jharlo1 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Hello all, I am like many people I've read from before who find themselves in an awkward place to be applying to PA school. Until rather recently I was ignorant to the fact that CASPA will literally dig up the grave when it comes to old classes. Unfortunately I took basic core classes at a local community college about 9 years ago and performed horribly. The cumulative GPA after repeats was a 2.5 (mind you the repeats count for CASPA). In 2015 I returned to school much more prepared and motivated like many others on this forum to become a PA. I felt so confident for so long because after two years (and taking almost all my science courses strictly here.. e.g. Gen Chem I and II, Physics I and II, A&P I and II, Stat, Org Chem, etc...) I have a science GPA of 3.7 and a cum GPA of 3.6 (about 60 credits and 53 were science). Once these grades merge with the older material you all know the math. It is something like a 2.56 for cum and 3.3 for science. I am summarizing these stats to see what you all think of my situation. I know I am beating a dead horse with this topic so please bear with me if you can. I am looking for any advice as to how to assess my current situation and what to do. I am currently and EMT (actually sitting in the firehouse now fighting back the tears....jk), and I am signed up for the GRE at the end of the month. I appreciate the time from you all and hope you respond. Thanks again. Sincerely, Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Your past need not kill your present. Clearly your old grades will need to be addressed in your essay, as well as your healthcare experience. While a lot of the world is digital, we are still people. You will have to get your message across and, God willing, there will be people there who will listen to it.Spending some time with a faculty member at a program of interest may also add the human touch. NINE years ago? That's half a lifetime for the typical applicants these days. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hustleforthePAC Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I was in same situation, cum gpa 2.69 @ Ucla decade ago, 3.7 post Bach science (even aced organic chemistry) had to compensate with 1000 volunteering hours, a bunch of shadowing hours, a decent personal statement (revised 9x) applied to 5 schools, 2 schools invited me to do the supplemental, 1 invite for one interview. Can acceptance be a possibility? Yes, absolutely ! You just gotta keep trying and have faith. Time is the greatest gift you can give anything in life. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cop to pa Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I earned a 2.02 GPA with my AA degree in the 90's. Worked for several years, then went back to school. When I applied to CASPA my senior year (2014) I had a 3.5+ (can't remember the exact at the time of application) from my current school. Couple that with the grades from my Police Academy days and I had a CASAP cGPA of 3.03. Just barely above the minimum. Now, I'm a PA-S at one of the top programs in the country. It can be done. You NEED to keep taking classes to get above the minimum threshold for the programs you are interested. It may take time. It may take years. But it can be done. While you're doing that, polish your personal statement. Make it shine. I did mine over 9 months. Ditched and rewrote it (like ChristineQLe) above more than enough times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jharlo1 Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 Well to be honest I was pretty down and out for a while. I am sure many of you know the mindset you can get into when feeling defeated but its just motivating me more in the end. I added more classes to my upcoming semester to prove I can handle the workload and I am also basically living at the firehouse. I appreciate all the words of wisdom and encouragement. It truly helps immensely when I am feeling down about things. I wish you all the best! - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockerkid9 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Definitely keep going!! Keep taking other upper level science classes that will factor into your gpa's. The good part is that the science classes you have done well on more recently will go into when the school calculates your gpa for their pre-reqs. I'm in the same boat, I applied the first round and got nothing but denials. Did my master's degree in a science-related topic and graduated with a 3.9. Look into schools where their overall/science gpa is lower, and schools that take a more holistic view at looking at an applicant. Also - every semester I tried to improve another thing on my application, where it is volunteer hours, patient care hours, grades, etc. Just keep going, get an awesome statement down, and contact schools before you apply. Talking with them ahead of time can also help you to become a familiar face/applicant before you apply and maybe it can get you a little further. If you apply and get denied from everywhere (like I did the 1st time) contact schools to see what you can improve upon. Some will straight up tell you there is no hope and its purely a GPA thing, others will give you some pointers and help you in the right direction. It'll take time, but don't give up if its your dream. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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