South College Knoxville PA Program: Danielle's Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Danielle applied to 14 programs, earned 5 interviews, and watched the first four produce three waitlists and a denial. The acceptance came at her very last interview, at South College in Knoxville. She had a 3.62 GPA, roughly 2,800 PCE hours as a PCA at a children's hospital and a volunteer at a free clinic, and 151 shadowing hours across urgent care, the ER, and primary care.

Last Updated: August 2, 2026

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How many programs did you apply to?

In this post:

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

5 interviews, 3 waitlisted, 1 denied, 1 acceptance

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, Danielle's cycle illustrates why you should not read a waitlist as a failure or an early rejection as a pattern. Four interviews produced nothing definitive, and the fifth produced her seat. Applicants routinely conclude after two or three non-acceptances that something is fundamentally wrong with their application, and often nothing is — programs have different priorities, cohort compositions, and interview formats, and the variance is real. Her observation about that variance is concrete: some of her interview segments ran ten minutes, others a full hour. Prepare for both. Her 2,800 PCE hours as a pediatric PCA plus 151 shadowing hours across three settings is a solid, well-rounded clinical record.

Where will you be attending?

South College-Knoxville

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Danielle's interview lengths ranged from ten minutes to an hour across five programs. A ten-minute interview means every answer counts, so have a tight version of your core answers ready alongside the expanded ones.

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Anything you found surprising about interviews?

How different each school conducted interviews. At some the interview portion was all of ten minutes, others it was up to an hour, so it really varied.

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

Savanna Perry's Interview Guide book, The Ultimate Guide to Getting into PA School by Andrew Rodican, The PA Platform mock interview service and all the blogs and podcasts!

Any other advice for other pre-PA students?

It was especially hard to keep motivated after interviewing with nothing to show for it the first few invites, but it wasn't until my very last interview that I finally got the acceptance! So to those who feel like they blew their chances or feel like accepting defeat don't get discouraged! Continue to take every opportunity to make your dream a reality and you will achieve it!

Where can we find you?

instagram – @daniellehams11

Need to Know:

Undergraduate education: Ohio State University- Major: Neuroscience, Minor: Criminology
Overall GPA: 3.62
Science GPA: 3.45
GRE: 310
Total PCE hours: ~2800 as a PCA at a children's hospital and a medical volunteer at a free medical clinic
Total HCE hours: 141 as a volunteer at a hospital
Shadowing hours: 151 shadowing PAs in urgent care, ER, and primary care
Other Volunteer hours: Sorority, service trip to Nicaragua, psychology research study volunteer
LORs: Urgent care PA I shadowed, my work manager, a volunteer coordinator
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 23
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the South College Knoxville PA program?

Danielle was accepted with a 3.62 overall GPA and a 3.45 science GPA. [VERIFY] Confirm South College's current minimum GPA requirements.

Does South College's PA program require the GRE?

Danielle submitted a GRE score of 310. [VERIFY] Confirm whether South College currently requires the GRE, as many programs have dropped it.

How many patient care hours do you need for the South College PA program?

Danielle applied with roughly 2,800 PCE hours as a patient care assistant at a children's hospital and a medical volunteer at a free clinic, plus 141 HCE hours and 151 shadowing hours. [VERIFY] Confirm the program's current PCE requirements.

Does being waitlisted at PA school mean you won't get in?

No. Danielle was waitlisted at three programs and denied at one before her final interview produced an acceptance. Waitlists move throughout the spring and summer as accepted applicants commit elsewhere.

How long is a PA school interview?

It varies enormously. Danielle experienced interview segments ranging from about ten minutes to an hour across five programs. Prepare concise versions of your key answers as well as longer ones so you can adapt to either.

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

Danielle interviewed five times and got exactly one acceptance — on the last try, after three waitlists and a denial had made it feel hopeless. That's a common shape for a successful cycle, and it's worth knowing before you're in it. Keep going to the interviews, keep preparing for each one as if it's the first, and don't let four ambiguous outcomes convince you the fifth won't be different.

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South College Knoxville PA Program: Danielle's Acceptance Story