CAA ADMISSIONS GUIDE
CAA Application Timeline & CASAA Deadlines: 2026–2027
Applying to CAA school involves more than opening CASAA and filling out an application. Prerequisites, standardized testing, shadowing, evaluations, transcripts, your personal statement, Program Materials, and interviews all have their own timelines.
Starting early gives you time to build a stronger application instead of trying to complete everything immediately before a deadline.
If you're earlier in the process, start with How to Become a CAA for the full education and certification pathway.
This guide walks through the CAA application process from early preparation through CASAA submission, verification, interviews, and final cycle deadlines.
Last reviewed: October 2026
2026–2027 CASAA Application Dates
The 2026–2027 CASAA cycle opened on March 10, 2026 and closes on February 26, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET.
That closing date is the end of the overall CASAA cycle—not necessarily the deadline for the CAA programs you want to attend. Each participating program determines its own application deadline, and those deadlines may be much earlier.
| CASAA Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026–2027 CASAA cycle opens | March 10, 2026 |
| CASAA application cycle closes | February 26, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET |
| Final date transcripts and official test scores can be matched | March 2, 2027 at 5:00 PM ET |
| Final date evaluators can submit evaluations | March 2, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET |
| Final date to re-submit an Undelivered application | March 3, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET |
| Final CASAA verification deadline | March 4, 2027 at 5:00 PM ET |
Do not use February 26 as your personal application deadline. Your school list—not the CASAA closing date—should determine your timeline.
CAA Application Timeline at a Glance
| When | What to Focus On |
|---|---|
| 12+ Months Before Applying | Research CAA programs, map prerequisite courses, evaluate your GPA, begin or continue anesthesia shadowing, and determine whether your target programs require the GRE or MCAT. |
| 6–12 Months Before Applying | Complete remaining prerequisites when possible, take or retake standardized testing, continue shadowing and clinical experiences, narrow your school list, and begin identifying potential evaluators. |
| 3–6 Months Before CASAA Opens | Begin your personal statement, organize your experiences and activities, confirm evaluator participation, review transcripts, and research program-specific requirements. |
| When CASAA Opens | Create your application, add programs, request official transcripts and evaluations, enter coursework and experiences, finalize your essay, and complete each school's Program Materials. |
| Before Submission | Proofread every section, verify prerequisite matching, review school-specific instructions, confirm test-score requirements, and make sure the application presents a consistent story. |
| After Submission | Monitor transcripts, evaluations, application status, verification, supplemental requirements, emails from programs, and interview invitations. |
| Interview Season | Review your submitted application, research each school, practice behavioral and Why CAA questions, and prepare for program-specific interview formats. |
12+ Months Before Applying: Build the Foundation
The strongest time to identify an application problem is before CASAA opens.
Start by researching the programs you may want to attend and comparing their prerequisite coursework, GPA expectations, standardized testing policies, shadowing requirements, and other admissions criteria.
This gives you time to complete missing courses, retake a prerequisite if appropriate, schedule the GRE or MCAT, and obtain meaningful anesthesia exposure without rushing.
Start with the CAA Program Guide to compare schools and locations.
Use the CAA School Prerequisites Guide to review common coursework requirements and prerequisite differences.
If testing affects your school list, review the CAA GRE & MCAT Requirements Guide.
6–12 Months Before Applying: Build CAA Exposure
Applicants should understand the profession before attempting to explain why they want to become a CAA.
Anesthesia shadowing can help you understand the daily responsibilities of anesthesia providers, the physician-led anesthesia care team, communication in the operating room, patient interaction, and the realities of the profession.
Avoid waiting until the final weeks before submission to search for your first shadowing opportunity. Availability may depend on hospital policies, geographic location, and the ability to identify a willing anesthesia professional.
Review current program examples and documentation expectations in the CAA Shadowing Requirements Guide.
3–6 Months Before CASAA Opens: Prepare the Parts You Can Control
You do not need to wait for CASAA to open before preparing your application strategy.
Use this period to identify potential evaluators, organize your academic and experience history, review your transcripts for accuracy, and begin developing your personal statement.
CASAA itself recommends researching programs, contacting potential evaluators, obtaining transcripts for coursework entry, and beginning the essay before the application process starts.
Your personal statement should explain your motivation for healthcare and the CAA profession while connecting your background and experiences to your career goals.
When CASAA Opens: Start the Application Early
Once the cycle opens, begin the application even if you do not plan to submit immediately.
Add the programs you are considering, review their current deadlines and Program Materials, enter your colleges and coursework, request official transcripts, send evaluation requests, complete your experiences, and finalize your essay.
Reviewing Program Materials early is especially important because individual schools may have additional questions, prerequisite-matching requirements, documents, or supplemental instructions beyond the common CASAA sections.
