Domestic Application Process

How to apply ...

group of students walking across bridge on campus

“ACP’s well-rounded curriculum, that emphasized community engagement and dedication to patient care, prepared me for my career as a community pharmacist.” -Dr. Jenna Pruitt, Class of 2014

Application Process

Applicants who plan to apply for admission to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy are required to submit an application through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS). PharmCAS is a web-based application service which applicants use to submit their application, supplemental application, official transcripts or transcript evaluations, English language proficiency score, and letters of recommendation. The Appalachian College of Pharmacy does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, gender, or sexual orientation.

Application Deadlines for Fall 2024

The deadlines to submit completed PharmCAS and supplemental application are as follows:
Priority Consideration Applicants: January 4, 2024
Regular Applicants:  June 3, 2024

Step 1: Complete and submit the PharmCAS application.

  • Supplemental Application
  • Photograph
  • Official transcripts or transcript evaluations
  • English Language Proficiency score (if required)
  • Letters of Recommendation

Step 2: Monitor your PharmCAS account to ensure the application process proceeds timely and that transcripts and letters of recommendation have been submitted.

Application to the Doctor of Pharmacy program is highly competitive.  Priority is given to candidates who complete their application early.

Transfer Policy

Students who have previously attended another pharmacy school in the United States and are seeking to transfer to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy must meet the same admission requirements as first-time applicants. This includes successful completion of all prerequisite coursework and submission of the application by the application deadline. Transfer students must be in good academic and professional standing at their current school in order to be considered for admission. Due to differences between PharmD academic and experiential education requirements between pharmacy schools, transfer credit may not be awarded for all previously taken coursework.

Requests regarding transfer credit for course work completed at another institution MUST be made at the time of application and will be evaluated by ACP. Requests for transfer of course work must include an official transcript from the college or university where the course work was completed with a grade of “C” or better along with a letter from the current/previous institution stating that they are in good academic and professional standing at their current/previous school. Students must identify the specific ACP course(s) they believe are equivalent to previous courses they have taken, and must provide the course name, credit hours, and syllabus, including a daily schedule from the other institution to the Admissions Committee for evaluation by the College. To transfer, the number of credit hours for the previous course must be equal to or greater than the number of credit hours for the ACP course. Courses deemed equivalent shall be awarded transfer credit. Credit for a previously taken course may only be transferred to a single ACP course. ACP may award credit by examination for courses designated by the College.

The ACP transcript will indicate the transfer credits accepted toward the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

The State Counsel of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV):

• A student shall complete a minimum of 30% of course work at the institution in order to be granted a degree from that institution.
• An institution that awards life or work experience credit shall have its related transfer policy approved by the council. No more than 30% of the credit in a student’s degree program may be awarded for life or work experience.

Prerequisite Academic Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Complete a minimum of 72 semester credit hours of pre-pharmacy study. Courses completed in the United States must be from an accredited college or university.
  • Achieve a recommended cumulative grade point average of 2.5/4.0 or its equivalent. ***Experience and other evidence may be considered.
  • Have a grade of “C-” (or its equivalent) or better in all prerequisite courses.

All applicants meeting the minimum criteria will have their files evaluated. Because a large number of candidates apply for admission each year, only the most qualified applicants will be invited for an interview.

All applicants meeting the minimum criteria will have their files evaluated. Because a large number of candidates apply for admission each year, only the most qualified applicants will be invited for an interview.

Prerequisites Completed Outside the United States

Applicants who have completed any of the core prerequisites from a non-U.S. institution must submit transcript evaluations from either World Educational Services, Josef Silny & Associates, or AACRAO International Education Services.

Note:

Transcript evaluations from World Education Services (WES) should be submitted to PharmCAS along with your PharmCAS application and not to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy.

World Education Services (WES)
Bowling Green Station P.O. Box 5087
New York, NY 10274-5087
Phone: (212) 966-6311
Fax: (212) 739-6100
http://www.wes.org

Transcript evaluations from Joseph Silney and Associates and AACRAO International Education Services will not be accepted by PharmCAS and should be submitted directly to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy.

