Low GPA... Should I just apply to a lot of schools?

[TripleUpbeat]

Hello, I have a cumulative GPA of 3.08, and a science GPA of 2.9. My GRE scores are good enough (86th percentile verbal, 52nd percentile quantitative, 49th percentile analytical), and I have about 500 hours patient care experience (CNA work), as well as 500 hours of other health care experience. If I applied to a lot of schools (I'm thinking 20), would I have a shot at some of them? Assuming I only apply to schools which don't require a science GPA of at least 3.0. Thanks!

[rev ronin]

If you want to waste your money, go for it. You'll help enrich CASPA's coffers, certainly, but you're not a competitive applicant on either HCE or GPA, and GRE is really only ever used as a tiebreaker. I'd stringly recommend waiting out this cycle, improving your GPA and HCE, and using your money NEXT year, when you might actually get an interview (assuming you raise your GPA 0.1-0.2 with relevant science coursework and accrue another 1-2K patient contact hours).

[TripleUpbeat]

Well my problem is I just finished college... so my only option would be to go to community college to re-take some classes. But I don't know how that would look compared to the same classes at a university...

[rev ronin]

GPA matters at least 10x, probably 20-50x, as much as where you took the classes. "Looking bad" is not one of your top 5 problems for getting into PA school.

[joanna.nola]

I'm not going to say whether you have a shot or not. But keep in mind that most schools have at least 500 applicants, many have well over 1,000 for 40 spots. If you are on an adcomm, would you consider you over someone who has been a paramedic for years or someone who has a 4.0 science GPA? Trust me, there are enough applicants in the pool that fit those criteria to fill 40 positions. I'm not sure applying this year is a bad thing, though your chances may be slim as others point out. Applying now and then applying again will show how badly you want this. What you need now, more than anything, is a plan of how to make yourself better for next time. When you apply again, with several more A's, more HCE, more shadowing, more volunteering, you will stand out. That hard work will stand out on your next app. Juggling all those things over the next year will show you are capable of PA school, where you are expected to cover and test on the same amount of material nearly weekly, that you'd cover in half a semester in undergrad. I made a very extensive plan for the year after I applied for the first time. Fortunately I did not have to implement it (though I'm glad I had it--I talked about it at interviews). I got rejections, but did get in somewhere that ended up being a good fit for me. But I also had 3.8 cum and 4.0 science GPAs, above average GRE, and nearly 2,000 HCE. Even then, I wondered if it would be enough, given the competition.

[joanna.nola]

Also, CC can be a great option. I took my science as a mix of CC and the local public university, as I had graduated college years before with no science. Not sure it mattered, but I wanted to prove that I could get A's not only at the community college, but in the Orgo pre-med weed-out class at the local university as well. In the end, I'm not sure they even saw that differentiation, as CASPA lumps it all together.

[Timon]

My advice would be to take courses at what ever school you can 4 year or CC and raise your GPA. You should at least get 500+ of paid HCE with direct patient contact. Don't apply blindly to schools but do some research on what schools have lower GPA standards / HCE and apply there (ie Touro NV). You're not nescisarily applying to get in but to find out what they want you to improve on. Having a 2.93 cGPA and 3.5+ science GPA I can tell you most schools only care about your GPA. That's the bottom line and there's no getting around it.

 

I had asked one of the programs near me besides GPA what else could I do to improve my application and was told cGPA the only thing (I have a 3.0 with them because they honor grade replacements).

 

My other stats are:

900 hours HCE

800 hours volunteering / com service

500 hours PA shadowing

2.93 cGPA (caspa)

3.8 sGPA

3.7 pGPA

4.0 in last 60 units (post Bach)

3.69 (MBA GPA)

 

So take it as it is. Your GPAs are really all these schools care about. Everything else is secondary.

 

For example they look at everyone with a 3.4 first, then 3.3, then 3.2... Etc...