How do you choose which PA schools to apply to?

[dRAQUELa]

There are 159 accredited PA programs in the US...besides location or tuition, what do you look for in choosing which schools to apply to? How many do you usually apply to?

 

My #1 choice of school doesn't require GRE, but I'm thinking about taking the GRE's now to apply to backup schools. Will schools see this and does it look bad to apply to a lot? I only want to apply once and don't want the hassle to have to apply again, so that's what I'm trying to decide - if to take the GRE and how many schools I should apply to in order to get into a PA school for year of 2013.

 

Thanks for all your help and advice! :)

[rev ronin]

First, this is a PA student forum. You want the pre-pa forum.

 

Second, there is no such thing as a "backup" school. This isn't medical school--it's more competitive, and criteria vary wildly from school to school.

 

Having said all that, you look at their teaching philosophy, target type of practitioner produced, and prerequisites to see what you match best.

[IdahoPA]

Then you go to the interviews and see which feels best.

[chiaroscuro27]

Good question.

 

Choosing the right program will make or break your chances of getting in. I look at applying to PA school like a game. Yes, you want to go to a program that will prepare you to be the best PA possible. Yes, you want to go to a school that has great PANCE pass rates. But if you can't compete with the applicants all of that is moot. So it's about finding a balance. Look for programs that are looking for a candidate like you. Then narrow those schools down to the ones where you think your stats are above the average applicant. I wrote a blog entry about this some time ago.

 

Good luck to you.

[Ernie]

All of the above, and don't worry about applying to more than one school, the schools expect that. Just be prepared for an interview question like "How do we know that, should we admit you to the program, that you won't back out at the last minute to accept what you think is a better offer?"

[HLReed]

If you think there is even the slightest chance that you want to attend a particular program, apply. The investment of time and money to apply to a PA school is minuscule compared to the advantage of having options or getting into a great program that you may have ruled out.

 

Don't worry about how competitive you are compared to the other applicants (you will have no way of knowing this anyway). Most students at my school applied to our program and didn't think they had any chance of getting in. Apply to programs with varying requirements, though, to give yourself the best chance of getting in somewhere.

 

Have some confidence, aim high, and don't sweat it if some schools pass you over.

 

And most of all, don't skip over a school because someone tells you that you aren't a strong enough applicant. You never know and neither do they.

[atmu]

HLReed gives great advice. Filling out your CASPA, particularly your personal statement, takes so much time and work. It's worth it to apply to many schools

[rev ronin]

Don't worry about how competitive you are compared to the other applicants (you will have no way of knowing this anyway).

 

Actually, if the program publishes statistics of admitted students, and many do, you can assess how well you stack up to the school's traditional pool. It's really up to each applicant to see how far below those averages they fit, and decide whether or not their intangibles (LORs, personal statement, "fit" with program mission) make it worthwhile to apply.

 

PA school is not a lottery; not everyone who fills out a CASPA application has "a chance" at every program to which they apply. Adcoms are not dart-throwers; they are looking for a candidate that fits their program, and that means that poor-fit candidates have no chance of being admitted. If there is any apparent randomness, most of that is based on the applicant 1) not having a good picture of what the specific program is looking for, and 2) not having any view at all into how relatively competitive they are compared to this year's crop of applicants.

[EMEDPA]

Certain types of schools are looking for certain types of students. as mentioned above, look at avg age, gpa, years and quality of hce , etc

what might be a reach school for some folks might be a backup for others it all depends on the school.

when I applied there were only 52 programs. I applied to 2.

today I would probably apply to at least 3; a "dream school", a fairly good fit school, and a backup school. just like when folks apply for undergrad you will see someone apply to harvard, uc santa barbara, and cal state fullerton.

I think it's a little silly to apply to> 10 schools. if you can't get an interview with 10 apps it's not about the schools, it's about you.

[HLReed]

Actually, if the program publishes statistics of admitted students, and many do, you can assess how well you stack up to the school's traditional pool. It's really up to each applicant to see how far below those averages they fit, and decide whether or not their intangibles (LORs, personal statement, "fit" with program mission) make it worthwhile to apply.

