Lake Erie College PA Program: Andrea's Acceptance Story (3.97 GPA, Accepted at 21)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Andrea applied to nine programs at 21 with a 3.97 overall and 3.98 science GPA, received seven interview invitations, attended three and was accepted at all three. She built her hours as a caregiver in assisted living and as a pharmacy technician, and gathered five letters of recommendation including one from a medical brigade in Honduras.

Last Updated: August 3, 2026

Your Pre-PA Bestie Blog - everything you need to know to become a PA in one place.

Why PA?

I wanted to become a PA since high school. I like the fact that I didn’t have to be in school for a long time because I want to be able to start a family. I like the flexibility of being able to go into any specialty and having almost the same responsibilities as a doctor.

In this post:

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes?

I received 7 total interviews but only attended 3. I got accepted to all 3 that I interviewed with.

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, seven interview invitations from nine applications is close to the ceiling, and a 3.97 GPA is why. What is worth noticing is that Andrea attended only three of the seven. Once you hold interviews at programs you genuinely want, declining the rest saves considerable money and travel and returns seats to other applicants. Decide early which programs you would actually attend, and let the others go.

Where will you be attending?

Lake Erie College

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Andrea's 1,500 pharmacy technician hours are logged as healthcare experience rather than patient care, which is how most programs classify the role. If you are working as a pharmacy tech and counting on those hours to meet a PCE minimum, check the definition first — she paired hers with 600 caregiver hours that did qualify.

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Anything you found surprising about interviews?

You can really tell what a school is like based off of their interviews. You can tell if a school actually wants to get to know you or not.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process?

The Pre-PA Club on Facebook, the Physician’s Assistant School Manual, The PA Platform Instagram, and How To Ace The PA Interview Book

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

Make sure you write a good personal statement and be yourself during the interviews. Once you get to the interview portion, they already know your stats and experiences, now they want to know you as a person outside of school.

Where can we find you?

instagram – andreeagrecu_

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Health Sciences Pre-PA with minor in Biology
Overall GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.98
GRE: 297
Total PCE hours: 600 as caregiver at an assisted living home
Total HCE hours: 1,500 as pharmacy technician
Shadowing hours: 110
Other Volunteer hours: 100
LORs: 5 total – 1 from PA who I shadowed, one from mentor who is NP, one from head pharmacist (my boss), psychology professor, and the program associate from my medical brigade trip to Honduras
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 21
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 9

FAQ

Do pharmacy technician hours count as patient care experience for PA school?

Usually not — most programs classify pharmacy technician work as healthcare experience rather than direct patient care. Andrea listed her 1,500 pharmacy tech hours as HCE and her 600 assisted living caregiver hours as PCE. [VERIFY] Confirm classification with each program before relying on those hours.

Can you get into PA school at 21?

Yes. Andrea was accepted to Lake Erie College at 21 on her first cycle with a 3.97 GPA and 600 patient care hours. Programs generally require a completed bachelor’s degree before matriculation rather than a minimum age. [VERIFY] Confirm degree-completion requirements at each program.

Can you get into PA school with a 297 GRE?

Yes. Andrea scored 297 and still received seven interview invitations from nine applications, carried by a 3.97 overall and 3.98 science GPA. A very strong GPA can absorb a below-average test score. [VERIFY] Many programs no longer require the GRE.

Does caregiver work at an assisted living facility count as patient care?

Generally yes — caregiving involves direct, hands-on patient care including activities of daily living. Andrea logged 600 such hours. It is one of the more accessible ways to build qualifying hours without a certification. [VERIFY] Confirm with each program.

How can you tell if a PA program is a good fit during the interview?

Andrea says the interview itself reveals a great deal — you can tell whether a school genuinely wants to know you or is simply processing you. Pay attention to how much of the day is conversation versus evaluation, and to how current students speak about faculty.

How can I be featured in an Accepted! post?

Email [email protected] or use the contact form at The PA Platform to share your acceptance story.

CLOSING

Andrea's numbers did most of the work — a 3.97 GPA turned nine applications into seven interview offers. What is instructive is what she did with them: she attended three, got into all three, and did not spend money chasing the rest. Knowing which programs you would actually say yes to is worth deciding before the invitations arrive.

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Lake Erie College PA Program: Andrea's Acceptance Story (3.97 GPA, Accepted at 21)