How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.23 | 81 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 78 |
| Negatively | 1 |
| No change | 6 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.52 | 77 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.43 | 75 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.05 | 75 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 2 |
| Virtual | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 1 |
| 10 minutes | 1 |
| 15 minutes | 3 |
| 20 minutes | 6 |
| 25 minutes | 1 |
| 30 minutes | 28 |
| 35 minutes | 2 |
| 40 minutes | 2 |
| 45 minutes | 4 |
| 50 minutes | 2 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 33 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 80 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 80 |
| In a group | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 3 |
| Closed file | 74 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.23 | 81 |
"What is the hardest part of working in pharmacy?"
"Are there any extracurricular groups you're involved in/want to be involved in here?"
"What are your strength and weakness?"
"What would I do if someone was complaining I did something wrong or was taking too long"
"Why Mercer/pharmacy?"
"Give an example of a situation when you have had to use leadership qualities. "
"Why Mercer? (I am out of state so they specifically asked about that)"
"Why Pharmacy/ Why Mercer?"
"What has been your biggest accomplishment?"
"The faculty member was interested primarily in my pharmacy-specific experiences. She seemed to appreciate the conversation-style interview instead of question-answer. Specifically: How often do you actually see the pharmacist interacting with patients/counseling?"
"Why Pharmacy? Why Mercer? "
"What are you strengths and weaknesses"
"What's your gpa?"
"What are your weaknesses?"
"Do you want to do any post pharm. d work?"
"Why Mercer? Why Pharmacy?"
"Why do you want to be a Pharmacist?"
"Why pharmacy"
"Tell me about your journey from undergraduate to now? (I am an older applicant)"
"why mercer, why pharmacy!?? (you r guaranteed to have those questions)"
"Why pharmacy, why mercer? "
"Why pharmacy, why Mercer?"
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"What type of pharmacy are you interested in?"
"Why Pharmacy? Why Shenandoah? "
"Do you have any questions?"
"Why Mercer"
"What would you do if you were involved in a misfill in the pharmacy?"
"Why pharmacy school? Why Mercer?"
"Tell Me about yourself."
"How do you work in a team?"
"Why Pharmacy and why Mercer?"
"Why pharmacy?"
"Why Mercer? "
"How would you rank Mercer ?"
"Why Mercer?"
"Why does Mercer interest you?"
"When did I realize I wanted to attend pharmacy school?"
"Why is it important to be aware of cultural differences in patients?"
"What do you do for fun? (I was asked this more than once by different interviewers)"
"What about your professional experience will aid your development as a pharmacist?"
"Do you work in a pharmacy?"
"What would I do if someone was caught stealing medications"
"What are your strengths/weaknesses?"
"What was the moment you realized you wanted to attend pharmacy school?"
"Why Mercer? What do you know about Mercer's program?"
"Why do you feel as if Mercer would be a good fit for you?"
"How do you think you'll adjust to living so far away from friends & family?"
"What do you want to do with your Pharm.D?"
"Do you have pharmacy experience?"
"What would you do if a doctor had prescribed a med that was not safe for a patient to take?"
"What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?"
"Pharmacy experience?"
"The student interview was slightly awkward; he didn't really give me the ability to hold a conversation, and each answer I gave made him look slightly uncomfortable, which then started to make me uncomfortable. Specifically: What kind of volunteering have you done?"
"Research in O-Chem experience? "
"What would you do if a patient came into your pharmacy yelling and screaming that they were given the wrong prescription"
"What's your best quality?"
"How would you handle this ethical dilemma? I forget the actual question "
"What is your previous pharmacy experience?"
"What area of pharmacy do you want to go into and why?"
"Why do you want to be a pharmacist?"
"What is your ethnic background?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"What area of pharmacy do you want to go into?"
"What does your boyfriend think about you leaving?"
"Why Atlanta/Mercer?"
"other schools you applied to"
"Why do you like best about Mercer?"
"what is your study skills? "
"Extracurricular activities"
"[no pharmacy experience] Why sets you apart from other students who have pharmacy experience?"
"What do you want the admissions committee to know about you that is not in your application?"
"Why pharmacy?"
"Why Mercer University?"
"what do you do if your work partner tell for your boss he does not want to work with you?"
"What was the weirdest class you have ever taken and why?"
"what would you do if you found someone cheating?"
"What do you like to do in your spare time - be ready to elaborate."
"What area of pharmacy are you interested in?"
"Why pharmacy"
"If a Dr. insisted that you filled a prescription that you thought was incorrect/could be harmful, what would you do?"
"Tell me about your experience to date in a pharmacy."
"What would you do if a co-worker complained to your boss that (s)he just couldn't get along/work with you? "
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"What are some positive qualities that you can bring to our program?"
"What is your biggest weakness? Your biggest strength?"
"What kind of student are you/what help you you make good grades"
"Why Mercer?"
"Why Pharmacy? "
"When did you decided to become a pharmacist?"
"What was a challenging class you took and what did you do to overcome that challenge?"
"What is your favorite thing about working in pharmacy?"
"Do I think I am ready for the heavy course load?"
"What is a hardship you have faced?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"What do you think will be the most difficult part of a pharmacy job and how will you handle it?"
"Volunteer experiences"
"Do you have any questions for us?"
"Tell me about your pharmacy experience?"
"What quality separates you from other candidates?"
"What qualities does a good pharmacist need? "
"What do you like to do in your free time?"
"Tell me about yourself & hobbies"
"Why do you want to be a pharmacist?"
"Tell me about your pharmacy experience"
"What are you looking to do post-grad?"
"Why mercer?/Why Pharmacy?"
"Why are you interested in Pharmacy/Mercer?"
"Area of pharmacy you are interested in?"
"Lots of: "Tell me about yourself" and "Why Mercer/Pharmacy""
"What has been the most rewarding volunteer or extracurricular experience?"
"Volunteer/work experience? "
"Why pharmacy"
"What's your worst quality"
"Mercer receives interest from many Pre-Pharmacy Leaders, what makes your skill set so unique?"
"Why pharmacy?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"What can you gain from becoming a pharmacist and reaching your goal?"
"Do you have any questions?"
"What qualities do you feel a pharmacists needs to be successful?"
"See previous situational questions."
"Tell me about yourself."
"What kind of pharmacy work (chain, independent, hospital, etc.) do you see yourself doing?"
"Since I am bilingual, the professor asked if in the case that I was admitted into the school, I would be interested in becoming a TA for their pharmacy Spanish course. "
"why mercer"
"How would attending Mercer help in your career goals?"
"What do you like about pharmacy and what do you not like about pharmacy? "
"Describe yourself in 3 words. "
"What area of pharmacy do you want to go into and why?"
"Why Mercer?"
"What types of problems do you encounter in retail pharmacy?"
"how do you manage your time"
"Most difficult class that you had in college?"
"If you don't get in this year, what will you do?"
"What do u do during your spare time"
"What would you employer say is your greatest strength? Weakness?"
"Why didn't you apply to Pharmacy school if after completion of your pre-requsites instead of completing the degree if you knew you wanted to go to pharmacy school?"
"Why Mercer, why pharmacy?"
"What are some qualities that will make it difficult for you to succeed at Mercer?"
"What do you think the biggest issue facing Pharmacy is today?"
"Which are of pharmacy are you interested in. "
"Asked me casual questions in a conversational manner about my pets. Discussed how some extra classes I have taken and how that is helpful in pharmacy school. The whole interview flowed like a conversation."
"Do you know what area of pharmacy you are interested in pursuing?"
