Help! how do i get in pharmacy?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rutgers University
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<p>I'm currently a sophomore in high school.
I'm really scared because I want to go to rutgers ernest mario pretty bad...</p>

<p>Here are my current stats:
Female
in state
Asian
GPA weighted=3.55 (I'm hoping to bring it up to a 3.8 by end of jr year...)
i'm pretty sure i'm in the top 20%, not sure about top 10 :/ my school doesnt do rankings
Extracurriculars-competitive club swimming for 7 yrs
2 yrs high school orchestra
2 yrs varsity high school swimming
not many volunteers hours, i have a couple at random places (library, camp counselor, school volunteer clubs)
jr yr i'm hoping to take debate, paws (animal club), red cross</p>

<p>btw-do u need to be invited for national honors society?</p>

<p>freshman yr:
honors geometry
honors bio
honors world studies
honors english
spanish 2</p>

<p>sophomore yr: (i did kind of bad in freshman yr so i dropped 2 classes, i had b- in both bio and geometry) T_T
cp chem
cp alg2
honors us history
honors english
spanish 3 honors</p>

<p>planned jr yr schedule (i already have the classes except 1):
ap bio-i'm wondering if chem is better? which is easier? i want to take the one that would boost my gpa. then take the other ap next yr
ap us history 2
ap european history
ap english (?) i can get rec, but i hate writing..i hear ap lang is all writing but i'm scared if i don't do as well as i do in honors, it'll lower my gpa :(
honors pre-calc ab
spanish 4 cp :(</p>

<p>hopefully sr yr schedule:
ap chem-if i take bio jr yr
ap calculus bc
ap english-it's ap lit in sr yr so i think i can handle it since it's more reading comp
honors physics
honors shupa/great book and ideas (both honors semester courses)
i'm thinking ap statistics if i can get it-if not, ap macro</p>

<p>idk if a 3.7 gpa is good enough.
i took the sats in middle of 8th grade for a cty johns hopkins program (didn't get in though) and got a 1500. it's been over 2 yrs since then since i took it in winter of 8th grade. i'm taking prep over the summer and hoping to get over a 2200? is it possible? i really want a good sat score to balance out my gpa :(</p>

<p>do asians have a better or worse chance when applying to rutgers?</p>

<p>does being instate help a lot?</p>

<p>will working/learning at a pharmacy hands on help if i put it in my app?</p>

<p>please answer! pharmacy is something i definitely have a passion for. i know they look at the rigor of ur classes and gpa and sat the most...will i stand a chance by sr yr?</p>

<p>EDIT: are sat 2's important? if so, what are the ones i should take, and how many?</p>

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<p>I don’t see anything wrong with a 3.7 GPA. It would probably help you to have a good SAT score, so do study hard for that (although I do know of a few classmates who didn’t do that well in their SATs, so I’m not entirely sure how the admissions process goes). Also, definitely apply early. </p>

<p>The SAT IIs are not important. </p>

<p>Nobody would be able to tell you whether AP Bio or AP Chem is easier because it depends on your own ability in those subjects (some people are just better at bio while others are just better at chem), and it may also depend on the teachers at your school. For pharmacy though, you couldn’t go wrong with either one, and I would recommend taking both APs at some point. I didn’t take AP Chem because it’s really hard at my high school and I was worried that I would struggle to get even a C…but once I started struggling in gen chem 2, I regretted that. I should have exposed myself to it in high school. </p>

<p>As for working in a pharmacy, that’s good experience to have and you should definitely go look for a job at a pharmacy if you do get in. However, you have to be 18 years old in order to work behind the counter, so you might not be able to get a pharmacy job before sending the app. (Also note that the market right now is pretty bad; it’s a struggle to find a job as a pharmacy tech and it often takes people a really long time to find an opening. It took me months of calling around). </p>

<p>Good luck – it’s great that you have a passion for pharmacy this early.</p>

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<p>Honestly I think that Rutgers cares more about class rank than GPA and your course rigor is also looked at, but yours seems good. A 3.7 would be fine, but I think you should aim for the top 10% to have a good chance. A 2200 sat would also be great.</p>

<p>Being in-state will help and so will the hands on work experience. As for being asain I don’t know if that will have much effect or not. I know there is a very large percentage of asians at Rutgers so a lot get in, but a lot probably also apply. </p>

<p>Rutgers doesn’t look at SAT II’s from what I remember. Two tests is the norm though at schools that do.</p>

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<p>thank you for replying! :slight_smile:
i feel a little more confident now.
i honestly thought i had no chance of getting in whatsoever.
our school doesn’t do class rank :frowning: how do i find out my class rank? will guidance be able to tell me? because it isn’t on our report cards…</p>

