Updated October 26, 2026

Midwestern PA Program Interview: Downers Grove and Glendale

Both Midwestern PA deadlines for 2027 entry have passed, and interviews run through January. Here is what happens on each campus, how you get invited and how offers are decided.

Midwestern runs two PA programs with separate admissions, and both 2027-entry deadlines have passed: Downers Grove's on September 1, 2026 and Glendale's on October 1, 2026. Downers Grove, Illinois, holds virtual interviews from August to January and only invites you once your Casper result is in. Glendale, Arizona, interviews on campus from July to January, usually decides within two weeks, and lists a group interview in the PAEA directory.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Next step: Interviews usually run through January on both campuses. Glendale applicants' letters and other materials must reach the Office of Admissions by November 1. Downers Grove sends every complete applicant a status by the end of March.
Format: Downers Grove lists a traditional interview. Glendale lists a group interview. Neither publishes the length or the number of interviewers.
Online or in person: Downers Grove interviews are virtual. Glendale interviews are on campus, and PAEA lists an onsite interview as required.
When: Downers Grove: usually August to January. Glendale: usually July to January.
Seats: Downers Grove: about 2,000 applications a year for 86 seats. Glendale: about 2,700 applications last year, with a class of up to 90.
Deadline: Downers Grove: September 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Glendale: October 1, 2026, with all materials in by November 1. Both CASPA deadlines have passed. Both programs review on a rolling basis.
Tests: Downers Grove requires Casper before any interview and no GRE. Glendale requires no test this cycle, but will require the GRE from the 2027-28 cycle.
Decisions: Downers Grove tells every complete applicant their status in writing by the end of March 2027. Glendale usually decides within two weeks of the interview.

What happens on the interview day

The two campuses run different interview days. Neither publishes a minute-by-minute schedule.

Downers Grove, Illinois

The interview is virtual and is required before any admission decision. The day also covers the program, financial aid and student services.

A traditional interview. That is the type the program lists in the PAEA directory. It does not publish the length or the panel size.
What they assess. Your interpersonal, verbal and nonverbal communication, your understanding of the profession and your commitment to patient care.
The qualities they want. Flexibility, grit and resilience, maturity, intrinsic motivation, problem solving and critical thinking, professionalism and integrity.

Glendale, Arizona

Interviews are on campus. Your confirmation letter includes directions and local lodging.

A presentation. Given by the chair or a member of the PA Admissions Committee.
Faculty and students. Time with faculty members and meetings with current Midwestern students.
Interview sessions. You may be asked about your academic, personal and professional goals and how ready you are for the program. PAEA lists the interview type as a group interview.
A standard form. Interviewers rate you on a standardized evaluation form that goes into your file.

Faculty only talk at the interview. Once you submit, Glendale faculty can't discuss your application except at a formal interview. Send questions to the Office of Admissions.

How offers are decided

At both campuses, the PA Admissions Committee reviews the full file of everyone it interviewed, and the Dean's office sends decisions in writing.

Downers Grove is holistic. The committee, which includes the program director, uses the same kinds of criteria it used to choose who to interview.
Downers Grove fills seats on a rolling basis. Applicants are accepted until all 86 seats are filled, and every complete applicant hears by the end of March.
Glendale meets within two weeks. The committee meets one to two weeks after interviews. Seats can be offered until the class is full, right up to the start of the program.

How you get an interview

Both campuses read complete applications and invite the strongest. Meeting the minimums is not enough on its own.

Downers Grove

The program won't invite you until it has received and reviewed your Casper result. It looks at GPA, Casper, course rigor, letters, health care experience, knowledge of the profession and motivation.

500 hours of direct patient care. Done by the time you submit. The program prefers 1,000 or more.
GPA of 3.0 or more. Both overall and science. Competitive applicants usually have 3.5 or higher.
Casper in the higher quartiles. That is a preferred qualification. If you applied in an earlier cycle, you must retake Casper.
Two letters. Ideally one from a science professor who taught you, or a pre-health committee.
Guaranteed interviews. Students who meet the terms of agreements with Aurora, Elmhurst and Greenville universities, or with other Midwestern programs, are guaranteed an interview but not a seat.

Glendale

Review starts in July. The program looks at GPA, letters, health care experience, knowledge of the profession and motivation for a PA career.

