PACE University PA Program: Tori's Acceptance Story (5 Acceptances, 296 GRE)

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Tori applied to roughly 12 to 14 programs on her first cycle and pulled 8 interview invites, attended 7, and finished with 5 acceptances and 2 waitlists — one of the strongest conversion rates in this series, achieved with a 296 GRE. She had about 3,800 PCE hours across five different clinical roles. She did not hear about a single interview until the end of August after applying in May.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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Why PA?

I love how the PA profession is based in making healthcare more accessible. I am also very interested in pursuing emergency medicine so I like how if I become burnt out I can still take the skills I learned there to another specialty that could utilize them.

In this post:

How many programs did you apply to?

About 12 maybe 14

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, Tori’s file is the clearest counterexample to GRE anxiety we have published. A 296 alongside eight interview invites and five acceptances says plainly that programs were reading her 3,800 hours across five clinical roles, not her test score. Her car-commute practice method is also genuinely good advice: saying answers out loud is completely different from rehearsing them in your head, and a car is the most private practice room most people have.

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

8 interview invites, 7 interviews attended, 5 acceptances, and 2 waitlists.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Tori found her rheumatology shadowing PA by cold calling offices, and it turned into an invitation to sit in on his lecture at a local PA school. Cold calls compound.

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Where will you be attending?

PACE University

Anything you found interesting about interviews?

I was honestly surprised at how relaxed they were. Maybe it has to do with where I applied, but all my interviewers were very kind and laid back. They all seemed to just want to get to know me. There were a lot of laughs which I was not expecting.

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

I used a couple PA interview prep books for interviews (Physician Assistant Interview Guide and How to “Ace” the Physician Assistant School Interview) and I did a mock interview with The PA Life. A kinda weird way I prepared for interviews was by talking out my answers in my car while commuting. I felt more comfortable in my car knowing no one else could hear me and anyone that saw me probably thought I was talking on the phone. I also relied heavily on the Pre Physician Assistant subreddit. I also used the pre PA Facebook page too.

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

Don’t compare yourself to others! That was the absolute thief of my joy over the summer while I was waiting to hear back. I didn’t hear back about an interview until the end of August and I had applied in May. All of my friends got accepted before I did and I doubted myself a lot through that process. I wish I enjoyed my summer more and spent less time stalking my email.

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

Instagram @torixalise

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Michigan State University
Overall GPA: 3.76
Science GPA: 3.72
GRE: 296
PA-CAT: N/A
Total PCE hours: About 3,800 at time of application (CNA, clinical research assistant, ophthalmic tech, medical assistant at an urgent care, and ED tech).
Total HCE hours: 300 (front desk at the urgent care).
Shadowing hours: 16 hours (dermatology PA and rheumatology PA). The dermatology PA I shadowed was my actual dermatologist and the rheumatology PA I found through cold calling offices. He actually ended up being a great resource and I got to sit in on one of his lectures at a local PA school. I also got to attend a medical sales rep dinner which was so fun.
Volunteer hours: 20 hours. Helped teach kids how to read.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 24
Gender: Female

FAQ

Can you get into PA school with a 296 GRE?

Yes. Tori received 8 interview invites and 5 acceptances with a 296. A lower score is far easier to absorb when your patient care hours and GPA are strong, but [VERIFY] whether any program on your list enforces a hard GRE minimum.

What GPA do you need for the PACE University PA program?

Tori was accepted with a 3.76 overall GPA and a 3.72 science GPA. [VERIFY] PACE’s current published minimum GPA and most recent accepted class averages.

How long does it take to hear back after applying to PA school?

It varies enormously. Tori applied in May and did not receive her first interview notice until the end of August. Silence through the summer is normal and is not a signal about your outcome.

How do you find PA shadowing opportunities?

Tori shadowed her own dermatologist and found a rheumatology PA by cold calling offices. Your existing providers and a list of local practices are the two most productive starting points.

How should you practice for a PA school interview?

Tori talked her answers out loud in her car while commuting, which gave her privacy and repetition. Saying answers aloud is meaningfully different from thinking them through, and mock interviews add the feedback layer.

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

Five acceptances, and Tori still spent her summer doubting herself while her friends heard back first. That gap between how a cycle feels and how it turns out is the whole lesson here. Do not let comparison steal a summer you cannot get back.

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PACE University PA Program: Tori's Acceptance Story (5 Acceptances, 296 GRE)