ralinina Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Hello all, Just wondering how many schools people have/plan to apply to. Initially I was thinking of applying to only 5-6 that I really want to attend AND that I match all the prereq's for. However, I just heard of someone that applied to ALL the programs in the country and only got accepted to 2-3 of them. That has made me a bit worried. What do you guys think? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmc5108 Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 I think 5-6 is ok. I applied to 9, interviewed at 4 and got accepted to one and waitlisted at one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Hello all, Just wondering how many schools people have/plan to apply to. Initially I was thinking of applying to only 5-6 that I really want to attend AND that I match all the prereq's for. However, I just heard of someone that applied to ALL the programs in the country and only got accepted to 2-3 of them. That has made me a bit worried. What do you guys think? Thanks! Isn't it about 100 bucks per school to apply? Are you saying this chucklehead laid out $15,000 in application fees? I am surprised they got accepted to as many as 2-3. I think 4-5 schools that you are very well qualified and interested is a solid bet. It shows the AdComs that you are in motived to find a good fit but are not throwing money away in a shotgun, inaccurate, non researched approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HM2PA Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Hey there, I have been going back and forth on this myself. @nmc5108 could I ask you what your stats are and where you applied? My confidence is a bit shaky too. I am a Navy Corpsman with my BA and solid experience, superb LORs and a 3.90 sGPA and 3.92 on the last 45 credits... BUT a CASPA cGPA of 2.99. Aside from MEDEX and Pacific - does anyone know of any schools that recalculate the past 45-60 credit? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Hey there,I have been going back and forth on this myself. @nmc5108 could I ask you what your stats are and where you applied? My confidence is a bit shaky too. I am a Navy Corpsman with my BA and solid experience, superb LORs and a 3.90 sGPA and 3.92 on the last 45 credits... BUT a CASPA cGPA of 2.99. Aside from MEDEX and Pacific - does anyone know of any schools that recalculate the past 45-60 credit? Cheers! Do neither of those two schools appeal to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HM2PA Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 @Just Steve, oh quite the opposite! MEDEX is by and far my first choice! I'm from rural eastern Washington and want to stay local, plus I wholeheartedly believe in MEDEX philosophy and mission! Due to proximity and their generous GPA policy (and quality of the program) Pacific is my second choice. I also want to get in this year! Unfortunately my less than stellar CASPA GPA disqualifies me from MOST schools. I am hoping to find some other quality programs where I can be competitive. I know Midwestern has a minimum GPA of 2.8. Back to the OP, I'm wondering how far to "cast the net" Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktheshark89 Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 It depends on what your stats are. IMO 7-9 is a good number assuming you are an "average" applicant for the schools you are applying to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmc5108 Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 @ HM2PA this was my second time applying. my overall gpa was 3.41 and science was 3.29. I have about 500 hours of patient care experience as a CHHA, 140 hours volunteering at a hospital, and 103 hours from shadowing 5 different PAs. Compared to a lot of applicants I dont have a lot of HCE, but I think my personal statement, LORs and shadowing experiences helped me a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted June 10, 2013 Administrator Share Posted June 10, 2013 Apply to every school where: * The school "likes" you (you have acceptable GPA, HCE hours, etc.) * You "like" the school (based on what you can research at application time, you would matriculate there if it was the only school to which you were accepted for that cycle) * There are no barriers to entry (financial aid, etc.) Note that since this requires you to do a bit of research, and since some schools have very opposite requirements (some require massive HCE, others require essentially Pre Med plus for prerequisites) this will almost never result in more applications than you can afford, assuming you have a reasonable opinion about which programs you actually like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Isn't it about 100 bucks per school to apply? From the CASPA FAQ: APPLICATION FEES The cost for a CASPA application is $175 for the first program you apply to. Any additional programs you choose to apply to will cost $45 per designation, even if you submit those programs later in the application cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 From the CASPA FAQ: Ah, my mistake. they only reportedly spent around $7500 in application fees then. That makes a world of difference. :ohnoes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralinina Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 Thanks for you responses! You're listed the main reasons I was leaning towards 5-6... I am now considering applying to 7-8, but only where my GPA, HCE and prereqs match and where I would actually WANT to go. I've already spent so much money on classes, supplies, etc that I cannot throw away money on app fees! My stats are pretty good, I have a 3.73 cGPA from undergrad, and so far a 4.0 science GPA, about 800 paid HCE hours by time of application... hoping that will be enough to get me noticed! I didn't even realize CASPA charges per application! I've been noticing many schools have about a $70 supplemental fee, so is that on top of the CASPA? :ohnoes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Applied to 11. Got into several (more than expected). I was happy with my decision nevertheless because it was the smart and right thing to do. I think 8-14 is a safe range depending on your competitiveness. Some people will say just apply to 2-3 in a "focused approach", but we are playing a numbers game people and it'd be stupid to risk "wasting" a year just because you felt you had a good chance, IMHO. I know others do feel different but this is where I stand. Also, my #1 safety school rejected me. Just goes to show ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 For my second application cycle I applied to 18 and received 6 interviews. I don't buy the whole argument that it looks unattractive to schools if you apply broadly. I doubt it would even be brought up but all you have to do is tell them that you're on a mission to become a PA and want to give yourself the best shot possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadliftyourspirits Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I plan on applying to ~25 schools since I don't consider myself that competitive of an applicant: ~3.0 gpa, ~2000 hrs HCE. I agree with wutthechris - the upfront cost of shoveling out a few thousand for apps is way less than the opportunity cost of delaying employment as a PA for a year. How I see it for myself: fire many bullets and hope at least one hits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgariepy14 Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Does anyone know if the schools we apply to, see all the other schools we are applying to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchy Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 It is my understanding that they do not see the other school you have applied to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKR007 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Does anyone know how they would find out what other schools you have applied to? I assume that information isn't just made available by CASPA.. especially without clearly disclaiming that on the website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Does anyone know if the schools we apply to, see all the other schools we are applying to? You should call CASPA and report back to this thread with what they say. Some think yes and some think no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 First year applied to 8 schools (all in CA) got 1 interview and rejected by all. Second time around I did my research and applied to 2 schools and got accepted. I leave for PA school next week. It doesn't matter how many schools you apply to. It matters that you fit their average accepted student stats. Btw I had a 2.93 so don't get too down. It's only 1 part of your application. If a school only cares about your GPA and not the type of person you are do you really want to attend that program? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Does anyone know how they would find out what other schools you have applied to? I assume that information isn't just made available by CASPA.. especially without clearly disclaiming that on the website Caspa releases that info to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbalaban Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Can you point to where you are finding the accepted student stats? I've been trying google searches and not getting very far. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKR007 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Accepted student facts are usually in PDF files located on the school's website..or sometimes just listed under other admissions information. Sometimes, programs will send you it if you ask them, but check the site first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z PA-C Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Hi guys, So far I only have three schools that I'm planning on applying to in Southern CA which include Western, Loma Linda, and Marshal B. Ketchum (at SCCO). Is it safe to just apply to three, how many would you recommend for me? Thanks for your help! My stats: General Biology Major from University of California, San Diego cumulative GPA: 3.733 science GPA: 3.645 pre-req GPA: 3.828 direct HCE: ~4000 hours as a clinical research assistant/diabetes clinic volunteer/chiropractic assistant/optometry assistant indirect HCE: ~3000 hours front desk/administrative assistant [TABLE=width: 64] [TR] [TD=width: 64, align: right][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 You'll get interviewed and most likely accepted to Western since all they look at primarily is your GPA. Just make sure you have some volunteering in there and study the CAPA website / school website before interviewing. I'm not sure if LLU will accept some of your HCE so double check. Also LLU gives preference to 7th Day Adventists so if that is your faith then you're looking good. I got no clue about the other school. Don't forget you also got RCC, USC, SJVC and TUN (which is only 3 hours away driving from LLU/Western U. From the LLU website: Patient Care Experience 2,000 hours of hands-on patient care experience must be completed prior to enrollment Preferred experiences include accredited, credentialed professions that provide patient assessment, treatment, patient care plans, and diagnostic testing. Preferred applicants will have direct patient care experience working in clinical settings that involve a range of patient responsibility and involve a high level of critical thinking. Only paid hours are acceptable. Examples of preferred clinical experiences Military medic or corpsman Paramedic/EMT (waiting time not included in hours) Nurse (LVN or RN) Radiology technologist Physical therapist Respiratory therapist Occupational therapist Medical technologist Medical assistant (certified; back office hours only) Athletic trainer Other professions not listed above (e.g. phlebotomy, scribe, etc.) will be considered on a case-by-case basis and are dependent upon the quality of patient interaction. Examples of clinical experiences not preferred Administrative duties Massage therapy Personal trainer Home care aide Home health aide Pharmacy technician Certified nurse’s aide (except with documented high-quality patient interaction) Shadowing a physician or PA Research with no patient contact http://www.llu.edu/allied-health/sahp/pa/prerequisites.page? Preferences for Admission The following are the groups of applicants who receive preference for admission. Applicants who do not meet these preferences are still considered for admission to the program, and the presence of one or more of these preferences does not guarantee admission to the program. For more information, please see our FAQs page. Seventh-day Adventists Graduates of Loma Linda University Applicants of under-represented populations Applicants with a history of meaningful, continuous involvement in community serivce consistent with the mission and values of Loma Linda University http://www.llu.edu/allied-health/sahp/pa/admissions.page? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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