GPA of 3.0 or more. Both overall and science. The Class of 2028, which started in 2026, averaged 3.86 overall and 3.85 science.
Patient care hours. Most of the Class of 2028 had more than 2,000 paid health care hours. PAEA lists 500 hours of health care experience.
An interview wait list. Some files go on an interview wait list in case spots open late in the cycle.
Guaranteed interviews. From the class starting in summer 2027, 20 spots for qualified Arizona State applicants, one for Grand Canyon University, and qualified Midwestern biomedical sciences graduates.

Dates and other details

CASPA opens in April. Both campuses urge you to apply early because they review on a rolling basis.

Dates for 2027 entry

July 2026 to January 2027. Glendale reviews files and holds on-campus interviews, usually through January.
August 2026 to January 2027. Downers Grove virtual interviews.
September 1, 2026. Downers Grove deadline, which has passed. CASPA had to verify your application by then.
October 1, 2026. Glendale CASPA deadline, which has passed. Letters and all other materials must reach the Office of Admissions by November 1.
End of March 2027. Downers Grove sends every complete applicant a written status.
June 2027. Both programs start.
2028 entry. Both admissions pages list their deadlines without a year (September 1 at Downers Grove, October 1 at Glendale), and neither campus has posted dates for the next cycle. Glendale will require the GRE from the 2027-28 cycle, with scores sent to CASPA by October 1. CASPA hasn't posted its 2027-28 opening date. PAEA says each cycle opens on the last Thursday in April.

The programs

Downers Grove is a 27-month Master of Medical Science with clinical rotations in Chicago and the surrounding area. Glendale is a 24-month, full-time, in-person Master of Medical Science with rotations in urban and rural settings.

How to prepare

Both campuses test whether you understand the PA role and why you want it, so your answers need real examples.

Take Casper early. Downers Grove won't invite you until your score is in, and it fills seats on a rolling basis.
Know the profession. Be ready to explain what a PA does, how PAs work with physicians, and what you saw while shadowing or at work.
Show grit with a story. Downers Grove names flexibility, resilience and maturity. Have one example of a setback you worked through and what changed after.
Practice camera and room. Rehearse on video for Downers Grove. For Glendale, practice speaking up in a group without talking over others.

Apply to the campus you mean. Each campus has its own deadline, interview and committee, so tailor your answers to the one you are interviewing with.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a Online (Downers Grove), on campus (Glendale) station, written for applicants to Midwestern University, Physician Assistant Program. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

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?

Name one specific misconception and tie it to something you saw yourself.

Tell me about a time in your healthcare role when you were asked to do something slightly outside your training or comfort zone. What did you do?

Show that you spoke up about your limits and still helped the patient get what they needed.

During a busy shift, your supervising physician sharply criticizes your suturing technique in front of a conscious patient. How do you handle the moment, and what do you do afterward?

Keep the patient calm first, then ask for the feedback privately and act on it.

Why is it important for a PA to know the limits of their medical knowledge, and how will you recognize when you've reached your own?

Give concrete signals you would watch for and what you would do next.

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?

Help the group agree on criteria first, and invite quieter members in.

Tell me about a time in your patient care experience when you felt a patient wasn't being completely honest with you or the team. How did you handle it?

Focus on why the patient held back and how you made it safe to share.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Midwestern PA interview virtual?

At Downers Grove, yes. Glendale interviews are on campus, and PAEA lists an onsite interview as required there.

Does Midwestern PA require Casper?

Downers Grove does. It won't invite you to interview until it has your Casper result, and past applicants must retake it. Glendale lists no required test for this cycle.

When does Midwestern PA interview?

Downers Grove usually interviews from August to January. Glendale usually interviews from July to January.

How many seats does Midwestern PA have?

Downers Grove has 86 seats and gets about 2,000 applications a year. Glendale's approved maximum class is 90, and it received about 2,700 applications last year.

Does Midwestern Glendale require the GRE?

Not for the 2026-27 cycle. Glendale says applicants must take the GRE and send scores to CASPA by October 1 starting with the 2027-28 cycle.

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.

Midwestern University (Downers Grove): Physician Assistant Program admissions · read October 26, 2026
Midwestern University (Glendale): Physician Assistant Program admissions · read October 26, 2026
Midwestern University: MMS in Physician Assistant Studies, Downers Grove Campus · read October 26, 2026
Midwestern University: MMS in Physician Assistant Studies, Glendale Campus · read October 26, 2026
PAEA CASPA Program Directory: Midwestern University (Downers Grove) · read October 26, 2026
PAEA CASPA Program Directory: Midwestern University (Glendale) · read October 26, 2026
PAEA: CASPA for PA Programs (annual CASPA timeline) · read October 26, 2026