Behind the Choice: Ella Hasson

College: DeSales University

Major: Accelerated Physician’s Assistant Master’s Program

Sport: Track and Field

Why did you pick your major?

I picked my major because I know that not only do I want to help people, but I want a personalized connection with my patients. Physician’s Assistants are able to have close connections with their patients because they do not have as many patients as other doctors, even though they can do almost everything a doctor can.

What are your future plans for after college: After college, I plan to become a licensed Physician’s Assistant for a private practice.

What was your college process like?

I visited a bunch of colleges but I only actually applied to two. I visited Ithaca College, Muhlenberg College, Arcadia University, DeSales University, of which my father and my aunt are both alumni, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Gwynedd Mercy University. I only applied to DeSales University and Rochester Institute of Technology, to which I was accepted to both. While I didn’t have to wait long to hear of my acceptance to DeSales University, my application to the competitive Physician’s Assistant Program was stressful. Admission to the program is partly based on an interview with a staff member. I was required to create a resume and be prepared to discuss my experience as well as the reasons why I felt I should be chosen for the program. After my interview, I felt confident that I would be one of the 50 of about 350 applicants to be accepted into the program, so I was devastated to find out that I was placed on the waitlist. Before my interview, my admissions counselor informed me that it is very rare that an applicant is chosen from the waitlist for acceptance into the program.

However, I knew that DeSales was still my dream school. Not only does it offer the personalized experience of a small college, but every student and staff member that I met during campus visits [was] extremely kind and genuinely excited to welcome me. In addition, their Division III athletic program offers me the chance to pursue my track and field career, which was an important factor in my college decision. Luckily, before I changed my major to biology and fully committed to DeSales University, I was informed that I was chosen from the waitlist for acceptance into the Physician’s Assistant Program, which was completely unexpected but so exciting. The person that I was most excited to tell about this accomplishment was my aunt. She is a successful Physician’s Assistant who not only completed graduate school through DeSales University’s Physician’s Assistant Program years ago, but also allowed me to shadow her to gain experience and guided me through my application process. With the relief of being accepted into the program that I worked hard to get into, I was able to relax and begin preparing for college! I have already found amazing roommates and met with the track and field coach, team members, and other recruits several times. With their friendly welcomes and genuine desire to get to know me, I am further reminded that DeSales is the college for me! I am super excited for the next five years at DeSales University, where I will study to become a successful Physician’s Assistant and continue my track and field career!