Pace University Pleasantville PA Program: Daniela's Acceptance Story (How Persistence Got Her In)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Daniela went a full cycle without a single interview and had already accepted two more years of waiting when Pace announced a brand-new PA program at its Pleasantville campus starting that fall. She applied, interviewed, heard nothing, and then — with a doctor and PA she worked with advocating for her — called the program directly to make her case. She was offered a spot the same week she planned to show up in person.

Last Updated: August 3, 2026

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A Note From Savanna

Daniela is a true example of not giving up and how persistence pays off. She has a really unique story of how she gained acceptance to PA school, and while it may not work for everyone, creativity can work in your favor. Here is Daniela’s story, followed by her stats:

In this post:

Daniela’s Story

I applied for the first time last year and did not get any interviews. I was only waitlisted for interviews to later be removed from that list as well. I gave myself a “deadline hope” until mid spring because one of the schools I had applied to had interviews from about March to April. I followed the that school’s thread on Physician Assistant Forum and some time in April people were saying they were the last interview group, so I knew that opportunity had also gone right out the window for me.

I went through my grieving process and eventually accepted the fact that I would be out of school for another two years since I didn’t want to apply for this year’s cycle because I hadn’t done anything to improve my application, so I’d be applying next cycle. One day, early May I received an email from Pace notifying me they were opening a PA program at their Pleasantville campus that would be starting this Fall. I gave it a shot and applied and a few weeks later I landed an interview. I felt I had done pretty well on my interview and was told I’d hear back in 7-10 days. Days passed and I didn’t hear anything from them and I began getting so discouraged. I thought, what was the point of this opportunity knocking at my door after I had accepted my fate to only be turned down again?

I discussed my situation with the doctor and PA I worked with and they both encouraged me to be persistent with Pace, to call and tell them how very interested I was in the program, why I was a good choice for them, and to consider me if any spots opened. The PA also called them and argued my case and put in a good word for me. I planned on going to Pace in person to try to speak with one of the admissions people to put a face to my name while I promoted myself for the program. However, the week I intended to do that, I received a call from the program offering me a spot.

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, newly accredited PA programs are one of the most underused opportunities in the application process. A brand-new cohort has no alumni network, no ranking and often a late, poorly publicized application window — which means a much smaller applicant pool. Daniela applied to Pace's new Pleasantville program in May for a fall start and was in. [VERIFY] Check accreditation status (provisional vs. continuing) before committing to any new program, since provisional accreditation carries real considerations around clinical placement and first-time PANCE data.

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

1. Accepted

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Daniela's five letters came from an internal medicine physician, a dermatology physician, a dermatology PA, an orthopedic PA and a chemistry professor — four clinicians to one academic. That ratio is unusual and works best when, like Daniela, you have thousands of hours alongside those providers and they can speak to you concretely.

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Any red flags on your application?

Low science GPA and C+ in chemistry II

Anything you found surprising about interviews?

The admissions committee were all extremely nice which eased my nerves. They clearly wanted to make the interviewees more relaxed and feel accomplished that we had made it to that interview.

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

How To “Ace” The Physician Assistant School Interview by Andrew J. Rodican (Amazon Affiliate Link), The PA Platform Mock Interview, physicianassistantforum.com, So You Want To Be A Physician Assistant by Beth Grivett

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

Be more persistent than you have ever before. I learned that persistence is a wisdom and it will also lead you to learn that it’s not over until it’s over. I did not lose faith on being invited to an interview until I found out the last interview group had been selected for the latest interviewing program I had applied to. Then, after not hearing back from my only interview, I persisted and had the PA I worked with call the program and put in a good word for me. I also planned on going in personally to speak with an admissions committee to argue my case and put a face to my name in case a spot opened up.

Where can we find you?

@d_nicopike (instagram)

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Queens College
Overall GPA: 3.6
Science GPA: 3.2
GRE: N/A
Total HCE hours: 3,870
Total PCE hours: 1,470
Shadowing hours: 840
Other volunteer hours: 994
LORs: Internal medicine doctor, dermatology doctor, dermatology PA, orthopedic PA, chemistry professor
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 25
Gender: Fermale
How many programs did you apply to? 15

FAQ

Is it okay to call a PA program after your interview?

Daniela did, on the advice of the physician and PA she worked with, and she credits it with getting her a seat. A single professional call reiterating genuine interest and asking to be considered if a spot opens is generally acceptable. Repeated calls are not. [VERIFY] Some programs explicitly ask applicants not to contact them after interviews, so check their instructions first.

Should you apply to a brand-new PA program?

New programs often have smaller applicant pools and later deadlines, which is exactly how Daniela got in after a cycle with no interviews. The tradeoff is provisional accreditation, an unproven curriculum and no PANCE track record. [VERIFY] Confirm current ARC-PA accreditation status before accepting a seat.

Can a PA you work with advocate for you with an admissions committee?

It can help. The PA Daniela worked with called her program directly to put in a good word after her interview. This works when the advocate has genuinely supervised you and can speak specifically to your clinical performance — not as a generic favor.

What do you do if you get no interviews in a PA school application cycle?

Daniela’s first cycle produced zero interviews and she planned to sit out a year rather than reapply unchanged. That instinct is right: reapplying without improving something measurable rarely changes the result. Watch for late-opening and newly launched programs in the meantime.

Can you get into PA school without taking the GRE?

Yes. Daniela listed her GRE as N/A. A large and growing number of PA programs no longer require standardized testing. [VERIFY] Confirm current testing requirements for each program on your list.

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

Daniela had already grieved the cycle and planned two more years of waiting when an email about a new program showed up in May. What she did next — apply immediately, then advocate for herself out loud when the silence dragged on — is the part worth copying. Opportunities arrive late and unannounced more often than people expect, and the applicants who get them are the ones still paying attention.

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Pace University Pleasantville PA Program: Daniela's Acceptance Story (How Persistence Got Her In)