University of Nevada Reno PA Program: Benjie's Acceptance Story
University of Nevada Reno PA Program: Benjie's Acceptance Story
By: Savanna Perry, PA-C
Benjie applied to eight programs, was invited to five interviews, attended three, and finished with two acceptances, one waitlist, and one denial — landing at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he'd done his undergraduate degree. He had a 3.85 overall GPA, 3,200 hours as a physical therapy tech, and roughly 5,000 volunteer hours, most of it from a religious mission. He never took the GRE.
Last Updated: August 2, 2026
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How many programs did you apply to?
8
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes?
Invited to 5 so far, interviews at 3, accepted to 2, waitlisted at 1 and denied at 1.
In our experience at The PA Platform, the 5,000 volunteer hours on Benjie's application are the detail worth pausing on. Most of it came from a religious mission, and long-term service like that reads very differently than a semester of scattered volunteering — it demonstrates sustained commitment, cross-cultural communication, and comfort with people in difficult circumstances. Committees notice. His academics were strong across the board with a 3.85 overall and 3.86 science GPA, and his 3,200 hours as a PT tech gave him real hands-on time with patients. Note that his hours are reported as HCE rather than PCE; PT tech work is often classified as patient care experience, and how it gets categorized can matter for programs with hard PCE minimums.
Where will you be attending?
University of Nevada – Reno
Every Pre-PA Should Know...
Benjie was invited to five interviews and attended three, declining the rest. Interview travel is expensive and time-consuming, and once you have offers in hand it's reasonable to be selective. Declining early also frees the slot for another applicant.
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Anything you found surprising about interviews?
The faculty are very aware of how stressful the day can be. For my interviews they were very warm and welcoming which made the day a lot easier!
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process?
THE PRE-PA CLUB by The PA Platform! There are so many answers and tools here! For interviewing I used Savanna Perry's book Physician Assistant School Interview Guide and How to Ace the Physician Assistant School interview Guide. These are a necessity! They helped me feel so prepared and helped me feel confident in my interviews.
Any other advice for other pre-PA students?
Find a balance with everything! It's important to have a well rounded application. Shadowing, volunteering, and variety of HCE are very important, but so is being who you are! Have fun through the journey with your goal in mind and you will achieve it!
Where can we find you?
On Instagram @ben_jammin10
Need to Know:
Undergraduate education: Bachelors of Science from The University of Nevada- Reno
Overall GPA: 3.85
Science GPA: 3.86
GRE: Didn't take
Total HCE hours: 3,200 as a PT-tech
Shadowing hours: 35
Other volunteer hours: 5,000 (20 from coaching basketball and the rest from my religious mission)
LORs: 3 – PA, Professor and Employer
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 27
Gender: Male
FAQ
Benjie was accepted with a 3.85 overall GPA and a 3.86 science GPA. [VERIFY] Confirm UNR's current minimum GPA requirements.
Benjie did not take the GRE and was accepted. [VERIFY] Confirm UNR's current GRE policy before assuming it is optional.
Usually yes, though classification varies. Benjie reported his 3,200 hours as a PT tech under healthcare experience. Some programs count PT tech work as patient care experience because of the direct hands-on contact, so confirm with each program how they will categorize it.
Yes. Benjie reported roughly 5,000 volunteer hours, the bulk of it from a religious mission plus some basketball coaching. Extended service is generally viewed favorably because it shows sustained commitment rather than resume padding.
Benjie applied to eight and received five interview invitations, which is an excellent conversion rate for a strong applicant. With a GPA near 3.85 a moderate list is reasonable; applicants with lower numbers generally need a larger one.
Email [email protected] or use the contact form at The PA Platform to share your acceptance story.
CLOSING
Benjie's cycle went smoothly for understandable reasons — near-3.9 grades, thousands of hours of hands-on work as a PT tech, and an extraordinary volume of long-term volunteer service. His own advice is about balance, and his file backs it up: no single element is a gimmick, and nothing looks assembled at the last minute. That's what a well-rounded application actually looks like in practice.
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