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From reading some of the post by members here, UTSW, even for Texas resident is a very hard program to get in. I like to know the stats of those who applied to UTSW PA program whether it be you got in or rejected. What did you think the program was looking for in a candidate? What made it so difficult to get accepted? Thanks.

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From reading some of the post by members here, UTSW, even for Texas resident is a very hard program to get in. I like to know the stats of those who applied to UTSW PA program whether it be you got in or rejected. What did you think the program was looking for in a candidate? What made it so difficult to get accepted? Thanks.

 

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Alright, I'll give it a go. Stats: 4.0 GPA, 1330 GRE, various extracurricular/work involvements, some shadowing, limited actual medical experience. For reference, I applied to 5 schools, got accepted to 3, waitlisted at 2. UTSW fell in the latter category. The biggest problem I can pinpoint personally was that I flaked during the interview. UTSW has an interesting process - the multiple mini interview format. It was challenging, and I actually enjoyed it more than I'd expected. Unfortunately, if you're just "off" on a few stations, that may be the end of it. This is not to discourage you from applying. I had a great time, everyone seemed warm and welcoming, and it's an excellent school. So just try your best if that's where you really want to go!

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With that type of stats and yet still waitlisted. That's tough for me to even think about applying. I guess that biggest reason is that there is just way to many people applying who are qualified. Which program will you attend? My stats is no one near yours.

 

 

Alright, I'll give it a go. Stats: 4.0 GPA, 1330 GRE, various extracurricular/work involvements, some shadowing, limited actual medical experience. For reference, I applied to 5 schools, got accepted to 3, waitlisted at 2. UTSW fell in the latter category. The biggest problem I can pinpoint personally was that I flaked during the interview. UTSW has an interesting process - the multiple mini interview format. It was challenging, and I actually enjoyed it more than I'd expected. Unfortunately, if you're just "off" on a few stations, that may be the end of it. This is not to discourage you from applying. I had a great time, everyone seemed warm and welcoming, and it's an excellent school. So just try your best if that's where you really want to go!
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From reading some of the post by members here, UTSW, even for Texas resident is a very hard program to get in. I like to know the stats of those who applied to UTSW PA program whether it be you got in or rejected. What did you think the program was looking for in a candidate? What made it so difficult to get accepted? Thanks.

 

utsw is definitely a highly competitive program. i am a texan resident, with limited prior HCE, but had spent some time shadowing, and went on a medical mission trip to kenya. my overall gpa was a 3.60, but my science gpa was only a 3.53. my gre score was 1440 (760Q/680V/5.0A).

 

however, when i went to the info session at utsw, the impression and vibe that i got was that i should not even bother applying, because my odds were so low of getting in. of course, that was just my perception, and they never told me that outright. my impression is that relative to other top PA programs, they weigh GPA more heavily than prior HCE. they also said the GRE is not weighted heavily at all. needless to say, i did not apply to utsw, and will be attending another institution this summer.

 

that said, i'm sure utsw is an excellent program. they advertise it as an extremely rigorous program, and they only take the top candidates. my advice is to go to their info session if you have the chance. also, i think their faculty are willing to go over your credentials to discuss your application if you make an appointment in advance - that might be a good way to get a feel for your chances.

 

hopefully some current students or recently accepted utsw students can chime in and help you out.

 

best of luck!

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If you're planning to go to school in Texas you should apply to as many of them as possible. Although I know there is, it sometimes appears as though there is no rhyme nor reason to who gets in where. You would be surprised at the people who got accepted here or there and were declined by another. Remember the less obvious factors--personal statement and letters of reference, etc.

 

UTSW does seem to put GPA over HCE--I know a dozen or so people who are going or have gone through recently and they all had very little. On a separate note, according to one of their info sessions at least, UTSW does not look favorably on an applicant only applying to their school because it raises the question of how badly you really want to go to PA school...do you want to go or just to UTSW?

 

Any way you slice it applying to PA school is going to be competitive...they all get several hundred applications for less than 50 seats.

 

Good luck!

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utsw is definitely a highly competitive program. i am a texan resident, with limited prior HCE, but had spent some time shadowing, and went on a medical mission trip to kenya. my overall gpa was a 3.60, but my science gpa was only a 3.53. my gre score was 1440 (760Q/680V/5.0A).

 

however, when i went to the info session at utsw, the impression and vibe that i got was that i should not even bother applying, because my odds were so low of getting in. of course, that was just my perception, and they never told me that outright. my impression is that relative to other top PA programs, they weigh GPA more heavily than prior HCE. they also said the GRE is not weighted heavily at all. needless to say, i did not apply to utsw, and will be attending another institution this summer.

