Admission Requirements
Mary Lou Cornwall Hawkes '65 and James B. Hawkes Physician Assistant Program
The Cornwall Hawkes PA Program is designed to embody the diverse culture at Agnes Scott College and educate students to provide patient-centered healthcare. Committed to educating compassionate leaders to serve local communities, Agnes Scott College’s Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will train students to practice evidence-based medicine through a rigorous, cohort-based 24-month curriculum.
The Cornwall Hawkes PA program seeks to admit students who complete a competitive application, demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and community service. No GRE required.
- Early application submission is highly encouraged.
- Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis.
2027 Admission Requirements
The following relate to admission requirements for applicants interested in applying to begin the Cornwall Hawkes PA program October 2027. These requirements are subject to change for students preparing to begin their studies in future years.
Applications to begin your studies in the Cornwall Hawkes PA program in fall 2027 are now being accepted through CASPA.
Residency Requirement
Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. legal permanent resident to qualify for admission to the program.
Prior Education Requirement (A3.12b)
The completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university is required to enroll in the program.
If a baccalaureate degree is obtained from an institution outside of the United States, then applicants must complete at least one year (30 semester hours) of additional undergraduate or graduate course work at a regionally accredited U.S. institution prior to application.
Advanced Placement (A3.12c)
The Cornwall Hawkes PA Program does not award or grant advanced placement.- Courses for which credit was awarded by examination, such as AP courses, are not accepted toward any of the prerequisite courses.
- Advanced placement, IB, or transfer credit from previous coursework will not be accepted toward this program's degree requirements.
Prerequisite Course Requirements (A3.12b)
The following courses must be completed within the last ten years from the first day of classes.
- Human Anatomy and Physiology w/ laboratory (2 courses)
- General Biology w/ laboratory (2 courses)
- General Chemistry w/ laboratory (2 courses)
- Organic Chemistry w/ laboratory (1 course)
- Additional chemistry or biochemistry (1 course)
- Statistics or biostatistics (1 course)
- Recommended, not required: Microbiology
Prerequisite courses must meet the following requirements for consideration:
- Applicants may apply with no more than ONE outstanding prerequisite course. Exceptions to this requirement include currently enrolled Agnes Scott students applying as part of an Agnes Scott linkage program. See section below for “Admissions and Enrollment practices favoring specified individuals or groups” for more information.
- All prerequisite courses must be completed by August 15, 2027 for admitted applicants to matriculate into this program. All prerequisite courses must be completed with grades of “C” or better (not C minus). Classes completed as “pass/fail” will not be considered.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will accept online lab courses completed between Spring 2020 through Fall 2021. Prior to these dates and beginning Spring 2022, all lab courses must have been completed in-person.
Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements (A3.12b)
- 3.0 minimum cumulative overall grade point average - AND - 3.0 minimum BCP grade point average.
- Cumulative overall GPA and BCP GPA are calculated based on all undergraduate and graduate coursework completed from all post-secondary institutions, whether or not a degree was received from a given institution as verified and calculated by CASPA.
- GPAs are calculated and verified by CASPA, as noted on their website.
Work Experience Recommendations (A3.12d)
- Prior work experience (e.g. patient contact hours, paid vs volunteer requirements) is not required for admission. Although not required for admission, more competitive applicants will meet the recommended minimum of 1,000 hours of direct “hands-on” patient care experience, completed as either paid or volunteer experience.
- Experiences considered do not include observation or shadowing, non-clinical research experience, CPR or ACLS instructor, student intern hours, patient transporter, pharmaceutical or medical device representatives, lifeguard, medical secretary, insurance secretary, medical clerical positions, aerobics or yoga instructors, or personal trainers.
Required Admission Materials:
- The 2027-28 application is now open and will close on March 1, 2027.
- Submit a complete CASPA application and all required materials directly to CASPA, and pay the CASPA application fee for the 2027 cohort.
- Once submitted, applicants will not be able to make changes to their application.
- Applications must be complete and verified by CASPA by the deadline.
- We recommend applicants submit their materials and application to CASPA 2 - 4 weeks prior to the March 1, 2027 deadline.
