Rejected at 9 schools. Suggestions for reapplying?

[motosandPT]

I applied to 9 schools this year and was rejected at all of them due to a low GPA.
I have over 1000 observation house in outpatient, but only 16 in inpatient.
cGPA: 2.5x
pGPA: 2.8
GRE: Q151 V151 Wrtg 4

I'm in the process of erasing all C's from my record, (postbacc GPA 3.5) but even if I get straight A's in my next 23 credits I still only have a pGPA of 3, and a cGPA of 2.88.
What are some schools that only look at recent credits?
My gre score is passing but isn't amazing. I don't think I want to take the GRE a 3rd time either.

I had incredible letters of recommendation and unique work experiences. My essays were stellar and I had plenty of obvservation hours.
What other things do some of you people recommend I do to make myself more competitive?

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[fisioterapia187]

Your hard work to better your GPA will likely help your case, but you should definitely not overlook the importance of having a solid GRE score. What you've scored so far is not bad, but a pair of 155's (Q and V), for example, is certainly obtainable and would provide a major lift to your stats. I can empathize with your not wanting to take the GRE a third time, yet a willingness to give it another go could pay great dividends.

 

[NJ DPT HOPEFUL]

A lot of the people with low cgpa have a high pgpa. You're below most schools minimum in both. All of the hours in the world won't get you into a school if you don't meet their minimum. You say 3.5 post bac. How many credits is that?

If you're set on PT you need to retake all the prereqs that aren't As and put in the work to improve your application

 

[Snek1234]

What the above poster said. You're gonna have to retake the GRE and at least score 310+ if you really want to even be considered. Your GPA is well below average for accepted students, and your GRE is pretty average. Even then the pGPA is pretty low too.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but most schools rank their applicants based on some score of GPA+GRE then review their file based on that ranking. They won't even read your LOR/essay if you don't make the cut off (a lot of schools have a 3.0 cGPA cut off). I know St. Augustine looks at post-bac and trend GPA and has a minimum of 3.0 pGPA, but again they also weigh the GRE heavily especially the AW.

 

[Cheezy89]

Everything else but GPA is fine. I had a 2.6 and I had to apply twice before I got accepted. Your prerequisite GPA needs to be at least a 3.5. It's the only one you can change here. Cumulative GPA won't budge after taking so many credits, so like @NJ DPT HOPEFUL said: prerequisite courses need to be retaken. Also where have you been applying? When you have low GPA you have to be strategical in the way you apply. PM me if you want to talk some more!

 

[tpath11]

your cgpa is too low. it doesn't meet most minimum requirements, you will just waste your money. Try a school that only looks at the second attempt for all classes. Look into Marshall University.

 

[One Punch Man]

Get a minimum of a 3.0 cGPA and watch the acceptance letters flow in.

 

[starrsgirl]

I had your stats the first time I applied. I re took every single pre req class so I had "A's on top" (meaning an A even if it was a retake A). I did have to take a ton of other random online classes too just to pull my cumulative up to a 3.0. It is very difficult to do, but if you don't meet minimums, you are likely getting rejected by a computer before your application even goes before a committee. You have to have that mindset when you apply to schools. It doesn't matter how brilliant your essays, or how cool your experiences or how much diversity you bring to a class...if you don't meet minimums, you don't meet minimums. I learned that the hard way. But when I got my cum GPA up to a 3.01 (and by that time my pGPA was also as high as I could get it), the acceptances started rolling in.

 

[BabeRuthless]

your cgpa is too low. it doesn't meet most minimum requirements, you will just waste your money. Try a school that only looks at the second attempt for all classes. Look into Marshall University.

Just want to piggyback on this and mention that Marshall is actually changing their prerequisite retake policy for the next cycle, so you may want to consider that.

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[tpath11]

Just want to piggyback on this and mention that Marshall is actually changing their prerequisite retake policy for the next cycle, so you may want to consider that.

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They are actually making it easier by allowing all classes to be retaken, not just pre requisites. And they only count the higher grade if taken twice. Or avg them if taken more than twice

 

[BabeRuthless]

They are actually making it easier by allowing all classes to be retaken, not just pre requisites. And they only count the higher grade if taken twice. Or avg them if taken more than twice

That's true as long as you take it at the same university. If you retake a course at a different college then they'll just average them. That was my understanding of it at least.

 

[motosandPT]

Thanks for the info guys
here is where I applied last year:

St. Augustine (Austin, TX)
UCSF/SFU
Samuel Merritt
Univ. Chicago @ Illinois
Virginia Common Wealth Univ.
Northern Arizona Univ
Regis Univ.
University of Tennessee for Health Sciences
Northwestern Univ.

I won't be reapplying to Univ. Tennessee, or Samuel Merritt.
However the Sam Merritt counselor i spoke with told me my GRE was fine, (she used "Good") but that without a cGPA of 3.0 i won't even be given a chance.
My plan is to retake my prerequisites, and take lots of online courses.

Does anyone have any recommendations for cheap+accredited online courses of at least 3 credits? The Sam Merritt counselor suggested BYU online, which i like, but the classes are a bit more expensive than others.

