Chances of getting into PT school

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I graduated SUNY Oneonta with a B.S in biology in May. I still needed some pre req's so i'm taking them at a different school. My grades are a little low.

Bio I - B+
Chem I - C+
Chem 2 - B
Physics I - B-
Physics II - B
Anatomy and Physiology I - A-
Anatomy and Physiology II - A-
Statistics - B+
Pre-Calc - C+
Psych - B+
Developmental Psych - A

My overall is a 2.88 which is low. My pre reqs are around a 3.2-3.3. I messed up for my first 2 years, didn't have my head on straight. I switched majors to biology in my junior year. I was far behind so i loaded up on science classes to graduate on time. My last 3 semester gpas were 3.09, 3.23, 3.39(20 credits that semester). I have more than enough volunteer hours and the place i volunteered at hired me to an aide position. My letters of rec. are great. My GRE was 1180. 480 verbal 700 quant.
What's my chances? Seems like a low overall GPA is what is keeping me down. It's not to horrible, but a 2.88 isn't the strongest.

by the way, i'm looking to apply to the new york schools since that is where i live. NYIT, Touro, LIU-Brooklyn, SUNY Downstate, Hunter, Mercy, Sage, Dominican college. Also Seton Hall in New Jersey

BUMP. im curious to see what people have to say about this post as im almost on the same boat as you are.

im not familar with those schools in particular so i cant really comment, but as for your stats i would say you should be good as long as you have good observation hours, extracurriculars, decent GRE, and good LOR's

my overall is the same as yours but my pre-reqs are lower. i applied to a bunch of schools..some with high standards, some with low standards. like i said, im not sure about those schools in particular, but i would apply to a couple that have semi low standards. also look at schools that care about your character. some schools only look at numbers. you want to apply to schools that heavily consider your extracurricular work, LOR's, and do interviews.

Same boat as well here. Overall gpa now is a 3.02 but when I graduated in 2008 it was a 2.97. My core pre-reqs are a 3.0 as well. No extra curiculars either, I worked from 3-11 m-f. So all I had time for was school in the morning then worked in the evenings. IDK, maybe a program will give me a shot.

hey, i have the same stats as well. my gpa is about a 3.2.. but i also worked 30 hours a week all 4 years of undergrad. i managed to graduate a semester early, and am getting my supervisor at work to write my a recommendation... so hopefully those will boost my chances. i also applied to a wide range of schools; maybe by chance i will get into a better one. im just crossing my fingers that i get into any school at this point! good luck to you guys!

Well....That is a little low.

PT school is super competitive to get into. I didn't get in my first year with an overall GPA of 3.5 and a science GPA of 3.8. A lot of people applying these days have 4.0s. I took some classes again and bumped up my overall and got in my 2nd time around.

Depending on if the schools you are applying to have interviews higher grades may or may not matter, but are still really important. You can definitely shine by getting interviewed. A lot of PT schools like Ohio state for example, dont interview so you're basically a number.

My advice to you is, apply. If you dont get in the first time around, take a year off, take some classes again and boost that GPA. PT school is intense, challenging, fun and rewarding! It is worth the wait and extra time and effort if you need to do it!!

Good luck!

Loma Linda requires at least 3.4 cumulative which is average based on their acceptances. I have a 3.0 undergrad. I'm currently satisfying my prereqs needing 4.0 on all.

Originally Posted by SKHspt

Well....That is a little low.

PT school is super competitive to get into. I didn't get in my first year with an overall GPA of 3.5 and a science GPA of 3.8. A lot of people applying these days have 4.0s. I took some classes again and bumped up my overall and got in my 2nd time around.

Depending on if the schools you are applying to have interviews higher grades may or may not matter, but are still really important. You can definitely shine by getting interviewed. A lot of PT schools like Ohio state for example, dont interview so you're basically a number.

My advice to you is, apply. If you dont get in the first time around, take a year off, take some classes again and boost that GPA. PT school is intense, challenging, fun and rewarding! It is worth the wait and extra time and effort if you need to do it!!

Good luck!

That's crazy. Did you apply late or only apply to 1-2 schools that were super competitive?


To the OP, don't get discouraged, there are people getting into PT school with GPA's as low as 2.7's. Just make sure you make up for it in other areas of your application, apply to schools that DO interviews (some schools don't) and make yourself stand out.

Hey, like I said above, I had a 2.97 overall when I graduated with my BS. Now I have a 3.02 overall after taking two extra classes in the summer. With a pre-req ranging from 3.0 to 3.3 depending on which program. I also worked 40 hours a week, full-time. But as I see it, there are plenty of applicants that work 40 hrs a week also, so I dont use that as an excuse or whatever. I got a letter in the mail yesterday inviting me for an interview at Rosalind Franklin University.

Now, I know everyone has said that interviews are a chance to shine, but I hate interviews (whether for a job or school). Theirs is a group interview also, I need some help. Please!!!!!!! I get nervous/anxious easily.

Knowing how I do on interviews generally. I am probably wasting my money and their time in going, because I am going to screw this up royaly.

Anyway, I know someone who got accepted to a program with a 2.8 overall GPA. So dont get down, this is my second time around applying. This time I applied to 16 programs. I just need one right?

Correction, I have a 3.0 undergrad for my major, but 2.91 cumulative GPA with my B.S. I am worried as well. Unless under intensive scrutiny, I doubt admissions to any of the schools will recognize that the sub 3.0 GPA was caused by one class that the professor didn't let me withdraw from, resulting in a D grade. Other than that I was a B student. Also, hopefully they'll notice that my 300 & 400 level classes were As and Bs. I think some schools only count the last 60 credits of undergrad and pre reqs? Is that true? In any case, I sure would like an invite to an interview, just like the people say.. there's your time to shine.

