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High Point University PA Program Interview: Format and Dates
Key facts (2026-27)
HPU picks interviewees by GPA and GRE strength relative to the pool and plans to admit 65 for the Class of 2029. It assesses non-cognitive factors such as service orientation, cultural competence, teamwork and resilience.
- Format
- Two individual interviews
- Where
- On campus or online (HPU uses both through the cycle), with a campus tour on on-campus days
- Also required
- A program overview and information session and discussions with current PA students on the interview day, Possible Active List interviews, most likely in January or February
Dates for 2026-27
Modified rolling from late summer or early fall, some before the October 1, 2026 deadline
Interview invitations
Typically June to February
Interviews
Acceptance, Active List or denial within three weeks of the interview, with a $1,000 deposit due within 1 to 2 weeks
Offers and decisions
Checked November 2026 against High Point University PA: Admission Process and High Point University PA: Admission FAQs. Confirm details in your invitation.
High Point PA admissions in brief
High Point PA needed a complete CASPA application by October 1, 2026 for the class starting June 2027. You need a 3.2 overall and 3.2 science GPA, GRE scores from the last five years, 200 hours of healthcare experience and three references. Interviews run on campus and online, typically June to February, with two individual interviews, and decisions come within three weeks.
The High Point PA program interview format
High Point University's PA interview day includes two individual interviews, a program overview with an information session and discussions with current PA students. HPU runs both on-campus and online interview days through the cycle, and interviews typically happen between June and February. Everyone interviewed gets a decision within three weeks.
HPU's admission process page says it plans to admit 65 students for the Class of 2029 and expects that many applicants who meet the minimums won't be interviewed. The PAEA program directory lists a traditional interview and says an onsite interview is not required.
| Item | What HPU says |
|---|---|
| Format | Two individual interviews |
| Rest of the day | A program overview and information session, plus discussions with current PA students. On-campus days add a campus tour |
| Mode | Both on-campus and online interview days during the cycle |
| Interview months | Typically June to February, with invites starting in late summer or early fall |
| Who gets invited | Applicants who meet the minimums, ranked on cumulative GPA, science GPA and GRE verbal and quantitative scores. HPU graduates who meet the requirements are all invited |
| What it assesses | Academic preparedness, exposure to health care, understanding of the PA role and non-cognitive attributes |
| Decisions | Acceptance, Active List or denial within three weeks of your interview date |
| Interview length, who interviews | Not published |
As of November 2026, HPU's process, requirements and FAQ pages and its PAEA listing don't say how long each interview lasts or who conducts it.
HPU may also hold Active List interviews, most likely in January or February. Those applicants are told up front that no seat is open, but they can be admitted if an accepted student withdraws.
What High Point looks for
HPU lists the non-cognitive factors it evaluates at the interview: service orientation, social skills, cultural competence, teamwork, oral and written communication, ethical responsibility, reliability and dependability, resilience and adaptability, capacity for improvement, critical thinking, and quantitative, scientific and ethical reasoning.
The program's mission is a "student-centered, experiential curriculum grounded in high academic and ethical standards" that develops compassionate, self-directed, lifelong learners who give evidence-based, patient-centered care on an interprofessional team. Its values are collaboration, compassion, excellence, innovation, integrity, positivity, respect and tenacity.
Numbers matter at HPU. It chooses whom to interview by GPA and GRE strength relative to the pool, and it admits based on GPAs, GRE scores, healthcare experience and interview performance. It says it has no process for exceptions to its minimums and gives no preference to in-state applicants.
The program in brief
- Degree and length: a 27-month Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) over seven continuous semesters, with a 15-month didactic phase and a 12-month clinical phase. There is no part-time option and no online classes.
- Start: each summer. The Class of 2029 begins in June 2027.
- Campus: High Point, North Carolina, in the Congdon School of Health Sciences.
- Teaching: cadaver-based anatomy, medical simulation with high-fidelity simulators, standardized patients and problem-based learning.
- Clinical year: seven five-week rotations in family medicine, inpatient medicine, emergency medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, women's health and behavioral medicine, plus two electives. HPU partners with Novant Health, and students don't have to find their own preceptors.
- Class size: 65 planned for the Class of 2029. ARC-PA approved growth from 35 to 65 by May 2022.
- Accreditation: Accreditation-Continued, first accredited in September 2014, with the next review about June 2029.
