Can I get into physical therapy school?

[Julzgee]

I would like some thoughts about my chances of getting into a PT program. I feel it a long shot but here is what I offer.

Undergrad: University of Texas
Major: Kinesiology- sport management
3.5 overall GPA
3.58 prereq GPA.
GRE is rather low with verbal 400 and math 630.
Experience: is 2 years as an aide at 3 different clinics, inpatient and outpatient, acute. 1000+ hours.
Extra stuff I have been on 3 mission trips overseas and played 4 years Division 1 College soccer.

Anyways I have been offered 3 interviews so far, but don't know what that means, really. And I am nervous because I am really bad at first impressions and interview setting and afraid about blowing my chances at the interview. Any advice?
Has anyone been accepted with those stats?

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[soccer31]

your stats seem fine... I have seen people with lower GPA and GRE getting accepted...plus if you got called for interviews already that is a really good sign
As far as the interviews, if you are not comfortable than make sure you practice it... a lot of times your school will have a career center that can assist with that....

 

[xMerryx]

I think your chances are pretty good!!
But I agree just try to practice
Good luck!

 

[Akiramay]

I agree, your chances are pretty high! I say just find some practice questions online, have some questions you would like to ask the interviewers about their program specifically, and you should be fine.

 

[mcc0037]

Grab a whiskey glass, fill it with ice, and pour some Crown straight to the top. You'll be set for any interview after that.

Of course not!

I have an interview in a couple of weeks and I am relying on common sense knowledge of what I know about the PT field, my background experience working/volunteering in a PT setting, knowledge about the school's program and how their curriculum fits my interest on becoming a PT. You know they'll throw in the "strength" and "weakness" questions. You just have to answer with confidence and be precise but not beat around the bush or hesitate with questions. Its all about marketing yourself, selling the image of what that school is looking for, have questions prepared to ask in the interview, and obviously dress sharp for the occassion.

I'm sure they'll be interested in your mission trip and would like you to elaborate on your experience with that. First impressions? Come on, everyone is nervous, anxious, etc... before an interview. This is not your first rodeo. You've been in the spotlight for 4 years playing Divsion I soccer right? You're golden. No worries. These 3 interviews will be a cake walk for you as long as you are positive, confidence, and knowledgable.

 

[OChemist]

Guys, Im wondering for my friend, would she still get into PT school with a C in Eng 1 and a C in anatomy and phys?

I mean all her other classes are a B.
A- in Computers
A- in Child psy
B+ in english 2
C in anatomy

B in pre calc
B in psy
C in english
B in biology 1

 

[PTtoBe]

Guys, Im wondering for my friend, would she still get into PT school with a C in Eng 1 and a C in anatomy and phys?

I mean all her other classes are a B.
A- in Computers
A- in Child psy
B+ in english 2
C in anatomy

B in pre calc
B in psy
C in english
B in biology 1

I would re-take Anatomy & Phys, since that's probably considered the most important course by most PT schools. I don't think the English would matter as much.

 

[Bweiss321]

Hey So I joined this thread to see if anyone has advice they can offer. Any would help. Here's my situation.

I'm 23 years old, and graduated Hofstra U. with a Bachelors in Marketing then later decided to change into physical therapy. Since I was a business major I now need to take all the science pre-reqs. My GPA was a low 2.8 in undergrad since had no real interest so I realize that my sciences need to be high. I started taking pre-reqs at Touro College in NY and am nearly done with the fall semester. Im taking Bio II, Chem I, Physics I, and Pre-Calc right now and should have A's in all of them. The problem is my last final isn't until Jan 15th, 2010! I dont want to apply to schools before I get grades for at least these couple classes.

From the spring-Summer I, I still need A&P I and II, Physics II, Chem II and Statistics. After Spring, only A&P II will need to be done in Summer.


My GRE score is 480 Verbal, and 630 Math with 4.0 Writing.

Basically I'm looking for any information or direction on which schools to apply to given my situation. More importantly is When to apply. I want to get into sports related pt so maybe there are schools better suited for that?

Thanks to whoever can help...

BW

 

[johncronejr]

I would like some thoughts about my chances of getting into a PT program. I feel it a long shot but here is what I offer.

Undergrad: University of Texas
Major: Kinesiology- sport management
3.5 overall GPA
3.58 prereq GPA.
GRE is rather low with verbal 400 and math 630.
Experience: is 2 years as an aide at 3 different clinics, inpatient and outpatient, acute. 1000+ hours.
Extra stuff I have been on 3 mission trips overseas and played 4 years Division 1 College soccer.

Anyways I have been offered 3 interviews so far, but don't know what that means, really. And I am nervous because I am really bad at first impressions and interview setting and afraid about blowing my chances at the interview. Any advice?
Has anyone been accepted with those stats?

