How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.21 | 91 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 81 |
| Negatively | 5 |
| No change | 6 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 4.10 | 93 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.21 | 75 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.27 | 73 |
No responses
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 4 |
| 20 minutes | 21 |
| 25 minutes | 16 |
| 30 minutes | 41 |
| 35 minutes | 6 |
| 40 minutes | 3 |
| 45 minutes | 1 |
| 50 minutes | 0 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 90 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 67 |
| In a group | 22 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 42 |
| Closed file | 39 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.21 | 91 |
"If you are not accepted this year, what would be your plans for next year? (this question scared me because it was the last one asked, giving me the initial impression that they did not like me, but this is NOT the case! Answer positively and stay confident!)"
"Tell me about yourself and went off picking topic from my introduction and talked abt it"
"Tell me about yourself. Why pharmacy. Why Western."
"What do you know about pharmacy?"
"Introduce yourself. Why pharmacy? Why Western among other California schools?"
"tell me about urself, teamwork, describe urself as a leader, why pharmacy? critical thinking question"
"Tell me about yoruself - education history, achievements etc"
"Why WU pharmacy?"
"tell us about your self?"
"Tell me about yourself? What do you know about pharmacy? Why pharmacy? What are the pros and cons about the block system? What makes a great pharmacist?"
"Tell me about yourself. Why pharmacy?"
"What would you do when you were a leader and someone did not participate"
"how do I handle stress?"
"Tell me more about your experience working in a hopital pharmacy."
"tell me abt yr self?"
"Why pharmacy? Why Western? "
"A hardship in my life"
"describe yourself, what are your weaknesses, how do you handle stress.."
"How would you deal with a team mate that isn't performing?"
"Why pharmacy?"
"Tell me about yourself. (good opportunity to highlight great points about yourself.)"
"tell me abt urself"
"Tell me about yourself."
"How are you?"
"Tell us about yourself?"
"Tell us about yourself and why you chose pharmacy as a career?"
"Tell me about you experiences."
"If there's someone on your team who's not contributing, what would you do about it. "
"What do you do for fun?"
"What do you not like in retail pharmacy?"
"Tell us about yourself. Why pharmacy and what motivates you?"
"tell me about yourself. what do u like to do in your free time? How do u handle stress?"
"please introduce yourself. (they introduce themselves before I do)"
"Group work question: What would u do if a person in your group wasn't doing their work?"
"if a group member was not participating in the group activity, then as a group leader, how will you handle the situation? and if that (whatever you answered) doesn't work, what else would you do?"
"Why do you want to become a pharmacist, not a nurse or a doctor?"
"Tell us about your job experience."
"Why did you choose education as your minor?"
"What is your favorite book? Describe."
"They briefly talked about themselves first and then asked me the question; tell me about yourself."
"Tell me about yourself?"
"If a group member wasn't participating, what would you do?"
"why western?"
"Why pharmacy? (dud, kinda obvious by now)"
"Introduce yourself .... and then went into pharmacy experience type question"
"Why Western and what you know about the school?"
"Why do you want to become a pharmacist?"
"Was there a person in your life that influenced you to do well in school?"
"Any leadership experience?"
"I've been working as a clerk at a pharmacy, so they asked questions pertaining to my experiences at the pharmacy, like "Name one negative and one positive experience you've had while working at your pharmacy?" "
"tell me about yourself"
"What do you know about Western?"
"why pharmacy school but not medical school, if you said you have high expectation about yourself?"
"Why pharmacy and not medical school?"
"Tell us about yourself."
"Do you think that violence on TV contributes to violence in the society. (essay question)"
"Why pharmacy and why western?"
"How would you deal with a student that does not contribute to group work?"
"When was a difficult time for you and how did you overcome it?"
"what kind of research i did (i work at a biotech company)"
"What are some of your hobbies?"
"Have you exposed to the pharmacy career?"
"What is one of your greatest achievements in life, besides academics?"
"what would you do if your team mate not cooperate?"
"What kind of experiences did you have in the hospital and with pharmacy?"
"Tell us about one experience in your pharmacy that was enjoyable."
"How did you get into the field of pharmacy?"
"How do you handle conflicts in a team environment?"
"Do you have any questions for us?"
"Tell us what you would do when one member of your team refuses to participate/cooperate."
"Why do you want to be a pharmacist?"
"What do you like to do for fun? What extracurricular activities are you involved in at your university?"
"Why do you want to come here to Western University?"
"What would you do if someone in your group is not participating?"
"If you have a conflict with someone in your study group, how would you resolve it?"
"a situation where I was a leader?"
"What got you interested in pharmacy and why do you want to be a pharmacist?"
"Did you apply to other pharmacy schools, and if so, have you heard from them?"
"how u can strss out?"
"again, they seriously asked me every question in that sample question list found on their website"
"How do you deal with stress?"
"Why Western?"
"Why Pharmacy? Why Western? Are you a leader?"
"why pharm"
"What is your favorite subject? What do you do for fun?"
"Who are you?"
"Why WesternU? "
"what do you think the difference is between a pharmacist and a doctor is?"
"why western why pharmacy"
"What do you intend to do after becoming a PharmD?"
"Why WesternU"
"How did you hear about WesternU"
"What would you do if your supervisor implemented a policy that you know it's not right?"
"What qualities, do you think, a good Pharmacist should possess?"
"What did you learn from working for your pharmacists?"
"what do you like most and least at your working place?"
"why westernU? how do u feel about moving away from home?"
"If you were working in a group and you had a member who wasn't participating, what would you do?"
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Why pharmacy school?"
"They ask me what I have seen in rite aid pharmacy that motivates me to be a pharmacist"
"Positive and Negatives you saw in the pharmacy you worked at? What kind of duties did you have at the pharmacy? "
"how do you handle stress?"
"What was your experience while voluteering?"
"Tell us about yourself"
"So you like technology... what's been going on lately in the news?"
"What made you choose pharmacy?"
"How do you handle with your stress?"
"Do you have any pharmacy experience? What is it?"
"Tell me about your research experience."
"tell me about your pharmacy experience."
"Extracurricular activities?"
"What do you like do on the weekends (or besides studying)"
"What do you do for fun?"
"What are some positive and negative aspects of working as a clerk at Sav-on?"
"Why you want to go to Western? "
"What do you like to do for fun? "
"why pharmacy"
"What is your most favourite subject? Why?"
"What kind of support network do you have? "
"Since you said you know something about oriental medicine, can you tell me how Chinese medicine lower cholesterol level?"
"What do you like to do for fun? And also, when I replied I paint, dance, and play the piano, he asked, what kind of music do you play and what types of things do you paint? "
"if you had to pick between USC and Western which would you choose? why?"
"How do you manage stress?"
"What I do for fun?"
"Why Pharmacy?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"Which course was one of the most difficult?"
"if i had experience in pharmacy, where, and when"
"Tell me a little bit about yourself and why you are here today?"
"What did you do during your pharmacy shadowing?"
"What was the class that you liked the most and the class that you liked the least?"
"Because you emphasized on clinical pharmacy, here's a situation for you: if you are on rounds with a doctor and he doesn't listen to you and your recommendation about a patient because you are a pharmacist, what would you do or act?"
"What would you do if someone in your group was not participating"
"Tell me about your experience volunteering at the hospital."
"I have research experience. So of course: Why pharmacy and not research?"
"What types of experiences have you had in pharmacy?"
"What is your position in a team?"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"How would you deal with a pharmacist doing something incorrectly?"
"Why WesternU?"
"If you had someone in a group who was absent or wasn't contributing, what would you do? Note: WU assigns yearlong groups, and you CANNOT change members or kick anyone out, for any reason."
