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You are here: Home / Pre-Physician Assistant / CASPA Application / 5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle

5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle

BY Stephen Pasquini PA-C 11 Comments

5 Things I’ve Learned Going into My 4th Physician Assistant Application CycleI will be honest; this is not an article I ever thought I’d be writing.

I submitted my first physician assistant application after finishing my undergrad in 2014, and here I am three years later preparing to submit my fourth PA application when the cycle starts at the end of the month.

The PA application process has been grueling and defeating at times; a truth that isn’t mentioned enough on Pre-PA forums or educational websites.

They say experience is the best teacher and with three years of PA applications under my belt, I’d say I’m seasoned enough to provide some insight.

Below are five things I’ve learned about the PA application process.

1. Take the Application Seriously

If you’re a Pre-PA, you’ve definitely heard of CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants). Stephen compares CASPA to Amazon because it gives admission directors a friendly platform for assessing and reviewing PA applicants.

CASPA isn’t just the platform PA programs use to compare candidates; it’s also the same one you’ll use to submit your PA application.

You should definitely spend time inside of CASPA well before the application cycle starts. Learn how to maneuver the system and especially understand the instructions before submitting an application because once you submit your application, there are some things that cannot be changed.

Taking the application seriously will greatly increase your chances of landing an interview. I was a bit naïve when I first applied through CASPA in 2014. One of the mistakes I made during my first application was not submitting it as early as possible.

Many PA programs look at applications on a rolling basis, meaning they review applications as soon as they are received. The longer you delay submitting your PA application, the fewer open seats there are.

In 2014, CASPA opened in April, and I didn’t submit my application until August. To put this into some perspective, by August last year I already completed two personal interviews with interested PA programs. Thus, by not taking the application more seriously my first year, I set myself up to fail.

2. Research Schools Before Applying

Doing my PA School Research at www.paschoolfinder.com
Finding the perfect PA School at www.paschoolfinder.com

Another tip for PA applicants is to research schools well before the application cycle begins. In fact, I’d recommend looking at schools at least a year in advance.

Why?

Well, many PA programs have unique requirements for candidates.

For instance, one program might accept online science lab pre-requisites while another might not. Other variations between programs could include:

  • Minimum GPA requirements: some require 3.2 (11 schools), others 3.0 (80 schools)  or 2.8 (4 schools)
  • Minimum GRE scores
  • Timeframe for pre-requisites to be completed (Fall before application cycle)
  • Expiring prerequisite credits (some programs require credits earned for prerequisite courses to be within the last 5, 7, or 10 years)

Because the PA program is so competitive, it’s important that you have as many viable options as possible when you apply for programs. If you research programs and understand the minimum requirements for the schools you are most interested in, you have a year to fulfill any requirement that you have outstanding.

I learned this lesson the hard way after realizing during my first application that I needed to increase my GPA and take additional science courses so that I could become a more competitive applicant and meet the requirements for more PA programs.

3. Get Patient Care Hours

Not only does direct contact patient care experience improve your chances of getting into an interview, but it also helps you validate your decision to become a physician assistant.
I cannot emphasize enough how important patient care hours are.

Stephen does a great job breaking down the importance of healthcare experience, but in a nutshell, very few programs in the country require no healthcare experience whatsoever.

I worked as a pharmacy tech for many years, and still do, which can count as “other healthcare experience” depending on the program. However, to improve my application, I decided to get direct patient care experience which is substantially more valuable to PA programs.

I spent two weeks studying on my own for the CNA exam. Once I passed the exam, I found a job at a local hospital as a nurse technician. Not only does direct contact patient care experience improve your chances of getting into an interview, but it also helps you validate your decision to become a physician assistant.

While schools do have minimum thresholds for healthcare experience, there is no ceiling. In fact, there is evidence that supports a direct relationship between more healthcare experience and acceptance into PA school. If you want to increase your chances of getting accepted, become a CNA, EMT, or other position where you are directly responsible for a patient’s care.

4. Stand Out

This sounds cliché just typing it, but the reality is that PA applicants who find a way to stand out will improve their chances of landing an interview and ultimately, getting a seat in a program.

The PA program is growing more competitive every year -- Glassdoor ranking it the #1 Job in America in 2015 didn’t help, either.

Even though thousands of applicants are vying for a handful of seats, there are still opportunities to stand out. You just have to be willing to put in the extra work or go outside your comfort zone.

Standing out starts with the application.

Because time machines don’t exist, many students cannot immediately increase their GPA or easily work a thousand extra hours at their healthcare job.  Thus, they end up hitting minimum requirements but not much more.

Fortunately, CASPA allows students to diversify themselves with letters of reference and a personal statement. In fact, the personal statement may be the single most important part of your application.

Don’t take my word for it though, Stephen believes that his 600-word Physician Assistant essay was the reason he was accepted into PA school.

I have made countless tweaks and updates to my statement. I shared it with friends, other PA students, and complete strangers so that I can get as much feedback and constructive criticism as possible. Don’t be afraid to open up and be vulnerable in your statement. It’s your chance to stand out from the crowd – don’t underestimate the value of a strong personal statement.

I also have to mention that standing out doesn’t begin and end with the essay. If you land an interview, be ready to make a strong impression. My previous interviews have involved a group of 10-30 other students and me. There is a combination of one-on-one interviews and group interviews, depending on the program. Regardless of the structure or amount of competition at your interview, you have to leave a lasting memory.

The best way I’ve found to stand out is to practice a lot before the interview. The more comfortable you are with the potential questions, the more relaxed and confident you’ll be in the interview. Just be careful not to sound rehearsed, practice doesn’t mean memorizing!

