Career Change. Questions about applying to PT

[tjm636]

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Alright, so a little back story. I graduated with a degree in Exercise Science with the aspirations of becoming a collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach. Upon graduation I ended up getting an internship with a top tier College Football program. But, as the internship progresses I find myself digressing more from this field due to many issues I have with the career, and gravitating more towards PT school.

Heres where my questions come into play. My GPA stands at a 3.1 cumulative, with a GRE of 288 total and a 4.0 in analytical writing(zero studying). So, my grades are not up to par by any means. Would you all suggest I retake some pre-req classes I blew off my early years of college and retake my GRE, OR go for a second degree, OR pursue a Masters then PT school. I also have about 4-5 pre-req courses that I do need to take as well.

Thank you.

 

[futurePT2017]

Retake pre-reqs and the GRE. There is a section on the application where you can describe if/why your academic record does not reflect your capabilities; I would use it. Getting a second degree or a Masters is an expensive option, and if you cast a wide net and make sure you meet the minimums for schools you still have a shot. I would only consider the extra degree if you don't get in after a couple of cycles and this is still what you really want to do.

 

[DPThopeful1859]

You'll save more money in the long run re-taking pre-reqs and the GRE. I did that while working and finally after applying for so long, I got in somewhere. What classes would you have to re-take?

 

[astarblaze]

Definitely retake prereqs and GRE (after studying/taking lots of practice tests).

You can also take additional classes (through community college would be most affordable) to raise your cum GPA. Getting a second bachelors or masters would be much more expensive and is generally thought to be unnecessary for DPT admissions. Raising cum GPA will be a very slow process regardless. Definitely prioritize getting as many As as possible from here on out.

Some schools look at last 60 credit hours GPA instead of cum GPA. I would suggest getting your last 60 GPA as close to 4.0 as possible and looking into applying to those schools.

In contrast to futurePT2017, I would NOT suggest using the box to explain why your academic record does not reflect your capabilities unless you had significant circumstances outside of your control that affected your undergrad GPA (eg death of close family member, life-threatening illness that caused you to miss significant amount of school, etc). You don't want to look like you're making excuses for poor performance.

When you do apply, look for schools where accepted students have stats that are similar to yours. There's definitely programs that you could be competitive for if you improve your cum GPA and GRE and get As in your prereqs. Generally 3.0 GPA and around 150V 150Q 4AW are the bare minimums that you want to at least meet, and 3.6 GPA is around the average for students accepted through PTCAS.

 

[starrsgirl]

Just retake the pre reqs and study for the GRE. A masters is not worth it in my opinion. It doesn't change your pre req GPA at all and won't help your GRE.