As PA (physician assistant) school faculty members, we have reviewed hundreds (maybe even thousands) of CASPA applications and read just as many personal statements.

Your personal statement is an integral part of your PA school application. 

Up until this essay, your CASPA application is mostly stats. Where you were born, your degree and graduation date, test scores, GPA, grades and classes, etc. It’s very hard to personalize your application with things you can’t change, like what you majored in. 

But your personal statement is different!

It’s a chance to personalize your application and make it stand out. You can discuss your background, journey, and experiences and really connect with the reader.

This is your chance to be unique and stand out from thousands of other applicants.

But some students still make a crucial error when writing their personal statement!

A weak personal statement can decrease your chances of impressing the PA school admission committee and may keep you from getting an interview!

Without an interview you won’t be able to get accepted into PA school! Your personal statement is THAT important.

The number 1 mistake we see in personal statements is: NOT answering the question prompt!

Surprised? It sounds like a no-brainer but may students forget to actually wrap their essay around to answer the essay question about why they want to be a PA!

Some tell interesting stories, while others walk us through their journey chronologically…and still others use specific events or personal history to flesh out their writing. 

But many pre-PA students are so focused on the story, they forget to explain how it affects their journey to PA school. They provide tons of imagery and detail but don’t understand that it’s not truly about the story!

It’s about HOW the story affects your journey! You don’t get bonus points for the best creative writing, and adding tons of drama can backfire if you use up precious characters then forget to show how this experience led you to the PA profession.

When writing your personal statement, make sure wanting to be a PA is the main theme of your essay and not just an afterthought. 

This can help the admission committee understand your journey and believe in your intense desire to become a physician assistant! 

If you are stuck wondering if your personal statement stands out and showcases your reasons for wanting to be a PA, sign up for our personal statement editing. Make sure your PA school personal statement is so good that PA schools can’t wait to interview you!