"what area of pharmacy"
"If a student in you group is not participating, what will you do? If your supervisor shot down an idea you have, what would you do?"
"Tell me about your hobbies. What do you like to do for fun? What else do you like to do besides playing tennis and snowboarding?"
"What do u do for fun"
"Tell us about a time when you worked in a group."
"Why would I make a good pharmacist?"
"Outside of school, what are your activities?"
"If you had a member of a team that refused to participate or contribute, what would you do? If that didn't work, what would you do now?"
"Do you prefer to work be yourself or in groups?"
"wt's yr short term and long turm goal.."
"Essay: What was the most beneficial course you have taken? "
"Why I would be the best fit for Western"
"Why Western? Why Pharmacy?"
"Where do you want to work as a pharmacist? "
"What would you do if a group member was not participating? If that didn't work, what would you do?"
"what to do if ur goup member is not working. "
"if you were in a group and one of the group member is not contributing, what would you do?"
"Why PharmD?"
"What would you do if you were given a new work policy? Would you follow it and change your own work method? Why or why not???"
"Why do you want to go to western, give 4 reasons"
"what do you do for fun? what would you do if a member does not participate in your group?"
"How will this four year study affect your family situation? - mainly for those who are married."
"What is your favorite subject in college"
"How would you deal with a group member that did not participate. "
"It's all pretty conversational..which makes sense as they are 1.trying to make you comfortable 2.get a sense of your socialization skills , imho"
"Why pharmacy?"
"Why don't you take Ph.D program? Why don't you take .... (I forgot the name of the program)?"
"What do u do for fun?"
"are you going to back to your country?"
"tell me about your leadership and work experience"
"Why a PharmD instead of a PhD (I have a background in research)?"
"What are your goals and aspirations in the next 10 years?"
"Do you think a student with any particular background would have an advatange in pharmacy school? "
"Team Work questions"
"Short-Term and Long-Term goals?"
"tell me about your research."
"Why dont' I get a phd in biochemistry?"
"What was your favorite and least favorite subject."
"Do you have any questions? (prepare A LOT of questions in case they run out of things to ask you)"
"Tell us about your personal background and pharm experience."
"What is the positive and negative thing about this school? At last, they asked me if I have any questions regarding to this school.(Be prepared to ask something)."
"What is your weakest attribute?"
"Tell me about the pharmacy you volunteer at."
"why reapply for this school?"
"Pharmacy experience? "
"Have you ever had a position that requires leadership or managing someone? "
"How to deal with a team member is not performing?"
"Do you have any question(s) for us?"
"Tell me about yourself...Tell me about rollerblading. "
"Why you would make a good pharmacist? "
"Why pharmacy as a career and why Western? "
"If someone in your group isn't participating, what would you do?"
"why western"
"why you chose the major you have?"
"What is your worst/least favorite subject?"
"Introduce yourself."
"He asked me about my job experience with an autistic child."
"what was the latest book that you read?"
"When was a time you were most proud of yourself?"
"How do you work with teams? Tell us about a time you were really proud of yourself."
"Name a class that I found most challenging and why?"
"Why Western?"
"Why should Western consider you over other students?"
"If you were asked to work in a group with students, how would you deal with a member who could not speak english very well?"
"how i came to discover pharmacy"
"This program is heavy on group work and team work, and you will be working with other students from other colleges frequently. What would you do if one member of the group kept giving you a hard time and would not cooperate, knowing that you could NOT change groups under any circumstances for the entire academic year?"
"What is your favorite prerequisite course?why? give example"
"What was your favorite class besides science?"
"What is the latest news article read on Pharmacy?"
"Given 3 people you can choose to write a cooking book, which would you choose and why?"
"They had a strange critical thinking question: You are writing a book on the history of Portuguese cuisine. You can only interview 2 people out of 3: A professional chef, a Portuguese restaurant owner, or a food critic. Which 2 would you choose and why? And why wouldn't you choose the third?"
"What is your position in a team?"
"How would you deal with a team member that is not doing his or her job?"
"Critical thinking question. They had a paper on the table that had a critical thinking question on it. It gave details about drug A,B,C,D and details about patient X and asks you to pick a treatment."
"Given a stripped down, mini-case study on paper. Had to explain which drug or combination A, B, C, etc to give based on some information."
"they were pretty much all the questions that are on the website."
"Why do you think you would be a good pharmacist?"
"Tell us about a funny moment with a patient."
"I was asked a really really weird question about a scenario, and what I would do and why? I personally didn't like the questoin... :( "
"None."
"Should pharmacists be able to prescribe medications to patients and not the physician?"
"in group or team one of member is not getting along with u,wt will u do?"
"The professor and student started off the interview by telling me their background. They were pretty interesting, easy-going people. When I finished telling them about myself, the professor asked me why I chose pharmacy when I had all these other things going on. "
"none, questions were pretty straight forward from the list."
"oh my!!! they asked me everything! describe myself, what are my weaknesses, how do i work in teams, what do i do if a group member isn't cooperating, how do i handle stress, what do i do on my free time."
"None, same stuff"
"There were no questions out of the ordinary. Why pharmacy? Why Western? What would you do if a group member is not cooperating? What would you do if your first approach did not work? "
"If you feel the doctor prescribed the wrong medication what would you do?"
"What's your greatest accomplishment. All the questions are on their website and sdn. "
"The essay question: What was the most challenging situation that you have encountered? How did you get over it?"
"What other schools are you appling to? How is that relevant homeboy?"
"If you were given a new policy at work, would you follow it? Why or why not? "
"What do you think the difference is between a pharmacist and a doctor is?"
"Tell me about your volunteer work"
"Tell us about yourself - and why you want to seek a career in pharmacy?"
"If one person in your group needs your help with the project that your group is working with, and you have a very important meeting that weekend. What would you do?"
"Do you prefer classes where quizzes were given every week. "
"No unexpected or interesting questions in comparison with any other interview..but, I did find it interesting that the tourguide mentioned backrooms that some use to attend lectures..instead of actually going through that room to the actual lecture. Where's group cohesion and participation in that? Also interesting that they seem to put effort in matching interviewers with students."
"if you make a recommendation to a dr. and they say "i'm the dr. your just the pharmacist" how do you handle that in terms of acting like a professional and keeping the respect of others?"
"None of them was interesting enough for me "
"nothing was special.. "
"i felt as if the questions that they asked you were based on your own introduction. So dont get too deep b/c then they'll try to drill you."
"They were all standard interview questions--nothing too interesting."
"Nothing really, everything was really straightforward."
"what would you do if someone in a group was not cooperating?"
"they asked me a lot about team work such as "What would you do if someone in your team doesn't work?""
"If you were doing group work and a group member wasn't doing their work, how would you get them involved?"
"none really...they were all pretty straightforward. i heard another girl got some question about being stuck on an island and having 3 other sick ppl with her...who would she treat first?.....i know, kind of a weird and vague question huh"
"One of the interviewers asked me "I see your enthusiasm in wanting to become a pharmacist, but you volunteered and saw what the pharmacists did, where is all this enthusiasm going to go when you become a pharmacist?""
"Do you think you can excell in the program given your social science background?"
"What did you write on your essay?"
"Does your favorite book add any reflection about your own life?"
" nothing particularly."
"So you said you like to eat exotic foods (in supplmental appl.), what kind?"
"something about a spaceship.. i don't really remember!"
"why pharmacy?"
"What was the MOST difficult decision that had a great impact on you? And the professor went on to give an example of a time when he almost drowned, and 20sec of life flashed before him.(I was in awe..)"
"Would you practice pharmacy anywhere outside of LA? "
"Most questions were basic to get to know the candidate."