 

that said, i'm sure utsw is an excellent program. they advertise it as an extremely rigorous program, and they only take the top candidates. my advice is to go to their info session if you have the chance. also, i think their faculty are willing to go over your credentials to discuss your application if you make an appointment in advance - that might be a good way to get a feel for your chances.

 

hopefully some current students or recently accepted at utsw can chime in and help you out.

 

best of luck!

 

Hey bro,

I'm not sure why you didn't apply. I see nothing wrong with your stats. i think you would have a fair shot like anybody else. The crazy thing is that I know this girl who is a Respiratory Therapist and even she had told me that UTSW is hard to get it. And this is coming from someone who has nothing to do with PA. Maybe they are looking for 4.0's to keep their average up. Kinda frustrating and since my stats is no where near yours, i'm not gonna bother.

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prePAmom,

how is UNT?

is this your second year? As far as UTSW, I guess it's subjective. During the interview, they may not like because your short, or bald, etc.

 

 

If you're planning to go to school in Texas you should apply to as many of them as possible. Although I know there is, it sometimes appears as though there is no rhyme nor reason to who gets in where. You would be surprised at the people who got accepted here or there and were declined by another. Remember the less obvious factors--personal statement and letters of reference, etc.

 

UTSW does seem to put GPA over HCE--I know a dozen or so people who are going or have gone through recently and they all had very little. On a separate note, according to one of their info sessions at least, UTSW does not look favorably on an applicant only applying to their school because it raises the question of how badly you really want to go to PA school...do you want to go or just to UTSW?

 

Any way you slice it applying to PA school is going to be competitive...they all get several hundred applications for less than 50 seats.

 

Good luck!

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Hello everyone, hopefully I can offer a different perspective. I was just accepted at UTSW and will be starting there in May. I am a Texas resident, my GPA’s (as calculated by CASPA) were: Science 3.77, Non-Science 4.0, Overall 3.87. My GRE was a 1080.

 

As far as healthcare experience I worked as a Jump Start Intern at Children’s Medical Center Dallas one summer and as an OT Tech at another hospital another summer. I got my EMT-B my senior year in high school. I shadowed 2 PA’s and some of the doctors that worked with those PA’s and that offered a unique perspective I believe.

 

As far as extracurricular: I studied abroad for a semester, studied Spanish in Guatemala for two summers, I took piano lessons every semester while in college, played in the collegiate orchestra, did one year of collegiate club gymnastics, did 3 years of high school tutoring with refugee children, attended church regularly, went on two spring break mission trips, and was involved with other service projects at my university. I believe they are looking for continuity in some of these. I bounced around a little but there were some things that I did all 4 years of undergrad. It shows the willingness to stick with something.

 

My letters of reference were written by professors who knew me well outside of the classroom and who knew about my dedication to service, particularly my interest in Spanish.

 

I don’t know any of this for sure but after going to the interview, with their new set up and having them tell us that it was designed to test non-cognitive and behavioral skills, I think the numbers really only help you get the interview. I would imagine they also place a lot of importance on the rec letters and your personal statement because once we got to the interview the questions had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the PA profession. I personally really liked the interview format. It seemed to analyze more of your thought processes and allowed you to explain your thought process and ask for more information. I image they gage you on the type of information you ask for (it’s not right or wrong but it tells a little about your personality and how you would treat people based on the kind of information you ask for.) I personally feel like I spent more time asking questions about the scenarios and asking for more information in trying to understand the circumstances then I did actually answering the questions.

 

It seemed to me that UTSW is looking for intelligent people sure but they must put a lot of emphasis on what is in your personal statement and what your rec letters say because that’s what they seem to be evaluating in the interview. Don’t let low numbers keep you from applying. Do your best on the writing portions as well because that’s what gives them a look inside your head at who you really are. They want well rounded students and I think they’re doing a good job of finding them.

 

Good luck guys! I wish you all the best. And remember, the important thing is to get in somewhere!

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With that type of stats and yet still waitlisted. That's tough for me to even think about applying. I guess that biggest reason is that there is just way to many people applying who are qualified. Which program will you attend? My stats is no one near yours.