"Essay Question: Personal values vs. Professional value, are they seperate? Should they be seperate?"
"Medicare Part D."
"Tell me about yourself and your family."
"What challenges have you overcome in the past that would help prepare you for Mercer?"
"What's plan B?"
"Why you?"
"What area of pharmacy are you intereted in?"
"Any questions you want to ask me?"
"How do you handle stress?"
"How well do you deal with stress?"
"Why do you think pharmacy will provide you with a better life? (in reference to the "why pharmacy" question)."
"Why do you enjoy working at a hospital pharmacy?"
"What do you like to do outside of work and school?"
"What do you think that the school's mission statement will mean as part of your experience there?"
"What haven't we covered about you? What else do you want to tell us about you?"
"How do you plan on paying tuition?"
"If someone came into your pharmacy and their insurance didn't come through, what would you do? The person is crying hysterically."
"Are you a leader or a follower?"
"Would there be a situation in which you would choose not to dispense a drug based on moral or religious reasons?"
"From the faculty member-- "What question haven't I asked you that you practiced really hard for or really want me to know""
"Between both interviewers, those were the only questions I was asked.. like I said, more of a conversation. Depends on how well you can conversate with a stranger, luckily I have that down."
"What do you think about health care reform?"
"What kind of creams and solutions do you make in the compounding pharmacy"
"What do you want to do post-grad?"
"Where does your name come from?"
"Why do you think you are here (chosen out of applicants)?"
"What has been the most challenging thing you've faced in pharmacy? (This was interesting because it made me think pretty hard; being a tech isn't really challenging at all, and I felt there were many more character-defining moments in other fields that were better/easier to talk about.)"
"If I asked a friend to describe you, what would they say?"
"Any animosity between the Pharmacists and Technicians where you work?"
"What are some negatives about Mercer?"
"Why pharmacy?"
"None"
"What can you gain from becoming a pharmacist and reaching your goal?"
"Name a time when you have shown empathy to another person? What would you do if you were not going to pharmacy school?"
"If you were stranded on an island, what three items would you bring with you?"
"What qualities do you feel a pharmacist needs to be successful?"
"What would you do if a patient came in and told you that you gave them the wrong perscription?"
"Nothing too interesting"
"I wasn't asked much that I didn't expect. -Why pharmacy? -Why Mercer? -What will you do with your degree? -Do you have questions for me? (HAVE QUESTIONS TO ASK! If you are a volunteer oriented person, ask about volunteer opportunities that Mercer offers. Big +)"
"Nothing surprising."
"If you were a drug, what would you be?"
"If you could be any pill/drug, what would you be?"
"cant think of any."
"Where do you see the practice of pharmacy in 10 years?"
"What is your greatest accomplishment in life?"
"How do you deal with problems that arise in the pharmacy?"
"how do you solve a conflict between you and your collegue?"
"nothing"
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"All expected"
"Why do you want to come to Georgia (I'm from Cali)?"
"Explain why you are interested in pharmacy - the question wasn't so interesting, but where it led in conversation was"
"A patient presents a prescription to you with (what you consider to be)an improper drug or dose (too high, low, adult med written for child, etc.)...what would you do?"
"Do you consider yourself a leader or follower?"
"What movies have you watched recently? when I told the interviewer I watch movies in my spare time"
"Why Mercer?"
"What one quality would your best friend say is your biggest weakness (one word only)"
"In a clinical setting, How would you define the relationship between a pharmacist and other health care proffessionals? Something like this, I can't remember the exact phrasing."
"Asked about my pets."
"If a co-worker told your boss that he didn't like working with you, what would you do?"
"Medicare Part D."
"No tricky questions, they were very straight forward. "
"Nothing wierd, just the questions that you would expect. Why Pharmacy, Why Mercer, Why you. There were many different interviewers, so it might depend on who you get."
"The most difficult aspect of my personality."
"What was an obstacle or hard time in your life that you have overcome and how did you overcome this obstacle?"
"What was the most challenging course you took in college? "
"What would you do if you were a Pharmacist and a patient came in and said you misfilled their Rx?"
"If an angry customer comes into your pharmacy stating that her prescription was misfilled, what would you do?"
"In what way did you deal with a patient who was angry and disgruntled with the pharmacy?"
"no interesting questions"
"Since you are from such a small town, how well do you think you would adjust to life in Atlanta?"
"What was a challenging class you took and what did you do to overcome that challenge?"
"What challenges are facing pharmacists today?"
"What is your knit(?) that you can bring to this coming class? I didn't understand what he asked so he said "what make you different from the other classmates?" It was difficult to me because I wasn't sure what he was getting to at first (he admitted he wasn't sure how to ask it either(??)) then I was like "should I repeat my strength??" it was confusing to me..."
"Why Mercer?"
"Nothing was difficult. I was not asked anything weird that I saw on here. It was more of a conversation about myself and the school."
"In which area of pharmacy would you like to specialize?"
"Would there be a situation in which you would choose not to dispense a drug based on moral or religious reasons?"
"Describe a typical day in your life."
"Student- "What are your limitations"--a question that can be easily rehearsed but I blanked for a few moments" ---She also asked a couple of hypothetical questions"
"There were really no difficult ones. Honestly, with both the student and the professor- it was more conversational. Some people definitely do have it be more Q & A, I guess it depends on you and the interviewer//how you get along?"
"What do you think about health care reform?"
"What would you do if a doctor had prescribed a med that was not safe for a patient to take?"
"Do you have any questions for me? (I had prepared about 10 questions, and asked others that popped into my head spontaneously. By the end of the interviews, I had EVERYTHING I wanted to know about Mercer answered... so I had to start recycling questions a bit. >.>)"
"Do you have any questions? (It was asked ALL day by EVERYONE which is great, but its hard to always have a question ready!)"
"Any regrets about your Academic profile? I hate the word regret, so I didn't know how to answer this without sounding like I am dismissing their question."
"Tell me about yourself"
"If you were working with a difficult MD that wanted to give a patient a mediciation you felt wasn't safe, what would you do?"
"Be ready for some ethical questions"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"How did you react to a patient that came in the pharmacy who demanded their prescription to be ready ASAP?"
"No suprising questions."
"What is your worst quality?"
"Questions were pretty straight forward"
"None of the questions were difficult. Be able to talk about yourself, why you want to be a pharmacist and why you want to attend Mercer."
"What would you do if you had to call a physician who was difficult to work with?"
"During my faculty interview, I was asked what were some things that I may consider as set backs in my life and how I dealt with those problems."
"Honestly, the most difficult thing was to just talk about yourself. It was the whole, ''before we start the expected questions, why don't you just tell me a little bit about yourself'' deal."
"It was asked by a student. He asked if I could pick a specialty within Pharmacy, what would it be?"
"If you were a drug, what would you be?"
"None"
"what do you NOT like about pharmacy? (that was the one that took me 5 seconds to think about.. coz i read thru this website, and copied down all the questions and prepared answer for each one of them.. this one was new!)"
"What do you not like about pharmacy?"
"First asked whether or not I had pharmacy experience, which is no. Then: ''Since you have no pharmacy experience, what do you think separates you from other candidates and why should Mercer choose you over someone with more pharmacy experience.''"
"None really."
"What makes you more qualified than the other potential candidates for our program?"
"How does your time management style work?"
"what do you do if your work partner tell for your boss he does not want to work with you?"
"nothing really! if i have to pick one.. what would you do if you saw someone cheating?"
