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You are here: Home / Pre-Physician Assistant / PA School Interview / How to Bring Your Best on PA School Interview Day

How to Bring Your Best on PA School Interview Day

October 11, 2022 By Arynn Horne PA-S Leave a Comment

How to Bring Your Best on PA School Interview Day

The interview is the last milestone you reach before acceptance.

It's the final opportunity to showcase your best qualities and leave a strong impression on faculty members.

With so much hard work leading up to the interview, we all want to be able to put our best face forward and be well-equipped with the tools we need to leave a positive impression.

In case you missed my last post, I went into depth about my strategy for interview preparation, and today, I am breaking down the most important things to know going into the interview itself.

Interview Day Mindset

Your mindset going into an interview can either be a tremendous asset or a tremendous detriment depending on your thought processes.

Feeling doubtful and anxious before an interview is typical but knowing how to channel your energy into a positive perspective will make the entire process more enjoyable and allow you to be present and focused during interviews.  

Confidence is the key player in the interview-day mindset, although getting there can be challenging. In speaking with several students and PAs, the consensus about interviews is that it is less about what you say and more about how you say it.

Of course, you want to have intelligible answers that demonstrate compassion, the ability to work with others, and ethical thought processes, but as a future PA, interviewers are seeking individuals who can confidently present themselves in a professional manner while connecting with others.

That being said, appearing confident and comfortable in an interview is far easier said than done.

To begin facilitating a confident mindset, remember that even receiving an interview is something to be proud of as the school recognizes your efforts as someone who could be accepted.

Another great tactic is writing down the reasons why you would be a good fit for the program and the qualities you possess that will make you an exceptional PA.

It is easy to fall into imposter syndrome during the application cycle and wonder why they would pick you over the thousands of other applicants, but reaffirming your strengths will revive your belief that you deserve acceptance.  

Although it is somewhat cliche and slightly awkward, Amy Cuddy’s idea of the “power pose” was shockingly helpful. This strategy was recommended to me by a PA I did a mock interview with, and I found it to be an easy way to bolster my confidence.

Your body language is highly integrated into how you perceive yourself, so whether you’re online or in-person, maintaining confident body language will reinforce those feelings to yourself as well as the interviewer(s).

Another tactic I found helpful is changing how you perceive the interview.

My biggest change was that I started to think of the interview as a conversation rather than an interrogation.

Historically, I struggled under pressure, and by creating an illusion of an interview being insurmountable pressure, I was mentally crumbling before I even started speaking. Instead, I thought of it as the staff wanting to get to know me and letting me get to know them before we agree to be inseparable for several years.

When you frame your mindset like this, it’s slightly comparable to dating; PA school is like a relationship, and you should probably meet your partner before you agree to several years of your life together. Using this method, I found it less stressful going in and easier to be personable during the interview.

Key points:

  • It is less about what you say and more about how you say it.
  • Change how you perceive the interview.

Interviewers are People Too

I would not have enough fingers to count the number of times people told me “Just be yourself” as interview advice.

Although I support this dogma, it can be hard to know what version of “yourself” to bring when charting such new territory, especially when you feel heightened pressure.

We all act differently around our bosses than our friends or grandparents, but we’re still able to hold conversations and connect with one another, just in different ways. Using this concept, I tried to view my interviewers as people rather than the ultimate deciders of my professional fate. 

I once had an admissions committee member tell me, that despite what we may think "The best interviews do not happen when the interviewee speaks the most."

Although we may all inherently enjoy speaking about ourselves and want to provide as many “selling points” as possible, think about what it would be like to interview someone who did not let you get a word in. Would you get a warm, fuzzy “I want to help them achieve their goals” feeling? Probably not.

Remember, interviewers are people, and people like to be talked to, not at.

As the interview is wrapping up, it is almost guaranteed that you will be asked if you have any questions, which is a great time to connect with your interviewer. My tactic was always to ask them about themselves. This turns rounds of questions into a conversation and allows you to get to know one another on a more personal level.

Questions like these could include asking them what they teach, what field of medicine they’re in, why they like teaching or even their favorite things to do in the area.

From there, you can let the conversation flow and make an effort to get to know them as people. You would be surprised how quickly faculty members open up if given the opportunity and how much you can learn about them in such a short amount of time.

In practice, it is much more difficult to be intimidated (and appear intimidated) when you know you’re talking to a mom, dad, avid skier, lover of rock music, or someone who volunteers at a vaccine clinic.

