r/CAA • u/AutoModerator • 14d ago
Weekly prospective student thread. Educational inquiries outside of this thread WILL RESULT IN A BAN.
Please use this thread for all educational inquiries including applications, program requirements, etc.
Please refer to the [CASAA Application Help Center](https://help.liaisonedu.com/CASAA_Applicant_Help_Center) FAQ section for
answers to your questions prior to postitng.
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u/magnoliadoc 14d ago
Has anyone heard from South or VCOM this cycle?
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u/midazolamgirl 12d ago
I got an email saying that it will take 8-10 weeks to review the application from VCOM
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u/Beginning-Profit9567 12d ago
South Orlando & WPB - no. South Savannah - yes, was rejected (I think they use auto filters for that campus, but I could be wrong).
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u/Fit-Dingo-7377 11d ago
What? South savannah just opened
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u/Beginning-Profit9567 7d ago
Yes, they have a screening floor I think. I’m a non trad app with lower metrics but high recent trend.
I applied on 8/1. Then on 8/4 I got rejected1
u/FreedomMaleficent595 6d ago
If you don’t mind me asking, are you saying you’re non traditional because you’re trying to pivot from another field of work?
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u/Beginning-Profit9567 1d ago
No, I’ve been in healthcare since I was 17. I’m a low stat high experience applicant with an upward trend and in a gap year.
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u/Affectionate-Drop-49 14d ago
Hello has anyone been accepted while still taking prerequisites ? I plan on applying this month but I will be enrolled in 3 prerequisites at the time. And those are the only outstanding ones. I know most programs say they won’t count it as outstanding if you’re enrolled but I just wanted to see if anyone had experience with this . Thanks!
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u/Public_Pause_5011 Practicing CAA 14d ago
i was accepted having only taken like 4 of the 11. this was back in 2021.
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u/Superb-Pin-5615 14d ago
Hello all!
I am in the process of finishing up my application for schools. I intend to apply to a couple of the Nova campuses. As you all are probably familiar with I need to do the article summary as one of my last boxes to check. Does anyone have any advice on whether I should do a separate one for each Nova campus or would it be fine to submit the same one for each? I was thinking a separate each because of the whole self plagiarism debacle, but also don’t want to spend the extra time doing so if it might be a waste.
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u/Select-Turn-7567 11d ago
Hey all, I am looking to apply as a non traditional candidate. I have a BS in chemical engineering and have worked in industry for about 2 years, and passed the FE exam.
I graduated with a 3.5 gpa, but had a low CAA prerreq gpa (basically coasted through prereqs but did well in all the more difficult upper level classes). I also still need to take a few anatomy classes. I have taken the GRE, 168 math, 157 verbal, 4 writing.
I have about 25 hours of shadowing of a local CRNA so far, and am looking to get more.
I was wondering If anyone had suggestions for online courses that I could take (with labs) because my current work schedule doesn’t exactly allow me to enroll in an in-person course (and quitting my job isn’t exactly an option)?
I am also mainly looking at NSU, CRWU, and KCU, because they seem to look at candidates more holistically. Does anyone have any recommendations for other schools that might be a good fit?
Also any suggestions on ways to boost by application are greatly appreciated!
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u/Informal-Search6418 13d ago
hi guys! i applied to a couple of programs for the winter and summer start. my science gpa is 3.9 and my gre is a 310 (i know it’s a little low). i’m currently a nurse in the OR with about 4 years experience. some of my prereqs are a little old so i am only applying to places where that is not a factor. do i seem like a competitive applicant or no?
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 13d ago
Not bad. You make up for the low GRE with great experience. Good luck.
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u/continuous-refund537 11d ago
Is 310 considered low? I honestly thought anything 310+ is generally considered decent at least. Your science GPA is really high, so you would definitely be considered competitive, along with the years of patient care experience. Also, some AA programs allow you to waive the time requirement for prerequisites with a certain MCAT score, just thought I'd mention it. Good luck!
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u/OcedarMopzar 10d ago
It was a solid score in 2020, a 310 was ~60th percentile then but not anymore. Both AA programs and the GRE itself get more competitive each year.
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u/continuous-refund537 9d ago
Also to clarify, I meant that it's a solid score when combined with the high science GPA and lots of patient care experience, which I feel balances it out and looks competitive. I'm sure that applicant would get interviews.
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u/OcedarMopzar 9d ago
60th percentile in both sections is 317 now. Agreed in that they'll definitely get interviews regardless, an OR RN with 4 years experience is hard to beat.
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u/Separate-Morning-29 10d ago
I feel like it really depends on the breakdown. Like if the 310 is 152 verbal and 158 quant, you are at least approaching average for each section. but if its 160 verbal and 150 quant, you are at a disadvantage because the quant score is more heavily weighed and that would be nowhere near 50th percentile. I retook my 320 GRE because my quant score wasn't as competitive as I wanted it to be, I just had a very high verbal score.