Your stats look great to me. As far as the interview goes, just relax and visit with them. Don't view it as a "do or die" moment. There are plenty of schools that you could get in to with your stats.

What schools have you applied to?

 

[AZ123]

Hey Everyone,

I am in the process of a career change to physical therapy. I graduated a few years ago and worked in a business firm then decided to go back to school for something i have always enjoyed, Physical Therapy. I have a 3.3 overall GPA and in the process of taking all the science pre-reqs. Science was never my strongest point but so far it is alright. (maintaining a B-B+ average Chem1,Physics1, A+P1). As you can see i have a long way to go still but I haven't taken the GRE's yet but could anyone tell me if having a B+ average in all science pre-reqs and overall GPA gives me a good chance of getting into a DPT program.
I already have done 150 hours of volunteer and planning on doing more (about 270hrs and up with 3 more locations to look for).
I am from the New York area. Any schools that i have a good shot of getting in around NY?

If anyone could give me some advice that would be great. Thanks.

 

[Kyra4dpt]

[QUOTE/] I am in the process of a career change to physical therapy.... Do I have a shot of getting in around NY? [/QUOTE]

Just make sure you get B- or better in your sciences and a solid GRE (1000 combined) and you should be more than fine! Some schools want around a 500 verbal in the NYC area, FYI, so aim for that. Make sure you get solid letters of recommendations. Then you're golden. Schools like career changers, BTW.

 

[AZ123]

Thanks for your quick response Kyra4dpt.

Do you mind if i ask you what was your overall GPA and Science GPA?
What school are you in now and what schools did you apply to?

Thanks again!

 

[hugs]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a Nursing Student, will graduate with my BSN in May 2012, but want to apply for Physical Therapy...I've always had an interest in physical therapy, but the chem courses have intimidated me. I also decided to pursue a BSN in case I don't get into Physical Therapy school the first time around..I also have a bachelor's in Information Technology Management but have been unsuccessful on obtaining a job in that field..and I also have 6 years prior active duty service in the army..I plan on taking the GRE in May 2011, and start applying for Physical Therapy schools in June 2011...and I plan to have over 100 hours shadowing a Physical Therapist by that time frame....extracurricular will be Race for the Cure, 40 hours volunteering with the Student Nurse Association (will have alot more than that, by the time Physical Therapy school will start donated blood with the Red cross...and I'm also thinking about volunteering with the Red Cross.
After browsing the site for a bit, there are over 30 schools on my list, and was hoping someone could give me insight on which schools to apply to where I have a reasonable shot on getting in, my stats aren't very good...I'm not sure how they will look at the bachelors degree, I had a 3.5 G.P.A with the first one, but they were based on quarter hours and I expect to finish the BSN between a 3.2-3.5 G.P.A...also my Nursing Program requires that we participate in Community Based Volunteering so can I include those experiences in my extracurricular section..
I expect my pre-req's to be between 2.9-3.3, they vary by school and there are some I haven't taken yet and hoping to get A's in, but don't know if I'll be able to at this point..also I was curious my goal on the GRE is a 1100 or better, so I was curious would a score like that outweigh the low GPA's? Would like to shorten my list of schools, but don't know which ones I have a realistic shot at...any help would be appreciated, this is the list I have so far, oh also I am 31 years old so would like a school that is more apt to enroll older students..

Baylor (this is my number one choice, I want to commission after I complete my studies)

UNT

Texas Tech

AT Still in Arizona

Idaho State

University of North Dakota

Armstrong Alantic

Touro

UW

UNLV

Boston University

MGH

Loma Linda

FIU

University of Montana

University of Colorado

Regis University

University of Puget Sound

George Washington

Mary Mount

Shennodoah

Stoney Brook

UF

Des Moines

Bellarmine

St. Augustine

Western University

Chapman

Thomas Jefferson

Pacific

Temple

Arcadia

Sorry for the long list, would like to shorten to about 8 or less, I'm also a Texas resident...please let me know if there are schools I haven't considered where I'd have a reasonable shot

 

[Tiger324]

I was wondering what you pople thought about my chances of getting in.
Overall GPA: 3.47
Science GPA: 3.5
Pre Req GPA for most schools: 3.54
GRE: 920 (retaking in October)

I am applying to: Hardin Simmons, Texas Tech, North Texas, Arkansas State, Louisiana State University, UT Southwestern.

Any ideas on my chances of getting in?

 

[benchmadebali]

to the OP: prepare yourself for the interviews and you'll do great!

Type up some note/questions and go over their program website/description for some talking point ideas.

Be sure to mention Vision 2020 and your career goals as a PT, interviewers love it when you come prepared with questions to ask them!