<p>i’m wondering if i should take AP english next year? I’m not SUPER at writing, but when i work hard on an essay i usually make it in the 90’s. i love reading and my vocabulary and comprehension and grammar is above average. it’s just writing that kills me, because i only like writing fiction and not boring persuasive or expository essays. i also tend to go a little out of focus when i’m writing so it’s not as strong as it would be. getting in the A range would be difficult for me, but if it helps to get in rutgers pharmacy, i’ll take it :slight_smile: is it very helpful?</p>

<p>are any of you in rutgers pharmacy right now? i hear there’s a 50% drop rate overall…what causes people to drop from pharmacy? i want it so bad, i don’t think i could bear to drop!</p>

<p>what stats did you guys have when applying? are my extracurriculars fine? my club activity’s a little weak and so are my volunteer hours (total i might have 30 so far…) but i’m going to volunteer at a camp in my area for kids with mental disabilities for around 50-60 hrs over the summer.</p>

<p>what is the average sat score? and i know my current gpa would’ve put me at a disadvantage, so what should i be getting on the sat to make up for it? because i know there are people with 3.9 unweighted and over 4.0 weighted…which is a huge difference :(</p>

<p>is there a kind of internship or volunteer service that pharmacies offer? like how do i get about shadowing a pharmacist to see their daily routines, etc. and how do i somehow get a little experience in the pharmacy area to put in my app? i’m not looking for an actual behind the counter job, but anything close would be nice :)</p>

<p>is NHS a big factor in admissions? i would like to get in but i’m lacking in the leaderships area…service, character and gpa i’m fine. do you have to be invited to nhs or do you request to join?</p>

<p>is rutgers pharmacy admissions on a first-come first-serve basis? </p>

<p>so being in-state helps a lot??? :smiley: and i’m still confused…is being asian an advantage or disadvantage?</p>

<p>will taking SAT II’s help for the admissions process or have barely any affect at all?</p>

<p>should i take physics honors sr year or is it overkill? :/</p>

<p>thank you both for responding! i was so happy to get answers lol ^_^</p>

<p>i just wanted to make sure i at least had a pretty good chance, and if not what i should do in the next yr or 2 to improve on my app. what would you say my chances of getting in are? are recommendations or an essay necessary?</p>

<p>i’m not super sure, but i think someone mentioned there’s an interview in your second or third yr of the program. if you don’t pass it, are you immediately kicked out? 0_0</p>

<p>thanks for replying :)</p>

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<p>From my prior analysis you probably need at least a 3.5 and 2100 and apply early in the process. Either less than that and it will depend on the competition. As long as you fill in the EC blanks with something and have challenging coursework the rest does not really matter.</p>

<p>Sent from my DROID2 using CC App</p>

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<p>^ 3.5 weighted or unweighted???
and is being asian an advantage or disadvantage??? i’m so confused :frowning:
thanks btw! :D</p>

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<p>Does rutgers pharmacy look mainly at the gpa and sat scores because my EC’s are slacking like crazy?</p>

<p>btw- thank you who ever started these series of posts it has been very helpful to me and many other people worried just as much or probably more than u
thank you so much</p>

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<p>i’ve been doing a little research these past couple of weeks, and yup rutgers mainly just looks at gpa, class rank, course load and sats :slight_smile: ec’s aren’t super important but i think it’s good to have at least something!</p>

<p>and yea, i’m so worried about college even though i’m only a sophomore :frowning: it’s b/c i slacked off the past 2 yrs b/c i had no goal in mind. i didn’t know what college to go to and what i wanted to be. it was my mom who was talking to me, b/c i’ve always leaned toward pharmacy but wasn’t super sure, but my mom convinced me that pharmacy is the best option and i trust her :slight_smile: it’s a safe and secure job and can be completed with only 6 yrs of college.</p>

<p>at cookies: how old are you and what are your stats? i know i’m in the lower range but i like to think i still at least have a pretty good chance :slight_smile:
u must be just as worried as i am 0_0</p>

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<p>So you’re aware: When you apply to Rutgers, the application asks that you apply to three different schools or programs or campuses. So, if you apply and do not get into the School of Pharmacy, you can always transfer in from the School of Arts and Sciences, etc. </p>

<p>In fact, if you are denied acceptance into a particular school at first, RU will encourage you to reapply the next semester and so on.</p>

