Changing careers - question about undergrad GPA

[CareerSwitcheroo]

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Hi all - I've been in the IT industry for about 6-7 years and recently made up my mind about pursuing a path towards physical therapy.

My undergrad GPA was somewhere around 2.5 (struggled with some personal issues during my first couple years then improved a lot towards the end). I'm concerned that this will hurt my chances of getting into PT school. I've just started the first of many prerequisites I'll have to take (pretty much an entirely fresh start - can't use anything from undergrad) and was wondering if the cumulative GPA of all these courses will "override" or outweigh my ugly undergrad GPA.

I'm excited to start on this journey and plan to work hard in my prerequisite courses. I'm just hoping it won't all be for nothing, considering GPA is an important factor in PT school admissions (or at least so I've heard).

My career in IT has been pretty successful (leadership/management experience, good track record, etc.) - could this give me an edge somehow in the application process?

Apologies if there are a ton of threads like this already - I'm just hoping to hear from someone who has a similar story and has made it through successfully (or not).

 

[Rudolph Mitchell]

The won't override your undergrad GPA. In fact, they'll be calculated and added to the classes you took in undergrad to come up with your overall undergrad GPA (i.e. every undergraduate class you have ever taken). The only way you can "override" your undergrad GPA is to apply to programs that don't consider it at all in their application process, or consider the overall GPA as the "last 60 credits" you have taken. However, you should try to get all A's in your prereqs, and calculate where your overall GPA would be after that. If it's above a 3.0, the you reach the minimum for all PT programs and you can apply anywhere. My undergrad GPA was 2.09, so I have no choice but to apply to schools that look at the last 60 credits. After taking my prereqs and some classes here and there to get to 60 credits, my overall GPA is now at a 2.7. If you kill your prereqs, I'm pretty sure you'll be above a 3.0.


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[Grizzlyman]

If you improve your cum to over a 3.0, get around 4.0 pre-req, kill the GRE, get a variety of observations, then admissions will consider your application. Your career will be a big positive but it is up to each schools perception. You will most likely have over a 3.0 after taking the pre reqs anyways. It skyrockets with a low GPA then levels out in a diminishing return. Like the above poster mentioned be selective in schools you apply.

I would also suggest having a plan B. What if you don't get in, will you attempt a science major to improve your track record, apply to a different graduate program to prove academic success or maybe look at a different career field. It looks like the gpa may drag you down, so consider how you can bolster it or make it look less like a question mark.

 

[starrsgirl]

Agree with above. I didn't have the option of applying to schools that looked at last 60. So I had to take a billion classes to raise my cum up to a 3.0. I started about the same place as you and it took about 2 years of classes and working to pull it up. Do the calculations now so you know how many credits this will take you.

 

[CareerSwitcheroo]

If you improve your cum to over a 3.0, get around 4.0 pre-req, kill the GRE, get a variety of observations, then admissions will consider your application. Your career will be a big positive but it is up to each schools perception. You will most likely have over a 3.0 after taking the pre reqs anyways. It skyrockets with a low GPA then levels out in a diminishing return. Like the above poster mentioned be selective in schools you apply.

I would also suggest having a plan B. What if you don't get in, will you attempt a science major to improve your track record, apply to a different graduate program to prove academic success or maybe look at a different career field. It looks like the gpa may drag you down, so consider how you can bolster it or make it look less like a question mark.

Thanks. During the application process, do schools ever allow the chance to explain oneself when it comes to things like this (like in the essay)?

 

[CareerSwitcheroo]

Agree with above. I didn't have the option of applying to schools that looked at last 60. So I had to take a billion classes to raise my cum up to a 3.0. I started about the same place as you and it took about 2 years of classes and working to pull it up. Do the calculations now so you know how many credits this will take you.

So I'm assuming you were successful in the end? May I ask which school(s) you were admitted to? I'm practically taking all prereqs from "scratch", so hopefully this will be redemption!

 

[starrsgirl]

So I'm assuming you were successful in the end? May I ask which school(s) you were admitted to? I'm practically taking all prereqs from "scratch", so hopefully this will be redemption!

Redemption is good, but are you on track to get above a 3.0? Again, do the math. I've been on this forum too long to see time and time again people retake all these classes and then apply, only to still fall short of the REQUIRED GPA minimums. I tried this my first year applying. I had 2 years of straight A classes, had retaken every pre req but 1, but had a 2.99 GPA and was rejected everywhere I applied. I took more classes and was able to apply with a 3.01 the next year (and strong components in other areas) and it made the difference.

No, basically, schools don't read your essay or look into your application if you don't meet their minimums. The minimum requirements listed on the school's website and PTCAS are tied to their accreditation. They cannot waive these.

Bottom line: Find out now if your plan is enough to raise your GPA significantly. How much will each class raise your GPA? For me, it was about .01-.02 of a raise in cum GPA for every A I got (**a LOT of classes).

I think it's important to also put the financial piece on the table here. How much money and time off work will it cost you to get that GPA up? How much will it cost to go to PT school? I was able to work full time and pay for my classes in cash, so I incurred no debt while preparing for school. BUT, I switched to an easier job with less hours and was making substantially less than my previous career, so that was about a 40K loss per year. PT school is very pricey and the salary isn't great.....again, just more things to think about as it sounds like you have a long journey ahead of you.

I got into Creighton and UNMC and now attend UNMC. I initially applied to 5 schools, but dropped 3 of them in the process when I got an early acceptance to Creighton.