Acceptance Into PA Schools With a Low GPA

You are likely reading this because you have a low undergraduate GPA. I promise my friend, you are not alone. I also had a relatively low undergraduate GPA due to a number of factors that occurred during my freshman and sophomore years. While everyone’s story is different if you have a GPA less than 3.5 you are not considered highly competitive. This doesn’t mean all hope is lost. My first time applying I applied to seven schools, and I received acceptance letters to two of those PA programs. Your GPA is important but it isn’t everything, and it definitely doesn’t define you. Let’s discuss ways to improve your chances of acceptance into PA schools with a low GPA!

Take post-undergraduate science courses

Following graduation, I took a year and a half off prior to applying to PA schools. During this time I put my head down and worked hard. I was working a full-time job as a dermatology medical assistant during the day, taking science classes at night, and volunteering as an EMT on the weekends. The science classes I took after graduation were organic chemistry with lab and an entry-level biology class. I want to point out that these were not upper-level science courses. I simply wanted to increase my science GPA. Some programs will calculate your science GPA based on specific courses they require instead of all of the science courses you have ever taken. Most programs require entry-level biology courses. I figured I could switch out the C+ I received in Bio 101 for an A which is exactly what I ended up doing.

Research schools for their GPA requirement

If a PA program posts on its website that they have a minimum GPA requirement, and you do not meet that requirement then do not apply. It will be a waste of your money. They likely will immediately weed out any applications that don’t meet minimum requirements. This includes other minimum requirements such as required prerequisites or GRE scores. The caveat is they may have a statement on their website stating even if you don’t meet the minimum requirement you can still apply on a conditional basis. Try to find PA programs with low minimum GPA requirements that you can easily surpass. 

Cast a wide net when applying

While I did not get into my top choice for PA school, I was accepted to two programs and could decide which one I preferred. This was such a blessing as I never expected to be accepted into even one program during my first application process. I focused on applying to schools with newer PA programs that already had other well-established graduate programs. I figured if the school was able to successfully accredit one graduate program, then likely their PA program would ultimately also do well. These programs do not have as many applicants as well-known and well-established programs do, so your competition for admission is less. I do NOT recommend applying to any programs that are in trouble with the ARC-PA for any reason. You are putting yourself at risk by applying to these programs. If they end up losing their accreditation for any reason you may not be able to sit for your boards.

Beef up the rest of your application

One way to improve the remaining portion of your application is by focusing on your personal statement. In my personal statement, I included the reason why I had a low GPA and what I did to work on increasing it. I also pointed out that my GPA did trend up in the last two years of my undergraduate career. Trending GPAs are typically a factor that admission committees consider when reviewing an application. (As long as it is trending up that is). Besides highlighting my trending GPA, I really focused on what I could do to improve the remainder of my application. I had excellent letters of reference, a high number of valuable patient contact hours as well as great shadowing experience. I also had a decently high GRE score. Lastly, I took my time to write, edit and tweak my personal statement. 

Numbers do not define a person and their ability to do well. Even though my undergraduate GPA was relatively low, I ended up graduating with honors from my PA program and now have my dream career. If I can do it then you can do it too. You may just need to put a little extra work in to make it happen. Have you been accepted to PA schools with a low GPA and have any extra tips? Please share them with us below!