And then there was one.... OR Lucky Number 13

More than casual readers will know I am applying to graduate school for a Masters degree to become a Physician Assistant(PA). Basically doctor lite.

I did this once before, in 2009 but only for a single school. One ranked in the top 5 of schools in the US for PA school. All the schools tell you they get over 1,000 applicants, interview about 80 to 100 and then extend offers to about 40.

More than one admissions counselor told me that of the original thousand about half can be immediately discarded. Even still, of those who apply and make it past the first cut less than 10% are accepted and end up attending the school. I made it to position number 43. Meaning I was wait-listed. If three people changed their minds, I would have been in!

So close.......It just takes one for this to work......

Well this application cycle I decided to apply to more schools. Lots more. Like 13, a lucky 13. I even spent 8 hours making an excel spread sheet so that I could figure out my best choices for schools. A very nifty ranking tool with the formulas and such I used.

Thankfully the process is very centralized as 85% of the schools accept applications through only one place. This is a central website where you put all you data and then they send it off to all the different schools you chose. For a price of course. Then if those schools like you, they ask you for more information. You give them this information and then you are in the que. If you are asked to interview it happens in October to December. If you are given an offer to attend it happens in December to February. Then school starts July 1st. A drawn out process.

Well here I am, in the stage where I see who wants to know more about me while I wait till the winter to see if they want to talk to me. But three schools have already struck me, or I them, from the initial list. This is where I stand.....

Uni of Washington- game over.
Pacific Uni- game over.
SJVC- game over.
USC- game over.
Uni Texas San An-game over

Stanford-no news.
Uni New Mex- no news.
St Francis NM- no news.


Yale- we're looking at you, we'll get back.
UC Davis- we're looking at you, we'll get back.

Uni Utah- tell us more.
Loma Linda- tell us more.
Uni Colorado Dnvr- tell us more.

5 schools dead, 8 more to decide and finally one school to rule them all. (LOTR FTW)