Originally Posted by Jollybg

In any case, I sure would like an invite to an interview, just like the people say.. there's your time to shine.

I was just thinking about the interview process, actually, and went on the OT forum to check whats going on with Occupational Therapy. Someone had a post about an interview they went to and they were saying that they pretty much invited everyone that met the minimum requirements to the interview. Even if she did GREAT/WONDERFUL, whatever you wanna call it, she said she got waitlisted because the people with higher stats are the ones that are always going to get in. Make no mistake about it, however you do on an interview the stats are what they look at. This is making me reconsider paying for a flight, hotel, rental car just to be waitlisted or rejected because Im sure they invited people with 3.5+ GPAs too.

Originally Posted by jbizzle

Knowing how I do on interviews generally. I am probably wasting my money and their time in going, because I am going to screw this up royaly.

Anyway, I know someone who got accepted to a program with a 2.8 overall GPA. So dont get down, this is my second time around applying. This time I applied to 16 programs. I just need one right?

Originally Posted by jbizzle

I was just thinking about the interview process, actually, and went on the OT forum to check whats going on with Occupational Therapy. Someone had a post about an interview they went to and they were saying that they pretty much invited everyone that met the minimum requirements to the interview. Even if she did GREAT/WONDERFUL, whatever you wanna call it, she said she got waitlisted because the people with higher stats are the ones that are always going to get in. Make no mistake about it, however you do on an interview the stats are what they look at. This is making me reconsider paying for a flight, hotel, rental car just to be waitlisted or rejected because Im sure they invited people with 3.5+ GPAs too.

Well with that attitude maybe you shouldn't go...kidding (kind of).

There is only one way to find out. If you don't go, you'll never know. I can't believe you are making your decision not to go because of ONE person's post about an OT school. So my advice would be to think positive thoughts, prepare, practice, be confident and go nail it!

Hey JBizzle, you've mentioned that your GPA was 2.97 and now a 3.02.. was that cumulative including prereqs taken post bachelors? I've exhausted all my do over units prior to graduating. Doesn't matter anyway since that was 3 years ago. I wonder if you retake some of the non-science prereqs will they be able to adjust it? I'm just worried. Nonetheless... I've narrowed my list of schools that I really want to get in to. One accepts 2.8 min as cumulative gpa.

Originally Posted by Yohan

Well with that attitude maybe you shouldn't go...kidding (kind of).

There is only one way to find out. If you don't go, you'll never know. I can't believe you are making your decision not to go because of ONE person's post about an OT school. So my advice would be to think positive thoughts, prepare, practice, be confident and go nail it!

Yeah, Im definitely going to go to the interviews, its good practice now that I have been invited to two and I feel I might be getting another one in February. Whats the worst thing that can happen, I get rejected?......It actually is a bad feeling now that I think about it

Jollybg, yeah...I graduated in 2008 with a 2.97...got rejected to all programs the first time I applied and was giving up. I didn't use PTCAS on the first try either...all paper apps. I gave up pretty much after that and decided that I couldn't see myself doing anything else but PT. So I said I would give it one last try and to take some extra classes at the CC (Meaning an increase on my overall GPA post bacc undergrad) while fulfilling medical terminology and developmental pyschology.

My pre-req GPA ranges from 3.0 to a 3.3 depending on the program.
Overall GPA now is a 3.02 so PTCAs does show my overall is a 3.02 but it also has my undergrad gpa as a 2.97 and then my post BS gpa as a 4.0 then the overall as a 3.02

I apologize to everyone...I know im sounding like a broken record.

what was your major as an undergrad? I graduated business finance... but like i've mentioned, my senior year, my grades were trending towards the Bs and As. I haven't completely gone through the PTCAS yet, but does it factor your do-over classes after the fact (after graduating) as overall? Then separately calculate your science prereqs as required by the program?

Oh ok I understand now. PTCAS calculates every class you've taken in the overall GPA. PTCAS does not replace a failing grade (if you got a D the first time you took Physics and retake it after you graduate and get an A, PTCAS does not replace the D). Grades after you graduate do get calculated in the overall.

Now, some programs may take the higher grades, I've only seen one program do that though, I forget which one.

BTW I majored in Exercise Science.

Ok, this is what you are looking for...and for people who haven't submitted the PTCAS yet. This is how they breakdown their GPA calculations, and you can see where my undergrad cumulative GPA differs from my Overall GPA now after taking a few extra classes. Of course I didn't include the other GPAs because it is embarassing lol but you should be able to visualize what yours should look like. This is only the first part. PTCAS also breaks it down even more into individual GPAs for A&P, Physics, non-sciences, biology, behavioral sciences, etc.


Category````````````````TotalHours``````QualityPoi nts```````GPA
Freshman``````````````````--``````````````--`````````````--
Sophomore`````````````````--``````````````--`````````````--
Junior``````````````````````--`````````````--`````````````--
Senior`````````````````````--``````````````--`````````````--
Upper-Division Course````````--``````````````--`````````````--
UnderGrad Cumulative````````--``````````````--`````````````2.97
Post Baccalaureate``````````--``````````````--`````````````4.00
Graduate ``````````````````--``````````````--`````````````0.00
Total `````````````````````--``````````````--`````````````3.02