Penn CRNA Program Interview: Format, Deadlines and Who Gets In
What happens at the Penn nurse anesthesia (CRNA) interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.
Penn Nursing invites competitive DNP Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) applicants to interview with program faculty for its full-time, 36-month (36 course units) program, which admits students two years in advance. Rather than rolling decisions, the Summer 2028 cycle opens in October 2026, closes on February 1, 2027, and sends decision notifications in May 2027. You need at least 2 years of full-time or part-time equivalent RN experience in an ICU or critical care setting at the time of application.
Key facts (Summer 2028 start)
- Format
- An admissions interview with program faculty, by invitation for competitive applicants.
- Online or in person
- Sent directly by Penn Nursing when they contact you if you qualify for this step in the application process.
- Who is interviewed
- Competitive applicants. Penn contacts you if you qualify for the interview step.
- When
- For a Summer 2028 start: the application opens October 2026, the deadline is February 1, 2027 and decisions are sent in May 2027. Penn says dates may change.
- ICU experience
- At least 2 years of ICU work after orientation, with the most critically ill patients. The most competitive applicants usually have more than 2 years.
- Tests
- No GRE. Penn dropped it on July 1, 2021.
- Program
- Full time and in person, 36 months, starting in the summer. Penn admits students two years in advance.
What happens at the interview
Penn says only that competitive applicants are invited to interview by the program faculty. Plan for a conversation with practicing nurse anesthetists.
- Faculty interviewers. The program faculty run the interview. Penn says its faculty, many of them alumni, are nurse anesthetists who practice across a range of settings.
- CRNA and anesthesiologist mentorship. Students are mentored by nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists to build critical thinking skills for independent and collaborative clinical decision-making across hospitals, outpatient surgery centers and physicians' offices.
- Invitation only. Penn's application page says it will contact you if you qualify for the interview step.
Know the clinical training. Penn's simulation work covers placing regional anesthetics, fiber optic intubating equipment, central venous catheters, pulmonary artery catheters and chest tubes, ultrasound guidance, needle cricothyroidotomies and double lumen endotracheal tubes. Be ready to say what you already do near these skills in the ICU.
How offers are decided
Penn reviews applications on a single annual schedule rather than issuing rolling decisions. For Summer 2028 enrollment, applications open in October 2026, close on February 1, 2027, and decision notifications are sent in May 2027.
- Two years ahead. Because of demand, Penn admits students into the program two years in advance.
- A $2,500 deposit. If you are admitted and choose to enroll, a $2,500 deposit holds your place.
How you get an interview
You apply through Penn Nursing's own online application. An $80 fee applies, and only unofficial transcripts are needed until you are admitted.
ICU experience
You need at least 2 years of ICU or critical care work after orientation, caring for the most critically ill patients. The program page asks for it at the time of application, while the how-to-apply page and alumni guide say by matriculation.
- Units that count. Trauma ICU, CVICU, surgical ICU, neuro ICU, burn ICU, PICU, MICU and CCU.
- Units that don't. Neonatal ICU, emergency room, recovery room, step-down units and interventional radiology.
Grades, letters and paperwork
- Nursing degree and GPA. A bachelor's or graduate degree in nursing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Statistics. An introductory statistics course with a B or higher. AP Statistics counts if the credit is on your undergraduate transcript.
- Essays. Penn's alumni guide says applicants submit two essays.
- Letters. The how-to-apply page lists two letters, and the alumni guide asks for three, with one from your current employer or supervisor. Check the application itself.
- RN license. An active, unencumbered RN license is required. With progression into the clinical component, you need an active Pennsylvania Registered Nursing License, and licensure in Delaware (compact state) and New Jersey as specified by the program.
Penn BSN students apply like everyone else. Since fall 2020, Penn Nursing students can no longer submatriculate into the program. They can take up to three graduate courses that count toward the degree.
Dates and other details
The current application is for the class that starts in summer 2028.
Summer 2028 dates
- October 2026. The application opens.
- February 1, 2027. Application deadline.
- May 2027. Decisions are sent.