5. It’s Not Going to Be Easy

Easy is for wimps

Finally, the last tip I have for those of you considering PA school is to prepare for a tough road. Granted, some students will get in with ease on their first application (I hate you!), but for every one of those, there are a dozen others that don’t receive an interview or are put on a waiting list or rejected. I don’t say this to discourage you, I say this to help you realize that if you truly want to be a PA, then you will take the hurdles and struggles along the way as motivation and lessons, I know I sure have.

I’m going to tell you a really honest and vulnerable story about my last application cycle. I was invited to an interview for a program that was pending accreditation. Now, if you’re not familiar with the ‘pending achieving accreditation’ status, don’t worry, neither was I at first. Basically, this program was awaiting final accreditation from ARC-PA, which is the governing body that oversees the standards and regulations of PA programs in the U.S.

At the time, I was just ecstatic to receive an invitation and didn’t think twice. About a month after the interview I received a phone call that would change my life forever, at least that is what I thought. I was accepted into the program.

The plan was to start January ’17 following earning provisional accreditation status at the end of 2016. However, several months later we received word that the accreditation status was on hold and that we wouldn’t start in January, as we had hoped.

The status was deferred which meant that we’d hear something in March, with a realistic chance of starting the program sometime in the middle of the year.  March came, and the news was not good.

The program's accreditation was withdrawn. After spending the better part of eight months in limbo, the other accepted students and I were back to square one. My label as an active PA student, gone in one fell swoop.

This story is just one of the many obstacles I’ve faced on my road to becoming a PA. There are countless other stories of challenges and hurdles that other students have faced far worse than mine. If you glean anything from my experience, it should be that becoming a PA can be a long and challenging road; mentally, emotionally, and financially.

If you’re passionate and driven to be a PA, then you won’t let anything get in your way. The road will not be the same for everyone, and hopefully, you can turn your obstacles into a learning experience.

So, here I am – a seasoned PA applicant with three years under my belt ready to take on the application process once again. While I’m guaranteed to make mistakes again this time around, I’ve certainly come a long way from 2014. If you’re considering PA school, I hope you’ll take heed of the advice above when applying.

Written by:

Vanessa Alvarez – Vanessa is an aspiring PA student with a background as a Pharmacy Technician and Certified Nursing Assistant. She hopes to start PA school in 2018.

Do you have something you would like to publish on thepalife.com website? If so, just drop me a line at [email protected]

View all posts in this series
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  • PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, “I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care”
  • PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, “She Smiled, Said “Gracias!” and Gave me a Big Hug”
  • PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 4, “I Have Gained so Much Experience by Working With Patients”
  • PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 5, “Then Reach, my Son, and Lift Your People up With You”
  • PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 6, “That First Day in Surgery was the First Day of the Rest of my Life”
  • PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 7, “I Want to Take People From Dying to Living, I Want to Get Them Down From the Cliff.”
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  • Don’t Make This Critical PA School Interview Mistake!
  • 5 Best Ways to Give a Memorable PA School Interview
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  • Should You Write Physician Associate or Physician Assistant on Your PA School Essay?
  • Meet the World’s Sexiest PA School Applicants
  • How to Squash PA School Interview Day Stress (4 Simple Steps)
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  • How to Write a Personal Statement Intro that Readers Want to Read
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  • How to Deal with Bad News in Your Personal Statement
  • Inside Out: How to use Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling to Improve your PA Personal Statement
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About Stephen Pasquini PA-C

A PA since 2004 and creator of The PA Life and Smarty PANCE Board Review websites. A National Health Service Corps Scholar and a graduate of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) PA Program and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Stephen's goal is to provide one-of-a-kind online resources for those interested in or practicing in the PA profession, to promote better access to healthcare for all and foster universal recognition/awareness of the PA profession. Read more about Stephen.

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Comments

  1. Victoria says

    February 2, 2019 at 9:07 am

    Thank you SO much for sharing your story. When I got out if undergrad, I had entirely wrong expectations about the ease of getting into PA school. My expectations are slowly, painfully changing. Hearing your story is very valuable to me because it’s a realistic road that most PA applicants are on. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Marianna says

    September 29, 2017 at 7:24 am

    Thank you for sharing. I graduated undergrad in 2014 as well, but with the hopes of becoming a Pharm D. So I got myself a job at a pharmacy to gain experience and have been working since. It wasn’t until last year where I realized I wanted to do PA and so I’ve been trying to get all my pre-reqs done. I have two more, but little experience.

    I’m going to see about shadowing an MD I know soon, and the only realize why I haven’t switched jobs yet is because I don’t have a specific license (everything needs a degree now like medical assisting and clinical trials associate) . I haven’t put much thought in being a CNA because I thought you had to go to school for that. My pharmacy job pays well and I’m struggling paying rent and student loans every month so I can’t quit my job which is full time.

    I’ve been scared to do an application, but I’m gonna see about submitting one in 2018. So I have various goals to achieve until then. But again thank you again for the article.

    Reply
  3. Christina Francois says

    May 14, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    Thank you for sharing. I am will be on my third try next year and I agree the road to PA school is tough. I could not imagine how it must have felt to finally get an acceptance and then having to start the application process all over again. However, it will all be worth it in the end.

    Reply
  4. lol says

    May 10, 2017 at 10:33 pm

    Did it really take you to the third application cycle to learn that you needed to take the application seriously, that direct PCE is useful, and that you should research the schools you’re applying to? w.o.w.