Additionally, being personable is invaluable as a PA, and demonstrating ease in facilitating personal connection is certainly a skill to reinforce during the interview. Of course, time is limited, and you want to be sure to answer the questions but take advantage of opportunities to establish common ground with your interviewer.

Key points:

  • View your interviewers as people rather than the ultimate deciders of your professional fate. 
  • Remember that interviewers are people who like to be talked to, not at. The best interviews do not happen when the interviewee speaks the most.
  • As the interview is wrapping up, you will likely be asked if you have any questions. This is a great time to connect with your interviewer and ask them about themselves.

Brush up on your research

Prior to the interview, refresh your knowledge of what initially drew you to apply to that school in the first place.

You want to know what you’re heading into and be able to answer any school-specific questions with ease. By being well-versed in the program, you can tailor your responses to the school’s attributes and show the interviewers that you have taken the time to learn about the program.

The program's website is the obvious resource for any information you may need that could come up in an interview. Dedicate time to vetting their resources and learn as much as possible about what it would be like to be a student there.

Key facts you want to know about a PA program on interview day:

  1. Mission statement
  2. PANCE pass rate
  3. Accreditation (thoroughly investigate this. All records are available on the ARC-PA website, and you can see the program's accreditation history, as well as if their accreditation has been revoked.)
  4. Class size
  5. Amenities such as a cadaver lab, simulation center, on-campus study spaces, classroom layout, etc.
  6. Curriculum (Are there classes that stick out to you as unique or of interest? Is there clinical experience during the didactic year? What does the master's project look like? etc.)
  7. Extracurricular requirements/ activities (Volunteer hours, student societies, mentor programs)
  8. Community involvement
  9. MS PA vs. MPAS (it is important to know what kind of degree you will receive)

The night before the interview, I liked to review my notes about the program and try to get into the mindset of being a student there. 

Key points:

  • Thoroughly study the PA program before your interview! Make it your goal to be a program "expert" when you walk in on interview day.

Interacting with other interviewees

Whether you are told so or not, most schools are gauging how you interact with your peers in some capacity.

Although this is more difficult with an online format unless you’re involved in a group activity, in-person interviews are a good chance for programs to put an amalgamation of students in a room and see how you interact with one another.

Prior to arrival, you must shed any competitive mentality. The people you are about to meet are not your competitors, they are your potential future classmates.

I completely resonate with anyone who finds this difficult. It can be hard to meet so many exceptional candidates and wonder how you match up, but bringing your confidence to a level of “I belong here” will only improve your interview skills and diminish your stress levels.

Even if you’re amongst a sea of strangers, make an effort to talk to the other applicants and get to know them. During my interviews, I saw a lot of the same faces, so it was fun to reconnect and support each other through the process. I even met a few people from my undergrad university who I hadn’t known before but coincidentally had a few interviews together and will be classmates in a few months.

The best part about interviews is that everyone else is in the same position, they have to answer all the same difficult interview questions, and it is a great bonding experience to get to know people who all have the same goal.

You never know who your future classmates will be, so get to know those around you and enjoy the camaraderie.

Key points:

  • Shed any competitive mentality. The people you meet on interview day are not your competitors, they are your potential future classmates. Be friendly, get to know them, and learn about them.

Being well-prepared, calm, and confident are key ingredients to nailing your PA school interview. By following the tips provided in this blog post, you can help ensure that you put your best foot forward on interview day. So take a deep breath, relax, and remember that you’ve got this!

View all posts in this series
  • My PA School Interview: The Journey of a Lifetime
  • The Top 46 Physician Assistant Applicant Interview Questions
  • Use this Interview Hack to Get The Physician Assistant Job of Your Dreams!
  • The Physician Assistant Job or PA School Interview – Email Etiquette
  • The Physician Assistant Interview: Thank You and Follow-up (With Sample)
  • A Look Inside Two PA School Interviews
  • 5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle
  • 300 PA School Interview Questions You Should Be Ready to Answer
  • PA School Mock Interviews: Prepare with a Live, Recorded Video Interview
  • Mock Physician Assistant School Interview With Taylor Hill Pre-PA
  • Mock PA School Interview With Pre-PA Lily Boyle
  • The Interview That Got This Pre-PA Into 5 PA Schools
  • 101 PA School Applicants Answer: What’s Your Greatest Strength?
  • Mastering Your PA School Interview: Tone Matters
  • The Worst PA School Interview Question Ever!
  • Why Choose PA Over NP? Here’s the Perfect Answer
  • Don’t Make This Critical PA School Interview Mistake!
  • 5 Best Ways to Give a Memorable PA School Interview
  • 3 Things to Do the Night Before Your PA School Interview
  • How to Prepare for Your PA School Interview Day Essay
  • How to Squash PA School Interview Day Stress (4 Simple Steps)
  • Mind Mapping: A Tool for Personal Statements, Supplemental Essays, and Interviews
  • What a REAL PA School Interview Looks Like (in 2022)
  • My PA School Interview Preparation Strategy
  • How to Bring Your Best on PA School Interview Day
  • How to Cope with PA School Application Rejection
  • ChatGPT Answers the Top 46 PA School Applicant Interview Questions

