Low Science GPA, Considering Options Outside of DPT, Thoughts?

[ESCap2511]

I realize the whole "I have a low science gpa, am I going to get in?!" topic has been brought up a million times on SDN, but I think that my goals and aspirations might make my situation a little bit different. So basically my situation is that I just graduated from West Chester University with a degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in Pre-Physical Therapy. I started out as an Athletic Training major and just didn't go into my early general science classes with the mindset that they would play a critical role in the development of my future plans. I simply had to get C's or above and I would be just fine in my pursuit to become a certified athletic trainer. I did a 400 hour clinical rotation working as a student AT at a local high school, and soon realized it was not the career for me. Halfway through my junior year I changed my major to Pre-Physical therapy and soon realized that I would need to start retaking science classes that I had average grades in, on top of having to complete an entirely new major. Needless to say it has been quite a journey, but I am still determined to achieve of my goal of becoming a PT. I am currently retaking both anatomy (I and II) courses at a community college, and am hoping that if I get A's in both my application might look strong enough to earn at least one acceptance. My cumulative GPA is 3.3 and my science gpa will hover somewhere around a 2.8-3.0 if I get A's in both Anatomy classes. I know my gpa stats look low, but it is very hard to explain to any admissions office that I've completed almost 2 entire majors in 5 years, and have taken many many advanced classes (pathology I, pathology II, Surface Anatomy, Injury Management, Therapeutic Modalities, Therapeutic Exercise etc.) that most other undergrads never had to take. I'm very realistic about the fact that no DPT program is actually going to care about the amount of extra classes and clinical hours that I've completed, despite being very relevant to PT. Due to time constraints and unfinished classes, I was only able to apply to 3 schools last summer and was rejected by all 3. My dilemma lies in the fact that I feel my chances are still low going into my second try at applying. My gpa simply is not all that competitive, and I have C's in chem 1 and 2. The high probability of getting rejected the second time around has made me consider alternative, yet relevant courses of action. Temple University offers a Masters in Neuromotor Science which is right up my alley, but I think it would only set me up for a career in research. However, if I were to pursue this Masters program, revisiting the idea of DPT again in the future certainly would not be out of the question, and I think a Masters would look great on my application. I have also done some research and have a great deal of interest in some of the Masters of Public Health degrees that are available. I feel very discouraged about the fact that I have a great deal of clinical experience (athletic training clinical rotation, PT internship with Penn Medicine, working at a hospital for over a year), but none of that means anything without a better science and overall gpa...where's the justice? I was just wondering if anyone else is having a similar experience, and/or if anyone had any insight on whether or not pursuing a relevant Masters degree before revisiting DPT would be a decent idea?

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[slow_twitch]

I agree I thought my athletic training experience would give me a leg up considering others may not have that same experience but many who graduate in other majors find ways to get involved in their own ways so I discovered it didnt make as big of a difference as I originally thought. I am a certified athletic trainer who originally thought that was the path I wanted so I did a graduate assistantship while earning my masters degree as well. Well after those couple of years I decided I wanted to go back for PT and I also needed to take some more pre-reqs to apply. I thought having my masters and being certified would be enough once I finished the remaining pre-reqs but my first year I didn't get in. I admit though the first year applying I only really looked at schools in my state and was trying to stay close. Options opened up the second year for my situation once I got over my attitude of "I am an athletic trainer with experience" and spent some good time researching schools and going back and making my application stronger in all areas other than trying to highlight my previous healthcare experience. You do have some other experience I didn't have until my second year of applying with the hospital work so that helps.

Ultimately the masters looked good but I don't feel helped me get in but like I said I only applied to three state schools which were competitive as most in-state schools are tougher. What I feel though helped me the most this year was retaking my pre-reqs from early on when I was an AT major and erasing my C's (I had 2 C's). Also working in the hospital I feel helped because it showed I was willing to work as an AT while doing hospital aide work on the weekends which I think helped show determination, but you do have hospital experience already so that is nice.

Your masters ideas though could be good because it could potentially open up other options if PT does not work out but don't do the masters to just purely raise GPA and then apply after you are done. Pick one you could see a career in. I know our situations are a bit different as you are applying before the masters and I didn't apply till after but hopefully what I wrote helps.

 

[starrsgirl]

Do a search in these forums for masters degree information, it has been well discussed. The general consensus is that having a masters degree does NOT help you at all for DPT admissions (ok, helps you very very little). The only thing it possibly does is bring up your cumulative GPA...but yours is already OK. Your pre req GPA sounds low so retaking those classes is the most efficient way to improve your application. A masters degree is costly and does not fix your science GPA. (I got a masters degree in Kinesiology and it didn't help me at all. The classes did not count as science classes either as they weren't through a biology department or physics department. I finally got in when I went back to community college and retook all my pre reqs and got As in everything).

