Low GPA to PA School: Sydney's University of Washington Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Sydney has the lowest overall GPA in this entire batch at 2.8, and she got into the University of Washington. The number that made it possible sits right next to it: a 3.95 across her last 90 credit hours. Add 18,000 hours of healthcare experience, 212 shadowing hours, and a second application cycle, and you have the clearest example we've published of an upward trend outweighing a rough start.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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Why PA?

Patient care, lateral mobility, filling a healthcare need, shorter schooling.

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, Sydney's application is the single strongest argument for the "last 60" or "last 90" credit-hour metric. A 2.8 overall GPA would be screened out by a great many programs — but a 3.95 across her most recent 90 credits tells a completely different story about who she is as a student now. If your transcript has an early disaster on it, this is the path: find and target the programs that explicitly weight recent coursework, and then produce an unambiguous run of excellent grades. Her 18,000 healthcare hours are also remarkable, and note they're reported as HCE rather than PCE, so classification is something she'd have needed to confirm program by program.

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

2 interview invites: 1 acceptance, 1 interview not attended

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Sydney offered to pass her like-new interview books along to other applicants. Prep materials circulate constantly in pre-PA communities — before buying new, ask in a Facebook group or your school's pre-health club whether anyone has copies to hand down.

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Where will you be attending?

University of Washington

Anything you found surprising about interviews?

I had so much fun at my interviews. Everyone was so kind and relaxed. It truly was just conversational.

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

Resources I used were: Savanna Perry's PA school interview guide, How to Ace the PA school interview, and 2 mock interviews through the PA Platform. All were incredibly helpful and I would be so happy to pass my like new books along.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

In general, do not give up. Stop comparing your stats to everyone else. Everyone has a story and no two people's paths are the same. Embrace your uniqueness. At the interviews, be yourself, let your personality shine. You worked your butt off to be there. Be confident.

Where can we find you?

instagram – @sydney_nicole_06

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: BS: Biology
Overall GPA:2.8, last 90: 3.95
Science GPA: 3.05
GRE: 296
Total HCE hours: 18,000
Shadowing hours: 212
Other Volunteer Hours: 100
LORs: Fertility medicine PA, OB/GYN Doctor, and Research professor
How many times did you apply?: 2
Age: 30
Gender: Female

Listen: the full conversation

We covered this in a conversation on The Pre-PA Club podcast. Press play to hear it first-hand, in their own words.

Episode show notes, takeaways & chapters

In this episode, we delve into Sydney's remarkable path to acceptance into the prestigious MedX program. Her journey is marked by significant obstacles, including a GPA that initially hindered her applications and a series of rejections that could have easily dissuaded her ambitions. However, Sydney's unwavering commitment to her goal of becoming a PA led her to leverage her extensive experience as a medical assistant and her academic strengths in her later years of study. The discussion highlights the importance of self-reflection, the value of seeking support through mentorship, and the significance of tailoring applications to better align with program requirements. Sydney's story serves as a testament to the power of resilience, illustrating that setbacks can serve as stepping stones to success when approached with determination and a positive mindset.

What we cover

Sydney's journey exemplifies perseverance, overcoming a low GPA and previous rejections.
She switched her focus from nursing to PA school after multiple rejections from nursing programs.
Her success in the application process stemmed from tailored applications and focused personal statements.
Sydney emphasized the importance of gaining relevant patient care experience over the years.
She learned from previous application cycles, applying to fewer programs for stronger applications.
Her support system, particularly her partner, played a crucial role in her motivation and resilience.

Chapters

0:01 – Inspiring Journeys: Sydney's Story
0:37 – Introduction to Stride Funding and PA School Resources
9:07 – Transition to Medical Assisting and Beyond
17:22 – Applying Lessons Learned: The Journey to a New Application Cycle
26:58 – Reflections on Student Life and Advice for the Future
28:32 – Navigating the Pre-PA Journey

Episode: Low GPA to MEDEX PA Student - Interview with Sydney · Follow The Pre-PA Club on Apple Podcasts or Spotify · Browse all episodes

FAQ

Can you get into PA school with a 2.8 GPA?

Sydney did, at the University of Washington, but the context matters enormously: she earned a 3.95 across her last 90 credit hours and brought 18,000 hours of healthcare experience. A low overall GPA is workable only when paired with clear evidence of recent academic strength.

What is the "last 60" or "last 90" GPA for PA school?

It's a metric some programs use that weights your most recent 60 or 90 credit hours rather than your full transcript, on the reasoning that recent performance predicts graduate success better than freshman grades. Sydney's overall was 2.8 while her last 90 was 3.95. [VERIFY] Confirm which programs currently use this metric and how they calculate it.

What GPA do you need for the University of Washington PA program?

Sydney was accepted with a 2.8 overall GPA, a 3.05 science GPA, and a 3.95 in her last 90 credit hours. [VERIFY] Confirm UW MEDEX's current minimum GPA requirements and how it evaluates recent coursework.

Does the University of Washington PA program require the GRE?

Sydney submitted a GRE score of 296. [VERIFY] Confirm whether the program currently requires the GRE.

How do you recover from a bad first two years of college?

Produce a long, unbroken stretch of strong grades and apply to programs that weight recent coursework. Sydney's 3.95 over 90 credits, combined with extensive healthcare experience and a second application cycle, is what overcame a 2.8 cumulative.

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

Sydney is the story to send to anyone convinced their GPA has ended this before it started. A 2.8 cumulative with a 3.95 over the last 90 credits, 18,000 healthcare hours, 212 shadowing hours, two application cycles, and an acceptance at the University of Washington at age 30. Her advice to stop comparing your stats to everyone else's carries more weight coming from someone whose numbers looked, on the surface, like the worst in the room.

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Low GPA to PA School: Sydney's University of Washington Acceptance Story