Applicants generally provided feedback on the interview process, including the length, format, and stress level of the interviews. Some mentioned positive aspects such as friendly staff and a comfortable atmosphere, while others expressed concerns about the brevity of the interview, travel logistics, and communication discrepancies.
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Go over the interview question on SDN
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I wish it was longer with more activities
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I really liked the small size of the campus and classrooms, the amount of study spaces available, and the accessibility of the campus. The admissions coordinator Debbie was super nice and she made me feel really comfortable.
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It's a nice area up in the mountains. I love that it's close to the beautiful Shenandoah national park.
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Interviewed on Monday, received decision from committee on Wednesday. They really have their act together.
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This is a great school.
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Interview + tour by student added up to less than an hour. Seems like a waste of time flying 6 hours each way.
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Just go through the interview feedback to prepare. Everyone there is nice and just want to see someone who is willing and wanting to learn more.
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I feel it was a waste of time and money to travel to Shenandoah (from the Western US) for a 1/2 hour interview. Think carefully about attending this interview if you don't live nearby. Also, the deposit is $1000. Their site states that you have 3 weeks to make a deposit after acceptance. Their official correspondence to me now states that it is due in March (I interviewed in November).
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The process was very easy going and low stress (other than general nerves). Interview questions were picked from a list of canned questions they already had. One professor and one student interview panel in the professor's office. Very laid back.
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Love it. Will be there soon. I hope I got enough from the interview to make the right choice.
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I knew of my acceptance within a week (& I got in!). All communication is done via e-mail.
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This school is small but mighty. Staff genuinely wants you to succeed and assist you along the way. Closed file interview slightly frustrating because a lot of time was spent going over things that could have been read from the paper app, but still went well.
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My interview was on a Wednesday and the Admissions coordinator got back with me on the following Friday to tell me I was placed on the alternate list. :) It's better than a denial!
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Interview geared to be low stress, read SDN article "How to Survive Interview Travels" - I used priceline.com and got a package deal for airfare, hotel, and rental car (drive one hour from airport), also I rented a GPS for my rental car for about $12/day, the Admissions Coordinator told me (after my interview and tour, which was on Wed.) the Admissions Committee would make decisions the following Wed. and I was emailed Fri of my acceptance
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I enjoyed it. It was a good experience as my first interview.
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I was accepted 2 weeks after interviewing. This school was my number 1 choice and I can't wait to get started!
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Every school I've interviewed at has claimed that all they want to do is get to know you and for you to be relaxed. Shenandoah is the only place where I have felt that they actually mean it. It was the least stressful of all my interviews and I got to know my interviewers as well as they got to know me.
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Arrived at 9:45 to attend a 10 AM class. I was greeted by the admissions coordinator and a student. Went with the student to a P2 pharmacology class. Afterwards, went to a professor's office for the interview with the professor and student. The interview was like a conversation. After the interview, the student showed me around the building and then we ate complimentary lunch at the pharmacy school. I was at the school from 945am to 1215pm.
Interviewed 11/10, Accepted 12/04
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School is great and the people are even better. I just got my acceptance letter!! So if you get an interview. Relax and do your best.
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Come prepared with questions and know a few things about the school and previously graduating classes.
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I like their focus on patient care rather than the mudane aspects of pharmacy. I believe that is where pharmacy is headed.
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Overall, the day was well organized and the attitude of the staff and other pharmacy students seemed as if they truly wanted you to attend this program. It was nice to know that I was wanted versus other schools that focused more on weeding out individuals=)
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I was very nervous at the beginning. Which is probably a common event for everyone. But as time passed, it became a conversation and everything was smooth. Dulles airport is an hour away from the school so make travel arrangements wisely! I stayed at a hotel near the airport and the next day I drove to Winchester for my interview. I gave myself plenty of time and was an hour early for my interview. I got an email a week later saying that I was accepted!
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I was nervous at first, because my first choice is Shenandoah University. Smooth after first question. Very friendly interviewers/staff. Scenic area. Positive experience yet with some apprehension.
