Rough start

[Mhall710]

Hey everyone, I'm currently a junior finishing up my B.S in Bio & Neuroscience and applying next cycle for Pa schools. When I first started college I had a very tough time transitioning from high school due to a plethora of medical problems and undiagnosed ADHD. My grades weren't the best and I had a few F's and W's. I took off several years and became a certified Pharmacy Tech to save money in paying off some loans. My current overall GPA is 3.5ish, however I'm a bit concerned with my transcripts from my early years in college. I just feel like no matter what I do I'll never be a competitive applicant due to some prior circumstances out of my control. 

Does anyone know how much Pa schools (on average) emphasize the upward trend? I have 3000+ hours of PCE with years of HCE & other outside volunteer work in addition to my transcripts. 

I'm feeling pretty discouraged so any help would be appreciated, thank you

 

 

[UGoLong]

Hey everyone, I'm currently a junior finishing up my B.S in Bio & Neuroscience and applying next cycle for Pa schools. When I first started college I had a very tough time transitioning from high school due to a plethora of medical problems and undiagnosed ADHD. My grades weren't the best and I had a few F's and W's. I took off several years and became a certified Pharmacy Tech to save money in paying off some loans. My current overall GPA is 3.5ish, however I'm a bit concerned with my transcripts from my early years in college. I just feel like no matter what I do I'll never be a competitive applicant due to some prior circumstances out of my control. 
Does anyone know how much Pa schools (on average) emphasize the upward trend? I have 3000+ hours of PCE with years of HCE & other outside volunteer work in addition to my transcripts. 
I'm feeling pretty discouraged so any help would be appreciated, thank you [emoji846]
 
 

You know why what happened, happened. You can't change the past but you did well from then on out.

Breathe: you don't have to be perfect. You overcame a problem. That counts!

Good luck!

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[Batman]

On 11/18/2018 at 5:30 PM, Mhall710 said:

Hey everyone, I'm currently a junior finishing up my B.S in Bio & Neuroscience and applying next cycle for Pa schools. When I first started college I had a very tough time transitioning from high school due to a plethora of medical problems and undiagnosed ADHD. My grades weren't the best and I had a few F's and W's. I took off several years and became a certified Pharmacy Tech to save money in paying off some loans. My current overall GPA is 3.5ish, however I'm a bit concerned with my transcripts from my early years in college. I just feel like no matter what I do I'll never be a competitive applicant due to some prior circumstances out of my control. 

Does anyone know how much Pa schools (on average) emphasize the upward trend? I have 3000+ hours of PCE with years of HCE & other outside volunteer work in addition to my transcripts. 

I'm feeling pretty discouraged so any help would be appreciated, thank you

 

 

You should be able to find schools in the threads that mainly look at the last 60+ hours but be careful even calculating your own GPA. CASPA does a great job at calculating your GPA in a way that will leave you a little shocked. It can look good to take some time off and gather yourself, working on classes, and keep gaining healthcare hours and get ready to apply. A good personal statement can get you an interview. Good luck!

[Lilygirl8]

Re; CASPA GPA being slightly shocking

... woof.. I'll say...

I have spent the last 4 years trying my best to "boost" my GPA by re-taking some pre-reqs and taking upper level courses, all of which I have gotten mostly As and 2 Bs in. Each time I feel like "this is the year", CASPA calculates my GPA and it is soooooo much lower than I would anticipate and it's such a killer. Basically, don't give up if this is what you really want to do. It will probably take a few cycles to get accepted, which is average. Don;t lose sight of the goal!!

It takes an average of 3 cycles to get accepted to a program and the average age of the accepted applicant is 28. 

[Packman PA]

I am a non traditional student (47 yrs old/veteran from USAF Medic/Lab Tech).  I too I had rough start in college and enlisted in the military. Completed my 4 yr contract, enrolled back into another university and graduated with honors.  Due to CASPA counting all my years of college my cGPA and sGPA were low so I took some post bac classes to help increase my cGPA and sGPA plus show how serious I was about becoming a PA.  I applied 2 years in a row.  My 1st time applying I was rejected from all the schools I applied, this year I was rejected from all of the schools but 1 did give me a interview invite and an acceptance letter.  I know first hand the struggle but the one I applied to looked at my last 60 credits.  I believe due to that plus showing an upward trend since my first year struggles and taking post bac classes is what helped me to get the interview and finally accepted.  If you have any further questions feel free to send me a private message.   Keep working hard and don't give up...I am proof it can happen....

[aba51]

I think most people, if not everyone, will understand some circumstances are not in your control and may not be in your favor. What is impressive from these situations is what you learned from it and how it made you grow. Obstacles and hardships will only foster your maturity, resilience, and perseverance if you let it. I would say that programs that look at applicants holistically will take your upward trend into account. You can look through their website or ask the admissions committee if they evaluate on a holistic process.

I didn't do so hot in my first two years of college. But to combat that deficiency, I gained a lot of life experience and conveyed that through my personal statement and my interviews. As long as the admissions committee can see and know you can handle their rigorous curriculum, I think they really base their decisions on how well you know the PA profession (i.e. through PA shadowing or just general knowledge) and how passionate and determined you are to becoming PA and have the qualities to become one. I believe that's what really gets you the acceptance. 

Don't dwell on your shortcomings. Life happens. Bulk up on the life experience, healthcare experience, awesome personal statement and amazing LORs. Good luck!