Hello colleagues,
Many schools have shared that they have experienced an increase in applicant “ghosting” behavior (non-responders) to offers of admissions, interviews, etc. After discussion with the PharmCAS Advisory Committee, we implemented the following changes to increase communications with applicants on this topic:
- Added a notification banner on the application dashboard that states:
- Have you received an offer of admission? Promptly respond to schools with your enrollment decision or to request additional time. Review the Applicant Responsibilities.
- Updated the Applicant Responsibilities on the PharmCAS website.
- Updated the Application Instructions
- Will be posting on PharmCAS social media in January and May 2023.
- Will be messaging all applicants via EMP in January and May 2023. Here is the January language, which you are welcome to use or modify in your own communications:
Hello name,
No one wants to be ghosted - including schools!
Have you received an offer of admission? Or an invitation to interview with a school? If a pharmacy school contacts you, we encourage you to respond as soon as possible. Ghosting (or not responding) to an interview invitation, offer of acceptance, or deadlines may be seen as unprofessional behavior and could hurt your chances for admission.
Pharmacy schools want to hear from you. Be sure to promptly reply to schools to confirm receipt of an email, ask questions, or request more time before accepting an offer of admission. It’s ok to let schools know that you are considering other programs. The more information they have, the better they can assist you in the admissions process.
Review the Applicant Responsibilities and Code of Conduct, including the Interview No-Show Policy, on the PharmCAS website.
Don’t know where to start?
Here’s a sample email:
Dear [School],
I am pleased to have been accepted into your PharmD program and am excited to soon begin my journey to becoming a pharmacist. For such an important decision, I would like to continue with a few additional interviews I’ve been offered. I am still interested in your program but was hoping to receive an extension on notifying you of my official decision. If this is possible, please let me know what extended date would be acceptable. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Name]
Alternately, what if you are no longer interested in a program? If you have not yet submitted your application to that particular program, simply de-select it within the PharmCAS application. If you have applied, let the school know that you wish to withdraw. A school may ask you why you are no longer interested. Share your honest reasons in a respectful way to help schools assess and improve their admissions processes.
Here’s a sample email:
Dear [School],
Thank you for the [invitation to interview / offer of acceptance]. After careful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my application and accept an offer of admission from my top choice pharmacy school. I greatly appreciate your support, time, and consideration of my application.
Sincerely,
[Name]
Questions?
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- For additional guidance on professional correspondence with pharmacy schools, contact your college or university advisor.
- For PharmCAS application questions, contact info@pharmcas.org.
- Join us on Thursday, February 2 for an Instagram story Q&A starting at 10 am ET. We welcome any questions you may have about the application process for pharmacy school.
Sincerely,
We hope you find these updates helpful and invite you to contact us with your questions.
Thanks!
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Katie Owings Bruce
Director of Application Services and Student Programs
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
703-739-2330 x1026
kbruce@aacp.org------------------------------