Updated · 6 min read
St. John's University PA Program Interview: Format and Prep
Key facts (2026-27)
Each entering class is limited to 75. The public pages describe graduate entry only.
- Format
- Required interview for selected applicants. PAEA's directory lists a traditional interview
- Where
- In person or virtual, based on availability. St. John's says the mode doesn't affect decisions
- Also required
- $100 supplemental fee paid in the applicant portal after CASPA verification (no supplemental essays), A Patient Care Experience Verification Form, only if the program asks during the interview process
Dates for 2026-27
Rolling, through the applicant portal with an email notice, as completed applications are reviewed (CASPA deadline October 1)
Interview invitations
Rolling, through the applicant portal: an offer, the waitlist or not selected. Waitlist offers can come through the first week of classes
Offers and decisions
Checked November 2026 against St. John's PA: Admissions FAQ (PDF) and St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science. Confirm details in your invitation.
St. John's PA admissions in brief
St. John's PA requires a bachelor's degree, a 3.0 cumulative and science GPA, 200 hours of patient care experience at the time you apply, three letters and a $100 supplemental fee. The GRE, MCAT and PA-CAT aren't considered. CASPA opens April 30 and the verified deadline is October 1. Interviews are rolling, in person or virtual, for a class capped at 75.
The St. John's PA program interview format
St. John's requires an admissions interview for selected applicants, and it offers both in-person and virtual interviews based on availability. It says the mode is equitable and doesn't affect decisions. Invitations go out through the applicant portal on a rolling basis as completed applications are reviewed, and each entering class is capped at 75.
| Item | What St. John's says |
|---|---|
| Required | Yes, for selected applicants. An interview doesn't guarantee admission |
| Mode | In person or virtual, based on availability |
| Interview type | Traditional (PAEA program directory, updated March 2026) |
| Invites | Through the applicant portal, with an email notice, on a rolling basis |
| Scheduling | You pick a date and time in the portal. Alternate dates may be offered at the program's discretion |
| Possible request | A Patient Care Experience Verification Form, only if the program asks during the interview process |
| Decisions | Rolling, through the portal: an offer, the waitlist, or not selected |
| Interview months, length, who interviews | Not published |
As of November 2026, St. John's doesn't publish interview months, length or who interviews you. Offers come after review of all application materials and interview performance. Waitlisted applicants can be offered a seat as late as the first week of classes.
St. John's says its faculty can't review transcripts, judge your patient care hours or tell you if you are competitive. Its published Admissions FAQ and Prerequisite Guide are the answers it points to, so read both before your interview.
Graduate entry only on the public pages
As of November 2026, St. John's public PA pages describe one way in: the Master of Science through CASPA, which requires a bachelor's degree in any field. PAEA's directory also lists no undergraduate-to-master's pathway for the program. If you have heard about a freshman-entry or six-year PA track at St. John's, the current public pages don't describe one, so confirm with Graduate Admission before you plan around it.
What St. John's looks for
The program page ties the PA program to the university's Catholic and Vincentian tradition. It describes health care as a basic human right and says the program was built to reach those most in need, "the poor, alienated and the aged." It wants graduates to give compassionate, accessible care to underserved patients in urban communities and to return to their own neighborhoods to deliver primary care.
One program goal is a commitment to culturally responsive care for underserved and diverse populations. In the Class of 2026, all 68 students reported at least three rotations in diverse communities.
In admissions, St. John's reviews applications holistically and gives preference to a competitive science GPA and to applicants who needed no more than one repeated prerequisite to reach a C.
The program in brief
- Degree and length: a Master of Science, 84 credits, full time and in person. PAEA lists the length as 30 months. The program page describes two didactic years followed by a clinical year.
- Start: fall. PAEA lists September 2027 for the current cycle.
- Campus: Queens, New York, in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
- Class size: up to 75. PAEA lists the latest matriculants' averages as a 3.72 overall and 3.64 science GPA.
- Clinical year: five-week rotations in internal medicine, primary care, general surgery, emergency medicine, women's health, psychiatry and behavioral medicine, long-term care and geriatrics, orthopedics, pediatrics and an elective, at sites across metropolitan New York and Long Island.
- Accreditation: Accreditation-Continued from ARC-PA since March 2025, after a probation review. The program page gives the next validation review as March 2033, and ARC-PA's history lists January 2033.
- PANCE: the program page reports a 100% first-time pass rate for the Class of 2025.
Requirements are in the admissions table below.
How to prepare for the St. John's interview
- Have an underserved care story. The mission centers on urban, underserved patients. Describe one patient or community you served and what you learned.
- Know your hours exactly. The program may ask you to verify patient care during the interview process. Know your role, dates and total hours for each job.
- Explain any repeated course. Repeated prerequisites affect a published preference. If you repeated one, be ready to say what changed.
- Connect to primary care in your community. The program hopes graduates go back to their own neighborhoods. Say where you want to practice and why.
- Prepare for either mode. You may interview in Queens or on video. Practice both, and check your setup if you choose virtual.
St. John's PA practice questions (written by us, not St. John's)
As of November 2026, St. John's doesn't publish its interview questions. These are ours, built from its mission and requirements.
- Why a PA, and why St. John's in Queens?
- What does it mean to you that health care is a basic human right?
- Tell us about a patient whose income or living situation affected their care.
- Walk us through your patient care hours. What were you responsible for?
- How would you care for a patient who speaks a language you don't?
- Describe a time you worked with a team under pressure.
- A patient asks you not to tell the supervising physician something important. What do you do?
- Where do you want to practice after graduating, and who will you serve?
- Tell us about a course you struggled with and how you recovered.
