Endeavor Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Just spoke to a fellow colleague who applied to ~15 different schools scattered around the midwest and spent thousands yes THOUSANDS of dollars on CASPA, interview travels, GRE fees, supplemental apps etc! His GPA was 3.8+ sGPA and cGPA and he made sure to meet all the school requirements, not surprisingly he got interviewed at most schools he applied too, rejected half the remaining interviews..all that hard earned cash down the drain. Takeaway: Know your stats, and know the schools you're applying to. Don't doubt yourself but also don't think to highly of yourself. Apply to a safe number of schools that you realistically would attend. Save your money! #FrugalCollegeStudent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HanSolo Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 I will go ahead and pseudo-disagree with you. While I'm all about being frugal, I think this student was simply hedging his bets. Unfortunately, yes, that takes money. There's enough doubt in this system that it is worthwhile to apply to a lot of programs. 15? I'll agree that is probably too many. However, if you want to have a one and done cycle, then it is in your best interest to apply broadly. I applied to 10 programs, was invited to many interviews, and went to a few. Everyone was telling me I was applying to too many schools and to "know my worth," but there was still self-doubt that it might not work out. The fear of being stuck as a medical assistant for another year was enough for me. Yes, I spent a fair bit of money that I had saved and put away for this purpose. The thing is you don't know you are going to get interviews. It's a competitive game, and despite the best stats you just might not be the type of student that particular program was looking for. Overall, I don't think application season is the time to be frugal, but you are correct in that there is certainly a way to waste money during the cycle. Spending an extra thousand bucks now is a better long-term investment than under-applying and having to work a low wage, generally under-stimulating position for another year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beattie228 Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Agree with Chewbacca's counterpart on this one. The $1,000's spent on CASPA and interviewing is paid off in dividends if an applicant can get in the first cycle. An applicants chances of successful admission decreases with each cycle of re-applying. Then take into account an additional year of making a technician earnings (EMT, MA, etc) compared to an extra year of an earned PA salary in one's lifetime and the math can point towards not opting for frugality when applying. That said, an applicant should apply to schools they stand a shot at getting an interview invite at. Applying to every school through CASPA doesn't increase your odds, but the difference between applying to 10 schools versus 7 could very well be the factor that gets one accepted. I've been a PA for a few years now, and I honestly can't even tell you what CASPA/interviewing ended up costing me because it didn't matter to me. I wanted to become a PA and I was going to do everything in my power to get accepted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACrankset Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 5 hours ago, OneDayPA-C said: Just spoke to a fellow colleague who applied to ~15 different schools scattered around the midwest and spent thousands yes THOUSANDS of dollars on CASPA, interview travels, GRE fees, supplemental apps etc! His GPA was 3.8+ sGPA and cGPA and he made sure to meet all the school requirements, not surprisingly he got interviewed at most schools he applied too, rejected half the remaining interviews..all that hard earned cash down the drain. Takeaway: Know your stats, and know the schools you're applying to. Don't doubt yourself but also don't think to highly of yourself. Apply to a safe number of schools that you realistically would attend. Save your money! #FrugalCollegeStudent I have to respectfully disagree. Application are expensive yes as are all the things that go along with it, but not getting in is also expensive. 15 schools is a little excessive with a 3.8 GPA, however if all 15 were good options for him then I feel this was appropriate. You are right that you need to do your research on schools and know you are a good fit numbers wise. Beyond that you have no idea what they are looking for, there are plenty of high GPA applicants that are overlooked every cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Going to jump on the disagree bandwagon, and this is why. My Stats: cGPA 3.95, sGPA 3.9, GRE 315, prior EMT, over a year volunteering at a free clinic, scribing, and shadowing MDs and PAs. I was also a Bio major, so I had the prereqs and then some (I could have easily applied to any med school save for physics). I only applied to 5 programs, 2 "safety," 2 "realistic choices," and Duke. I was not offered an interview at Duke and withdrew my application from 1 "realistic" choice after being accepted to the other (my top pick). I was offered interviews to my 2 "safety" schools, and rejected by both of them after... I was sweating bullets on the last interview at my top "realistic" choice, and I may not have been offered an interview at my other "realistic" pick (will never know). In hindsight, I would recommend 10 programs for anyone, and 15-20 if your application isn't very strong or has a deficiency somewhere. Despite being accepted, if I had to do it all over again, I would apply to = or > 10 programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACrankset Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 I guess the only caveat I would have to my post is if you are limited by geographic or family constraints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajames Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 It is also important to know when to apply for the programs. I think you have a better chance of being accepted the second go-around if you have been improving yourself in your down time-- meaning accumulating more hours, finishing classes, volunteering, etc so your application has grown. Not only that, but your second application shows that you are determined, dedicated, and very interested in attending their program after already being rejected or wait-listed. My heart was set on my in-state schools due to family reasons. I only applied to those 3 with the idea that I would be rejected my first time because I heard most of people are. It was my intention to apply the second time to all 3 in-state schools again on the following cycle plus other out of state programs that interested me with the hopes that my top choice would finally pick me. Well, it turns out I got in to 2/3 and am starting much sooner than expected. My basic stats are cGPA 3.8, sGPA 3.75, microbio major, CNA 2k PCE, 55% math/reading/80+%writing. It really is difficult to say, you have to be realistic, set goals, think about what you're going to do differently, and keep improving yourself. I'm happy I saved money and did not apply to out of state schools. What if I had applied out of state, got accepted to my least favorite program, and had a better chance at my top choice next year? I mean the possibilities are endless and you gotta trust your gut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endeavor Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 Fair rebuttals @HanSolo @PACrankset @beattie228 @Anachronist. My main point along with saving money is to apply smartly NOT just broadly. You can apply to 15 schools, but if those schools have an average cGPA and sGPA of 3.8+ and you're at that 3.3 mark... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 14, 2018 Moderator Share Posted March 14, 2018 agree- there is knowing where you have a shot and just throwing money away. a friend of mine applied to 35 schools with good stats and experience and got into her first pick...but wasted a lot of money applying to programs she really didn't want to attend as back ups just in case because she didn't want to be an MA for another yr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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