Pittsburgh, PA
Pharmacy Schools | Public Non-Profit
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⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.3
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 30 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (60%)
Negatively (20%)
No change (20%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (50%)
Good (33%)
Average (17%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally shared mixed feedback about their experiences with the Pitt program, with some finding it hard to get into but acknowledging its reputation, while others were disappointed with their visit and interviewers. Despite some negative comments, there were positive remarks about the welcoming environment, friendly students and administrators, and a good tour experience during the visit.
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Pitt is Pitt. Good school but hard to get into. Good luck.
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I was very nervous andI felt okay afterwards.
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Uninformative, uninspiring and disappointing. I hate to be negative - Pitt is a good program and has a great reputation, but I had a terrible and uninformative visit. I hope no one else gets the same interviewers that I did.
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The first half-hour was a group q/a session with about 10 candidates and 6 current Pitt pharmacy students. It was very welcoming! Everyone (students and administrators) was very nice. The tour was good and the tour guide was such a proud Pitt Pharmacy student! The interviewers were very straight-faced, but somewhat warm throughout the interview. I feel good about the flow of the day.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
34 Minutes Average
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Number:
2 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
50% One-on-One
50% Group Interview
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File Type:
0% Open-File
100% Closed-File
PITT-PHARM-COMP interviews are an average of 34 minutes, with an average of 2 interviews. 50% of interviews are one-on-one, and 100% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include discussing overcoming stressful situations, explaining reasons for choosing pharmacy, and critiquing questions as being poor. Additionally, some respondents may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement due to the mention of MMI or Multiple Mini Interview format in their responses.
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Talk about a specific time when you overcame a stressful situation.
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Poor question
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Why pharmacy?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy discussed various topics, including setting and achieving goals, career motivations, and unique opportunities for discussion. The interview format may have been an MMI, with some respondents potentially under a nondisclosure agreement.
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Talk about a time when you set a goal and how you went about achieving the goal and then how you measured your success.
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Nothing out of the ordinary.
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Nothing interesting - just boring non-pharmacy related questions.
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Because I have a strong background in pharmaceutical research, I was asked why PharmD instead of Ph.D. This opened a unique opportunity for discussion.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by practicing common questions online, using resources like SDN and learning from the experiences of others, such as friends who are alumni. They also found it helpful to have mock interviews with questions sourced from various platforms.
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SDN interview feedback. Not that helpful with so few responses for Pitt. Practiced answers allowed.
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Went over common questions online
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SDN and learning from other interview experience.
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Had friends that are Pitt alumni ask me 'interview' questions that I pulled from this website.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy discussed the lack of direction in a 45-minute interview where they were only asked 3 questions, making it challenging to stay on task and cover all desired aspects. Some respondents mentioned that the difficulty lay in any of the previous questions based on individual preparation, hinting at a potential MMI format where confidentiality agreements may have been in place.
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Any one of the previous questions depending on how you prepare for the interview.
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N/A
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I was only asked 3 questions in 45 minutes. So the lack of direction was the most difficult part; it was very challenging to keep on task with the question and to cover all aspects that I wanted to cover
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were positively impressed by the established reputation and connections of the program, the interactions with current students, the sense of camaraderie among classmates, and the city's appeal. They appreciate the strong network, supportive environment, and overall positive experience.
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Pitt is very established and has many connections with health systems and pharmacy organizations.
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Talking with the current students
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The city was better than I remember it. Current students seemed nice, and I think they like their program.
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You have classes with ALL pharmacy students from your year; there is a huge (and very important) commradery amongst classmates.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative feedback about the lack of structure and awkwardness during pre-interview interactions, unfriendly interviewers who lacked engagement, and a limited understanding of the school or program provided during the visit. Suggestions included enhancing interviewer training for friendliness and ensuring more informative and engaging interactions with potential students.
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The 45 minutes with the Pitt students prior to the interview was kind of awkward since there seemed to be no structure to the q&a time or the tour of the school.
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The interviewers weren't that friendly
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It may have just been my bad luck, but it appeared that I got 2 interviewers that were dragged into interview me against their will. Both interviewers buried their heads into their note sheets and started scribbling as soon as I started to speak. No eye contact at all. I wasn't given the opportunity to ask questions, and I had a lot. Pitt was very very high on my list of potential schools, but they dropped off my list completely following this visit. I didn't learn anything about the school or program that I didn't know before the visit. I've interviewed at many schools, and this was by far the most impersonable interview that I had been on. Very uninspiring experience.
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All classes are held within 3 lecture halls and 1 laboratory, all in one buildind, which is very surprising for such a huge university .
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wish they had known all the interview questions in advance, and they regret not being able to ask their own questions during the interview. This lack of opportunity for dialogue was seen as a waste of time and a missed chance for further engagement.
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All of the questions they were going to ask.
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That there wouldn't be any opportunity to ask the interviewers any questions. This was a waste of time.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
No responses
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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PIT
100% interviewees used PIT (PIT).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
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25% Airplane
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75% Automobile
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0% Train or Subway
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0% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Wyndham (average ranking 7/10). (Top 1 displayed)
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Wyndham
7/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are in state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Friends or family or with friends or family.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Student (100%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (100%)
All Responses
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