What’s new.Product updates, data notes, and improvements for applicants using CRI during the cycle.
Aug202628 updates
CASAA GPA Calculator
UpdateLatest
CASAA asks you to check your own GPA before raising a verification dispute, and the only tool they offer for it is an Excel file you have to download. That calculator now lives on the site. Enter your coursework by school and term and you get your cumulative GPA, the same grade values and quarter-to-semester conversion CASAA publishes, and a breakdown by school, term, and course subject. It is free, it works without an account, and your coursework stays in your browser.
01
What it covers
Everything the CASAA spreadsheet does, plus a few things it does not:
Letter, 0.0-4.0, and percentage grades, on both the US and Canadian scales
Quarter hours converted to semester hours at CASAA's published ratio
GPA by school, by term, by school and term, and by course subject category
Non-graded credits left out of the totals, and a grade of WF counted as an F
CSV download and a print view you can attach to a GPA inquiry
Tag your courses with their CASAA course subjects and you also get a science GPA. Those two numbers are exactly what the CRI Calculator asks for, so one button carries them across. This tool follows the method CASAA publishes; it is not affiliated with CASAA, AAAEP, or Liaison International, and it does not replace official verification.
Aug2026
CRI Plus is now available
Notice
We built the CAA Readiness Index to make CAA admissions less of a guessing game. Running it costs money, so we are adding a paid plan: CRI Plus. Calculating your CRI score is still free, along with key program resources, collaboration resources, and anything you already saved. CRI Plus adds the full analytics, unlimited saved scenarios, comparisons, and planning tools. If you signed up early, you get founder pricing, and it is applied for you at checkout.
01
Why we're doing this
Paying the bills is what lets us keep the data current and keep building. At checkout you can also opt in to have us send 5% of what your subscription earns us, after payment processing, to the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants' (AAAA) Legislative Fund, which fights for CAAs and the future of the field. Your price is the same either way, and you can switch it on or off any time in Account Settings. The money comes out of our share, not yours, so it is our contribution and not a donation from you. That also means it is not tax-deductible. CRI is not affiliated with or endorsed by the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants.
02
What stays free
These stay free for everyone:
Unlimited CRI calculations
One saved CRI result at a time
Application Tracker, to log every program you applied to
Open Programs, CAA Program List, and Program Map
All collaboration resources
Discord Post Generator
A preview of CRI Plus analytics
03
CRI Plus
CRI Plus adds more context and more planning tools for the application cycle:
Unlimited saved results and scenarios, with stacked comparison view
Full analytics: Accepted Analytics, Program Analytics, and Rejection Analytics
Plus tools: Program Matcher, Prereq Filter, Head to Head, Interview Timeline, Hours Tracker, and Cycle Tracker
Anything you saved before CRI Plus launched is still there. You can keep looking at it or delete it, whichever you prefer. Going forward, free accounts keep one saved CRI result at a time, and saving new programs and prereqs is part of CRI Plus. CRI Plus also gives you unlimited saved results and scenarios.
05
Founder pricing for early users
Some tools that used to be free, including the Cycle Tracker, Hours Tracker, Program Matcher, and the analytics pages, are now part of CRI Plus. If you made your account before September 1, 2026, you get founder pricing as a thank-you for being here early. When your account qualifies, the founder rate shows up on the plan cards and is applied for you at checkout.
Accepted Analytics now includes CASAA verification timing, based on the CASAA Application Verification Date reported by accepted applicants. Under Response Time, a new Time to verification measure shows how long accepted applicants waited from submitting their CASAA application to when it was verified, in the wait-time distribution, by application cycle, and by the month they submitted. A Median Time to CASAA Verification figure also appears in the Application Pipeline timing summary. Waits are shown in days when applicants reported exact dates, and in whole months otherwise. Like the rest of the page, this describes accepted applicants only and is not a measure of how any factor affects admission.
01
Time to verification in Response Time
Response Time now includes a Time to verification measure covering the wait from submitting the CASAA application to CASAA verification. You can see the spread of wait times, how the typical wait shifts by the month applicants submitted, and how it has changed across application cycles. Waits appear in days when exact dates were reported and in whole months otherwise, and months or cycles with too few applicants are hidden.
