Yale PA Program: Lauren's Acceptance Story (17 Interview Invites)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Lauren applied to 19 programs and was invited to interview at 17 of them — then attended 7 and was accepted to Yale, Duke, Tufts, and Sacred Heart. She had a 3.86 GPA, a 325 GRE, 2,100+ PCE hours, 2,500+ HCE hours, and 130 shadowing hours across five specialties. She also took two years after undergrad to pay down loans and build experience, and says both her school list and that decision are worth talking about.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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

How many programs did you apply to?

19; way too many, my thought was that I didn't want to risk going through the application process a second time, but I definitely went overboard

In this post:

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

Invited to interview at 17 schools and I attended 7. 4 acceptances (Yale, Duke, Tufts, Sacred Heart), 1 waitlist, 1 rejection, and 1 that I haven't heard back from.

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, the most valuable thing in Lauren's story is what happened at her first interview. She was rejected after an eight-hour MMI day, and rather than treating that as a verdict she treated it as data — did a mock interview, worked through the interview guide, and went on to be accepted at Yale, Duke, Tufts, and Sacred Heart. That's the correct response to an early rejection, and it's why we generally suggest not scheduling your top choice first. Her advice about taking two years to pay down loans and accumulate experience is also worth weighing carefully: PA school is expensive and time-intensive, and entering it on better financial footing is a legitimate reason to wait.

Where will you be attending?

Yale School of Medicine (On Campus)

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Lauren was invited to 17 interviews and attended 7, and she says 19 applications was too many. Each application costs money, each supplemental takes time, and each interview means travel — a well-targeted list of 8 to 12 usually produces the same result for far less.

****INSERT FREE LEAD MAGNET FORM OR HTML BLOCK AND DELETE TEXT BOX*****

Anything you found surprising about interviews?

My first interview was rough! It was my only interview that had an MMI session and it was a really long 8-hour process. I was rejected but I used that experience to improve myself for future interviews. I did a mock interview with the PA Platform and used the Physician Assistant School Interview Guide to sharpen up my skills. They were both amazing resources!

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

Physician Assistant School Interview Guide, How to "ace" the Physician Assistant School Interview, PA Platform mock interview, CASPA application review service, ect

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

Don't be afraid to take your time to get all your ducks in a row before you apply. I took 2 years off after undergrad to pay off my undergrad loans and gain experience before submitting my CASPA and it was worth it for a better financial situation and an acceptance at my dream school. Keep up the hard work!

Where can we find you?

Feel free to message me on instagram for any advice! @laurenmasay

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: University of Connecticut, B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science
Overall GPA: 3.86
Science GPA: 3.8
GRE: 325
Total PCE hours: 2,100+ Patient Care Associate on a Med Surg floor
Total HCE hours: 2,500+, Medical Technology Generalist
Shadowing hours: 130 – Shadowed different PAs in Ortho, Neurology, OB/GYN, Internal Medicine, and Vascular Surgery
Other Volunteer hours: 100+ – Red Cross Blood Drives, Children's Hospital Fundraising, Women's Center
LORs: 4- Nurse Manager, Lab Manager, PA Mentor, Undergrad Program Director
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 23
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the Yale PA program?

Lauren was accepted with a 3.86 overall GPA and a 3.8 science GPA, along with a 325 GRE. [VERIFY] Confirm Yale's current minimum GPA requirements.

Does the Yale PA program require the GRE?

Lauren submitted a GRE score of 325, which is well above average. [VERIFY] Confirm whether Yale currently requires the GRE.

How many patient care hours do you need for the Yale PA program?

Lauren applied with 2,100+ PCE hours as a patient care associate on a med-surg floor, plus 2,500+ HCE hours as a medical technology generalist and 130 shadowing hours. [VERIFY] Confirm Yale's current PCE requirements.

What should you do after a bad PA school interview?

Treat it as practice. Lauren was rejected after her first interview, an eight-hour MMI day, then did a mock interview and worked through an interview guide before her remaining six. She was accepted at four programs including Yale.

Should you take gap years before applying to PA school?

It can be a strong choice. Lauren took two years after undergrad to pay off loans and build patient care experience, and credits that decision with both a better financial position and her acceptance. Gap years are only wasted if you're not accumulating hours, coursework, or savings.

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

Seventeen interview invitations and acceptances at Yale, Duke, Tufts, and Sacred Heart make Lauren's cycle the most successful in this batch — and she still calls 19 applications overboard. Two things made it work: two deliberate years spent building experience and financial stability before applying, and refusing to let an early rejection define the rest of her interviews. If your first interview goes badly, that's the model.

***INSERT HTML SERVICE BLOCK CTA****

Yale PA Program: Lauren's Acceptance Story (17 Interview Invites)