Stanford University PA Program: Brooke's First-Cycle Acceptance Story

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

Brooke applied once to 12 programs, earned 4 interviews, and finished with 2 acceptances — including Stanford. She got her EMT license specifically to open doors into medical assistant work at an urgent care and an OBGYN practice, building 2000 PCE hours. Her interviews opened with the hardest questions and saved the casual introduction for the end.

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?

4 interviews- 2 acceptances, 1 rejection, 1 withdrawal before my outcome was shared

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, "if you have answered the question, stop talking" is advice almost no applicant is given and nearly everyone needs. Silence at the end of a good answer reads as confidence. Filling it reads as anxiety, and it is the most common way strong candidates weaken an answer they had already landed. Brooke also identifies something real about interview structure: many programs deliberately front-load the hardest prompts, so do not expect a gentle warm-up.

Where will you be attending?

Stanford University

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

Brooke got her EMT license primarily as a key into medical assistant roles. A short certification can unlock clinical jobs that would otherwise be closed to you.

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Anything you found interesting about interviews?

The questions asked in all of my interviews were in such a random and unnatural order! They saved the casual “intro” until the end of the interview and started with the tough ones forcing me to take a stance on a statement or share the hardest thing I had persevered through. Be prepared to start and answer in any order! Also, do not be discouraged or concerned if you do not use your whole interview time. If you have elaborated and feel sure about your answer, stop talking!

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

I used the PA Platform’s interview guide and did two mock interviews!

Any advice for other pre-PA students?

Write everything down and plan ahead! While it seems daunting at first, once I spent the time to break down what I needed to accomplish each semester to be ready to apply to PA programs, I accomplished my goal successfully with lesser stress!

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

My instagram is @brookealandry

Need to Know:

Overall GPA: 3.68
Science GPA: 3.33
GRE: 315
Total PCE hours: 2000 when I submitted. I got my EMT license and used that to work as an MA in an urgent care and at an OBGYN practice.
Total HCE hours: I did not end up with any HCE experience. I instead focused on PCE, research, and volunteer hours.
Shadowing hours: I shadowed an anesthesiologist and a bariatric PA who were family friends during summers at home, and I sent out cold emails to physicians at my university’s hospital to connect and shadowed through our pre-med organization. I additionally did virtual shadowing during the pandemic with multiple PAs through instagram virtual shadowing accounts. Once I solidified a job working with NPs and PAs, I asked to stick around outside of my shift and shadowed my providers I worked with!
Volunteer hours: 400. I volunteered for philanthropic events and initiatives through my sorority, and I attended alternative spring breaks that spent the whole week of spring break assisting different communities around the US by teaching in lower income schools or cleaning up communities. ASB is one of the best ways to get volunteer hours because it allows for a full week of volunteering without worrying about it conflicting with study time. You also grow a lot because of the way you are solely focused on the experience and not the other 100 things on your to do list.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 22
Gender: Female

FAQ

What GPA do you need for the Stanford PA program?

Brooke was accepted with a 3.68 overall GPA and a 3.33 science GPA. [VERIFY] Stanford’s current published minimum GPA and most recent accepted class averages before applying.

Does Stanford require the GRE for the PA program?

Brooke submitted a 315. Her post did not record a PA-CAT result. [VERIFY] Stanford’s current standardized testing policy directly, as requirements change by cycle.

Should you get an EMT license for PA school?

It is one of the faster routes into paid clinical work. Brooke used hers to move into medical assistant roles at an urgent care and an OBGYN practice, reaching 2000 PCE hours. [VERIFY] that your target programs count both EMT and MA work as PCE.

Do you need healthcare experience hours as well as patient care hours?

Not always. Brooke reported no HCE at all, concentrating instead on PCE, research, and volunteering. [VERIFY] whether each program requires HCE separately or counts a combined total.

How long should PA school interview answers be?

Long enough to answer fully and no longer. Brooke’s advice is that if you have elaborated and feel sure about your answer, stop talking. Leaving time unused is not a problem.

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

Brooke broke the whole thing into semester-sized pieces, got the certification that opened the doors she needed, and was accepted to Stanford on her first attempt at 22. Write everything down and plan ahead, she says, and the daunting version of this process becomes a manageable one.

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Stanford University PA Program: Brooke's First-Cycle Acceptance Story