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I got there about 10 minutes early and basically went right into the Q&A. Both the faculty member and student that interviewed me were extremely nice and that made for a comfortable setting. They ask a lot of ethical questions and make sure that you have some questions to ask them. After the interview I had 30 minutes to write my essay while they interviewed another student. You have a choice between 2 questions that are similarly related. It was plenty of time to finish so there was no pressure. Overall, I felt very good after the interview and got my acceptance 4 days later!
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My interview was at 9:00 a.m.; I got there about 10 mins. early. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, and it was litteraly a 4 min. drive to the school (I found the school the night before, which I recommend). I met with the 2 interviewers, (both women and both very nice); we sat in some chairs in an alcove in a hallway (not an office). They asked me about 10 questions, (I suck at small talk(!) so it only took like 20 mins); then I was given a tour by the student. After that I was given 30 min to write an essay. I think the question I chose (there were 2 to choose from) was "If a patient is having a hard time affording their meds, should they obtain them from a foreign country if they can get them cheaper that way?" I turned it in, said goodbye and was told to expect results in 2 weeks. I was very dissapointed on the way home. I thought for sure I blew the interview. I was nervous, stumbling over my answers and sounding like an idiot, even though the interviewers were patient and seemed understanding. I was shocked when I checked my email 8 days later to find and email letting me know I got in. Miracles do happen.
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I arrived and checked in with the receptionist. Shortly after, a student came to take me down to one of the faculty member's office, where I was interviewed by the student and faculty member. They asked a lot of typical questions, "Why pharmacy?", "Why Shenandoah?" and then loads of ethical questions. (For example, "If a pharmacist comes into work with alcohol on his breath, what would you do?", If you caught a student cheating, what would you do?") I felt like I did ok, but it was somewhat awkward because the student and faculty member literally read every question off a paper and while I was answering, they stared at me- cold face, expressionless- and therefore I felt myself fumbling over my words and second guessing my answers. They seemed like nice people but definitely didn't make the interview very easy! Next, the student took me around a tour of the school, library, main lecture hall and labs. Facilities were nice, clean and up-to-date and the student seemed enthusiastic and proud of Shenandoah. Next I went for my writing exam where I got to choose one of two questions "Do you feel that smokers should pay a higher premium on health insurance?" and "What does HIPAA stand for and what does it mean to you?" Once I was done with my essay, I turned it in to one of the receptionists and was done for the day! Overall, it was a good experience.
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I arrived an hour early, and did the written section of the interview. There were two choices for the essay. I chose the topic of: Do you think personal values and professional values should ever be separated? If so when, why, etc. Then after completing that section, I had my interview with a student and facutly member. The interview went really well, I wasn't nervous and they talked to me as if I was one of their friends or colleagues. It's important to talk back and keep the conversation going so it's not just a "question answer" interview. The more you make it into a conversation, the better you will be scored. I would say it's important to emphasize things that the interviewer says that shows you understand exactly what it is they are talking about. During my interview, the faculty member told me " remember, there are no right or wrong answers here, these questions don't really apply to how you would be as a pharmacist in the real world". When you are in your interview, be aware of these little traps, once you answer a question, don't change it just because of a statement like this, just reinforce your answer again. BTW, I just got my e-mail of acceptance into this school. So Good Luck on your interviews!
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Overall, the experience was easy going. I was just very nervous because it was my first interview.
I was led in by the student, both of them interviewed me, and then the student took me on a 10 minute tour of the school.
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Stress-free, just make sure to seem like you're really dedicated to becoming an ethical pharmacist.
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The inteview was a typical experience much like interviews at Western University of Health Sciences. Their technology is based on similar formats.
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Very short, interview with student and faculty at the same time, very short tour...then essay
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The interview was very causual which made me less nervous. The two people that interviewed me were extremely friendly and just wanted to get to know me better as a person.
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Extremely positive experience. I was interested in attending the school before my interview, but afterwards, I decided to attend, if offered acceptance. The school offers wonderful facilities, helpful & accessible faculty, and a nice location if you like a country setting. Be prepared to speak your mind in regard to your ethical principles and just be yourself!
