Graduate School?

[curiouslex01]

I just graduated from OSU and I just wanted some advice on what I should do with my situation. I graduated with a 2.4 GPA, but also with outside classes from other schools. Does physical therapy calculate GPAs from the prerequisuites or is it all of the classes I've taken?

So far this is what my grades are in my prerequsuites;
Anatomy - B-
Biology - C
Chemistry 1 - B (classes taken twice)
Statistics - C+
Abn Psy- C
Psch - B
Algebra- C
Physio- C
Physics 1 - D+ (will be retaking for a third time)
Physics 2 - A
Chemistry 2- C

& I don't know how they include classes taht have been retaken for a better grade. As you can see when I take certain classes I get a better grade in which has to do wth the teacher being a better teacher, speaking better english, as well as exlaining the materiual better. How would I explain this in my description for why my grades don't represent me? I know you have to have a 3.0 and higher to get into most schools., But how are they calculating GPA's? Because in my major I got A's and B's mostly. The classes that brought me down were my science classes I had to take. I'm just really scared.

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[reems112]

Hey there!
So it seems like here because of all of the moving and stuff you did it really took a toll on your GPA as a whole. PTCAS has a section where you can explain what happened during this time and they will take a look at that. But to answer your question all PT schools look at the cumulative GPA and the pre req GPA. Some programs will only look at the pre req GPA and/or the last 30/60 hour GPA. I will say that if although pt schools ask for a minimum of a C in your pre req classes, it would be a good idea to retake them to help boost your pre req GPA if you have not done so already. So the classes that you retake it just depends on the program you apply to. Some programs will take the average of the attempts, some programs will take the higher of the scores. You just really have to do your research and see what is the best choice for you ultimately. Also, as much as it sucks it doesn't matter what you made in your major classes they will take a look at EVERYTHING. And i know its unfair because during undergrad so many students are just unsure as to what they wanna pursue and that clearly shows in the GPA. If you are financially well off, I would also recommend maybe looking into some sort of masters or a grad program and doing really well in that because schools love to see an upward trend in your grades. This will also give you some cushion because although you didn't do well this will show that you showed a lot more improvement and were serious and improved your study habits in a masters program which makes you a more competitive applicant. Also don't forget about your other experiences and shadowing and volunteer work. That will also boost your application as a whole. And ofc there is also your personal statement and GRE which you need to be strong in to get into a program. So make sure you kill certain aspects of your application to show them that. Are you applying this cycle?

 

[curiouslex01]

Yes I am applying this cycle, and I plan to retake two classes this fall semester to hopefully boost my gpa! I don't know my overall gpa, I only know my main school gpa, but I went to three schools. I was going to call ahead to some schools and maybe talk to somebody from admissions.

 

[On-the-way-to-DPT]

Yes I am applying this cycle, and I plan to retake two classes this fall semester to hopefully boost my gpa! I don't know my overall gpa, I only know my main school gpa, but I went to three schools. I was going to call ahead to some schools and maybe talk to somebody from admissions.

I am pretty sure the classes you take in the fall will not count toward your GPA as most of the school deadlines to apply will have passed. While the classes do count toward the necessary prereqs, I am under the impression that it will not be considered as part of your GPA.
Talking to admissions sounds like a great idea to get some concrete answers!

 

[wiseOldPT]

Honestly, I would not apply this cycle. You need to demonstrate to schools that you are prepared to be successful in a DPT program. That is science classes, at a higher level and faster pace than in undergrad. Your past record does not indicate that you can do that. I do not want you to spend the money on applying to schools that would really just be a donation. If you want to go down this path, and it will not be guaranteed, you are going to need to retake a lot of classes. And do well in them. If you haven't identified what went wrong the first go around and addressed it, do that first.