Iowa CRNA Program Interview: Format, Dates and Who Gets In
Iowa's June 1 deadline and summer interviews for its Summer 2027 class have passed, and Iowa hasn't posted the next cycle's dates yet. Here is how the interview works, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.
Iowa takes applications once a year, by June 1, and interviews selected applicants from mid-July to early August. That cycle, for the Summer 2027 class, has passed, and Iowa hasn't posted dates for the next one yet. Interviews are at University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City, where you meet the program director, associate director, clinical coordinator and other faculty, plus current students. Its FAQ says you may interview electronically instead. Iowa admits 16 students a year.
Key facts (Summer 2027 entry session)
- When
- Mid-July to early August, after a June 1 deadline. Both have passed for the Summer 2027 entry session, and Iowa hasn't posted the next cycle's dates yet.
- Format
- Personal interviews with the admissions subcommittee, program Director, Associate Director, Clinical Coordinator and other faculty, plus time with current students and staff CRNAs.
- Online or in person
- In person in Iowa City, at your own expense. The FAQ adds that you may interview electronically if travel is hard, and that this choice does not affect the decision.
- Who is interviewed
- Applicants the subcommittee picks in an anonymous screen in the second week of June. You hear by mid-June.
- Class size
- 16 students a year.
- Admitted students
- Typically a GPA of 3.5 or higher, 24 to 30 months of critical care work and all prerequisites done.
- Program
- A 36-month DNP. The first year is all academic, then two years of clinical work, including four months at rural sites.
What happens at the interview
Iowa's interview is a visit as much as a test. You meet faculty and current students and can ask questions of anyone you meet.
- Who you meet. The program director, associate director, clinical coordinator and other faculty. The admissions page also lists members of the admissions subcommittee and staff CRNAs.
- Current students. You meet current students and can ask them questions.
- Where. At University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City. The admissions page says travel is at your expense.
- Online option. The FAQ says you may interview electronically if significant travel is undesirable. It is your choice and does not affect the decision.
- Interview window. The FAQ says interviews are typically scheduled from mid-July to early August, and the admissions page places them at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in late July-early August.
Prepare questions. You can ask questions of anyone you meet, so bring a few for students about clinical rotations and the workload.
How offers are decided
The admissions subcommittee meets within a week of final interviews to determine applicants for the next cohort of IOWA DNP-CRNA students, then forwards applicant files to the Graduate College Office of Admissions for final review.
- Graduate College review. Files of chosen applicants go to the Graduate College for a final review. The official offer comes from the Graduate College.
- Intent to enroll. If admitted, you return an Intent to Enroll form by a set date.
- Contingent offers. Iowa may admit you on condition that you finish missing requirements by the first day of classes. If you don't, you must reapply.
How you get an interview
Iowa's application has two steps. First you apply to the University of Iowa Graduate College, then you upload the program's documents.
The screen
In the second week of June, the admissions subcommittee screens every complete file anonymously. It looks at overall grades, science grades, ICU experience, the personal statement and references.
- Not everyone interviews. Iowa says admission is very competitive and it invites the applicants it thinks will be most successful in the program.
- Mid-June notice. Selected applicants hear by mid-June.
ICU experience
You need at least 1 year of staff nurse work in an ICU. Admitted students average 2+ years, and you may apply at 10 to 11 months, though you may be less competitive.
- Units that count. ICU, MICU, NICU, PICU, SICU and CCU.
- Units that don't. Emergency room, operating room and PACU, because each patient's care is short.
Documents
- Goal statement. Up to 2 pages on your current role, why you chose anesthesia, your career goals and your leadership potential. Iowa reviews it as a writing sample.
- Three references. One from a physician, one from an employer or supervisor and one from an academic or educator.
- Forms and cards. A supplemental application, a coursework form, a resume, a signed disclosure statement, and copies of your RN license and BLS, ACLS and PALS cards.
- Science background. Iowa's list covers anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, three kinds of chemistry (inorganic, organic and biochemistry) and college physics. Have no more than 1 or 2 prerequisites left when you apply.
Dates and other details
Iowa has one deadline a year, June 1. Its page still tells applicants to choose the Summer 2027 entry session, whose deadline and interviews have passed. It hasn't posted the next cycle's entry session yet.
- June 1. Application deadline.
- Second week of June. Anonymous screen, with invitations by mid-June.
- Mid-July to early August. Interviews.
- Rural training. Clinical rotations in rural and critical access hospitals are mandatory, with four months at CRNA-only rural sites.
- Outcomes. Iowa reports a 99.6% overall certification pass rate and an 86% first-time pass rate over the past 10 years, an attrition rate of about 1 student every 2-3 years, and 99.6% of graduates receiving jobs as CRNAs upon completion and passing their boards.
How to prepare
Tie your answers to what Iowa says it trains CRNAs for.
- Know the mission. Iowa trains CRNAs for a state with a shortage of anesthesia providers. Think about whether you could practice in a rural or CRNA-only setting.
- Know your science. Iowa stresses basic science preparation. Review pharmacology and physiology you use at the bedside.
- Know your goal statement. Be ready to expand on your career goals and leadership from your statement.
- Rehearse out loud. Practice short, specific stories about a hard patient, a mistake and a conflict, each with what you learned.
Say what you don't know. If a clinical question goes past your knowledge, say so, then explain how you would find the answer safely.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a Faculty interview (in person, online option) station, written for applicants to University of Iowa College of Nursing, DNP Nurse Anesthesia. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
Where do you see yourself practicing as a CRNA?
Give a specific setting and a reason rooted in your experience, such as a rural or underserved community you know.
Why CRNA and not NP or another advanced practice role?
Contrast the roles fairly and point to moments in the ICU that drew you to anesthesia in particular.
Explain the mechanism of action of neuromuscular blocking agents.
Explain depolarizing and nondepolarizing agents in plain steps and link them to what you see at the bedside.
Tell me about yourself.
Give a short path from your nursing start to now, ending on why anesthesia is the next step.
What financial preparations have you made for CRNA school?
Show a real plan for living costs without work, so the panel knows money will not pull you out.
What questions do you have for us?
Ask about things the website does not answer, such as how students prepare for rural rotations.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Iowa CRNA interview in person?
Interviews are held at University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City. Iowa's FAQ says you may interview electronically if significant travel is undesirable, and that this does not affect the decision.
When are Iowa nurse anesthesia interviews?
From mid-July to early August, after a June 1 application deadline and a screen in the second week of June. That cycle, for Summer 2027 entry, has passed, and Iowa hasn't posted the next one's dates yet.
Are all Iowa applicants interviewed?
No. The committee reviews GPA, science GPA, clinical experience, references and the personal statement and invites those it thinks will be most successful.
How many students does Iowa admit?
16 a year. Iowa keeps the class small because clinical experiences in the state are limited.
Does NICU experience count for Iowa?
Yes. Iowa's FAQ lists NICU with ICU, MICU, PICU, SICU and CCU. Emergency room, operating room and PACU do not count.
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 Iowa College of Nursing: Nurse Anesthesia Admission Requirements · read October 26, 2026
- University of Iowa College of Nursing: Nurse Anesthesia FAQs · read October 26, 2026
- University of Iowa College of Nursing: Nurse Anesthesia Welcome from the Director · read October 25, 2026
- University of Iowa College of Nursing: Nurse Anesthesia About the Program · read October 25, 2026
- University of Iowa College of Nursing: DNP Goal Statement (PDF) · read October 25, 2026
- University of Iowa College of Nursing: DNP Anesthesia Science Course Criteria (PDF) · read October 25, 2026