"What was an obstacle that you needed to work in a team to overcome? (vague)"
"Essay- not enough time"
"If a Dr. insisted that you filled a prescription that you thought was incorrect/could be harmful, what would you do?"
"The essay portion of interview"
"Contined from above... What if the doctor insisted that you fill it anyway, regardless of possible dangers to patient (When I responded that I would call the doctor to verify or change the script)?"
"If someone you worked with told your boss that they did not work well with you because you all did not get along, what would you do?"
"familiarity with top 200 drugs"
"What are some attributes that will make it difficult for you to succeed in our school?"
"What would you do if your you had to do something in your profession that mildly went agains your personal values? Do you think that personal and professional values can be seperated, and if so, should they be?"
"What happen when on a job, you were asked a question that did not know the answer to or a situation in which you did not know the solution to the problem."
"No difficult questions, they are very very friendly!"
"No questions were difficult."
"None."
"Same"
"Tell me about a time when you had to work very hard to meet a short deadline... Not really that hard."
"What was the most challenging time you experienced and how did you overcome this challenge?"
"What will you do if you don't get in this year?"
"What would you do if a customer came into the pharmacy and said they had been given the wrong prescription."
"What would you say is your major weakness?"
"what area of pharmacy"
"If you had to choose a career other than pharmacy, what would it be?"
"All of the questions were basic and straight-forward. I guess the most difficult task was explaining my time-management approach since I can't really explain how my whole process works--it just kind of does."
"at the beginning of the whole thing. they sat everybody down in this room like 'the apprentice' with the big table and huge chairs and the dean came and asked everybody to say why they wanted to go into pharmacy."
"See above."
"What aspect of pharmacy doesn't seem appealing to you?"
"What was a challenging class you took and what did you do to overcome that challenge?"
"Student Doctor Network and youtube videos."
"Look through questions on SDN, review my application materials, read about the school, make a list of my own questions."
"SDN very helpful, I looked at a few other schools' interview feedbacks too"
"I didn't - I just winged it."
"I knew the general gameplan for three questions: Tell me about yourself, why pharmacy, why mercer. Was never asked "Why pharmacy" the interviews led elsewhere."
"Interview questions from the internet, student doctor network and a graduate"
"SDN, school website"
"SDN!"
"SDN Feedback"
"SDN and Mercer's website"
"SDN interview feedback primarily, school website"
"Read SDN."
"SDN, relaxed, plenty of sleep"
"SDN, browsing commonly asked questions, speaking with peers."
"SDN, other Mercer grad's/students, school website"
"I practiced with a P1, the student doctor network."
"Read SDN and looked over school website"
"SDN, prepared answers to common interview questions, researched the school, looked over my essays"
"SDN, Mercer website, read over my application materials, prepped some answers in my head."
"Mock interviews with my brother and with pharmacists at work."
"SDN"
"Practiced questions from SDN"
"SDN, Mock Interview, "
"Read interviews here, practiced questions that other interviewees had got, wrote down my questions for interviewers. "
"Common interview questions, mock interviews at Career Services"
"SDN interview feedbacks, friends, went over my answers in my head."
"SDN, family members, and remembering old interviews"
"Read other SDN feedback "
"Researched the university via their website, glanced through an interview book and was very familiar with my PharmCAS / Mercer supplemental essays."
"Honestly, I didn't prepare for this interview. I've already done 2 interviews this semester, and I went with that information. However, I would recommend getting some information on Mercer itself, and making sure you know why you want to go there"
"Read up about the school on their website. Talked to students that go to the school. Practiced questions such as: why pharmacy? why mercer? why pick me over all the other applicants?"
"I drove up to Atlanta the night before to make sure that I was able to get to Mercer on time. Luckily, my cousin lives up there so I was able to stay with her. Advice: -Think about your answers to the obvious questions that they will ask. -Prepare an ''about me'' introduction in case they ask you to ''tell us about yourself.'' -Have questions to ask them. -Know what sets Mercer apart from other pharmacy schools so that it shows you've done your research. -There is no reason at all to be nervous about this interview. It is not in the least bit intimidating. (This is coming from the biggest bundle of nerves you will ever meet)"
"I read all about the school, practiced possible questions and really tried to NOT be nervous."
"Relaxed the night before and got plenty of sleep"
"SDN, Review of my application and supplemental application"
"Reviewed Student Doctor Network feedback and my PHARMCAS application."
"read thru this site.. and read some pharmacy related magazines just so i have sth to talk about.. "
"SDN interview feedback, and friends."
"Ready SDN. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to prepare for very long due to a tough class schedule that week."
"Previous interview, SDN, researched school"
"family, friends, this site, Mercer's site"
"Read this website."
"this site and the school's web site"
"This website, other websites with examples of pharmacy school interview questions, and mock interviews."
"SDN, practiced with family/friends"
"Read the feedback on here for the school, everyones feedback questions were exactly the same as what was asked. Read the Mercer Website"
"Looked at this website, and looked at Mercers website. I also thought of questions to ask them, because EVERYONE there asks you if you have any questions"
"this site"
"Looked at questions from this site"
"studied my applications, looked at sdn feedback, reviewed in detail the school's program of study, made a list of questions that I wanted to get answered during the visit"
"Reviewed this site; held mock interview sessions; looked over current issues in pharmacy; aked recent graduates for advice"
"I had interviewed here before so I was already prepared, but I did read about the school on their website so that I was prepared to ask questions"
"read interview feedback on SDN, looked over my application and Mercer's website"
"I did a few mock interviews with my friends, and studied up on Mercer. I also had Mercer interns given me advice."
"SDN, mock interviews, read about the school, talked with pharmacists"
"Read SDN, re-read personal statement, practice answering questions with a friend."
"Didn't prepare at all, just be yourself."
"Mercer's website, SDN, read over my personal statement and essay, considered possible questions and answers"
"Practiced with my wife."
"Read feedback on SDN"
"Read forums, practiced typical interview questions found online, and basically tried to anticipate questions they may ask me."
"Read interview feedbacks and the school's website."
"Read Mercer's site, read this one. My advice is to read over all the interview questions you find on this feedback site and prepare for all of them and you'll do great. "
"SDN, read info on website and prepared questions."
"SDN, talk with pharmacists, friends"
"Student Doctor Forum"
"This website was my main resource"
"Practiced questions on the SDN NETWORK"
"read over PS, magazines, talked to pharmacists"
"Practiced questions that I was asked at another interview, read school's website, talked to students from the school"
"SDN, Mercer's website, talked with pharmacists, read interview prep questions"
"the website"
"Thoroughly read through other interview feedbacks and rehearsed interview questions provided by previous students."
"Thought of potential questions and answers, talked with Pharmacists at work, asked advice from my professors, and asked someone who had interivewed there the previous year."
"session was very informative and everyone was very friendly"
"The. faculty, staff, and students were very welcoming."
"Everyone at the interview seemed to be very involved in the process--from students to faculty to admissions."
"The friendliness of most of the staff and students"
"The professor I interviewed with seemed extremely genuine and sincere."
"The admissions office/staff, students, and the professor were all very welcoming, excited about the school, and focusing on you. They seem to want to make sure you make the best decision for you."
"The staff is involved with all of their students and knows them well."
"the location of the school and the friendliness of all of the students and staff!"
"The relaxed atmosphere"
"people were very nice, associate dean was with the interviewees all morning"
"The staff and faculty were unbelievably friendly. Despite the very professional atmosphere, they made it seem very relaxed and comfortable. Also the student assistants were wonderful."
"Students were extremely friendly and seem to love their school."