The Application Pipeline timing summary now shows a Median Time to CASAA Verification figure, the typical number of days from CASAA submission to verification among accepted applicants who reported both exact dates.
GRE Writing scores in the CRI Calculator and Accepted Analytics
Analytics
Two related updates are now live: GRE Writing score entry in the CRI Calculator, and accepted-applicant GRE Writing data in Accepted Analytics.
01
GRE Writing in the CRI Calculator
The GRE section scores option now includes a Writing field. If you know your Analytical Writing score, you can add it alongside your Quantitative and Verbal scores. Writing is kept as section-level context with your result and does not change your CRI score, which is still based on your total GRE. If you only know your total, or you skip Writing, the calculator works exactly as before.
Accepted Analytics now includes accepted-applicant GRE Writing data where enough Writing scores were reported. In Academic Profile, the GRE ranges and trends can now switch between Total GRE, Quantitative, Verbal, and Writing, and program spotlights show the average Writing score when that data exists. As always, these are accepted-applicant benchmarks only, not a prediction of admission odds.
New GRE section score tools and saved result comparison
Tool
Three related updates are now live: GRE section score entry in the CRI Calculator, accepted-applicant GRE section score data in Accepted Analytics, and Compare Saved Results.
01
GRE section scores in the CRI Calculator
The GRE path now includes an "I know my section scores" option. If you know your Quantitative and Verbal scores, you can enter them directly and the calculator will use their total while keeping the section-level context with your result. If you only know your total GRE score, the calculator still works the same way.
Accepted Analytics now shows GRE section score data
Accepted Analytics now includes accepted-applicant GRE Quantitative and Verbal data where enough section scores were reported. In Academic Profile, GRE ranges and trends can switch between Total GRE, Quantitative, and Verbal, and program spotlights show section averages when that data exists. As always, these are accepted-applicant benchmarks only, not a prediction of admission odds.
Saved Results now lets you compare two of your saved CRI results side by side. Pick one saved result, choose another, and the comparison view keeps the same results sections synced across both panes so you can see what changed across GPA, test score, percentiles, warnings, and GRE section details when available.
New Features: Head to Head and Rejection Analytics
Analytics
Two new analytics tools are live. Head to Head lets you pick two CAA programs with shared applicant data and see which one accepted applicants chose when they held offers from both, plus the typical accepted-applicant profile for each program. Rejection Analytics looks at accepted applicants who were rejected by specific programs, showing what their cGPA, sGPA, and GRE profiles looked like and how those rejected profiles compare with applicants accepted at that program. Both tools are based on community-submitted accepted-applicant data, so use them as planning context, not as a prediction of your chances or an official program statistic. Find Head to Head under Tools and Rejection Analytics under Analytics in the navbar.
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Head to Head
Head to Head lets you pick two CAA programs with shared applicant data and see which one accepted applicants chose when they held offers from both, plus the typical accepted-applicant profile for each program. It is meant to give planning context around program choice patterns, not to rank programs for every applicant.
Rejection Analytics looks at accepted applicants who were rejected by specific programs, showing what their cGPA, sGPA, and GRE profiles looked like and how those rejected profiles compare with applicants accepted at that program. It describes accepted applicants only, so use it as context rather than a prediction of your chances or an official program statistic.
Program timelines now include every accepted applicant who was invited to or interviewed at a program, not just the ones who enrolled there, so the By Program, By Cycle, and By Submission Month views draw on larger, more representative groups. Waits are shown in days when applicants reported exact dates, and in whole months otherwise. Like the rest of the page, this describes accepted applicants only and is not a measure of how any factor affects admission.
Jul2026
Application Tracker: Exact Submission Dates
Tool
The Application Tracker now lets you add the exact day you submitted, not just the month. It is optional, and you can set it both when you add a program and when you edit one. When you provide a day, the “time since you applied” counter and the projected timing count from your real submission date instead of the start of the month, and the day appears next to Submitted, in your milestone history, and under Applied on the timeline. If you leave it off, everything works as before and counts from the start of your submission month. The timeline’s program and profile comparisons now also include every accepted applicant who interviewed at a program, not only those who enrolled there, so the group you are compared against is larger and more representative. As always, this timing is general context to help you plan, describes accepted applicants only, and is not a prediction or a measure of how any factor affects admission.