- A review of an application will occur only after the following has been submitted and received by CASPA: application payment fee, all transcripts submitted to CASPA, and three evaluation letters.
- The application must have a verified status in CASPA by the March 1, 2027 deadline. This means that the application fee has been paid, all transcripts received by CASPA, all GPAs have been calculated by CASPA, and at least two letters of recommendation have been received.
- Incomplete files will not be reviewed by the Admission Committee. It takes up to 4 weeks for applications to be processed and verified by CASPA.
- See section below for Application Deadlines and Review Process.
- Completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university is required to enroll in the program.
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended, whether you completed a degree at that institution or not, must be submitted directly to CASPA. See the CASPA site for details.
- Official transcripts MUST be sent to CASPA. Transcripts sent to Agnes Scott College for the application review will delay your application from being verified by CASPA and considered complete.
TRANSCRIPTS FROM INSTITUTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.:
- If transcripts are from a non-U.S. institution, an official Evaluation of Foreign Credentials is required along with copies of transcripts.
- All applicants that attended a non-U.S. institution must be able to document their degree as being equivalent to that of a four-year bachelor’s degree awarded by an accredited United States college or university. Applicants must have their foreign credentials evaluated by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (naces.org).
- The evaluation must include: course by course description, documenting equivalence to a regionally accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree (or the number of years toward completion and grade point average).
- If a baccalaureate degree is obtained from an institution outside of the U.S., then applicants must complete at least one year (30 semester hours) of additional undergraduate or graduate course work at a regionally accredited U.S. institution prior to application.
As part of the CASPA application requirement, within the “Supporting Information” section, applicants are required to submit a brief personal statement.
This brief statement should express your motivation or desire to become a physician assistant. Keep your statement general, as it is shared with all programs you apply to. Statements cannot exceed 5,000 characters.
In addition to completing the CASPA Essay/Personal Statement in the "Supporting Information" section of the CASPA application, applicants need to submit a separate Personal Statement specific to Agnes Scott College, as follows:
- Within the “Program Materials” section, select “Documents” and “Personal Statement” to enter the Agnes Scott Specific Personal Statement.
- Use this as an opportunity to explain why you are interested in Agnes Scott’s Cornwall Hawkes PA program, why Agnes Scott should admit you, and provide an explanation for any gaps or dips in your academic credentials.
- Include a response to the following, providing real-world examples to support your response:
- What unique skills or attributes do you possess that will contribute to you becoming a collaborative, socially responsible Physician Assistant?
- Why are you interested in Agnes Scott’s Cornwall Hawkes PA program?
- Maximum of 1,000 characters.
- Letters must be current and no older than one year old at the time of submission.
- Academic or professional recommendations are allowed.
- Recommendations from family members or friends will not be accepted.
- Academic recommendations from a former professor or an academic advisor are encouraged. If you have been out of school for more than two years, a professional recommendation can be substituted.
- One letter of the three required letters should be from a healthcare professional (i.e., practicing PA, physician, nurse practitioner, healthcare supervisor) who can attest to your suitability for your career as a PA.
Application Deadlines and Review Process:
The 2027 CASPA application is planned to open in September 2026. The Admission Committee employs a holistic approach and a strong preference to those who align with our mission.
- Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, so early application submission is encouraged for this competitive program. All application materials, including transcripts, must be submitted directly to CASPA.
- Applications and application materials will only be considered once submitted, completed and verified through CASPA.
- Qualified candidates may be invited for an interview.
- Admitted students are required to submit a $500 non-refundable enrollment deposit and undergo and pass a criminal background check* to fully enroll.
- *Admitted applicants will be responsible for the cost of the criminal background check. Certiphi is the official background service for the Cornwall Hawkes PA program application review process. Upon submission of the $500 enrollment deposit, admitted PA students will receive a link to initiate the Certiphi background check screening process and must successfully pass the Certiphi screening to be enrolled. Background checks that include non-pass or pending records are considered a non-pass and will result in a rescission of admission.
The final deadline for complete and verified applications is March 1, 2027.
