Low GPA but still want to go to PA school

[johnguillen68]

My GPA is really low, low to the point that people would laugh at me trying to get into PA school. Regardless, I still want to go to PA school. I know I have the motivation, the hungry, and the will to pass. I'm just not given the opportunity because of my GPA. I've been working in the medical field for over 17yrs in the Emergency department, and ambulance, and attending school to get my BS in Biology. It's been 2 yrs since I finished school and applied to so many PA schools but was never given a chance for an interview. I'm 55yrs old and sacrificed a lot to get to this point in my life. I don't look my age and stay in shape so it's not like I'm an old geezer, lol.

I'm really trying to get to the next level of my career. I don't have the money to pay for classes to boost my GPA. Recruiters told me that it would be a waste of money and time. Some suggest that I give up and do something else but I still want to be a PA. What can I do? What schools should I apply to that would accept my low GPA? I'm running out of options.

[FuturePAPhilip]

I would recommend looking at all the programs that would would consider going to and check out their requirements. I saw a few programs with a GPA requirement of 2.5 . I would apply to all of those programs. I have read that a lot of programs are looking for more then just GPA. So just make sure you meet the minimum before you apply. 

[DiggySRNA]

The first hurdle is getting that chance to prove to the adcoms that you are in fact worthy. But if you're applying to programs that have a hard GPA minimum, you automatically get weeded out and it will be a waste of time applying to such programs. Sadly, your application doesn't even make it to their eyes.

Go to https://paeaonline.org/our-programs and sort through the programs that look favorably on the last 45-60 semester credit hours or those with a lower than average minimum GPA requirement. If all else fails, see if you can get into another field (nobody wants to hear this) but if there are hard stops in your way, then there's not much to do.

[IreneJeffery]

On 8/22/2023 at 3:22 AM, Diggy said:

The first hurdle is getting that chance to prove to the adcoms that you are in fact worthy. But if you're applying to programs that have a hard GPA minimum, you automatically get weeded out and it will be a waste of time applying to such programs. Sadly, your application doesn't even make it to their eyes.

Go to https://paeaonline.org/our-programs and sort through the programs that look favorably on the last 45-60 semester credit hours or those with a lower than average minimum GPA requirement. If all else fails, see if you can get into another field (nobody wants to hear this) but if there are hard stops in your way, then there's not much to do.

Thank you, I will do it. Best of luck to me.

[UGoLong]

On 8/21/2023 at 3:13 PM, johnguillen68 said:

My GPA is really low, low to the point that people would laugh at me trying to get into PA school. Regardless, I still want to go to PA school. I know I have the motivation, the hungry, and the will to pass. I'm just not given the opportunity because of my GPA. I've been working in the medical field for over 17yrs in the Emergency department, and ambulance, and attending school to get my BS in Biology. It's been 2 yrs since I finished school and applied to so many PA schools but was never given a chance for an interview. I'm 55yrs old and sacrificed a lot to get to this point in my life. I don't look my age and stay in shape so it's not like I'm an old geezer, lol.

I'm really trying to get to the next level of my career. I don't have the money to pay for classes to boost my GPA. Recruiters told me that it would be a waste of money and time. Some suggest that I give up and do something else but I still want to be a PA. What can I do? What schools should I apply to that would accept my low GPA? I'm running out of options.

It is hard to figure out where you stand from this post. Just how bad are your grades? A school's biggest worry is that an applicant may not be able to handle the load and get dismissed. Unfortunately, grades are often the best way they have of making that prediction.

Every class you have taken counts so that can make it hard to raise your average just by adding some more classes. On the other hand, if you can string together 60 credits of good grades -- as mentioned above -- some schools will still give you a look and those can be found on the web. 

I was an old guy when I started and hope you get the chance too. Best wishes.

Edited August 30, 2023 by UGoLong

[johnguillen68]

On 8/30/2023 at 7:43 AM, UGoLong said:

It is hard to figure out where you stand from this post. Just how bad are your grades? A school's biggest worry is that an applicant may not be able to handle the load and get dismissed. Unfortunately, grades are often the best way they have of making that prediction.

Every class you have taken counts so that can make it hard to raise your average just by adding some more classes. On the other hand, if you can string together 60 credits of good grades -- as mentioned above -- some schools will still give you a look and those can be found on the web. 

I was an old guy when I started and hope you get the chance too. Best wishes.

It makes total sense. I know that given an interview they would see that I am determined and can put all my heart and soul into the program. There wouldn't be any distractions because all I'll be doing is studying.

