Marquette University PA Program: McKenzie's First-Cycle Acceptance Story
Marquette University PA Program: McKenzie's First-Cycle Acceptance Story
By: Savanna Perry, PA-C
McKenzie applied once to 13 programs, earned 3 interviews, and finished with 2 waitlists and an acceptance to Marquette University. She had a 3.79 overall GPA, a 309 GRE, and 1248 PCE hours as a dental assistant at an office specializing in TMJ disorders and sleep apnea. The biggest surprise of her interviews: nobody asked about her patient care experience.
Last Updated: August 2, 2026
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How many programs did you apply to?
13
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes?
3 interviews, 2 waitlist, 1 acceptance! (I was also on a couple interview waitlists that I never came off of)
In our experience at The PA Platform, McKenzie’s surprise is more common than applicants realize. Your hours got you the interview — the committee has already read them. Once you are in the room, they are evaluating judgment, communication, and whether you will be a good colleague. Rehearsing your resume line by line is the wrong preparation. Practice thinking out loud instead.
Where will you be attending?
Marquette University
Every Pre-PA Should Know...
McKenzie was also sitting on interview waitlists she never came off of — a real and rarely discussed category of limbo separate from the post-interview waitlist.
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Anything you found interesting about interviews?
They did not ask about my patient care experience!
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, webinars, etc) you used to get through prerequisites courses, the application or interview process?
I listened to a lot of podcasts as I was going through the application and interview process. Pre-PA Club, Scrubbed Out Podcast, and The Making of a Physician Assistant were some of my favorites!
Any advice for other pre-PA students?
Be yourself in interviews! Interviewers can tell if you seem too rehearsed/unnatural. Prepare, but don’t over-prepare!
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc)
@mypadiaries @mckenziewalz
Need to Know:
Undergraduate education: Saint Louis University
Overall GPA: 3.79
GRE: 309
PA-CAT: N/A
Total PCE hours: I had completed 1248 hours at the time that I submitted CASPA, although I was still working throughout my gap year. I worked as a dental assistant at an office specializing in TMJ disorders and sleep apnea.
Shadowing hours: I spent 34 hours shadowing in several specialities including OB/GYN, maternal-fetal medicine, and sleep neurology.
Volunteer hours: I volunteered in an emergency department as an ambassador in the waiting room for a semester, but the majority of my hours came from my heavy participation in Dance Marathon. I also did various one day volunteering events through various clubs/organizations including my sorority.
How many times did you apply?: I was lucky enough to be accepted on my first application cycle!
Age: 22
Gender: Female
FAQ
McKenzie was accepted with a 3.79 overall GPA. Her science GPA was not recorded in the original post. [VERIFY] Marquette’s current published minimum GPA and most recent accepted class averages.
McKenzie submitted a 309 and marked the PA-CAT as not applicable. [VERIFY] whether the GRE is currently required, optional, or not accepted at Marquette.
It depends on the program. McKenzie logged 1248 hours as a dental assistant at a practice specializing in TMJ disorders and sleep apnea and was accepted to Marquette. [VERIFY] how each program classifies dental assisting.
Not always. McKenzie’s interviewers never brought hers up. Your hours are typically what earned you the interview, so expect the conversation to focus on judgment, motivation, and fit instead.
McKenzie listened to Pre-PA Club, Scrubbed Out Podcast, and The Making of a Physician Assistant throughout her application and interview process.
Email [email protected] or use the contact form at The PA Platform to share your acceptance story.
CLOSING
McKenzie got in on her first cycle with a dental assisting background and a warning that plenty of applicants need to hear: you can over-prepare. Interviewers notice when answers sound recited. Prepare enough to be calm, then let the conversation be a conversation.
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Accepted! Interviews: Real PA School Acceptance Stories
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What to Do If You Are Waitlisted for PA School
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