Application Timeline
Physician Assistant/Associate
Preparing for your Giant Leap
purdue.edu/preprofessional
Before You Apply—fall semester/early spring of application year
• Check with schools about any questions on coursework, for example, will they accept CHM 12901 on its
own? Will they accept it with the CHM 11500 credit exam? Do you need to do something else?
• Verify that the letters you intend to get will meet the needs of the schools at which you intend to apply
BEFORE you apply to those schools.
• Consider taking your National Admission Test early if possible (see GRE, below).
• Become familiar with the application process. Read the PA school websites and the CASPA Help Center
(application instructions)
• When it comes to all application materials, read and follow all instructions. Carefully edit materials that
you submit and save a copy of everything you turn in to programs.
General Timing Tips—The common Application, CASPA, opens in late April
• National Admission Tests—early in spring semester in which you are applying or earlier
o GRE
https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about
Research which schools will need the GRE
You will need to provide yourself plenty of time to register in advance and study for the
GRE
o PA-CAT
is required by few schools, but make sure you have looked into this well in advance of
your application https://www.pa-cat.com/
• Letters of Evaluation—ask letter writers by spring break of semester in which you are applying
• We recommend meeting with letter writers and asking for letters by about spring break.
• CASPA Letters will be submitted electronically into the system by your letter writer using a system called
Letters by Liaison
o You will submit the letter writer’s name and information
o Your evaluator will then receive an email providing them access to the system to complete some
Likert scale questions and upload their letter
• For schools not using CASPA, you will typically apply through their graduate school application portal
o Their letter system is often typical to the above system.
o You will enter the letter writer’s information and the writer will receive information to enter a
portal to add their letter to your application.
• Sending Transcripts—send soon after final grades are available (earlier for completed transcripts from
earlier coursework)
• Academic History Section
o Once CASPA opens, you should start filling out your application and get to the Academic History
section
o In this section you will find instructions on sending transcripts to CASPA
o You will need to send Official Transcripts from all schools at which you earned college credit.
o In the Academic History section once you enter your colleges attended, you will be able to
download a
Transcript ID Form. This form needs to be sent along with your transcript.
• Instructions for ordering your Purdue transcripts are below.
• Purdue ONLY sends PAPER transcripts. This means it takes a bit more time so you need to get these
ordered early.
Application Timeline
Physician Assistant/Associate
Preparing for your Giant Leap
purdue.edu/preprofessional
• You will need to determine the process for sending the Transcript ID Form to any other schools from
which you need to obtain a transcript.
• Transcript Entry
o Part of the application requires that you enter every course you have taken semester-by-
semester.
o You will want a copy of your transcript to work from while you do this. You need to be precise
when you do this.
o Do not work from memory.
o You do not need to pay for professional transcript entry
• Timing Your Application—submit your application in July if possible
• Early submission is ideal
• Keep an eye on deadlines and apply well-before these.
• April-August (or later)--Supplemental Applications
o Some schools have supplemental/secondary application questions within the CASPA application
in the “Program Materials” section. Those must be completed at the time CASPA is submitted to
those schools.
• June-August
o Submit your application
o Continue receiving supplemental applications
• July/August
o Interviews begin at some schools and continue throughout the fall
• September-Spring
o Interviews continue
What else do you need to do?
• Follow-Up
o Ensure all documents (transcripts & letters) arrived to your common application
o Thank your letter writers
o Check your email (including junk folder/spam) often for any lost communications from schools
o Check online with the common app and with schools to follow your application status
o Follow the applicant codes of conduct
• Continue Building Toward Your Application
o Keep up with volunteering, shadowing, research, work experiences, etc. Keep building your
resume until you know you have been admitted.
o If you are eligible for U.S. Federal Student Aid, file your FAFSA
even before you have been
admitted. You can always turn it down if you are not admitted, but if you are waitlisted and
admitted at the last minute, it may be late to file. https://studentaid.gov/plus-app/grad/landing
o Check to see if any of your schools require the CASPer situational judgement exam and take this
during the summer/early fall. https://takealtus.com/casper/
o Start planning for interviews
Start practicing for your interviews on Big Interview
Keep up on health news in preparation for interviews—check for Health News Sources
here https://www.purdue.edu/preprofessional/Documents/Health%20News%20Resources.pdf
School websites sometimes list interesting news. Listen to the PA Path Podcast
https://kevinlohenry.podbean.com/
Application Timeline
Physician Assistant/Associate
Preparing for your Giant Leap
purdue.edu/preprofessional
Another great site is AAPA Advocacy Central https://www.aapa.org/advocacy-central/
Ordering Transcripts from Purdue
• Follow instructions in the Academic History section of your application to obtain the Transcript ID Form—
this Form ensures that your transcript will be matched with your CASPA application.
• For Purdue, you need to order an OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT to be sent on PAPER and attach a PDF of the
TRANSCRIPT ID FORM to this request.
• This is all sent to CASPA and the address is in the Academic History section of the Help Center.
• Current Purdue students follow these steps to order your transcript:
o Login to MyPurdue
o Click on Academic Tab
o On the bottom left corner click on order OFFICIAL Transcript
o Request that they send a PAPER COPY (do not send it electronically)
o Attach an electronic version (PDF) of CASPA’s Transcript ID Form
• Former Purdue Students follow these steps to order your transcript:
o Use this e-transcript link to set up an account to order your OFFICIAL transcript
https://sswis.mypurdue.purdue.edu/eTranscript/login/auth;jsessionid=C2CE2C70DAC3F265E3
9C2B534E2ACC1E
o Be sure to attach CASPA’s Transcript ID Form
o Request that Purdue send a PAPER copy (do not send an electronic copy of your transcript)
• You will need a separate Transcript ID Form for any other schools at which you have college credit and
will need to determine how to send these forms to the appropriate offices at those schools and how they
distribute transcripts (using appropriate electronic systems or on paper).
• Be sure to get an unofficial copy for yourself to use to enter all your coursework into your application!
