Adding extracurriculars without looking artificially fluffed

[Myosin]

Hello everyone

I was planning on applying to PT school this year, but sadly, my mother passed away in January. She struggled with several types of cancer the entire time I was in college. I don't like using it as an excuse for a lower gpa, but it did put an extreme amount of stress on our family, and I had to travel back home from school every weekend to help my family.

I spent the first 6 months of this year completely depressed and basically crying in bed. Needless to say, I couldn't get all my PTCAS stuff in order in time. I recently started retaking all the prereqs I got Bs in at my local community college. I plan to have a perfect 4.0 prereq gpa when I apply next July. My cumulative gpa will be about ~3.47, give or take a hundredth.

I am currently studying for the GRE too and am consistently testing around 160v and 165q, so I will use those numbers as placeholders for now

The problem is that my application has zero extracurriculars. I work full time as a plumbers assistant now. I average between 20-30 hours a week. The rest of my time is spent studying for the GRE and doing clinic hours. I estimate I will have ~1000 observation hours by the time I apply.


What types of quality extracurriculars can I add between now and next July that won't look like artificial fluff on my resume? I enjoy everything from sports to literature to public service. Currently all I can think of is that I used to do powerlifting competitions, but had to stop due to obvious time restraints.

TLDR version

University of South Carolina: Exercise Science
gpa:3.47
prereq gpa: 4.0
160v 165q GRe
~1000 hours in a variety of settings by next July
0 extracurriculars
Applying: MUSC, Tennessee State, St. Augustine, Elon, Western Carolina University,




Thanks in advance.

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[kptnau]

That's a pretty decent application. Unless you're trying to get into some very highly-ranked programs, I suggest cutting back the study time for the GRE (anything over that score I don't think will help you) and cut back shadowing time ( make it more varied and less total hours).
Some extra-curricular stuff that I think might pay out: volunteer as a children's coach for basketball/football/etc. - try offering to help a local high school power lifting/body building club's coach. - join a club at college or three. Most require a membership fee and that's pretty much it.

 

[Litlwarrior08]

Ditto everything kptnau said..........can you volunteer where you are doing your observation hours? or convert some of those 1000 hrs to volunteer? There have to be places in your communtiy you can volunteer......Salvation Army, soup kitchen, food banks, library, any school would love to have you read or help out w/ afterschool programs (require finger printing, which you might have needed to be on hospital grounds anyway)

 

[Azimuthal]

Any EC with leadership. Assist in coordinating/ managing events, etc. Leadership & consistency > random volunteer work.

 

[LOADWOAD]

I cant imagine going through what you went through. It is normal to be somewhat down after that. If those stats that you have hold up, then you will definitely stand a solid chance. Dealing with family hardship is one of the hardest thing anyone can go through, To stay driven, optimistic and motivated based on these factors is very impressive and reflects highly of your character. as far as extra currics, I think volunteering is your best option, maybe with your mechanical skills(plumbers assistant) you could volunteer for habitat for humanity or ASP(Appalachian service project) or maybe since you seem compassionate you could volunteer with Special Olympics.

Good luck.

 

[Myosin]

I cant imagine going through what you went through. It is normal to be somewhat down after that. If those stats that you have hold up, then you will definitely stand a solid chance. Dealing with family hardship is one of the hardest thing anyone can go through, To stay driven, optimistic and motivated based on these factors is very impressive and reflects highly of your character. as far as extra currics, I think volunteering is your best option, maybe with your mechanical skills(plumbers assistant) you could volunteer for habitat for humanity or ASP(Appalachian service project) or maybe since you seem compassionate you could volunteer with Special Olympics.

Good luck.

Thanks to you and everyone else who replied.

My main problem now is that I will have a very limited pool of free hours for which I can volunteer. I have classes, work full time, and do shadowing hours at two clinics

It sounds like I'm asking for a magic bullet, but I'm currently looking for high quality extracurriculars that don't require a large amount of time each week

 

[jesspt]

Thanks to you and everyone else who replied.

My main problem now is that I will have a very limited pool of free hours for which I can volunteer. I have classes, work full time, and do shadowing hours at two clinics

It sounds like I'm asking for a magic bullet, but I'm currently looking for high quality extracurriculars that don't require a large amount of time each week

How many observation hours do you actually need? I know that when I applied (about 100 years ago) I applied to two programs ,both of which required 100 hours. I think I had about 105. It was my understanding that typically these hours are something an applicant has to have done, but typically the admissions comittee does not give substantial weight to someone who has significantly more hours. Perhaps someone who has applied more recently can elaborate further.

Also, why the big worry over extracurricular activities? Addmisions committees typically want to know if an applicant can hold up to the academic rigor of a program, and can they manage their time succesfully. Sounds like with you working full time and handiling classwork, you should be up to the task.

My $0.02 - don't sweat the small stuff, and I think observation hours that are well beyond what the school is asking for is small stuff. I also think extra curricular activities are small stuff too. I had virtually no extracurriculars, unless going to the bar is an extracurricular acitivty that you can put on your applciation now.

 

[Myosin]

Also, why the big worry over extracurricular activities?

Thank you so much for the reply Jess.

I have been asking myself that exact same question so many times. I just see that my resume is so bare compared to many on this site and with people who I know personally.

I have had to work full time and be a full time student since the day I started college.

Is spending all of my free time helping and taking care of my family really not worth more than someone who played golf?

I can't put "I worked and studied my @ss off (the best I could at least) while having to drive home from college 4 hours every Thursday to take care of my family" under the extracurricular section though, so it obviously isn't.

The reason I bring this up is because two of the schools I am applying to do not want a personal letter, meaning that everything I am is judged based on the raw numbers of my GPA and GRE.

About the hours. Some people swear that more hours help and some people swear that more makes no difference, even at the same school. It seems that the school changes its mind depending on whatever the current moon phase is when it comes to observation hours.

I have thought about it and I do think that I should pull it back a little with the hours. I'm just going to aim for half my original amount.

East Carolina University requires the most of any on my list, at 100, which I am already well above. The lowest is MUSC, which only requires 40. I want to go to ECU for their cheap tuition or MUSC for in state tuition.

One reason I am doing so many at the same clinic is I want to the PT there to really get to know me. I want her to see me as not just a hard worker, but also as her friend, so that she can convey who I am in her letter. Same with the hospital PT I am observing.

This post was somewhat cathartic