Community College Pre-reqs

[army0341]

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I wasn't able to find answer so here I go....

The overwheling majority of my prereqs are from a university. However, if I took a couple classes at a community college (Physics I/II) it would speed up things considerably for me, approximately a year.

How would schools look at me taking Physics at a community college? Also, this route wouldn't require me to take any further math classes (I have stats and college algebra) how would that look?

Overall, as a candidate I am an Iraq War veteran, volunteer inside and outside the field, and am a good student (above 3.3 GPA for the sciences and overall). Currently, I plan to apply to schools such as Midwestern (Downer's Grove) and Rosiland Franklin. This list will probably grow.

What do you guys think?

 

[markelmarcel]

If it saves money, decreases the time required to meet the prereqs and the schools you are applying to accept community college credits (some require the courses to be obtained from a 4-year degree granting institution) then go for it. Make sure they include labs, as that's probably the most important part.

My 1st degree is in elementary education, I haven't taken calculus since high school (approx 7, almost 8 years ago). If I would've taken statistics at the local uni I would've been looking at 3-4 math classes to meet the prereqs to get into stats. Instead, I contacted the schools I was interested in and showed them the course description from a Prob & Stats class offered at a community college. They accepted that course, and so I took it. 🙂

 

[taurusgrl326]

First of all, thanks for serving our country! :]

As long as the physics that you are taking at community college is calculus-based physics because I know there are some that are trig based or algebra based and some schools don't accept those. Go safe with calculus-based physics because for sure all schools accept that. I would review the math somewhat since I remembered jumping into physics and being lost even though I took calculus and stats before hand.

Your stats are good! Good luck! :]

 

[jbizzle]

Hey army, The only schools that look at that stuff are the ones you probably don't want to go to anyway, just kidding.

OK, lets see. I took Biology 1&2 with labs and Chemistry 1&2 with labs at a community college. I took A&P 1&2 and Physics 1&2 from University. I took stat and pre-calc at community college. I took trig at the university. I took general psychology at the CC and the other psychs at the university.

Lesson here is that most schools do not care. Even for the one's you want to apply to; RFUMS invited me for an interview in about 3 weeks. So no sweat.

 

[army0341]

Thanks for the answers.

I just want to get done already. I am in a post-bacc program and saw an opportunity to get into an algebra-based physics course at the local school and started salivating.

I'm gonna give them a call to see if they care about the algebra-based thing. I know Markel said to try to go to for a calc-based class. But that route would require me to take trig then calc I...

 

[jess818]

Army-def contact the programs you are interested. Try to get your answer in writing too if possible.

 

[markelmarcel]

I know Markel said to try to go to for a calc-based class. But that route would require me to take trig then calc I...

Actually, that was taurusgrl! No calc-based physics for this chick, here! 😉

I think that most schools just want you to have some background in physics, force, torque, circular motion, etc. Concepts that can be applied to forces/movements of joints and whatnot. (I could be wrong, but that's how I reasoned myself into taking it!) And, I know at the uni where I did my physics that the only people who take calc-based physics are physics majors and pre-engineering majors-- all other sciences/pre-professional students take trig-based physics.

And also, thanks for serving for our country!!!

 

[lizzo76]

First of all, thanks for serving our country! :]

As long as the physics that you are taking at community college is calculus-based physics because I know there are some that are trig based or algebra based and some schools don't accept those. Go safe with calculus-based physics because for sure all schools accept that. I would review the math somewhat since I remembered jumping into physics and being lost even though I took calculus and stats before hand.

Your stats are good! Good luck! :]

There's actually another thread about this right now. No one on that thread has heard of any PT school requiring calc-based physics. I posted that I am currently taking prereqs at the Harvard Extension School, which has an informal pre-med post-bac program, the Health Careers Program. Many many people have gone through that and successfully applied to med school. Their physics course is one year long and is not calc-based. It is intended for those studying the life sciences, and does not cover certain things you might see in another physics course, but does cover certain things you wouldn't normally find in a first-year course. If it is good enough for med schools, it should be good enough for PT schools. Despite not being calc-based, it is apparently very rigorous.

 

[NewTestament]

I wish I had read this thread two months ago. I'm taking University Physics now and I'm barely passing. Others have told me that College or General Physics is recommended for non-Physics majors. No school I've applied to has stipulated which form of Physics is required. They just require eight credits with lab.

A good grade at the community college looks far better than a bad grade at the university level. Don't take University Physics!

Kevin

 

[PT2014]

You definitely do NOT need calc based physics. At least not in the 60 schools I looked at on PTCAS...

 

[alzbetka27]

I graduated from VA Tech in 2008 with a B.S. in chemistry (overall GPA 3.46) and then worked food service jobs as well as a part-time lab job at the university. Then, to make a long story short, after being in an accident I became interested in physical therapy and started volunteering and looking into my options. Over the course of two months I shadowed at an outpatient office for ~30 hrs and became convinced that PT was the right choice for me. Then luckily enough the same clinic hired me on as a PT aide!

Now I'm preparing to take prerequisites. I'm solid in all of the math and science. The only classes I absolutely have to take are psychology and both parts of anatomy/physiology...and maybe cell histology and cell biology since they're recommended for some programs. I can't afford a 4-year institution and I'm wondering if having a few prerequisites from community college will seriously affect my chances of acceptance. The community college I plan on attending DOES offer labs for anatomy/physiology, and the main schools I'm applying to do accept community college coursework.

However, I'm still worried because all the PT programs I'm looking at are very competitive. I feel like I'm an unusual candidate though, since I've been on my own since I finished undergrad, gone through a career-change, and decided to go back to school. I also feel like I'm on the right track, I just need to stay afloat financially, keep working in the PT clinic, volunteer in some different settings, take GREs, take prerequisites.... and oh yeah finally apply to PT schools.

So, given all of that, will PT schools really mind if some of my prereqs are from a community college? Also, is there anything else I should be doing to make myself stand out as a candidate?

 

[markelmarcel]

So, given all of that, will PT schools really mind if some of my prereqs are from a community college?

In my opinion, No. If the programs you are looking for accept community credits, then that means they accept them. It doesn't mean that they will look down upon you! As long as the courses have labs, then I say go for it. It'll definitely save you some money.

And you are actually a normal candidate. A lot of people quit their first job and go to PT as a career change. My degree is in elementary education and once I graduated, I taught for 2 years and now I'm trying to get accepted into PT school!