CASPA: How to Apply as Early as Possible

You have probably read this before but it is worth repeating. Apply to PA school early. An early application should increase your chances of being offered an interview. PA schools are looking to fill their seats and the earlier you apply the less competition there currently is for interview slots. You are more likely to shine among 100 initial applications in the month of May than you are once 500 applications have come through by August. (These are random numbers to paint a picture).

Let’s say a program has 50 spots available. The more and more people that are being offered interviews as the year rolls on the fewer and fewer seats there are available once they start handing out acceptance letters. If you wait until August then your chances of an interview have decreased because your competition has increased, makes sense right? Now that you understand why you should apply early, let’s discuss ways to make that happen.

CASPA typically opens up at the end of April every year. There are many things you can already have done before the application cycle even opens. Let’s talk about what you can have ready and what will just have to wait.

Related: Acceptance Into PA Schools With a Low GPA

What you can prepare in advance

• A list of schools you want to apply to. Do this research in advance. Make sure you will have all the required prerequisites for each program as well as meet any minimum requirements. You should also research what makes each program unique so you can speak to that in the supplemental portion of the application.
• Your personal statement. Why do you want to be a PA? Start working on this in advance. Have it edited, proofread, grammar checked, and ready to be uploaded once CASPA officially opens. 
• Letters of recommendation (LOR). Another thing you know is coming, and honestly, the most annoying thing to have to wait on. Ask for your LORs in advance!! Give whoever you are asking plenty of time to write it as well as an early deadline, send polite reminders, and let them know that you want to apply early and that they can expect an email from CASPA. Let this be the first thing you address when you open up your application so that they receive that email and can send their letters to CASPA. 
• Collect and categorize all shadowing, volunteer, and patient care experience. You will need to have detailed information about all of your health care and non-health care experience. This includes location, supervisor contact information, the number of hours attained, and details of what each activity or job entails. Since you are likely still obtaining hours in some capacity just make sure to update the number of hours once you’re ready to actually hit submit.

What you can’t prepare for in advance

• Supplemental questions. Besides researching the schools you want to attend and having a good idea of the principals each program seems to follow, you can’t predict what the supplemental questions will be. This is where you will need to focus the majority of your time when the application finally opens. 

There you have it, I hope you take this advice and start this process early. By the time April rolls around you will be anxious enough as it is. If you have everything as prepared as you can, and are one of the first to hit submit, you will increase your chances of being offered an interview. This is the first goal. Once you get the interview all you need to do is let your personality shine and then you are GOLDEN. I hope this was helpful, let me know in the comments below if there is anything else that can be done in advance that will help speed the process along!