Out of state unfriendly?

[meowmeow]

Can anyone comment on how out of state friend this program is ? Thanks!

[Torshi]

Baylor is private and tends to not focus on state requirements, but Texas schools have a 90% in-state requirement.

[Guest paeducator]

The 90% in-state requirement applies to Texas medical and dental schools, not PA programs.  It is suggested or recommended but is not legislated as it is for medical and dental.  UT Southwestern encourages PA applications from residents of all states, and offers a select number (varies year-to-year) of Dean's Competitive Scholarships that award Texas resident tuition rates plus a $1,000 per year scholarship.  These scholarships are merit-based and are awarded to accepted non-resident applicants with the strongest academic performance history.  Some additional scholarships are available for accepted applicants who meet broadly defined disadvantaged criteria.  

[Sirpaul1990]

Hi, 

 

To answer your question further. I'm from the 2016 UTSW PA class and we have several out of state students in our class! I don't think being out of state affects your chances of acceptance one bit! 

[JrHamsterCat]

Hi there!  Do you have any international students as part of your class (or previous classes)? It says on the website that international students are accepted, but I was wondering if they are evaluated along with out-of-state applicants or not even really considered? I currently work at UTSW and would love to attend PA school here. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[Sirpaul1990]

Sorry for not replying sooner. I am pretty sure that two classes above us (class of 2014), there is one student who is an international student. I wouldn't stress too much on where you come from. I think if you focus on that aspect, then you don't really understand what the important parts of the application are. ;) i.e. they don't care. 

 

It is never a matter of whether out of state (international students) are considered more or less than in state applicants. It is always a matter of whether you are a good fit for our program and whether we are a good fit for you. Essentially, everything except where you are from should be considered. Grades, sure. Healthcare experience, you betcha. GRE, ehh, alright. Essay, maybe. Interviews, most definitely. Everything else, I'm sure has some part, but these probably play the most impact. 

[warningsign]

Unfortunately, Sirpaul, and respectfully, I have to disagree. They definitely do care.

 

There are several international applicants at UTSW who have received admission into the program, and they do take international students. But, the truth is that they only save 1-2 positions per class for international students. Because there are so few spots, the chances are much more difficult and more competitive for international students. The fact that you are an international student does put you in another class, despite what their website says. If you have US coursework, however, they might consider you as a US applicant, and you might not be in the other pool. This is information I received from UTSW themselves upon extensive phone calls and research, and current international PA students (not from UTSW, but it is a similar situation).

 

Now, granted the class size has increased this year, so there might be a higher chance for international students.

 

And in all honesty, I have no idea what they actually consider. I have a 3.90 all around and a 313 GRE and over 1,000 hours of HCE including scribing, but did not receive an interview. I'm a Canadian citizen with US coursework. That's not to say that my application did not lack in some way, it's just proof that we don't know what they are really looking for, and they do not offer file reviews so I can't ever find out. Being an international student does put me in another applicant pool, as far as I can tell. My chances are much more limited to programs that only take a couple of international students per class.

 

Lastly, it is important to get a proper understanding of the situation for international students. There is a huge education process underway, and this is something I've learned over the last few months. If you're on an F-1 visa, schools are aware that you are not necessarily authorized to work right after completion of the program, and they do not readily take the risk of training someone who potentially cannot provide to the medical field like a US citizen would. Of course, there are several ways to gain positions right out of PA school, and most do, but it's a risk that some schools choose not to take. This information came from the dean of admissions at Baylor.

 

While your information is mostly correct, it's not beneficial to tell someone that they have an equal chance, because the truth is that they do not always. That doesn't mean you shouldn't apply, because no one knows what an application committee will prefer, perhaps your experience at UTSW is a huge plus. I personally feel that it is better to have as much information possible, instead of going into this thinking you have an absolutely equal chance - I did this throughout most of this cycle and have had some troubles along the way, so rather than give a fellow international applicant the same false hope, I urge you to do more research and apply to schools that are known to be international-friendly.

 

Certainly I have no intentions of offending anyone, but I just thought id give my two cents