Frequently Asked Questions about Applying for Admission
What are the criteria for admission?
Our admission criteria include academic strength (pre-requisite course GPA, science GPA, and overall GPA), motivation to pursue pharmacy, maturity, communication skills, special talents, achievements and the unique contribution we expect you to make to the school and the profession.
How can I obtain a list of the prerequisite courses required to apply for admission?
A list of our prerequisite courses and application information can be found on our web site at www.californiacollegeofpharmacy.org under Prospective Students /STEP 1 and on the PHARMCAS web site at www.pharmcas.org.
Where can I find your application for admission?
CNCP participates in the pharmacy school application service known as PHARMCAS. Applicants must apply through PHARMCAS. Letters of recommendation and transcripts must be submitted directly to PHARMCAS. You are not required to send transcripts to our school during the application process. The PHARMCAS application can be found at www.pharmcas.org or on our web site www.californiacollegeofpharmacy.org under STEP 2.
What is the School's GPA requirement?
Our minimum GPA requirement for both the cumulative and the pre-pharmacy courses is 2.80 on a 4.00 scale. The average GPA of admitted students as of October 2009 is about 3.08 on a 4.00 scale for both.
When do I need to complete my pre-pharmacy courses?
You must complete all pre-pharmacy courses before August 31st or by the end of summer semester of the year you anticipate starting the program. For example, if you are applying for fall 2011 you must complete all prerequisites by August 31, 2011.
If I am accepted before I complete all my prerequisite courses do I still need to complete them?
Yes, you are required to complete all of the prerequisites. The offer of admission is conditional. The condition is that you successfully complete all prerequisites listed on our application as planned coursework and completion of your bachelor’s degree. If you do not meet the conditions your offer of admission will be revoked.
I planned to take a prerequisite course my last semester of school but was unsuccessful in finding a class that was not full, can I take the class after I start?
No. As stated above all prerequisites must be completed prior to June 30th or by the end of the spring semester of the year you plan to start the Pharm.D. Program. Please note that some courses, such as Biochemistry, are very competitive to enroll in. We suggest that you plan to enroll and complete these types of courses as early as possible.
Is preference given to California residents?
No. We use the same criteria to evaluate out-of-state applicants as we do California residents.
Do California residents pay less tuition than out-of-state students?
CNCP is a private university; therefore, tuition and fees are the same for all students regardless of state or country of residence.
Is a bachelor's degree required?
Yes, a bachelor's degree is required.
Do I need to take the PCAT, TOEFL or any other standardized tests?
No. We do not require any standardized tests.
Can I enter in the spring semester?
No. We admit in the fall semester only.
How do I know if my application is received?
Receipt of the application for admission will be made on applicants PharmCas accounts. You must log in to your PharmCas account on the PharmCas web site with your password to check this status. It generally takes the Office of Admission 3 – 4 weeks to process the application and make the change of status.
Do you ever waive the application fee?
Not at this time.
Do you have rolling admission?
Yes. Offers of admission will be made until all seats are filled. This typically occurs from December through the end of April. After each interview session the Admissions Committee reviews the results of the applicant sessions and will admit the most highly qualified from that group. All other applicants interviewed on that day will either be placed on the wait list or denied. Students placed on the wait list may be called anytime during the summer until orientation.
Do you give preference to any major?
No. We do not give preference to any major. However, most of our applicants are science majors. The most common majors are biology, chemistry, biochemistry, psychobiology, etc.
I already have a bachelor's degree. Do I still need to complete all the pre-requisite courses?
Yes, all the applicants regardless of degree or major must complete all the pre-requisite courses. This includes any international students who previously received a BPharm.
Do you accept On-line/distance-learning courses?
We do not accept distance-learning or on-line coursework for any science pre-requisite that requires a lab. Please see Step 1 on our web site under Prospective Students.
What is the College of Pharmacy's policy regarding submitting supplemental applications?