The program
It is a full-time, in-person program of 36 months and 36 course units divided into four conceptual areas: core courses, area courses, translating research into practice that includes leading a DNP Project at a clinical rotation site, and leadership and management. Clinical rotations cover all acuity levels with concentrations in pediatric, cardiac, and non-cardiac thoracic specialties.
For the Class of 2024, Penn reports a 92% first-time certification pass rate, 100% employment within six months and 3.6% attrition (one student).
The COA renewed the program's accreditation for the maximum 10 years, effective June 3, 2026, and the program will not be up for accreditation review again until Spring 2036.
How to prepare
Because program faculty who are practicing nurse anesthetists run the interview, prepare for both ICU clinical questions and professional role discussions.
- Know your sickest patients. Penn asks for experience with the most critically ill patients. Pick two or three cases and know the physiology, drips and monitoring behind each one.
- Know the role. Penn's program outcomes stress safety, teamwork with interprofessional teams and evidence-based anesthetic plans. Be ready to talk about each with a real example.
- Explain the timeline. You would start about a year and a half after the deadline. Think about how you will keep growing in the ICU until then.
- 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 (by invitation) station, written for applicants to University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, DNP Nurse Anesthesia. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
What ICU experience do you have that has prepared you for anesthesia?
Name the patients, drips and devices you manage on your own, and link each to a skill an anesthesia provider needs. Example answer, written by our team. The applicant is invented: In my surgical ICU role caring for critically ill patients after orientation, I manage ventilated postoperative patients with central venous catheters, pulmonary artery catheters and chest tubes while titrating vasoactive infusions to maintain homeostasis. When a patient develops sudden hemodynamic instability after surgery, I assess physiological responses right away, verify airway security and ventilation, inspect arterial and central line waveforms, and coordinate evidence-based interventions with the interprofessional team. During bedside procedures such as bronchoscopy, central line placement and emergent intubation, I prepare airway equipment, monitor sedation depth and anticipate physiological shifts before they become emergencies. Working side by side with nurse anesthetists, anesthesiologists and intensivists in high-acuity situations has taught me how calm communication, mastery of biophysical sciences and careful preparation protect patient safety, and I am ready to build on that foundation in Penn Nursing's simulation training and clinical rotations.
Tell me about your most challenging ICU patient.
Pick one patient, explain the physiology in plain steps, and show the decisions you made and why.
A patient becomes unstable during induction. Walk me through your immediate actions.
Work in a clear order, from airway and breathing to circulation and calling for help, and say why each step comes first.
How do you view the CRNA's relationship with anesthesiologists?
Describe care teams with respect for both roles and keep the focus on patient safety, not politics.
How have you prepared for the academic rigor of CRNA school?
Point to recent courses, study habits and a plan for your time, with proof you can keep up.
What do you know about our program specifically?
Use facts from the program's own pages, such as its simulation training or clinical rotations, and tie them to your goals.
Frequently asked questions
Does Penn interview CRNA applicants?
Yes. Competitive applicants are invited to interview by the program faculty, and Penn Nursing will contact you if you qualify for this step in the application process.
When is the Penn nurse anesthesia application deadline?
For a Summer 2028 start, the deadline is February 1, 2027. The application opens in October 2026 and decisions are sent in May 2027.
How much ICU experience does Penn require?
At least 2 years of ICU or critical care work after orientation. Neonatal ICU, emergency room, recovery room, step-down and interventional radiology do not count.
Does Penn require the GRE for nurse anesthesia?
No. Penn stopped requiring the GRE on July 1, 2021.
How long is the Penn CRNA program?
36 months of full-time, in-person study, starting in the summer.
More CRNA program guides
Applying to more CRNA programs? How other programs interview:
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.
- Penn Nursing: DNP Nurse Anesthesia · read October 25, 2026
- Penn Nursing: How to Apply (DNP Nurse Anesthesia) · read October 25, 2026
- Penn Nursing: Preparing for Future Admissions to the Nurse Anesthesia DNP Program (PDF) · read October 25, 2026
- Penn Nursing: DNP-Nurse Anesthesia Performance Data (PDF) · read October 25, 2026
- Penn Nursing: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) · read October 25, 2026