Baylor College of Medicine PA Program: Evan's Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Evan applied to three PA programs, interviewed at all three, and was accepted to two — choosing Baylor College of Medicine. She was 21, applying straight out of undergrad with only 420 patient care hours earned at a camp for kids with Type 1 diabetes, offset by 450 volunteer hours and 100 hours shadowing a cardiothoracic surgery PA. She was told repeatedly she wouldn't get in. She did.

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 interview with and what were the outcomes?

I interviewed at all 3. I was accepted to 2. Then I was waitlisted and denied to 1.

In this post:

Where will you be attending?

Baylor College of Medicine

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, Evan's rule of three is the most efficient interview prep framework we've seen an applicant describe: three reasons you want that school, three reasons they should pick you, and three questions about the program. It forces specificity and it works at every school on your list. Her timing advice about taking Anatomy I and II senior year is also practical — the closer that coursework is to matriculation, the more of it you retain when didactic year starts. Her low PCE limited where she could apply, which is the real cost of a thin experience section: not rejection, but a shorter list.

Any red flags on your application?

I didn’t have a lot of patient care hours, which limited the schools that I could apply to. However, I had a wide range and depth of volunteer experience that made my application stand out.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Evan was told she wouldn't be accepted because she wore a dress to her interview. She received two acceptances from three applications. Filter the advice you receive. [VERIFY] Confirm Baylor College of Medicine's current PCE requirements.

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

Anything you found surprising about interviews?

Two of the three interviews that I went to were nothing like the cookie cutter interview questions I had prepared for. They were very personable. A lot of the questions they asked were about my application and my specific experiences.

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

1. The best advice I received for the interview process was know 3 reasons why you want to go to that school, 3 reasons that school should pick you, and have 3 questions about the program. 2. If you are still in undergrad, try to take your Anatomy I&II classes your senior year. It has been really helpful in PA school so far that I remember so much from that time. 3. Use Magoosh (affiliate link) and the Official GRE books to study for the GRE. It helped me a lot! 4. If you have a pre-PA organization at your school, get involved! If you don’t, start one!

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

Take all the advice you are receiving with a grain of salt. I was told that I wouldn’t get accepted straight out of undergrad, that I would burn out, and that I didn’t have enough patient care hours. I was even told that I wouldn’t be accepted because I wore a dress to my interview. And I got in!

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: B.S. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Georgia
Overall GPA: 3.87
Science GPA: 3.64
GRE: 314 (Verbal – 160 Quantitative – 154 Writing – 5.0)
Total HCE hours: 52 (Medical Spanish Study Abroad Trip)
Total PCE hours: 420 (Worked at camp for kids with Type 1 diabetes)
Shadowing hours: 100 (Cardiothoracic Surgery PA)
Other volunteer hours: 450
LORs: 4 – 1 PA, 1 Professor, 1 Clinical Director of a volunteer organization, 1 Club advisor
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 21
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 3

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the Baylor College of Medicine PA program?

Evan was accepted with a 3.87 overall GPA and a 3.64 science GPA. [VERIFY] Confirm Baylor's current published minimum GPA requirements, which are typically lower than accepted-student averages.

Does Baylor's PA program require the GRE?

Evan submitted a 314 GRE (160 verbal, 154 quantitative, 5.0 writing). [VERIFY] Confirm the current testing policy directly with the program before registering.

Can you get into PA school straight out of undergrad?

Yes. Evan applied at 21 during her senior year and was accepted to two of three programs. She was repeatedly told it wouldn't work. Programs with lower PCE requirements make this path more realistic, though your school list will be shorter.

How do you prepare for a PA school interview?

Evan's framework is to know three reasons you want to attend that specific school, three reasons the school should choose you, and three questions to ask about the program. She also found that most questions were drawn directly from her application, so know your own file thoroughly.

When should you take Anatomy and Physiology before PA school?

Evan recommends senior year if you're still in undergrad, because retaining that material makes the didactic year noticeably easier. Also confirm each program's prerequisite recency window, since some require A&P completed within a set number of years.

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

Evan's story is a good filter for the advice you'll collect along the way. She was warned about her age, her hours, her burnout risk, and even her outfit — and she was accepted to two of the three programs she applied to. Listen to people who know your actual application, and let the rest go.

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

Baylor College of Medicine PA Program: Evan's Acceptance Story