- Deadline definition: Complete & Verified - the application has been submitted, payment, all transcripts, and three evaluation letters have been received by CASPA, and the application has a verified status, meaning all GPAs have been calculated by CASPA by the deadline above.
Application Review Process
The Cornwall Hawkes PA Program employs a holistic approach during its rolling admissions process. Applicants are evaluated on how their attributes and life experiences align to the program’s mission and values.
Applications and application materials will only be considered once submitted, completed and verified through the CASPA application. Once an application is verified by CASPA, we follow a multi-step application review process:
- First, the admission team determines that minimum requirements are met by the applicant, followed by scoring of applicants utilizing a Likert scale rubric.
- After complete and verified applications have been reviewed by the Admission Committee, selected candidates will be invited for a personal interview, with interviews being held from November 2026 through March 2027.
- Due to the competitive nature of the Cornwall Hawkes PA Program, not all candidates will be offered an interview or admission into the program. Candidates who are offered an interview will be invited to campus.
- PA faculty conduct a second and third read of the applicant.
- The interview day process consists of: introduction/orientation; group interview; team activity; campus tour; lunch; writing sample; and one-on-one interview. Interview day evaluators include faculty, admission staff and community physician assistants.
- The Cornwall Hawkes PA Program team then meets to review each applicant and determine a final decision of admit, waitlist, or deny.
- Matriculation Requirements for Admitted Applicants:
- Final, official transcripts showing degree conferral
- Enrollment Deposit: $500
- CPR Requirement: Prior to matriculation, students must hold current certification in American Heart Association Basic Life Support (AHA BLS). The deadline to show completion is August 15, 2027. Students must maintain continuous certification throughout the program.
- Background Check: Certiphi is the official background service for the Cornwall Hawkes PA program application review process. Upon submission of the $500 enrollment deposit, admitted PA students will receive a link to initiate the Certiphi background check screening process and must successfully pass the Certiphi screening to be enrolled. Background checks that include non-pass or pending records are considered a non-pass and will result in a rescission of admission.
- Matriculation Requirements for Admitted Applicants:
Admissions and Enrollment practices favoring specified individuals or groups (A3.12a)
The following preferences are in keeping with the mission and values of the Cornwall Hawkes PA Program. Meeting any/all of the preferences does not guarantee an invitation for an interview or acceptance to the program.
Agnes Scott College’s Cornwall Hawkes PA Program gives special admission preference to applicants with higher GPAs in the admission review process.
Agnes Scott College’s Cornwall Hawkes PA Program gives special admissions preference to applicants who meet the recommended minimum of 1,000 hours of direct “hands-on” patient care experience, completed as either paid or volunteer experience.
The Cornwall Hawkes PA program has linkages with all Post-Baccalaureate and Medical Sciences master's programs offered by Agnes Scott College. All students who are currently enrolled in one of these programs or within six months of graduation, and meet the following qualifications will be guaranteed an interview for admission consideration. Applicants to this linkage are not guaranteed direct admission:
- Completed, verified CASPA application submitted by application deadline
- Official transcripts from Agnes Scott showing a minimum of one semester of post-bacc or master’s coursework
- Students who apply as part of the linkage may have outstanding prerequisites by time of application, to be completed prior to matriculation at Agnes Scott
- Incoming GPAs (prior to matriculation into a participating ASC program): 3.0 minimum BCP and 3.0 minimum cumulative overall GPA
- Agnes Scott program GPA of 3.75 or higher
- Remain in good overall standing at Agnes Scott College and complete degree requirements for certificate or master’s, including remaining requirements for the Cornwall Hawkes PA Program
- Meet all other Cornwall Hawkes PA Program admission requirements
- Currently enrolled in or recently matriculated (within 6-months of application submission) in a participating program at Agnes Scott College
Wait List
Some applicants may be offered the option to be on a waitlist. As places in the program become available, students on the waitlist may be offered a place in the program. Once the program is full and the cohort has matriculated, we will communicate this with students on the waitlist. Students on the waitlist that are not offered admission will need to reapply for admission the following academic year.