complete and use GPA and PCAT scores to determine applicant eligibility for interviews. Invitations are sent to eligible applicants for on-campus interviews, which are scheduled on a first-call, first-scheduled basis. No interviews will be granted until the application process is complete. Interview invitations typically extend from September through February.

During the interview process, applicants will meet with an interview panel that may consist of pharmacy faculty members, pharmacists, and pharmacy students. Panel members will evaluate professional motivation and preparedness, personal qualities, communication skills, and decision-making ability by rating applicants on a standardized evaluation scale. The interview panel will also review CPG supplemental applications to facilitate the interview process. After reviewing the applicant's completed application and interview evaluation, the Admissions Committee recommends accepting, denying, or placing applicants on an alternate list. Recommendations are then forwarded to the Dean for final approval.

Applications to CPG are processed and reviewed during regular intervals in the admissions cycle until the class is filled.

The Pharm.D. Program at CPG is rigorous and challenging. The Admissions Committee will therefore assess the quality and rigor of the prepharmacy academic records presented by applicants. When assessing the prepharmacy academic records, the Admissions Committee will:

1. View applicants with cumulative and science grade point averages below 2.75 on a 4.00 scale with particular concern. Although 2.50 on a 4.00 scale is the minimum cumulative and science GPA for admission consideration, higher cumulative GPAs are more competitive and recommended.
   The average overall and science GPAs of applicants admitted in 2011 were 3.32 and 3.25, respectively, on a 4.00 scale.
2. View component and composite PCAT scores below the 50th percentile with particular concern. The average composite PCAT score of applicants admitted in 2011 was in the 73rd percentile.
3. View with concern applicants whose prepharmacy math and science coursework was completed longer than 10 years ago. More recent (within five years) prepharmacy math and science coursework is preferred.
4. Consider the reputations for quality and rigor of the institutions where applicants have taken coursework, the extent of completion of science prerequisites, the usual credit load carried per term, the difficulty level of previous coursework, and trends in the applicant's grades.