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<p>I’m in the pharmacy program – 50% is a rather high drop rate, so I don’t think that’s accurate. I don’t know what the exact number is since I don’t know how many people total will have dropped by next year, but I’d estimate that we have a little above 200 people now (we started off with mid 200s). The main reasons for dropping are inability to deal with the course work or just the realization that pharmacy isn’t for them. I have a friend, for instance, who decided that she really wanted to become a doctor instead. I’ve found that a lot of people sort of just tumble into the pharmacy program…some discover that it was a lucky coincidence, while others find out that it’s really not what they want to do. </p>

<p>Yeah, there are people with 3.9/4.0s…but there are also people who got in with stats on the lower end of the spectrum. </p>

<p>You could possibly volunteer at an independent pharmacy…I know that one of my friends was able to volunteer at an independent when she was in high school (although she quit because what she was doing was manual labor rather than anything really related to pharmacy). I’m not sure if the chains like CVS or Walgreens would allow it, but I guess you could try asking the head pharmacist there. It’s pretty hard to get pharmacy experience as a high school student, and honestly the only people I know of who had anything close to it during their high school years are the ones with parents who work in the pharmaceutical industry. If you really want some sort of science-related EC though, perhaps you could try doing research somewhere. Other than that, just let your enthusiasm for pharmacy show in the app essay and you should be fine. I didn’t have any pharmacy experience or even any science-related ECs when I applied (my ECs were yearbook editor-in-chief, lots of tutoring, three honor societies, and Regions/All-State orchestra), and I was still accepted within weeks of sending in my app. </p>

<p>At my school, I had to fill out an application to get into NHS, and I do remember a section asking about leadership experience. Honestly, I don’t think it would have that much of an impact (unless you eventually take on a leadership position there), especially because there are honor societies galore these days in the USA, so they’ve kind of lost meaning. </p>

<p>Rutgers does rolling admissions, so yes, applying early would be better. a</p>

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<p>oh, and about AP English – you look like you have a challenging courseload, so I doubt that taking AP English vs. not taking AP English would matter. Actually, if you’re worried about your GPA and don’t think that writing is your strength, I’d even suggest not taking it. AP English isn’t accepted for AP credit by the pharmacy school anyway. AP English doesn’t even help for Expos (mandatory freshman writing class) because Expos is totally different. It’s your choice whether you want to take it, but don’t feel pressured to take it if it’s only because you’re wondering if adding another AP to your schedule would help. As long as you have challenging coursework overall (which you do) and a good GPA, you’ll be fine. </p>

<p>Physics honors would be nice to take for the sake of being exposed to physics before taking it during your 2nd year. It’s probably also better for someone who wants to go into the sciences to have taken that during high school. I’d definitely recommend that you take physics honors over AP English, in terms of both usefulness and the way it looks on your app. If you’re worried about it being overkill (I’m guessing that you mean “overkill” as in potentially too heavy of a courseload), then perhaps take honors English instead. </p>

<p>Also, don’t worry about the pharmacy interview. (It’s done at the end of your 2nd preprofessional year as a requirement before entry into the professional years). It’s a very, very standard interview – just stuff like “what are your strengths/weaknesses” and “why do you want to do pharmacy.” I haven’t heard of anybody in my class who failed it. As long as you show a reasonable interest in the profession and aren’t psychotic, it should be completely fine.</p>

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<p>mizuiro: thank you so much! :slight_smile: as far as you know, what was the lowest weighted and unweighted gpa someone has gotten and still got accepted?
and judging by your username, are you asian? do you find it harder for asians to get in?</p>

<p>and yes, i’ve decided not to take ap english :slight_smile: i think i’m happier staying in honors, and like you said, it’s not like i can ap out of expos in freshman year.
do the people who transfer out drop or are they kicked out? based on your opinion, how difficult are the classes in the pharmacy program? i heard it gets harder esp. in the professional years. do more people drop out in the beginning or in the middle?</p>

<p>do you find it hard to have a social life? also, i would like to know about the busch and livingston campuses :slight_smile: i hear busch is better and nicer but most people end up in livingston. what’s the difference? and do you share a bathroom with the whole floor???</p>

<p>thank you for answering!</p>

<p>lauren: is transfering difficult? and you’re allowed to reapply the next semester???</p>

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<p>oh and btw, i got this from the rutgers site:</p>

<p>Ernest mario school of pharmacy
Verbal/CR = 630-740
Math = 700-790
Writing = 660-760
CR+Math+Writing = 2030-2250
High school percentile rank = 93-99</p>

<p>this is the mid-50%, meaning approx. 25% got higher and 25% got lower.
is this accurate?
and is high school percentile rank class rank? what if class rank isn’t even in top 10%? :(</p>

