Help!!! 4-Year Student-Athlete trying to get into PT School!!!

[MyFutureBH]

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I am so worried that I wont get into PT school because I'm a 4-year football player that doesn't have the stellar stats that most PT students have. I am currently going into my senior year and my last season of football. My current GPA is horrible at a 2.8 and my math/science GPA is a 2.5!! 😕 Yes I know this is not good what so ever but I also have 4 prerequisites to finish and I will also be graduating in the spring with a bachelors in Health Science. If you don't know much about football it is basically a full time job and working over time 7 days a week all year!! I barely have any time to study on the weekends from being on the road for hours, and when we finally get back to school I'm definitely overwhelmed/exhausted! Will they take this into consideration and look at me as a whole or just categorize me as just another athlete??

My Stats:
Undergrad GPA- 2.8 (still in progress)
Math/Science GPA- 2.5 (still in progress)
Prerequisites not taken:

• Human Anatomy
• Human Physiology
• Physics I & II
• Sociology

Observation Hours: 100+ , Just finish internship with a Home Health Agency
Preferred Schools:

• University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• University of Oklahoma Health Science Center
• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• University of North Texas Health Science Center
• Texas State University
• Hardin-Simmons University
• Arkansas State

Please Provide any HONEST HELPFUL information!!! Thank you so much everyone this site has helped so much already!

 

[CherokeeWahine]

I tutored student-athletes (including football players) at my undergrad, so I understand how demanding collegiate athletics are.

To be perfectly honest though, you absolutely will need to boost your GPA, because a lot of schools look at the numbers before they look at you as a person.

Feel free to PM me if you want to talk more about it.

 

[kcrat21]

I am so worried that I wont get into PT school because I'm a 4-year football player that doesn't have the stellar stats that most PT students have. I am currently going into my senior year and my last season of football. My current GPA is horrible at a 2.8 and my math/science GPA is a 2.5!! 😕 Yes I know this is not good what so ever but I also have 4 prerequisites to finish and I will also be graduating in the spring with a bachelors in Health Science. If you don't know much about football it is basically a full time job and working over time 7 days a week all year!! I barely have any time to study on the weekends from being on the road for hours, and when we finally get back to school I'm definitely overwhelmed/exhausted! Will they take this into consideration and look at me as a whole or just categorize me as just another athlete??

My Stats:
Undergrad GPA- 2.8 (still in progress)
Math/Science GPA- 2.5 (still in progress)
Prerequisites not taken:

• Human Anatomy
• Human Physiology
• Physics I & II
• Sociology

Observation Hours: 100+ , Just finish internship with a Home Health Agency
Preferred Schools:

• University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• University of Oklahoma Health Science Center
• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• University of North Texas Health Science Center
• Texas State University
• Hardin-Simmons University
• Arkansas State

Please Provide any HONEST HELPFUL information!!! Thank you so much everyone this site has helped so much already!

I completely understand where you are coming from. I was a D1 soccer player in college and it was super demanding on us, but I can imagine it is nothing like being a football player!

If I were you, I would get a tutor, especially for Physics I and II.

And, utilize your time on the road, too. If you are traveling you just have to put on some headphones, tune all of your teammates out, and just study. If you are in a hotel for the night, ignore your roommate and study. It sucks to have to do that, but if you really want to get into PT school, that's what you have to do.

I don't know anything about the schools you are applying to, but if you can raise both of your GPAs up to a 3.0 you should be okay.

Worst case scenario, you can wait to apply until the next cycle and retake some of the courses you did poorly in without the distraction of football.

And if you haven't taken your GRE yet, getting a stellar score will definitely help out.

Good luck to you! If you need anymore advice let me know!!! 🙂

 

[johncronejr]

As an ex-football player, and a non-traditional student who has become friends with many of the athletes at my college....I will give you my honest opinion, raise your GPA. I know that during the season it is very hard on the athletes, but your season doesn't last both semesters or the summer semesters, so the notion that you don't have time to study is an excuse, you know that. You know other athletes at your school, even football players, who are carrying above a 3.0 gpa with demanding programs (not counting the easier degree choices some athletes make).

I think the schools do take some consideration for athletes, but I don't believe they will take enough to allow for a gpa as low as 2.5. You have to realize that there are so many applicants who are walking in there with well above a 3.5 gpa, and quite a few with above 3.8.

Bottom line is that you have to work harder. I know it is hard to play ball and try to study. You have decided to pursue a program (the DPT) that is very competitive. You can do better on your grades than you have done. You will have to do better on your grades than you have done.

Do the best you can and apply to all of your schools, but don't count on the fact that you played football to compensate for weaker stats......that's just giving it to ya straight

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

If you can nail the final prereqs, then that will help boost your GPA and help show schools you're serious about focusing on the academics (is it possible to take at least a few of them after football season is over? Since you're a senior, after New Years you should be done with it, right? I'm assuming...I know very little).

Also, if you're not deadset on starting PT school next fall, you may want to consider taking a year off to retake some prereqs at a community college to boost your GPA, and give you more time to finish the other prereqs you haven't done yet as well.

Keep working on your observation hours too (a few schools will want more than 100 hours, not sure about the ones you're applying to specifically), especially in a variety of settings.

How are you with standardized tests? If you can knock out the GRE with a great score, that might help offset a lower GPA...I'd suggest waiting until after football season is over so that you can focus your full attention on it, if that's an option.

 

[chinadoll90]

it is basically a full time job and working over time 7 days a week all year!! I barely have any time to study on the weekends from being on the road for hours, and when we finally get back to school I'm definitely overwhelmed/exhausted! Will they take this into consideration and look at me as a whole or just categorize me as just another athlete??

I sure hope they take it into consideration! We have to work that much harder to keep up our grades and possibly a job on the side. Something that has worked pretty well for my teammates and I is loading up our schedule in off-season, when we aren't on the road as much, and planning an "easier" schedule during season, such as avoiding friday classes/labs if possible, so we have less to stress about on the bus.

I know what you mean with the exhaustion. I'm on my schools crew team; 5:30am practices plus cross training later in the day. I feel like I just live in workout clothes cause I'm practicing all the time, and when season rolls around I no longer have weekends to catch up on sleep and school cause we are on a bus 6+ hours at a time every weekend!

But despite that, I know my school gives athletes great resources (free tutoring), hopefully yours does too 🙂

I tell myself that it makes us a more desirable applicant because we worked under a really tight schedule. It better prepares us for the real world, as my coach loves to say. And I think schools will appreciate a more well-rounded person because they can bring more to their program.

good luck with everything!