"The faculty and students seemed to enjoy Mercer and they have alot of opportunities such as the International Pharmacy Rotation, Mission trips, and the Advance Clinical Pharmacy Track. The experience itself was very organized and I left having received a good idea of how I would like Mercer as a student."
"The campus was gorgeous, I loved it. They are extremely welcoming and inviting, and really try to make you feel comfortable."
"Everything. The student tour guides were extremely nice as were the faculty and dean. The campus was beautiful and did not seem like it was in downtown ATL. It was in a nice area of town. It has EXCELLENT hospital sites for rotations. Loved it."
"How friendly everyone is. The school is very professional and you can tell as soon as you walk in. "
"Accessability of faculty, friendly attitude, service based learning, communty feel!"
"everyone is friendly and caring. they really show that they are glad you are there. "
"The people - everyone is super nice and loves being a Mercer student."
"Campus is very pretty and near ATL. Faculty and students are friendly, both my faculty interviewer and student tourguide were incredibly nice. Homey feel to the campus. Scholarships are available. International rotations program. The Dean stayed throughout the process"
"How thorough their interview process was! I really got the feel that they cared about who entered. They have a well established program where you can really learn A LOT. There is a lot of opportunity for growth on this campus if you take advantage of it. Research/clinical/community/everything you can think of. The campus was in a FOREST, complete with nature walk around the area. It felt very isolated from big-city stress, and smelled lovely!"
"The admissions committee and all the faculty are really interested in helping you with whatever you may need. Any question you need answered, and concerns, its all about support and I really like that. Campus is picturesque, calm and quiet."
"Everybody was so nice. Ms. Jordana Stephens Berry remembered speaking to me on the phone and emailing me. And Ms. Melva Lord remembered me from my undergrad days."
"Friendliness of faculty and the 2nd year students, especially"
"Everyone was very nice"
"Location, Size of campus ( I believe they said it was over 200 acres), Faculty, and National Recognitioin"
"Everyone was very nice, helpful and friendly. A very welcoming atmosphere. School is small and there is a lot of interaction with professors. Classes seem to be on a block schedule, lots of time to study."
"How caring and nice the faculty and students were"
"Friendliness of everyone there. The overall organization of the interview."
"how nice and freindly everyone was"
"The interview process was highly organized, the time few by quickly."
"Their dean of student affairs announced that their first-time pass rate for the NAPLEX and Juris exams was greater than 98% for the most recent class. This is quite a bit higher than older statistics posted on the Web. Everyone involved with the interview process was very friendly and open to answer questions."
"Everyone was very approcable. The interviewer was very conversational."
"The faculty and staff were very enthusiastic. They were easy to talk to and genuinely wanted you to be there."
"I liked Mercer's small campus. It's unlike other pharmacy schools in that it is not as upscale and high class as you would expect which made me, a very simple girl, feel much more at home. It seems like the students are close and like everyone knows everyone."
"The staff, students and professors are extremely nice and informative. Overall very welcoming."
"students-they all LOVE their school, and have no qualms or negative thoughts about it."
"The low-key feeling that the interview had. We had a mixter at the end where some of the faculty, students, admissions committee and applicants could talk and get their questions are answered. "
"Pharm. D./Ph.D. Program, Pharm. D./MBA Program"
"the campus was nicer and bigger than i thought it was.. people r nicer. "
"Everyone was very friendly and enthusiastic. "
"The campus was extremely calm and quiet. Everyone seems focused and on the same page. Much better than a noisy hospital or large campus. Plus due to the fact that it is in Atlanta it was surprising to see such a respite away from the busy downtown area."
"Everything! I loved the campus and their curriculum. The entire interview was casual and relaxed yet professional. I had just come off a bad interview the week before and it was nice to have such a great experience at this one."
"The friendly atmosphere"
"All of the students and professors were extremely friendly. Also, even though the campus is small it doesn't feel like metro-Atlanta."
"the faculty and the dual MBA program"
"How friendly and welcoming all the students, staff, and faculty members were to everyone."
"everyone was really friendly and enthusiastic"
"Weather, friendliness of the staff/faculty, location-didn't seem as if you were in the middle of a major city. "
"Everyone was very nice and made me feel very comfortable and it was easy to relax. I loved how many students were there to talk to. All of them were very enthusiastic about Mercer so I could tell that it is a great school."
"friendliness of students and staff, block scheduling, how curriculum is structured"
"Everyone was very nice."
"The people were all extremely nice!"
"students, the faculty member who interviewed me, how organized the interview process seemed to be"
"It has been said before but bears repeating: The entire staff is very friendly and goes the extra mile to make you comfortable while visiting."
"All the faculty and staff were really nice, as well as the students. The campus is nice- small, but I'm used to small schools."
"Everyone you meet is really enthusiastic but not in a fake way. They seem to care a lot about making sure that you make it through the program. Campus body is very diverse (or so I've heard - didn't see too many students)."
"The involvement of pharmacy students in the interview process."
"Students were all very frienly and seemed to love the school, (not just the tour guides), nice campus, faculty approachability, quality of residency placement opportunities, dean and staff appeared to be interested in the students as individuals"
"How nice and friendly everyone was. The school seems to be very "student-centered." "
"Enthusiastic faculty."
"Even though the school was very small, the facilities really impressed me. There is a campus-wide wi-fi, and everything looked new and well kept. I guess those are the benefits of having a small, well-funded school. "
"Every representative from Mercer was helpful, kind, and easy going. The interview process was very calm, and pleasent. They really allow you to be yourself. "
"Everything. This school is great. The location, the Pharm D/MBA, the atmosphere, students, everything."
"Friendly students, smaller campus, and intimate atmosphere."
"How nice the faculty and students were"
"The emphasis on patient counseling in the program."
"The friendliness and professionalism of the faculty, staff and students. They really make you comfortable!"
"The friendly atmosphere from everyone."
"the people were all VERY nice and welcoming. campus was very clean and small. hardly know you're in Atlanta."
"The staff was so friendly and nice. They took a lot of stress away by having us meet everyone for about 2hours and going on the tour. Once we were relaxed we went on the interview. The Dean was there the whole time talking to the students as well as the advisor. They were extremley friendly and approachable."
"How the admissions coordinator was around to talk to interviewees."
"Just about everything. "
"nothing"
"The admissions dean and the professor that I was interviewed by both seemed very interested in students. "
"The energy levels of the students and their overall strong interests in the school and pharmacy overall. Diversity of the staff. Up-keep of the facilities."
"The sincerity of the administration and falcuty. Also, the students seemed very happy and excited to be attending Mercer."
"At the beginning of the interview process, there was a presentation with info about the school, which included information about the next steps after being accepted--I don't think this should have come before the interviews."
"Small and old campus. Library is not open late. A few staff seemed to be more interesting in talking with other students even though I struck the conversation first, I felt ignored...Some people gave you their email addresses but when you wrote them, they never answered."
"There were 35 people in the interview group."
"The location because of the traffic"
"kind of a small school"
"i didn't feel like i got a good sense of what campus life is really like (i felt like i saw just what they wanted us to see); wish there was a chance to meet more professors (only met the professor who interviewed me); no food, just water"
"some of the buildings were small and in places unsightly. cafeteria was very small and expensive. these were menial issues however, the entire experience was fantastic."
"Campus wasn't as nice as I was expecting."
"My tour guide wasn't the friendliest, not that she was rude, but just not particularly friendly."
"The tuition price!"
"the student interview. my student was more nervous than i was. she/he was fidgity and ran out of questions to ask me. she/he also tried tricking me into saying something completely horrible so she/he could hold it against me. "
"At the meet-and-greet, you're trying to meet with a lot of new people and it's hard to finish one conversation with one person and start another."