    Reply
    • Polly says

      May 4, 2019 at 1:38 pm

      I think this comment is a bit trollish, but there’s also a lot of truth in it. Is the author a PA yet? With all due respect, maybe it’s time for her and others like her to find something else to do with their precious lives. I wonder what their family and friends say? Who is giving her advice and looking out for her best interest? Be principled about sticking to your core competencies rather than staying a perpetual course of worsening delusion. Like many careers, the PA path is simply not for everyone! The numbers are unforgiving and in some cases, especially stacked against you if you don’t represent a demographic profile. A 4-year track record of non-acceptance speaks volumes about insurmountable obstacles at best and a serious lack of competency relative to the field at worst. I don’t mean to diminish the untold struggles or hardships the author has had to overcome in her life, but this type of article is only useful to the general population in a way that Aesop’s fables teaches children about the consequences of poor choices. Failure is part of success, but so is risk management. For most people there’s a steepening financial and personal opportunity cost involved with committing another year to applying. Then there’s 2.5 years of study and debt to get through. Then many years of debt repayment. All doing what you love, right? Hardly. Even being a doctor in a high-paying specialty is, at the end of the day in many cases, just a job. Instead, find something you’re good at and with the same effort you’re putting into PA school, live out your full potential and make money now while you’re at it. Life is too short to be settling for a career reserved for only the most competitive applicants who fit these programs’ whims. And most it exists outside of the bubble of modern medicine.

      Reply
      • just a though says

        September 14, 2019 at 9:58 am

        There’s a very real possibility that it’s not down to incompetency and moreso down to the interview. It’s very easy to get to that stage and choke just because of the pressure. It happens to a lot of students, even with adequate preparation.

        Reply
        • M says

          February 17, 2020 at 12:21 pm

          There were many people in my PA class that took 3 and 4 application cycles to be accepted. My best friend in the class took three cycles, and she had over a 3.8 GPA in the PA program. Another graduated with a perfect 4.0 from PA school. Please don’t be discouraged; you can do this.

          Reply
          • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

            February 17, 2020 at 7:53 pm

            Thank you for the words of encouragement!

            Stephen

            Reply
  5. Matthew T. says

    April 18, 2017 at 1:18 pm

    Physician Assistants are taught under the medical model. Meaning their learning is inline with that of a physician. Nurse Practicioners are taught nursing which is very different and many of these advance degrees APRN, DNP etc are obtained online with little clinical and real life experience. As an MD who has precepted both, I can honestly say there is a vast difference in the breadth of knowledge and capablity between PAs and NPs. Quite frankly, I feel it’s insulting to compare the 2 professions. Nurses, with their numbers and union backing have created this inflated role with very substandard metrics. It’s scary and actually unsafe, that NP’s are allowed to prescribe and run practices without much medical knowledge or clinical training. There needs to be more regulation in this industry for the patients sake

    Reply
  6. Ben Artin says

    April 18, 2017 at 8:36 am

    Solid advice. Thanks for the shoutout to the reddit pre-PA forum! I am going to update the FAQ there to mention some things you say are lacking.

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      April 18, 2017 at 3:11 pm

      Wonderful, thanks Ben. I love the reddit pre-PA forum. Are you administrator?

      Stephen

      Reply

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Hi, I am beyond words to express how I feel, I got accepted, contingent on background check which I think is a formality. I want to say boldly that I am going to be a PA, thanks to you. You will be always blessed for the wonderful service you provide.  You were very kind and worked beyond what I thought could be offered. Thanks again!

Pavithra, Pre-PA

I used the personal statement editing service with Deanna Matzen (April/May 2021) and the mock interview service with Mary Jones (June 2021). Both were exceptional to work with and helped me to achieve my goal. I applied to three schools and received interview invites from all three (I’m a first-time applicant). I was waitlisted at one in June and later accepted in November, received early acceptance to my top choice in November (UTSW), and I chose to decline my third interview scheduled in December. Thank you for your services!

Rachelle, Pre-PA

Sarah was absolutely wonderful. She not only helped take my personal statement to the best level, but she also made it easy to understand why certain changes were better. In the end, she went through and used a highlighting method to show how we connected things to PA and skills that were good. This made it easier to visualize everything. I’d recommend Sarah to anyone applying to PA school that needs that extra push on their personal statements.

Taylor, Pre-PA

I just want to thank you again so much for being so awesome and helping me perfect my statement. I promised you that I would let you know if I got into any programs, and I was offered interviews at all the five universities I applied to. And I got offered positions at my top two school choices shortly after I interviewed. I am so ecstatic to say that I will be going to my number one school choice. I know multiple factors contributed to this opportunity being offered to me and the personal statement was surely a big one. Thank you so much for all that you do. It was really a great investment to have you edit my paper. I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day!

Elisa, PA-S

Duke helped me with my personal essay writing for PA school. He was very patient and helpful with me. I made lots of mistake on my Essay, but with Duke’s help I was able to write a sensible essay which was good enough to get Interview calls. I highly recommend his service.

Rajni M, Pre PA

Really helpful! Makes me feel confident.

Qui T. Pre-PA

This was just what my essay needed. I am confident that I have answered all the questions without sounding too “braggy”.

Kelsey, Pre-PA

Ms. Edmondson was incredible! She provided great feedback and answered all of my follow up questions. I will keep in touch as to my interview offers.

Ashley, Pre-PA

This was even more helpful than I anticipated! I am someone who finds it very hard to let others read my writing because it feels too personal. This made it much easier to let someone edit for me and all the suggestions provided really helped me pull together the parts I was struggling with. I would highly recommend this editing service to anybody who is having trouble strengthening their essay!

Lindsey C, Pre-PA

I am happy to provide an update. I received 5 acceptances for this cycle and will be attending Rush University PA Program starting in May 2022. Of course, I definitely have Sarah Schultz and Deanna Matzen from The PA Life to thank for their incredible help with my personal statement, instilling confidence in my ability to interview, and providing me with a lot of advice in this very difficult cycle.

Bristi (Future PA)

I was at a point where I kept reading my essay over and over again and not knowing what to change. After Sue looked over and thoroughly edited the essay, I had a completely new focus! I knew exactly what to tweak and her service really cleared up any uncertainty I had with my essay. I’m now much more confident as I finish up my CASPA applications!

