CASPA Walkthrough: Webinar and Application Guide

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

In this free webinar, Savanna walks through the entire CASPA application section by section and answers the most common questions pre-PA students have about applying. It is a great starting point if you are opening CASPA for the first time and want a clear map of what each part requires.

Last Updated: June 12, 2026

Your Pre-PA Bestie Blog - everything you need to know to become a PA in one place.

What does the CASPA walkthrough webinar cover?

CASPA is the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants, and it is the gateway to almost every PA program. It can feel overwhelming the first time you open it, so in this live webinar Savanna walks through the application section by section and explains what each part is asking for.

The goal is to demystify the process. We cover how the application is structured, the parts that tend to confuse people, and the order that makes the most sense to tackle things. Savanna also answers your burning CASPA questions live, which is often where the most useful, real-world tips come out. If you are staring at a blank CASPA application and not sure where to begin, this walkthrough gives you a clear starting point so you can move forward with confidence instead of guessing.

In this post:

What CASPA resources go with this webinar?

This webinar pairs well with a stack of free and paid resources we love. Savanna used the session to launch The Pre-PA Workbook, A Step-by-Step Guide Through the Physician Assistant Application Process, now available on Amazon. It walks you through the whole application in order.

We also pointed people to the official CASPA FAQ and quick start guide from Liaison, fee waiver information, and our own guides on calculating your CASPA GPA and sorting science versus non-science courses. For deeper topics, there are resources on the Casper test and letters of recommendation, plus Mappd for tracking everything as you go. If you want a human to review your essays or weigh in on your specific situation, our essay review and counseling sessions are there for you. Note that any specific dates or fees mentioned in the original webinar are cycle-specific.

In Our Experience

I love doing these live walkthroughs because the questions people ask in real time are almost always the same ones quietly stressing out everyone else. In our experience coaching applicants, seeing the whole CASPA laid out at once takes a huge amount of anxiety off the table before you start filling in boxes.

[QA: spare template section - delete]

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

CASPA usually opens in late April, and submitting in May or June helps you get ahead with rolling admissions.

[QA: spare template section - delete]

CTA: Free Application Timeline -> https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline/ [QA: convert to lead-magnet button; this is the mid-post free magnet]

[QA: spare template section - delete]

Need to Know:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

Listen: the full webinar

This topic started as a live webinar on The Pre-PA Club podcast. Press play for the full session, including the questions listeners asked at the time.

Episode show notes & key takeaways

CASPA is open. Let's walk through it together.

This is the audio from my CASPA walkthrough webinar, where I go section by section - personal information, academic history, experiences, supporting documents - and point out where people get stuck.

A few things I hammer on. Keep your contact info current, because programs will email you and you will miss it. Request every transcript from every school you ever attended, including that one summer class you forgot about, because a missing transcript stalls your entire application. And expect CASPA to crash near deadlines. Build in buffer.

I also cover the COVID essay and how to answer it without writing a novel. Short, honest, specific. Move on.

The biggest mistake I see isn't a bad answer. It's an incomplete application sitting in verification while rolling admissions fills seats.

What I cover

A section-by-section pass through CASPA
Transcripts, verification, and how long it really takes
Logging experiences and hours correctly
The COVID essay and how much to say
Planning around CASPA slowdowns and crashes
Why submitting early beats submitting perfect

Resources

Episode: CASPA Walkthrough Webinar · Follow The Pre-PA Club on Apple Podcasts or Spotify · Browse all episodes