College of St Mary PA Program: Julia's Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Julia applied once to just 5 programs and earned interviews at 3 of them, declining a fourth after her acceptance came through. She brought a 3.74 overall GPA, a 309 GRE, and 2054 PCE hours from CNA work in assisted living, home health, and a neurology clinic where she also trained as an EEG tech. She names every program and outcome in her answer below.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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Why PA?

Being a PA is one of the most dynamic positions available within healthcare. The range of care one is able to provide as a PA is incredible, and I love that there are growing job opportunities each day. As a PA I feel confident that I will be able to spend quality time with patients and work with my colleagues to treat as effectively as possible.

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, applicants underestimate how much free mock interview help is sitting in their own university career center. Julia used hers at no cost, then layered on practice with family and friends. If you are still enrolled, ask. And her broader point holds: interviewers ask about your passions and your volunteering far more than applicants expect, so do not pause your whole life to chase hours.

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

3 (denied one interview due to an acceptance). Wichita State – waitlisted, Creighton – denied after interview, College of St Mary – ACCEPTED, Oklahoma State – did not attend interview due to acceptance.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Julia applied to only 5 programs and interviewed at 3 of them. A short, well-matched list can outperform a long one, especially when your prerequisites and hours line up cleanly with each program.

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Where will you be attending?

College of St Mary PA Program

Anything you found interesting about interviews?

The range in how much the interview processes varied between schools!

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

Mock interviews! My undergraduate school provided this for free and also practicing with trusted family/friends. So much of the content from PA Platform was a huge help, as well as many other websites/instagrams. Talking with older friends who had already applied was also very beneficial.

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

Be well rounded! There were so many questions in interviews about volunteering, your passions, “tell us about yourself”, etc. Keep working hard but don’t put everything besides school and work on pause to achieve this goal.

Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc)

Instagram: @julia.howey

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Kansas State University
Overall GPA: 3.74
Science GPA: 3.69
GRE: 309
PA-CAT: N/A
Total PCE hours: 2054, various CNA jobs. I worked in assisted living, home health for people with disabilities, and in a neurology clinic. I also was trained as a EEG tech at the neurology clinic.
Total HCE hours: I only worked PCE positions.
Shadowing hours: I had 133 shadow hours. Due to the pandemic, much of this was online. I shadowed a wide variety of healthcare professionals, mostly in a hospital setting and some in a clinic setting.
Volunteer hours: I had 150 volunteer hours. I currently volunteer as a Big with Big Brothers Big Sisters and volunteered at COVID vaccination sites as well.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 22
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the College of St Mary PA program?

Julia was accepted with a 3.74 overall GPA and a 3.69 science GPA. [VERIFY] College of St Mary’s current published minimum GPA and most recent accepted class averages.

Does College of St Mary require the GRE for PA school?

Julia submitted a 309 and marked the PA-CAT as not applicable. [VERIFY] whether the GRE is currently required, optional, or not accepted at College of St Mary.

Is CNA work good patient care experience for PA school?

It is one of the most widely accepted PCE roles. Julia logged 2054 hours across assisted living, home health for people with disabilities, and a neurology clinic, where she also trained as an EEG tech. [VERIFY] each program’s minimum PCE requirement.

Do you need healthcare experience hours in addition to patient care hours?

Not always. Julia reported working only PCE positions and had no separate HCE total. Many programs count both but weigh direct patient care most heavily. [VERIFY] how each program defines and requires each category.

Do PA schools ask about volunteering in interviews?

Julia found that they did, frequently, along with questions about her passions and open prompts like "tell us about yourself." Being able to speak about commitments outside of school and work is worth preparing for.

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

Julia is one of the few applicants in this series who lays out every program and every outcome by name, which makes her story unusually useful if you are applying in the region. Her advice is worth repeating: be well rounded, keep working hard, and do not put the rest of your life on hold to get there.

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College of St Mary PA Program: Julia's Acceptance Story