Julia Spalding, Pre-PA

Sarah did such a great job editing my personal statement! She was receptive to my concerns and had awesome ideas to make my essay stand out. I am very happy with how it turned out and I am excited to submit it. Thank you!!

Hannah, Pre-PA

I had a great experience with The PA Life essay revision service. They were very professional and made revisions in a timely manner. My editor was very understanding about my schedule and when it would take me longer to reply to emails. I would recommend this service to any new grad PAs!

Sandy, Pre-PA

Thank you so much for making the personal statement process less stressful! Although I had been planning and brainstorming for months, the process of writing my journey in 5,000 characters was just daunting and overwhelming. Thank you so much for your kindness, flexibility, and your patience that helped me through this process. I appreciate how you listened and incorporated my feedback to make my personal statement a work of art that is truly representative of ME! I would highly recommend your services to any aspiring PA students who feel lost or overwhelmed by the process. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Cintia, Pre-PA

I can’t begin to explain how thrilled I am to have stumbled on this service. Like many other PA applicants, I was unsure of whether I was on the right track with my personal narrative. Reading Stephen’s two different PA school application essays showed me how to come up with something unique and creative, but the private personal statement review really made my essay shine.

Duke was so kind and helpful in helping me understand what admissions committees look for in a strong essay. Our phone conversations were so thorough, as we read through and discussed every word in my essay. Sue’s guidance helped me cut out the fluff to reach the character limit.

Melissa T. Pre-PA

Duke helped me write a great personal statement. I won’t know if I’ve been accepted to the program until Christmas/New Year’s, but I feel that it was worth every penny!

Alicia C. Pre-PA

During our first one-on-one session, my editor Sarah had the chance to understand who I am as a person before even editing. This was remarkably helpful in terms of making my voice stand out in my personal statement. I especially appreciated how thorough her comments were regarding the aspects of my essay that needed fine-tuning.

Austin, Pre-PA

Carly is absolutely amazing, and I would recommend her to everyone. She was very helpful and supportive with her edits and why she recommended certain changes. She is amazing, and she helped me tell my story.

Peter, Pre-PA

I am not sure if you remembered me, but you helped me exactly a year ago with my PA essay. Well, I got accepted into Barry’s PA program! I start this Monday. You were part of my journey and I wanted to say THANK YOU!

Catalina Bulla, PA-S

I used your service for my personal statement and my top school secondary. I feel this is an amazing service and have recommended it to many of my friends who are currently applying to PA school.

Jeff, Pre-PA

I have never used a service like this before. All I can say is that I wish I had discovered it sooner 😀

Rebecca G. PA-S

It’s very clear that Deanna, my editor, put a good amount of time and thought into this. She FAR exceeded my expectations, even providing me with two different possible drafts (my original copy was 1500 characters too long). After paying for two separate editing services, I was initially disappointed to find that the first had not provided anywhere close to the level of feedback/review/editing that I had hoped for. I thought I was on my own again with my personal statement and did not have high hopes for any additional edits at the time that I’d received the review from Deanna, of thePAlife. The first service I’d used provided reviews that were neither thoughtful, in-depth, nor helpful, but Deanna’s edits were each of those! My hopes had been shot down by the first service but were immediately uplifted after I received Deanna’s edits. Her feedback was timely, thorough, thoughtful, critical, and even supportive! She provided an exceptional service, and I would highly recommend her to anyone

Cierra, Pre-PA

Sue was extremely prompt and thoughtful in providing her comments, edits, and revisions. My essay had a good start but she helped me write it with admissions committees in mind. I will keep you updated on if I get interview invitations.

Kirsten, Pre-PA

Having my essay edited proved extremely helpful. I was having trouble connecting my thoughts, and the edit helped so much. I haven’t found out about acceptance yet. I’m just now about to submit my application!

Amber, Pre-PA

Thank you once again for your help in reviewing and editing my personal statement for PA school. Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of accepting a position in the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Physician Assistant Program. The class begins in July 2022, and I am excited to begin this next chapter of entering the PA profession. I have no doubt that your invaluable assistance helped me produce a personal statement that promoted my application and paved the way for my successful interview, and I am sincerely grateful.

Angela, PA-S

I received an acceptance call from USC! I’m going to be a PA! 👩🏽‍⚕️ I’m so overfilled with joy and gratitude!! All of my experiences led to this, and I can’t help but feel immense gratitude for every single person that was part of this journey. You were a huge component of this journey, and I am so appreciative of all of your help. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Cintia Chávez, PA-S

Carly took the time to listen to my concerns about my personal statement and apply them to what I had already written. I was so appreciative as I wasn’t sure where my personal statement stood before submitting it. I now feel more confident in my statement!

Chelsea, Pre-PA

Really great service, definitely worth the money! I am very pleased with the amount of work that went into editing my paper and giving reasons as to why sentences or paragraphs were changed around. Carly did an amazing job!

Christina, Pre-PA

This review is long overdue, but my gratitude for how much The PA Life has helped me will never fade. Ms. Schultz went above and beyond to help me tailor my personal statement to my unique stories and qualities. She was open to my suggestions and often thought from my perspective instead of imposing her thoughts on my essay. I appreciate the time she took to help me create a personal statement that expressed my thoughts clearly and concisely. I am happy to report that I have been invited to interviews, and I’m on the waitlist for one of my top schools. If I don’t get in this cycle, I will be using the editing services again. Big shout out to Ms. Schultz!! Thank you for all your encouragement, patience, and support! I am honored to have the chance to work with you. 🙂

Amy, Pre-PA

I came into this with a half written personal statement and not a lot of time left. I am beyond pleased with the work Sarah and I were able to accomplish together, and I’m so grateful to have gotten the chance to work with her. She has helped me so much with getting my writing to where I wanted it to be, and has instilled in me a great sense of confidence in myself and my abilities. I highly recommend this service to anyone going through the stress of applying! Keeping my fingers crossed as I submit my applications!