[UGoLong]

On 9/7/2023 at 1:35 AM, johnguillen68 said:

It makes total sense. I know that given an interview they would see that I am determined and can put all my heart and soul into the program. There wouldn't be any distractions because all I'll be doing is studying.

The issue is getting to an interview. With all of the applications, an early wicket is the grades. Perhaps you can make a personal connection somewhere that could help. Still, you're going to have to have something besides saying you'll put in the effort. Maybe pick a challenging course and do well at it or getting a really good recommendation. In these days of application-processing bots, sometimes a human connection still wins the day.

Good luck.

[rundontwalk]

I would say that if we don't know where you stand GPA-wise plus number of credits and from which school and when, none of the advice is going to really help. And if we don't know where you stand, I'm afraid adcoms won't have a clue either. Can you buckle down and do 80 credits of a 4.0 at a community college in the next year? PA school is much harder than that with some schools doing 22-24 credits per semester! 

[johnguillen68]

On 8/30/2023 at 7:43 AM, UGoLong said:

It is hard to figure out where you stand from this post. Just how bad are your grades? A school's biggest worry is that an applicant may not be able to handle the load and get dismissed. Unfortunately, grades are often the best way they have of making that prediction.

Every class you have taken counts so that can make it hard to raise your average just by adding some more classes. On the other hand, if you can string together 60 credits of good grades -- as mentioned above -- some schools will still give you a look and those can be found on the web. 

I was an old guy when I started and hope you get the chance too. Best wishes.

Thank you. I will most likely try for something else because all hopes are fading as each denial letter comes in. This is my 3rd year trying and I can only get mad at myself for not pursuing a different route or trying to get a master's at something else. For me, it's the money. I can't afford to pay out of pocket classes to boost my GPA(2.53). I'm dead broke and have bad credit, so I can't get credit cards to pay for classes. Of course, if I were to get into PA school it'd be different because it's a master's degree (FAFSA) and my family would be a co-signer for loans.

I might end up going to nursing school and going the NP route. It's the GPA that will stop me from getting into nursing school unless I go to private institutions. I was really hoping to get into PA and knock it out under 28 months instead of going to nursing and finishing in 3 years and then another 2 for NP.

[johnguillen68]

On 9/16/2023 at 3:08 AM, rundontwalk said:

I would say that if we don't know where you stand GPA-wise plus number of credits and from which school and when, none of the advice is going to really help. And if we don't know where you stand, I'm afraid adcoms won't have a clue either. Can you buckle down and do 80 credits of a 4.0 at a community college in the next year? PA school is much harder than that with some schools doing 22-24 credits per semester! 

My GPA is 2.53 and I have my Bachelor's degree in Biology from Reinhardt University in Georgia. I think I have a total of 126 credits. I don't know what is my GPA total for the last 60 credits. I applied to 6 PA schools this time around and already received 3 denials. So I think I'll hold off on the last 3 and after that hang up my attempts. I can't afford to keep spending money on CASPA apps, supp apps, and transcript requests.

I even thought about becoming a Respiratory Therapist. I don't know, I'm just tired of being an ER tech, and now with a BS in Biology, I'm an over-glorified ER tech. Still doing the same thing. Making way less than a third of what I owe from getting my Degree.

[DiggySRNA]

2 hours ago, johnguillen68 said:

My GPA is 2.53 and I have my Bachelor's degree in Biology from Reinhardt University in Georgia. I think I have a total of 126 credits. I don't know what is my GPA total for the last 60 credits. I applied to 6 PA schools this time around and already received 3 denials. So I think I'll hold off on the last 3 and after that hang up my attempts. I can't afford to keep spending money on CASPA apps, supp apps, and transcript requests.

I even thought about becoming a Respiratory Therapist. I don't know, I'm just tired of being an ER tech, and now with a BS in Biology, I'm an over-glorified ER tech. Still doing the same thing. Making way less than a third of what I owe from getting my Degree.

Respiratory is an amazing field for sure. And if you do well, you can use this as leverage to attempt PA School after a few years of experience.

[UGoLong]

On 9/25/2023 at 7:52 PM, johnguillen68 said:

Thank you. I will most likely try for something else because all hopes are fading as each denial letter comes in. This is my 3rd year trying and I can only get mad at myself for not pursuing a different route or trying to get a master's at something else. For me, it's the money. I can't afford to pay out of pocket classes to boost my GPA(2.53). I'm dead broke and have bad credit, so I can't get credit cards to pay for classes. Of course, if I were to get into PA school it'd be different because it's a master's degree (FAFSA) and my family would be a co-signer for loans.

