Don't give up! I got into PA school w/ bad stats!

Applicant stats-- accepted yesterday

Undergrad Ed School: UC San Diego (Molecular Biology)

Cumulative Undergrad. GPA: 2.59

Science Undergrad. GPA: ~2.5 (CASPA still hasn't calc. my GPA)

Post Bachelor GPA: ~3.9

Overall: ~3.0

Age at application time : 27

1st GRE: 1390, 5.0 writing

Direct Patient Care : ~400 hours

Extracurricular/Research Activities:

Schools Applied: 18 programs

Application Submitted Date: CASPA 11-01-09

Schools Received Application Date: (I don't know, my GPA isn't even calculated yet)

Interview Invites: University of St. Francis, NM

Denied: too early in app cycle

Withdrew Application:

Waitlisted:

Accepted: University of St. Francis, NM(?)

Attempts: 3

As you can see, my GPA and HCE are far below par. I do have a decent GRE score and have worked in an oncology diagnostic lab for a few years, but I don't think it counts for much. On top of all that, I submitted my CASPA pretty late. Anyways, I worked my butt of the last couple of years and practiced my interviewing skills a whole bunch and managed to get in with my first interview this year.

The school I did get into is kind of weird in that they interview so early (pretty much right after I e-submitted my CASPA this year). The school starts in Jan, so I won't have a chance to interview at other schools. I know I will get at least a couple more interview invites since I interviewed with those schools during the last cycle.

Anyways, I just wanted to give you applicants with below average stats (or in my case, waaay below :P) that you can still make it with a lot of hard work. I know it's difficult and at times very discouraging, but it just makes it even sweeter when you get in :)

congrats!!!

Congrats man thats great. And you don't have to wait until the summer to start.

congrats! so there's hope....

Congrats....I got in as well with a very good GPA but really bad GRE score...less than 1,000.

So, I understand the feeling!

^ they either got the info from the last CASPA cycle or they send info first and the calcs later. I haven't applied to a PA program that doesn't use CASPA.

That gives everyone some hope. Thanks for sharing and the best of luck out there

And I bet your personal essay was very well written...

18 schools applied to? Now that is an applicant that wants it!!

Good job brau....

Congrats!!!

Yes. For those of you with not so fantastic stats, do not give up. My stats are just as bad as OP's stat, but i got 2 interviews so far and one acceptance. If you truly want it, do not give up and strive to better yourself. Just to make people with low stats feel better, here is my stat...

Sci Und. GPA: 2.5 (2 F's and 2D's in Orgo, 1F in Art but retook Orgo and got A's)

Overal Und GPA: 2.9

Sci. Grad. GPA: 3.7 (all hardcore grad. science courses)

Post Bac: 4.0 (only 3 classes from CC)

CASPA Sci GPA: 2.97 Overall GPA: 3.02

NO GRE.

5 Years of experience as a researcher in a basic science lab studying cancer and HIV.

3 Years of direct patient care volunteer

But most importantly, do not give up. It's a frustrating process and there are times when i thought about giving up, but there will be a light at the end of a tunnel.

^ haha, you should have posted up eariler, it would've made ME feel better before going into this app cycle. Which school's did you interview and get accepted to? Congrats to you too.

If you search for my posts, you'll see that my personal statement isn't that great, either (I would rather poke my eyes with some dull toothpicks than write another essay).

Oh and thanks for the congrats, everyone. I feel like a new man :D

^ haha, you should have posted up eariler, it would've made ME feel better before going into this app cycle. Which school's did you interview and get accepted to? Congrats to you too.

 

If you search for my posts, you'll see that my personal statement isn't that great, either (I would rather poke my eyes with some dull toothpicks than write another essay).

 

Oh and thanks for the congrats, everyone. I feel like a new man :D

I interviewed at Drexel but didn't hear anything yet. I interviewed at touro california mpas/mph program and got accepted the day after my interview. :D

I feel their may be alot of us with lower stats ( I am one of them!!!)- but usually if you have the low numbers u don't post it...we really should to give others hope!!