- How will you handle a program where working, even part time, is strongly discouraged?
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 St. John's interview
- Write your patient care roles on one card: title, dates, hours and three hands-on tasks for each.
- Answer "Why St. John's?" in under 90 seconds, naming the mission and one detail of the clinical year.
- Do six questions from the list with a friend in person, with one follow-up each.
- Repeat the same six on a video call and compare how you came across.
- Two days later, do a fresh set of five questions with a new partner.
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.
St. John's PA interview FAQ
Is the St. John's PA interview virtual?
It can be. St. John's offers in-person and virtual interviews based on availability and says the mode doesn't affect decisions.
Does St. John's require the GRE or CASPer?
No GRE, MCAT or PA-CAT. St. John's says it doesn't require, review or consider those scores. Its pages don't mention CASPer as of November 2026.
When does St. John's send interview invites?
On a rolling basis as applications are reviewed, through the applicant portal. The CASPA deadline is October 1, so applying early helps.
Does St. John's have a six-year PA program?
Its public pages describe only the graduate Master of Science, which requires a bachelor's degree. PAEA lists no undergraduate-to-master's pathway.
What are the St. John's PA program requirements?
A bachelor's degree, a 3.0 cumulative and science GPA, 200 hours of patient care experience, three letters, the prerequisites with a C or better and a $100 supplemental fee.
Applying elsewhere? See our guides to the George Washington University PA program and Duke PA program interviews, or our how many PA schools to apply to guide.
Sources: St. John's University Physician Assistant, Master of Science page and its Admissions FAQ (PDF) and Prerequisite Guide (PDF), ARC-PA's accreditation history, and PAEA's program directory entry.
Confetto isn't affiliated with St. John's 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.
St. John's PA admissions: GPA, prerequisites, patient care hours and deadlines
Every line below links its source: St. John's 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 | Master of Science, 84 credits, full time and in person in Queens. PAEA lists 30 months starting in September 2027, and the program page describes two didactic years and a clinical third year. Source: St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science, PAEA Program Directory: St. John's University, St. John's PA: Admissions FAQ (PDF) |
| CASPA deadline | CASPA opens April 30, and applications must be submitted and verified by October 1 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Verification can take 10 business days or longer. Source: St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science |
| GPA minimum | A 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 science GPA, based on CASPA-verified coursework. PAEA lists the latest matriculants' averages as a 3.72 overall and 3.64 science GPA. Source: St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science, PAEA Program Directory: St. John's University |
| Prerequisites | General biology and general chemistry with labs, microbiology, anatomy and physiology I and II with lab, biochemistry, psychology, two math courses including statistics, and English composition. C or better, within 10 years of your CASPA submission, no more than three outstanding when you apply. Source: St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science |
| Patient care hours | At least 200 hours of direct, hands-on patient care, documented and verified when you apply. Hours added after you submit don't count. Source: St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science, St. John's PA: Admissions FAQ (PDF) |
| Shadowing | Not required, and it doesn't count toward the 200 patient care hours. PAEA lists PA shadowing as recommended. Source: St. John's PA: Admissions FAQ (PDF), PAEA Program Directory: St. John's University |
4 more St. John's PA admissions factsLetters, GRE, CASPer and PA-CAT, Interviews, Accreditation
| What | Detail and source |
|---|---|
| Letters | Three. One must come from a health care professional or supervisor and state your role, dates and total patient care hours. Character references aren't accepted. Source: St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science, St. John's PA: Admissions FAQ (PDF) |
| GRE, CASPer and PA-CAT | The GRE, MCAT and PA-CAT are not required or considered. St. John's pages don't mention CASPer as of November 2026. Source: St. John's PA: Admissions FAQ (PDF) |
| Interviews | Required for selected applicants, in person or virtual based on availability, and scheduled through the applicant portal on a rolling basis. Each class is limited to 75. PAEA lists a traditional interview. Source: St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science, St. John's PA: Admissions FAQ (PDF), PAEA Program Directory: St. John's University |
| Accreditation | Accreditation-Continued from ARC-PA since March 2025, following a probation review. The next validation review is March 2033 per the program page and January 2033 per ARC-PA. Source: St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science, ARC-PA: St. John's University accreditation history |
Not published on St. John's PA's site as of November 2026: acceptance rate, number of applicants or interviews, interview months and length, average patient care hours of admitted students.
St. John's PA application steps
St. John's has no supplemental application. After CASPA verifies your application, Graduate Admission emails instructions to open the applicant portal and pay the non-refundable $100 supplemental fee. Your application isn't reviewed until the fee is paid, and if the email hasn't arrived by September 15, St. John's asks you to contact gradhelp@stjohns.edu.
The portal is where interview invitations, scheduling and decisions arrive. Admitted students confirm a seat with a non-refundable $1,500 deposit.
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.
St. John's PA admissions FAQ
What GPA do you need for St. John's PA?
At least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 science GPA. St. John's gives preference to a competitive science GPA, and PAEA lists the latest class's averages as a 3.72 overall and 3.64 science.
Does St. John's PA require the GRE?
No. St. John's doesn't require, review or consider the GRE, MCAT or PA-CAT.
When is the St. John's PA deadline?
October 1 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, and your CASPA application must be verified by then. CASPA opens April 30, and verification can take 10 business days or more.
Does St. John's have a freshman-entry PA program?
Its public PA pages describe only the graduate Master of Science, which needs a bachelor's degree, and PAEA lists no undergraduate-to-master's pathway.
Checked November 2026 against St. John's: Physician Assistant, Master of Science, PAEA Program Directory: St. John's University, St. John's PA: Admissions FAQ (PDF) and ARC-PA: St. John's University accreditation history.