<p>[Rutgers</a> | Rutgers Admissions](<a href=“http://admission.rutgers.edu/Academics/AdmissionsProfile.aspx]Rutgers”>http://admission.rutgers.edu/Academics/AdmissionsProfile.aspx)</p>

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<p>To be honest, I can’t remember – probably somewhere in the low 3s. I don’t like asking people about stuff like GPAs, so whatever I know is from what people have said on their own facebook statuses or something. </p>

<p>I do happen to be Asian. If you get accepted, you’ll probably notice at your placement test that there are a lot of Asians in your class. At my placement test, we were joking about many of us were Asian. I think that that’s just a reflection of the people who tend to apply though, not anything on the end of admissions. Either way though, I don’t think you should be worrying about Asian vs. non-Asian. Just do your best. I doubt that ethnicity works for or against you in such a significant way. </p>

<p>I guess that’s accurate if the Rutgers site says so? Even if you aren’t in the top 10%, don’t freak out too much. There are people who have gotten in despite being lower than that, like in the top 15-20%. Most people who do get into Rutgers Pharmacy were also high-performing students in high school, but there are always also people who did only average in high school and on their SATs who get in too. Nobody can say for sure how admissions works. </p>

<p>It’s a mix of both – some people voluntarily drop out while some people’s grades just don’t make the cut. I’d say that most people who drop out do so within the first 3 years. The professional years are definitely harder, but don’t just accept anyone’s opinion on “which year is the hardest” – they’re all difficult, and everybody’s opinion is different. Some say that some class was super hard while others thought that that class was do-able, etc. It really depends on the person, so don’t take one person’s opinion too closely to heart. </p>

<p>If you took a bunch of APs, PP1 year will probably be easy for you. The only class I had any difficulty with was Gen Chem 2 (I only took chem honors in high school, and that only covered me for Gen Chem 1). It gets a lot harder in PP2 year though.</p>

<p>I like Busch better (if you send in your housing app ASAP, you’ll have a better chance of getting it). I’m just biased toward Busch, haha. Yes, you do share a bathroom with the whole floor in the freshman dorms. (If you choose the Busch Science Hall suites though, which are brand new, it’s four people in a suite sharing a bathroom. I’m living there this upcoming year). Livingston has a bad rap because it’s a small, dull campus with nothing to do…but Livingston is getting a makeover. The student center is new (and quite nice – nicer than the Busch student center), and I think that the brand new dining hall there should be completed by this upcoming fall semester (hopefully the food will also improve. Busch, as of now, definitely has better food). They’re building new apartments on Livingston too, as part of an effort to make it a more appealing campus. I just got an email today about how they’re planning on renovating the athletic center on Livingston too. </p>

<p>I’m kind of a quiet person, so it’s not like I have a huge social life, but I didn’t find it that hard to make friends (I was, btw, quite the loner in high school, if that makes you feel any better. I was convinced that I’d be just as much of a hermit in college. I still probably have less of a social life than other people, but I’m definitely not alone like I used to be. :P). I actually didn’t really hang out much with my floor during freshman year even though I lived on Busch. Anyway, social life is up to you – everybody’s eager to make friends during the first few days, so definitely take advantage of that and don’t hole up in your room. :wink: I liked my floor freshman year – I just didn’t really hang out with them and found myself as kind of an outsider by the middle of the year. I got along well with my pharmacy classmates though, so that’s who my main group of friends was (I also have some engineering friends). </p>

<p>I wouldn’t say that there’s much of a difference between living on Busch and Livingston, other than the fact that Busch has bigger/nicer dorms and a better dining hall (but who knows if the dining hall situation might improve on Livingston, with that brand new dining hall). You’ll have classes on both campuses. I guess that being on Busch might be a bit nicer during the 2nd semester because of Pharmacy Convocations at 8:55am in the pharmacy building, so at least you’d be on the same campus vs. having to catch a bus. It’s not that big a deal though. Both campuses have plenty of pharmacy freshmen. </p>

<p>Even if you end up in some dorm that you don’t like, it’s not like you won’t have a social life. Go out and join some clubs (you might like the Asian-themed ones like Chinese Student Organization, Korean Student Assocation, etc – they weren’t my thing, but my friends always looked like they were having a lot of fun in facebook photos. Try the pharmacy organizations too, like APhA – we love to see preprofessional students! <– Sorry, had to throw that in there. I’m pretty big on that. :stuck_out_tongue: But shameless plugging aside, it’s also a GREAT way to meet upperclassmen and to get a better idea of what pharmacy is about. Most freshman are unfortunately either too intimidated or can’t be bothered to go). </p>

