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Perpetually Waitlisted


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Hello,

I have been waitlisted at the last 3 schools I have interviewed at, and have yet to hear back from one interview. The funny thing is, I feel that I am a subpar applicant on paper (3.37 for both cGPA and sGPA with a 299 GRE). I do have about 7,000 hours of direct PCE and good LOR's, however. I always figured that if I made it to the interview I would be okay, as I really do believe that my personality and interview skills are my strong suit. So my question is, do schools still continue to prioritize applicants with higher GPAs and put those with lower GPAs on the back burner after interviewing? I know this is all subjective, but it's frustrating and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar to this? (I have done plenty of mock interviews, and always try to cater my interview answers to fit the mission of the particular program that I'm interviewing at). Thanks in advance for any advice! 

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I don't have much to offer in the way of advice but misery does love company so I can offer companionship ;)

I've been applying for PA school for 4 years now and been on waitlists so I know exactly how that feels. Aside from the PCE hours, of which you have many more than I, we are pretty similar applicants it would seem so I know the frustration that comes after feeling like an interview has gone well, only to find yourself on the waitlist. I'm currently on 2 waitlists myself!

I think the only advice I would have for you is to persevere. If PA is what you really want, then you may have to wait another year but keep at it! Oh, and maintain a dialogue with the schools you are most interested in. Ask for feedback, call for updates; let them know you are still interested and willing to do whatever it takes to be accepted!!

Best of luck!

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Believe it or not, the schools don't like the waitlists any more than applicants do. We would love to have a solid class seated so we can all move on with our lives. Now that people apply to (on average) a dozen schools, there is a tremendous amount of shifting that takes place, often right up to the first day of class.

If you are on a waitlist, a school sees you as admittable - that's a good place to be.

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ultimately comes down to this... every school tries to make something that is highly subjective into objective with a scoring system with hard stop "scores" for admittance, waitlist and rejection.

How does that happen?

Obvious objective criteria include GPA, clinical hours, GRE, shadow hours, volunteer hours.

So they tier each of these and compile a raw score.

Then comes the subjectivity such as LOR, interview, personal statement and supplementals.

In conclusion, a person who does have a higher GPA doesn't have to kill an interview like one with a lower GPA.

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I have no insight into the program side of the application process, but I was wait-listed on my first time applying. I went to the program director, requested a meeting, and asked him what I could do to get accepted rather than on the wait list. I don't know if this is feasible for you, but it worked for me--I was accepted in the next time.

You said you have health care experience and good LORs; unfortunately, so does everyone else. So it comes down to GPA, GRE, and and your interview. Focus on the areas you can improve.

 

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I'm sure there are lots of different ways that schools process applicants. There are earlier interview slots for the fantastic applicants on paper and such, but the interview is pretty much the big decision point for most everyone else. From what I've seen, if you get invited, you are pretty much on level ground.

However, the interview isn't checking a box that an applicant is satisfactory. In the end, it's a chance for the faculty to see if they'd like to have you sitting right there in class, not being a problem child, helping the stats by passing their boards, and probably make a good PA. If you come across as just another applicant, you might get wait-listed and eventually bubble up if a slot becomes available, but that's probably not your best shot.

Your interview doesn't have to be a song and dance opportunity, but it's really a chance to show who you are. If there is something unique about you, try to get that across. Act like you're meeting your mate's parents for the first time: polite, good behavior, dressed nicely, but with a personality and openness.

You would like the people who interviewed you to at least gently push for you when the faculty get together to review who they just interviewed. In the end, that is often where the rubber meets the road.

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  • 9 months later...

I love all the advice on this forum, and I'd love to throw my own question into the ring:

I have the same issue as the original poster - I've gotten interviews at 3 of the top programs in the country (yay!), but then get wait listed at the end. I always feel like the interview has gone well, but that my low quantitative GRE scores comes back to bite me. My GPA otherwise is good. How closely to schools take in to consideration GRE scores, especially when I've got a great verbal score? Thanks!

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  • Administrator
On 10/19/2018 at 11:14 AM, MissPrePAJess said:

I love all the advice on this forum, and I'd love to throw my own question into the ring:

I have the same issue as the original poster - I've gotten interviews at 3 of the top programs in the country (yay!), but then get wait listed at the end. I always feel like the interview has gone well, but that my low quantitative GRE scores comes back to bite me. My GPA otherwise is good. How closely to schools take in to consideration GRE scores, especially when I've got a great verbal score? Thanks!

It will vary from program to program, honestly.  If you're waitlisted, understand that you're considered "good enough" but not head and shoulders above a sea of other perfectly good enough candidates.

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On 10/19/2018 at 2:14 PM, MissPrePAJess said:

I love all the advice on this forum, and I'd love to throw my own question into the ring:

I have the same issue as the original poster - I've gotten interviews at 3 of the top programs in the country (yay!), but then get wait listed at the end. I always feel like the interview has gone well, but that my low quantitative GRE scores comes back to bite me. My GPA otherwise is good. How closely to schools take in to consideration GRE scores, especially when I've got a great verbal score? Thanks!

If you are waitlisted, you still have a shot of getting in - so stay positive! If you don’t get in this cycle (not saying this will be the case, you still have a good shot of getting in), you may want to retake the GRE if you feel that is the weak point in your application. However, if it is 150 or above you shouldn’t need to retake. Good luck!

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest thatgirlonabike
On 10/19/2018 at 2:14 PM, MissPrePAJess said:

I love all the advice on this forum, and I'd love to throw my own question into the ring:

I have the same issue as the original poster - I've gotten interviews at 3 of the top programs in the country (yay!), but then get wait listed at the end. I always feel like the interview has gone well, but that my low quantitative GRE scores comes back to bite me. My GPA otherwise is good. How closely to schools take in to consideration GRE scores, especially when I've got a great verbal score? Thanks!

When I interviewed one of the interviewers specifically quoted my horrible GRE quantitative score as why she would have to convince the adcomm to admit me.  (My verbal score is 90 percentile).  Other than that I felt like I had a great interview and then I was wait listed.  Sooooo -- it does matter.  

 

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I am waiting to hear back from my top choice of school right now(starts in spring '19), although was accepted to a less favorable school that starts this January. I'm guessing I am either waitlisted or denied as I interviewed over two weeks ago and it looks like other people from my interview group already got accepted.

Should I call the program and ask what my status is and say I need to know soon? Or could that hurt my chances. I have a feeling I wouldnt hear back until I've already matriculated into the earlier start date, which if I got in would suck. 

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