Any student who is applying through PharmCas and answers in the affirmative to all questions asked to access the supplemental application may submit one. The applicant is responsible for making sure they meet all application criteria.
Do I need to send my transcripts to your Office of Admission when I apply? No. Applicants must submit all transcripts to PharmCAS while in the application stage. Once admitted to the College matriculating students will be required to submit official transcripts from all institutions attended with degree confirmation. Once again this is only required after a student is accepted.
How many applications do you receive, interviews do you grant, and applicants do you accept in an average year?
We typically receive more than 1700 applications a year, grant approximately 400 interviews, and offer acceptances to seat a class of 100.
Does it matter that I'm older than your average applicant?
Definitely not. We find that students of all ages make unique contributions to the class. We encourage applications from qualified applicants regardless of age.
Can I transfer into your Pharm.D program from another Pharm.D program?
No. The nature of the curriculum would place students transferring from other schools of pharmacy at a significant disadvantage.
Can I submit more than the required number of recommendation letters?
Yes. However, it is advisable to limit the number to one or two extra since a total of three or four well-chosen recommendations will usually paint a clear picture of the candidate. All letters of recommendation must be sent directly to PHARMCAS.
How does the committee decide which applicants are offered seats?
The committee will review all completed applications and select approximately 400 candidates for interview. After the interview, all materials will be reviewed and applicants will be assigned a status: admit, wait-list, or deny. After all interviews are completed alternates will be selected from the wait-list candidates. At this time all students will be notified by email of their final status. There is no need to call, as applicants will be notified immediately if there is a change in their status.
How and when will I know if I've been invited for an interview?
If you are an Early Decision applicant you will be notified in late August or early September. If you are a Regular applicant you will be notified by phone, or email between November and April. More information about the interview process can be found on our web site under Prospective Students. Due to the nature of our email category of “.org” applicants often miss invitations to interview due to our email messages being flagged and sent directly to the junk email box. To insure prompt delivery of notification please add our URL to your browser or check your junk email box periodically.
I am a re-applicant. How may I improve my application or chances of gaining admission?
Take a critical review of the information that you submitted in your application for admission to see if there are any obvious voids. For example, maybe you had one or two low grades that lowered your overall and/or science GPA, or maybe you weren't involved in community service, or merely forgot to include it on your application. As mentioned in the requirements, we highly suggest applicants obtain some experience in health care or research to be considered a competitive applicant. Did you obtain this experience and did you mention it in the application? If you interviewed you may want to review what questions were asked and compare them to your answers. Remember the interviewer is gauging your ability to do well in the program and in the profession, and gives the faculty an opportunity to assess your verbal and written communication skills. You would be surprised at how much you can learn about the strengths and weaknesses of your application simply by looking at it from an admissions perspective. It's important to realize that sometimes there isn't one obvious thing that you can change to be admitted. Every case is different and every year the competition is different. Above all else, it is important to realize that we receive applications from many highly qualified applicants each year and are only able to accept about 20 percent of that pool. If this is the path you are committed to then keep trying!
Should I still apply if my grade point average is just above the minimum of 2.80?
Admission is competitive and our evaluation is based on all aspects of the application in addition to your grade point average. This includes your science grades, curriculum, recommendations, essays, involvement in clubs, organizations, and community service, as well as interview results. Competition also varies from year to year depending upon the size and strength of the applicant pool. You should consider all of these factors and should not base your decision to apply solely on your GPA.
What should I bring with me to the interview?
You should bring: your letter of invitation, your valid photo ID, and a pen to write your essay.
What if I am late for my interview? Or What if I miss my interview?
Extenuating circumstances beyond your control will be considered. If you know that you will not be able to attend please call the Office of Admissions immediately and leave a message or email
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. If you fail to appear at your assigned interview day and time without any prior notification, your application will most likely be cancelled.
I really need to know if I've been accepted. Can I call you to find out?
We notify every applicant as soon as possible. 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.
The Office of Admission requested my transcripts and degree confirmation transcript but I already sent this to PharmCas. Do I need to send them again?