<p>I just realized that you might be also talking about balancing social life with academics…if that’s the case, it shouldn’t be bad. My friends and I were really supportive of each other during this past year because we thought that PP2 classes were miserable. Studying together for systems physiology, for instance, made it SO much better. We would have been super distracted/unproductive/miserable on our own. My friend and I also started studying together in order to ensure that the other person was actually reading the orgo textbook and not going on gmail or something, haha. Something about having another person there made me more likely to actually productively read the textbook too. Nerdiness aside, you also shouldn’t have a problem just hanging out for fun. Sometimes you just need that break before hitting the books again anyway.</p>

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<p>haha me too, i’m kind of a loner in high school :[ like i only have a small group of friends i hang out with. i pretty much don’t talk to anyone else, and if i do, it’s not in a very close sort of way :confused: i’m glad the situation gets better in rutgers! i was so scared that my dormmates might gang up on me and take turns bullying me LMAO. how many roommates do you have? and how do you like dorming with them? i’m very scared about the awkwardness in the first few weeks. you meet on the first day, and all of a sudden you’re living with them for a whole year, maybe more!</p>

<p>and yay! i feel more confident about getting in now :slight_smile: i also heard today from my tutor who went to rutgers for biology and communications double major that she had a friend that was accepted with a 3.5 gpa (pretty close to mine lol) and about 2300 sats (Grr!!!) how hard do you think the sat’s are? they were pretty hard for me when i was in 8th grade :x i didn’t know when to leave it blank and stuff. did you leave much blank? would you recommend taking chances on multiple choice?</p>

<p>she also told me that during the first 2 years of pharmacy her friends said it wasn’t so bad. they still got to have a social life, but i heard that during 3rd, 4th and 5th year it gets hard. she said that she didn’t get to see or hang out with her pharm friends as much lol, because they were too busy in the library studying all day!
what do you recommend is the best place to study in college? idk how dorm rooms are, but i know they’re pretty cramped and it can get noisy if all ur roommates are there, but are libraries open for you 24/7?</p>

<p>hehe, maybe i’ll join the Chinese organization :stuck_out_tongue: there’s always so many Koreans everywhere, esp. NJ and California -_-</p>

<p>and i want to live on busch lol :frowning: is it hard to get it the first year?
and 8:55 in the morning! we don’t get to pick 2nd semester? T_T</p>

<p>it’s great that ur friend and you can study together for classes. i’m the type that needs to be alone when studying, or else i’ll get distracted/bored and start chattering away, annoying my company :stuck_out_tongue: i start thinking that 10 min of chatting wouldn’t hurt…then 20, then 30. does studying with a friend help? is there some kind of group or something pharm students can join to help each other out w/ classes?</p>

<p>thank you again for replying! your responses are really helping me out and making me want to go to rutgers even more :frowning:
do you go to parties?
and are you in-state? if so, do you get to go home often? i live about a 1-2 hrs drive away so i would like to go back home every other weekend or so to visit my parents :]</p>

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<p>Haha, nah, I’m sure your dormmates wouldn’t do that. There might be a few odd-balls here and there (one of my friends on another floor when I dormed on Busch was next door to a marijuana dealer), and the girls’ bathroom tends to be more gross than you’d think it’d be, but overall I thought that people were decent. The rooms are doubles, so I had one roommate. I’ve gotten along fine with both of my roommates (I roomed with a friend from high school my freshman year and then had a random roommate my sophomore year). If you opt for the Busch Science Hall suites (it’s 60% freshmen and 40% upperclassmen), then you’ll have 3 suitemates (two people per bedroom). </p>

<p>Anyway, if you send in your housing app ASAP, you shouldn’t have a problem getting Busch. Other than that, I guess it’s up to luck. </p>

<p>SATs would be an individual experience. For me, the critical reading part was effortless because that sort of stuff is my strength – I literally did not study it AT ALL/decided to just wing it and wound up with an 800. However, my math scores caused me to have to take the SAT over in order to do well enough for my satisfaction (freaking out about the math portion was also the reason I ignored CR while studying). I’m the type of person who makes really dumb mistakes all of the time in math. :confused: On my first test, the score sheet showed that I got most of the hard questions right, but a lot of medium level questions wrong (aka probably dumb mistakes) –> retake for higher score. -___- </p>

<p>A big part of the SAT is getting to know the type of questions asked though. I definitely improved in math after doing an entire workbook devoted to SAT math questions and going through practice test after practice test. Can’t help with you with CR, since I didn’t study for it…but I guess the same approach/getting used to the type of questions asked would work there too. Don’t worry about finding it hard in 8th grade – it was the same for me (math issues again, haha). You should know more now, especially if you drill yourself with practice exams. </p>

