Seton Hall PA Program Interview: Format, Dates and Who Gets In
What is known about the Seton Hall PA interview, how you get one, and how offers are decided.
Seton Hall invites every applicant it is considering for admission to campus for an interview. The interview assesses your knowledge of the PA profession, your motivation to become a PA, and your communication and interpersonal skills. Seton Hall does not publish the format or length. Interviewed candidates can hear as early as two weeks later.
Key facts (2027 entry)
- Format
- Seton Hall does not publish the format, the length or who interviews you.
- Online or in person
- In person. Candidates are invited to campus.
- What is assessed
- Your knowledge of the PA profession, your motivation for becoming a PA, and your communication and interpersonal skills.
- How to apply
- Through Seton Hall's own application portal, not CASPA, from June 1 to December 1. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
- Seats
- 60 per cohort. About 27 are expected to go to Seton Hall dual-degree students in the fall 2027 cohort.
- Tests
- The GRE is required for everyone, taken within the past five years, and is never waived.
- Decision
- As early as two weeks after the interview, in writing or by email. There is a wait list.
What is known about the interview
Seton Hall's pages say what the interview assesses but not how it runs. They don't give the format, length, number of interviewers or the schedule.
- On campus. All candidates being considered for admission are invited to campus to interview.
- Knowledge of the profession. What a PA does and how the role works. The application's first essay also asks you to describe the role of a PA.
- Motivation. Why you want to become a PA, which is also an essay question.
- Communication. Your communication and interpersonal skills.
Your essays are your script. The interview checks the same things your essays covered. Reread them before you go and be ready to go deeper on each.
How offers are decided
The Admissions Committee decides and notifies every candidate in writing or by email.
- Two weeks at the earliest. Interviewed candidates can hear as soon as two weeks after the interview.
- A $500 deposit. Non-refundable and applied to tuition, due by the date on your acceptance letter. If you don't respond in time, the seat goes to the next person on the ranked list.
- A wait list. Students can be admitted from the wait list until the semester begins.
- Fewer open seats. About 27 of the 60 seats are expected to go to dual-degree students in fall 2027.
- No state preference. Seton Hall is private and does not consider your state of residence.
How you get an interview
Seton Hall first checks that you meet its academic minimums. Then the admissions committee weighs your academics and personal attributes. Meeting the minimums does not guarantee an invitation.
- GPA of 3.2 or more. Both cumulative and in your prerequisite courses.
- 100 hours of health care. Paid or volunteer. Priority goes to experience where you had direct patient care responsibility.
- The GRE. No strict cutoff, but most competitive applicants score at or above the 50th percentile in each section. Seton Hall uses your highest score in each section.
- Three letters. From people who can speak to your academics and character, ideally instructors and clinical supervisors. One from a health care professional is preferred. Family letters are not accepted.
Personal attributes the committee weighs
- Leadership ability.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Commitment to serving the community or underserved populations.
- Awareness of health disparities and experience working with diverse populations.
The application essays
For August 2027 entry, you answer up to six questions in no more than half a page each, and you attest that you didn't use AI to write them.
- Describe the role of a PA.
- Why do you want to become a PA?
- What attributes help you work with patients from diverse backgrounds?
- If you applied before, what have you done to improve your application? Questions also cover any earlier PA program and anything else the committee should know.
Dates and other details
You upload your prerequisite, essay and health care experience forms to the Seton Hall portal, under School of Health and Medical Sciences, M.S. in Physician Assistant.
Dates for 2027 entry
- June 1, 2026. Applications open.
- December 1, 2026. Deadline.
- Late August 2027. The program starts.
The program
A three-year, 96-credit, full-time Master of Science taught at the Interprofessional Health Sciences campus. The program says it is rooted in the Catholic tradition and prepares primary care providers who promote health equity.
How to prepare
Because Seton Hall names what it assesses, build your practice around those three things.
- Explain the PA role in a minute. Cover what PAs do, how they work with physicians, and what you saw while shadowing or working.
- Make your why specific. Tie your motivation to a real patient or moment, not a general wish to help people.
- Bring service stories. Seton Hall weighs service to underserved communities and awareness of health disparities. Have one clear example of each.
- Practice out loud. Communication is assessed directly. Record yourself and cut filler and long pauses.
Apply early. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and dual-degree students fill many seats.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a On-campus interview station, written for applicants to Seton Hall University, Master of Science in Physician Assistant. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
PAs are trained as generalists and can move between specialties during their career, while physicians usually commit to one specialty through residency. Why does that flexibility matter to you specifically?
Make it personal, and show you know what lateral mobility really means day to day.
Tell me about a time you witnessed or were part of an ethical dilemma during your healthcare experience. What made it difficult, and how was it resolved?
Pick a real dilemma with two good values in conflict, and say what you learned.
You're a PA student on rotation, and a patient asks you what you think their rash is. You're fairly sure it's eczema, but you haven't discussed it with your preceptor yet. How do you answer?
Be honest with the patient without getting ahead of your preceptor.
You are a PA. A close friend visiting from out of town forgot their asthma inhaler and asks you to quickly call in a refill so they don't have to go to urgent care. Respond to your friend.
Stay kind but firm, explain the boundary, and help them get care the right way.
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.
Pick one specific moment and say what it taught you about the PA role.
You are a PA. A senior nurse just yelled at you in the hallway because you forgot to sign a required form, which delayed a patient's transfer. Approach the nurse and resolve the conflict.
Own your part first, then agree on how to stop it happening again.
Frequently asked questions
Does Seton Hall PA interview every applicant?
It invites every applicant it is considering for admission to campus. Meeting the minimum standards does not guarantee an invitation.
Is the Seton Hall PA interview an MMI?
Seton Hall does not publish its interview format. It says the interview assesses your knowledge of the PA profession, your motivation and your communication and interpersonal skills.
Does Seton Hall PA use CASPA?
No. You apply through Seton Hall's own online application between June 1 and December 1 and upload its prerequisite, essay and health care experience forms.
Does Seton Hall PA require the GRE?
Yes, for every applicant, taken within the past five years. There is no strict cutoff, but most competitive applicants score at or above the 50th percentile in each section.
How soon does Seton Hall send PA decisions?
Interviewed candidates can hear as early as two weeks after the interview. Accepted students hold their seat with a $500 deposit.
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.
- Seton Hall University: Physician Assistant Admission Requirements · read October 25, 2026
- Seton Hall University: Physician Assistant Frequently Asked Questions · read October 25, 2026
- Seton Hall PA Program Application Essay Questions for Matriculation in August 2027 (PDF) · read October 25, 2026
- Seton Hall University: M.S. in Physician Assistant · read October 25, 2026
- Seton Hall University: Physician Assistant Program Details · read October 25, 2026