Celine, PRE-PA

This experience was great. They took my essay and gave great constructive comments that made it an even better essay. Very fast and efficient process.

Gabby, Pre-PA

Deanna was professional, prompt, and easy to talk to. I truly enjoyed working with her one-on-one for my personal statement. Her suggestions elevated my writing, and I appreciate all the work she put in my essay.

Jamie, Pre-PA

I am very happy with your service and would highly recommend it to any PA applicant. Duke helped me to put my thoughts in order and to make significant changes. My personal statement sounds great and seems easy and interesting to read now.  He took a lot of time to explain his way of thinking and to understand what I am trying to say. Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate what you are doing for others.

Olga N. Pre-PA

This service was very helpful. My essay was edited and returned to me within a few days of me submitting it. The feedback was thorough and detailed. I am already planning on sending my essay for a second edit!

Sabrina, Pre-PA

My editor with The PA Life was amazing! I will definitely suggest these services to anyone else applying to PA school. Thank you for everything!

Margarita, Pre-PA

I wanted to reach out and thank you for your help in editing my personal statement this application cycle. I have been accepted to the University of Utah and I was lucky enough to get a number of interviews! I know that your help with my statement definitely made a difference and I am so thankful! Thank you so much!

Nicole, Pre-PA

I’m not sure if you remember me but you helped me a couple of months ago on my PA personal statement. Just wanted to let you know — I got accepted into University of Pacific’s PA program! I’m overjoyed!

Thank you so much for all your help and encouragement! I really appreciate it.

Jennifer MurphyPRE-PA

Deanna was very opening to helping me with my essay. Although I had the material, the way she edited gave it a very nice and easy flow for the reader. She gave me her critical suggestions and comments that I would have otherwise missed. I am so glad I chose The PA Life revision services for my personal statement for PA school.

Yana, Pre-PA

Sue was awesome and ensured I received my edited version of the essay in a timely manner. The editing was above exceptional and exceeded my expectations. Thanks so much!! You guys are awesome!

HK, Pre-PA

I’m so happy with the amount of time and attention that Duke and Sue put into helping perfect my essay. I’m extremely fortunate to have come across Stephen’s page and this opportunity- I would have sent in an essay that unknown to me at the time, had issues and needed many improvements. I’m almost to the point where I’m going to submit my application, and will definitely update the team on prospective interviews. I cannot thank you guys enough for having this essay review service available, you definitely make it worth every dollar and more.

Tiffany Ly, Pre-PA

I am amazed by what Deanna was able to do in helping me get my supplemental essays in shape. I had hit a serious roadblock and she was able, and in an incredibly quick manner, help me remove those blocks. I am very grateful!

Lily, Pre-PA

Sue Edmonson has been a great help in ensuring my personal statement made sense and fit what information I was trying to convey. Her ability to find the pertinent parts in an essay and gain more information about me to make the essay seem relative to my pursuits was truly a Godsend. Would recommend her and your company to others. Thanks!

Christopher Ohsie, Pre-PA

Sue was great! She edited my essay in a short time frame and the comments and feedback were very informative. She helped link all of my main ideas and gave great advice regarding appropriate information for the essay. I highly recommend this service.

Michelle, Pre-PA

I wanted to send you a quick life update and another BIG thank you! I received my acceptance at the University of Utah’s PA Program on Monday and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all your help with my essay and interview prep. Both of these services that you provided were so helpful in my success. I will highly recommend you to any future PA student.

Lily, Pre-PA

Carly was excellent! Not only did she make my essay much more compelling, but she understood the deadlines I wanted to reach and helped me do that! 10/10!!

Jesse Cordova, Pre-PA

This is my second time using this editing service and I am highly satisfied with the results! Sarah Schultz worked with me on both my personal statement and a supplemental essay, both times providing excellent advice and editing on my papers. It was a pleasure working with her, and I look forward to hearing back from programs soon to see if I receive an invitation for an interview.

Sarah, Pre-PA

Duke went above and beyond to help me. I so appreciate his help and would recommend this service to anyone!

Jessica H. Pre-PA

The comments and edits made by Sue are exceptional! They’ve helped a lot in terms of helping me express my thoughts more clearly and effectively. It felt as if she was there with me, reading my thoughts and helping me with the entire process in person!

Amy, Pre-PA

I got into my first choice program University of Southern California (USC)!!!!  Thank you so much for your help this cycle. I’m forever grateful.

Lanisha Cole, PA-S

An amazing experience. Glad to have worked with Duke. He did his best, and it was very enjoyable.

Anand T. Pre-PA

The feedback that I received through The PA Life editing service was more detailed than I expected! It gave me a clear idea of what direction I need to take in regard to my personal statement. I absolutely loved the edits!

Crystal, Pre-PA

Carly from The PA Life was amazing as I knew she would be based on her bio! She touched base with me when she received my personal statement and gave me a turnaround timeframe that she stuck to. In fact, she completed it earlier than expected. I am beyond satisfied!!!! Thank you, Carly, and The PA Life!

Pamela, Pre-PA

I just want to let you know I got into the pa program! I want to give you a huge thank you for helping me nail the interview and make a great essay. Thank you, x 100,000!

Rachel J, Pre-PA

Just wanted to drop you a quick line to let you know that I got accepted to UC Davis, and have accepted their offer. I can’t thank you enough for your help through this process. I owe much credit to you and your amazing editing skills in helping me get in. With endless appreciation!