 

PA school is not a lottery; not everyone who fills out a CASPA application has "a chance" at every program to which they apply.

 

As you mentioned, anything posted on a PA program's website is strictly a quantitative measurement of a limited number of decision factors. Any number of factors, including qualitative factors that can in no way be "averaged" and posted, can make up for a deficit in a particular area.

 

Certainly some programs lean toward a certain type of applicant, which is why I said to apply with variety in this regard if your goal is to get into ANY program.

 

You're right, you don't get into a PA program by chance. But failing to apply to a program based on a partial understanding of their expectations (and GPA, GRE, etc. is only a part) ensures you will not get in and is unwise.

[HLReed]

I think it's a little silly to apply to> 10 schools. if you can't get an interview with 10 apps it's not about the schools, it's about you.

 

I agree, a candidate who can't get a single interview on 10 applications may need more time to prepare for the application process.

 

However, competitive applicants can apply to numerous schools for different reasons. It's a good idea to have options and to make an educated decision if you are able to get into multiple quality programs.

 

I certainly couldn't make an informed decision between the schools that accepted me until I had seen them first-hand for an interview. And the only way to get an interview is to apply.

[EMEDPA]

SURE, but...I know folks who applied to 35 schools...come on now....she got 17 interviews, kept something like 5 of them and got into her top choice school.

[acozadd]

SURE, but...I know folks who applied to 35 schools...come on now....she got 17 interviews, kept something like 5 of them and got into her top choice school.

 

Yikes. Strong waste of a several grand on the application process... Even if you aren't that strong of an applicant I can't see applying to over 10 schools.

[rev ronin]

Hey, the more people who apply to every school, the more the CASPA process is subsidized for those with discretion who pick their top 5... :-)

 

Actually, that would presume that CASPA is non-profit, which it is not, so people applying to excess schools are really just lining someone else's pockets with their cash and dreams.

[atmu]

There might be some people that NEED to apply to many schools. I had a cGPA of 3.1 so I knew a lot of schools wouldn't even give my application the time of day. But my sGPA was 3.9 and my postbacc work (80+ units) was 4.0, so I hoped there would be some schools could look past my undergrad transgressions from a decade ago. Out of 24 schools, 8 offered interviews. Had I applied to only the other 16, I'd have nothing.

[chiaroscuro27]

There might be some people that NEED to apply to many schools. I had a cGPA of 3.1 so I knew a lot of schools wouldn't even give my application the time of day. But my sGPA was 3.9 and my postbacc work (80+ units) was 4.0, so I hoped there would be some schools could look past my undergrad transgressions from a decade ago. Out of 24 schools, 8 offered interviews. Had I applied to only the other 16, I'd have nothing.

 

But that's just it...why apply to a school that won't give you or your application the time of day? It's a big waste of resources for the applicant, and a waste of time for the school. Applicants should put their best foot forward and apply to programs they have researched extensively, not shoot in the dark and hope for the best.

[atmu]

I had no idea who would or wouldn't. Only a very few schools say they look at the recent credits. There are schools with low class avgs that never offered interviews and top 10 schools with high class avgs that did. I can't find a rhyme or reason to it.

[andersenpa]

Thread moved to Pre-PA forum.

 

To make an analogy to PA job hunting....they say you have 3 parameters:

1. salary

2. location

3. specialty

 

 

Similarly, look at cost, location, and any "specialty focus" the program may have (essentially if they are a primary care/rural program, or like to retain grads to work in the area).

[acozadd]

I would say to look at the PANCE first time pass rates when comparing programs. You want to go to an established program that has a history of producing well prepared PAs, and this is one of the few quantifiable ways to measure this. Also consider where you want to practice. If you want to end up in an area, it is a good idea to attend a program in that area because you will be able to network, and applying to positions across the country is 1) not always practical and 2) might make that employer question if you really want to live in that area long term or if you are just applying to any and every position.