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Interview:
I got the e-mail for the interview the week before the actual date. I had a choice between the next week or the week after. After scrambling to get all my travel plans together, I made the call and got my interview time. I went to the airport two hours ahead in order to get through security the day before the interview. Unfortunately my flight with American Airlines was canceled and I had to resort to waiting for the next flight (which took 8 hours!). When I finally got on the flight I took some Tylenol PM's in order to get some sleep and was knocked out within 30 minutes. I managed to get some sleep, and landed at Dulles Airport in DC. I rushed to take a shower, and had my interview clothes ready to go (my worst fear was that the airlines would screw up the baggage that had all of my clothes). When I finally got to Shenandoah University School of Pharmacy (with the help of some relatives), and introduced myself to the secretaries. They were extremely polite, and I left a message earlier about probably not making it to the interview due to my situation with my canceled flight. They were genuinely concerned about me and I appreciated how thoughtful they were. I was taken on a tour by one of the faculty that ended at the office where I had my interview. Another faculty member greeted me, and the two began the questions. I roughly recollect how nervous I was and everything went by in a blur. After the interview, one of the secretaries escorted me to a small room to write my essay about a pharmacy related topic (mainly about situations that can possibly occur). After finishing my essay within the time limit, I walked around the school of pharmacy. When I got back, the school e-mailed me 5 days after that I got accepted (which left me in complete shock since most schools usually don’t bother to contact until you actually get the letter).
Stuff about the school:
The school is next door to the school of nursing (actually they are in the same "building" but with some distinction). The school also offers an MBA along with the PharmD. Basically it adds from $7,000-8,000 with the PharmD tuition. There are prerequisites for getting into the program that you can take at the main campus, which is the reason why they delay the program for PharmD students. The school gives you a chance to decide to take the course during the winter/spring of your first year. There is a tentative schedule at the school website along with the MBA option (basically you take 1-2 extra classes per term [including summer]).
Housing:
As far as housing, you have a choice of choosing at least 5 on campus halls (be aware that Shenandoah University has quite a few music majors and thus expect to hear some noise at odd hours), and it is recommended that you find an off-campus apartment (I found 9 within a 3-10 mile radius of the school with rent at $300-$750 per month). A word of caution: just because this is a rural community does not mean it is completely safe. I heard that some of the off campus apartments used to or still have “meth†labs in the area (among other things), not to mention that the populace seems to be heavily inclined to carry a gun at home (and I am not talking about for strictly hunting purposes). I think that it is better to be informed (even if it is gossip given the time I had) than be totally ignorant, and I still would go anyway.
A little about the community:
Found out a little of the history of Winchester and that they are big on apples (I think there is an annual apple harvest fair of some kind). You are within sight of the Appalachian Mountains and the Shenandoah River (of course). This is a rural area, but it is steadily growing since most workers from DC are actually moving in the area. Some of the homes are selling from a quarter to a full million already. I had a chance to look around saw a noticeable Hispanic population, and I later found out that a majority are the field hands (not to offend anyone but it is just something I have heard). I spotted the Wal-Mart here, but they also have a Borders, a Target, Starbucks (if your into that), Cold Stone, Best Buy, a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, a Taco Bell, and a slew of small restaurants and stores. Yeah the houses are spaced every half-mile from the other, but otherwise you are not far from decent hangouts. I did recollect seeing quite a bit of road kill. First one I saw was a fox arriving at Winchester, then the main road menagerie started, which ended with a deer (really bad mess too) on my way back to Dulles Airport.
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The interview went great. I felt very welcome there, and the faculty and students seemed very happy to be there. Winchester is beautiful, the fall colors of the surrounding mountains created a very nice mood. The interviw is first, then a tour of the school, then a written portion.
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I just want to negate everything that the poster from 3/29/05 said. I interviewed at SU this past year, and now I currently go there. What that poster implied is absolutely, positively UNTRUE. Sure, SU is located in northern VA, but does that make it less diverse? Absolutely not. There are SEVERAL people of different ethnicities in my class, let alone the entire school. Winchester itself also has a large Hispanic population.
I just thought it was necessary to stand up and let prospective applicants know that the poster from 3/29/05 is incorrect in his/her information and from the tone of it, he/she probably did not get in.
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It was a good experience. Everyone was really friendly which helped to put me at ease. They ask a lot of ethical questions. Be prepared.