"The Dean and Admissions coordinator, they weren't as receptive as I presumed. SMALL campus. Library is small and closes at 9 or 10pm. Tuition is expensive since private school."
"Nobody really had a defined personality; they were all just generally nice and hospitable. It made me wonder if they were actually sincere... The campus is so small! I wonder if it'd be difficult to transplant myself into a community of only about 1000 people and do well!"
"Could maybe be a tough transition from a big campus to a smaller one."
"Nothing. Mercer was a beautiful campus, the class size was just right. They had professors that care about helping the students. Ms. Gilbreath, who sets up the 3rd and 4th year internship was perfectly nice and willing to explain the whole process."
"The tour was maybe a little too brief... we only saw like, the library and one classroom."
"Price"
"Traffic"
"It's located in a large city, lots of traffic. "
"The main room that we all met in was very warm (or I was that nervous)."
"The facilities were dated, especially the lab we were shown on the tour."
"The facilities. I felt that the campus was not up to date. The auditoriums do not have video recording capabilities, only audio. The lab was also behind the times. For having 145 pharmacy students per class, the campus was not up to par."
"The tour around campus was a little rushed and we didnt get to see everything."
"Nothing that I can think off right away which goes to show that even if there was something it was obviously insignificant."
"teaching facilities were alright."
"parking is a little tight during the daytime-I had to circle around the lot a few times to find a spot."
"Nothing"
"none"
"Nothing!"
"The cost. I don't really understand how people are paying close to $26,000 per year. Although I absolutely loved the campus, I am going to choose two state universities over this one just due to cost alone."
"Nothing."
"The size of the campus (VERY small)"
"It seemed like Dr. Bartling was the major decision maker, and if you didn't win him over, it didn't matter what happened. "
"I don't really have anything except, the traffic could be bad getting to school in the morning if you live off campus."
"classroom facilities seemed small for size of student body; did not like the essay portion of visit"
"The temperature inside the interview room(s) was uncomfortably warm "
"small campus, Atlanta traffic is so unpredictable"
"The administration and facilities."
"School is near the I285/I85 exchange, Atlanta traffic sucks... Left the interview at 4:30 and spent over an hour in traffic... only went 15 miles during that time...apparently this is typical. School is secluded, you would never know it was in the middle of Atlanta... normally this would be a good thing, but using public transport is out of the question... you could not live here without a car. Too bad for a big city like Atlanta."
"Overall nothing negative, though I wish the tour was longer b/c I wanted to see the on-campus housing and the gym..but we didn't have enough time for all of that."
"For some people it might seem negative that the campus is small and seperate from the main campus. I personally loved this though. The campus is beautiful, surrounded by trees, and you can actually hear yourself think."
"I wasn't crazy about the immediate surroundings of the school (nothing very exciting), however, downtown Atlanta is only a quick 15 drive from campus. "
"Small library."
"The fact that the campus was a little secluded (commuter-type campus) AND there was one cafeteria on the whole campus. (small!) "
"The size and facilities of the school weren't as nice as I expected. "
"The weather. It was so cold and I had to wait for a cab!"
"How small the school was"
"Can't really think of anything."
"the library and food area reminds me of high school and aren't very big."
"it is all conversational and not really a question and answer kind of interview"
"Traffic on 85 can be really bad."
"That I didn't have to be so nervous. That I should have done a mock interview with a pharmacist."
"That there were 70 people being interviewed on the day that I was interviewed. Also, they wait list over 100 students..."
"Mingle with other applicants, presentation, tour, talk with a group of Mercer staff/students (think networking atmosphere very laid back), 1 on 1 with student interveiw, and 1 on 1 with faculty interview."
"How to get there. I got a little lost here and there and ended up arriving only 15 minutes early. I was freaking out, but it worked out fine."
"nothing, there were no real surprises"
"how big the airport was! any other surprise was a pleasant one, use SDN and you will be prepared"
"It would be cold!"
"For future interviewees just make sure that you know as much as you can about the Mercer experience. They have a lot of information on their website so when they ask the inevitable "Why Mercer", you can give a great answer, specifically about Mercer's program."
"That you shouldn't stay near the airport (the hotel i was going to stay at is notorious for prostitutes.. haha); stay close to campus."
"During the meet and greet, there were only two other students and me. This means you need to have something to talk about or you will look silly. However it was low pressure and fun, and no one handed out business cards like other SDN reviews have said."
"that it was so relaxed and that you just have to be yourself and don't be nervous"
"The Dean and A.c. Jordana will be swamped with other potentials trying to get their face remembered. And that they seem slightly jaded by the whole process. Everyone gives out their business card (even students), and I feel like if you get more that would show yourself that you are better at communicating and networking."
"How stuffy the school was... =) It was VERY professional, which could be looked at negatively or positively. All of the students seemed ridiculously happy with their choice to attend, but they also seemed a bit competitive and higher class (stuffy in personality, if they had any personality at all)."
"Nothing! I was well prepared."
"Nothing. The faculty, staff, and students answered all of my questions."
"They were going to be so friendly"
"I wish I had researched more thoroughly Mercer's research opportunities and affiliated hospitals. "
"Nothing. If you read the reviews posted on this site from the most recent application cycle (August 2007 on), you will not be surprised on interview day."
"Get ready to mingle with the administration."
"I just got to see the campus for the first time and loved it."
"That is was going to be a great experience. I really enjoyed talking and asking questions to the staff, students and professors. "
"It was HOT in september"
"How big the class size was. The admissions people said that there were going to be about 145 per class."
"none.. u will find everything u need to know on this site."
"Not to be so stressed out. "
"You have to mingle with everyone at the end. Get in there and dominate the conversation because the whole point of this part of the interview is to see if you have a friendly personality, and can hold conversation. "
"Nothing."
"There was only 15 minutes to complete the writing sample."
"nothing. the previous posts were really helpful"
"That they weren't going to ask me hardly any questions. Most everyone started the conversation with asking me if I had any questions. "
"nothing"
"That we would be expected to informally speak with members of admissions office and dean's office as well as the faculty and student interviewers. "
"Allotted time for essay was less than I had anticipated (approximately 15 minutes)."
"Be prepared to ask Dr. Bartling (assistant dean) questions as well as Jordana Stephens, and the other faculty. Check them out on the web site."
"that I shouldn't have stressed out so much"
"That the students, when giving you a tour, are actually rating/grading you."
"That the reviews here are true... There really is no reason to be stresses. I was so stressed, and I didn't need to be."
"There were 15 of us interviewing and we all sat in a big conference room while we wait for everything to begin. When the dean came to introduced himself, he also asked all of us to introduce ourself and say why we were there. I wasn't prepare to tell EVERYONE why I was there. I was expecting only one-on-one. But it wasn't a big deal. Very casual. And also, beware of Atlanta's traffics! It is highly unpreditable."
"Get a GPS if your not from the area."
"I felt really prepared. There was nothing I wish I would have known. If I hadn't read this feedback forum I would have been a little thrown off by having to state reasons for wanting to be a pharmacist in front of the group!"
"I over prepared for my interview. I was asked Why Pharmacy and Why Mercer and that was it for "hard questions". Be prepared with alot of questions b/c with both my interviews they asked me if I had questions."
"I would of brought a little something to much on, the whole interview process took more then 3 hours, I was starvin'. "
"That I need not to be be worried."
"That I really shouldn't have been nervous. Everyone is really friendly and the interview is more like a casual conversation."
