Maz's PA School Acceptance Story: 5 Interviews, 3 Acceptances

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Maz applied once to 8 programs and converted 5 interviews into 3 acceptances plus a waitlist, with one decision still pending when she shared her story. She had a 3.7 overall GPA, a 299 GRE, 1000 PCE hours as a GYN surgical coordinator and medical assistant, and 200 shadowing hours with the PAs at the office where she already worked.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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

Why PA?

I want to expand access to healthcare for marginalized groups of people! My parents both come from diverse backgrounds as immigrants to the U.S.

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, Maz’s warning about online advice is one we would echo about our own content. Every acceptance story in this series is a single data point, not a formula. Her 299 GRE and 3.4 science GPA would look alarming next to some of the other applicants here, and she still went 3-for-5 on interviews. Read widely, then decide what actually applies to the application you are building.

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

5 interviews, 3 acceptances, 1 waitlist, 1 pending

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Maz logged 200 shadowing hours with the PAs at the GYN office where she already worked — twice her total patient care hours came from that same workplace. If PAs work where you do, ask.

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Where will you be attending?

undecided for now

Anything you found interesting about interviews?

Some were more relaxed than I thought they would be! They just really want to see you be your genuine self and show what you’re passionate about beyond the profession.

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

You and many other helpful PA accounts on Instagram!

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

Don’t compare yourself to others and try to not take everything you read online so seriously! Everyone’s application and journey is different so there’s no reason to compare! Specific and helpful advice for someone else may not fit your specific application based on how you want to present yourself to programs.

Where can we find you?

Instagram: @maz.the.pa

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Florida Atlantic University
Overall GPA: 3.7
Science GPA: 3.4
GRE: 299
Total PCE hours: 1000 hours as a GYN surgical coordinator and medical assistant
Total HCE hours: 100 hours as an ER volunteer
Shadowing hours: 200 hours shadowing PA’s at my GYN office that I was employed
Volunteer hours: 150 hours, 50 hours volunteering with student-athlete advisory committee, 100 hours as an ER volunteer
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 23
Gender: Female

FAQ

Can you get into PA school with a 299 GRE?

Yes. Maz was accepted to three programs with a 299. A lower score is much easier to absorb when your GPA and experience are solid, but [VERIFY] whether any program on your list enforces a hard GRE minimum.

How many PA programs should you apply to?

Maz applied to 8 and received 5 interview invites, an unusually strong conversion rate. A well-matched list of programs whose requirements you clearly meet generally outperforms a longer, less targeted one.

Is medical assistant work good patient care experience for PA school?

It is one of the most widely accepted PCE roles. Maz logged 1000 hours as a GYN surgical coordinator and medical assistant. [VERIFY] each program’s minimum PCE requirement and which roles it accepts.

What do PA schools actually look for in interviews?

Maz found her interviews more relaxed than expected and said programs wanted to see her genuine self and what she was passionate about beyond medicine. Preparing your interests outside the profession is worth as much as rehearsing clinical answers.

How do you choose between multiple PA school acceptances?

Maz was still undecided when she shared her story. Consider cost, location, clinical rotation sites, PANCE pass rates, and how the program treated you on interview day. [VERIFY] current outcomes data for each program you are weighing.

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

Maz went 3-for-5 on interviews with numbers plenty of applicants would have talked themselves out of applying with. Her advice is the right note to end on: stop measuring your application against everyone else’s, because the advice that fits them may not fit you.

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Maz's PA School Acceptance Story: 5 Interviews, 3 Acceptances