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I was really nervous before the interview, but during the process, the faculty member and the pharmacy student really calmed me down. The interview was casual, just like a conversation. They asked exactly the same questions as what other students had posted here. After the interview, you have to write an essay (30 min). They told me that I'll be notified via e-mail within 2 weeks, but I got an acceptance offer in just 2 working days! Make sure you ask them questions too!
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Comfortable. Be prepared to write a 30 min essay.
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I think the small town atmosphere is a great atmosphere for studying. The people are very warm and genuine.
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Overall it was okay.
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Winchester is VERY small it's located near Roanoke/DC and several state lines, but it is rural and since I'm from a city it's a little daunting not to really have anything modern to look at in the city. Cost of living looks good though so it shouldn't be hard to afford an appartment there.
I don't like school that force you to get a laptop when you go in but it's part of your tuition. The staff is very friendly, you get the entire school tour in about 10 mins, might not impress most people but the quality and level of modernism in their facilities is outstanding for a small school.
Be aware thet the school is VERY serious about their honor code and ethics, prepare for questions on ethics such as "what would you do if you came to work and a pharmacist you worked with took a valium every day without a prescription" (not my question, I overheard another student as they talked with the receptionist)
DO NOT say you'll let him/her keep taking it!
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Good experience, people were very friendly and welcoming. The facilities were amazing. I'm not too fond of the surrounding area though.
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Not bad, It seemed to be a rather impersonal process.
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Overall, I was very impressed with the interview experience and the school in general. I'm from a small town, so Winchester suits me just fine. The faculty and staff were extremely friendly and seemed to geninuinly care for the well-being of the students. After the interview, I was asked to write an essay and take a stance on a particular pharmacy issue.
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I flew into Dulles International, which is the closest airport about 50 miles away. The drive there isn't bad, though. I was able to drive around Winchester since I had an early morning flight and my interview wasn't until early afternoon.
The whole process lasted almost two hours. I arrived and checked in, and then a professor came out to greet me and led me back to an office where another professor was waiting. They both interviewed me, which lasted about 30-45 minutes. Afterwards, I had a 30-minute essay, and then was led on a quasi-tour of the facilities by an admissions staff member. I was then told to expect to hear the results via e-mail (and then later by mail) within two weeks.
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I just wanted to say that it was really cold and I didn't have a good impression from the town. However, all the 2 faculty members I had an interview with were very nice. It was a closed file interview. So basically they want to know more about me and my life. I got to ask them a lot of questions about the school. All the staff are extremely nice.
The interview was 2 (faculty members) on 1(student). I got accepted the week after. I love the school. It's a small little town that's perfect for studying and isolation that I will need to concentrate on getting my degree.
I can't wait to attend the school this fall!
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I got there a day early and i stayed at the days inn, crap motel by the way. i was intervied on the same day as the open house which was long and boring! after the open house, i went for my interview, the essay was first. By the way, they are NOT looking for great writers, so dont worry about grammer or things like that, just make sure you dont use retoric. make more than one point for support your argument and dont repeat the same point more than once (they said all this in the open house.) personally 30 minutes werent long enough but they let me work on it for a few extra minutes. later, i was interviewed by a student and the dean. they were very nice at first but when the interview started, they were dead serious. they asked about ethical issues and i said that i tend 2 stay neutral (i was thinking of abortion or things like that). to that they asked what if someone was cheating on a test? and ofcourse i said that i would report em'. as soon i said that i felt like i was in a trap cuz they immediately said, "well, you just said you would stay neutral". i explained that when they said ethical i thought of something else like abortion and in those i would stay neutral. the whole thing felt ambivalent because they were really nice at first but then it got really tense. they didnt ask anyting about me personally which was weird because it was a closed-file interview. these people knew nothing of my grades or my pcat score, the point was to get to know me as a person first so going in, i figured there would be more questions like, what are your strengths and weaknesses or tell me about your self. they didnt ask anything so i voluntered and said, "Before i leave i feel that i should give you a better view about who i am as a person..." and i gave em' a quick overview of my life. I think they liked that because it was the ONLY time they smiled at me during the whole interview. i left that school feeling decieved because i wasnt told that the seats were all taken and i was basically interviewing for the alternate list. i felt like i blew 460 bux on a sticksville town and a deceptive school. However, about a week later, i recieved an acceptance letter n all of a sudden, things looked great again! =)