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I submitted my application this morning so I am not able to answer if I received an interview yet but I am THRILLED that I found this service. Sarah has been such a blessing working on my personal statement with me. She took my ideas and mediocre paper and turned it into a beautifully written story about my life. She helped me write exactly what I wanted to say and guided me with how to say it. I would recommend, without reservation, this service to anyone who is applying to PA school. I am one hundred times more confident about applying knowing my personal statement is exactly where it needs to be. Instead of feeling stressed and overwhelmed when I submitted my application this morning, I had complete peace. Thank you, for being a shining light full of kindness to applicants like myself.

Savannah, 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 was great to work with. Very prompt in responding to my submission. Asked good questions and incorporated my responses into my essay nicely. I appreciate the work.

Mary Peterson, Pre-PA

My editor with The PA Life was a grammar goddess! She provided amazing feedback and was quick with responding back to any emails, questions, and concerns!

Saniha, Pre-PA

I am mind-blown by my editor Carly’s work. My original essay is like an ill-fitting suit. She hemmed and adjusted it in all the right places and now it looks perfect. I don’t think I’m a bad writer, but I don’t write often and I have spent the past 10 years of my life focused on health sciences. I may have never been able to do this on my own. Thank you thank you, I consider this essay service a bargain.

Rebecca, 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

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

Carly was so helpful and encouraging! I truly felt like I was in good hands, and I know my personal statement is much stronger now because of her!

Chloe, Pre-PA

Sarah was absolutely incredible to work with! My initial draft conveyed all the ideas that I wanted it to, but I wasn’t sure that it flowed well or was memorable. Sarah did a great job with helping me make my introduction stand out and also helped me immensely with the overall structure of my essay. My personal statement had initially been a source of stress but I am so happy with my final draft and extremely grateful to Sarah for her thoughtful insights!

Tina, 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

Beth did great at editing my personal statement. I feel that she corrected a lot of my grammar and made my personal statement very well-spoken while not changing what I wanted to convey. She gave me additional thoughts to consider if I wanted to edit the essay again afterward, but I feel quite content! Thank you, PA Life!

Audrey, Pre-PA

I just wanted to let you know that I was accepted into PA school.  I start at Albany Medical College in January!  Thank you again for doing such an amazing job helping me with my essay…I think in the end it really carried my application.

Lindsey Porubcan PA-S

Carly was extremely prompt and helpful! She helped edit my personal statement into something that I am extremely confident applying with!

Danielle, 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

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

Just found your site today while trying to update my resume. Also, I have to recertify next year so your tests are great for a refresher course. I was in a specialty area of medicine so I now realize how much I forgot in the past 5 years. Thank you very much and I will pass on to other PAs.

Pattie Solomon PA-CNorTh Miami Florida

I have recently been accepted to a program that was one of my top choices, and I also was waitlisted with two other schools. I wanted to thank you again for all your help Duke.  Not only am I grateful for your knowledge of writing and grammar (which were invaluable), but most importantly your kind word and motivation, which I needed so much at the time.  You’re a great person!

Alex Taylor, PA-S

Thank you so much for your help with my personal statement. The process was everything I could have wanted and more. You were wonderful to work with and I appreciate very much how you were able to connect to my personal experiences and combine that with the traits that you know make a statement successful. I have applied to my first two PA schools and I owe a big part of that to you! Once again, Thank you very much!

Louis T. Pre-PA

Deanna was an absolute joy to work with. Not only was she a wonderful writer and editor, but she helped me develop my thoughts and produce a personal statement I was proud to submit. She helped me refine my ideas, and concise my writing to illustrate my reasons for wanting this career. She was also very prompt in responding to my emails and questions. I am very happy with my personal statement and would recommend this service to anyone who is considering this service or feels stuck in their writing process.

Maddie, Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing and so helpful with thoroughly explaining her edits! I was so impressed with the first edit. She really took my theme to the next level and really helped tighten the flow of my essay. During our first phone call, I was amazed by how quickly she incorporated my new ideas/suggestions. Sarah is extremely clever with re-wording and cutting down unnecessary words, allowing you to elaborate more on important things. I can’t say enough good things about Sarah! I am so thrilled with my result!