 

[ptisfun2]

Do a search in these forums for masters degree information, it has been well discussed. The general consensus is that having a masters degree does NOT help you at all for DPT admissions (ok, helps you very very little). The only thing it possibly does is bring up your cumulative GPA...but yours is already OK. Your pre req GPA sounds low so retaking those classes is the most efficient way to improve your application. A masters degree is costly and does not fix your science GPA. (I got a masters degree in Kinesiology and it didn't help me at all. The classes did not count as science classes either as they weren't through a biology department or physics department. I finally got in when I went back to community college and retook all my pre reqs and got As in everything).

We give extra 'points' with admissions for a Masters degree. We do not care what it is in for the extra points. It will not make up for low GPA or GRE but if you are equal to another student without a grad degree it will help ( it is about 7% of all points for us). Call schools you are interested in. The school will tell you admission 'scoring' and how applicants are selected. I assume. We do. It is a transparent process for us.

 

[yodelingyorkies]

We give extra 'points' with admissions for a Masters degree. We do not care what it is in for the extra points. It will not make up for low GPA or GRE but if you are equal to another student without a grad degree it will help ( it is about 7% of all points for us). Call schools you are interested in. The school will tell you admission 'scoring' and how applicants are selected. I assume. We do. It is a transparent process for us.

Unfortunately, that is not the case at all schools! I've only had an admissions meeting with one school so far, but I was explicitly told they don't release their scoring "formula" (OSU). Basically they tell you what sorts of things they look at, but not how many points they are worth. Other schools list this information on their websites, which is nice.

 

[futuredpt-prof]

Hi! Re-applicant here! I was actually in the same position two years ago. Coming out of undergrad, I spent 2 years as a pre-med with surgery experience before I realized it wasn't the field for me. I tried to turn everything around the summer before my senior year to try to get into a DPT program after I fell in love with PT. Obviously, I wasn't ready and got rejected by every school. So, I went on and pursued my other passion: education. I'm finishing up my Master's in Medical Education at a prestigious medical school and have since become a healthcare education specialist. During grad school, I also focused on re-taking pre-req science classes, which is something you might have to consider (Darn those chemistry classes!) I'm applying again this summer with a much more competitive GPA and even more experience than before. Many admissions counselers have remarked that my Master's has set me up for a lot of great opportunities: research, GA positions, etc. with various DPT programs, so I'd say it was worth it! Bottom line: Go for something you're passionate about, and if you truly think PT is for you, you'll make it happen. Good luck!

I realize the whole "I have a low science gpa, am I going to get in?!" topic has been brought up a million times on SDN, but I think that my goals and aspirations might make my situation a little bit different. So basically my situation is that I just graduated from West Chester University with a degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in Pre-Physical Therapy. I started out as an Athletic Training major and just didn't go into my early general science classes with the mindset that they would play a critical role in the development of my future plans. I simply had to get C's or above and I would be just fine in my pursuit to become a certified athletic trainer. I did a 400 hour clinical rotation working as a student AT at a local high school, and soon realized it was not the career for me. Halfway through my junior year I changed my major to Pre-Physical therapy and soon realized that I would need to start retaking science classes that I had average grades in, on top of having to complete an entirely new major. Needless to say it has been quite a journey, but I am still determined to achieve of my goal of becoming a PT. I am currently retaking both anatomy (I and II) courses at a community college, and am hoping that if I get A's in both my application might look strong enough to earn at least one acceptance. My cumulative GPA is 3.3 and my science gpa will hover somewhere around a 2.8-3.0 if I get A's in both Anatomy classes. I know my gpa stats look low, but it is very hard to explain to any admissions office that I've completed almost 2 entire majors in 5 years, and have taken many many advanced classes (pathology I, pathology II, Surface Anatomy, Injury Management, Therapeutic Modalities, Therapeutic Exercise etc.) that most other undergrads never had to take. I'm very realistic about the fact that no DPT program is actually going to care about the amount of extra classes and clinical hours that I've completed, despite being very relevant to PT. Due to time constraints and unfinished classes, I was only able to apply to 3 schools last summer and was rejected by all 3. My dilemma lies in the fact that I feel my chances are still low going into my second try at applying. My gpa simply is not all that competitive, and I have C's in chem 1 and 2. The high probability of getting rejected the second time around has made me consider alternative, yet relevant courses of action. Temple University offers a Masters in Neuromotor Science which is right up my alley, but I think it would only set me up for a career in research. However, if I were to pursue this Masters program, revisiting the idea of DPT again in the future certainly would not be out of the question, and I think a Masters would look great on my application. I have also done some research and have a great deal of interest in some of the Masters of Public Health degrees that are available. I feel very discouraged about the fact that I have a great deal of clinical experience (athletic training clinical rotation, PT internship with Penn Medicine, working at a hospital for over a year), but none of that means anything without a better science and overall gpa...where's the justice? I was just wondering if anyone else is having a similar experience, and/or if anyone had any insight on whether or not pursuing a relevant Masters degree before revisiting DPT would be a decent idea?

 

[FitPanda]

Follow your dream. If you want to go to PT school, go to PT school. Even if you decide you need to get a master's on the way.
What you have at your advantage is that you are young... I'm assuming you're 23 ish? So you will have a lot more time to pay that debt off.

