🚨 “Why is my CASPA still not verified? It’s been WEEKS!”
If that’s you refreshing your application portal every hour, you’re not alone—and we get it. Waiting for verification can feel like watching paint dry on your dreams. But here’s the deal:
CASPA verification doesn’t start until your app is 100% complete.
And there are 5 sneaky mistakes that stall your verification before it even gets rolling.
Let’s break them down so you can hit submit with confidence—and avoid that dreaded “still not verified” limbo.
❌ Mistake #1: Not Submitting All Your Transcripts
The issue: You think you only need to send transcripts from your current school—but CASPA wants everything. That includes:
- Community colleges (yes, even that one summer course)
- Dual enrollment in high school
- Any courses you withdrew from or didn’t finish
How to fix it:
Go to your CASPA dashboard → click on “Colleges Attended” → make sure a transcript has been marked received for every one listed.
📌 Pro tip: Always request official electronic transcripts if your school offers them—it’s faster and more trackable than snail mail.
❌ Mistake #2: Listing Coursework Incorrectly
The issue: If your coursework entry doesn’t match your transcript exactly (we’re talking course title, prefix, number, and grade), CASPA will flag it for manual review—which slows everything down.
How to fix it:
Use CASPA’s Transcript Entry Service if you’re not sure you’ve got it right, or triple-check your entry line-by-line with your official transcript. Don’t abbreviate or tweak titles even if they look weird—CASPA wants an exact match.
❌ Mistake #3: Forgetting to Pay and Click “Submit”
The issue: Seems obvious, right? But some pre-PAs fill out everything and think their app is “in”—but forget to pay or click the final submit button.
How to fix it:
Make sure the “Status” of your application says Submitted—not “In Progress.” You should also see a date stamp next to each program you applied to.
💳 Also double-check that your payment went through. No payment = no submission = no verification.
❌ Mistake #4: Not Completing Program-Specific Sections
The issue: Even if your general CASPA app is done, program-specific questions (like supplemental essays or prerequisite checklists) must be completed for each school before CASPA considers your app “complete.”
How to fix it:
Go to the “Program Materials” section of each school you’re applying to. Don’t leave any red asterisks hanging—CASPA will pause your entire verification until it’s done.
❌ Mistake #5: Not Allowing Enough Time
The issue: Even if you do everything right, CASPA verification isn’t instant. During busy times, it can take 2–4 weeks after submission.
How to fix it:
✔️ Apply early in the cycle (like, May or June)
✔️ Set calendar reminders to follow up on transcript receipts
✔️ Don’t wait for your last shadowing hour or updated resume—submit early, and update schools later with new info
⏳ Think of CASPA like airport security—it doesn’t matter how fast you walk through the line if your bag gets flagged.
✅ Here’s Your Fast Verification Checklist
✔️ All transcripts sent and marked received
✔️ Coursework entered exactly as shown on transcripts
✔️ Application marked submitted and paid for
✔️ All school-specific sections filled out
✔️ You’ve built in enough time for the wait
🎉 And don’t forget: Once you hit submit the first time, to the first school, your app is set in stone for the entire cycle…so make sure it’s perfect!
👉 Click here to get your entire CASPA app edited to make sure it stands out!
Let’s make sure your application gets verified fast—and gets noticed even faster! 💯