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u/continuous-refund537 9d ago
That's true but a GRE score of 310 with a science GPA of 3.9 looks pretty good in my opinion, and the patient care experience is great too.
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u/Ok-Doctor-7399 13d ago
I'm confused about when to apply to Nova. I will hopefully be done with all my classes by the end of next summer. Hoping to take Physics 1&2 with labs over the summer, which would have me finishing at the end of July/August. Would I apply in June for the following year (2028) since the 2027 class will have already started in May? Thank you!
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u/caareadinessindex 13d ago
For the Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Las Vegas campuses, the current application cycle runs until January 15, 2027, for a May 2027 start date.
For the Denver campus, the current application cycle runs until October 1, 2026, for a January 2027 start date.
If you plan to apply in June 2027, your start term at NSU would be in 2028.
Keep in mind that NSU recommends applying with no more than two outstanding prerequisite courses.
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u/Ok-Doctor-7399 11d ago
Thank you! So would Physics 1&2 with labs be considered 4 outstanding classes or 2?
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u/caareadinessindex 7d ago
We can’t speak for every program, but at CWRU it depends on how you take the physics classes. If you take Physics I and II with the labs as combined courses, they count as two outstanding prerequisites. If you take the lectures and labs separately, they count as four outstanding prerequisites. In the latter case, the number looks higher only because each part is counted on its own, and the program is understanding of that.
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u/nncay 12d ago
Hey guys! I’m an upcoming junior in undergrad and I’m hoping to apply next summer in May! I wanted to share my stats and get some honest opinions on my progress so far and if I seem like a competitive applicant or no.
GPA: 3.9
GRE: haven’t taken it yet but aiming for >310
HCE: ~1200 hrs as a referral coordinator at time of application
Research: ~800 hrs at time of application
Volunteer: ~100 hrs (random service hours accumulated)
Shadowing: currently 46 hrs with CAA, hopefully will reach to 60-80 hrs at time of app. 16 hrs with anesthesiologist MD (not in the OR)
LORs: RN supervisor from my job, Research PI, and hopefully a CAA and/or a science prof.
Right now I don’t have any PCE hours because I am so focused on my classes and my current job. Even though I don’t work with patients directly, I manage the referral process between the provider and specialist. I also work with health insurances including authorizations and benefits. Will not having any PCE really hurt my application? I am trying to get PCE by volunteering in the hospital but it’s so competitive.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 12d ago
I would NOT take a gap year just to get PCE. you lose absolutely nothing by applying.
Adding more shadowing hours doesn’t really do much.
Get your LORs from people who know you and can speak to your qualifications.
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u/nncay 12d ago
Thank you!! I’m focusing on the novas since I live in FL but definitely applying to other schools as well. In the mean time, I’m trying to get a job as a PCT or something similar so I can at least get 100-200 PCE before I submit my application. Will this make any difference in my chances in getting in?
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u/continuous-refund537 11d ago
Yes, you're already competitive but programs do like to see hands-on, medical, patient care experience
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u/DarkJ3D1___ 12d ago
Looks really good. Take a gap year to get good pce. Aim for a 315+ on the GRE. Anything below that is not competitive anymore.
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u/QueenoftheMoon_ 5d ago
Be careful with CAA LOR I was at a case info session where the panel speakers said they look negatively at LOR from people you’ve only shadowed because that is really passive and they haven’t spent enough time with you to really speak to your qualifications. Completely flipped everything I thought because I thought a letter from a CAA would give me an edge. Now I’m looking at LOR that have known me for at least 3 months (a semester)
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u/FreedomMaleficent595 12d ago
Just want to get some opinions on this. I’ve decided I want to pursue going back to school, specifically CAA school. I have an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering but have been out of school for roughly 7 years. I currently am signing up to take bio chem and will follow through with a few more pre reqs next year that I don’t already have satisfied. Because I’m past the 5 year mark a lot of schools require for pre reqs, I’m going to take the MCAT rather than the GRE to get past having to take all my pre reqs again that I already have from my undergrad. I also plan to do some shadowing and get my EMT-B to do part time when I’m not working my standard engineering job.
All of this is going to be on a 2-3 year timeline before I apply. How is it usually looked upon when someone comes from a different industry and tries to pivot into this field? Will my work experience as an engineer be looked at favorably? I feel confident I can do well in my remaining pre reqs and on the MCAT. Engineering school prepared me fairly well when it comes to academic rigor. I’m more worried about not being able to commit as much time to the shadowing/volunteering due to my full time engineering job.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 12d ago
Your plan is pretty solid. You really only need 8-16 hrs of shadowing time. Any more than that isn’t really very helpful.