"If one of your groupe members was lazy, how would you handle it?"
"How did your academic achievements influence your family members?"
"How would you deal with someone that did not want to participate in a group project?"
"The school places an emphasis on group activities and having the ability to work within a team. Right off the bat, the student interviewer asked me, "What would you do if a member of your group were lazy and does not contribute to the group?""
"None, just common questions"
"tell me one thing about tutoring that is rewarding and one that's not so rewarding."
"Do I have interest in Clinical Pharmacy?"
"None of them were really interesting"
"If there is an applicant that comes from the same school as you and has the same GPA, why do you think we should accept you instead of him/her?"
"What do you like to do for fun? "
"if there was someone in your group that was lazy and your grade was going to be effected by his/her laziness, how would you deal with him?"
"What was your least proud accomplishment?"
"There was really no interesting question. Just basically to tell them a little about myself."
"How was tutoring fun?"
"Do you read any books"
"What makes you laugh?"
"If you caught your friend cheating, how would you react?"
"This program is heavy on group work and team work, and you will be working with other students from other colleges frequently. What would you do if one member of the group kept giving you a hard time and would not cooperate, knowing that you could NOT change groups under any circumstances for the entire academic year?"
"None took me by surprise. Pretty generic questions IMO."
"Analytical question asking who you would pick for an article you are writing and why."
"What is your thought process if you had to choose between USC and Western? When have you worked in a group and what was your role?"
"None really. The hardest is probably the situational question regarding a team member who is not participating and/or refusing to get along."
"What is your position in a team?"
"What would you do if you were the leader of a group and a member of your group was not participating?"
"What frustrates you?"
"If you are in a pharmacy, and there's policy change about to be implemented. You know that the ground staff will not be too pleased about the new policy, what are you going to do about this?"
"None of the questions were difficult. It was incredibly laid back."
"The case study, as it was unexpected. Not really hard, but you must use logic and defend your decision."
"none, they were all off the website or really basic."
"What if you were the group leader, and someone in your group wasn't participating what would you do? And, if that didn't work, what would you do then?"
"the question above."
"None."
"Nothing was that difficult. :)"
"tell me about yr present school?how is it?"
"If you could describe yourself with one word, what would it be?"
"If I was a leader of a group and two members were not getting along, what would I do?"
"what is my weakness"
"None, heard most of them last year"
"Nothing difficult really. The other questions were what do I do for fun. How do I manage stress, etc. "
"Nothing really."
"What's your greatest accomplishment. "
"The questions weren't too difficult. They just really want to get to know you."
"None besides the one above? They were all nice and neutral."
"Why WesternU and why pharmacy???"
"Same as above"
"none....do you read any books? Tell me about your family."
"What is the least thing you like about a pharmacist's job?"
"None"
"It's definitely not difficult in the sense that they are trying to "grill" you..I encountered no such problem."
"If you were on a boat and there was a viral outbreak and the captain, engineer and communications manager were sick, who would you give the only vaccine to?"
"None of them was difficult, but some were quite annoying."
"nothing too hard"
"Why pursue a PharmD instead of a PhD?"
"Do you want to become a Pharmacist simply for the money?"
"If the answer tothe above question did not work, then what would you do?"
"They asked me what would i do if i don't get accepted this year. At that moment, I thought I bummed."
"Nothing was difficult."
"a physician calls you(a pharmacist) about a prescription you feel that is not correct for the patient. what would you do? (it's not such a difficult question, but you can get a sense that the interview was not hard at all)"
"Why don't you get a PhD in biochemistry ( my major, I told them that I enjoyed studying biochemistry)instead of becoming a pharmacist?"
"If you got in to both USC and Western which would you go to and why? ( I didn't get this question, my friend did, but I think it is a very hard question!)"
"So what's been going on in the news?"
"Why pharm school vs med school?"
"What do you think the future of pharmacy's problem?"
"What are some positive and negative of pharmacy? "
"If you were to get into USC and Western, where would you go and why?"
"what would you do if someone in your group doesn't participate?"
"What was your favorite class? Sure this isn't hard. I guess I was thinking of how to describe my uci professor in a pharmaceutical way. lol"
"If someone in your group was not willing to participate, how would u deal with him/her?"
"How to deal with a team member who is not performing?"
"Tell us about yourself"
"What would you do if a memeber in your group did not want to be apart of the group and wanted to work on his or her own?"
"How would you deal with a doctor that refuses to work efficiently?"
""What ELSE would you do to deal with this lazy group member?" (At this point I felt like I was being grilled about the issue, but just be prepared to have more than one answer)"
"if a group member did not participate and you were a group leader, what would you do? ( I answered talk to them) then they asked well...if they were lazy what would u do?"
"If you were working in groups and a problem arised within the group, what would you do?"
"how do you resolve conflict in your workplace?"
"There was no difficult question but I was soo nervous that I had a lot of difficulty answering the above question. I almost felt like I was making up stuff that was actually true!"
"if there was another student with EXACTLY your qualifications what would you say to us to make us take you intead of that other student?"
"pretty easy questions overall. They really try to make you feel comfortable."
"What changes do you see in the pharmacy? (I have volunteered in a pharmacy and they just wanted to know how I see the field changing)."
"Leadership experience"
"I can't think of any difficult questions, it was so easy going."
"If you got accepted to USC and Western, where would you go?"
"tell me what you know about the school."
"Research the program, what makes that school unique, why it is your top choice. Do not go overboard. Just know the program very well. Prepare sample questions for yourself (you know the most important ones) and develop your general responses to them. Know your own history and academic records very well, and speak the truth. It is also VERY IMPORTANT to have some questions that YOU can ask the interviewer yourself once the interview is over, this leaves a good impression and shows confidence!"
"Compile a list of potential interview questions and write down the answers I would give."
"sdn."
"sdn, reviewed my essays, talked to a pharmacist and friends"
"Read Interview feedback, recorded myself as I answered questions and watched the video to see how I looked."
"Interview feedback, previous interviews."
"Read questions on SDN."
"SDN interview feedbacks."
"Mock interview."
"SDN forums"
"Went through potential questions posted on their website, and previous questions from SDN"
"Mock interview w friend, read SDN, studied my answers to questions on the app to remind myself of reasons for Pharmacy"
"SDN, spoke to WU pharm grad, read applications, read WU website"
"SDN, mock interviews."
"went over the questions on the website, SDN, and looks over my application"
"SDN, practice answering questions, mock interview with friends, read over personal statements, and resume. "
"Reviewed student doctor feedback on interviews, looked at the school's website, mock interview."
"SDN and website questions"
"SDN interview feedback"
"SDN interview feedback database and studying the Western website. "
"sdn,school web site,discussion with friends"
"I went over the questions on the website and reviewed my application. I also looked through a few of my other applications to help me formulate answers to all the questions. I heard the interview was open file, but I don't think my interviewers looked through my file during the process. "
"SDN, school website"
"I read SDN. The questions on the interview were very similar to what's posted here. Read the Western University Website, read up on that latest in pharmacy related issues, read about pharmacy career options. Basically, just familiarize yourself with Western as well the field of pharmacy. "
"SDN, Western's website, my supplemental questions and personal statement."
"the website, read my personal statement. I wrote it but i forgot things that i write sometimes. "
"SDN, mock interviews with friends and my speech teacher,"
"I practice the questions"
"SDN and WesternU website."
"SDN, read the school's website"
"SDN, mock interview, school website"
"SDN forums, personal autobiography review."
"SDN, my application, mock interview with friends, mock interview with career service adviser."
"SDN, read over application, looked at school website"
"SDN (thanks to all:), school site, reflecting on your experiences and motives for pursuing the field..."