 

[gotaspirations]

I had your stats the first time I applied. I re took every single pre req class so I had "A's on top" (meaning an A even if it was a retake A). I did have to take a ton of other random online classes too just to pull my cumulative up to a 3.0. It is very difficult to do, but if you don't meet minimums, you are likely getting rejected by a computer before your application even goes before a committee. You have to have that mindset when you apply to schools. It doesn't matter how brilliant your essays, or how cool your experiences or how much diversity you bring to a class...if you don't meet minimums, you don't meet minimums. I learned that the hard way. But when I got my cum GPA up to a 3.01 (and by that time my pGPA was also as high as I could get it), the acceptances started rolling in.

Well put by starrsgirl

You DEFINITELY need above a 3.0 pre-req so if you want to do PT, you have to take a lot of classes to get the cGPA.

..... I know people who have great stats and have applied 5 years in a row and could not get in....

.... just saying.

I barely got in this round and got in out of luck....

 

[motosandPT]

I'm debating on even reapplying this year and just working to bring up my GPA.
Its already mid April and with class schedules and my work schedules I can really only take 1 class at a time + 1 online class.
I don't want to rush getting classes in and not get A's

What are some schools I should apply to that look at last 60 credits, just pGPA, etc?

thanks for providing experiences/opinions everyone! Sometimes its nice to hear what other peoples experiences were even if they were different/similar from mine.

 

[Kodpt]

Those that retook classes, were they online and where? I am wanting to retake human anatomy and a few others that are advanced classes so it looks like I will have to go in the schools. Not sure whether you know if these are online?mom having difficulty finding much.

 

[DPTapplicant805]

Those that retook classes, were they online and where? I am wanting to retake human anatomy and a few others that are advanced classes so it looks like I will have to go in the schools. Not sure whether you know if these are online?mom having difficulty finding much.

Retake your classes at a local community college if possible. The cost will be much less for you. If not possible look for State schools which will also be less than a private university.

 

[gotaspirations]

Maybe you can do an accelerated masters program.

 

[Kodpt]

Maybe you can do an accelerated masters program.

Would that help increase gpa?

 

[DesertPT]

here is where I applied last year:
...
Northern Arizona Univ
...

I don't know the entrance reqs of the other schools on your list but I do know about this one.

Not to sound harsh, but what exactly possessed you to spend your hard earned money applying to a school that, in addition to statistically being one of the most competitive PT schools in the country, clearly states throughout their website that a 3.0 cGPA & pGPA is required for consideration, and that applications that do not meet the minimum requirements will not be reviewed.

I have a sneaking suspicion you weren't eligible for consideration at any of the 9 schools you applied to, unless perhaps your GPA from your last 60 credits was good and one of those 9 schools happens to only look at the last 60. Other than that, the lowest minimum entrance requirement for cGPA that I have ever seen at a school that takes all credits into consideration (which is the vast majority) is 2.75. So again, not trying to be rude, but honestly with a 2.5 what did you think was going to happen? If you don't do your research, why do you think any school ought to pick you over somebody that actually paid attention to the requirements?

Even if you get your cGPA up to 2.8-3.0 and your pGPA to 3.0+, if you don't bother to read each school's website and talk to each school's admissions office before you apply you still won't get in. As a student with poor stats, you can get accepted, but you can't just spend thousands of dollars spit-firing your application all over the country. Your app must be targeted at schools whose admissions requirements are such that you are eligible for consideration. Once you've pulled your GPA to a reasonable level, extensive research is the only solution, not throwing money at the problem.

If you search the forums you will likely find some threads that talk about schools that look at the last 60 credits and even some that don't require the GRE. The subject of this thread has been discussed ad nauseum on this forum, so search away. Your best bet at the end of the day is many hours on many schools admissions websites and on the phone with admissions offices. Clue yourself in to the process my friend.

Pardon my harsh tone, but perhaps a reality check was in order here. And if you look at the PTCAS applicant data, you will see that you are not alone. Only about half of all applicants to PT school every year are accepted, and the main reason for the large numbers of people who don't get in anywhere is that for some reason that I will never understand, several thousand people apply each year despite not being qualified for consideration at any of the schools they apply to. PTCAS is raking it in, and you're left out in the cold. You've got an uphill battle, best of luck.

 

[DesertPT]

Maybe you can do an accelerated masters program.

@starrsgirl has many posts on this subject specifically, as well as many detailed posts on the subject of this thread in general, very worthwhile reading material. The OP and anyone else whose interested would be well-advised to do a search of the forum for these and many others on the topic, as I mentioned above. Basically, doing a masters will not help your chances any more than retaking classes at community college, but will likely be much, much more expensive.

 

[gotaspirations]

Maybe you can do an accelerated masters program.

If you do a masters in Neuroscience or Physiology, I think it would stand out. You'll be good in the science behind rehab which be very appealing to the admissions committee, plus you'll know your ****. Also, yes it is expensive, but if you're cool with the investment and time. And some schools may waive (need to double check), but undergrad grades waived and GRE as well (also need to double check).