Nova Southeastern PA Program: Keeley's Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Keeley started a PhD program straight out of undergrad, took a leave of absence, became a CNA, and applied to PA school with a 3.6 GPA and 640 PCE hours. She applied to 12 programs, received 4 interviews, attended 2, and was accepted to both — landing at Nova Southeastern in Jacksonville. She was told to expect not to get in that cycle. She did anyway.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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Why PA?

I was in a PhD program right after graduating undergraduate and started to lose focus of the big picture and why I was spending hours in the lab getting very little data. I took a leave of absence and became a CNA where I fell in love with the patients and decided on PA school after remembering my many interactions as a patient with type one diabetes and a patient's family member who had stage four colon cancer.

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, the single best habit in Keeley's story is that she wrote down the questions from her first interview and analyzed them afterward. Almost nobody does this, and it's why the second interview so often goes better than the first. Her file is also unusual in a way worth naming: 640 patient care hours with zero healthcare experience hours and zero volunteer hours is a thin profile on paper, and she was explicitly told not to expect an acceptance. What carried her was five letters — including one from her former PhD mentor — and a genuinely compelling reason for leaving research for patient care. Leaving a doctoral program isn't a red flag when you can explain it as clearly as she does.

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

4 interviews (I've only been to 2/4 and got accepted to both)

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Keeley had a family member quiz her on interview questions almost every night before her first interview. Frequency beats intensity here — short, repeated practice sessions with someone who will hold you to an answer are more useful than one long cram session.

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Where will you be attending?

Nova Southeastern University in Jacksonville, FL

Anything you found surprising about interviews?

How different my two interviews were was really surprising as well as how sweet and supportive the other interviewers were. Someone even drove other interviewers back to the airport to help them out.

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

100% Savanna's book (I tried another book before hers and hated it) along with her website and podcast! I also decided on a mock interview with Ngan who was amazing at calming my nerves and helping me perfect my interview a few weeks before my first one. I also used the pa forum to see if any old students left some advice before interviews.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

I had a family member ask me a few interview questions almost every night leading up to my first interview. I also wrote down most of the questions I was asked during my first interview and analyzed them afterwards to see how I could improve for the next one. But I also just want to say don't give up! I was basically told to expect not to get in this round but I still gave it my all and was pleasantly surprised.

Where can we find you?

instagram – Keeleysarah97

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Bachelor's in Biology from University of Florida
Overall GPA: 3.6
Science GPA: 3.6
GRE: 150 qualitative, 153 quantitative, 5 on writing
Total PCE hours: 640 at time of applications being submitted
Total HCE hours: 0
Shadowing hours: About 30
Other Volunteer hours: 0
LORs: One from my nursing manager, one from my A&P professor, one from a professor and mentor for the PhD program I was in before, one from an MD I shadowed, and one from the PA I shadowed
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 22
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the Nova Southeastern PA program?

Keeley was accepted with a 3.6 overall GPA and a 3.6 science GPA. [VERIFY] Confirm Nova Southeastern's current minimum GPA requirements.

Does Nova Southeastern's PA program require the GRE?

Keeley submitted GRE scores of 150 verbal, 153 quantitative, and 5 on writing. [VERIFY] Confirm whether the program currently requires the GRE, as many have dropped it.

Can you get into PA school with only 640 patient care hours?

Keeley did, though she was advised not to expect it that cycle. Her 640 CNA hours were her entire clinical record, with no healthcare experience or volunteer hours reported. A strong GPA and five letters of recommendation offset the shortfall. [VERIFY] Confirm each program's current PCE minimum before applying.

Is leaving a PhD program a red flag for PA school?

Not if you can explain it. Keeley took a leave of absence from a doctoral program, worked as a CNA, and framed the change as discovering she wanted patient contact rather than lab work. Her former PhD mentor wrote one of her letters, which reinforced that she left on good terms.

How should you prepare between two PA school interviews?

Write down every question you were asked as soon as you can and review your answers critically. Keeley did exactly that after her first interview and was accepted at both programs she attended.

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

Keeley was told to expect a rejection, applied anyway, and was accepted at both programs she interviewed with. Her application looked thin on hours, but she had a clear and honest account of why she left a PhD for patient care, five letters from people across research and clinical settings, and a deliberate practice routine. That combination beat the numbers, which is worth remembering if someone has told you not to bother this cycle.

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Nova Southeastern PA Program: Keeley's Acceptance Story