"SDN, Western's website, my essays"
"read this website, prepared responses to commonly asked questions, read school website (about school)"
"questions from this link: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=309354 & from Western University website "
"sdn"
"sdn and website"
"this website, reviewed all my supplemental essays, read my pharmcas, school website"
"Read SDN interview feedback, prepared questions from Western's website, brushed up on current health topics"
"SDN,mock interviews with friends, and being myself."
"I just went in there with the confidence in why I wanted to be a Pharmacist."
"sdn, friends, mock "
"SDN and Western Website"
"Read up on SDN and looked up facts about the school on the school website."
"sdn, memorized my "tell me about yourself" answer, research the school and prepare some questions for them (they give you 10/30 minutes during your interview to ask questions)"
"Through sdn, and by talking to friends who previously had interviews and by taking to different pharmacists."
"School's website, questions from SDN and prep from interview book questions"
"mock interview, sdn, read over my supplemental application"
"SDN, reviewed application, mock interviews, went over potential questions"
"Read sdn, school's website, mock interview with my friends. "
"Mock interviews, SDN, sample interview questionaires"
"SDN (you ROCK!) looked at sample questions on school's website. I also went over stuff in my application."
"sdn, research school's web site, mock intervire"
"sdn,website,pharm news..just the usual."
"SDN, read over my application and supplementary materials. USC's interview was a good practice =P Very similar questions were asked. Such as: what do u like to do on the weekends, Why Pharmacy, explain your pharmacy experience, what do u like best about working in the pharmacy, how would u deal with bad customers, etc. "
"Generate possible interview questions database, talk to RPh and health care professionals, mock interviews with friends and professors."
"DEFINITELY WESTERN WEBSITE!! Go there!! "
"SDN, WesternU's website, mock interviews, trained by NkS"
"I talked to friends and looked up possible interview questions."
"WesternU's website (it has sample questions), SDN, mock interview"
"SDN, friends & sis practicing with me, talking to my pharmacists"
"SDN, mock interview"
"sdn, school websites"
"Read the sample interview questions on their website like 2 hours before I had to go there."
"SDN, signed up for campus tour, school website, pharmacytimes.com"
"sdn, spoke to a former graduate of Western, talked to friends who have lots of work experience in pharmacies, kind of read over my resume "
"read my application, read about their site"
"read this website, go over my application and western's website. anticipate questions they ask."
"This website, pharmacy, looking at well written essays."
"SDN, Western Website, Mock Interview"
"SDN, friends, mentors, WesternU website"
"Studentdoctor.net, review my application, and read about the school."
"I reviewed the school's website, SDN."
"www.studentdoctor.net talking with friends"
"read about pharmacy issues, talked with pharmacy students, read school's website"
"The organization that was done for the interviewees, the presentation and other things were fantastic. Also, all of the interviewers and staff were extremely polite and positive, and helped to relieve stress."
"The interviewers were very pleasant to talk to. The atmosphere was comfortable and not very stressful."
"The amount of current students that were there to talk to us while we waited for our interview. Lots of snacks and refreshments?"
"Everyone including staff and students were extremely friendly and welcoming."
"The enthusiasm of the faculty, staff, and students on interview day."
"The interview was very relaxing. They have current students hang out with you while you're waiting for your interview. They really sold their program. It sounds great."
"The school is branching out into research and industry making the school well rounded and not only about community or clinical based pharmacy."
"Lots of students to ask questions. Students in general were satisfied with their program. Admissions staffs were very kind. Financial aid officer explained a great deal of information though pressed on time."
"Nothing."
"How friendly and welcoming everyone was. Interview was super stress-free."
"The faculty are genuinely interested in you"
"The professor and student interviewer as well as student hosts were very friendly. While waiting to be called for my interview the first and second year students came over and made sure we were all comfortable and relaxed for our interview. It was so much fun chatting with them and getting their perspective!"
"Everyone was very responsive and nice, from the P1 students helpings, to the interviewees."
"Decent facilities."
"how friendly the interviewers were"
"The faculty and students are very welcoming and very approachable. I liked how the interview session was very organized: welcoming speech/info about school, Financial aid session, Writing sample, interview, campus tour. (order may vary) Oh, and they feed you a light snack in between."
"They gave me a call to make sure I got their email. I thought it was a very nice personal touch."
"I felt very welcome at the school, everyone was warm and easy to approach."
"Friendliness of the faculty and student interviewer"
"the Dean was very nice!"
"The students seemed very happy and like they really enjoyed going to the school. The school is relatively close to some nice areas. Also, you are on campus with the veterinary medicine school and school of osteopathic medicine, so you get free vet visits from the vet students and free massages from the osteopathic students. Good deal... Also, the interior of the facilities was very nice."
"The faculty were really nice, welcoming, and very enthusiastic about the program. Very impressive with their reputation of having high passing rate on Naplex."
"friendly or homely enviroment.."
"Everyone was really friendly. "
"NAPLEX passing rate"
"easy commute"
"Western seems to be increasing their research involvement."
"The friendly staff. The student support system. They also serve snacks now which is great. "
"The faculty, alumni, staff and students. Out of the 3 different schools I have attended for interviews, Western's staff/faculty/etc have been the nicest and most welcoming. The interview was so relaxing, they really made me feel so comfortable. I enjoyed the brief tour/intro about the school (they offer things that other pharm schools don't... like working with other health students from different fields, and other stuff). I also like that fact that the students do 1.5 years of rotations. "
"very nice prof and student. They do not waste your time. Brief tour, brief speech, brief interview. People seemed like they cared. I was out by 12:00PM, and some were out even by 11:00am."
"The students and faculty are very nice. They also provide some snacks and drinks so you don't have to worry about getting hungry. "
"The security guards walking around like it was really was a rough area.(Pomona probably is)"
"The high tech hexagonal shape class room."
"How friendly the staff is to everyone that attended. "
"Students were very helpful and friendly in introducing the schools."
"The high tech learning classrooms/halls - and block learning criteria used at this university."
"The students and faculty are very enthusiastic. My interviewers are very nice and friendly."
"Faculty members were very friendly and approachable. "
"-The sense of community and dedication among students and staff toward each other -accessibility of staff -I think this school set the record for longest interview+presentation time, but their effort says a lot "
"Students and faculties are all very nice."
"the facilities, student's enthusiasm for the school, friendly envt."
"The building, the hexagonal classrooms with cool overhead projectors, the cafetaria with tons of fridges & microwaves, and anything they have there."
"the interview was more like a conversation with minimal stress"
"everyone was very welcoming anf friendly, this school starts rotations in their 1st year"
"I really liked the people I interviewed with. They were enthusiastic and really cool. The classroom facilities are also nice. Oh, and I was accepted, so that left a positive impression :)"
"The staff and students were very friendly and inviting not snobby like at USC."
"The school is extremely high tech, everyone is super friendly, and they do more rotations than any other school in CA."
"nothing. they are so starnge. I will give them this much, they do evrything in thier poswer to make you feel stress free and comfortable. So mcuh so that you think you did AWSOME on your interview. I think every person that I spoke to said that thier interview went well. On the otherhand, many at USC said their interview was terrible. "
"they are expanding their campus and programs"
"The faculty, students, staff were all very welcoming. Very warm. The current pharmacy students also seem very down-to-earth, humble, and honest. I think whats different about this school is that theres no gung-ho crazy fanatical school pride kinda thing. Whether thats a good thing or a bad thing I guess depends on you."
"the faculty, current students...they were all very helpful and nice. how technologically advanced the classrooms were. "
"The school is located in a very nice area. In addition the students are very happy and proud to be there, and they seem to be relaxed which is very conforting to see."