Yes. All applicants are required to send transcripts to PHARMCAS during the application stage of the admission process. Official transcripts will also be required by the Office of Admission for all institutions attended with degree confirmation once an offer of admission has been made and accepted. These transcripts become part of your CNCP student file.
What is a degree conferral transcript?
A degree conferral transcript is an official transcript through the final term in which you enrolled that posts all of the following:
o grades for that term
o the degree you earned (BS, MS, etc.)
o the major in which your degree was earned (e.g., Biological Sciences, Art History), and
o the date the degree was awarded.
A transcript that does not satisfy all of these is not a degree conferral transcript.
I graduated 3 months ago, but according to your office I do not have a degree. Why do you say this?
Our policies allow us to consider that a degree was earned only if the degree and the date it was awarded are posted on your transcript. The transcript you submitted probably shows only the grades for your last term, and it does not post your degree. To resolve this problem, contact the registrar's office for your school to request that a degree conferral transcript be sent to our office.
The registrar from my school gave me a statement that verifies I have completed all the requirements for my degree. Can I submit this statement instead of waiting for the degree conferral transcript to become available?
No, completing the requirements for a degree and being awarded a degree are not the same thing. The only document we can accept is a degree conferral transcript.
I graduated this winter but my transcript won't be ready until after June. What do I do?
Your degree may not be posted, but your grades for winter term and spring term should be posted by this time. If you submit a copy of your transcript with grades you will meet the deadline. The deadline for a degree conferral transcript is later. If your school tells you that the transcript will not be ready by our deadline, ask your school to send us a letter verifying the date that degrees for that term will be posted to transcripts. This is the only way to extend the deadline.
Are you on a quarter or a semester system?
Semester system.
How do spaces in the entering class become available?
Admitted applicants decline, usually for personal reasons; or, we withdraw the offer for not fulfilling all of the requirements for admission. For example: financial issues, personal issues, or medical issues sometimes prevent an applicant from accepting an offer. Every year some applicants are also administratively cancelled. This could be for failing a prerequisite, not completing all the prerequisites prior to the start of school, or not submitting documents or other verification materials required by CNCP.
Where am I on the waiting list?
Since the wait list changes constantly, sometimes on a daily basis, we do not designate specific numbers. Additionally, it is difficult to anticipate how many wait list applicants will be called to fill the class for a specific year. Because of this reason we cannot tell a candidate that they will, or will not be called off the list, nor can we estimate when. Based on past experience we can make the statement that wait list applicants may be notified at any time during the summer prior to the start of classes.
Please do not contact our office to verify your position on the waitlist. We will contact you immediately if we are able to offer you a place in the entering class. Your application may be cancelled if you do not follow this procedure.
How soon will I know?
As mentioned previously, it is impossible to predict when accepted applicants will decline our offer or be cancelled. The wait list remains open until the first day of classes. If your name is on the wait list, but you are not offered admission by this day, your application will be formally denied.
Does CNCP accept on-line coursework?
As long as the course is approved for science majors, taken and accepted by a regionally accredited institution, the course appears on your transcript and is taken for a grade, and there is no lab component, then the on-line course would be accepted.
On the PharmCas website it states CNCP recommends an additional L.O.R. from a Pre-Health Advisor. Can you please explain what is meant by a Pre-Health Advisor?
The Pre-Health Advisor is the academic advisor at most institutions who helps guide and advise Pre-Health students. Schools that do not have an academic advisor in this area generally have an academic advisor or academic advising office.
How do I know if the college I am taking prerequisites at is a regionally accredited institution and will meet the equivalency for your prerequisite courses?
You can refer to http://www.worldwidelearn.com/accreditation/accreditation-associations.htm to look up all colleges that are regionally accredited at this time. There are some certificates programs of which many are short-term classes (EX. 6 weeks) that would not meet the prerequisite requirement and thus are not acceptable even though the school may be regionally accredited.
