 Because you might be average and that's okay, but you might be above average in other areas that they're looking for. And so understanding that you may have intangibles that schools are looking for, even if you apply late in the cycle, is important to actually take into consideration. I'm doing my dance, I'm doing my dance. So if you guys have done a welcome back to my channel, for those of you who are new and know nothing about my channel, I typically create healthcare related content that is meant to educate, inform, and inspire. So take a look around, if you like what you see, go ahead and subscribe. So this video is for all of those PAs out there, those pre-PAs out there who are contemplating, like, all right, you know what, should I apply because it's late in the cycle? Like, is it worth it? Is it still worth it for me to apply to a program whose deadline is January and it's December? Now, this is the dilemma that we all have to think about when we're applying to PA school. I know I thought about it on a consistent basis because I was like, you know what? Like, I wanna make sure that this timeline that I have is on point and up to par. You know, I don't wanna be sitting up here applying, you know, September 13th and their deadline is September 28th. That just kinda, I felt like it looked poor in my part or whatever the case may be. Like, there were various different things that were going through my head and on top of that, I was also struggling with the fact like, oh, you know, I was incompetent in where my GPA was at. And so I felt like there were other factors that were playing a role in that when I first applied that allowed me to not get in the first time but this is something that we definitely only have to think about because, you know, it's important. For me, I've come up with like three things that I feel like you should always consider when thinking about applying late in the cycle. I know that I tell you guys do this all the time in terms of doing your research and apply early, early, early, early. But for some of us, that may not be possible. And it's okay. You just need to kinda take these steps beforehand. My first thing that I feel like you should do is definitely like, recollect yourself, regroup and, you know, go ahead and reassess all of the programs that you were trying to apply to and didn't get the opportunity to apply to. So, you know, some unforeseen issue may have happened. You know, maybe someone got sick and you had to like pay for, or you yourself got sick and you had to pay for like medical bills that you were gonna use to pay for your PA school, applications, whatever the case may be. Now you're in the position where I actually cannot apply to schools as early as I wanted to. Should I do this now or should I wait till the next cycle? When you're thinking about that, you really have to like hit all the points. So, you know, you talk to your, talk to, like kinda talk to yourself about it. Like you are, be one with yourself and actually like be okay with whatever decision you're about to make. And also talk to those closest to you. So your family members, your friends, those that are invested in you and in your future to see if this is the right decision for you to actually apply later on in the cycle. Like what are your chances gonna be? Use all of the tools and resources available to you to assess those programs and see where you sit and where you stand in terms of your GPA, your healthcare experience. Are you like above the mark in terms of the average student that they allow into their program or are you right there? And I mean, for me or for some others maybe being right there might not be okay, but it is okay because you might be average and that's okay, but you might be above average in other areas that they're looking for. And so understanding that you may have intangibles that schools are looking for, even if you apply late in the cycle is important to actually like take into consideration. So definitely do that. I would suggest that highly. I mean, my program, their last interview was like two months prior to the class starting. So there is opportunity there to actually get into programs later on in the CASPA cycle. You just have to find them. And so that's where you're going to like I said, regroup, reassess the schools that you were going to apply to and maybe you can apply to some of those programs anymore, but you can apply to other programs that more fit where you're at right now currently in your application. All right. And so the next thing, once you've kind of done that and just kind of like rolling on in into applying to schools that may fit where you're at in your application status, look at schools that have a rolling admissions and look at what that means. So various schools have rolling admissions, but rolling admissions is not all the same, right? And so it's important to understand like what that means for each particular program. Does that mean that you can send your application in at any point in time and you're going to be considered for the next coming cycle? Does that mean you can send your application in even after the deadline? Do they have a deadline or not? All of those things are information that you need to take into consideration, but finding programs with rolling admissions just Google it, that those programs will pop up or and you can look and see what it means. You can call the program and talk to the program, admissions counselors to see exactly what you need to do to ensure that you're making the best decision. That is something that you always have to take into consideration and you always, always, always have to speak to these programs, okay? When you are kind of like feeling like, all right, you know, I'm kind of shooting myself in the leg or I'm coming in a little bit blind or whatever analogy you wanna put with the fact that right now you're not operating up to par, you definitely wanna gather as much information as possible. And the best way to do that is by going directly to the source. So go ahead and call those programs and see, hey, in your rolling admissions, like, can I have things outstanding? Can I not? What does that mean? If I apply now, am I applying through CASPA, am I not? If I do apply through CASPA, what does that mean for my application? Is it for this cycle? Is it for the next? How long do you keep my application on file? Those are all things and information that you would want to ask and you need to know to make the best decision. And after you've done all of that, do more. So my last thing that you should absolutely do is do more research. You know, you guys hear me say this all the time, research, research, research, research up the wazoo, every program that you are going to apply to because it's very important. You want to know exactly when they allow students in, how much their perspective cohorts are. Is it increasing in the next year? Is it increasing this year? Does that mean that you have more seats? Are all of your seats full? Are you still accepting application? Those are questions that you need to ask these programs and you need to research so that you can ensure that you're not wasting $55 applying to this program just because you want to apply this particular year. But determining if it's worth it, that is only something that you can answer. And so at the end of the day, once you've done all the research, once you've reassessed and regrouped and made your timeline and you've spoken to the schools and you've done all of that, the decision ultimately lands with you on if it's worth it or not. And for some, it may not be worth it. It might be better for them to actually wait a few months and apply when CASPER reopens the following year. But for others, you may have various different times and constraints on your life with respect to family or and or extended family, immediate or extended. And with that being said, it might absolutely be worth it for you to apply now. With all that being said, I honestly hope this information that I provided you with actually helps in terms of kind of regrouping or centering your thought and your ideas on what you need to do to ensure that you're making the best informed decision for you and your family to see whether or not it's worth it. And then from that, you can make the decision on if it's worth it to you, right? Thank you guys so much for watching. If you have any other questions, please leave them in the comment section below. If you have some video idea that you may want me to answer in a question format and a video format, leave that in the comment section below as well. Subscribe, like this video and follow me on Instagram at AdanaThePA. Thank you guys. I will talk to you guys next time. Bye.