Application Process & Timeline for the Physician Assistant Program

STEP 1: Submit CASPA Application

Initial application is made through CASPA, the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants. Ohio University’s PA program only accepts applications via CASPA.

The CASPA application cycle opens annually in late April. OHIO’s PA program has a CASPA submission-verified deadline of August 1st. All components of the application (prerequisite grades, CV or resume, Letters of recommendation, official GRE scores, patient care experience) must be received by the August 1st deadline.  Applications that are not submitted in their entirety and designated by CASPA with a verified status (green check mark) by August 1st will not be accepted/reviewed.

To further enhance our holistic review process, applicants should complete the CASPA application in its entirety, including non-required fields relating to race & ethnicity, family information, and environmental/socioeconomic factors in the Personal Information section of the CASPA application.

CASPA applicants will be contacted by the program via email in August with an application status update.

STEP 2: Supplemental Application to Graduate College (by invitation only)

After a holistic application review is performed, applicants selected for interview are invited to complete Ohio University’s Graduate College supplemental application.

The supplemental application consists of:

• Non-refundable application fee: $50 (fee waiver available for those who qualify)
• Personal background
• Educational background

Completed supplemental applications are forwarded to the Director of Admissions & Recruitment who then schedules applicants for an interview. Interview invitations are on a rolling basis, offered from August through October.

STEP 3: Interview Day (by invitation only)

Ohio’s PA program uses the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format to assess an applicant’s experiences and gain a greater understanding of attributes relevant to a career as a PA. OHIO’s PA Program’s MMI interviews is a blinded (closed-file) interview process. Only the Director of Admissions & Recruitment reviews the CASPA applications prior to interviews.

Below is more detailed information about interviews:

• Interviews are conducted virtually over three hours.
• The MMI interview format consists of the following stations: a round table discussion, a writing assessment and four 1:1 interviews with the program’s faculty / staff / guest interviewers.
• After interviews, applicants meet with current students for a Q&A session.

After each day of interviews is complete, OHIO’s Admissions Committee meets with the Director of Admissions & Recruitment to review CASPA applications and discuss interview day performance.

STEP 4: Acceptance Decision

The Admissions Committee renders an admission decision within 3 business days of the interview. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis starting August through October. All decisions are final, and no feedback will be offered on applications/interviews.

Categories of decision are:

• Accepted: Applicants who are accepted will have 1 week from notification to pay the $1500 non-refundable deposit to secure their seat in the program. The deposit is applied to the first semester’s tuition/fees.
• Waitlist: Applicants who are offered a seat on the waitlist will have 1 week from notification to accept or decline the offer. There is no fee to secure a seat on the waitlist. When all interviews have been conducted, applicants will be given their position on the waitlist.
• Not Accepted

Admissions Timeline