"That it was going to be cold and rainy."
"That there were cabs parked outside the train station that I could have found right away, but I came out the wrong exit =(. Also, the school has an interesting block system, where you have 3 weeks of one class, take the final for it, then go on to the next one, in blocks, rather than having like 4 finals in one week as is traditional. It sounds like a really cool system."
"The interview with the faculty member is in their office and very laid back. I felt like I was just talking with one of my own teachers! "
"They have rotations the fourth year...a little too long of a wait for me!"
"That arriving 15 minutes ahead of time wasn't too early. "
"That the writing assignment was to be accomplished in pen rather than pencil."
"I felt prepared and walked in with a positive attitude. There is nothing that I felt I wish I had known ahead of time."
"The session started with an informational meeting with the director of admissions and then split into an interview with a faculty member (closed) and director of admissions (open). There was a tour of the pharmacy building with a student ambassador then gathered with director of admissions to discuss what to expect after the interview. It ended with a tour with all the student ambassadors of the campus. Decisions were made two days later."
"Overall, not a very stressful process. Small cohort of students for each interview date, starts with a presentation about the school, then a student lead tour, then rotations through a student interview, a faculty interview, and a 'group discussion'/group interview with admissions and more students. Everyone is very friendly!"
"good impression overall, everyone was excited and proud of their school. good job on school representation."
"it's an interview - the only thing that made this one different was that they had 35 people in my group."
"Very impressive from start to finish! I was accepted and painfully had to turn it down as another school provided a different type of experience I wanted out of my pharmD program. However, I would reccomend Mercer to everyone who wants to live in the city!"
"Be relaxed. Where nice, professional clothing. Make sure you ask plenty of questions and mingle during the mingling session. Interact with others even if you just laugh along with the crowd."
"I first took a tour of the school, then had an interview with one of the faculty. She asked about three questions which took ten minutes and the rest of the time she asked me if I had any questions. So come with questions in mind! Very laid back, felt very conversational. Then had a social meeting with some other interviewees, mercer students, jordana and the associate dean. Make it a point to talk to jordana and the dean! They are very nice and easy to talk to so dont be scared! Afterwards, had an interview with a student who asked a few more questions but was very friendly and willing to answer any more questions I had. Once again, very conversational! Mercer is an amazing place!"
"The best interview experience. No essay made it even better (other schools take note please). Get your face known (make YOU stand out) because you are talking to lots of different people."
"there were two 30 minutes interviews, one with a professor and one with a student. then there was a half hour set aside for us to mingle with students, the associate dean, and someone from admissions (this was a little awkward at first). there were only 15 of us interviewing and we split up into 5 groups for the campus tour (lots of opportunities to ask questions, but you start to run out after a while)."
"Came away very impressed with Mercer. Took the train into the city the night before to relax which worked well."
"LOVED it. Very laid back and they are awesome. Consists of an hour introduction to the school, then a 10 min break, the a tour, then 3 segments- 1/2 hour interview w/ faculty, then with student, then a meet and greet w/ maybe 10 people (students, Jordana, Dr. Bartlett)"
"This is set up as a set of 3 interviews - one alone with a faculty, one alone with a P4 and one meet and greet with the Dean, 3 current students and Jordana (forget her last name, sorry). "
"Great school, I'm so glad I got accepted"
"Interview session consisted of a small group tour in which students could interact with a current pharmacy school student. Three interview segments were held, one in which students mingled with various faculty and current students. Two other interviews were with a member of the faculty and a current pharmacy student. Very relaxed! Just like having a conversation with somebody, stress-free!"
"I love this school. "
"i love this school. I received a letter that I had been put on the alternate list and three days later, I received a call that I had been accepted. I am so happy and cant wait to start. Class of 2013 here I come."
"Everyone is just trying to get to know you so just be yourself. I had a great time. "
"I LOVE that Mercer is so close to Atlanta. Lots of fun stuff to do in that city. Students were super nice in explaining the block schedule of classes, answering any questions about the program or their experiences. The interview is 3 blocks 30 min each: one with a student, one with faculty member, and a social time. The social with the Dean, A.c., and other potentials is the hardest part because you don't know anyone and have to make a nice impression."
"Mercer is on a block schedule, which means you seem to have quite a bit of time free to work or volunteer; there are many opportunities for you! Missionary trips, international rotations (1), research, specialization, etc. Most of the people interviewed were YOUNG; sophomore in college type young... which, to me, showed an air of innocence and inexperience in the world. I'm surprised how many people without a BS were even considered, actually. Seems like a VERY quality school. Atlanta is pretty far away from the school itself; I found the cheapest transportation to take to the school was by the marta train/bus system. BUT, it was well worth staying in Atlanta to see what the city itself had to offer and what the culture was like. The campus itself also seemed a bit aged; this is not state-of-the-art in regards to facilities, but it seems like it's adequate."
"The 50 minutes was really broken up by one interview with a faculty member, another by a current student."
"Much less stressful than expected"
"Because Mercer is such an established school, many applicants want to go to school there. Be ready to explain what makes you unique, and how you will make an impact at Mercer. This pharmacy school has been around for over 100 years. In California we view Mercer as the UCSF of the east, so if you get in here you are so lucky! This school impressed me so much!"
"Interview agenda consisted of a welcome and introduction session, a tour guided by a student, one-on-one interview with faculty member (closed file) 30 minutes, mingling session with admissions staff & students for 30 minutes, and 30 minute interview session with another student. "
"There's a mingling session..make sure you talk!"
"The day starts of with you and the other 15 or so interviewees being informed about the university by Dr. Bartling, Ms. Berry, and Ms. Lord. Then you go on a tour of the campus with a student guide. My guide was a P3 student but most were P1's on this day. After that you have a 30 minute session where you are either being interviewed by a student, a member of faculty, or are part of a "mingling" session in the main room. It was a great experience and everyone makes you feel welcomed. I really want to go to mercer after visiting and meeting much of the faculty, staff, and some students."
"Was a great experience, Mercer has set the bar high in terms of what is expected at the interview"
"Excellent; although I was extremely nervous, everyone was very friendly, talkative, and curious. They organize it so that the whole process is low stress & the time flies by."
"Do realize that there will be 15-20 other candidates during your interview. The dean of student affairs and his staff talk for close to an hour. You get short break before breaking up into a smaller group for a 30 minute campus tour with a student (most of the student representatives were P2 on this date). After the tour you will rotate for three different interviews. Two of the interviews are 1-1 with either a faculty member/alumni and then by a student. The third interview is when you meet back in the conference room to 'mingle.' Make no mistake; this is just as important as your 1-1 interview. Make sure you talk to everyone in the room, including your fellow candidates. Be sure to prepare questions for your interviewers."
"The interviews themselves were good. I had a P4 student instead of a faculty member and a P3 student for my student interview. The P4 did a good job of conducting a faculty-type interview. The P3 student and I just sat around and talked about Pharmacy School in general. He occasionally threw in a few of those questions he was ''supposed'' to ask, but we pretty much just talked. The mingling session was entirely too short for what they wanted to happen. They want each student to talk to Dr. Bartley and Jordana. However, when you have 10 students trying to get as much time as possible with both individuals, it is difficult to get anything done, especially when there are current pharmacy students in there talking to you as well."
"They have all the interviewees sit in a giant conference room around a table and go around and have everyone introduce themselves. You have to tell the group a little about yourself and also why you chose pharmacy. Be ready to talk in front of a large group of people and have a well-thought out answer. You don't want to have the same answer as everyone else in the room."
