As the weather begins to get colder, and the New England leaves begin to turn red and gold, I know many of you will be rushing to finish up and send in those PA school applications! Fall is one of the busiest times of year for the PA admissions committee because this is when the majority of application reviews and interviews take place. The application process varies among PA programs, but I am going to give you some of the specifics of what to expect during the admission process at the QU PA Program. In order to apply to the QU PA Program you will need to fill out the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) Application. You will need to fill out this application in its entirety before you can apply specifically to the QU PA Program. Some of the information required for the CASPA includes your grades and transcripts from all of the schools you have attended, information regarding previous work experience, community service experience, and three letters of recommendation. You will want to make sure that you ask people who know you very well to write your recommendations for you, so that those individuals can thoroughly discuss your unique qualities, talents, skills, and attributes. It will take some time to get all of your information together for the CASPA application, so make sure you start early. Sometimes it will even take CASPA up to four weeks to process your application even after you have completed it, so make sure you send in your CASPA as soon as possible so that you do not miss the September 1st application deadline for the QU PA Program.
After you submit your CASPA application, there will unfortunately be a period of waiting time before you will hear back from QU PA Program. If you do not hear from them right away, do not feel discouraged. Quinnipiac notifies applicants of interview dates anytime from September to December. You will usually find out 1-3 weeks prior to your interview date that you have been invited for an interview, and if you are indeed selected for an interview give yourself a pat on the back because you are one step closer to being accepted into a great program!
Interview dates for the QU PA Program are held on specific Saturdays or Fridays throughout the fall season. If you are able to travel to North Haven, CT in advance of your interview date, you should attempt to make a visit to the North Haven campus the night before your interview. During this time, the 1st year PA students hold “Meet and Greet” sessions. This will be your opportunity to get to know some of the first year students, ask them questions about their experiences, and get a tour of the campus. As an applicant, I found my “Meet and Greet” experience to be very valuable in helping me to make the decision to come to Quinnipiac because I learned that I could really relate to the students in the program and I appreciated their openness and honesty regarding all of my questions.
On the date of your interview you should expect to come to campus early. Make sure you are wearing business attire and make sure you are on time! You have a busy day ahead of you. Although you will most likely be nervous on your interview day, try to be yourself. You have been invited to interview because the QU PA Program has already selected you as a top candidate for the program. Now they want the chance to get to know the real you! On the day of your interview try to calm your nerves, be yourself, and try to interact with as many people as possible to give the members of the admissions committee the chance to know you. Give yourself the opportunity to get your questions answered and gather enough information to decide if this program is right for you!
After you have completed the interview process you could hear back from the admissions committee at any time. The QU PA Program accepts applicants on a rolling basis, so there is no specific deadline upon which you will receive an admission decision. I hope I have answered some of your questions regarding what to expect with the QU PA Program admissions process. If you have any further questions regarding this process please feel free to contact Kristen Parent in Graduate Admissions at 203-582-8672.
-Kaitlyn Kasinskas Physician Assistant 2013
