Low GPA to PA School: Jamie's Emory University Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Jamie applied twice. The second time she sent out 19 applications, interviewed at 5 programs before committing, and came away with 2 acceptances — including Emory, her top choice, which she was shocked to even hear from given her 3.2 GPA. Every single one of her interviews was MMI style, which she hadn't expected. Her advice is blunt about the role rejection plays in this process and specific about how to offset a low GPA.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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Why PA?

There are so many reasons why I want to be a PA, but I think the big solidifying factor for me was working as a medical scribe. I worked very closely with both MDs and PAs, and noticed very quickly how jaded and unhappy the MDs is at my job were. I quickly noticed, however, how happy the PAs were and how much they enjoyed their job as well as everything outside of medicine. Additionally, the majority of the PAs that I worked with worked in two specialties at once, which was very intriguing to me. I wanted to be able to strike that work life balance and be able to work in various specialties throughout my career

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, Jamie's file is a textbook example of how volume and quality of patient care experience can carry a below-average GPA. She had 5,000 hours as a pediatric ED tech, 1,500 as an ED scribe, roughly 100 shadowing hours, and 1,000 volunteer hours — and her letters came from five people who had all watched her work in a clinical setting or supervise a graduate program. Her point about holistic review is the strategic key. Programs that weight your last 60 credit hours, or that explicitly review holistically, are where a 3.2 with an upward trend and a master's degree becomes competitive. Applying to 19 programs was reasonable given her GPA; she is right that returns diminish, but the floor matters more when your numbers are borderline.

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

5 before committing to a program. 1 waitlist, 2 acceptances, one rejection, and I withdrew my application from the last place I interviewed because I got the acceptance call from my top choice program

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Jamie points out something a lot of applicants miss: you can usually retake prerequisite courses at a different institution, including a community college, and many programs will accept the newer grade. [VERIFY] Confirm each program's policy on retakes and coursework institution, since some require prerequisites be completed at four-year institutions.

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Where will you be attending?

Emory University in Atlanta!!

Anything you found surprising about interviews?

I was surprised that all of my interviews were MMI style. I think I was led to believe that this was not common for PA programs, and so it really caught me off guard. I was so nervous for this, but utilized the Pre-PA club podcast, as well as the PA school interview guide. Both of these tools helped me immensely to prepare, and I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed each and every interview. The MMIs were actually so much fun! I felt so at home at most of these programs, and would've been happy at several.

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

I read and re-read the PA School Interview Guide before every interview, because it was that helpful! I'm an auditory learner, so podcasts have been super helpful to me as well. Shout out to the pre-PA club podcast! I was actually really surprised at how much I utilized the pre-PA subReddit, as well as the PA Big Brothers and Sisters Facebook group. Both groups had people who had been through the application process before, and had very good advice. A bunch of people offered to read my personal statement and help me edit it, which was amazing as well!

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

As hard as it was to applied to school with the low GPA, don't let that discourage you from applying to your dream school. I was shocked that I even got an interview at my top choice due to my grades. There are so many things I can help balance out a lower GPA, like a lot of patient care experience and a killer personal statement. Retake every class that you've gotten below a B in, and make an A. What has been surprising to me, is that you can retake courses at other institutions (ie community colleges!!!). Additionally, people think applications are all sunshine and rainbows, but rejection is a true cornerstone of the application process. It's OK to have to apply more than once, and take a year or two to work on your application! Maximize your chances of acceptance by applying early, and apply to a decent amount of schools. Look at schools that favor holistic review, as well as factor in your last 60 credit hours. They say your chances increase with every school that you applied to, up to about 12, and then those chance to start to plateau.

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Bachelor's of Science Biomedical Sciences at UAB; Master's of Science in Biotechnology from UAB
Overall GPA: 3.2
Science GPA: 3.06
GRE: 312
Total HCE hours: 1.5k as an ED scribe
Total PCE hours: 5k as a pediatric ED tech
Shadowing hours: ~100
Other volunteer hours: 1000 from volunteering at a free clinic and a food pantry
LORs: ED nursing director, ED medical director, ED attending, 1 PA, and my grad school program director
How many times did you apply?: 2
Age: 23
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the Emory PA program?

Jamie was accepted with a 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.06 science GPA, along with a master's degree in biotechnology and roughly 6,500 combined hours of healthcare and patient care experience. [VERIFY] Confirm Emory's current minimum GPA requirements.

Can you get into PA school with a 3.2 GPA?

Yes. Jamie did it on her second cycle by targeting programs that favor holistic review and those that weight the most recent 60 credit hours, and by building an unusually deep patient care record. She was accepted to two programs including her top choice.

Does Emory's PA program use MMI interviews?

Jamie reports that all of her interviews that cycle were MMI style, including Emory's, and that it caught her off guard. She prepared using the Pre-PA Club podcast and the PA School Interview Guide and ended up enjoying the format. [VERIFY] Confirm Emory's current interview format.

Does a master's degree help your PA school application?

It can help demonstrate recent academic ability, which matters most when your undergraduate GPA is low. Jamie completed a Master's of Science in Biotechnology at UAB, and her graduate program director was one of her five letter writers.

Should you retake classes for PA school?

Jamie's advice is to retake every course you earned below a B in and get an A. She also notes retakes can often be completed at other institutions, including community colleges. Check each program's retake policy first, since some average both attempts and some only count the most recent.

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

Jamie needed two cycles, and she's direct about why that's normal rather than shameful — rejection is built into this process. What changed her outcome was strategy as much as stats: a big list weighted toward holistic-review programs, a huge volume of genuine patient care experience, retaken coursework, letters from people who had actually supervised her clinically, and serious MMI preparation. If your GPA is in the low 3s, that's the playbook.

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Low GPA to PA School: Jamie's Emory University Acceptance Story