<p>Yeah, the professional students get bombarded with exams. I’m in one of the three pharmacy professional fraternities (I don’t want to say which one because I’m kind of paranoid about being identified online), so I see them a lot. (As an aside – professional fraternities are different from the social ones. I NEVER thought that I’d join a frat, but I became interested during PP1 year, haha. A lot of other fraternity members told me the same thing about how they never thought they’d be a frat member. If you get into the pharmacy program later on and want to hear more, feel free to PM me). Anyway, they do have to study a lot, but a lot of the upperclassmen I know do take breaks when they can – or else they’d be miserable. </p>

<p>You do get to pick your classes – but Pharmacy Convocations (that 8:55am class) is only offered at that time. You get to pick which day of the week you’d like it to be on, if that makes you feel any better? :stuck_out_tongue: It’s really not that bad. I actually liked the class, so I stayed awake. </p>

<p>I didn’t really study with friends that much, but I started to really favor studying with friends during PP2 year in order to stay focused/make sure I did the work. There isn’t an established group for pharmacy students to help each other out, but you’re free to form study groups with your classmates. </p>

<p>No, I don’t go to parties. I’m really not into them. I tried one of the rush parties while I was rushing the pharmacy frats and didn’t really like it/was super awkward. I just don’t find parties appealing at all, basically. (I don’t even like dancing; I’m kind of a tightly-wound person, I guess). I’m more of the type of person to drag my friends to eat somewhere in New Brunswick. There are plenty of pharmacy students who do party though. Whether you party or don’t party, you’l definitely find others like you. </p>

<p>I am in-state. I have to go home every weekend because I work at CVS. I have friends who work/like to go back home who also live about 1 hour away, so I think you should be able to do that. </p>

<p>I wouldn’t recommend studying in your dorm room. My floor during freshman year was fairly quiet, so I studied in my dorm room just because I thought I could (also, the freshman dorms on Busch are on the opposite side of campus from places like the library). However, I discovered last year that there is a huge difference between studying in the library vs. studying in my dorm. Perhaps it’s the studious atmosphere in the library. There is actually research out there that explains why you shouldn’t study in your dorm room (you associate it with relaxation, etc). I know that some people get fidgety in the overly quiet environment in a library though, so it depends on you. I personally prefer study spaces which are quiet and where I know that I’m unlikely to run into familiar people (you’ll come to find out that the library on Busch and the nearby ARC computer labs = pharmacy student hotspots. Same with the Busch Student Center…which is a very distracting place to study anyway, even though some of my friends love it – because they can socialize. :P). I always go for the more obscure study areas on Busch, like the smaller libraries (example: physics library) or places with cubicles that I can hide in. </p>

<p>The libraries aren’t open 24/7, although certain computer labs and the Alexander library (on College Ave) become 24/7 during finals week. (I avoid Alexander during that time though – it’s crazy. Very difficult to find seats, and I even saw someone bring a sleeping bag). The library on Busch is pretty dismal anyway. :stuck_out_tongue: I LOVE the library on Douglass – most people seem to like Alexander the best, but I really prefer the Douglass library. It’s probably just too out of the way for most people.</p>

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<p>ooh, is it just bush that has the 2 people per bedroom suites? :frowning: are bathrooms still shared by the whole floor? are the rooms spacious? i know some friends who room with 3 other people in different colleges and she says it tends to be annoying, so it’s nice knowing that we only need to share with 1 other person :slight_smile:
and is there such a thing as being popular in college? because i’m not exactly popular…so idk about the situation at college haha.
so is livingston just a freshman dorm or upperclassmen as well? do you talk with other people in the dorms or just your own dormmates?</p>

<p>and i always make dumb mistakes on tests too :frowning: i have a bad feeling about the sats, because i’m also not good with time management, and when feeling hurried i go TOO fast and end up making a lot of easy mistakes that could have been fixed if i had spent a little more time on it. i think critical reading and writing were my weaknesses! you got an 800 on the reading?! that’s getting everything right!</p>

<p>the only full score i’ve ever gotten is on the 8th grade njask math section…and that doesnt even count lol -_- it’s a pre-hspa…not the sats :frowning:
did you study a lot for it? is there a specific book you recommend for the sats? i know collegeboard makes their own, but it’s only the practice tests that are super accurate. i hear that having a harder book prepares you better for the sats…
is self-studying for a summer of sat’s and getting a super good score (2300+) doable? i know many people self study but i’m wondering if i can get a high grade or will i have to take prep classes?</p>

