The Admissions Committee reviews applications as they are received, meaning early application is strongly encouraged. However, the program does operate under rolling admissions, so some student positions will remain available through the last interview date to allow for applications submitted up until our deadline.
The program is seeking applicants who are well prepared for the rigors of the academic curriculum and clinical training of PA school. Applications progress through the following stages of evaluation depending on the successful completion of requirements and qualifications:
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Prerequisite Review: The Program first reviews transcripts, prerequisite coursework and patient care experience to assess academic capability and to verify the successful minimum completion of our admissions requirements as outlined on the PA Program website. Updated transcripts may be requested as needed during this step.
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Alignment Review: The Admissions Committee, using the application along with the Supplemental Application, evaluates candidate alignment with program mission and goals, looking for personal and professional aspirations that can both be reasonably met at Harding University and continue to uphold the program's mission and goals.
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Holistic Review: The Admissions Committee evaluates the whole applicant with consideration of the following: overall academic performance, rigor, and timeline, including any applicable graduate, post-baccalaureate or repeated coursework that demonstrates improvement; professionalism; external circumstances as they impact academic performance, course load and timeline; personal alignment with the program mission and goals; writing content and quality; letters of recommendation; GRE test scores (if submitted by the applicant to CASPA); required and auxiliary GPAs; infractions when applicable; reapplicant status and healthcare and shadowing experiences.
While applicants may take many paths to PA school, the holistic review uses rubrics that give more weight to some factors within requirements such as GPAs, health care experience, and shadowing hours. Within these categories, science GPA is weighted higher than other GPAs, PA shadowing is preferred to non-PA shadowing, and some experience in primary care or a non-specialized field is valued. Additionally, applicants will score higher by achieving the following: fewer gaps in educational and work experience; increased shadowing and health care experience; a significant majority of coursework taken in an in-person, university setting; and success in multiple upper-level biology courses.
- Interview Review: The Admissions Committee, using a virtual interview setting, evaluates qualified applicants, looking for demonstrated professionalism through appearance and location, graduate-appropriate speech, conscientious presentation of self, adherence to provided guidelines, alignment with the program's mission and goals and discussion that allows the program to better know the applicant and understand their choice to pursue PA education at Harding University.
- Callback Review: The Admissions Committee selects qualified applicants to attend an on-campus interview, evaluating them on the following: ability to communicate effectively, demonstrated resilience to adversity, demonstrated awareness of self, cooperativeness and appropriateness of answers.
Applicants making it through the callback review will be discussed by the entire Admissions Committee, with consideration given for 1) alignment with mission and goals, including graduating from Harding University and/or residing in Arkansas, 2) fit for cohort and 3) the ability for success. Applicants displaying all three will be given a seat in the cohort or placement on the alternate list in an order influenced by both the rubric scoring and discussion.
Favorable Consideration
Harding University’s Physician Assistant Program has put into place measures necessary to bring the program’s admissions policies into compliance with the majority decision in SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC. This means the program no longer applies favorable consideration to qualified candidates who demonstrate HRSA diversity factors such as first-generation college students, economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and underrepresented gender, race, age and ethnic minorities.
While the program does not necessarily agree with the outcome of this case, we strive to remain compliant with the law. We will continue to explore efforts and ideas attempted by the industry and in education to promote racial and ethnic parity and equitable representation in an effort to better serve the diverse environments referred to in our Program’s mission; and when potentially superior means to accomplish those ends are identified, those means should also be employed, provided they are capable of passing the strict scrutiny of judicial review. We will continue to consider an applicant’s discussion of how race affected their life to further determine their alignment with the mission and goals of our program, as is permitted by SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC.
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