What should I do

[ararm]

I am a junior studying health and exercise science sports med. I want to be a physical therapist I am feeling kind of down about my chances of getting in. Here is what I have to offer.
GPA 3.3
shadowing: about 90 hours but only in orthopedic out patient setting
I work as a physical therapy aide in our health center
I also have been tutoring biology the last 3 years.
I have volunteered working with and ms patient helping do stretches. And have gone on a service trip to wash d.c. to work with the homeless.

What I am worried about.
I have not taken the gre
I don't know a professor I can ask for a letter of recommendation.
My gpa is only average.

Thanks for any ideas you may have or input. I don't mind brutal honesty.

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[pwrtrainer]

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[futuredptjj]

Study hard for the gre and if you get a good score, look for schools that focus on gre. I just had an interview with UCF and they really focus on gre. Btw, you are so lucky you live in Colorado! I really wanted to go there and I wish I had in state preference.

It's a given that you will get good letters of recommendation from pts. Start going to your professor's office hours for your next pre-req class. Often times, you can get a letter if the professor remembers you. They write these all the time, so don't feel inconvenienced asking them. I know it's daunting, but they love it when students ask for their help. Trust me.

Look for schools with a lower pre-req GPA, like Emory in Atlanta. It's a great school, but their pre-req is only a 2.75 compared to the 3.0 at other schools.

If you work hard and are confident and prepared in your interview, then I know you definitely have a good chance. 3.3 isn't as bad as you think, honestly. Just don't apply to schools that focus on GPA. For example, for some schools, if you don't have a certain gpa, they don't even consider you. For others, if you don't have over a certain gre they don't consider you. Know where you're applying. Ask around. This site is great for that.

Good luck!

 

[MinnDasota]

You're only a junior so you still have 1.5 years to raise your grades and get more experience. That's tons of time. Also, I'm sure you have plenty of classes left to start making connections with profs. That's your responsibility, so start getting to know them! I think with everything you may be lacking, you still have time to make it up. You are in a much better position that many...

 

[HIlife]

There have been people that have gotten into school with a lower GPA than you so I would not give up. With your remaining classes you should try to talk to your profs more. And like others have said you should try to get some good GRE scores and maybe volunteer in a couple of more places to show a variety of settings and a commitment to being a PT.

 

[lovePT]

I would try to volunteer and gain experiences in more PT settings. I think if you have a low GPA and one type of PT setting, I don't think you would stand out at all. I think you need to volunteer in more PT settings because orthopedic setting is a lot different than a hospital or a nursing home.

Good luck