Jolene Duthie

I was extremely stressed out about writing my personal statement, and finally decided to search the internet for advice and assistance. I came across the personal statement editing service on the PA Life, and decided to give it a try. I received a response within a day, and my stress was instantly relieved. I worked personally with Duke to edit my statement, and he is a phenomenal writer. He didn’t change the content of my statement, but rather helped me tell my story in a way that is much more desirable! I cannot recommend this service enough to others seeking help on their personal statement. Duke was friendly, sincere, and definitely experienced! I felt 100% confident in his editing abilities, and we worked together the entire time so that we were both pleased with the results! Thanks again, Duke, for all of your help!

Chelsie W. Pre-PA

Sue was very attentive to details and her comments and edits made a perfect sense. Thank you for your help!

Margaryta, Pre-PA

About a year ago you helped edit my personal statement to get into PA school! I just wanted to let you know that I got interviews and was accepted to all the schools I applied to! I have decided to attend UAB in the fall! Thank you again for all your help!

Lauren Smith, PA-S

Susan did a fantastic job of editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Patrick, Pre-PA

Very helpful. I needed help figuring out what to cut and Sue was great at showing me what could go without sacrificing what I was trying to convey.

Dave, Pre-PA

I am so thankful that this editing service exists. The personal statement is incredibly important which is why I was so nervous about it. It took me two weeks to even get started because I was so nervous about writing the wrong thing. After Carly helped me with my essay, I am now so much more confident in it. Her edits were very thorough and showed that she had a really good understanding of what is important for a PA personal statement. Her email detailing her overall impression of my essay also showed she understood every single point I was trying to make and what kind of feeling I was trying to give to people reading my essay. This has been the most reassuring thing.

Angela, Pre-PA

AMAZING EDITS. Really opened my eyes to a new perspective of what a personal statement should really be like!

Jasmine, Pre-PA

Thank you so much for helping me with my physician assistant program application essays and interview! I am so excited to let you know that I received multiple PA school acceptances and have decided that I will be attending Cornell University’s PA Program in New York City. The program begins in February 2019 and I cannot wait to begin!  I truly appreciate all your help and encouragement throughout my PA application process.

Christine Chen, PA-S

Oh my gosh thank you SOO much!!! I have been so busy with school so I haven’t been able to edit my personal statement, but I want to thank you soo much for making my statement look a heck of a lot better!!! I will be editing it over my spring break since that is the only free time I have, and I most likely will do a re-edit if I can (its $35 ish right?). Anyways thank you so much again!! Sorry for the late reply but I will get back to you again during my spring break if I need a second edit, thank you so much again for all your help!! I can already see how much of a difference you’ve made! Totally worth my money!

Melat Ashagre, Pre-PA

This is just a great service overall, because not only is it an editing service, it is specific to the PA personal statement. Sue did a wonderful job editing my essay, and pointed out important flaws in it that I otherwise might not have noticed. Her edits highlighted the main points that I was trying to get across in a much better way than I had originally written. Overall, very satisfied with the results, and will have to keep you updated about the interviews. Thanks so much!

Sabrina L. Pre-PA

I just want to let you know I received multiple interview invitations and got my first acceptance a few weeks ago! I am still preparing for more interviews, but at this point, I am pretty certain I will be going to Midwestern University, and I think so much of my success with applications is because of your help with my personal statement. Because of this, I wanted to reach out and say THANK YOU! I really appreciate your support and I would definitely recommend this service to anyone applying to PA school 🙂

Alli Cowan, Pre-PA

I am very pleased with the services provided! I received an email almost immediately upon submitting my essay for review, and within 24 hours my essay review was completed. I would definitely recommend this service to any PA school applicant before they submit their essay to CASPA! Thank you for your help!

Hannah Watson, Pre-PA

Sarah is the best! She gets me and puts all her efforts for my message to come across in a clear and concise way. Obviously, her editing skills are superb! But she also has a very sweet and pleasant way of being. I highly recommend Sarah and the PA Life Personal Statement Collaborative. I have not yet received an interview, but keeping my fingers crossed!

Raquel Poliwoda Pre-PA

I loved this service!!

Madeleine Zeichner, Pre-PA

I just wanted to share some amazing news with you! I have been accepted into the MEDEX PA program in Seattle!!! I can’t thank you enough for all your help!! I am beyond excited and still can’t believe it is actually happening! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!!!!! 😀

Pavitra, PA-S

I just wanted to share that I got into USC! Woohoo!!! They just called me to share the good news. I’m feeling pretty shocked since that interview did not go as well in my head. I can’t believe I got into school during my first round of applications. This would not have been possible without you, and I really appreciate all the support you gave me throughout this process. 😊

Tiffany, PA-S

Having my essay edited proved extremely helpful. I was having trouble connecting my thoughts, and the edit helped so much. I haven’t found out about acceptance yet. I’m just now about to submit my application!

Amber, Pre-PA

This was my third time applying to PA school and I wanted it to be my last so I figured getting help with the essay would make a difference in my application. Paying for the one on one service was the best idea I’ve had to date. Sarah was great in that she literally combined three different essays I had written into one phenomenal essay! I literally have no idea how she did it. Sarah helped me focus all of my thoughts and experience down into one concise, yet personal essay. I truly think this will help me get into PA school!

Anna M. PRE-PA

I am very thankful for all of the work and time invested in me.  I learned incredible amounts from Duke about writing. Though some of it didn’t make sense to me, I knew he was right and I learned to trust him. He helped me more than any of the other dozen people I had trusted with my essay. This is such a big part of my future and my dreams and I honestly appreciate all of his work to help me get in. Thank you, Duke.

Andrew N. Pre-PA

My editor thoroughly went through my essay and provided exactly what I was looking for to bring my essay to the next level.