If you walk out of an interview feeling like you did well, you likely did.

 

[dazzledpetsy]

I would re-take Anatomy & Phys, since that's probably considered the most important course by most PT schools. I don't think the English would matter as much.

I would also suggest retaking A&P. It looks good when you retake a course in which you did poorly or would like to improve your score. You could also mention what you learned from retaking it, such as how you've improved your study habits or how you wanted to really learn how human anatomy and physiology worked.

I got a C in O-Chem the first time I took it. It counted towards my second semester (I took accelerated gen chem which was only a semester), and I repeated it this summer and got a solid A in both I and II because I didn't like seeing those C's on my transcript. The moral of my story is that you're not alone, but if you can improve your grades, it shows the committees that you're willing to work hard and that you made a more positive change somewhere.

 

[RizDPT]

Important Statistics:

-Cumulative GPA : 3.21
-GPA for Last 60 Hrs. : 3.43
-Prerequisite GPA: 3.13
-GRE Score: 1030 (630 Math 400 Verbal, Writing Score: 5)

Volunteer/Paid Experience:

-400 hours of volunteer/shadowing PT's (inpatient, outpatient, private practice)
-Recently hired as a Rehab Aide
-worked as a Fitness Attendant; have current CPR/First Aid Certification


Extracurriculars:
-President of School's Pre-Physical Therapy Club
-Member of the school Rugby Club
-Involved in various Community Outreach Programs

Research:
-Research on People with Disabilties


I am looking to apply to PT school as soon as this summer. Can anyone list a few schools where I can get in with my stats please?
(And please don't tell me to raise my standands because I have heard that enough)


Thank You!

 

[aggiecjg11]

Honestly, I have almost the same stats as you, little higher in some areas and little lower in others, and I got into two schools. Apply wisely and apply to enough schools to increase your odds, and you should be fine. It's hard to say where to apply if I don't know where you're looking to go, though. What state are you in right now? Do you want to stay there?

 

[ptresearcher]

As the above poster indicates, you need to accept the fact that you are going to need to apply to more schools than the average applicant, and PTCAS indicates that the average applicant applies to about 8 programs (PTCAS and non-PTCAS schools). Also, note that APTA indicates that the average GPA of accepted students to public PT programs is 3.6, but only 3.4 to private programs. I recommend that you apply to a few public programs, especially in-state as they probably will be much cheaper, but your odds are better with private. Also consider schools with lower 3 year exam pass rates (say low to mid 90% range), as these schools tend to be less competitive. Another option is to consider schools that have new programs that are not yet accredited, as these programs cannot receive accreditation until just before their inaugural class graduates. Many people are scared off by the potential of spending money for a program that may never receive accreditation, but many of these programs have "teach out" clauses with accredited programs so it may not be as risky as it appears. There are about a dozen of these schools that you can find on the APTA site. Finally, I don't have any hard data to support this but it appears to me that schools in less desirable locations, like cold areas in the upper midwest and schools in smaller rural areas, appear to have higher acceptance rates based on what I've seen on this website. After giving you all of these suggestions, here are a few schools that appear to accept students with less than average GPAS: U of St. Augustine, Long Island U, AT Still, Touro, Southwest Baptist, Franklin Pierce. I'm sure that others on this forum can give you additional suggestions. There are plenty of people that have GPA's lower than yours on this website that have been admitted. Good luck!

 

[RizDPT]

Honestly, I have almost the same stats as you, little higher in some areas and little lower in others, and I got into two schools. Apply wisely and apply to enough schools to increase your odds, and you should be fine. It's hard to say where to apply if I don't know where you're looking to go, though. What state are you in right now? Do you want to stay there?

I am open to applying anywhere in the continental U.S. at this point lol. I am currently in Illinois but the schools out here seem more competitive than some of those outside the state. I have accepted that I will most likely have to leave the state of Illinois to get into a DPT program.

 

[RizDPT]

As the above poster indicates, you need to accept the fact that you are going to need to apply to more schools than the average applicant, and PTCAS indicates that the average applicant applies to about 8 programs (PTCAS and non-PTCAS schools). Also, note that APTA indicates that the average GPA of accepted students to public PT programs is 3.6, but only 3.4 to private programs. I recommend that you apply to a few public programs, especially in-state as they probably will be much cheaper, but your odds are better with private. Also consider schools with lower 3 year exam pass rates (say low to mid 90% range), as these schools tend to be less competitive. Another option is to consider schools that have new programs that are not yet accredited, as these programs cannot receive accreditation until just before their inaugural class graduates. Many people are scared off by the potential of spending money for a program that may never receive accreditation, but many of these programs have "teach out" clauses with accredited programs so it may not be as risky as it appears. There are about a dozen of these schools that you can find on the APTA site. Finally, I don't have any hard data to support this but it appears to me that schools in less desirable locations, like cold areas in the upper midwest and schools in smaller rural areas, appear to have higher acceptance rates based on what I've seen on this website. After giving you all of these suggestions, here are a few schools that appear to accept students with less than average GPAS: U of St. Augustine, Long Island U, AT Still, Touro, Southwest Baptist, Franklin Pierce. I'm sure that others on this forum can give you additional suggestions. There are plenty of people that have GPA's lower than yours on this website that have been admitted. Good luck!