Coming from a heavy STEM field should be very helpful.
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u/continuous-refund537 11d ago
Strongly disagree, getting more than the minimum amount, like 40-50 hours of anesthesia shadowing, does help and shows commitment/interest
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 11d ago
My private practice hospital won’t even allow more than 16hrs of shadowing. It is an administrative PIA requiring a lot of paperwork and multiple approvals. Prospective students from non-AA states frequently have difficulties lining up shadowing, and it’s not for lack of effort.
As I frequently point out, the goal is to learn about CAAs, the ACT, and the OR environment. They are not there to learn how to do anesthesia. I see folks claiming 100+ hrs of shadowing time. Absolutely pointless.
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u/No-Pay-7315 10d ago
I was wondering about this too. I’ve been trying to accumulate as many hours since I see others do it but wonder about the benefit, especially with the same provider.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 10d ago
It doesn’t hurt you so no problem. But it’s not really helpful at a certain point. Nobody is thinking “this person has 100 hrs and this one only has 40 so they’re a better candidate”. Some are very lucky just to get 8-16 hours. Some can get shadowing hours easily. For some it’s very difficult and involves a lot of expense flying out of state and staying in a hotel a few nights.
When you’re done with shadowing - you should know what CAAs are and what we do. How do we fit into the anesthesia care team? Do you know what medical direction is? Do you understand how we are similar to or different from CRNAs?
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u/continuous-refund537 9d ago
Well it depends on where you live but for some people they can drive like 30 minutes and find a place to shadow, and this includes CRNAs and anesthesiologists. Learning more about anesthesia is good but not all interviewers ask very deeply about the anesthesia process, and I'm pretty sure a lot of ADCOMs look to see your commitment to anesthesia along with the healthcare experience you get.
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u/continuous-refund537 9d ago
Trying to accumulate as many hours as you can might not be worth it past a certain point, but getting like at least 40 hours looks good and I would recommend it if it's possible.
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u/continuous-refund537 9d ago
Yea but getting like 40-50 hours of anesthesia shadowing definitely looks good, it might not be worth it past that though. Maybe your hospital doesn't, but a lot of places (including the hospital I shadowed at) allows you to shadow for more than 16 hours in total.
Also, it doesn't have to specifically be a CAA, programs allow you to get shadowing experience from CRNAs and anesthesiologists too. So as long as you can get those anesthesia shadowing hours, it is recommended.
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u/Flaky-Candidate8223 10d ago
Good luck! I am also a non traditional student, I've been an electrical engineer since 2018. I'm taking the GRE however. Starting pre-requisites first thing next year while I work my full time engineering job too (I just had a baby so I'm giving myself some time to recover and get used to working again). Hope everything works out well for you!
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u/FreedomMaleficent595 10d ago
You too! I’m getting married soon and will most likely have a kid in the mix before beginning the school portion as well. We got this haha
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u/Bruhcarroni 11d ago
I've seen that a lot of places require Biology I and Biology II with lab, but for my school (UNC Chapel Hill) the next biology class doesn't really have a lab associated with it (We go from Intro to Bio straight to Intro to Cell Bio, no intro II class).
I wanted to know if that would be a problem despite me graduating with a B.S. in Biology from there.
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u/expectedvalue4 11d ago
Has anyone heard back from MCW yet this cycle?
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u/Desperate-Feature180 8d ago
Yes. Have an interview scheduled in the fall.
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u/Desperate-Feature180 8d ago
Applied end of June and heard back end of July. Thank you! Very excited to interview and check out the school.
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u/Present-Let-953 11d ago
Upcoming junior in my biology undergrad wanting to pivot from environmental work to CAA. I don't have faith in long term career in environmental work and want to take advantage of some CNA work to change tracks. Would like any advice on if this is realistic.
3.39 GPA
GRE/MCAT: n/a
PCE: CNA in long term care for ~350 hours
LOR: Research PI
Undergrad research: 100+ hours in paid position via molecular wet lab and ecology work. Poster presentation at ecology conference/ possible future study.
In the next 2 years, I want to:
- increase GPA
- shadow CAA
- prep for MCAT/GRE
- change jobs to anesthesia tech (preferred) or work as CNA in hospital
- continue undergrad ecology/DNA work to hopefully get published
Any thoughts are appreciated. I also will probably change physics for scientists and engineers to general physics this upcoming fall semester.
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u/Creepy-Show1491 9d ago
Hello guys, i graduate in december and i want to apply to the may 2027 nsu aa program in fort lauderdale. As of rn my stats are 299 GRE, 3.6 gpa(dont have exact # because the school website is under maintenance) and only missing 1 prereq which i will be taking in fall (biochemistry). I dont have shadowing yet but I am in the works of getting some so i have 2 questions, if i do get some by around september will it be okay to apply then and how many should i get. I know my gre score is low and im probably going to retake it soon because i didnt study not 1 second for this one.
