How To Get Into PA School With a Low GPA
Why does everyone talk about GPAs when applying to PA schools? The short answer is because it’s the most complex analytical part of your application that needs the most attention. When applying to schools, it is crucial to figure out whether you meet the minimum requirements with regards to GPA for EACH school.
There are many different types of GPAs: Science GPA (sGPA), Cumulative GPA (cGPA), graduate GPA, Biology, Chemistry, Physics (BCP GPA) and many more. As part of the different GPA calculations from CASPA, you will see GPAs shown in the picture below. sGPA and cGPA are mainly two GPAs that most schools focus on, unless stated otherwise.
If you have a low GPA (just like I did), following these tips will definitely be an advantage when applying.
1. Meet the minimum GPA requirements stated by the school you’re applying to.
Some schools specifically care about how you performed in your undergraduate by looking at the cumulative undergraduate GPA (like Yale online PA program). It does not matter whether you increased your GPA after graduating; your post-baccalaureate GPA. You can check with each school’s admission committee if the website is not clear.
2. Calculate your GPAs before submitting your CASPA
The last thing you want to do is waste your money when you do not meet the minimum GPA requirements. The following link will let you calculate how many units you would need to increase your GPA based on your total units. http://gpacalculator.net/how-to-raise-gpa/ .
The following link will let you know how many letter grade of As you will need based on units that you have. https://reslife.berkeley.edu/gpa-calculator
3. Take science courses to increase your GPA
Even if your sGPA is fine, taking more science courses allows you to market yourself as an applicant to the admission’s committee that you are able to excel in rigorous science courses just like PA school. The following link has science classes you can take to boost up your science GPA: https://help.liaisonedu.com/…/4CASPA_Course_Subjects There are many online platforms (such as Portage, Univ. of New England et.c) and University Extensions (UCSD, UCLA etc.) that will allow you take courses in as little as 4 weeks self-paced. If you would like to save $$$ and have time, I recommend checking your local community colleges first.
4. Research schools that are holistic in their application pool
Use MyPABox (use the code nextpac to get 15% off) to create your list of schools based on your statistics of GPA, GRE, CASPer, location and other preferences. It is also important to look at other requirements of your application such as Patient Care Experience (PCE) hours, Healthcare Experience (HCE) hours, volunteering, and shadowing. Some schools also personally calculate your last 60-90 units, prerequisite GPA or new grades without the average of old and new grades as CASPA does. If the school mentions any of these on their website, you can clarify with them whether you meet their requirements or not before applying.
5. Let’s talk personal statement!
Many people wonder if they should highlight their weakness of low GPA or bad semester in their personal statement. My opinion would be to do so only if you had a difficult semester with personal challenges in your life that impacted your academic abilities. If you have had Cs or failing grades multiple semesters and do not wish to highlight that, that is totally okay as well! By mentioning your personal struggles and focusing on how it taught you better studying skills or guided you in the right path of personal development, it can only be seen as a strength.
It is also a good idea to research the schools you are interested in before writing personal statements. By focusing on the values and mission statement of the schools, you can highlight your strengths and experiences that the admission’s committee can connect with. For example, my underserved volunteering experiences and my life story probably resonated with the schools’ mission statement that were related to serving the underprivileged populations. Although my sGPA and cGPAs was 3.08, I suddenly became an applicant that the schools can relate with because of my experiences.
If you have any questions or need any assistance, please feel free to reach out! I wish you all the best on this journey, future colleague!
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