Khanhi, Pre-PA

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

Jasmine, Pre-PA

Awesome editing service! Everything was detailed, and I could tell that my editor really cared about helping me produce a great personal statement.

Ashanna, Pre-PA

Even at the busiest time of the year for applications, they got me my edit in a matter of days. They did a great job with grammar, punctuation and suggestions. I am very satisfied with the draft I got back from Sue.

Andrew, Pre-PA

Sarah was beyond amazing, she was always on time with my essay edits, took the time needed to really listen to what I had to say. Sarah pretty much transformed my essay form caveman style to an easy, awesome flow good content easy and fun to read essay. I am very thankful for her collaboration, I could not have done anything that resembles her quality of work. Thanks a million!!!!

Jerry 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 just wanted to let you know that I got accepted into the RFU PA program! Thank you for all your help and support during the application process. Couldn’t have done it without you!

Zakira, PA-S

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

Excellent service! The editor did a great job of working with me to write my personal statement as I wanted. They also provide some pointers and tips on how to write which is good for supplemental essays and writing prompts.

Ryan, Pre-PA

I received an admission offer from Kansas State University PA program. Your input was essential in getting this offer. Thank you so much for your help and all you do!

Sibiya Sabu PA-S

I am pleased to tell you that I have been accepted to PA school, starting in 2-weeks.? I appreciate everything you have done for me, from helping with my personal statement to preparing me for interviews. You have been with me since the beginning of the application process and I really wanted to thank you.

Shane, Pre-PA

This company is THE BEST! Carly did such an awesome job of not only revising my personal statement but also explaining every step she made. It helped me understand why certain things fit better in different places and helped improve my writing. I am able to submit my applications confidently, knowing that I have a strong personal statement. I HIGHLY recommend this service!

Tiffany M, Pre-PA

Thank you for taking the time to edit my paper! The feedback was constructive and very helpful. I liked how you highlighted all the strong points in my essay. It made me feel reassured that my essay was heading in the right direction. I also liked how you told me exactly what I needed to add to make it stronger.

Juliana, Pre-PA

Thanks to the PA life and Deanna I was accepted to ECU PA program this cycle. I’m starting my program next fall. I have been part of the PA life community and a member of the leadership team at the virtual pre-PA club with Deanna and others. I’m preparing a video presentation about how to become a PA for IMG. I’m a nontraditional app and abnormally normal applicant 😆. The video will be posted on the IMG space of the community. I’m so happy to share my experience and help pre-PA like me.

Shynar Johnson, PA-S

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

I just wanted to reach out an let you that I actually got into PA school this year! Out of the 10 programs I applied to, 4 offered me interviews. The first interview wound up being my top choice and they offered me a spot. I accept and declined all my other interviews. So I am absolutely overjoyed!! I wanted to let you know though. Your editing and help, no doubt, helped me get through the initial phase. Thank you so much! I am truly grateful.

Deanna, Pre-PA

Sue did an excellent job. Despite my sending a request just in time for a holiday, not only did she meet my deadline-she was early. She asked questions beyond the provided text, in an effort to gain deeper insight into me as a person. Her positive attitude and professional review help to ease my stressful anticipation. I am happy I sought her service! (Thanks, Sue)

Angela, Pre-PA

Carly blew away all my expectations. She not only suggested edits to refine the content, but she also made grammatical and structural changes that fine-tuned my essay and allowed it to flow. I came into the editing process feeling hopeless about my personal statement, but with her edits, I feel confident that it will stand out. On top of all that, Carly was very timely in editing and returning my essay – I got it back within a few days! I’m very pleased with her service and recommend it to anyone out there who needs a fresh, professional set of eyes on their personal statement.

Stephanie, 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

Just wanted to let you know I got into UC Davis! I can not thank you enough for all your help!

Rachael Thomas, PA-S

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

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

The edits I received were extremely helpful and insightful. I think they really brought my essay to the next level, and I am thrilled with the outcome. Thank you!!

Kelsey, Pre-PA

Very prompt response and turnaround time. While I did not speak with Duke over the phone, his team’s edits were thorough, clear and very helpful. Highly recommended.

Dave H. 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 am so impressed by Carly’s editing, advice, and insight. It was incredibly thorough and helpful. I wish I would have done this sooner. I had three interviews this cycle and three waitlists. I believe I would have gotten more interviews this past cycle if I would have done the essay edit last year. As a waitlisted applicant preparing for another application cycle, I submitted my essay to two other services at the same time and The PA Life gave the most helpful, detailed, and professional edit.