 

[chris93]

Hey Everyone!

I'm in a similar predicament where I have a low GPA. I applied for the very first time to PT schools this past cycle for classes beginning in 2018 and was rejected from 8 and my application is on hold for 1 (Campbell University, whose classes start in 2019), pending that I send in my transcript by the end of this year for classes they want me to retake. I am already familiar my GPA is not the strongest (which I will not post because it is low enough) but I figured I should at least try applying once to be familiar with the process and just to see if I get in a school with how my current application looks (by some miracle).


Long story short, overall my grades in undergraduate aren’t stellar because I was immature and didn’t value my education as much as I should have. That is obviously biting me in the butt, so comments about how I should have done better are not what I’m looking for (hindsight is 20/20 after all). What I am looking for is advice on my plan so I can be considered competitive when I do reapply, if my plan is practical, and if there is anything else I can possibly do to make me stand out.


I am a full-time PT aide, leaving me enough time to only retake 1-2 classes per semester. I received C/C+ in my fundamental biology courses, ochem, and genetics. My plan is to retake all the classes I received a C/C+ in and then reapply. This will probably take a year to a year and a half. Unfortunately, there is one class I cannot retake the exact one anywhere, Plant Ecology (it was a course that was considered an upper div for my major), and I received a C+ in that class.


My GRE was 155 verbal, 148 quantitative, 3.5 analytical.


I am currently working at an outpatient PT clinic and I’ve done 42 hours at an inpatient hospital in the PT department.


My questions: Will schools consider my retake classes as a strong sign that I am serious about PT school? Will my Plant Ecology class be weighted against me? The only equivalent I’ve found offered at the community colleges near me is an intro to plant sciences class. And even if I retake my classes, my GPA will still be around the low 3.0 range. I also have B/B+ in other prereq classes and if I retake those for an A, I basically have to go back to school all over again. What else can I do to strengthen my application? Should I retake my GRE? Is taking a GRE prep course worth it? I’ve got a lot on my plate already with retaking classes and working full time- is looking for another place to volunteer a good recommendation for how things currently look for me? I was recommended by one school to go for a Master's but I know it's going to be a lot of money and will that really give me a leg up?


Thanks for your help!

 

[starrsgirl]

Hey Everyone!

I'm in a similar predicament where I have a low GPA. I applied for the very first time to PT schools this past cycle for classes beginning in 2018 and was rejected from 8 and my application is on hold for 1 (Campbell University, whose classes start in 2019), pending that I send in my transcript by the end of this year for classes they want me to retake. I am already familiar my GPA is not the strongest (which I will not post because it is low enough) but I figured I should at least try applying once to be familiar with the process and just to see if I get in a school with how my current application looks (by some miracle).


Long story short, overall my grades in undergraduate aren’t stellar because I was immature and didn’t value my education as much as I should have. That is obviously biting me in the butt, so comments about how I should have done better are not what I’m looking for (hindsight is 20/20 after all). What I am looking for is advice on my plan so I can be considered competitive when I do reapply, if my plan is practical, and if there is anything else I can possibly do to make me stand out.


I am a full-time PT aide, leaving me enough time to only retake 1-2 classes per semester. I received C/C+ in my fundamental biology courses, ochem, and genetics. My plan is to retake all the classes I received a C/C+ in and then reapply. This will probably take a year to a year and a half. Unfortunately, there is one class I cannot retake the exact one anywhere, Plant Ecology (it was a course that was considered an upper div for my major), and I received a C+ in that class.


My GRE was 155 verbal, 148 quantitative, 3.5 analytical.


I am currently working at an outpatient PT clinic and I’ve done 42 hours at an inpatient hospital in the PT department.


My questions: Will schools consider my retake classes as a strong sign that I am serious about PT school? Will my Plant Ecology class be weighted against me? The only equivalent I’ve found offered at the community colleges near me is an intro to plant sciences class. And even if I retake my classes, my GPA will still be around the low 3.0 range. I also have B/B+ in other prereq classes and if I retake those for an A, I basically have to go back to school all over again. What else can I do to strengthen my application? Should I retake my GRE? Is taking a GRE prep course worth it? I’ve got a lot on my plate already with retaking classes and working full time- is looking for another place to volunteer a good recommendation for how things currently look for me? I was recommended by one school to go for a Master's but I know it's going to be a lot of money and will that really give me a leg up?


Thanks for your help!

I would only focus on retaking actual pre reqs for PT school. Don't retake classes that don't matter for this calculation (Plant Ecology). Yes, you basically have to go to school all over again sometimes. I would carefully choose schools where you met the minimum overall GPA and pre req GPA. Do not apply to schools where you don't meet these minimums.

I would study on your own first and retake the GRE (unless you feel like you really gave it your all the first time). I think raises your quantitative and analytical will help.

I would not go after a masters. It will not change your low undergrad GPA or your low pre req GPA.