Physician Assistant
Admissions and Application Process
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Application deadline - September 1st
Admissions Process
A class of 40 students is admitted once each year. The application deadline is September 1 of the year prior to planned matriculation. The Program begins in late August.
We do not have early decision or rolling admissions. All applications (CASPA and Supplemental) will be fully reviewed and equally considered as long as both are complete and are submitted by the September 1 deadline and we receive the verified CASPA application by November 1.
Decisions of the Admissions Committee are based on the applicant's discerned ability to project genuine concern for the well-being of patients and families, as well as demonstrated academic ability to master the content of the program. Applicants are evaluated initially on their:
- academic records including overall and science GPAs
- specific science grades
- personal statements
- hands-on patient care experience
- medically-related references
Since participating in CASPA, we have received an increasing number of applications each year. Last year there were over 800. We interview approximately 140 candidates who best meet the prerequistes and show greatest potential. Those selected for personal interviews will be notified in writing via email. The low-stress, 2-day interview process provides applicants the opportunity to:
- attend a class
- meet with program leadership for an overview of the program and discussion of the financial aid process
- meet in small groups with first and second year PA students as well as have lunch with first year PA students
- meet with a program graduate to discuss what the professional life of PAs is like and how well the program prepared them for the work
- tour the Behrakis Health Sciences Center clinical lab
- interview one-on-one with 3 members of the program faculty and leadership
Interviewing dates for the class entering in August 2014 will be scheduled during the fall of 2013 from late October through mid-December. All applicants will have an equal opportunity for acceptance regardless of when interviewed.
The final class is chosen from among those interviewed. In most cases, you will receive an admissions decision from the program by the middle of January at the latest.
How to Apply
Two applications are required in order to apply to the program:
- CASPA Application
- Northeastern Supplemental Application
Please review the FAQ section of our web site before completing your application.
CASPA Application:
Northeastern University's PA Program is a participant in CASPA (Centralized Application Service for PAs). CASPA allows you to apply to multiple participating programs, verifies your application for accuracy, processes the application, and forwards it to your designated PA programs. The deadline for submission to CASPA for the Northeastern University PA Program is September 1 of the year prior to planned matriculation.
The CASPA application for matriculation in August 2014 can be accessed starting on April 17, 2013. Be sure to read through all of the CASPA information before you begin the application process and print out a copy of your completed application to save for your own records. Questions about the CASPA application should be discussed directly with CASPA customer service at 617-612-2080.
All required material must be received by CASPA before it can be sent to your designated PA programs. It is your responsibility to make sure that CASPA receives all material in a timely manner. CASPA will not accept applications for the Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program after September 1. The program will not receive your CASPA application for at least 2-4 weeks after you submit it to CASPA in order for it to be verified. We will notify you via email when we have received your CASPA application.
In order to be considered, the program must receive your CASPA application from CASPA by November 1. This means submitting the CASPA application as well as all required supporting documentation (transcripts and letters of recommendation) to CASPA in enough time (but no later than September 1) to allow for the material to be verified and forwarded to the program prior to November 1. Keep in mind that during the peak deadline period around September 1, it can take over 6 weeks for CASPA to verify and send everything to us. CASPA applications received by the program after November 1 will not be considered even if we have already received your Northeastern Supplemental Application.
CASPA does not send original documents to any program. If you are accepted into the program, you will have to arrange to have all official college and university transcripts sent directly to the Northeastern PA Program prior to matriculation.
Northeastern University PA Program Supplemental Application:
A Supplemental Application is also required of all applicants to the Northeastern University PA Program. Our Supplemental Application and all supporting materials must also be received by the program by the same deadline of September 1. The Supplemental Application is updated annually. Be sure to use the most recent version for the year in which you plan to matriculate.
The Northeastern University Supplemental Application for the class entering in August 2014 is available here. Please complete the application online, print out a copy, and mail the application directly to the PA Program along with the required supporting materials in one envelope to:
Physician Assistant Program
Northeastern University
202 Robinson Hall
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Your Supplemental Application must include the following:
- fully completed application form
- one-page single-spaced personal essay that is different from the CASPA essay (see Northeastern application for details)
- curriculum vitae including your educational and employment history since high school as well as scholarly activities such as publications and presentations
- $25 Supplemental Application fee made payable to Northeastern University in the form of a personal check or money order only. We are unable to accept cash or credit card payments. The $25 fee is waived if you are a current Northeastern senior in a bachelor's degree program or an alumnus/a who received a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern.
- if you have not already submitted 2 clinically-related references as part of your CASPA application, you must include with the Supplemental Application 1 additional personal reference that is clinically-related from an individual with whom you have worked in a clinical environment. He/she should comment on your clinical background including an assessment of your clinical performance, the type of duties you perform, and your ability to relate to patients and others on the health care team. This reference should be from a clinical colleague who did not already submit a reference with the CASPA application. The reference must be submitted in an envelope with the evaluator’s signature written across the sealed flap and mailed to you. It should then be included in the package you mail to the program. References from shadowing experiences are not the type of clinically-related references we require as you are observing rather than actually performing hands-on activities yourself.
We do not send you the Supplemental Application when we receive your CASPA application. It is your responsibility to access the Supplemental Application from our web page even if you have not yet received an acknowledgement from us that we received your CASPA application.
Be sure to keep a copy of everything for your own records. You cannot submit the Supplemental Application to the program online. Emailed or faxed Supplemental Applications will not be accepted. If you intend to mail your Supplemental Application within 2 weeks of the September 1 deadline, we strongly recommend that you send it via overnight mail to ensure that we receive it in time.
We recommend that you begin your CASPA application prior to completing the Supplemental Application as your CASPA ID number is required on the Supplemental Application. Once you have a CASPA ID number, you can complete the Supplemental Application and send it to us even if we have not yet received your CASPA application. Both applications will be combined in a single file. Your file cannot be reviewed until the program has received both your CASPA and Supplemental Applications. We will notify you via email when your Supplemental Application is received by the program.
Contact Info
Physician Assistant
202 Robinson Hall
Tel: 617.373.3195