EDUCATING LEADERS IN PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES SINCE 1886
Early Assurance for High School Students
Our Early Assurance Program offers high school students the heightened advantage of securing a seat in our four-year PharmD degree after completing two years of prescribed undergraduate course work at UB and an interview.
Admission Requirements
Early Assurance offers a simplified application process—PCAT, recommendation letters, personal statement and experiences are NOT required.
Admission to the EA program is based on the University at Buffalo's First Year/Freshman Admission Criteria. There are no additional high school GPA or SAT/ACT requirements.
All accepted University at Buffalo first-year/freshman pharmacy students for fall, entering directly from high school, are automatically enrolled directly into our SPPS PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree through our prestigious EA program. This admission assures progression into the PharmD professional sequence as long as students maintain our prerequisite course GPA requirement, successfully complete an interview, and adhere to all program requirements.
EA is not the sole route into our PharmD program and ineligibility for EA does not imply that a student is not qualified for admission. All other applicants are considered through PharmCAS.
Benefits of our Early Assurance Program
- A dedicated pre-pharmacy advisor to help keep you on track with the program requirements
- Exclusive access to PHM 101 Pharmacy Is Right for Me
- Ongoing support from PharmD Peer Mentors
- Pre-Pharmacy Living and Learning Community
Find out if pharmacy is right for you!
Revised GPA Requirement: PharmD Early Assurance Program
Our PharmD Early Assurance Program required math and science prerequisite GPA is now 3.0.
Earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in all science and math prerequisites by the end of each of your undergraduate second, third and fourth semesters at UB (spring of first year, fall and spring of second year).
This change aligns with the UB SPPS New Path for Academic Success: Honors/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading System which will emphasize learning, improve student knowledge and empower students to become the next generation of pharmacy leaders.
Early Assurance Application Steps
Apply to UB through Undergraduate Admissions or International Admissions and indicate pharmacy as your major on your first year/freshman application or before December 31 in your first semester of your first year at UB.
The UB SPPS admissions committee values intellectual competence, communication skills, leadership ability, community service, healthcare-related or research experience and motivation for pursuing a career in pharmacy.
The school completes a holistic review of Early Assurance (EA) candidates who miss the minimum academic requirements and submit an appeal for continued consideration, to assess candidates’ potential for success in UB SPPS degree programs. An important part of this review is performance in college math and science coursework as well as the overall academic record and standardized test scores (when recommended or required). Additional important components of the holistic review include personal statements, letters of recommendation, and noncognitive attributes. UB SPPS considers an applicant’s full capabilities by carefully reviewing personal initiative, experiential factors, ability to overcome challenges, and other evidence of achievement. To assist in this review, we strongly encourage applicants to complete their admissions application thoughtfully and thoroughly.