Temple University PA Program: Katie's Acceptance Story (English Major, 6 Outstanding Prereqs)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Katie majored in English Writing and Anthropology at Pitt, earned an F in Gen Chem 1 as a freshman, and applied to fifteen PA programs with six prerequisites still unfinished. She got two interviews, a waitlist at Chatham and an acceptance at Temple — her first choice. A 4.0 post-bacc GPA earned while working three jobs is what she used to reframe the F.

Last Updated: August 3, 2026

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A Note From Savanna

Katie was one of the initial members of The Pre-PA Club Facebook group, and she does an awesome job of answering questions that other members have. I was SO excited when I heard she got her acceptance to PA school at Temple because I know that she’s put in the work and really deserves it. Here are her tips and tricks!

In this post:

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

2 – waitlisted at Chatham, accepted at Temple

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, applying with outstanding prerequisites worries people far more than it should. Katie submitted with six still to complete and was accepted at her first-choice program. Most programs allow prerequisites to be in progress or planned as long as they are finished before matriculation, and CASPA has fields specifically for this. What matters is that your plan is credible and documented. [VERIFY] A minority of programs require all prerequisites complete at the time of application, so check each one before assuming.

Any red flags on your application?

Low initial GPA, low quantitative GRE.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Katie's advice to request a debrief with an admissions coordinator after a rejection is underused. Many programs will tell you exactly which component held you back, which turns a wasted cycle into a targeted plan. Ask politely, ask once, and ask after decisions are finalized.

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Anything you found surprising about interviews?

Group interviews were surprisingly frustrating as it didn’t give the interviewers a chance to ask more personal, specific questions.

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

I highly recommend using the PA Platform’s 100 interview questions to prep for interviews and the site in general for preparing your application, Varsity Tutors for GRE prep, and the Princeton Review’s book for prepping for the GRE on your own (affiliate link).

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

If your GPA is on the lower end, make sure to build your PCH and shadowing hours as much as you can, have KILLER LORS (befriend your professors) and write a compelling personal statement. I would also suggest making sure to clearly explain (in your personal statement and interviews) the story behind your lower GPA (for me it was one singular F in Gen Chem 1 my freshman year) and demonstrate how you’ve grown since then (I made sure to explain the F and that now, I’ve clearly grown and mastered the sciences while maintaining a 4.0 post-bacc GPA while working 3 jobs and taking 2-3 classes at a time.) Also, utilize your community colleges and take that gap year after college to grow as a person and adult! Never be afraid to major in something non-science during undergrad. It will help diversify you as a candidate, you’ll bring something new and interesting to the program, and can help expand your mind, your experiences, and how you interact with people as a whole. Don’t ever, ever give up — if you get rejected make sure to set up an appointment with an admissions coordinator to go over your application and get insight into where you can improve for next year!

Where can we find you?

Instagram @katieemartin04 🙂

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: University of Pittsburgh, BAs in English Writing and Anthropology
Overall GPA: 3.5 (at time of application)
Science GPA: 3.25 (at time of application) 3.5 now that I’ve finished with pre-reqs. Yes, I applied with 6 outstanding pre-reqs!
GRE: 309 – 163 verbal 146 quantitative 5.5 writing (second attempt)
Total HCE hours: ~100
Total PCE hours: ~1600 (Patient Care Technician, Dental Assistant)
Shadowing hours: 128 (3 PAs, 2 MDs, 1 PT)
Other volunteer hours: ~100
LORs: 1 PA, 1 organic chemistry professor, 1 MD, 1 biology professor, 1 writing professor
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 25
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 15. Still waiting to hear from 5, but have gone with Temple as it is my first choice!

FAQ

Can you apply to PA school with prerequisites still outstanding?

Usually yes. Katie applied to fifteen programs with six prerequisites unfinished and was accepted at Temple. Most programs let you list coursework as in progress or planned on CASPA provided it is complete before you start. [VERIFY] Confirm each program’s policy and its deadline for finishing outstanding coursework.

Can you get into PA school with an F on your transcript?

Yes. Katie earned an F in General Chemistry 1 as a freshman and was accepted on her first cycle. She addressed it directly in her personal statement and interviews and paired the explanation with a 4.0 post-baccalaureate GPA earned while working three jobs. The upward trend is what does the persuading.

Do you need a science major to get into PA school?

No. Katie held bachelor’s degrees in English Writing and Anthropology and actively recommends non-science majors, arguing they diversify your application and broaden how you interact with people. You simply need to complete the science prerequisites separately.

Does a low quantitative GRE score hurt your PA school application?

Katie scored 146 quantitative against 163 verbal for a 309 total and listed it as a red flag, yet still received two interviews from fifteen applications and an acceptance. Programs generally weigh the composite and your science GPA more heavily. [VERIFY] Many programs no longer require the GRE at all.

What should you do if you are rejected from PA school?

Katie recommends setting up an appointment with an admissions coordinator to review your application and identify exactly where to improve. Most programs will do this after their cycle closes, and the feedback is far more specific than anything you can guess at on your own.

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

Katie's application had an F in freshman chemistry, a 146 quantitative GRE and six unfinished prerequisites, and she still landed her first-choice program on the first try. The difference was that none of it went unexplained — she told the story of the F, showed a 4.0 post-bacc earned the hard way, and let a writing degree be an asset rather than an apology.

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Temple University PA Program: Katie's Acceptance Story (English Major, 6 Outstanding Prereqs)