"The high technology the school uses in their classrooms, and the pride the students have in their school"
"The faculty and students were all very enthusiastic and helpful. The classrooms were nicely equipped with high tech equipment."
"laid back and very casual interview, friendly students and staff knowledgeable in many areas"
"All professors and students there were really nice and friendly. Students shared us their school-life at Western and it was very helpful. They all welcomed us and made us very confortable. "
"The facilities are high tech and the faculty as well as the students are very nice and approachable."
"The faculty!! They seem sooo nice and the interviewers seemed like they truly enjoy it there."
"friendly people, cool facilities."
"Hey even though the place might be small, at least they have a school tour. (better than usc in this perspective I guess)"
"Friendly faculties and students. "
"Students, faculty and administration members are friendly and nice."
"staff and students are very friendly =)"
"I was impressed by how nice the interviewers, staff, and current students were. The inside classrooms were pretty nice. My faculty interviewers were proud to be at Western and believe that they have a good program."
"The friendly atomosphere."
"Current students were available to talk about their experiences at Western while I waited to be interviewed. They kept it real, telling us what they liked and didn't like about the school. The faculty interviewers were very friendly and so was my student interviewer. The staff were thoughtful, providing us with punch and cookies. The school was small, but the classrooms were nice-looking and technologically advanced."
"Everybody there was so nice, friendly and very helpful too. They'll answer you every single question that you ask and they made u feel comfortable asking them."
"i noticed that the students and faculties really enjoy Western-they genuinely want to go there and be apart of the community."
"very nice people, including interviewer"
"The friendliness of the faculty/staff, the inside of their buildings is actually really nice (compared to outside appearance), their main lecture room is awesome."
"students there are very nice. "
"They are very friendly. The school is small and its easy to become aquainted with both students and the faculty. The program seems to be geared towards really "helping" people and making a differnce. We got to go into the President's HUGE office and hear what he had to say to us."
"the program's structure, the students LOVED the school!"
"very organized and really informative"
"Everybody at Western University is really friendly. They will be open to answer any questions you have about the school. Also, the school program is very team oriented. So if you like working together as a group, this is the school for you."
"How friendly everyone seem and how much they emphasis teamwork."
"How the staff and students tried to minimize your stress as much as possible. They were very friendly."
"They tried to make you feel welcome and everyone was really nice and approachable."
"Very nice and friendly students and faculties were so supportive."
"The faculty and students were very enthusiastic and friendly. I liked the two faculty members that were interviewing me. "
"the friendly atmosphere"
"nothing"
"The sheer amount of PEOPLE that were there! It was very intimidating at first. The critical thinking exam was probably my least favorite part of the interview process as well. The essay portion was not bad at all."
"I didn't like the critical thinking test haha but nothing really."
"Students that were present seemed stand-offish during the interview orientation day. Although it is a mixed environment with international students, language shouldn't be a barrier. I definitely felt as though the students did not try to "sell" their school."
"Hmm, nothing really."
"The student interviewer was rude and condescending."
"Location of the school."
"Nothing was really negative. I had attended an info session a few months prior and already got acquainted with the school. So I didn't participate in their optional tour at the end."
"The area around is not the best. Boarded up homes, bars on windows, graffiti, trash in the area, etc. Not the worst neighborhood, but not the best."
"Overly rah-rah attitude of the students, location."
"How many people were there. It was intimidating"
"The location of the school is not that pleasant, but I don't think it's as bad as the area near USC. There's no cafeteria or really any good place to eat at nearby. You have to drive out to get food somewhere."
"Some students who were waiting to take us on the tour seemed like they didnt want to be there; they appeared a bit unfriendly and unapproachable."
"Location."
"not really feeling the campus"
"The school was not very separated from the surrounding city- a little ghetto."
"The campus is not in a safe neighborhood. >_<"
"infrastructure is not that much extra oridinary..."
"It's in a pretty bad area. The school is not even separated by a parking lot from the town and bums w/ shopping carts can walk through the school. The only place to have lunch is Subway. I would not want to live anywhere near the school. "
"Many of you may be wondering why the scores I have given for school is low. From my experience with other interviews, the professionalism seemed to be lacking in the students and the professor. At other interviews I have attended, the students volunteering to guide the interviewees were really enthusiastic informing the interviewees and answering questions; many actually tried to get to know the interviewees personally and treat each one as a potential future student that they would like to spend time with. Today, I saw many young individuals who looked professional in suits and skirts but acting immature. Many were busy talking to each other and seemed to be there to show off to the interviewees that they are young individuals that looked professional who have been accepted already. I did not sense the sincerity to help out in some students. I even received the same impression from the professor that interviewed me (She was young and attractive; nothing wrong with that but I felt that her effort was a little bit too much (dyed hair, lots of make up at 8 in the morning)). I wondered, if that was the impression that a sincere professor would want to make on potential students. I am a guy; I loved what I saw. But it just seemed that her effort was ill intended and out of place."
"p-town is not a safe city"
"The facilities are starting to wear a little, and the technological infrastructure is starting to lag a little."
"The location of the school. But then again, since it is isolated, maybe I can study better. "
"The location and the overall campus. Some money should be spent to make things look nicer."
"The area looks scary. :( The interview was kind of early, which is hard for people who had to travel (not me)"
"The school is located next to a railroad track"
"The chicken-ass tour was about as informative as a cheerleader speaking on calc.based physics."
"The rail road track located just 50 feet away from the class room."
"The surroundings of the school was a bit weird."
"Location is somewhat remote from Metropolitan life - in the Boonies!"
"No food on campus. I ate breakfast before the interview but got hungry again after 3 hours. Suggestion: Bring some snack with you (even if you ate breakfast already)=)"
"-the school was quite embedded, er..integrated with the town. However, I think they are aware of this since they had people directing traffic. -There were many unpolished things throughout the day here and there. I also thought it was weird that there was an absence of staff/students to greet students as they arrived. It was kind of funny seeing people in business suits and briefcases lining up in a cramped lobby without confidently knowing why. But then again, you have to give them cred for running a five hour show:)"
"The school is right next to the train-track. It's pretty loud sometimes."
"pomona = if commuting to the school there would be a lot of traffic."
"None"
"the area, mostly girls at the school"
"The campus location in Pomona is not ideal, but I suppose it will encourage me to study more."
"The location, but I guess most grad schools are in bad locations anyway."
"everything. too long of a wait"
"close to railroad"
"The whole interview process was really long. 7:15 am to like 1 am. it got pretty tiring towards the end."
"the location and accommodations for the student life on campus."
"During the interview itself, you get interviewed by two faculty members and a student. The faculty members were very mean and they picked on everything I said making me feel very uncomfortable. They also asked many questions. But Thank God, only by prayers, I was able to get in."
"It was raining, so it was kind of miserable, but the school is small and not in the most exciting part of town."
"It was raining so we didn't get a tour of the campus but got a virtual tour (pointing at a building on a map and saying this is the ____ building...). Our orientation was not very complete (the financial aid people decided not to show up)."
"location of school and aesthetics of the campus"
"The school is located in rural area and smelled pretty badly. But you will get used to it after a while. I also learned that school doesn't have any cafeteria, so you have to go outside to buy your lunch. It is kind of inconvenience. "
"The exterior of the school reminds me of a strip mall."
"Nothing really negative, I didn't have time to look around the city.."
"We were divided into two groups. I was group B and had to take the writing portion first. After that we went on the school tour and returned to the building for the interview. I had to wait 15 min before my interviewer came to get me. It sure felt like 15days isolated in the desert. Luckily there was a third yr student talking to us the whole time."
"Couldn't find the Parking Lot. The direction given in the letter is fairly poor and I was running late due to traffic on the 60 fwy. "
"Maybe the college of pharmacy is just one building."
