Physician Assistant Program

2024-2025 Interview Cycle

The 2024-2025 admissions interview cycle will be conducted virtually.

This decision was made foremost for the safety of all involved parties and in order to limit undue risk. We are confident that what has been developed for this year's interview experience will enable candidates to experience the Penn State PA Program virtually to the best extent possible while also providing candidates ample opportunity to share who they are.

Our admissions committee will learn a great deal before a request to interview is offered based on all aspects of the CASPA and secondary applications. Our committee takes great pride in reading and reviewing each candidate's file prior to interviewing.

It is the goal of the PA admissions committee to provide a seamless, safe and informative experience from the candidate’s current location.

What are the Application Requirements?

A number of prerequisites apply to students seeking to join the PA Program. Be sure to read the detailed prerequisites before beginning your application.

CASPA applications must include the following items to be eligible for consideration. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

• Verified CASPA application
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
• GRE General Test scores: GRE school code 0900 (see details below)
• Personal/biographic information
• Academic history
• Three letters of recommendation: At applicant’s discretion to select those writing recommendations
• Experiences (see details on CASPA)
• Achievements and certifications (see details on CASPA)
• Essay (see details on CASPA)
• Release statement (see details on CASPA)

Applicants must also agree to abide by the CASPA Professional Code of Conduct and the CASPA Admissions Code of Cooperation.

Secondary Applications

Penn State requires each applicant to submit a secondary application to receive full consideration by the admissions committee.

All CASPA-verified applicants will receive the request to complete the secondary application. You’ll receive this request via email. There is no application fee ($0) to submit the secondary application.

Preference Factors

In accordance with the PA Program's mission and goals, special consideration for admission is given to applicants who are veterans, who are from underrepresented populations or who are from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.

Special consideration for admission is also given to those applicants who are from the state of Pennsylvania, are employees of Penn State Health, and/or have graduated from/will be graduating from Penn State.

Early Assurance

The Penn State PA Program has early assurance programs with the following institutions:

• Franklin and Marshall College
• Hampton University
• Lebanon Valley College
• Lincoln University

Students at these institutions should speak directly with their pre-med pre-health adviser to discuss requirements and eligibility. The Early Assurance program allows students to apply to the PA Program during the junior year of undergraduate. Early Assurance applicants have the opportunity to be granted admission at the completion of the Early Assurance process, forgoing the entire CASPA application process as a senior. Information regarding this program is available on request. To view the number of students who enroll via Early Assurance in each class, please visit the program class profiles.

Key Dates

• Nov. 20: Date by which you are strongly encouraged to complete your CASPA application, which allows sufficient time for CASPA processing.
• Dec. 1: Firm deadline by which your primary application must be CASPA-verified to be considered for a May start in the program
• Dec. 15: Firm deadline by which your secondary application must be completed.
• End of May: Start of two-year PA Program.

Standardized Testing Requirements

We require completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test for admission to our PA Program.

Penn State's PA Program GRE Code is 0900. Official GRE scores are uploaded directly to CASPA.

Alternately, if you have previously tested on any exam listed, you may provide these scores in lieu of completing the GRE:

• MCAT total score of at least 29 or higher (old version) or 505 (new version)
• PCAT total score 75th percentile rank or higher
• DAT total score of 18 or higher

Penn State's Physician Assistant Program has not adopted the PA-CAT or CASPer as an admission requirement. All applicants are required to submit results of the GRE general exam.

If it has been more than five years since you took the GRE, and the Educational Testing Service no longer has record of your score, we will accept a student copy of your GRE results. You must upload this document with your secondary application via LionPATH. If you no longer have a student copy, you will need to retake the GRE.

Applicants to Penn State College of Medicine must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents or have official DACA status. International candidates are not eligible. All applicants must have a bachelor's degree with completion of all academic requirement from an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university.

Interview Days

The 2024-2025 admissions cycle will be conducted virtually with interviews ongoing from July 2024 through January 2025 Interview sessions provide a personalized experience with the program and involve the following activities.

• Program director interview
• Faculty interviews; each candidate will meet individually with two faculty
• Group activity
• Program presentation
• Current student session

Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination and Campus Safety

Penn State College of Medicine is an equal-opportunity employer and accepts all qualified applications regardless of their gender, ethnic origin or religious background.

The College of Medicine is also committed to fostering an environment free from discrimination and harassment. Learn more about non-discrimination.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and Pennsylvania Act of 1988 require that crime statistics for Pennsylvania colleges and universities be made available to applicants upon request. Learn more about campus safety and security.

Contact Us

If you have questions about the PA Program, please contact us at 717-531-0003, ext. 285595, or PSUPAProgram@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.