01
Exact submission dates
The Application Tracker now lets you add the exact day you submitted, not just the month. It is optional, and you can set it both when you add a program and when you edit one. When you provide a day, the time since you applied counter and projected timing count from your real submission date instead of the start of the month, and the day appears next to Submitted, in your milestone history, and under Applied on the timeline. If you leave it off, everything works as before.
The timeline's program and profile comparisons now include every accepted applicant who interviewed at a program, not only those who enrolled there, so the group you are compared against is larger and more representative. As always, this timing is general context to help you plan, describes accepted applicants only, and is not a prediction or a measure of how any factor affects admission.
The new Application Tracker lets you record each CAA program you applied to, including your submission month, your current status, and the month that status arrived, and then see where you stand against the timing past applicants reported. While you are waiting to hear back, the Application Timeline shows how long accepted applicants to that program typically waited between applying and interviewing, with a “You are here” marker for where you fall in that window. You can optionally turn on Use my CRI profile to add a second comparison against accepted applicants who had similar grades and test scores. Once you record an interview invite or a waitlist, the timeline switches to show when applicants reported their next result, whether acceptance, waitlist, or rejection, and a milestone history is saved for each application. You can add multiple schools at once, then edit or remove any application from My Submissions. Your notes stay private to your account and are never shared. Your other application details, such as the program, status, response method, and timing, are added anonymously to the live community trends in the Cycle Tracker, with nothing that identifies you. The timing shown is general context to help you plan, not a prediction or your chance of an interview, and like the rest of the site it describes accepted applicants only and is not a measure of how any factor affects admission. Find it under Tools in the navbar.
Jun2026
New Tool: Program Map
Tool
The new Program Map shows every CAA program on an interactive 3D terrain map. You can switch between Terrain, Satellite, and Streets views, click markers to see program details, and jump from any marker into the CAA Program List for the full program profile. Use Find My Location to see nearby programs and distance from you. Find it under Resources in the navbar.
Jun2026
Healthcare vs Non-Healthcare Experience Hours
Update
Work experience hours are now broken down into healthcare and non-healthcare experience across the site. On the Accepted Analytics page (Applicant Background → Experience), the Work card in Hours by Experience Category has arrows to switch between total Work, Healthcare Experience, and Non-Healthcare Experience hours, each with its own average, median, and distribution. On your CRI Results page (Experience Snapshot → Applicant Experience Benchmarks), the Work benchmark pages through the same three views, including the accepted-applicant average and median near your CRI score for each. And in the Hours Tracker, the Work benchmark card pages through Work, Healthcare, and Non-Healthcare so you can see how your logged healthcare and non-healthcare hours each compare to accepted applicants. Healthcare and Non-Healthcare are reported subsets of total work experience and may not sum to the Work total (some applicants report total hours without splitting them, and a blank means “not reported,” not zero. As always, the accepted-applicant figures describe accepted applicants only and are not a measure of how any factor affects admission).
01
Accepted Analytics
On Accepted Analytics, Applicant Background then Experience now lets the Work card switch between total Work, Healthcare Experience, and Non-Healthcare Experience hours. Each view has its own average, median, and distribution.
On your CRI Results page, Experience Snapshot then Applicant Experience Benchmarks now pages through Work, Healthcare, and Non-Healthcare, including accepted-applicant average and median near your CRI score for each view.
In the Hours Tracker, the Work benchmark card also pages through Work, Healthcare, and Non-Healthcare, so your logged healthcare and non-healthcare hours can each be compared with accepted-applicant benchmarks. Reported subsets may not sum to total Work because some applicants reported total hours without splitting them.
The Accepted Analytics page now includes a Response Time view under Admissions Timeline → Response Time. It breaks down how long accepted applicants waited at each stage of the cycle across three measures: Time to interview (from applying to the program to interviewing), Time to decision (from interviewing to receiving the acceptance), and Total response time (from applying to receiving the acceptance). You can see the distribution of wait times, how they shift by submission month, and how they compare program by program. Like the rest of the page, this describes accepted applicants only and is not a measure of how any factor affects admission.