For a step-by-step explanation of CASAA itself, see the CASAA Application Guide.
When Should You Submit Your CAA Application?
There is no single submission date that is ideal for every applicant.
A good goal is to submit as early as you can submit a strong, accurate, complete application for the programs on your list.
Earlier is not automatically better if rushing causes weak writing, incorrect coursework entry, missing requirements, or an application that does not represent you well. But unnecessary delays can also matter because program deadlines vary and some programs may fill seats before their published deadline.
CASAA specifically advises applicants to apply early and notes that some programs may fill their classes before the posted deadline even when they do not explicitly describe themselves as rolling admissions.
Your earliest program deadline should drive your timeline—not the February CASAA closing date.
How Far Before a Deadline Should You Submit CASAA?
CASAA's own suggested timeline gives applicants significantly more buffer than simply submitting on the deadline.
Liaison recommends requesting official transcripts approximately 10–12 weeks before a program deadline, submitting the application approximately 6–8 weeks before the deadline, and continuing to monitor the application until it reaches Verified status. Liaison
Those timeframes are not guarantees or universal admissions rules. They are processing buffers designed to leave time for transcripts, evaluations, coursework entry, verification, and possible corrections.
Can You Submit CASAA Before Your Transcripts or Evaluations Arrive?
Yes. CASAA allows applicants to submit before transcripts, evaluations, or official test scores have been received. Liaison
However, submitting is not the same as having a completed and verified application.
In general, CASAA needs your required materials—including official transcripts and at least three completed evaluations—before your application can move into the verification queue. Individual programs may also require additional materials before they consider your application complete. Liaison
You do not need to delay submitting solely because a transcript, evaluation, or official test score is still processing. However, always confirm your individual programs' deadline and completion requirements, and monitor outstanding materials carefully after submission.
What Happens After You Submit?
After submission, monitor your CASAA dashboard rather than assuming the application process is finished.
Your application may move through statuses including Received, Completed, and Verified. A Completed application has the required CASAA materials and is in line for verification. Liaison
CASAA verification checks coursework, standardizes course classifications and grades, confirms degree information when applicable, and calculates CASAA GPAs. Verification can take up to 10 business days once the application is ready for that process. Liaison
If CASAA identifies a significant error, the application may be returned as Undelivered for correction.
Submitting your application is a milestone—not the end of your application responsibilities.
What If You Are Still Taking Classes After You Apply?
Applicants sometimes submit while prerequisite or other coursework is still in progress.
CASAA's Academic Update process allows eligible applicants to update planned or in-progress U.S. and English-Canadian coursework after it has been completed.
For the 2026–2027 cycle, the Academic Update window runs from December 14, 2026 through February 12, 2027. To be eligible, you must have at least one program in Verified status by February 12, 2027.
After submitting an Academic Update, updated official transcripts must be sent to CASAA according to its Academic Update instructions.
Whether a particular CAA program allows unfinished prerequisites—and when those courses must be completed—is determined by the individual program.
After Submission: Start Preparing for Interviews
Do not wait for an interview invitation before thinking about how you will discuss your application.
Review the personal statement, experiences, shadowing, academic history, and program-specific material you submitted. Interviewers may ask about any part of your application.
You should also be able to explain why you want to become a CAA, what you learned from anesthesia exposure, how you respond to challenges and feedback, and why the specific program is a good fit.
Common CAA Application Timeline Mistakes
Treating the CASAA closing date as the application deadline. Individual schools set their own deadlines.
Waiting until CASAA opens to research programs. Program requirements should influence your preparation months earlier.
Taking the GRE or MCAT too late. Leave time for score release and a possible retake if testing is required for your school list.
Waiting until the last minute to find shadowing. Access can take time to arrange.
Asking evaluators too late. Give recommenders adequate time and confirm that they actually submit.
Requesting transcripts immediately before the deadline. Transcript processing and posting take time.
Submitting early but carelessly. An inaccurate or poorly reviewed application is not improved simply because it was submitted quickly.
Ignoring Program Materials. A common CASAA application does not mean every school's requirements are identical.
Stopping after submission. Continue monitoring your CASAA status, program communications, supplemental requirements, and interview invitations.
Build Your CAA School List Before Setting Your Timeline
Your application timeline should be built backward from the programs you actually intend to apply to.
Before choosing a submission target, identify each school's deadline, prerequisite requirements, testing policy, shadowing expectations, supplemental requirements, and any unfinished coursework you still need to complete.
A realistic timeline for one applicant may be unnecessarily early—or dangerously late—for another.
Continue Planning Your CAA Application
Build Your CAA Application Plan
The free CAA Application Starter Kit includes an application timeline, readiness scorecard, Program Comparison Worksheet, personal statement self-check, interview readiness checklist, pre-submission checklist, and final application review.
Use it to organize your application before deadlines begin stacking up.