Jenn, Pre-PA

Sue was a huge help with my essay. Her edits made my essay sound much better grammatically and she pointed out some content problems I completely missed. She prompted me to write a few more paragraphs before her edit and added the information into my essay. That made a big difference. She was very knowledgable about what PA programs were looking for. I am really happy with your service. Worth every penny, THANKS!

Megan Stephenson, Pre-PA

Sue did an amazing job editing my personal statement. She included all the aspects that I wanted in the statement and made it flow so much better. Thank You! Thank You!

Kendra Perkey, Pre-PA

I was accepted into PA last cycle and am currently in my second semester! I am a part of the inaugural class at Keck Graduate Institute. Your services really helped me during the application process. I enjoyed working with Sarah on my personal statement. She helped me view my experiences from a different perspective, making my personal statement more unique and stand out amongst other applicants. The mock interview was also very helpful and prepared me for my one and only interview. I was given great pointers and feedback on how to refine my answers. Thank you again for your services!

Michelle Chen, PA-S

I wanted to tell you that I interviewed with MEDEX on Friday, got the call yesterday that I’m accepted! I also interviewed with Pacific University on and I felt that went VERY well too. I should hear from them any day now. I will keep you in the loop. I appreciate all your help and support!

Norah, 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

I love Deanna! She was incredibly helpful and encouraging. I liked the way she constructively gave me feedback and I liked her ability to really strengthen my own ideas instead of dismissing them like other services. She is amazing at seeing things from different angles and that way rearrange and enhance my narrative. I did get an interview from the top choice and an offer a week later. Thank you so much and I will definitely recommend ThePALife to future prePAs.

Klam, Pre-PA

Carly did a fantastic job helping my personal statement create fluid and concise writing to help convey my experience! I highly recommend using this service even if you think your statement is solid because they will help make it better than you could have imagined! Thank you for everything.

Kelsey, Pre-PA

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

Sarah from The PA Life was an incredible resource for editing my personal statement. Her edits took into account the big picture of the message of the statement and helped guide me when writing additional content my statement was lacking. Her edits and responses were both prompt and thorough, and I truly feel that she made a huge positive impact on my personal statement.

Travis, 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

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

I really appreciated Carly’s attentiveness to my writing style and working to keep my message and content but working it in a way that reads easier. I appreciate her turnaround time, as well as priority deadlines for programs, are quickly approaching!

Jacob, Pre-PA

SUPER friendly and so helpful! I would recommend this service to everyone if I could 🙂

Gabby, Pre-PA

Carly did a great job helping my personal statement flow from paragraph to paragraph. She truly helped me show throughout the essay why I wanted to become a PA. What I really appreciated was she explained why each change was made; comments and reasons which not only helped with this one time essay but for all my future essays as well. Definitely was worth it!

Kathleen, Pre-PA

I hope this email finds you well. I would like to thank you for your help with my PA school personal statement. I’m glad to share that I did get into my top choice – Drexel!

Ashley, 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

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 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

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 just wanted to let you know that the majority of my interviews have gone really well! So far, I’ve received six interview invites and have interviewed for five schools. Midwestern (AZ) just got back to me a bit ago, and they sent me an acceptance email! I am beyond thrilled! I just wanted to thank you so much for your help! Your mock interview gave me a lot of confidence that I was able to carry into my interviews! I appreciated having the opportunity to practice my interview skills with you. I wanted to let you know just how much you’ve helped me with my application process (with my interviews, personal statement, and just my confidence in general)! Thank you so much for all of the advice over the past few months!

Sneh, PA-S

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

Sarah helped to condense my detailed thoughts into a powerful essay. Over the phone, she was careful to collaborate with me before making any changes so that the piece remained under my control and in my voice. She served as a guide and insured the essay brought out my strengths and reasons for pursuing the PA profession. Overall, I’m incredibly happy with the service!

Julie, Pre-PA

Sue’s comments were very helpful. Her quick turnaround time is very impressive. She responded to my concerns and questions promptly. She clearly knows what to present to the PA school admissions team. I am very happy with her work.

Kitti, Pre-PA

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!

Amanda, 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

I finally have amazing news. So first of all, in total, I was offered 13 interviews. I was just offered a seat at Nova Orlando! I am finally going to be a PA and a big part of that was from all of your help with my personal statement. So thank you very much for helping me succeed during this round.

Jennifer, PA-S

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

Margaryta, Pre-PA

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