Jun2026
Accepted Analytics: Test Type Mix by Cycle
Analytics
The Accepted Analytics page now includes a Test Type Mix by Cycle chart under Academic Profile → Trends. It shows the share of accepted applicants who submitted each test (MCAT vs GRE) in each application cycle, drawn as a 100%-stacked view so every year is comparable regardless of how many applicants that cycle had. A summary line reports the period covered, the average split across all cycles, and which test led most recently. Like the other year-by-year trends, cycles with too few reported test scores are hidden. As always, this describes accepted applicants only and is not a measure of how any factor affects admission.
Jun2026
New Tool: Hours Tracker
Tool
The new Hours Tracker lets you log your experience hours by category and compare them against accepted CAA applicants. Your entries roll up into the three benchmark categories (Shadowing, Work, and Volunteering) each shown with your total, an accepted-applicant distribution curve marking where you stand, and the accepted average, median, and typical range. Log a single day, a past experience over a date range, or an ongoing experience whose hours you update over time. You can filter and sort your entries, export them to CSV, and clear them all at once. Your entries are private to your account. Find it under Tools in the navbar.
Jun2026
Updated Prereq Filter: Smarter Course Matching
Improvement
The Prereq Filter has been rebuilt to make course matching more accurate and easier to complete. My Courses now uses a question-based form with follow-up questions only when a program-specific detail could affect your results. It also accounts for more accepted alternatives, including AP credit, alternative writing and calculus coursework, combined Anatomy & Physiology pathways, and other program-specific substitutions. Questions that are no longer relevant disappear automatically, while program matches update alongside your answers. Previously saved prerequisite snapshots remain available, but older snapshots will show a refresh notice so you can re-run the filter using the updated rules.
Jun2026
Accepted Analytics: Experience Combinations
Analytics
The Accepted Analytics page now includes an Experience Combinations table under Applicant Background → Experience. It groups accepted applicants by which experience types they have on record (shadowing, work, and volunteering), so you can see, for example, how many got in with shadowing and volunteering but no work on record, alongside each group’s average cGPA, sGPA, and test scores. An experience counts as “on record” when an applicant reported hours for it, or (when the hours were left blank) when it was confirmed in the Volunteering or Employment records. Work covers any work experience, whether a healthcare or non-healthcare role. Like the rest of the page, this describes accepted applicants only and is not a measure of how much any factor affects admission.
May2026
Accepted Analytics: Year-by-Year Trend Views
Analytics
The Accepted Analytics page includes three new year-by-year trend views. In Application Pipeline → Timing, a new Peak Submission Month chart shows the most common CASAA submission month each cycle, making it easy to see at a glance whether accepted applicants are submitting earlier than in previous years. Applicant Background now has a Trends tab with two togglable panels: Demographic Trends (reapplicant, nontraditional, research, and minority percentages by cycle) and Experience Hours Trends (average shadowing, work, and volunteering hours by cycle). Every tab across all three sections also now carries a one-line subtitle describing what question that view answers, to help orient new users.
01
Peak Submission Month
In Application Pipeline then Timing, the Peak Submission Month chart shows the most common CASAA submission month each cycle, making it easier to see whether accepted applicants are submitting earlier than in previous years.
Applicant Background now has a Trends tab with a Demographic Trends panel for reapplicant, nontraditional, research, and minority percentages by cycle.
The same Trends tab also includes Experience Hours Trends, showing average shadowing, work, and volunteering hours by cycle. Related tabs now carry one-line subtitles that describe what question each view answers.
The Accepted Analytics page includes several new views. Under Applicant Background, a new Major tab shows how accepted applicants split across declared undergraduate majors, with a per-major academic profile table, and a new Experience tab breaks down clinical, shadowing, volunteering, research, and work hours. Under Academic Profile, the new GPA Band Analysis tab shows how score and acceptance profiles vary across GPA bands. The Application Pipeline section has been expanded into three tabs: Timing (monthly CASAA submission patterns), Schools (program-level acceptance volume and concentration), and Pathways (an origin-to-program matrix that maps home state or undergrad institution to the CAA programs accepted applicants ended up at). Post-Bacc GPA and Casper averages are also now shown in the headline metrics when reported.