<p>and what is a fraternity? :x i know nothing about that lol…i’m so clueless T_T</p>

<p>and are class sizes big or average? do a lot of people skip classes? also, how are the classes like? are they lectures mostly lectures or actual hands-on work?
and i was also wondering, how much of math does a pharmacist have to have? check the curriculum and it seems to be more science, and math is just general knowledge for the pp years?</p>

<p>i don’t think i would like parties either -_- don’t really like going to super noisy places, lol. i like the quiet :3 i like just sitting at my house and eating something while watching tv or dramas (lol) or just reading. </p>

<p>also are the campuses humongous? i know there are buses to transfer you from campus to campus, but are there any that transfer you from within the campus? or do you walk to the different parts of campus to get to your destination?</p>

<p>and i just tried studying in a library and found out i actually like it a lot more than doing it at home! i agree that doing it in a place where you sleep at night (dorm, bedroom) makes you feel too relaxed. i always feel so laid-back and procrastinate. and a lot of the time i take afternoon naps after school D: i like the atmosphere of the library! but i go to another town’s, lol, because they have a bigger and better library and their school ssytem’s better, so everyone goes to the library to mainly study. my town treats it like a cafe, except you don’t need to buy $4 coffee. :confused: are the libraries open late enough at night or students to get work done? and is it dangerous to walk alone at night? and what’s the difference between all the different libraries?
thank you again for replying! :)</p>

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<p>All of the suites are two people per bedroom (same for regular doubles – it’s two people per room). It’s just that Busch Science Hall (the suite I’m talking about) is the only type of suite that you’d be able to get into as a freshman. Busch has other suites (for 6 people total), but they’re for upperclassmen. If you’re an athlete though, you can get those suites even as a freshman. If you’re in a suite, then you would just share a bathroom with your suitemates. </p>

<p>mm, yeah, there are people who are popular/super social and easy to get along with. I’m not really one of them though, haha. I prefer to have a small group of friends, and I’m not that great with small talk. </p>

<p>Livingston has both freshman and upperclassman dorms. Quads 1 and 2 are for freshmen while Quad 3 is for upperclassmen (there is no Quad 4). There’s also the North and South Towers, which I think are a mix of lower and upperclassmen. </p>

<p>I don’t have any specific book recommendations for the SATs. I just got a bunch of practice tests from Kaplan and Barron’s. Since I was bad at math, I picked up a workbook that focused only on math too.</p>

<p>Haha, nah, I think you can still get an 800 with 1 or 2 questions wrong. I think I had 1 wrong. Anyway, do lots of practice tests, and that should help with time management. </p>

<p>I self-studied and then asked people who were good at math about the questions that I couldn’t get. I refused to enroll in an SAT prep class. If you think that it’d be helpful though, go for it. </p>

<p>A fraternity is basically a social organization. The pharmacy fraternities are professional fraternities (not just social fraternities, which is what people usually think of). A professional fraternity basically promotes the interests of a particular profession – pharmacy, in this case. It’s really good for getting to know upperclassmen. :)</p>

<p>During the preprofessional years, you’ll have a lot of classes in big lecture halls (bio, chem, orgo, systems, psych, microecon, etc). Some people skip while others just like to go to class. I chose languages as my humanities electives because I love languages, so I actually did get some experience with small class sizes. Your required classes are all lectured based…no hands-on stuff except for bio lab, chem lab, and orgo lab. </p>

<p>You do have to take Calc I and stat during the preprofessional years. I’m pretty sure that you don’t need to know math at a higher level than algebra for work as a pharmacist. You do need to know stat though. </p>

<p>Busch is a big campus, while the others (Livingston, College Ave, and Cook/Douglass) aren’t that big. Livingston, in particular, is pretty small…it was the only one that I didn’t get lost on as a freshman, haha. Cook/Douglass is pretty distant from Busch and Livingston, so the bus rides between those campuses can take a while, especially during rush hour. You can take a bus to get to places within the same campus, but I always prefer to walk because it’s pretty much the only exercise I get. </p>

<p>I consider Busch safe to walk alone in at night – I did it all the time. I felt reasonably safe on C/D too (either that or I was lucky to have no issues with walking around at 2am). I would not advise walking around at College Ave by yourself late at night (most of the crime alerts take place on CA). I don’t know about Livingston. </p>

<p>There isn’t much of a difference between the libraries – they all offer the same thing (computer labs, quiet study spaces, group study rooms, etc). It’s just your personal preference for the atmosphere. I find the library on Douglass to be comfortable, with a nice atmosphere. I love Busch, but in my opinion that library (Library of Science and Medicine) is the dreariest. I was there all of the time anyway though, just because I was on Busch most of the time. The libraries close at 2am on weekdays.</p>