"When we arrived, the group of us (20 or so) sat in a large conference room around a big table. The dean and several other important people gave us an introduction to Mercer, told us about the day, and gave us an opportunity to ask questions. Then I was taken (with a smaller group of 4 others) on a tour of the campus by a P2 student who was really cool. This was an opportunity to ask the questions you don't want to ask important people (How much free time do you have? What is there to do in Atlanta? Etc.); this person was not an interview (or a spy or anything like that). Then there was a 30 minute interview with a faculty member or alumni that was pretty informal. It seemed to me like the type of conversation I have with anyone when they ask my major and why and about me. After that interview I had a student interview with a P1 student which was pretty much amazing. It was the same type of questions, and it was beneficial to me because he already had experience at Mercer so I got to learn thing from him. The last thing we did was return to the conference room for 30 minutes and ''mingle'' with everyone. Unfortunately, I didn't realize until 15 minutes had passed that mingling time had started; I was under the impression that we were going to take our seats again, but we didn't. That was it. Talk to the important people, to the current students, and to the other applicants. The experience was wonderful."
"Overall it was a great experience. Everyone is very nice and welcoming. The program is very good and I learned about many opportunities available to students. "
"Great, not too stressful at all. Student interviewing me was more stern than the faculty interview."
"I was very laid back and easy-going. There was a temporary agenda but no one was very put out if an interview ran over time or got out of order. "
"- no essay during interview - 1v1 interview w/current student 20 min - campus tour w/current student - 1v1 interview w/current professor 20 min (closed file) - group mingle w/fellow candidates and faculty/staff (make sure and speak a variety of people: fellow candidates, current students, and faculty/staff)"
"overall, i feel my stats are just average..that interview might've helped me. i didnt think i did so well at first, coz i felt i talked too much, so they might think im not being serious or professional. to be honest, during the interview.. i wasnt nervous.. coz i see them as people who were just trying to get to know me.. thats all.. there was absolutely NOTHING to worry about. another thing was, i actually talked alot about my friends (some pharmacy students), football, and my family during the interview.. so for those of you who are going to the later interviews.. dont be nervous at all.. the people there are very nice.. "
"Overall it was great. There was a student and faculty/alumni interview. I ended up getting a really tough alumni who definitely put it to me when she came to questioning and seriously doubted how I did at the interview. We were in this very small room that you could literally hear a pin drop in and she was completely straight faced and quiet even after I finished an answer as to suggest that I shouldn't have stopped yet, which was sort of awkward. The student interview went fantastic and it was like a general conversation. Most people said they had opposite experiences and the student interview was hard. I did end up getting accepted to Mercer however, so I am assuming she was testing me to see how I would react under pressure. I went into the interview not nervous at all but she did a really good job of turning that around really quick! The key is to mingle and meet as many people as you can while other people are getting interviewed. They will hold most of the people in the conference room and there will be faculty and administrators there. Go around and introduce yourself and briefly speak to every one of them!"
"There were 3 interviews. One interview with a student, one with a member of the faculty and one as a mingle session with the dean and some other members of the admissions committee. The whole interview took 3 hours. I really enjoyed this interview. I felt I connected with each interviewer and we often ended up off subject talking about something unrelated to Mercer or Pharmacy. In the end I must have impressed them because I got my acceptance letter a week later! :)"
"All of the interviewees sit at a large table, introduce themselves, then you listen for about 1 hour about the school, programs, block schedule, etc. Then you go on a 30 minute tour of the campus and after that you rotate between a 30 minute interview with a student, a professor, and you mingle for 30 minutes with interviewees, students, and professors. There is no writing sample."
"It was a great experience. As stated with previous interviews, the key is to mingle with the Pharmacy students and staff members as well as the other students interviewing. You will be one of about 20 students all interviewing at the same time. The key is to be yourself and ask questions. The entire proces takes 3 hours. You have a brief introduction of the program, a tour of the school, two 15 minutes interviews (one with a faculty member and the oter with a student), 15-minute writing sample, and about 30 minutes to mingle with faculty, students, and other interviewees. I was really impressed with the school and the interview process. It was actually an enjoyable experience. (This is from a person who HATES inteviews!) "
"The day started with a brief introduction about the program from the dean. Then we had some time to interact with current students, followed by the tour and finally faculty and student interviews. We also had to write a short essay before leaving."
"Flew down the night before, weather was nice. The interview lasts 3 hours. The first hour you sit at a table with the other interviewees, introduce yourself. Dr. Bartling talks with Jordana for about an hour. Then you tour the campus, interview with a student, and interview with the faculty. They go by extremely fast. The whole 3 hours seemed to fly by. "
"It was a great experience even for being my first ever pharmacy school interview. I think the key to having a good interview at Mercer, is be prepared with questions, act very impressed and enthused with the school (but not over-the-top), talk to everyone there (every person you talk to is taking mental notes about you so you want to positively interact with as many people as possible), and dress appropriately. It worked for me!"
"Not bad at all; they're very nice and only use the interview to get to know you better (they don't look at your file at all)."
"Great - it was very low key."
"Overall, I was much more impressed with the school than I expected to be, with the exception of facilities. All the people seemed to be super nice. I came away feeling that there would be a lot of positive faculty-student interaction at the school."
"Informative and pleasant. Entire thing lasted about three hours (One hour intro. and round table discussion/Q&A session, 30 minute tour of campus, 30 minute interview, 30 minute student interview, and 30 minute "mingle session"). "
"Overall it went well. Its 3 hours, but it goes by really quickly. There is a 15 min writing prompt, choose which question you wish to address - "Define professionalism and how it applies to your life," "What would you do if you caught a friend cheating" When you get there all interviewees are put in a room, then Dr. Bartling and Jordana come in and speak. You go around the table and introduce yourselves. Then after they tell you about the school, you mingle with the others while you wait for a student to come take you on a group tour of 3 or 4. After the tour, you have an interview with a student, then go for your writing session. You then wait to be called for your interview with a professor. Its very casual conversation. Just have questions to ask them to show your interest in the school as well as in pharmacy."
"Overall, it was a good experience. It was somewhat nerve-wracking as it was my first pharm school interview, but they work very hard to keep it low-key and relaxed."
"Overall neutral. It was not unpleasant, but it did not make me "enthusiastic" about potentially going to Mercer."
"Group introductions with other interviewees and introduction to the dean and staff. Then we split up and toured the campus with a student. This was a good chance to ask student lots of questions. Then a one-on-one interview with a faculty member. Then a one-on-one interview with a P3 student. Then a sample essay on an ethical topic (see the most difficult question asked, above), then open time to mingle, talk with dean, etc. "
"Overall, it was a good one. There were 15 of us and we all got to talk while we wait in a conference room. The first part was the dean and staffs telling us about Mercer's programs, scholarships, ect. Then: 1) Introduce ourselves. 2) In group of 3 we were assigned to a 2nd year student for the campus tour. 3) One-one-one interview with a second year student. (15 minutes or less) 4) 15 minute writing prompt. 5) Wait, chat with everyone until your faculty interviewer calls you up. This is about 30 minutes long. Everything went very fast. I was glad of the tour and the chatting in between b/c it helps you to relax a bit. Everyone is very nice and you can see that the students really like being at Mercer. My interview was at 9AM, by 12:30 we were done."
"Everybody seems nice and welcoming. Here's how they evaluate you for admission: - 35% PCAT Score. - 15% GPA. - 15% Interview. - 35% personal statement, recommendations, background... PCAT is considered very important at Mercer. The average PCAT score for Fall 2006 was 86% so far. Average GPA 3.7 Never say that you want to save/help the people. Never exaggerate!! Only doctors save the people/world/ect. The pharmacist COUNSELS the patient about drug information."
