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When to submit to CASPA?


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I hate to sound redundant, as I know this question has been asked in various ways. However... Need your thoughts on a few things.

 

1. When should I bite the bullet and submit?

- I am finishing Genetics this summer and have one more Chem class in the fall. Do I wait until I have the final grade from Summer classes? Currently, I have Genetics and Chem2 as 'pending' per CASPA. I am torn, I feel like it should be as complete as possible, but waiting to submit until August (first week) is equally nerve wracking.

- also waiting in CPR cert, and would like to add in a few more shadowing hrs even though I have plenty of HCEs

** Any thoughts???

 

2. LOR- I don't know why this is such a process for me. I have two thus far ( one professor and a DC who was a former employer). My last job I was a patient advocate/educator. My initial thought is to ask someone there. However, our supervisors were not clinicians ... More along the line sof MPH/MBAs etc. I have read that you "should" have a PA write an LOR. I have done shadowing in addition to HCE hours, but it seems less meaningful to have someone I shadowed for 25 hrs write an LOR than someone I worked for for 5 years. Am I putting too much thought into this?

 

Ps- my earliest deadline is Oct 1... Technically Aug 9-ish should be ok if it's a one month turn around. But crazier things have happened! Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

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I hate to sound redundant, as I know this question has been asked in various ways. However... Need your thoughts on a few things.

 

1. When should I bite the bullet and submit?

- I am finishing Genetics this summer and have one more Chem class in the fall. Do I wait until I have the final grade from Summer classes? Currently, I have Genetics and Chem2 as 'pending' per CASPA. I am torn, I feel like it should be as complete as possible, but waiting to submit until August (first week) is equally nerve wracking.

- also waiting in CPR cert, and would like to add in a few more shadowing hrs even though I have plenty of HCEs

** Any thoughts???

 

2. LOR- I don't know why this is such a process for me. I have two thus far ( one professor and a DC who was a former employer). My last job I was a patient advocate/educator. My initial thought is to ask someone there. However, our supervisors were not clinicians ... More along the line sof MPH/MBAs etc. I have read that you "should" have a PA write an LOR. I have done shadowing in addition to HCE hours, but it seems less meaningful to have someone I shadowed for 25 hrs write an LOR than someone I worked for for 5 years. Am I putting too much thought into this?

 

Ps- my earliest deadline is Oct 1... Technically Aug 9-ish should be ok if it's a one month turn around. But crazier things have happened! Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

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I hate to sound redundant, as I know this question has been asked in various ways. However... Need your thoughts on a few things.

 

1. When should I bite the bullet and submit?

- I am finishing Genetics this summer and have one more Chem class in the fall. Do I wait until I have the final grade from Summer classes? Currently, I have Genetics and Chem2 as 'pending' per CASPA. I am torn, I feel like it should be as complete as possible, but waiting to submit until August (first week) is equally nerve wracking.

- also waiting in CPR cert, and would like to add in a few more shadowing hrs even though I have plenty of HCEs

** Any thoughts???

 

2. LOR- I don't know why this is such a process for me. I have two thus far ( one professor and a DC who was a former employer). My last job I was a patient advocate/educator. My initial thought is to ask someone there. However, our supervisors were not clinicians ... More along the line sof MPH/MBAs etc. I have read that you "should" have a PA write an LOR. I have done shadowing in addition to HCE hours, but it seems less meaningful to have someone I shadowed for 25 hrs write an LOR than someone I worked for for 5 years. Am I putting too much thought into this?

 

Ps- my earliest deadline is Oct 1... Technically Aug 9-ish should be ok if it's a one month turn around. But crazier things have happened! Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

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How does your GPA look without these classes and how will these grades change your GPA? If your grades are great I would submit before the grades come in. That's what I did! Then when my grades were released I sent them on to the schools were I was applying.

 

Even though Oct 1 is the deadline, many schools have filled their spots much earlier. The later you wait the stronger the competition for those last few spots.

 

Just my 2 cents!

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How does your GPA look without these classes and how will these grades change your GPA? If your grades are great I would submit before the grades come in. That's what I did! Then when my grades were released I sent them on to the schools were I was applying.

 

Even though Oct 1 is the deadline, many schools have filled their spots much earlier. The later you wait the stronger the competition for those last few spots.

 

Just my 2 cents!

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Hello,

As far as waiting for the grades/CPR I agree that if they won't give you much yield no need to wait for them, but not sure where you're applying (some schools have an "early" applicant date--ours was August 15)--a case when you could wait.

 

The LOR..I know it seems counter intuitive because the PAs you've shadowed didn't know you as long....but it says to the AD COMM that not only do you know what a PA does (from shadowing), but that their colleague thought you'd be a great addition to the profession.

 

You have 2 LORs from people who've known you (but don't have the perspective of a PA that has been to PA School)...could only be an enhancement (of course as long as it was a good experience).

 

Best wishes, I know it's nerve wrecking ;)

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Hello,

As far as waiting for the grades/CPR I agree that if they won't give you much yield no need to wait for them, but not sure where you're applying (some schools have an "early" applicant date--ours was August 15)--a case when you could wait.

 

The LOR..I know it seems counter intuitive because the PAs you've shadowed didn't know you as long....but it says to the AD COMM that not only do you know what a PA does (from shadowing), but that their colleague thought you'd be a great addition to the profession.

 

You have 2 LORs from people who've known you (but don't have the perspective of a PA that has been to PA School)...could only be an enhancement (of course as long as it was a good experience).

 

Best wishes, I know it's nerve wrecking ;)

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