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General question regarding interviews


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Hello all!

 

I hope everyone is hearing wonderful news back from their schools already. I just have a question hanging over my head and was wondering if someone could shed some light on it. I have an upcoming interview to a place I really want to go to. Now, I have a 3.0 science gpa and a 3.3 overall. I'm just nervous, that's really my downfall in my application. I'm not sure how many people are invited to interview at this school, but my question is, if someone has a higher gpa than me, then will I be overlooked? Or because we both got invited to the interview, we have more of even shot than I'm thinking? 

 

Thank you!

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I think most people in your situation are worried that they won't get to the interview at all and will be overlooked in a sea of CASPA applications. Its easy to get anxious and second guess yourself. Stay confident they want to meet you for a reason. To answer your question I would say yes you have an equal shot with everyone else interviewing. That being said you still have to do well on the interview! Best of luck.

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If you have an interview, then there are things in your application that the AdComm liked. Selection for PA school is NOT ALL ABOUT GPA!!! Sorry for the emphasis, but I see SO many posts about GPA where people are agonizing over a few hundredths of a point or have the impression that programs rank their applicants by GPA and just draw a line at however many people they choose to interview. Based on your GPA, I'd bet the cost of my PA education that is not the case. :) You were invited to interview!!!

 

Think about it. If it was all about GPA, why would they have so many other components to the application? Personal essay, GRE, PCE, more essays in a supplemental (possibly), other experience(s), etc. & the dreaded interview! A GPA is just ONE aspect of you and your ability.

 

If you were invited to interview, they ARE interested in you!

 

Now, all that being said, as your GPA is lower than many candidates (especially the science number), understand exactly why and be prepared with responses to questions about it as a whole, or for specific questions about some period in your academic career. I have a 'checkered past' academically -- some interviewers asked me specifically about certain times (e.g., you seemed to struggle X semester; what happened?) and/or a particular course (e.g., you withdrew from organic chemistry twice; why?). Understand that the PA program is very challenging academically, and they do want to be sure you can succeed given the volume & complexity of material to learn & be able to assimilate and apply in a very short timeframe. Don't fumble for an answer; don't 'blame' on anyone or anything else; be able to explain how you've improved or overcome or just know that you made a poor choice at the time that you've learned from and would never repeat your mistake. People who've faced challenges and adversity have often demonstrated strengths that others with better GPAs may not be able to show (they have potential of course).

 

You have an interview! Don't waste time on worry about a GPA you can't change at this time. Don"t waste time on how your GPA compares to anyone else's they may be interviewing. Focus on being able to let them get to know you in that short amount of time. Focus on how you can show them you can and will be a great PA. Focus on how you will be a successful student in their program. Sell yourself!

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Get out of your head and nail the interview.  If you've made it that far, you've done better than probably 75% of the other applicants depending on the school.

 

That said, if it comes down to you and another student with similar HCE, LORs, and interviews, then yea, the GPA may contribute to a deciding factor.  So I repeat: nail the interview.  I know for a fact that I had better GPA than some of my fellow interviewees but they interviewed better and thus got acceptances over me.  That's life.  Nail the interview.

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Do not practice answering questions to the point that you come across like a machine! That behavior is obvious to interviewers and somewhat irritating. 

 

You need to think through common answers and your reasons for your career choices, and memorable moments in your life. But find a way to be somewhat spontaneous too.

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Regarding interview questions...

 

I see loads of examples online and feel comfortable answering them. What I have trouble with are the "Behavior Based Interview" questions. Are these commonly used in PA admissions interviews? Here are a few for example:

 

  • Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
  • Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.

 

Last summer I had a phone interview completely full of these, and I struggled and stammered as my mind raced through the last ten years trying to think of a proper experience to use as an example. Ugh! Really screwed me up, and I then wrote a list of my experiences that could fit these sort of questions. I just don't want to be caught off guard again. Interview in 2 weeks! Whoop!! Thank you ahead of time.

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