Successful First-Time PA Applicant: George

This is the question everyone asks. George applied to 10 schools and honestly thought he might get nothing. Instead he received 9 interview invitations, attended 7 of them, and ended up with 7 acceptances.

In his words, the whole year felt surreal. If you'd told him a year earlier that he'd be choosing between seven programs, he wouldn't have believed it. He's quick to point out what a blessing it is to even have a choice, because plenty of people are praying just to get into one school. Having multiple acceptances is a huge advantage, and he doesn't take it for granted.

Several factors went into it. George wants to work as a PA in Brooklyn with a particular patient population, and SUNY Downstate's hospitals are primarily in Brooklyn and New York City. He felt the best preparation was learning with the same patients he plans to serve for the rest of his career.

The campus is only 20 minutes away, which saves money, and when he visited for the interview, the location and the vibe just felt like home. He also liked that the program starts a little slower, with only three classes in the summer semester before picking up the pace, instead of jumping into nine classes in the fall like some newer programs. On top of that, he estimates he's saving about $50,000 in loans, with tuition around $40K for the entire program.

George attended Brooklyn College (CUNY) as a psychology major and chemistry minor. His overall GPA was 3.51 and his science GPA was 3.47. He took all of his prerequisites at one school, which he feels showed consistency.

As a sophomore he earned a D in Organic Chemistry 1 Lab and a C+ in Organic Chemistry 2 Lab, and notably he did not retake them. His last six semesters he was a 4.0 student, creating a clear upward trend. For experience, he had about 630 hours of HCE volunteering and roughly 4,500 patient care hours over three years across roles as a medical assistant. He also did 38 hours of research, decided it wasn't for him, and moved on. He gathered 8 letters of recommendation, and although CASPA allows 5, he brought the extra 3 to interviews, which most schools accepted.

Yes! George is living proof. Those grades came up in interviews and he was ready for them. He was honest, explaining that as a younger student he was late to class, skipped assignments, and didn't yet have the study habits to handle intense science courses.

He didn't sugarcoat it, and committees appreciated that honesty. As he matured and became more driven, he built strong study habits and learned to prioritize academics. The lesson here is that a weak grade isn't a dealbreaker if you can show genuine growth and own it without making excuses. A clear upward trend tells a much more convincing story than a single perfect transcript.

Preparation was everything. When CASPA opened on April 24, George submitted within about two to two and a half weeks, on roughly May 12 or 13. He stresses entering grades carefully and getting your letter writers moving early, since recommendations are the one part you don't control.

He spent about six months on his personal statement, connecting his story of immigrating from Armenia and experiencing loss to his path toward the PA profession. With only 5,000 characters, every word has to count, so he had friends with strong grammar review it. For logging hours, he used a 75:25 rule, counting about 75% of a job as PCE and 25% as HCE, and tracked real hours from his pay stubs rather than overestimating. His interview advice is simple: be smart, be kind, be truthful, and remember that most interviewers just want to get to know you. And when it comes to shadowing requests, expect some rejection and don't get discouraged.

[QA: spare template section - delete]

George's cycle is a reminder that imperfect transcripts and real growth can absolutely lead to multiple acceptances. If you've been telling yourself you're not ready, remember his rule: if you meet a program's minimums and feel good about your application, go for it. When you're ready to sharpen your essay or interview answers, our coaches would love to help.