 

I'm going to Baylor, which was my first choice school - so no complaints here! As someone else said, you should apply to as many schools as possible. Stats aren't always a great predictor. If you can get an interview, the school will usually come out and say they are looking for a "fit," regardless of GPA, HCE, etc. I'd say apply to everything you have the pre-reqs for and would be willing to attend because you learn SOOO much during the interview process. I never thought I'd go to Baylor, just based on cost, but I fell in love at my interview. If UTSW is your #1, go for it! You just never know what can happen.... But definitely good luck to you!

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Yeah, I'm going to apply to as many texas school as possible. I really dont have a number one choice. I'm just a bit frustrated because everyone feels that UTSW is impossible to get in. As far as Baylor, the tuition sort of discourage me but it's better than waiting another year if I do get in. I met a few recent Baylor graduate at Ben Taub ED, they seem pretty happy with the program and land jobs right away since they do their rotation in the medical center.

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Yeah, I'm going to apply to as many texas school as possible. I really dont have a number one choice. I'm just a bit frustrated because everyone feels that UTSW is impossible to get in. As far as Baylor, the tuition sort of discourage me but it's better than waiting another year if I do get in. I met a few recent Baylor graduate at Ben Taub ED, they seem pretty happy with the program and land jobs right away since they do their rotation in the medical center.

 

Just apply and see what happens--it will only cost a little more to add one more school to CASPA. You may be surprised. And if it's your number one choice, you should go for it. Definitely go to info sessions, you may find your number one choice changes....or you may find it confirmed!

 

BTW, I responded to your question about UNT--it's on your profile page under "visitor messages."

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Just apply and see what happens--it will only cost a little more to add one more school to CASPA. You may be surprised. And if it's your number one choice, you should go for it. Definitely go to info sessions, you may find your number one choice changes....or you may find it confirmed!

 

BTW, I responded to your question about UNT--it's on your profile page under "visitor messages."

 

prePAmom congrats to you for the acceptance and good luck to you during and after your studies.

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i go to UTSW and i applied to 5 texas schools and got in at all, utsw being first choice - its VERY competative to get an interview, but they interview 90 and 34 get in ..thats not that bad of odds 1/3 ? if you have an interview and you are a people person, can think on your feet, make quick decisions and have a great personality... numbers dont mean much AFTER you get an invite to interview.

a lot of people in our program had excellent grades 3.8, 4.0s but i know a few who had 3.2, 3.4ish and they are doing just fine but had other things and multi tasking going for them. it's, again, an overall thing - a whole package and the desire to be there.

i've been dreaming about being at this school since fresh year of college so... being here is the biggest accomplishment and just an amazing feeling ... to be around people that are SO smart and so deserving to be here. Also the faculty is absolutely amazing, we get EACH lecture by someone who is an expert in their field -say, esophageal problems and UGI... for example each topic is done by an MD, MD/PHD, a PHD or PA that have had years of experience and deal with that topic on daily baisis. Lots of the speakers have numerous awards, and are just ...stunningly brilliant.

It's really an honor to go here, to learn from people like that, and to have SUCH a strong background ...SUCH a strong program (yes, blood, sweat and tears) but ALL worth it :)

 

Good luck :)

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  • 6 months later...
Hello everyone, hopefully I can offer a different perspective. I was just accepted at UTSW and will be starting there in May. I am a Texas resident, my GPA’s (as calculated by CASPA) were: Science 3.77, Non-Science 4.0, Overall 3.87. My GRE was a 1080.

 

As far as healthcare experience I worked as a Jump Start Intern at Children’s Medical Center Dallas one summer and as an OT Tech at another hospital another summer. I got my EMT-B my senior year in high school. I shadowed 2 PA’s and some of the doctors that worked with those PA’s and that offered a unique perspective I believe.

 

As far as extracurricular: I studied abroad for a semester, studied Spanish in Guatemala for two summers, I took piano lessons every semester while in college, played in the collegiate orchestra, did one year of collegiate club gymnastics, did 3 years of high school tutoring with refugee children, attended church regularly, went on two spring break mission trips, and was involved with other service projects at my university. I believe they are looking for continuity in some of these. I bounced around a little but there were some things that I did all 4 years of undergrad. It shows the willingness to stick with something.

 

My letters of reference were written by professors who knew me well outside of the classroom and who knew about my dedication to service, particularly my interest in Spanish.

