Western Michigan University PA Program: Sarah's Acceptance Story (291 GRE, 6,000 HCE Hours)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Sarah applied once, to six programs, and interviewed at exactly one — Western Michigan University — where an unexpected MMI format met her head-on. She was accepted there and rejected everywhere else, which she attributes mostly to a 291 GRE. Roughly 6,000 hours as an urgent care medical assistant plus deep free-clinic involvement in Detroit carried an application that also included a semester of academic probation.

Last Updated: August 3, 2026

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Meet Sarah

My name is Sarah and I’ll be starting PA school in just a few weeks at Western Michigan University! I’m SO excited to finally be able to learn and practice medicine. I love all things make up and enjoy mentoring and guiding pre-PA students along their journeys, so please send me a DM if you’ve got questions! You can find me on Instagram at @sarahandherstethoscope

In this post:

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

I only interviewed with WMich. I unfortunately got rejected elsewhere. I thought my interview at WMich went well! I was thrown for a loop when I found out they started holding MMI style interviews and I had been practicing for a traditional interview the entire time. Luckily, I had a friend who interviewed at several medical schools and she told me about her MMI experiences and I think that definitely helped shape my answers to the scenarios they gave at my interview!

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, applicants prepare for the interview they expect rather than the interview they might get. Sarah practiced traditional one-on-one questions all cycle and then walked into an MMI at Western Michigan — the only interview she received. She adapted because a friend had described the format to her, but that was luck, not preparation. Before every interview, confirm the format directly with the program's admissions office, and rehearse at least a handful of MMI-style ethical and situational scenarios regardless of what you are told. [VERIFY] Confirm Western Michigan's current interview format, as programs revise this frequently.

Any red flags on your application?

The only red flag I can think of is that I was placed on academic probation for a semester back in sophomore year of undergrad. I don’t think that was the reason I was rejected at the majority of the schools I applied to, however. My rejections mostly came from my subpar GRE score. But, yes, you can still get into PA school with bad grades! You just have to be able to explain what you learned from your mistakes and how you plan on doing better!

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Sarah's six programs were tightly clustered in the Midwest — Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Marquette, Rush and Northwestern — and she received exactly one interview. A narrow geographic list keeps costs down but concentrates your risk, especially when one component of the application, in her case a 291 GRE, is likely to trigger screening filters at several schools at once.

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Anything you found surprising about interviews?

I was surprised that PA schools were starting to hop on the MMI bandwagon. I thought only medical schools interviewed students this way! I really enjoyed the MMI style interview because I had to think on my feet and because of that, I think my answers were a lot more genuine.

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

When I studied for the GRE, I made sure to go back to the basics because I’m really bad at math. So, I used CliffNotes Math Review. (Amazon Affiliate link) It gives you step-by-step instructions on how to solve easy, medium and hard math problems that you’ll find on standardized tests. I also used the Magoosh flashcard app to practice for the verbal section. When I applied, I used the Getting Into the Physician Assistant School of Your Choice book by Andrew Rodican and it helped to show me what a well-rounded application should look like. For interviews, I used the How to Ace the Physician Assistant School Interview book by Andrew Rodican. It gives you three different answers to frequently asked interview questions and it explains which are good answers and which are bad answers. I wrote my answers down to each question in my copy. Also, shout out to mypatraining.com for having an ultimate PA school checklist! It helped to keep me organized before and after I applied!

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

I would highly recommend getting involved with underserved communities, especially medically. Working at a free clinic humbles you and gives you the opportunity to connect with people you are different from in every aspect. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, keeps you grounded, and you’ll develop great bedside manner! Also, it’s important to not to beat yourself up over your stats. Your experiences are unique and they’ve shaped you to be the person you are today. Not every school will accept you, but it only takes that one interview and one acceptance to make it!

Need to Know:

Overall GPA: 3.41
Science GPA: 3.45
GRE: I received a 291 combined score (yikes!). Quantitative: 142, Verbal: 149, Analytical: 5.5
Total HCE hours: ~6,000 hours as an urgent care medical assistant. ~50 hours as a clinical volunteer leader at the HUDA Clinic which is a free clinic located in Detroit, MI
Shadowing hours: ~50 hours shadowing urgent care and internal medicine PAs
Other volunteer hours: ~30 hours volunteering through pre-PA society, ~100 hours volunteering at the HUDA Clinic as a clinical volunteer leader and outreach coordinator, 35 hours volunteering as an ESL tutor, 4 years as a youth camp counselor
LORs: Microbiology professor, PA, and MD
How many times did you apply?: Once!
Age: 23 at the time I applied and I’m 24 now
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? Six. WMich, EMich, Toledo, Marquette, Rush, and Northwestern.

FAQ

Can you get into PA school with a 291 GRE score?

Yes. Sarah was accepted to Western Michigan University with a 291 combined score (142 quantitative, 149 verbal, 5.5 analytical writing) and roughly 6,000 hours of patient care. She believes the score cost her interviews at her other five programs. [VERIFY] Many programs have dropped the GRE requirement entirely, so check current policy before assuming a low score will follow you.

Can you get into PA school after academic probation?

Sarah was placed on academic probation for a semester during her sophomore year and still earned an acceptance on her first cycle. Her advice is to be able to explain clearly what you learned and what you changed. An upward grade trend after the probation semester is what admissions committees look for.

What is an MMI interview for PA school?

A Multiple Mini Interview rotates you through a series of short timed stations, each with a scenario or prompt and a different evaluator, rather than one long conversation. Sarah found it favored genuine, think-on-your-feet answers over rehearsed ones. More PA programs have adopted the format in recent years.

Does volunteering at a free clinic help a PA school application?

Sarah credits her work as a clinical volunteer leader and outreach coordinator at the HUDA Clinic in Detroit as a defining part of her application. Sustained service in an underserved setting demonstrates commitment and gives you concrete stories for interviews, which matters more than raw volunteer hour totals.

How many hours of patient care experience did Sarah have for PA school?

Approximately 6,000 hours as an urgent care medical assistant, plus about 50 hours as a clinical volunteer leader. That total is well above most program minimums and helped offset her GPA and GRE. [VERIFY] Confirm whether Western Michigan counts medical assistant work as patient care under its current definitions.

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

Sarah's cycle is a reminder that you only need one yes. Five rejections and a GRE she describes as subpar did not change the outcome, because a single program looked at 6,000 hours of urgent care experience and years of free-clinic leadership and saw someone ready for the work. Build the parts of your application that no filter can screen out, and give yourself enough programs that one interview is realistic.

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Western Michigan University PA Program: Sarah's Acceptance Story (291 GRE, 6,000 HCE Hours)