Joseph Silny and Associates
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173
Phone: (305) 273-1616
Fax: (305) 273-1338
http://www.jsilny.com

AACRAO International Education Services
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 520
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 296-3359
Fax: (202) 822-3940
aacrao.org

Prerequisites Courses

Prerequisite Courses
General Biology I and II with labs8.0 Sem. Hrs.*
College Chemistry I and II with labs8.0 Sem. Hrs.*
Organic Chemistry I and II with labs8.0 Sem. Hrs.*
College Physics I with lab4.0 Sem. Hrs.
College Physics II or Advanced Biological Science with lab4.0 Sem. Hrs.**
Human Anatomy3.0 Sem. Hrs.
Human Physiology3.0 Sem. Hrs.
General Microbiology3.0 Sem. Hrs.
English Composition I and II6.0 Sem. Hrs.***
College Mathematics6.0 Sem. Hrs.****
Electives19.0 Sem. Hrs.*****
Total72.0 Sem. Hrs.

Prerequisite courses taken under quarter hour systems will be evaluated for equivalency and may be deemed to fulfill the required semester credit hours. * Two semester terms or three quarter terms. ** Advanced Biological Science (e.g. biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, immunology, genetics). *** Similar coursework will be evaluated and may be deemed to fulfill the required semester credit hours. **** The mathematics component must include a minimum of 3 semester hours of advanced math. ***** In order to fulfill the Electives requirement, an applicant must complete at least one course in social/behavioral sciences (3 semester credits) such as psychology or sociology, one course in the humanities/fine arts (3 semester credits) such as literature, art, or music, and at least one course in mathematics/sciences (3 semester credits) such as economics. Humanities courses are content-based courses rather than skilled-based courses such as English Composition or a foreign language course. Skill-based courses will not fulfill the Humanities requirements. The remaining 4 semester credits can be fulfilled by the successful completion of any of the three categories described above.

Applicants may not exclude any part of their college-level educational history. An applicant who fails to report all institutions attended will forfeit his/her eligibility for admission to Appalachian College of Pharmacy or may be dismissed. Records and documents submitted for admission to Appalachian College of Pharmacy will not be returned.

Evidence of English Language Proficiency

Applicants are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency. One of the following can be used as certification of English proficiency:

  • Diploma or degree from an English speaking school – a degree or diploma from an accepted accredited college or university in which the primary language of instruction for the entire institution is English.
  • You have graduated from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States.
  • You have taken English composition prerequisites from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, and have earned a “B” or better.
  • The TOEFL – The recommended minimum scores for admissions are:
    • Internet-based test score of 79 or higher
    • The date of taking the TOEFL should not be more than 24 months prior to the date of enrollment.
    • The TOEFL score should be included in your PharmCAS application and not submitted to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy.
  • The IELTS – The recommended minimum scores for admissions are:
    • Internet-based test score of 6.5 or higher
    • The date of taking the IELTS should not be more than 24 months prior to the date of enrollment.
    • The IELTS score should be included in your PharmCAS application and not submitted to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy.

Letters of Recommendation

Appalachian College of Pharmacy requires two letters of recommendation. One letter should be written by a science professor or pharmacist and the other is at your discretion. Note: ACP does not accept letters of recommendations from friends, family members, clergy, or politicians.

Please follow the PharmCAS instructions for submitting letters of recommendation.

Interview

Once an applicant’s file is evaluated, the Office of Admissions will select candidates that meet the College’s admissions criteria and may invite those applicants for an interview. Candidates will be interviewed by a student panel and a faculty/preceptor panel. During the interview, the panels will assess the candidate’s oral communication skills, motivation, accomplishments, professionalism, compassion, and cooperation skills. The interview will be conducted in person on the Appalachian College of Pharmacy campus.