Matthew, Pre-PA

The suggestions are great! My essay sounds better already and I’ve just started editing it. The edits are nicely explained and make sense, and I like that there are also comments about what sounds particularly good in my original draft, too. I like that, although you said I already had a very good start, there were still significant changes you suggested that, as I’ve heard others who used this service say, “elevated my work to a whole other level.”

Phong, Pre-PA

Sarah Morris Schultz was my PA statement editor and she was absolutely fabulous! She helped to shave my original 4-page long, winding PA statement down to a 2 page impactful, poignant, moving statement that lead me to get accepted to a Doctor of Medical Science program in Physician Assistant Studies. She has such a gift for writing and knowing how to say things in just the right way and use the right words! One of the DMS PA program committee members started off my video conference online interview by stating that my PA statement was the best he ever read, not “one of the best” but THE BEST statement. My heart leapt. My PA statement years ago had caused me NOT to get accepted to the school that I had hoped. I did get accepted to a good PA school, got my degree, and started practicing in this field that I love. However, this time I decided to humble myself and get help writing a good statement. Praise God, it paid off. I am so grateful for the PA Life service and fee for the one-on-one service is worth every penny! I recommend everyone get Sarah Morris Schultz. She’s the bomb.com! I love you, Sarah 🙂

Sonja D. PA-S

A couple of months ago you worked with me on improving my personal statement. I wanted to reach out and let you know that it worked out! I got 5 interviews and so far have been accepted to 2. I am so so thankful for all your help as I don’t think it would have worked out without your amazing editing skills. Thank you for all you do! Not just me but for all the applicants you helped get accepted this year!

Matthew B. PA-S

Working with Sarah was a wonderful experience. She was prompt, attentive, and incredibly supportive throughout the process. Sarah never deviated from the authenticity of my essay. Even after she made vast changes, the essay still felt true to what I wanted to express. Thank you, Sarah! I would recommend this service to anyone applying to PA school.

Ashley, Pre-PA

Carly was helpful and gave insightful comments while helping me to create more impact within my sentences. I feel confident and at ease knowing that my supplemental application has been reviewed in a thorough manner. Thank you for all your help!

Mina, Pre-PA

Deanna was amazing! She really went above and beyond the single-edit that I could afford. I consider myself a pretty good writer, but she helped me focus and ground my story without sacrificing the overall creativity of the original piece. All I can say is wow! If there ever was something worth the money, this service is it!

John S. Pre-PA

I got in!! I got into PA school and I can’t thank you enough for your hand in helping me with this process. I received 7 interviews out of 12 applications, I was waitlisted at Jefferson, Salus, and Chatham. And I was accepted at Drexel and Stony Brook. I will be starting PA school in June! Thank you so very much!!

Natalie, Pre-PA

Sue did a wonderful job. I know this is an extremely busy time of year as CASPA is accepting applications and Sue was great about responding to my initial submission and getting back to me. She provided thoughtful feedback and quality editing. Fingers crossed for an acceptance to PA school!

Jo Lynn, Pre-PA

I greatly appreciate the help because it answered questions and doubts I had about my personal statement. I feel much more confident in submitting to CASPA. Thank you very much, Sue!

Sarah, Pre-PA

This was an extremely helpful process! I still have work to do on my essay but Sue was very helpful by giving me criticism I needed to hear from an unbiased source as well as being very fast responding! I think this will help me moving forward and having a strong application!

Morgan Rial, Pre-PA

I absolutely love the way my essay sounds! I truly appreciate all of your help. I will definitely recommend prospective PA students your way! It’s been a pleasure.

Natalie, Pre-PA

I wanted to let you know how this application season was going for me so far.

I’ve had two interviews, still have at least three more scheduled, and I received my first acceptance last week.

Thank you again for your help!

Nancy Peterson, Pre-PA

Carly edited my essay, providing a generous amount of comments on why she believes that her changes make for a stronger essay. She gave amazing advice and I know that my personal statement is much more well written than before the edits were made. Definitely worth the money!

Alexa, Pre-PA

I was very pleased with this service. Writing has never been my strongest area. While I had the ideas that I wanted to convey I wasn’t able to articulate them as well as I’d hoped. Carly provided comments and suggestions without altering my central thesis. Any questions that I had were answered quickly and thoroughly. Any grammatical mistakes were also addressed which put my mind at ease. I would recommend The PA Life personal statement essay revision service to anyone applying.

Keith G, Pre-PA

Sarah was a pleasure to work with the entire time. I felt very overwhelmed when I was working on my personal statement on my own, but once I started working with Sarah, she made me feel at ease while getting my personal statement to look its best. Sarah is very knowledgeable, understanding, and professional. One of the things I loved the most about working with her is that no matter the time of the day she was always available and got back to you in a timely manner. The whole time we worked on my personal statement she made sure I felt comfortable with changes that had to be made and I appreciated this as well. Sarah is excellent at what she does and I would recommend her and this one on one service to anyone that needs it.

Odilia, Pre-PA

Working with Sarah felt like working with an old friend. Her thoughtful insight made the revision process easy. She had great advice for improvements to make while remaining within that difficult 5,000 character limit. Thanks, Sarah, you helped a ton!

Ryan, Pre-PA

I’ve had several people look at my essay in an effort to gauge whether the content was strong and to help clean it up and cut characters – none were as helpful as Carly. Carly’s editing truly helped make a difference in the quality of the essay, and while there’s still quite a bit of character cutting I have to do, I am more prepared now than I was before. I am so happy I chose to work with The PA Life.

Kristen, Pre-PA

Sarah is absolutely amazing and really helped transform my essay into the best version it could have possibly been!