The October 1 deadline, GPA minimums, GRE rule, prerequisites and hours are in the admissions table below.
How to prepare for the High Point interview
- Prepare for two separate interviewers. Your best stories need to work twice without sounding rehearsed. Keep a list of eight stories and decide which ones you would use with each interviewer.
- Map stories to HPU's factors. Service orientation, cultural competence, teamwork, resilience and capacity for improvement are all named. Have one clear example for each.
- Show you understand the PA role. HPU assesses it directly. Be ready to explain how PAs collaborate with physicians and why you chose PA.
- Practice on camera and in person. Your day may be on campus or online, so rehearse both. Check your setup and lighting before an online day.
- Talk about your experience in depth. HPU's minimum is 200 hours but it prefers much more, especially hands-on care that needed training. Explain what you did, what you learned and what you would do differently.
- Use the student discussion. Prepare questions about the simulation center, cadaver anatomy or rotations with Novant Health.
High Point PA practice questions (written by us, not HPU)
As of November 2026, HPU doesn't publish its interview questions. These are ours, built from its listed non-cognitive factors, mission and the PA role.
- Why PA, and why High Point?
- Tell me about a time you served someone when no one asked you to.
- Describe a time you worked with a patient or coworker from a different culture. What did you adjust?
- Tell me about a team project that went badly. What did you do to fix it?
- Describe a time you got hard feedback. What did you change afterward?
- You make a medication error that the patient doesn't notice. What do you do?
- A classmate asks to copy your notes for a graded assignment. How do you respond?
- What does a PA do on a team that a physician doesn't, and how do they work together?
- Tell me about the most stressful day in your healthcare experience and how you handled it.
- HPU's values include positivity and tenacity. Which one do you show best, and which do you need to work on?
- What will you do if you are not accepted this cycle?
For a wider set, see our PA program interview questions guide, or practice them out loud in a scored PA school mock interview.
A drill for the High Point interview
- List HPU's non-cognitive factors on one page and write a four-sentence story next to each one you can cover.
- Run two back-to-back mock interviews with two different partners, five questions each, to match the two individual interviews.
- Make one of them a video call and the other in person, since HPU uses both formats.
- After both, ask each partner which factors they saw in your answers. Fill gaps with a new story.
- Repeat two days later with new questions, and finish with two questions for current students.
If you don't have a partner, Confetto's PA school interview prep runs AI mock interviews that ask follow-up questions based on what you said and give rubric-based feedback.
High Point PA interview FAQ
Is the High Point PA interview virtual or in person?
Both are used. HPU says it uses on-campus and online interview formats throughout the cycle, and on-campus interviewees also get a tour. International applicants should be ready to travel to campus.
When does High Point send interview invites?
On a modified-rolling basis starting in late summer or early fall, some even before the October 1 deadline. Interviews typically run June to February.
Does High Point require the GRE or CASPer?
The GRE is required, taken within five years of the deadline, with no minimum score, and HPU weighs it against other applicants. HPU's pages don't mention CASPer or the PA-CAT as of November 2026.
What are the High Point PA program requirements?
A 3.2 overall and 3.2 science GPA, the GRE, 200 hours of healthcare experience, three references and prerequisites with a C or better. You need a bachelor's degree before you start. Details are in the admissions table below.
Applying elsewhere? See our guides to the Duke PA program and Emory PA program interviews, and our how many PA schools to apply to guide.
Also looking at dentistry at High Point? See our Workman School of Dental Medicine interview guide.
Sources: High Point University PA program home, admission process, admission requirements, admission FAQs and what makes us unique pages, the PAEA program directory and the ARC-PA accreditation history.
Confetto isn't affiliated with High Point University. Everything here about the program comes from its public pages, checked in November 2026.
Formats and dates can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.
High Point PA admissions: GPA, prerequisites, patient care hours and deadlines
Every line below links its source: High Point PA's own pages, PAEA's program directory and ARC-PA's public records, checked November 2026. Confirm dates in the school's portal before you submit.