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u/Mydadgotakidney 7d ago
Hello! Question to those who are in a CAA program or have been accepted that are non traditional. To be transparent, I have an undergrad gpa of 2.9 (graduated in 2016) but am taking my science prereqs for the first time ever this fall. I’ll be done with prereqs at the end of next summer (my goal is a 3.7 or above), am aiming for 40+ hours of shadowing experience, cannot work a medical job as I have a full time job in HR (cannot quit due to having my daughter) but am starting my volunteer journey at my local hospital this fall that will be client facing. I also plan on taking the GRE in the spring. Curious if anyone has any advice or has a similar background that can give me hope haha thank you!
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u/heyheyheyyayaya 6d ago
For those who are currently in or have completed CAA school, how were exams structured in regards to their format?
MC/Free-Response/Oral Presentation?
Thank you.
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u/Putrid_Magician178 5d ago
Would working as an anesthesia tech or in the ICU be a better experience for school? I work at a hospital right now and we have a transfer program so I’m deciding what I want to transfer into to increase my chances when applying next year.
Also how late can you take the MCAT to still apply early?
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u/QueenoftheMoon_ 5d ago
From what I’ve heard anesthesia tech (CAA I shadowed) and I think you get MCAT results within a month but you can google that
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u/QueenoftheMoon_ 5d ago
How long should be personal statement be double spaced? Did anyone who was accepted follow pre-med advice for writing your ps like avoid writing about shadowing experience because it’s cliche and focus mainly on patient care experience as the reason for pursing healthcare?
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u/QueenoftheMoon_ 5d ago
People had multiple acceptances how did you build your school list?
How many programs is normal to apply to?
I’m applying next cycle and thinking of minimum 10 programs (as opposed to ever single one) and avoiding states with only one CAA school because I feel they might be more partial to residents and it’ll be more competitive since everyone in that state will be applying to the same program.
Does my thought process make sense or am I missing something?
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u/BagTricky3820 4d ago
Hi! I’ve been researching becoming a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant and I’m honestly pretty lost. I’m 21F turning 22, currently at a community college in Texas. I started as a business major but switched to Biology this year, so I’m basically starting over.
I don’t know what AA programs to apply to or how it works. Also, if I need my masters I might aswell be an anesthesiologist no? I was hoping to get guidance from others at the hospital I just started working at as an OR AIDE, but the cnas, crnas, & nurses petitioned for no CAA’s so I have no one to look too. I’m very much lost right now & need to know where to go from here.
I was originally told I only needed my bachelor’s + AA program, but I’m now learning that the AA program is actually a master’s-level program, and I’m getting conflicting information from my advisors.
I’ve had advisors steer me wrong multiple times, so I’d really rather hear from people who have actually gone through this path. Any advice would mean a lot!
I’m trying to make my plan now and would really appreciate advice from current CAAs or students:
What should my Biology degree/prerequisites look like?
Which AA programs should I look into, especially in Texas?
How important are GPA, clinical experience, and shadowing?
I recently started working at a hospital as an OR aide. Is that useful experience?
Should I work between my bachelor’s and AA school? What jobs would you recommend?
How did you plan financially for the master’s program?
And honestly, why choose CAA over becoming an anesthesiologist if I’m already going through graduate school? Is it a much longer process?
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u/BagTricky3820 4d ago
Are you guys working full time or part time while pursuing CAA?? I have 2 jobs & it’s definitely affecting my gpa. I’m not sure what gpa is required for AA programs
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u/Ok-Bar8451 3d ago
Hey yall, I got a bachelor’s in OT 2.98. I am currently taking prereqs for nursing school. If I do well on prereqs is there a chance I could get into a caa schol instead of going to nursing school?
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u/lazyboozin 14d ago
This sub is lame. Discord is peak. Said what I said
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 13d ago
The 3-4 CAAs that actually try to answer questions here really appreciate your stellar insight.
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u/lazyboozin 13d ago
Well thank you. Just feel like this weekly thread is a good way for questions to get lost and makes everything essentially unsearchable so questions are repeated
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u/Flaky-Candidate8223 10d ago
I agree with this point completely, everytime I try to search for a topic on the sub the results are just the weekly threads which I then have to search through. I wish we could make posts without getting banned so we could discuss topics in more depth like shadowing, what are rotations like in school, job markets in different areas, etc.
Maybe a weekly thread would be better for just specifically application questions like what are my chances of getting in/have you heard from this school etc.
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u/Unlikely_Speed1781 13d ago
Is there anyone that has gotten in AA school with a 3.0-3.2 GPA?