PENNSYLVANIA: Penn State PA Program 2018-2019 Cycle

[cgold13]

OK thanks so much for the thorough answer

[pahopefull23]

Does anyone know the official start date of this program? I know it begins in May- but would that be early, mid, or late May? Just curious  Thanks!

[ST@PSU]

On 7/22/2018 at 12:33 PM, pahopefull23 said:

Does anyone know the official start date of this program? I know it begins in May- but would that be early, mid, or late May? Just curious  Thanks!

A current second year is double checking for me, but I think the incoming class of 2019 starts on May 20th, 2019.  I will post again or edit this if I hear differently!

[DogLover51]

Good morning,

This is my second time applying to Penn State. I have a question about the secondary application. I submitted mine on July 19th, but I haven't received an email confirming that it was submitted and that my application is now under review. Is there a longer waiting period during peak times? Last year it only took three days, and I sumbitted on a weekend. I was wondering if anyone has experience with this. Please let me know.

Thank you and good luck to all!

[pk325]

On 7/24/2018 at 10:38 AM, DogLover51 said:

Good morning,

This is my second time applying to Penn State. I have a question about the secondary application. I submitted mine on July 19th, but I haven't received an email confirming that it was submitted and that my application is now under review. Is there a longer waiting period during peak times? Last year it only took three days, and I sumbitted on a weekend. I was wondering if anyone has experience this. Please let me know.

Thank you and good luck to all!

Doesn't hurt to give them a call and find out for sure! I submitted my supplemental on June 10 and received confirmation June 11. The email says interviews begin as early as July 2018 and continue through February...has anyone received an interview invitation as of yet?

[cgold13]

On 7/24/2018 at 10:38 AM, DogLover51 said:

Good morning,

This is my second time applying to Penn State. I have a question about the secondary application. I submitted mine on July 19th, but I haven't received an email confirming that it was submitted and that my application is now under review. Is there a longer waiting period during peak times? Last year it only took three days, and I sumbitted on a weekend. I was wondering if anyone has experience this. Please let me know.

Thank you and good luck to all!

Hi! 

I got an email after I sent the secondary application that had the subject as "Receipt of Secondary Application". 

i would email or call them! 

[kmrh442]

Has anyone received an invitation to interview yet, or know of anyone who has? I’m just wondering what the July dates were...

[sganey]

Hi, I've been trying to work on my supplemental application and having some difficulties with the academic review. I cannot find my school ID using the search option. I attended the University of Rochester and can't seem to find that code. I also have 2 courses at community colleges that I am unable to find the code for either. I try to just search the state and NY doesn't come up and I feel like I am doing something wrong.  I would appreciate any help.

 

Sam

[angelabea]

1 hour ago, sganey said:

Hi, I've been trying to work on my supplemental application and having some difficulties with the academic review. I cannot find my school ID using the search option. I attended the University of Rochester and can't seem to find that code. I also have 2 courses at community colleges that I am unable to find the code for either. I try to just search the state and NY doesn't come up and I feel like I am doing something wrong.  I would appreciate any help.

 

Sam

Some schools don't have an ID.  I ran into the same issue.  You can just leave the ID part blank for the schools who don't have one. 

[prepameg]

Hi everyone, I received the first email from Penn State stating that "It is important to note that for full admissions committee review and in order to be considered for an interview, a candidate must have the following: a fully completed and submitted secondary application  official GRE scores available to Penn State via your CASPA application". I checked the prerequisites on the official site and I did not see GRE being required, so I'm kinda confused.. Nonetheless, I just received another email for secondary.

[benyonce]

8 hours ago, prepameg said:

Hi everyone, I received the first email from Penn State stating that "It is important to note that for full admissions committee review and in order to be considered for an interview, a candidate must have the following: a fully completed and submitted secondary application  official GRE scores available to Penn State via your CASPA application". I checked the prerequisites on the official site and I did not see GRE being required, so I'm kinda confused.. Nonetheless, I just received another email for secondary.

I sent in my GRE scores after receiving the same email. Penn State's GRE code is 0900.

[ST@PSU]

9 hours ago, prepameg said:

Hi everyone, I received the first email from Penn State stating that "It is important to note that for full admissions committee review and in order to be considered for an interview, a candidate must have the following: a fully completed and submitted secondary application  official GRE scores available to Penn State via your CASPA application". I checked the prerequisites on the official site and I did not see GRE being required, so I'm kinda confused.. Nonetheless, I just received another email for secondary.

GREs are required.  Speaking solely from personal experience, I highly recommend you check out the entering class profiles on the program’s website for averages and trends of minimum scores accepted.  Officially, there is no minimum required score, just that you have them.  Typically, MCATs will be accepted in lieu of GREs as well.

https://med.psu.edu/physician-assistant/class-profiles

[nielsdb]

I have received an interview invite. They sent me an email with the choice of two dates, July 19th and August 2nd. I selected August 2nd. I recently found this forum and noticed the questions about interview invites, figured I would let you guys know!

[pk325]

8 hours ago, nielsdb said:

I have received an interview invite. They sent me an email with the choice of two dates, July 19th and August 2nd. I selected August 2nd. I recently found this forum and noticed the questions about interview invites, figured I would let you guys know!