Thanks so much for posting this!!! This gives me hope that the waiting will be worth the while!

Congrats and thanks again for posting this thread.

For people reading this post, take fair warning. Excellent grades and mucho HCE are better than not.

There are programs that you may get into with lower grades and/or less HCE and/or lower GREs but don't bank on it.

To improve your shot at PA schools get good grades and pick up as much HCE as you can. Some programs look hard at GREs but some do not.

^ I would think that is obvious to everyone.

I feel their may be alot of us with lower stats ( I am one of them!!!)- but usually if you have the low numbers u don't post it...we really should to give others hope!!

True, I was intimidated by all the other students with good stats and discouraged me from posting my own.

congrats. this gives me hope since i have quite a few F's and D's from when my mother had lung cancer

Thank you for this post. I have been reading this forum for months and have gotten really discouraged. There are a lot of really successful applicants on here, and while I appreciate the honest advice, it has made me feel pretty pessimistic about my stats. FINALLY! I feel like there might be hope for me. Maybe my applications wont be a waste of money and time after all.

Congrats but please don't be an advocate of bad grades or bad stats, rather encourage people to get good grades and get good HCE. i'd be very afraid as a patient knowing that my provider was not a stellar student or had minimal experience... just my 2cents

Excellent post of hope, congrats!!

Thank you so much for writing this! It gives me hope! : )

For people reading this post, take fair warning. Excellent grades and mucho HCE are better than not.

 

There are programs that you may get into with lower grades and/or less HCE and/or lower GREs but don't bank on it.

 

To improve your shot at PA schools get good grades and pick up as much HCE as you can. Some programs look hard at GREs but some do not.

^ I would think that is obvious to everyone.

It is obvious - but I agree with the point in posting it. Some people need a reminder that just because something is possible doesn't mean that it's probable! There's a certain danger in the gung-ho "don't give up your dream, I heard of this one guy that got in with a 2.0, apply now even if you're not ready" attitude that permeates these threads from time to time.

I'm all for encouraging people, but sometimes what's needed is a reality check more than anything else. College seniors with a 2.5, zero healthcare experience and minimal knowledge of who PAs are and what they do do NOT need to be wasting time & money applying to PA school. What they need is to bear down, take a couple, three years to pull their grades up and get some hands-on experience. But most people would rather hear "Go for it! what can you lose?!?" instead. That's where we can do more harm than good, in my mind...

Im in the same boat. I didnt have the best GPA nor did I have the best science GPA. I had one semester that I pretty much bombed because I was very sick with mono and then had a tonsillectomy at the end of that semester because of it. To top it off I never even took the GRE. I graduated in '06 and I was just admitted to my number 1 choice school and it is super competitive program and admissions process. Don't give up, this was my third round through applying and I learned something each time. As more time passes from graduation date to application date, you gain more life experiences and more health care experiences. If you work at it you will make it. I worked for almost 4 years doing cancer research helping develop a pharmaceutical and worked for over 2 years in an assisted living home for my direct patient care. From those two positions I learned so much and only solidified my desire to become a PA. I really feel that those two experiences really solidified my spot as well as gave me the confidence I needed during my interview. If you are a new graduate dont worry, you still have a lot of time. Most programs are only 2 years, thats not a long time. I felt that I was putting off my life, but the wait was worth it, Im glad for every step I took to get here. I was accepted to another school last year, and I really disliked the whole program so I reapplied again this year to get into my first choice, and I did. Im glad I didnt compromise myself and my goal just to get started sooner. I will be a much better practitioner for it.

Congrats but please don't be an advocate of bad grades or bad stats, rather encourage people to get good grades and get good HCE. i'd be very afraid as a patient knowing that my provider was not a stellar student or had minimal experience... just my 2cents

I understand what you are saying, but I don't think the OP's purpose was to advocate bad grades or poor HCE. I appreciate that he is giving those of us with less than stellar GPA's due to PAST mistakes some hope. I agree those going to PA school should have good grades and quality HCE, but you cannot change what you did when you were young and unfocused.