01
Major and Experience
Under Applicant Background, the Major tab shows how accepted applicants split across declared undergraduate majors with a per-major academic profile table. The Experience tab breaks down clinical, shadowing, volunteering, research, and work hours.
Under Academic Profile, GPA Band Analysis shows how score and acceptance profiles vary across GPA bands, giving more context than a single overall average.
Application Pipeline expanded into Timing, Schools, and Pathways views. Pathways maps home state or undergrad institution to the CAA programs accepted applicants ended up at. Post-Bacc GPA and Casper averages are also shown in headline metrics when reported.
New: Employment, Residence & Undergraduate University Analytics
Analytics
The Accepted Analytics page now includes three new tabs under Applicant Background. The Employment tab breaks down the work experience mix, showing what share of accepted applicants had healthcare roles, non-healthcare roles, or both, along with the most common specific roles. The Residence tab shows a histogram of which states accepted applicants came from. The Undergraduate University tab shows the undergraduate institutions most represented among accepted applicants.
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Employment
The Employment tab breaks down the work experience mix, showing what share of accepted applicants had healthcare roles, non-healthcare roles, or both, along with the most common specific roles.
The Accepted Analytics page now includes a Distribution Grid, a heatmap showing how accepted applicants cluster across GPA and test score combinations. Find your GPA row and look across it to see where accepted applicants with your GPA tended to score. Toggle between cGPA/sGPA and MCAT/GRE. If you've submitted a CRI score, your cell is highlighted directly in the grid.
Apr2026
New Collaboration: Anesthesia Insights
Collaboration
We’ve partnered with Alexis, the creator behind Anesthesia Insights and a nurse with a critical care background who shares guidance on the AA career path through YouTube and Instagram. Check out her videos and bio on the new Anesthesia Insights page under Collaborations in the navbar.
Apr2026
New Collaboration: Pre-AA Pathways
Collaboration
We’ve partnered with Tiffany and Adrienne, co-hosts of Pre-AA Pathways, a podcast and community resource for pre-AA candidates covering everything from building clinical hours to navigating the application process. Check out their episodes and bio on the new Pre-AA Pathways page under Collaborations in the navbar.
Mar2026
New Feature: Prereq Filter
Update
Compare prerequisite requirements across CAA programs side-by-side, or select your completed courses to instantly see which programs you qualify for and which courses you’re still missing. Find it under Tools in the navbar.
Mar2026
New Collaboration: Jesse Hayward
Collaboration
We’ve partnered with Jesse Hayward, a first-year Student Anesthesiologist Assistant in Colorado, who shares insights about the AA profession on his YouTube channel. Check out his videos and bio on the new Jesse Hayward page under Collaborations in the navbar.
Mar2026
Enhanced CRI Results Page
Improvement
Your results page now includes three new sections: a Percentile Goal Planner (drag a slider to see what cGPA, sGPA, and test scores you’d need to hit target percentiles), Program-level Context (see how many programs you meet the accepted-applicant average for in each metric, with an expandable list of matching programs), and Historical Context (sparkline charts showing how accepted averages have shifted over the years with automated trajectory projections showing whether you’re ahead or short of where averages are headed).
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Percentile Goal Planner
The Percentile Goal Planner lets you drag a slider to see what cGPA, sGPA, and test scores you would need to hit target percentiles.
Program-level Context shows how many programs you meet the accepted-applicant average for in each metric, with an expandable list of matching programs.
Historical Context adds sparkline charts showing how accepted averages have shifted over the years, with automated trajectory projections showing whether you are ahead of or short of where averages are headed.
The CAA Program List has been fully integrated into our platform, allowing easy access to program data and analytics.
Mar2026
Cycle Tracker
Tool
Track CAA program applications in real time! Submit your school responses, status updates, and notes, then explore live aggregated data from all applicants on the dashboard.
Feb2026
Program-Specific Trends Added
Update
You can now explore the latest metric trends for each program, based on accepted‑applicant submitted data! Available under Program Analytics.