I might end up going to nursing school and going the NP route. It's the GPA that will stop me from getting into nursing school unless I go to private institutions. I was really hoping to get into PA and knock it out under 28 months instead of going to nursing and finishing in 3 years and then another 2 for NP.

I think you have some choices ahead to get to where you might like to be. Maybe spend some time with a nurse, an NP, and a respiratory therapist will help clarify things. And it seems to me that your transcript and an Excel spreadsheet would tell you if the last 60 credits you took look better than the first 60.

It's second down and 12 (and you don't have only 4 downs) so call your next play!  And best of luck.

[rundontwalk]

That 2.53 is going to be exclusionary almost everywhere. I don't think it's a special case like a Princeton 2.53 GPA from the 1990s with no modern grade inflation. But since you only have 126 credits, going the nursing school route and doing well would boost your GPA. After a BSN, you would have the option of pursing NP or with the boosted GPA when you include nursing school grades and credits, you might have a renewed shot at PA programs. You could also decide to just work as an RN. 

My GPA was lower than yours at 2.48 so I needed major GPA repair. It took me over 140 credits of 4.0 to get me above 3.3 GPA. I also looked for places with grade replacement so for those schools, my GPA was 3.96. I think more schools will give you a chance if you can document that you're fixing the situation. Money is a common issue but since there are so many people who overcome it to make it work, it's not going to be an acceptable excuse as to why you couldn't repair your GPA while many others in similar situations figured out a way.

[johnguillen68]

On 9/27/2023 at 1:53 AM, rundontwalk said:

That 2.53 is going to be exclusionary almost everywhere. I don't think it's a special case like a Princeton 2.53 GPA from the 1990s with no modern grade inflation. But since you only have 126 credits, going the nursing school route and doing well would boost your GPA. After a BSN, you would have the option of pursing NP or with the boosted GPA when you include nursing school grades and credits, you might have a renewed shot at PA programs. You could also decide to just work as an RN. 

My GPA was lower than yours at 2.48 so I needed major GPA repair. It took me over 140 credits of 4.0 to get me above 3.3 GPA. I also looked for places with grade replacement so for those schools, my GPA was 3.96. I think more schools will give you a chance if you can document that you're fixing the situation. Money is a common issue but since there are so many people who overcome it to make it work, it's not going to be an acceptable excuse as to why you couldn't repair your GPA while many others in similar situations figured out a way.

Thank you. You mentioned that it took over 140 credits of 4.0 to get to 3.3 from a 2.48, that's like another degree. It's been a struggle for me because I live alone and built up so much debt because of school and only working 2 days a week. I barely made ends meet. I did Uber and Lyft on my days off from school and my other job but still that was just to pay for my registration hold for every semester. Falling behind on my rent and on the verge of getting evicted I took out payday loans and made biweekly payments. I'm still paying them off.

Right now, I have I'm working full time in the ED still paying off those loans and making ends meet. So trying to save up money for classes to get my GPA up is difficult. I've applied to 20 PA schools the first year I finished my BS and then the second year maybe 10 more schools. This year I wasn't going to apply but decided to update my personal statement and apply to 6 schools. I already received 3 denial letters still waiting on the other 3 but I already know the answer. So I'm trying to decide between nursing school or respiratory program. I really don't want to work as a nurse. I've seen all that they do in the ED. The only that sets me apart from them is their school knowledge and ability to give medicine. Other than that, I can do everything else they do (IV, ultrasound IV, EKG, and patient care). I've been doing that for over 17yrs and I'm tired of it and want to move on to the next level of my life.

I'm gonna sit down and just look at my options and see what I can do because depression and negativity are settling in my heart and mind.

[johnguillen68]

On 9/25/2023 at 10:44 PM, Diggy said:

Respiratory is an amazing field for sure. And if you do well, you can use this as leverage to attempt PA School after a few years of experience.

I spoke with a respiratory therapist at my job and they were encouraging me to go for it. An AA or BS degree in Respiratory is about the same they told me. I don't know if my BS degree in Biology would give me an edge toward a master's degree in respiratory if they have one. I just don't want an AA in respiratory and have a BS in biology that didn't do anything for me.

[DiggySRNA]

12 hours ago, johnguillen68 said:

I spoke with a respiratory therapist at my job and they were encouraging me to go for it. An AA or BS degree in Respiratory is about the same they told me. I don't know if my BS degree in Biology would give me an edge toward a master's degree in respiratory if they have one. I just don't want an AA in respiratory and have a BS in biology that didn't do anything for me.

If moving is an option I know Jefferson University has a 2nd degree BS in Respiratory Therapy. I considered them for a hot second but went the nursing route instead. It's a well known school in this region.