Univ. of St. St. Augustine is not an option for me (not that I am in position to be picky) because the tuition is WAY too steep for my pockets. I like some of the other schools you've listed though. I had them on my watch-list as well. Any information on Texas PT schools as far as admission standards? The tuition is more than fair over there, even for out-of-state residents.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Almost]

Riz,

I applied to 3 schools in TX, UTSA, TWU, and UTSW, as well as 8 others in other states, some private and expensive, some public and cheaper. I was realistic with my choices, and didn't apply anywhere too highly ranked. To give you a frame of reference, my GPA was 3.15. Prereq was 3.40. GRE was 1250. Over 500 hours as a part time tech in a hospital and volunteer at a school. I at least got an interview invite from every school I applied, except the ones in Texas. Granted, I applied to the ones in more desirable cities. There are plenty of programs, I stuck the ones that are near metropolitan areas (I left out UTMB in Galveston, 1+hours from Houston.) The application pool at the schools in TX definitely are stiff competition because the kids there know it's a good deal, and the schools obviously bias there admissions that way. I don't mean to dissuade you from applying, because it is definitely worth a shot. But I would suggest picking safer, less sought after choices as well.

Ultimately, your GPA is only one part of your profile. The schools that I want to go to will definitely consider me as an individual, in my entirety, and not just numbers on a page. If you know how to market your strengths, your GPA won't be an issue.

Good luck.

 

[aggiecjg11]

Lol Almost I'm from Texas and I can assure you the competition here is FIERCE! I applied to all but one school here and only got an interview at 2. But I did get one at Shenandoah in Virginia too

 

[Wil26]

I'm 26 years old and have a bachelors degree in business administration. I graduated in dec 2009, held a few jobs and soon realized that I could not find a decent paying job with only a business degree. I've been interested in physical therapy for a while and decided to go back to school for PT. I'm currently taking my pre reqs at Mississippi State University. So far Ive done ok..Chem I I had a C, Physics I had a B and Anatomy I had a C. I feel like I could have done much better but had a lot of worries related to finances. I'm on my own as far as finances go and really struggled making ends meet..I moved to another city so that I could take my classes at a 4 year college and incurred a lot of expenses that I didn't previously have. My financial aid ran short about 3/4 through the semester and i had to reach out and find a part time job(20-25hrs a week). Long story short--the transition wasn't easy but I did all I could with what I had. After this semester my GPA will be a 3.25 overall. I took the GRE last semester and scored a 296...147 verbal 149 quantitative and 3.5 in writing. I'm observing now and only have 12 hours so far but I expect to have 80ish by the end of the fall semester. I am going to apply programs that begin in 2013...if you have any advice I would appreciate it very much.

 

[Wil26]

I'm 26 years old and have a bachelors degree in business administration. I graduated in dec 2009, held a few jobs and soon realized that I could not find a decent paying job with only a business degree. I've been interested in physical therapy for a while and decided to go back to school for PT. I'm currently taking my pre reqs at Mississippi State University. So far Ive done ok..Chem I I had a C, Physics I had a B and Anatomy I had a C. I feel like I could have done much better but had a lot of worries related to finances. I'm on my own as far as finances go and really struggled making ends meet..I moved to another city so that I could take my classes at a 4 year college and incurred a lot of expenses that I didn't previously have. My financial aid ran short about 3/4 through the semester and i had to reach out and find a part time job(20-25hrs a week). Long story short--the transition wasn't easy but I did all I could with what I had. After this semester my GPA will be a 3.25 overall. I took the GRE last semester and scored a 296...147 verbal 149 quantitative and 3.5 in writing. I'm observing now and only have 12 hours so far but I expect to have 80ish by the end of the fall semester. I am going to apply programs that begin in 2013...if you have any advice I would appreciate it very much.

 

[RunnerGirl30]

I would suggest saving some money and taking the remainder of your prereq's at a community college. Most colleges don't frown upon that, and would rather see more A's and B's from a CC than C's from a 4 yr university. Also, schools really look at anatomy grades since you will use that information in almost all of your classes once you start your program, so they want to make sure you have a decent foundation going on.