[HLReed]

I would hesitate to put too much weight into the PANCE pass rate for a few reasons:

 

1. PANCE preparation is largely a solo effort since you have anywhere from 12-16 months from the time of your LAST didactic year class to the time you take the PANCE. A lot of the review is done independently. (Most of my colleagues were right around the 17 month mark this year)

 

2. If your class is small, say 35 students, one or two knuckleheads who don't take it seriously can rapidly drop the pass rate. While good programs should be able to curb this and prevent it from happening habitually, it can skew a year or two when it does. (Does 100% vs 94% sway you? I'm not sure.)

 

3. There are a lot of enticing things about a program that may attract students but don't necessarily benefit a school's PANCE pass rate. International rotations were a huge selling point for me, but if anything they may even distract from one's focus on a multiple-choice exam. Ultimately the individual student's attitude matters a great deal as well.

 

(Disclaimer: Passing the PANCE is important, I know. And it is your program's responsibility, in part, to prepare you.)

[acozadd]

I would hesitate to put too much weight into the PANCE pass rate for a few reasons:

 

1. PANCE preparation is largely a solo effort since you have anywhere from 12-16 months from the time of your LAST didactic year class to the time you take the PANCE. A lot of the review is done independently. (Most of my colleagues were right around the 17 month mark this year)

 

2. If your class is small, say 35 students, one or two knuckleheads who don't take it seriously can rapidly drop the pass rate. While good programs should be able to curb this and prevent it from happening habitually, it can skew a year or two when it does. (Does 100% vs 94% sway you? I'm not sure.)

 

3. There are a lot of enticing things about a program that may attract students but don't necessarily benefit a school's PANCE pass rate. International rotations were a huge selling point for me, but if anything they may even distract from one's focus on a multiple-choice exam. Ultimately the individual student's attitude matters a great deal as well.

 

(Disclaimer: Passing the PANCE is important, I know. And it is your program's responsibility, in part, to prepare you.)

 

Im not saying PANCE pass rates are the end all be all, but if you are looking for something tangible, that is a good option. Moreso than the US News Report with some mystery peer reviewed ranking system of programs... If you watch PANCE pass rates of a new program, they improve over time until eventually plateau in the 90s. I wouldn't want to be a guinea pig in one of the early graduating classes at a newer program because there are likely many kinks to be worked out, they are still establishing clinical sites, etc. It is also on the program to select who is in each class, so if they are selecting "knucleheads" who aren't taking it seriously, that may be a reflection of the program ;)

[dRAQUELa]

Thank you everyone for your helpful advice! You all have brought up some good points. Basically what I've gotten from reading them all is to apply to many to increase your options, but do research and find that balance of which schools you fit/have a chance at and which schools would want you as an applicant. However, have confidence, aim high, and don't sweat if schools pass you over (thanks HLReed).

 

andersenpa, do most pa programs like to retain grads to work in the area? My top PA school choice is only 14 miles away from my home, which is one of the reasons why it is a top choice. Does this give me a slightly higher advantage than other applicants? My GPA is 3.42 (which is their GPA avg applicant), HCE clinical research for ~1200 hours (1000 avg), have shadowed 2 PAs so far and going to shadow a graduate from my top choice school soon. I hope I am so far a strong candidate for my top choice. I am going to attend their info session in 2 weeks and will find out more then. Thank you and everyone for your help! Much appreciated.

[MrsRonSwanson]

Everyone else brings up great points. In my opinion it really depends on what you want your experience to be. I had my favorites, but I realized this is beyond competitive. I applied to 11 programs, so I recommend applying to a lot of schools, because you really have no idea how things are going to go. Some applicants only applied to a few programs because of family/logistics. I just wanted to be a PA and I didn't care where I had to move. I also realized that the requirements varied a lot by school. That's the first criteria I used. I wasn't going to put off applying so I could take more classes if I already had the requirements to apply to some great programs.

 

I strongly recommend you apply to a lot of programs and apply really early. Just because you meet or surpass the stats the program provides doesn't guarantee an interview.