"cow smell"
"As was noted by the post on 2/14/05, the air smelled like poop."
"The school's location and structure of buildings don't give you the feeling it is a school."
"Okay, I didn't know if it was just my imagination, but the air around Western and the surrounding area reeked of cow poop. I guess it's just something you get used to, but try eating your Subway sandwich outside and getting a continuous whiff of the air. Not cute..."
"Nothing."
"there was no cafeteria"
"I don't like the area it's in. But I expected that because I live sort of close to there and know Pomona pretty well."
"the campus is TINY, and the tuition is high campare to other schools."
"The immediate area is ghetto and there is no nice campus to make up for it. In fact, the school consists of one building in the middle of what looks like an out-door shopping center. There is no cafeteria and most of the students go off campus for lunch or even after class is over. Oh, and there is a rail-road track right across the school that make a lot of noise."
"the campus is TINY!! and toooo close to home!"
"The campus is really on a ghetto side of town. The campus is also really really small. Let's just say it isn't on the prettiest side of town and the University itself isn't the best looking."
"The location of the school and how it right next to a railroad track."
"location, no cafeteria/food on campus except vending machines"
"Nothing"
"The campus was very quiet and appeared to be less social. No student life."
"none whatsoever"
"the school is really, really small and old (the tour was less than 10 mins)...and not too exciting. students don't seem to stick around after school hours because hardly no students were around. also, the student who lead the tour was not really interested in impressing us...and the day was kind of dead"
"That it would be a group interview with one professor and one P2 student"
"Nothing, nothing surprising or out of the blue."
"Where to park."
"That the interview format is so much more informal than what I would have expect."
"Nothing. I have friends attending the school so it was very useful asking them questions about their interview and getting a better understanding of the process before getting there."
"A street leading to the school was blocked off by a flea market. Just give plenty of time to become familiar with the area. Parking on the weekends is free, and the 1 or 2 hr spots are all day."
"something about the random topic that was asked about in the essay portion"
"It seemed like mostly every single person there wore a black suit and a white collar shirt, except for me. Maybe, I've should've worn the same thing or maybe it's a good think to stand out. Not sure."
"How short the interview was! The question portion was very short and then for the rest of the interview, we just chit-chatted. At the end of the interview, I asked the P1 student "that was it?""
"How many students would be there."
"I wish I would have prepared for those weird scenario questions....but I guess you can't :("
"Nothing really. "
"100% NAPLEX.result...1.5 yr rotation.. "
"The interview was at 7:30am. The sun was in my eyes driving all the way up the 57North and I couldn't see the signs. The one thing I wish I knew is that along the 57N, there is a portion that merges with the 60 Freeway and then splits off again into the 57. It was really hard to see b/c you are driving into the sun at that time in the morning. I got lost, but fortunately I got there on time. "
"I have lived in both Southern and Northern California. The people are very different even within the same state. I may be biased but many at Western seemed the immature crowd that you would see in Southern California who cares so much about how they are judged by others (too self conscience)."
"none, i am very familar with western campus"
"The above mentioned increase in in research efforts."
"None. I attended the information session. "
"Nothing."
"To bring my club so my truck wouldn't get sent to the chop shop."
"That it was right next to a train track, which must be very distracting."
"Classes start at 8am till 3pm - five days a week - forget commuting over 10 miles!"
"Nothing else beside the food."
"Eat something before you embark on the interview/presentation, which is important considering that the meet time is 7.45 in the a.m."
"None"
"I had gone to an information session so nothing was a surprise."
"no surprises. "
"the weather is very dry compared to bay area"
"I wish I had visited the school ahead of time. I always heard of Western as a new school, and therefore was considering Western to be a "backup" school than a first choice school. When I actually got there and talked to the teachers and students there, my mind was changed and I really think they changed my mind about the school."
"my feet will start to hurt when taking the tour in my heels."
"Nothing"
"Not to break into new heels the day before the interview (my feet hurt sooo badly, so not having a tour was probably a good thing)."
"nothing, but I learned that they just got a private dormitory (own by others, not by school) in campus. Although it is kind of expensive, it is very close to school (only 1 min)and very convenient. You can also have your pet if you want to. That's kind of neat."
"The weather.. it was hot in Pomona!"
"Great support system to help students through the program."
"Don't drink too much coffee or you will have to use the restroom every 10 mins."
"Wear comfortable shoes! There was a brief tour around the campus and my feet were killing me. Damn heels."
"sdn prepared me well."
"The interview itself was easier than I thought."
"Traffic on 10E is much better after I passed Rosemead. I got there almost an hour early."
"The staff and faculty are much more friendly than I imagine. I feel that they are truly making a big effort to build the pharmacy school to make it a strong program. They are also a bit biased towards clinical pharmacy and I did not know this. "
"I didn't know the grapevine was going to have a 2 hour delay!!! Travel ahead of time!!!!"
"To turn right on 2nd street instead of left."
"Make sure you know where to park."
"Once you exit the freeway, you still have a lot to go!"
"directions"
"the small size of the school"
"I know it is hard, especially if it is your first interview, but try your best to be RELAXED as possible. Also, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to know your responses ahead of time, and speak fluently and firmly. DO NOT make up answers or lie, the interviewer will know right away and the interview will go badly."
"be prepare for about 30 situation multiples choice, and 40 minutes essay."
"More interested in the program after the presentation. Quite impressed!"
"Top school of choice!"
"The school used to be a mall!"
"Western U is an established school that is still trying to be innovative and definitely emphasizes a lot of pumping out successful pharmacist. The surrounding area is slightly "ghetto" and not aesthetically appealing. There seems to be many apartments that are super close to the school, basically across the street. Many homeless people in the area. The nicest thing near the school was the Starbucks but you still needed a passcode to use the restroom, which is shocking to me..."
"Better school than I thought it would be."
"Be yourself. I know everyone says that but remember you've already got a foot in the door with an interview invite. They just want to meet you to make sure you'd fit in with their school and exude a confidence in completing the program if admitted. Have fun!"
"They appear to be changing the essay questions, so no way to prepare. c/o 2013: over 1800 applicants (similar this yr), 430 interviewed, 92% with bachelor's. Interviewed with 1 faculty and 1 student. 2 weeks to know if you're in. Given a nice booklet titled 'Interview Day Orientation and Admissions Guidebook,' containing useful information. 30 students were admitted after the 1st interview, with 90 remaining seats for the 3 interviews (including 01/30). 1st yr has modified blocks with 10/yr, 18 days duration, 6hrs/day, only 1 subject. Every 5th and 10th blocks are review. Remediation rate approx 2%. Score needed to pass a class, 90%. Given a total of 3 chances to obtain this score. 45% of last yr's grads are working in a community pharmacy, 24% in a hospital, 3% academic pharmacy, 6% clinic based pharmacy, 9% indep community practice. Approx 23% of grads are in a residency. Was accepted 7 full business days post-interview via email."
"overall great experience. super stress free compared to the other interview i have been to. "
"Overall, this interview went really well for me. The interviewers are not there to scare you off or anything. They just really want to get to know you and see if you are really serious about pharmacy and about attending their school. Just be yourself. The interview was very conversational and easy-going. Although, it might depend on who you get to interview you. I was lucky and I got both an email and a letter in the mail 2 weeks later saying I got accepted."
"The interview staff were very pleasant! They really just wanted to see your social skills more than how you answer technical questions. I didnt think my interview went well b/c the P1 interviewer gave me a weird look after one of response and everyone seemed to have a really positive experience. The competition was very stiff. But they got back to me after a week and a half!"