Congrats and good luck!

[seware09]

8 hours ago, nielsdb said:

I have received an interview invite. They sent me an email with the choice of two dates, July 19th and August 2nd. I selected August 2nd. I recently found this forum and noticed the questions about interview invites, figured I would let you guys know!

Congrats! When did you submit your application?

[nielsdb]

1 hour ago, seware09 said:

Congrats! When did you submit your application?

Thank you!

I submitted my CASPA towards the end of May and my secondary mid/late June.

[ST@PSU]

4 hours ago, seware09 said:

Congrats! When did you submit your application?

I can only provide a historical, anecdotal response to this question.  Although I remain active with the program (its activities and as preceptor), I am in no way involved in the selection process and am not privy to how decisions are made. What I can offer, based on my own experience and those of my 2017 classmates, is that the majority of us received interview invites within a few weeks of submitting our secondary applications.  The same seems to be true of subsequent classes based on my following of posts on the forum (and I encourage you to read the threads of past cycles to get a sense of the timing of our program’s application/interview/acceptance process).  With that stated, however, once you have submitted your secondary application YOU REMAIN UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION UNTIL YOU HEAR OTHERWISE FROM THE PROGRAM.  All applicants will be notified of their status by the end of the application cycle, typically sometime in March.

I encourage all of you to help each other out throughout this process by posting your questions, updates, and experiences.  Just like PA school will, getting accepted into a program also benefits from a team approach!

Hope this helps!! Best of luck to all!!

- Sue, MPAS, PA-C, PSU Class of 2017

[nichole96]

I also received an interview invite yesterday for 8/9. I submitted my CASPA the third week of May and my secondary was received June 11.

[PennState_PA_Program]

On 7/31/2018 at 5:06 AM, prepameg said:

Hi everyone, I received the first email from Penn State stating that "It is important to note that for full admissions committee review and in order to be considered for an interview, a candidate must have the following: a fully completed and submitted secondary application  official GRE scores available to Penn State via your CASPA application". I checked the prerequisites on the official site and I did not see GRE being required, so I'm kinda confused.. Nonetheless, I just received another email for secondary.

PrePAMeg: GRE's are required and are stated on our website and in CASPA - you can see more at:

https://med.psu.edu/physician-assistant/apply

It is the 3rd bullet listed on this webpage in addition to there being a section on Standardized Testing Requirements if you scroll slightly further down the page. In addition, you can view our Class Profiles to see the average GRE score and high-low range of GRE scores for each incoming class since program inception in 2014. 

I'm uncertain where the confusion is coming from? Pre-requisites refer to required courses and hours needed to matriculate. 

If I can be of additional assistance, please email me directly. 

Caryn Stopper
Director of Admissions

 

[nerroe]

Hi! Does anyone know how many people are invited to each interview group?

[kmrh442]

I sent in my app at the beginning of July, received a confirmation of receipt email on 7/2. Has anyone who submitted around this time heard back from them, denial or interview invite?

[ST@PSU]

8 hours ago, nerroe said:

Hi! Does anyone know how many people are invited to each interview group?

On average, about 6-8 applicants per group although it can be a few less or a few more.   But never large groups of 50 or 60 as some programs do. In total, typically about 110-120 applicants are invited to interview over the course of a cycle for 30 openings.  Please see my earlier posts in this thread for additional info.  Good luck!

- Sue

[ST@PSU]

7 hours ago, kmrh442 said:

I sent in my app at the beginning of July, received a confirmation of receipt email on 7/2. Has anyone who submitted around this time heard back from them, denial or interview invite?

Typically applicants who are not accepted will be notified after the January application deadline and after the class is filled (in the past, this has been sometime in March).  All applicants who have received confirmation of receipt of their secondary remain under active consideration until notified otherwise.  Good luck!

- Sue

[kmrh442]

21 minutes ago, ST@PSU said:

Typically applicants who are not accepted will be notified after the January application deadline and after the class is filled (in the past, this has been sometime in March).  All applicants who have received confirmation of receipt of their secondary remain under active consideration until notified otherwise.  Good luck!

- Sue

Thank you so much for the reply. I will keep watching my email! Penn State is at the top of my list so keeping my fingers crossed!

[Ronin]

Hey everyone! I just interviewed on 8/10 and wanted to share some of my thoughts about the interview process to possibly help ease minds!

First, try not to stress about how long the process is because it goes really fast! They do a great job of scheduling the entire day to flow smoothly, so there is virtually no time wasted just sitting and letting your mind wander (that's when I feel my nerves are the worst!). Before you know it, the morning is over and all the scoring is done.

Second, the staff and patient interviews are incredibly friendly and inviting! In no way do you feel like you're being scrutinized or judged, which makes it a whole lot easier to just smile and be yourself. The patient interview is just a normal conversation, not a patient assessment or anything of that nature.

Lastly, the students are all super friendly as well and you get to ask as many questions about the program as you want at lunch. The student lunch and TBL exercise is not a scored part of the application process. During the TBL experience you are actually incorporated in to their groups and help participate in answering case questions. The classroom was full of energy and they actually introduced and announced us like sports players and cheered before the start of the session!

If you are scheduled to interview in the upcoming months, just relax and have fun with it! You're going to really enjoy it.