CU Anschutz PA Program Interview: Format, Dates and Who Gets In
What happens at the CU Anschutz CHA/PA program interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.
CU Anschutz interviews in person in Aurora on four days in August, September and October. Each applicant has a 15-minute individual interview, a 25-minute group interview and a 25-minute group exercise, each with a different team. Admission is rolling, and the program fills 44 seats, with decisions generally made by November.
Key facts (2027 entry)
- Format
- One 15-minute individual interview, one 25-minute group interview and one 25-minute group exercise.
- Who interviews you
- Three different teams, each with a faculty member and a graduate, preceptor or member of the Office of Outreach and Inclusion.
- Online or in person
- In person on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. No one is accepted without an in-person interview.
- When
- Four interview days in August, September and October.
- How offers work
- Rolling. A small number of acceptances follow each interview day until the class of 44 is full. Decisions generally finish by November.
- Tests
- Casper is required. The GRE and PA-CAT are not.
- Competition
- 1,901 people applied for the class that started in summer 2026, and 44 were admitted.
What happens on the interview day
The interview day runs from 8:00 a.m. to about 3:00 p.m. on the 7th floor of the Fitzsimons Building.
- Check-in at 8:00 a.m. You get a name tag and have your photo taken. The program suggests arriving on campus by 7:45.
- Individual interview, 15 minutes. A one-on-one interview. Each of your three sessions is with a different team.
- Group interview, 25 minutes. An interview held in a group format.
- Group exercise, 25 minutes. A group exercise. The program does not publish what the exercise involves.
- Learning about the program. A clinical and didactic presentation, a program video and an admissions discussion. Current students join you for lunch and lead a campus tour.
No right answers. The program says its questions typically have no right or wrong answers and you don't need specific prepared information. It asks you to relax and be honest.
How offers are decided
Prerequisites, grades, essays, letters and interviews are all strongly considered. Offers go to applicants who best fit the program's mission in academics, character, motivation, understanding of the profession and life experience.
- Three outcomes. Each applicant is accepted, waitlisted or declined.
- Ten business days. That is generally how long you have to accept, with a $1,000 nonrefundable deposit.
- Waitlist. Waitlisted applicants who are not admitted must reapply the next year.
- Final checks. Acceptance depends on a criminal background check, final transcripts and any outstanding prerequisites.
How you get an interview
Invitations go to competitive applicants who appear to have a good chance of being accepted. Your file is reviewed only once it is complete.
- A complete file. A verified CASPA application with three letters, the CHA/PA supplemental application, the $55 fee and a Casper score.
- Strong science grades. High overall and science GPAs, no withdrawals or incompletes in chemistry and biology, and every chemistry and biology grade above a C+.
- No hours minimum. Medical experience and shadowing are not required, but they strengthen an application. The class that started in 2026 had a median of 2,112 patient care hours.
- Understanding of the PA role. Shown through shadowing hours and your essays.
- Service and mission fit. Extensive community and volunteer work, and experience or lived experience with underserved or rural people, especially in primary or pediatric care.
Apply early. Admission is rolling, and the program does not note hours you add after its first review of your file.
Dates and other details
The 2026-27 cycle is now closed, so these dates matter most if you plan to apply next year.
Dates for 2027 entry
- Early June 2026. Application review began.
- August 25, 2026. Last Casper test date accepted.
- September 1, 2026. Deadline for a complete (not yet verified) CASPA application, the supplemental application, the fee and Casper scores.
- August to October 2026. On-campus interviews, with offers on a rolling basis. Final decisions go out in November.
- Early July 2027. Orientation and classes begin.
The program
CHA/PA is a 36-month, full-time program with clinical experience in all three years. Its mission is the holistic care of diverse and underserved patients across the lifespan, with an emphasis on primary care and extra training in pediatrics.
How to prepare
Two of your three interviews involve other applicants, so practice working in a group as much as answering alone.
- Practice group tasks. Run a timed group decision with friends. Make sure everyone speaks, keep track of time and help the group reach an answer.
- Know your why. Be ready to explain why PA and not another role, using your shadowing and patient care.
- Connect to the mission. Have a story about children, families or underserved or rural patients, since that is the heart of CHA/PA.
- Plan the day. Arrive the night before if you are flying in, wear professional clothes and bring comfortable shoes for the tour.
Listen in the group. In a group interview, building on someone else's point often shows more teamwork than speaking first.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a Individual and group (in person) station, written for applicants to University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant Program. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
In this group task, your group must decide whether a limited community health grant goes to a childhood vaccination program or to a diabetes management clinic for older adults. You have ten minutes to reach a unanimous decision. How would you approach it?
Set how the group will decide first, and bring a split group to one answer without steamrolling anyone.
In this group task, your group reads a short scenario: a clinic forgot to call a patient about an abnormal lab result, and the patient found out two weeks later. You have ten minutes to draft a joint apology, and everyone must contribute. How would you approach it?
Make sure every voice is heard, and keep the apology honest, without excuses or promises nobody can keep.
You are a PA in a busy urgent care. A father holding his crying toddler says, 'I brought my son in for a cut on his forehead, and I want a real doctor to do the stitches, not an assistant.' Respond to the father.
Calm the father, respect his choice and keep the child's care moving.
You are a PA student. Another student on your rotation keeps jumping in to answer every question the preceptor asks, so you never get a chance to participate. Talk to your classmate.
Stand up for your own learning without making your classmate feel attacked.
Think back to a time in your patient care experience that showed you that you wanted to be a PA rather than a physician. Tell me about that moment.
Tell one real moment that shows you chose the PA role for itself.
If an undergraduate asked you for advice on choosing between the MD route and the PA route, what's the single biggest misconception you'd warn them about, based on your own journey?
Correct one myth fairly, without putting down either path.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CU Anschutz PA interview format?
Each applicant has a 15-minute individual interview, a 25-minute group interview and a 25-minute group exercise, with three different interview teams.
Is the CU Anschutz PA interview virtual?
No. Interviews are in person on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, and applicants cannot be accepted without an in-person interview.
Does CU Anschutz PA require Casper?
Yes. Casper is required for all applicants, and only the score is reviewed, not the Casper Snapshot. The GRE and PA-CAT are not required.
How many health care hours does CU Anschutz PA require?
None. The program does not require medical experience or a set number of patient hours, but experience strengthens your application. The class that started in 2026 had a median of 2,112 patient care hours.
When does CU Anschutz PA send decisions?
Admission is rolling, starting in August, and a small number of acceptances follow each interview day. Generally all decisions are made by November.
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.
- CU Anschutz CHA/PA Program: Interview Information · read October 24, 2026
- CU Anschutz CHA/PA Program: Admissions Process · read October 24, 2026
- CU Anschutz CHA/PA Program: Admissions Timeline · read October 24, 2026
- CU Anschutz CHA/PA Program: How to Apply · read October 24, 2026
- CU Anschutz CHA/PA Program: Admissions FAQ · read October 24, 2026
- CU Anschutz CHA/PA Program: Admissions Statistics · read October 24, 2026
- CU Anschutz CHA/PA Program: Mission, Vision and Goals · read October 24, 2026