"About 200 students were invited for 90 openings. "
"I would just reccomend to stay calm...and a part of me also thinks, its a luck thing, it depends on who you get that interviews you, you can have a nice person, or a not so nice person....unfortunately, I had a not so nice person. :( "
"The interview went very well than I expected to be. The faculty member and student who interviewed me were very welcoming and made sure that I felt comfortable. I was nervous in the beginning, but as the interview went by, it wasn't so bad. Most of the time during the interview, we were just having a conversation. A couple of weeks later, I was able to get an acceptance. :) "
"it's good.."
"I am sure there are other awesome students and interviewees who attended the previous interviews. But my experience today was very disappointing; so disappointing that I am considering other schools despite the fact that Western is close to home and I can transfer to a closer hospital branch that I currently work at. I believe educational environment is very important in college experience. The experience one gets at a prestigious four year university is incomparable to that of a community college. Having experiences in taking courses at both a prestigious school and a local community college, I can attest to the fact that Western felt like a community college that lacks professionalism and sincerity. "
"shocked! so many people were being interview and its was sooo early in the morning. THere was way too much down time waiting for financial aid people to talk and to write our essay. THe essay topic was hard. We took a tour of the school, i've seen it before though so nothing new. The interview was with a faculty member and a 1st year student. I was really calm in the interview but they started asking me tons of questions, my mouth started to get dry from so much talking. went home and was accepted this week :)"
"The essay, for me, is always the harder part, the interviews held no real surprises. The people are genuinely friendly."
"The interview is very early so load up on your coffee if you are like me. It is also very long, approximately 4-5 hours so plan on being there for a while. "
"Got there super early, waited for the faculty and the rest of the students to arrive. They staff handed out booklets and name tags. We all went to the P1 room, and were given a brief intro about the program (helpful and interesting). We were separated into 2 groups. One group left for the tour and writing sample while the other group stayed behind for the interviews. We were given snacks while we waiting and we had a chance to chat with the current students. One of our interviewers would come in and call our name when it was time, and then took us to our interview room. It was 2 on 1. Very relaxing interview (but I heard some people's was a little tougher). After our group was done interviewing we went to another room where we were provided with what we should expect in the next couple of weeks (accepted, rejected, hold, alternative) and a man gave a VERY informative speech about financial aid. Then we had our writing sample. Out of the 3 schools I have interviewed, this was the hardest writing question/sample. 8 working days later, I was accepted! Very happy! "
"I got in :) I heard a week and 3 days after the interview. thank god."
"This school really has a nice staff but I was interviewed in Feb. by WU. In March, by USC, its almost 8 weeks later and I received my status by USC but nothing from WU. This is a very important life changing info. you think they can give you a heads up?"
"My overall interview experience was great because they asked me to talk about myself and I think I spent about 10-15 minutes on it. Then they asked me a few more work situation scenario questions. Ten days later after my interview I was notified by email and a phone by the professor the following day that I got accepted. Thank You God."
"Interview experience was very nerve racking for me since this was my first and only interview that I had with any sort of pharmacy school. I did not know what to expect and did not really know how to prepare all that well. I took things head on and did it honestly to the best of my ability."
"Be Yourself! The worst thing you can do is to get overtly nervous and stumble on the questions. Take a deep breath and go in there thinking that you deserve to be there and they want to know you on a personal level. Do not be intimidated and ask questions. Don't memorize answer and be fake, they conduct the interview like a conversation so it will seem unnatural if you answer it from memorization. I got accepted!!"
"Friendly atmosphere - after the faculty member and student interviewer make their introductions, you get to do most of the talking."
"First, we meet in a classroom, where a faculty member goes over curriculum and "why WesternU", then divide into two groups: 1 group stays to write essay, the other group goes for interview. Each group does separate things after that. "
"We were all taken into a room (the one we would be having our classes at) and given a brief intro about the school and the schedule of the day. Then, we broke up into two groups. One group had interviews while the other group had the essay to write. I was in the first interview group. While you wait for your interview and after you are done, you have the opportunity to ask current students any questions. At my interview, I had a faculty member and a student both interview me at the same time. The interviewer introduced himself, then the student, and then they asked you questions. At the end, you are given a chance to ask them question. They really just wanted to know you as a person and it very much felt like a conversation. Essay question was non pharmacy related. Later, they had a guy come in and talk about financial aid. At the end of the day, you can either leave early or go on a tour of the campus given by a current student. "
"They are really just trying to get a clear sense of what kind/how strong of a team player you are. I got the sense they were in search of students who are able to add to the cohesion of the class unit. I could sense the dynamic of my future peers through their faculty, which is a good thing."
"There were a lot of students there ~100. Everything went pretty fast, and by the time the interviews were done we were free to leave (it was still pretty early). There was an orientation, financial aid info session, writing sample, tour, break and then interviews. "
"It was a laid-back interview overall. At least, it didn't cause my heart beating faster and faster."
"It was relaxing."
"it was nervous first, but i was getting comfortable because of friendly faculty members.. interview questions were pretty much simple. Essay question was -discuss risk in your life and how it influences you either positively or negatively"
"I was there for a pretty long time. Its was from 7:30am until 1pm so eat a big breakfast. They give u water, cookies, brownies and granola bars while you wait for your interview. The essay was easy. You are given 45 mins and the topic is about your life. It was just like having an intellectual convo with friends. Make sure to have many questions prepared. I felt like I asked them more questions than they asked me. Its very relaxing...... I got in!!!"
"The interview was very informal so I walked away feeling like I wasn't able to sell myself (since I am used to more direct, science-based questions). I was expecting them to ask me next, "what is your favorite color?""
"Western is really making a name for itself and its high tech and new facilities are very impressive! I can't wait to go here since I got my acceptance letter a couple of weeks ago :)"
"The interview experience was great! And best of all I got my acceptance letter 2 weeks after! "
"urghh. why do we need to be there for so many hours? They do try to make it a stress free interview and experince. They appear to be a wonderful school. But you know what, Im not too sure about that. They appear to have their act toegther and seem like they would be much better choice than schools such as USC and UCSF. I was convinced of that at one point, but I am not too sure anymore. I question the judgement of MANY of their faculty and stuff as well as the school administartion. Hovever, there has been siginifact imrovemnt over the fast few years since thier first graduating class. Hopefully the trend will conitinue! We shall see. But for now, I am HIGHLY SCEPTICAL!"
"The interviewers are nice and friendly. It's very laid-back so basically there's nothing to be nervous and worried. The writing sample is a question about the class which you took before and impress you. I thought I did a bad job in my interview, whereas all the others seem to have done a great jobs; however, I was able to get a seat which I personally am surprised."
"Interview was very relaxing. I was kind of nervous because I had the last interview group of the day, and the more I had to wait the more I got nervous. I saw other people coming back from the their interviews with smiles on their faces, and that made me even more nervous. All in all, though, the faculty and student interviewer try to be really friendly so that you can be comfortable in being yourself and to come up with good answers. All the questions they ask are on the SDN website, so definitely look up what kind of stuff they ask on here. Be prepared to answer the questions, but I would say, don't sound rehearsed. Just think of bullet points you want to bring up. All in all, I didn't think I did that well on the interview because I was nervous and also, during the interview, it seemed like they did more talking than I did. But just try to be yourself. And you never know what will happen, cuz I didn't expect anything after the interview and I got accepted."
"orientation, interview (i was in the very first interview slot), break time with student hosts to answer any questions you have, essay, campus tour, financial aid and student services info session. be sure you eat a BIG meal before you come because you're gonna get hungry by the end. i swear i heard everybody's stomach growling, but you ahve to expect that after a 6 hour day."
