Earning your bachelors from a less prestigious institution

[Perseverance102]

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I've been a constant reader of this Pre-PT forum and I am curious as to what people think about less prestigious institutions. I attend a division three university, thus making my campus less noticeable to the country. Does this make my opportunity for acceptance harder? For instance, if my GPA is a 3.7 and the person I am competing with for a seat has a 3.4 however this person attended Cornell.. will I still be granted acceptance? In all honesty, I just want to feel some sense of relief...because this is an everyday thought that runs through my mind...Thank you to whoever replies to this..

 

[aaronlp88]

No it doesn't matter what school you went to. Schools only care about the grades you got.

 

[DesertPT]

Honestly as long as you got a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, higher GPA is all that is going to count.

 

[sabino3]

Highest GPA usually wins. I did all my prereqs at a CC and got into a few really competitive schools.

 

[WarriorPT]

Prerequisite GPA is the most important factor (followed by many other factors). I went to PT school with a guy who had a degree in Music. Your school isn't a factor, and often times your undergraduate degree isn't a factor. Diversity is extremely important to PT programs. 30 students looking to do ortho PT only doesn't fit the needs of society. 30 students who studied kinesio/ATC just isn't interesting. You need to bring something unique to the program.

wPT
____________________
Licensed Physical Therapist
Outpatient Orthopedics

 

[obeshy]

University does not matter nor does the type of degree you get as far as PT schools are concerned. However, some schools mention they consider the types of courses you took ( lots of upper level, etc), however that's just some programs. They will usually mention it and you can find that info in the program directory at the ptcas website.

 

[eatbroccoli]

nope. It doesn't matter what school you went to undergrad. What they care about is your grades, your extracurricular, leadership, and personal statement. If you are applying to a program and you went there as an undergrad, they will like you more than the next ... but it's fair game for everyone! You just have to stand out amongst your pool of applicants!

I've been a constant reader of this Pre-PT forum and I am curious as to what people think about less prestigious institutions. I attend a division three university, thus making my campus less noticeable to the country. Does this make my opportunity for acceptance harder? For instance, if my GPA is a 3.7 and the person I am competing with for a seat has a 3.4 however this person attended Cornell.. will I still be granted acceptance? In all honesty, I just want to feel some sense of relief...because this is an everyday thought that runs through my mind...Thank you to whoever replies to this..

 

[DSPDPT]

Doesn't matter where you go. I went to a really small school in Brooklyn that no one has ever heard of. Schools look at GPA and what you've done to prepare yourself for PT school. Just because someone went to a big name school doesn't give them an advantage when applying.

 

[Perseverance102]

I appreciate everyones response. It just bothers me that this cycle I was wait listed at one school and denied from my other three choices. I feel like my stats are better than average. GPA is a 3.7, both prereq and overall, 1000 hours outpatient at one clinic and 100 at another...I'm in my senior year of B.S in Athletic Training and I also have my Massage Therapy license in NJ...The only area that I feel weak in is my observation hours due to the fact that they're all concentrated in sports medicine outpatient clinics. But other than that I really don't know where I went wrong =/...

 

[HughLee]

In general, undergraduate college does not matter as long as the school is accredited, and I would assume that your school is. Were you interviewed at all four schools that you applied to? I would suggest calling the schools and asking what you could do to strengthen your application, rather than asking why you were not accepted.

Consider the schools that you applied to, and how hard it is to get into those schools. Some schools have slots for undergraduates from their institution, or accept a large number of Early Decision applicants, so there may be a limited number of 'open' slots. You could also ask schools if you would be competitive in their application process.

More diversity in your observation hours would not hurt, and would probably also help you in your interview.

Lastly, look at other information in your application and see if there is a way that you could make it stronger: your essay, letters of recommendation, interview.