Reviewed by:
Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine
Reviewed: 4/12/24
Your PharmCAS application can seem overwhelming at first glance. To ease some of your angst and make the process as simple as possible, in this guide, we will go over how to fill out this application, its deadlines, costs, and more!
The number of pharmacists has steadily increased over the years. Within the last decade alone, there was an increase of almost 100,000 pharmacists in the US. As a high-paying, lucrative, and rewarding career, it’s no surprise this profession is gaining popularity, and you’re considering joining it yourself!
But before filling those prescriptions and providing medical advice to your patients, you must attend pharmacy school. To do so, you must complete the application, which we’ll discuss in this guide.
PharmCAS (Pharmacy College Application Service) is a centralized application service used to apply to multiple Doctor of Pharmacy programs offered by schools and colleges of pharmacy. It simplifies the process with a cohesive application that includes all necessary materials.
Many professional schools use application portals such as AMCAS, VMCAS, and CASPA to simplify the application process. PharmCAS serves the same function, except it is used exclusively for students applying to pharmacy schools.
Students complete just one application, which is sent out to all pharmacy schools they wish to apply to, regardless of how many. While hitting submit and having your applications sent out to all of your desired schools is simple, completing the application itself is not.
Let’s break down the PharmCAS application so you know what to expect as you prepare to begin the application process:
The first part of your pharmacy application involves you creating your PharmCAS account. Pick a username and password and enter your correct contact information, which will be relayed to the schools you apply to.
Before you begin your application, you should list the programs you plan on applying to. Several months in advance, research the pharmacy programs that fit your needs. Consider tuition costs, location, faculty, facilities, and the opportunities at each school.
While you can add or delete any programs throughout the application, once you have submitted them, you cannot change your selection.
Once you’re satisfied with your program selection, you’ll be asked to share your personal information, including your:
There is also a section that allows you to share how COVID-19 impacted your path to becoming a pharmacist. If you had limited academic opportunities due to the pandemic, your admission officers can consider this as they review your application.
Reporting your academic history is likely the most tedious part of the PharmCAS application. You must ask any colleges you attended for official transcripts that you can submit to PharmCAS.
Using these transcripts, you must list all the coursework you pursued in college, including those you withdrew from, failed, or repeated. For assistance with this application component, you may use PharmCAS’ Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) service for a fee.
If applicable, you will also be asked to submit your standardized test scores. Many schools no longer require the PCAT as part of the application process, but if you want to share your score, you can do so here.
Students must request up to four evaluations by professors or other mentors through the PharmCAS application. While you do not have to submit four, you should base the number of evaluations you request on your programs’ requirements.
These evaluations will have two parts: questions and ratings and a letter of reference. Both parts must be submitted through PharmCAS’ evaluator portal, Letters by Liaison. Ensure you contact your evaluators in advance so they are prepared to submit your evaluations and you know their preferred email addresses.
You’ve worked tirelessly throughout college to build the best pharmacy school application, and your programs want to hear about it! This section allows you to share all the activities and experiences you pursued to prepare for your career.
List all relevant experiences and categorize them as one of the following:
Along with listing your experiences, you will be asked to share information about your supervisor and the organizations you worked with.
Next, you’ll be asked to list your professional and academic achievements into one of the following types:
Once you submit your application, you cannot remove or edit your achievements, but you can add more if needed. You can also list professional licenses or certifications you have.
The final step of your PharmCAS application will be to submit a personal statement. This statement should address why you selected pharmacy as a career and how the Doctor of Pharmacy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals.
Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals. Your essay should be around one page long, with a 4,500-character limit.
The final application deadline is May 1. Applications open in mid-July. You should review your programs’ priority and enforced deadlines to determine when to submit your application. In general, these are the preferred deadlines of most pharmacy schools:
Similarly, these are the final deadlines for most pharmacy schools:
See which deadlines correspond with your preferred schools and ensure you meet them! To avoid any delays, students should apply by the priority deadline or at least two weeks before their final deadline.
The application costs $175 for the first program and an extra $55 for each additional program you apply to. If you plan on using the PTE service, the cost for this depends on how many transcripts you need assistance reporting:
Students may be eligible for a fee waiver if they are financially disadvantaged. These are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and must be requested before you submit your application.
Still, have inquiries about the pharmacy application process? We’ve got you covered! Below you’ll find the answers to frequently asked questions about this application.
It can take up to 10 business days for your application to move to the verified status, granted there are no issues with your application.
Once you’ve made your PharmCAS account, your entire application will be completed through this portal. You will be prompted to enter the personal information required by your programs, academic history, evaluation requests, experiences, achievements, and personal statement.
Once satisfied with these components, hit submit, pay your fees, and you’re good to go!
You can find your old application by logging into the account used for this application and clicking “Reapplication.” Then you can review your previous application and decide whether to copy the data or start fresh.
While the PharmCAS application process can be time-consuming and require considerable effort, it is essential to your pharmacy school journey. Once you’ve completed it, you’ll be one step closer to actualizing your dream of becoming a pharmacist and joining this growing profession!
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