Updated October 26, 2026

Cincinnati CRNA Program Interview: Dates, Format and Who Gets In

Priority applicants interview in November 2026, and the March 1, 2027 standard deadline is still open. Here is what happens at the University of Cincinnati nurse anesthesia (CRNA) interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.

The University of Cincinnati's next nurse anesthesia interviews are in November 2026, for applicants who met the October 1, 2026 priority deadline, which has passed. The standard deadline is March 1, 2027, with interviews in April 2027 and decisions in early May 2027, though the application can close sooner if enough qualified people apply. Interviews can be in person or virtual.

Practice the Cincinnati CRNA interview now How CRNA school practice works

Key facts (2026-27 application cycle (spring start))

When: November 2026 for applicants who met the October 1, 2026 priority deadline, which has passed. April 2027 for the March 1, 2027 standard deadline. Decisions come in early May 2027.
Format: An admissions interview, completed in person or virtually.
Online or in person: Either. UC says interviews can be completed in person or virtually.
Who is interviewed: Applying by the priority deadline guarantees you are considered for an interview. The application may close early if enough qualified people apply.
ICU experience: At least 1 year of full-time adult or pediatric ICU work within the past two years, by the deadline. Most successful applicants have at least two years.
Tests and certifications: GRE required (school code 1833). Current CCRN with score and ACLS required.
Class size: Recent classes entered with 29, 22, 29 and 31 students. The latest admitted class averaged a 3.6 GPA.

What happens at the interview

UC holds interviews twice a year and lets you choose in person or virtual. It does not describe the interview's structure.

November or April. Priority applicants interview in November 2026. Standard applicants interview in April 2027.
In person or virtual. UC's FAQ says interviews can be completed in person or virtually.
No early offers. UC cannot make any offers until every applicant has interviewed, even if you hold an offer from another program.

Show what they weigh. Beyond ICU experience and GPA, UC strongly considers written and oral communication, professionalism, critical thinking and leadership potential.

How offers are decided

The admissions committee looks at academic, personal and extracurricular attributes.

Early May 2027. Decisions are released after all interviews are done.
Personal qualities. UC's technical standards list commitment to excellence, service, self-awareness, integrity and interpersonal skills as qualities assessed during admission.
$1,500 to hold a seat. A nonrefundable matriculation fee is due on acceptance and goes toward first-semester tuition.

How you get an interview

You apply through NursingCAS. Applying by the priority deadline, October 1, 2026 in this cycle, ensures you are considered for an interview.

ICU experience

You need at least 1 year of full-time ICU work as an RN within the past two years by the application deadline. UC gives the highest priority to applicants working in a high-acuity ICU at a large hospital.

Units that count. Adult and pediatric intensive care units only. UC strongly advises that you work in the ICU when you apply.
Units that don't. Neonatal ICU, ICU step-down, operating room, PACU, invasive radiology or cardiology and the emergency room.

Grades and courses

GPA. UC recommends at least a 3.4 overall and a 3.4 science GPA, counting all undergraduate and graduate courses. The latest admitted class averaged 3.6.
Prerequisites. A B or better in chemistry, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology and statistics.
Low scores. If your GRE or GPA is low, UC suggests taking graduate-level science or nursing courses and explaining them in a statement.

Certifications, letters and forms

CCRN and ACLS. A current CCRN with your score (no minimum) is required by the deadline, plus current ACLS.
GRE. Send official scores to UC, code 1833, not to NursingCAS.
3 to 6 references. One must be from your current nurse manager. UC says not to use CRNAs or anesthesiologists unless you work closely with them, and never interns or residents.
Shadowing form. A completed Shadowing Documentation Form is part of the application.
Committee work. UC recommends experience on a committee for an ICU, a hospital or a nursing organization.

Apply early. The October 1, 2026 priority deadline has passed. The standard deadline is March 1, 2027, but the application can close sooner if enough qualified people apply.

Dates and other details

UC admits for the spring semester only.

2026-27 dates

August 8, 2026. The application opened.
October 1, 2026. Priority deadline, now passed. Interviews follow in November 2026.
March 1, 2027. Standard deadline. Interviews follow in April 2027.
Early May 2027. Admission decisions are released.

The program

It is a 36-month, nine-semester, full-time program. Clinical time starts in the third semester, and students spend about 64 hours a week in class or at clinical sites.

For the Class of 2025, UC reports a 92% first-time certification pass rate and 100% employment within 6 months.

How to prepare

UC names the skills it weighs, so build your answers around them.

Know your unit cold. UC prefers high-acuity ICU nurses. Review the drips, devices and monitoring you use and why each one works.
Bring a leadership story. Committee work, precepting or a unit project shows the leadership potential UC looks for.
Talk about your shadowing. You document shadowing in your application, so be ready to say what you saw a CRNA do and what surprised you.
Rehearse out loud. Practice short, specific stories about a hard patient, a mistake and a conflict, each with what you learned.

Take feedback well. UC says its training is based on mentoring and that students must accept criticism and change. Show you can do that with a real example.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a Interview (in person or virtual) station, written for applicants to University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia DNP. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

Describe a critical situation from your ICU experience and how you managed it.

Walk through what you saw, what you did first and why, and how the patient did.

How does an intra-aortic balloon pump work?

Explain inflation and deflation timing in plain steps and tie each one to oxygen supply and demand.

How did you study for your CCRN certification?

Describe a concrete study plan and what it taught you about learning hard material fast.

Tell me about your CRNA shadow experience.

Name one specific thing you watched a CRNA do and how it confirmed your choice.

How will you manage stress during CRNA school?

Describe habits and support you already use, with a concrete example from a hard stretch at work.

Tell me about a conflict with a coworker and how you resolved it.

Keep it calm and fair to the other person, and end with what you changed in how you work with others.

Frequently asked questions

When does Cincinnati interview CRNA applicants?

In November 2026 for applicants who met the October 1, 2026 priority deadline, which has passed, and in April 2027 for the March 1, 2027 standard deadline.

Is the UC nurse anesthesia interview online?

It can be. UC says interviews can be completed in person or virtually.

Does UC require CCRN and the GRE?

Yes. A current CCRN with your score is required by the deadline, with no minimum score, and GRE scores go to UC under code 1833.

Can UC interview me early if I have another offer?

UC encourages you to attend your scheduled interview but cannot make any offers until all applicants have interviewed.

How many students does the UC CRNA program take?

Its last four entering classes had 29, 22, 29 and 31 students.

Sources

Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing: Nurse Anesthesia DNP Program · read October 26, 2026
University of Cincinnati College of Nursing: Nurse Anesthesia DNP Program FAQ · read October 26, 2026