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<p>:0 2 am is pretty late! lol. do you study a lot? like every single weekday?
and how many hours of classes do you generally have per day/per week?
is stats hard? i’m most likely going to take it senior year (not sure yet-i still have more than a year lol) but i looked at the book for ap stats in the library and it looked pretty difficult…i’m more of an equations sort of person :slight_smile: how is it in rutgers?</p>

<p>the suites sound so nice :frowning: i was wondering, do all housing cost the same? like is it the same price for both busch/livingston, and whether or not you live in a 2 bedroom 4 people suite or a 6 people suite?</p>

<p>haha, i’m pretty nervous about the sat :confused: i’m scared i won’t even get over a 2000 T_T how long did you study/practice sat for? a whole summer or like a couple hours every week for a whole year? did you find it hard to motivate yourself to study? was self-studying hard?
and i was wondering, how do i get better on the critical reading section? i know i should memorize more words, but how about the reading? is it all practice too?</p>

<p>i would like to join a fraternity lol :slight_smile: is it fun? what do you guys do in a fraternity? is it just like socializing altogether every once in a while?</p>

<p>and does rutgers look at an uw gpa? :frowning: idk my uw gpa but i think it’s about a 3.1…i can probably move it up a little more, but so far it’s terrible T_T will this affect my chances?! feel so stupid for slacking off the past 2 yrs…</p>

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<p>Yes, I study every day. I’m really involved in the pharmacy school and go to a lot of meetings, so I need whatever time I can get at night to study. </p>

<p>AP Stat was ridiculously difficult at my high school, so I decided to save myself the stress and just take stat honors. I remember being really conflicted about this, but by the middle of the year everybody was telling me that they wish they’d had my foresight (I viewed it as more like cowardice though, haha). It worked out to my advantage, because the stat class at Rutgers didn’t go any further than what I covered in stat honors in high school. One thing about that is that I took stat over the summer in order to get it out of the way before PP2 year, so that’s probably what made it so easy for me (summer classes tend to be easier, and the professor I got turned out to be really easy). I think that my friends who took stat over the year did go a bit further. They were talking about things that I’m pretty sure I never learned about. </p>

<p>Don’t worry about it, anyway – everything looks harder when you haven’t actually learned it yet. Maybe you’ll be good at stat…it’s definitely easier than calc. You also get to use the calculator a lot. </p>

<p>I’m actually not sure about whether the suites cost more. I know that apartments do though (but that’s upperclassman housing). But as for general housing on Busch vs. housing on Livingston vs. housing on another campus, there’s no difference. </p>

<p>I did most of my preparation over the summer. I can’t remember how well I studied for it/how hard it was to get motivated to study. I can only guess that I probably got more motivated to study after screwing up too much on math the first time and being forced to retake it for my goal of at least 700 in both CR and math. I definitely wasn’t prepared by the time of the PSATs in 10th grade…I kind of tanked that and barely made it to semi-finalist range, haha. Oh well, whatever. </p>

<p>I guess the reading for the CR section is all practice too…just getting to know how to skim those articles and picking out the right information for the questions they ask. The only actual tip I have is to read the questions first before reading the article so that you’ll have an idea of what to look for in the reading. Other than that, sorry – like I said, I winged it. That kind of stuff was my strength, academically. I’m actually rather mediocre in the sciences (it’s just that career-wise, the sciences were the only thing that interested me). I struggled a lot PP2 year as a result. </p>

<p>Yes, the fraternities are fun…and I think that I gained a lot in personal growth after joining. The one I’m in meets every week, so we see each other frequently. All of the fraternities do professional projects, community service events, and just general things for fun within the group. There are also a lot of opportunities for leadership within the fraternities (which are entirely student-run; I’d say that it’s pretty valuable experience). </p>

<p>I’m not sure about how Rutgers judges UW vs. weighted GPA, sorry. </p>

<p>And it’s okay – I slacked off freshman and sophomore year too. I had so many Bs that could easily have been As if I’d just cared more and hadn’t settled for mediocre performance. I made up for the B I got in bio honors from laziness with an A in AP bio though, haha. I think it’s kind of hard to really think about college/what you should be doing to prepare during 9th and 10th grade because it just seems far away. It wasn’t until late sophomore year that I began to get more serious too (because I’d figured out that I wanted Rutgers Pharmacy)</p>

<p>So just do your best junior and senior year – as long as your GPA stays above a 3, you’ll have a chance.</p>