How will this affect my chances?

[sloc234]

Hey guys,

I tried searching for a topic like this but I couldn't find one. I've also been searching the whole internet but haven't found anything there either. So this is my situation:

I go to UCSD, I transferred here from UCSC. Since coming to UCSD my gpa has been slowly dropping each quarter because I've been taking difficult upper division science classes (I'm a Physiology & Neuroscience major). My GPA when I transferred was 3.47 and after this quarter it will most likely be down to about 3.15.

I've gotten two D's (one in Organic Chemistry II and one in Molecular Biology) and an F in a summer community college course that I feel I have a decent reason for. My best friend since freshman year of high school in in the Army and he was in town during the summer before being deployed for Afghanistan. The final of the course happened to be during the two weeks that he was in town, so I didn't study enough because I was distracted. It could've been the last time I get to see him if god forbid he dies over there.

At this point I'm worried about how this will affect my chances of getting into PT school. I'm a 4th year right now but will most likely finish at UCSD after Winter 2011, so I'll be applying this coming December for a Fall 2011 enrollment. If I can get it together and have a strong spring and summer quarter, do you think I still have a chance at getting into some schools?

Note: I haven't taken GRE's yet but I've been getting experience in the field, I think I'm up to about 100 hours and counting as of now.

Any info is appreciated, thanks.

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[pwrtrainer]

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[sloc234]

I deleted irrelevant information. The fact that your friend visited and you screwed off is not his fault. Do not even mention if he dies over there as an excuse for you acting like a fool for 2 weeks and blaming that on your grades dropping. That is disgraceful. Do you want to make a positive impression? Kick the hell out of the rest of your classes and come back strong. They will see that in your application. Don't use your friends service as an excuse to slack off. It is HIS sacrifice, not yours. Be an adult and work hard and maybe you will get in. Your stats are not horrible, but if you mention the reason your grades dropping because you transferred schools and a friend went to a war, I hope to god you dont get a veteran as an interviewer. It would be over at that point. I took classes after 15 hour days on the flightline, Did homework minutes before aircraft launches. Walked miles each day to class because school is important to my future. During war. I was 19. Own your choices as choices that you made and accept the consequences. You slacked a bit and as a result you may not get into PT school. Bust your ass and get better grades and as a result you may get in.

I mean no offense by what I state, but I have a serious problem with lack of motivation and excuses. It cheapens what so many have worked much harder to accomplish.

That being said, I dont think you hurt your chances too much. The fact that you are asking for help is a good sign that you actually do care about your education and that goes a long way...(donning flame suit)

Here's the thing. I get that it is on me. It's no one's responsibility but my own to get good grades and work hard. When I brought up the thing about my friend, I wasn't trying to make excuses. And if I offended you or anyone else with that, I'm sorry. However with that said, I feel that transferring schools and having a friend go to war is at least a LITTLE difficult. Obviously it is nothing like actually going to war, but it is something. And again, it's not an excuse. When I mention it I don't feel like I'm trying to blame my bad grades on it. It's just extra info on the situation.

 

[artizzle]

You still have the GRE, a good chunk of classes, and countless hours spent in the PT setting left before you can (should) apply. Your chances are not set in stone; like what pwrtrainer said, do something about it. As of now, your chances aren't great and are probably near the bottom of the people being accepted into PT school (not the whole applicant pool). When you get that interview or a school asks why you got that F, focus on what you learned from the situation. Explain what you would have done differently if you could take those 2 weeks over again. But (correct me if I'm wrong), I feel that getting an F in a class takes way more than 2 week of slacking off, even for the final -- so you may want to be ready to explain that as well.

Please take these things into consideration and I'm sure you'll be a solid applicant for the Fall 2011 cycle. Good luck.

 

[pwrtrainer]

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