Submitting your CASPA application isn’t the finish line—it’s just the beginning. Here are five important steps you should still be taking after you hit submit to stay competitive for PA school.

You finally submitted your CASPA application—cue the happy dance! 🥳
But before you switch fully into chill mode, there’s something you need to know:

Submitting your app isn’t the end of the process. It’s just the beginning.

If you want to stay competitive (and get those interview invites rolling in), here’s exactly what you should still be doing after you submit.

✅ 1. Keep Gaining Patient Care and Healthcare Experience

Your application reflects what you’ve completed up until the moment you submit—but your journey doesn’t stop there.
Schools love to see that you’re continuing to build your skills, experience, and commitment to healthcare even after you hit submit.

• Keep working in your PCE or HCE role.
• Keep shadowing PAs.
• Keep volunteering.
• Keep showing up.

📢 Bonus: Some schools allow you to send updates later with new experiences (more on that below).

✅ 2. Get Ready for Interviews Now

Interview invites can come earlier than you think—sometimes as soon as July or August if you applied early.

Start preparing before your first invite lands:

• Review common PA school interview questions
• Practice answering with structure (like the STAR method)
• Schedule a mock interview if you want personalized feedback

🎯 The goal? Be ready to impress from your very first interview opportunity—not scrambling last minute.

✅ 3. Track Your Applications Carefully

Once your app is verified, it’s important to stay organized.

Keep a simple spreadsheet or document with:

• School names
• Submission dates
• Dates you receive communication (verification, supplementals, interviews)
• Any deadlines for secondaries or deposit dates

PA schools operate on different timelines, and missing a deadline could cost you a seat.

Organization = major key. 🔑

✅ 4. Send Updates (If the School Accepts Them)

Some programs accept application updates after submission—and this can give you a big advantage.

Examples of updates you might send:

• New PCE/HCE hours
• New certifications (like CNA, EMT, PCE courses)
• New shadowing experiences
• Updated grades if you finished a class after submission

Important:
Always check each program’s policy before sending updates. Some love them, others don’t accept them at all.

✅ 5. Keep Building Your Skills (Even Beyond Patient Care)

Now is the perfect time to:

• Take an anatomy and physiology review course
• Brush up on medical terminology
• Practice clinical skills (like sterile technique workshops)
• Keep learning and growing your healthcare knowledge

PA schools want applicants who are proactive, prepared, and passionate—not just applicants who checked the minimum boxes.

Invest in yourself now and it’ll pay off later when you’re prepping for interviews or starting PA school.

🎯 Final Thoughts

Submitting your CASPA application is a huge accomplishment—but it’s not the end of your pre-PA journey.
The best applicants stay active, engaged, and committed even after they hit submit.

You’ve already done the hard work. Now keep the momentum going—you’re closer than ever to that acceptance!

Need help perfecting your CASPA application before you submit?
We offer full application editing, experience paragraph reviews, personal statement editing, and everything you need to submit an app that gets noticed.

👉 Click here to work with us and make your application stand out!