| What | Detail and source |
|---|---|
| Degree and length | A 27-month Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) over seven continuous semesters: 15 months didactic, then 12 months clinical. It starts each summer, and the Class of 2029 begins in June 2027. Source: High Point University: Physician Assistant Studies, High Point University PA: Admission Process |
| CASPA deadline (2027 entry) | A complete CASPA application by October 1, 2026. Review is modified rolling, with interview picks starting in late summer or early fall. There is no supplemental application, and you can't change your application after paying HPU's program fee. Source: High Point University PA: Admission Process, High Point University PA: Admission FAQs |
| GPA minimum | A 3.2 cumulative undergraduate GPA and a 3.2 science GPA, as CASPA calculates them, with no exceptions. PAEA reports matriculant averages of 3.9 overall and 3.8 science. Source: High Point University PA: Admission Requirements, High Point University PA: Admission FAQs, PAEA Program Directory: High Point University |
| Prerequisites | Anatomy and physiology (human or vertebrate), biological science with labs, an upper-level human biological science, microbiology with lab, general chemistry and an additional chemistry with labs, statistics, psychology and 9 hours of humanities and social sciences, one of them upper level. Each needs a C or better, science courses must be within 10 years of June enrollment, only one can be in progress in the fall you apply, and labs can't be online. Medical terminology is due after acceptance. Source: High Point University PA: Admission Requirements |
| Healthcare experience and shadowing | At least 200 hours of volunteer or paid work in a health care setting before your application is reviewed, with preference for much more and for hands-on care that needed training. At least 15 hours of PA shadowing is recommended. Source: High Point University PA: Admission Requirements |
| Letters | Three references on the CASPA form, ideally from a professor and a supervisor. Source: High Point University PA: Admission Requirements, High Point University PA: Admission FAQs |
4 more High Point PA admissions factsGRE, CASPer and PA-CAT, Class size, Interviews, Accreditation
| What | Detail and source |
|---|---|
| GRE, CASPer and PA-CAT | The GRE is required, taken within five years of the deadline and sent with CASPA code 7291. There is no minimum, but scores are weighed against other applicants. PAEA reports matriculant averages of 153 verbal and 152 quantitative. HPU's pages don't mention CASPer or the PA-CAT as of November 2026. Source: High Point University PA: Admission Requirements, High Point University PA: Admission FAQs, PAEA Program Directory: High Point University |
| Class size | 65 planned for the Class of 2029. ARC-PA approved growth from 35 to 65 by May 2022. Source: High Point University PA: Admission Process, ARC-PA: High Point University accreditation history |
| Interviews | Two individual interviews, a program overview and information session and time with current students, on campus or online, typically June to February. Every interviewee hears within three weeks, and a $1,000 deposit is due within 1 to 2 weeks of an offer. Source: High Point University PA: Admission Process |
| Accreditation | Accreditation-Continued, first accredited in September 2014, with the next review about June 2029. Source: High Point University: Physician Assistant Studies, ARC-PA: High Point University accreditation history |
Not published on High Point PA's site as of November 2026: acceptance rate, number of applicants or interviewees, average healthcare hours of admitted students, interview length.
High Point PA application steps (2027 entry)
HPU has no supplemental application. Your CASPA application is the only one, and HPU reviews it once CASPA has the form, all recommendations, your official GRE score and verified transcripts. Once you pay HPU's program designation fee in CASPA, you can't change anything except your address.
The deadline for a complete application was October 1, 2026. HPU picks interviewees on a modified-rolling basis from late summer or early fall, so an earlier complete application can mean an earlier interview date. HPU graduates who meet the requirements are all invited to interview.
How CASPA works, step by step: CASPA application guide. Writing the CASPA essay: PA school personal statement. Building your list: how many PA schools to apply to.
High Point PA admissions FAQ
What GPA do you need for High Point PA?
At least a 3.2 cumulative and 3.2 science GPA as CASPA calculates them, with no exceptions. PAEA reports matriculant averages of 3.9 overall and 3.8 science.
Does High Point PA require the GRE?
Yes. Take it within five years of the deadline and send it with CASPA code 7291. There is no minimum score, but HPU compares GRE scores across applicants when choosing whom to interview.
When is the High Point PA deadline?
A complete CASPA application by October 1, 2026 for the class starting June 2027. Interview picks start in late summer or early fall, so applying earlier can help.
How many healthcare hours does High Point PA require?
At least 200 hours of volunteer or paid work in a health care setting. HPU prefers much more, especially hands-on patient care that needed training, and recommends 15 hours of PA shadowing.
Checked November 2026 against High Point University: Physician Assistant Studies, High Point University PA: Admission Process, High Point University PA: Admission FAQs, High Point University PA: Admission Requirements, PAEA Program Directory: High Point University and ARC-PA: High Point University accreditation history.