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Re-applicant - Any Suggestions/Advice?


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Hello Everyone,

 

Unfortunately, I was not accepted into any PA schools this past cycle. I applied to 7 schools, had an interview at one school and got waitlisted, waitlisted at 2 other schools, and denial from the rest. I have felt pretty discouraged, but know that this is what I want to do and feel like I can achieve it. I am looking for advice on what I should do from this point forward to improve this coming application cycle. I am thinking of retaking a developmental psych and microbiology since I got a C in both of them before. I am also working 24-36 hours a week as a nursing assistant at a hospital.

My Background:

Undergraduate Degree: Psychology

Science GPA - 3.20

Overall GPA - 3.61

GRE - Q:151, V:154, AW:4.5

I have been working as a nursing assistant for almost a year and have a little over 1300 hours of patient care experience and am still continuing to work there.

I have shadowed 3 different PA's and received a letter of rec from 2 of them.

What does everyone think? Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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Just looking at your stats, I would say you are in the competitive ballpark for applicants. Your plan to retake those couple of classes is a reasonable one. I would consider trying to take one or two upper division science classes to try and boost that sGPA a little bit. Additionally maybe look at what schools you are applying to, make sure to look at the stats posted for accepted students. You will want to edit and update your essay as well, sending in the same essay as a reapplicant is not a good plan. 

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Thanks for the advice guys, appreciate it! Think I will go ahead and retake those 2 classes I had a C with, continue to get more PCE hours in, get LORs from prof/supervisor, look carefully at the schools that I apply to broadly, and revise my PS. Hopefully it will be enough to get in somewhere.

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We are in the same boat except my sGPA is higher but I got a very low score on the analytical writing portion of the GRE. This is what I am doing; revisiting my personal statement, volunteering at least 200 hours at the local homeless shelter and applying to more schools. The last one is probably all I needed, I only applied to 3 local schools but was limited as my daughter graduated high school last year. This year I plan on applying to at least 20 schools, I created a spreadsheet of all the schools in the nation with their prerequisites then found which ones I qualify for then filtered out the schools in high COL states. I am guessing that you should rewrite your personal statement as you only got 1/7 interviews.

 

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  • 1 month later...
15 hours ago, spay12 said:

Hey guys, if i'm applying as a reapplicant to new schools who have never seen my application/personal statement, is it ok to reuse my previous personal statement? Is there any way they can still see my previous application or do they look into that? Thanks!

This is fine, as they cannot see it. However, you should edit and update it if there are any parts that can be strengthened / bettered.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi everyone, 

Looks like I will be reapplying this next cycle as well! I've been looking at information about objectively looking at your application again (GPA, PCE/HCE, shadowing, volunteering, personal statement). I had LORs from a bio professor, 1 MD, 2 PAs and 1 from my volunteer supervisor. 

If I'm reapplying, do I need NEW LORs from these same people? Should I just tell them I am reapplying next cycle and need an updated LOR? 

The advice would be appreciated 🙂 I am reposting these questions on other threads for more responses. 

Thanks!

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Everyone,

I'm really debating on whether I should apply this cycle, or wait another year. I applied to 7 schools, an alternate for one school, waitlist for interviews for 3, and denied the rest. I know now that I should've applied sooner, and I would fix that this time. My number 1 choice school also just announced that they are not taking a class this cycle as they are shortening their program length. My stats are:

cGPA 3.63

sGPA: 3.49

GRE: 301 writing: 4.0 (VERY average)

But I have 4,600 hours of PCE as a CNA. I recently just started working for a medical college as a Clinical Research Assistant. 

HCE as a volunteer at a hospital but only about 30 hours

Other volunteer hours 700 but this was in highschool. 

I have little shadowing and volunteer hours, as I had just started doing these to increase my hours when the whole COVID pandemic started happening. So now I don't know if its worth it to spend all the money trying to apply when I know I'm lacking in these areas. Feeling super confused and could use some HONEST feedback. 

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13 hours ago, AWtoPA said:

Hi Everyone,

I'm really debating on whether I should apply this cycle, or wait another year. I applied to 7 schools, an alternate for one school, waitlist for interviews for 3, and denied the rest. I know now that I should've applied sooner, and I would fix that this time. My number 1 choice school also just announced that they are not taking a class this cycle as they are shortening their program length. My stats are:

cGPA 3.63

sGPA: 3.49

GRE: 301 writing: 4.0 (VERY average)

But I have 4,600 hours of PCE as a CNA. I recently just started working for a medical college as a Clinical Research Assistant. 

HCE as a volunteer at a hospital but only about 30 hours

Other volunteer hours 700 but this was in highschool. 

I have little shadowing and volunteer hours, as I had just started doing these to increase my hours when the whole COVID pandemic started happening. So now I don't know if its worth it to spend all the money trying to apply when I know I'm lacking in these areas. Feeling super confused and could use some HONEST feedback. 

Keep in mind that high school hours do not count

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