"be prepared to answer any question in your face it doesn't matter how you answer hard questions that they might through in your face, all what matter is that you don't lose your peace in front of them or get nervous, because they somethimes through question which they know you wont be able to answer to just see your reaction. So keep your peace"
"It was relatively stress free. Since it was the last interview, it was packed with people. I heard they interviewed 135 people just that day. We were split into 2 groups, one went to the interview and one went on a tour and had time to write the essay. It was a little nerve racking since you only get like 40 minutes and I was not familiar with the topic, but it is not pharmacy related so there is no way to prepare. The interview is very stress free. They just talk to you and do a very good job of making it very conversation like. Just chatting about your reasons for chosing pharmacy and the school and getting to know you. You don't get much time to shine, but it was a good experience"
"There was one faculty and one student. We took turns introducing ourselves and then they based their questions on what I had told them in my introduction. I ran out of questions to ask them since our conversation often only lasted a few minutes per topic."
"This was by far the best interview experience I have had this school year. The interviewers were very friendly and it was more of an engagement in a conversation, rather than the usual formal style of question - answer - next question - next answer. I felt very at ease and believe that the interviewers were there to see how social you are and how well you communicate, NOT there to analyze answers to different questions they gave."
"Overall, I had a very pleasant experience and all faculty members and students there were really nice and friendly. They were trying to get to know us and not to scare us. Also, there was an orientation before the interview and we had a chance to learn more about this school (It was very helpful). In addition, I had the interview on Saturday and traffic was not that bad. But try to arrive beforehand (at least 10 minutes). "
"I interviewed with UOP, USC, and WesternU, and all out of all these interviews, WesternU gave me the greatest impression and it's also the most stress-free out of all them."
"Since I had interviews with other schools previous to Western, I felt less nervous and more relaxed. The faculty and students were really nice and made you feel like you were at home. "
"friendly people, enthusiastic students"
"I heard stories from my friend telling how bad western is. But to my surprise, it was the opposite. Everyone was nice (well most schools are the same in this). The room is high-tech, and I heard from the students that we'll be high-tech once we graduate. I was placing USC over this school for a mile, but after the interview I think western deserves more merit. Overall, the experience was great and I will not regret if I have to go to western."
"The interview was informal and more like a sharing session. Everyone was very nice and open to answer your questions."
"not as stressful as I thought it will be"
"Besides the rain, my experience was good. I was more stressed out before the actual interview process but during interview i was more calm because the interviewers were friendly."
"Overall, the interview was easy going just make sure to smile."
"You are on campus from 1:45-5:00. There was an hour-long presentation given by the admissions staff about financial aid, what to expect on the interview and student services. Then, depending on which group you were in, you were either interviewed first and then given 40 minutes to write an essay, or vice versa. I was in the group that did the essay first and the interview last. I had the unfortunate interview time of 4:30, so I felt a bit rushed and did not get to ask alot of questions. Overall, the interview was more easy-going than I anticipated. They ask questions so they could get to know you, not trick you. Make sure you ask your interviewers questions to show your interest in the school. Remember to relax and be yourself. Good luck!"
"Best interivew ever! "
"I really enjoy my experience at Western. Everyone was very helpful, friendly, and nice. I could feel that they genuinely want to help you feel less nervous. just be yourself!"
"I do not like the essay part. Interview part was fun. I need more than 40 mins to write a good essay."
"The entire groups gets an hour long orientation (talks about financial aid etc), then you are split into two groups. One group starts interviews while the other starts the essay. Then you switch. There is a little campus tour thrown in there in the middle. The interview was EASY. It was like a conversation with friends, laughing and whatnot. A couple serious questions but nothing bad. The majority of questions they ask are from their sample interview questioins on their website. And I did get accepted."
"I got there by 12 noon, and the whole process was from 1-5pm, but I didnt get my interview until 4:30pm! I was tired waiting for the interview. My interview went ok, but in the middle I lost track of what I was going to say. I thought I couldnt present myself well and impress the interviewers, until I received the acceptance letter! The interview is about to let them know the true you (especially your strength), so as long as you think you tell them who you are in a positive way, there is no reason to be nervous!"
"I was very nervous for the interview because it was the first pharmacy school interview I did. The actual interview was very easy going, but I did not take it easy. As a result, I feel like I didn't come off as confident as I would like have like to. But, listen up.. it's all about your attitude. Make sure to let them know that you are a great candidate for pharmacy and you have what it takes. "
"one interviewer was very smiley and friendly and the other was straight faced... and the student was so kind!"
"I was nervous at first, but they really try to make you feel comfortable. Essay was pretty easy...but write fast 40 mins isn't as long as you'd think. "
"The interview here is really kick back. So don't stress yourself out. Just go there and do your best and you should be fine. Just make sure to think fast during the essay! You wouldn't believe how quick 40 minutes goes!"
"It was just a little too early for me (715AM), but overall a great experience. I found the essay portion more difficult than the interview when I thought it would be the other way around. If you can answer the 3 specific questions below, then you will pretty much be prepared for the interview. Aside from the questions below I was also asked: If a supervisor implemented a policy that you did not agree with, what would you do? What would you do if you were working on a group project and two of your members were not participating? How do you relieve your stress? Why do you believe you are a better candidate that the others? What is a positive and negative for clinical & retail pharmacy (since I've had exposure to both)? Be prepared to ask them questions at the end of your interview."
"Overall, I think the interview is very easy going. They do not ask any question on current issues. Mostly, they just want to know about you. You will be interview by three people at the same time, 2 professors and a student. Their comments are equally evaluated so make sure you give equal eye contact to everyone."
"It was a great experience. This school is the best :) "
"The interview is closed file....they dont see your transcripts. They do see your resume though. Two faculty and one student interview you. Pay attention to all the interviewers. Make eye contact to all. Ask them each a question when they are done asking you questions. I had Dr. Sam as an interviewer and he likes people with a sense of humor...so lighten up a little. The essay question was super easy. This interview and essay never expected you to know any current event information, so don't worry about the HOT topics of pharmacy for Western...its strictly social. Make sure you emphasize that you are a team-worker."
"I think I was overly nervous for a simple interview. (it's really simple) However, the other interviewers were really quiet and it made the day a little uncomfortable. The school itself disappointed me."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 67 |
| Faculty member | 9 |
| Admissions staff | 6 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 50 |
| Neutral | 11 |
| Discouraging | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.54 | 69 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 67 |
| Out of state | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 49 |
| 2-3 hours | 11 |
| 4-6 hours | 3 |
| 7+ hours | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 8 |
| Automobile | 56 |
| Train or subway | 5 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 28 |
| $101-$200 | 5 |
| $201-$300 | 2 |
| $301-$400 | 2 |
| $401-$500 | 0 |
| $501+ | 3 |
ONT, Ontario CA
John Wayne
LAX
ONT
BUR
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 0 |
| Friends or family | 8 |
| Hotel | 11 |
| Home | 6 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.36 | 73 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.75 | 72 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.44 | 72 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.04 | 27 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.07 | 27 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.29 | 24 |
"N/A"
"E-mail response times need to be improved. I did send some e-mails regarding basic questions which were not answered at all."
"Nothing really except that we had to wait in the lobby for 5 minutes or so in a crowd."
"Provide food!"
"No need to read verbatum from the guidebook. Yes, a lady literally read to us from this booklet they gave us. Very picky about pre-requisites, perhaps reconsider your policy to allow for resonable substitions?"
"fix the confirmation email that gets sent out. It said check in at 7:30 but when I got there they sa"
"Nothing. Everyone was so friendly and everything went perfectly."
"Nothing. Everyone was very friendly and the whole interview session was about 3 hours, which is pret"
"Too many students were invited for one session."
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What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?