Shannon B. Pre-PA

This was the most amazing experience! I felt so confident about my topic and essay after our meeting. Duke got back to me quickly and worked around my crazy schedule. The editing of the essay was professional and gave me insight I could not have received any other way. I only applied to one school because it is really the one I would like to go to the most and I got an interview!!! Thank you so much for all of your help!

Kathryn R, PA-S

Carly Hallman did an amazing job helping me with my personal statement! I was feeling conflicted and uncertain about my own personal statement, but she helped set my mind at ease! I now have peace of mind regarding my personal statement. She was so helpful in correcting any grammar errors and also informed me of what I could add to my essay. I knew I was missing something in my essay, but could not quite put my finger on it. Carly identified what was missing so I could make those changes to my essay. I’m so thankful for her help because I do not think I could have figured out that “missing piece” had it not been for her. I now feel confident about my essay and I am extremely happy with it! 🙂 Thank you so much!!!

Ramsha, Pre-PA

I must say, I originally thought I had a fairly strong statement. But after reading Sue’s comments/revision. The quality, structure, and overall flow of my statement was in fact leaps and bounds better than my original.

George, Pre-PA

Sue was amazing! She was very quick at replying to my emails and looking over my paper and application. She was so helpful and has a way with words. I know I will continue to use her services throughout my application process!

Miranda, Pre-PA

I LOVED the suggestions Carly made for my essay. Not only was she thorough with her edits, but she also provided a lot of quality feedback that really made my essay shine. Carly took my unedited, messy essay and helped me better convey what I was trying to say. I have nothing but positive things to say about this experience and feel this service was worth every penny.

Rachel, Pre-PA

I just wanted to reach out to you and let you know that I got accepted into PA School and wanted to thank you so much for all of your help throughout this journey. I truly could not have done it without your help! Thank you again so much.

Emily Sharpe, Pre-PA

Testimonials

Sarah is truly amazing! She gave me so many helpful tips and advice for my future interviews. She has a beautiful way with words. I am so grateful for her and look forward to working with her again.
Kiara, Pre-PA
This is my 4th PANRE, I graduated 25 yrs. ago as a surgeon assistant and physician assistant.  I have spent the last 20 years on a H+P service and I started my medical career as a USMC corpsman.  The USMC uses the accolade OUTSTANDING, your entire program is such , the attention to details to the answers, the 230 plus pages on PDF, the flash cards, your program built my confidence BIG TIME, Jesus has richly blessed my life BECAUSE of you , I never have to take this brutal exam again and can retire at 66 yrs old you played a prodigious part in me passing amen!!!
David Gavin PA-C
My editor knew exactly what kind of edits I was looking for and addressed all of my questions/concerns I had about my essay. I will definitely be recommending this service to my club members and friends.
Stephanie, Pre-PA
Thanks for your expertise and passion for developing this website.  It was valuable to me for studying for the PANRE.  Plus, love that it’s free, as opposed to the NCCPA who charges $35 per practice exam.
Keith RemoPA-C
I was very pleased with this service. Writing has never been my strongest area. While I had the ideas that I wanted to convey I wasn’t able to articulate them as well as I’d hoped. Carly provided comments and suggestions without altering my central thesis. Any questions that I had were answered quickly and thoroughly. Any grammatical mistakes were also addressed which put my mind at ease. I would recommend The PA Life personal statement essay revision service to anyone applying.
Keith G, Pre-PA
Awesome service. Duke did a great job editing my personal statement – his feedback was top-notch. For the 2014-2015 cycle, I applied to one school. I was selected for an interview and yesterday I received an offer of admission … which I quickly accepted. I know my Personal Statement played a huge role in my success. I highly recommend this service.
Nikki, Pre-PA
This was an extremely helpful process! I still have work to do on my essay but Sue was very helpful by giving me criticism I needed to hear from an unbiased source as well as being very fast responding! I think this will help me moving forward and having a strong application!
Morgan Rial, Pre-PA
Holy cow! I wanted to let you know I have been accepted to PA school.  I will be attending the Franklin Pierce Physician Assistant Program, Class of 2019 in West Lebanon, NH. I cannot thank you enough for being part of my journey. If you are reading this you might have been like me skeptical and trying to find a way to write a stellar essay for your PA application.  I want to share with you my exceptional experience using this service.  First, do yourself a favor and BUY the eBook, “How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement.”  I read it twice. Once before I started my essay draft and then again during.  I cannot stress how helpful the book was in clearly stating what the Admissions Directors are looking for in an application essay.  Next, the book reviews how to formulate a proper essay with clear instructions, easy reminders of the writing process, and excellent examples of good and bad writing choices.  After several drafts of my essay, I made an appointment to work with Duke Pasquini, one of the authors of the guide, through the internet and via phone to help with editing and my length issue.  Duke’s professional experience and kind and straight forward demeanor allowed me to create a winning essay that was an authentic representation of me.  Not only did I receive an interview from my top choice of PA school I was accepted a week later into their Physician Assistant Program, Class of 2019.  Thank you, “PA Life” for being a part of my journey.
Michele Williams, PA-S
Thank you so much for all your time and help again Ms. Schultz–not to mention your insightful tidbits on everything ranging from how past experience translates into applicability in the program and how it sets my application apart to set the stage about how weakness affected patient experience. It truly means a great deal–your constructive criticism and positive feedback are very much appreciated. Please let me know who I can forward and recommend your service to (aside from the feedback link) as you are not only professional, and an asset to the PA life, but also an expert as evident in your questions, feedback, and tips developed through years of well-honed experience.
May, Pre-PA
I wanted to send you a quick life update and another BIG thank you! I received my acceptance at the University of Utah’s PA Program on Monday and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all your help with my essay and interview prep. Both of these services that you provided were so helpful in my success. I will highly recommend you to any future PA student.
Lily, Pre-PA

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101 PA School Admission Essays

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