"First we all sat around a table where we were introduced to the dean and head of financial affairs. Then were broke up into groups and toured the school with P2 students. After that, we went to a faculty interview, student interview, and finally had to write an essay in 15 min. Don't fret."
"I was very nervous the day before but because you are there for so long, you become comfortable. The interview starts at 9am and there where 16 people the day I was there. We went around the room and said why we all wanted to be a Pharmacist. The admissions people talked to us about what to expect and gave some statistics. We were then split up into groups of three and given a tour of the campus. From there you have a one on one with a professor and a one on one with a student. There is a 15 minute writing assignment after that. PS. I just received my acceptence letter yesterday."
"It was overall a very stress-free interview! Think of it as a way to find out whether the school is right for you...ask a lot of questions! As others have mentioned, the format is general introduction/overview of the program/financial aid/housing, followed by a short campus tour. Then come the writing prompt (15 mins), student interviews (15 mins) and faculty interviews (30 mins)!"
"It was really cool. First you come in, sit down at a large table in the interview room with about 20 other interviewees. The dean comes in to talk about the school, certain financial aids, and asks everyone to introduce themselves. It's a nice icebreaker. After that, students are separated into groups of 3 for a tour with first or second year students. Then, you get pulled out to either the formal interview, the student interview, or the writing section. Somewhere between all of these, you have time to mingle in the main interview room with other students and faculty. It's important to note that you are being judged as you mingle with the faculty, I found out that it was actually a key part of the interview, so make sure you don't stand in the corner alone. Get in there and talk it up. That was pretty much it. It was a great interview, albeit very tiring to stay completely alert for 3 hours, which was how long the whole process took. I got my acceptance in the mail this morning (12/15). =D"
"Overall, the experience was a very good one! I was way more nervous than I needed to be. I checked in, sat in a room with a group of individuals at a big table. The Dean came in with members of the adcom and spoke to us. Then we were asked to go around the room and introduce ourselves and give our reason for wanting to become a pharmacist. We then broke into groups of three, were given a short tour by a P2, had a 30 minute interview with a faculty member, a 15 minute interview with a P2 student and then a short writing assessment on a topic relating to pharmacy. The topics are somewhat ethical but general. The whole process lasts 3 hours and it goes by quickly! I received my acceptance letter today!"
"Overall, the interview process was very enjoyable. They do a great job of making you feel comfortable. Just be yourself, and don't act phonie (boy are the phonie ones easy to spot!) "
"Walk in and get a nametag, sit in a conference room with the 14 or so other interviewees, Associate Dean and Associate Admissions Director come in and talk for about 50 min about Mercer, its history, you interview, etc. Then you break up into groups of three and take a tour with a first year pharmacy student. This is a great opportunity to ask any questions, as it is very laid back. Then you take turns, one person goes to an interview with a P3 or P4 student, one goes to the writing section, one goes to the Faculty interview. The student interview is nothing to worry about, they're just trying to get to know you. The writing section is pretty short, also nothing to worry about. The Faculty interview is a little more formal, but if you are relaxed its still no big deal. Everything was very laid back and relaed for me. Great atmosphere. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS TO EVERYONE. EVEN THE SAME QUESTIONS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE."
"You start out seated in a room with all of the applicants. Everyone introduces themselves, and then you listen to info about the campus/pharmacy program for about an hour. After that, you go on a tour with a student for a half hour. When you return, the group is divided into three groups. One group goes to a candidate interview (one-on-one, closed file), one group mingles with the admissions staff (open). The last group does an ineterview with faculty/alumn (one-on-one, closed file). Then you rotate, 1/2 hour each. Dont Stress! Honestly, these people are very freindly and pleasant. Just be yourself let them get to know you. They no longer do the written portion as of this year. "
"Its a great school. Easy to find. The staff is so friendly and nice. "
"The interviewers were really friendly and the interview itself felt very casual."
"First, there was an introduction done by the admissions dean, his assistant, and a financial aid officer. Then students were taken on tours by a pharmacy school student (there was only two people in my group). After that, the interveiwees were split into three groups. One group had faculty interviews for about 30 minutes, one group stayed in the conference room and "mingled" with the admissions dean, his assistants, and Mercer students for 30 minutes. The third group had a 15 minute interview with a student, and then did a 15 minute writing assignment."
"I arrived about an hour and a half early and there were already about 4 students waiting for the interview to begin. At the start of the interview all of the interviewees were seated around a large conference table and received a quick orientation on the school, admissions criteria, the area, and financial aid. After about an hour all of the students were split and sent on a tour with different Pharm. students. After the tour each student rotated between a 15 minute interview with a Pharm. student, 15 minute writing assignment, 30 minute informal conversation, and 30 minutes interview with a professor. I was amazed at how quickly the interview went, so make sure you talk yourself up as much as you can because there's not a lot of time."
"See other posts. Same exact scenario."
"The whole process lasted 3 hours. 1. Walked in the administrative building and was handed a name tag. 2. Had a group presentation by the Dean of Adminsions for about 50 minutes. 3. Divided into groups of 3 and went a tour of the campus with a first year student. During this time you could ask questions. 4. Had to write a sample essay. There were two questions to pick from. The first was "You have caught someone cheating in your Organic Chem class, what do you do?" and the other was "Define Professionalism in your terms and tell hos it effects your daily life". You had 15 minutes to do it in. 5. Had a small, personal interview with a third year student. I really enjoyed this because you could ask a lot of questions and get a true feel of the school. 6. Went back in the room where the presentation was at and informally talked with the Dean of Adminsions, his assistant, and fellow applicants. This was very laid back and mostly just conversational. 7. Had a 30 minuted personal interview with a falcuty member. My interviewer was very nice and made you feel very comfortable. The interviewer knows nothing about you (closed-file), so this is your time to shine. All in all, it was a great experience and nothing to be frightened of. Just walk in with a postive I-can-do-it attitude and you'll do great!"
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 80 |
| Faculty member | 0 |
| Admissions staff | 1 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 59 |
| Neutral | 14 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.54 | 71 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 32 |
| Out of state | 42 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 21 |
| 2-3 hours | 15 |
| 4-6 hours | 18 |
| 7+ hours | 16 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 22 |
| Automobile | 49 |
| Train or subway | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 21 |
| $101-$200 | 10 |
| $201-$300 | 9 |
| $301-$400 | 8 |
| $401-$500 | 3 |
| $501+ | 3 |
Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson)
Hartford-Jackson
Atlanta
Atlanta-Hartsfield
Fort Lauderdale
ATL
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 1 |
| Friends or family | 18 |
| Hotel | 21 |
| Home | 2 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.85 | 72 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.33 | 78 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.72 | 75 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.14 | 37 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.27 | 37 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.21 | 29 |
"If possible, I would have liked to see Saturday interview dates."
"This process from applying to acceptance was top notch. They layed out the process in detail and stuck to that process. The admissions office did a great job marketing the school! The student representatives did a great job of answering questions openly and honestly."
"I would like to see adhesive nametags; I didn't like having to punch holes in my suit. I did like th"
"NONE! they're wonderful"
"Wonderful interview process. Keep up."
"Email everything (acceptance, rejection, waitlist) and save trees"
"The staff and faculty were very hospitable and interested in how you are going to fit in."
"Don't stop rockin'!!!"
"None- they were awesome"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?