Admissions Process

The Admissions Committee will select from among those candidates who show the most promise of becoming outstanding PA’s. We will look for intelligent, mature and highly motivated students from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds who will have the potential to become compassionate, competent health care providers and team members. We will review each application individually on his or her own merit. Admission decisions are based on the evaluation of the applicant’s academic record, personal statement, previous medical experience, letters of recommendation, and the formal interview (see prerequisites). We expect applicants to have some awareness of the nature of medical care as it is practiced today and to be able to commit themselves to a profession dedicated to providing compassionate, quality care to the sick and injured. Preference for selection will be given to applicants who have prior health care experience, PA shadowing, a record of community service, graduates of West Liberty University, those who are residents of West Virginia, applicants from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, underrepresented medical minorities and veterans.

The university and program are committed to equal opportunity for men and women and does not discriminate on the basis race, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation. Reasonable accommodations will be made for applicants with handicaps, however, as part of the admission process, all applicants must meet the technical standards requirements.

Priority in application review and an invitation to interview in our EARLY interview session will be given to the applicants we have received the following items from by August 1, 2024:

1. A “verified” CASPA application
2. A supplemental application with the $25.00 supplemental application fee

If you miss the EARLY interview deadline, these requirements must be received by the end of our cycle date: October 1, 2024. NO EXCEPTIONS.

CASPA’s explanation of the “Verification Process”:

Verification:
Verification is the process used to ensure all of your coursework was entered correctly and consistently. Since credit values, grade values, and course subjects vary widely from school to school, your programs need some type of standardization so they can accurately compare applicants. This standardization is achieved by using your coursework to create a standard set of GPAs, ensuring you are compared to other applicants fairly and equally.

Timeline:
Once all of your required application materials are received, your application’s status changes to Complete and your application is placed in line to be “verified”. Verifications occur in chronological order and on average take two weeks to complete. Once your application is “verified”, you will receive a notification and then, your application’s status will change to “Verified”.

(Our WLU Faculty Review committee will not review any
CASPA application that has not been given a “verified” status).

When To Contact CASPA:
Contact customer service (617-612-2080) if it has been more than two weeks from the date your application’s status changed to Complete and your application has not yet been verified. If it has been less than two weeks, please be patient as we work toward verifying your application.

GPA calculation completed by the deadline date posted. To ensure the application is verified by CASPA on time, CASPA states that all applicants should complete the process at least four weeks in advance of the deadline date. (e-submitted, payment received, transcripts received, and three letters of recommendation received).

Step-by-Step Admissions Process:

Fill out and submit a CASPA Application
Fill out and submit WLU’s supplemental application w/$25.00 application fee: WLU SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION 2024-25 (Applicants educated outside of the United States must also submit these required additional materials).
Select applicants will be invited for personal interviews on the West Liberty University campus and/or on a virtual platform.
All candidates will be notified in writing of the Admissions Committee’s decision. Candidates who are chosen to interview could possibly be notified of the admissions committee’s decision as early as the day of their interview but, no later that March 31, as we do offer seats on a “rolling basis”. Successful candidates will be contacted personally by the PA program director and invited to take a seat in the program. The official letter of acceptance from our University’s Admissions Office will follow.
A signed Letter of Intent to Attend and a $500.00 deposit is required to accept your place in the class. You will not be registered for classes until your deposit has been received. Additionally, we require a second deposit of $500.00. You will be notified via email when it is due, keeping in mind it will be no later than one month before the Program Orientation. That email will include a Second Letter of Intent form to sign and return, as well. Both deposits will be applied towards your first term’s tuition. Should you decide not to attend after sending in your deposits, please keep in mind that they are non-refundable.
*Note: It is not necessary to send transcripts directly to the University in addition to what the applicant has already submitted to CASPA during the application process unless:
          1). The applicant has courses in progress at the time of application.
          2). The applicant is in the process of completing an undergraduate degree.
          3). The applicant is offered a seat in the program: (Should the applicant accept a seat in the program, admittance is contingent on receipt and verification of all “official” transcripts and any other supporting documents. Selected candidates are also required to pass a Background Check as well as a Drug Screening. All will be complete and successful BEFORE matriculation.)

The West Liberty University Physician Assistant Program reserves the right to make all final admissions decisions.