 

I don’t know any of this for sure but after going to the interview, with their new set up and having them tell us that it was designed to test non-cognitive and behavioral skills, I think the numbers really only help you get the interview. I would imagine they also place a lot of importance on the rec letters and your personal statement because once we got to the interview the questions had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the PA profession. I personally really liked the interview format. It seemed to analyze more of your thought processes and allowed you to explain your thought process and ask for more information. I image they gage you on the type of information you ask for (it’s not right or wrong but it tells a little about your personality and how you would treat people based on the kind of information you ask for.) I personally feel like I spent more time asking questions about the scenarios and asking for more information in trying to understand the circumstances then I did actually answering the questions.

 

It seemed to me that UTSW is looking for intelligent people sure but they must put a lot of emphasis on what is in your personal statement and what your rec letters say because that’s what they seem to be evaluating in the interview. Don’t let low numbers keep you from applying. Do your best on the writing portions as well because that’s what gives them a look inside your head at who you really are. They want well rounded students and I think they’re doing a good job of finding them.

 

Good luck guys! I wish you all the best. And remember, the important thing is to get in somewhere!

elaineelise,

 

I have my interview coming up on Nov. 20th. Do you have any suggestions on how to prepare for the interview? I know that they don't ask traditional interview questions and there are 10 stations with different scenarios. Is there anything you wish you had read up on or looked into to prepare before your interview? I'm just super nervous as this is my first choice and I haven't heard back from any other school yet. I feel like this is really my one shot! Thanks-a-million!

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i go to UTSW and i applied to 5 texas schools and got in at all, utsw being first choice - its VERY competative to get an interview, but they interview 90 and 34 get in ..thats not that bad of odds 1/3 ? if you have an interview and you are a people person, can think on your feet, make quick decisions and have a great personality... numbers dont mean much AFTER you get an invite to interview.

a lot of people in our program had excellent grades 3.8, 4.0s but i know a few who had 3.2, 3.4ish and they are doing just fine but had other things and multi tasking going for them. it's, again, an overall thing - a whole package and the desire to be there.

i've been dreaming about being at this school since fresh year of college so... being here is the biggest accomplishment and just an amazing feeling ... to be around people that are SO smart and so deserving to be here. Also the faculty is absolutely amazing, we get EACH lecture by someone who is an expert in their field -say, esophageal problems and UGI... for example each topic is done by an MD, MD/PHD, a PHD or PA that have had years of experience and deal with that topic on daily baisis. Lots of the speakers have numerous awards, and are just ...stunningly brilliant.

It's really an honor to go here, to learn from people like that, and to have SUCH a strong background ...SUCH a strong program (yes, blood, sweat and tears) but ALL worth it :)

 

Good luck :)

Chulzle...sounds amazing! UTSW is my first choice. I actually have my interview on Nov. 20th. I was wondering if there was any advice or heads-up you could give me in regards to preparing for the interview? Thanks!

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  • 1 month later...

Hey guys,

 

Thanks for all of the great perspectives. I will be interviewing on Jan 22nd for the 2010 entering class. I really like the idea of the MMI format as it should help the admissions committee select students who are well rounded as opposed to those who are brainiacs (I certainly fall in the latter category) For those who have been through the MMI format, what types of questions are asked? Is it ethical scenarios or what?

 

Thanks,

 

David

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  • 3 weeks later...

JFrankel0

Congrats on the interview! I'm a first year and will be at the meet and greet Friday night. As far as preparing, rest in the fact that there isn't anything to prepare. With the MMI format each station will be a scenario and there is no way to prepare for them. My best advise is to just relax and be yourself. I know that's what everyone says but really just be yourself and say what you really think and not what you think they want to hear. It really is a fun interview process though, I had a lot of fun when I interviewed last year. Best of luck Friday!

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Guest JFrankel0

Thank you Elainelise! I appreciate the tips. It is nice to hear a students perspective. When I read the scenario do I have a few moments to prepare or do I just walk directly into the room? Look forward to meeting you on Friday!

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JFrankel0

Yes you will have a few moments to prepare before you enter the room. They will explain all of this before the interviews begin and show you a map that is horribly confusing but basically you'll just be walking in a big circle and there will be students and staff showing you where the next room is if you get confused. The whole thing is timed and very orderly. Since we're in Texas they ring a big obnoxious cow bell to tell you when you can enter the room and when you have to rotate to the next one. I think you have like 60 seconds to read the scenario posted on the door (which was plenty of time and i'm a very slow reader so don't let that freak you out, most of the scenarios were only a few sentences.) Then when you get in the room they have the scenario in there as well and they'll ask you if you had time to finish reading and if you didn't you can finish in the room and it's there for you to reference. Good luck and I'll see you Friday!

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