Top 5 CASPA Tips - Guest Post from Brittany at PA Fanatic

CASPA's experience entries are tedious to edit, and you will keep tweaking descriptions until the day you submit. Do the tweaking in a spreadsheet instead: one tab per CASPA category, with columns for every field CASPA asks for (dates, hours, supervisor, duties).

Finalize everything there, then plug it into CASPA once. You'll avoid the endless edit-save-reopen loop, and you'll have a permanent record of your entries, which is gold if you ever reapply or get asked for details in an interview.

This distinction trips up applicants every cycle. Some schools require your application to be completed by their deadline, meaning submitted with supplementals in. Others require it to be verified, meaning CASPA has finished reviewing your transcripts and coursework.

Verification can take anywhere from days to several weeks at summer peak. If a school has a verified-by deadline, submitting "on time" can still mean missing it. Build a deadline tracker with each school's date AND which type it is, and aim to submit weeks ahead.

They matter more than most applicants want to believe. By the time supplementals arrive you're burnt out, and that's exactly why strong ones stand out. With thousands of applications per program, the supplemental is your most school-specific chance to earn an interview spot.

Treat each one like a miniature personal statement: tailor it to the program's mission, revise it over several days, and have at least three people proofread it. If two applicants look similar on paper, the better supplemental usually gets the interview.

Yes! It's one of the most underused strategies in the cycle. If you've earned new grades in upper-level science courses, accumulated more PCE hours, or added meaningful volunteering, email the program an update (and updated transcript where relevant).

It shows you're still growing AND that you care enough about that specific program to keep them informed. When committees are choosing between similar applicants for the last interview spots, the one still actively gaining experience has the edge. Use the email to briefly restate why you're excited about that program.

Because without a personal deadline, you'll either rush your application out before it's ready or keep tweaking it forever. Pick a date well before your earliest school deadline and treat it like a real deadline.

A self-imposed deadline tells you how many hours a week to give CASPA and gives you a cutoff for second-guessing. And because most PA programs review applications on a rolling basis, submitting earlier really does improve your odds.

CASPA is a grind, but it does have an end date, and every hour of organization now pays off during interview season. Set your submission deadline, build the spreadsheet, and trust the work you've already put in. You've got this! (Guest post by Brittany of PA Fanatic. Follow her at @PAfanatic.)