How Many Schools to Apply?

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ktachiba

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Hi All,

Here are my stats so far...

Undergrad (Business Econ) GPA: 3.5 -- UC Irvine

Pre-Req GPA: 4.0 (but I have only taken 2 psychology courses, chemistry I, and bio 1)

GRE: 1170 (760 math, 410 vocab)...I might re-do this, since my vocab score was so low

100+ hours in outpatient...currently volunteering at a nursing home

Here's my question...I plan on applying for PT school next summer, and different schools have different requirements. Would it be better to focus on a small amount of schools (i.e. 5 schools) with the same pre-reqs, or apply to 10+ schools and try to accomplish all the different pre-reqs.

I feel that the positives of focusing on a small number of schools with the same pre-reqs would be:

1.) I wouldn't have to take a large number of classes from now until next summer, so my GPA will probably have a good chance at being really high, and I will not be as stressed because I wouldn't have to cram a bunch of classes to satisfy all the different school pre-reqs

2.) I will get to know each school better (i.e. attending orientation) and I feel like that will make a difference because schools remember who came to those events during the admission process

I feel the negatives for focusing on a small number of schools would be:

1.) Less of a chance of getting into PT school


Also, does it look bad if you only take 2 science courses per semester? Like, would it be better to take 2 science courses and get A's, or 3+ science courses and risk getting B's instead of A's.

Thanks!!

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Hey! Your stats look amazing. Keep up the good work. There isn't a cap to how many schools you should apply, just FYI... I'm applying to 10-15 schools and that's a lot. :). Take your time with your course. I don't think its against you to take 2 courses a semester. Do whatever you need to do get the highest GPA! Good luck!
 
I think five schools definitely still gives you a lot of opportunities, and seems like a lot to me. The process can get very expensive so I didn't go higher than 6. Another thing to think about before the process is to look into the schools (tuition, cost of living, pre-reqs, program) and see what you like. You can eliminate several that way and I was able to apply to schools I felt that I had a higher chance of getting into just by doing some research. I personally think applying to several well thought through schools was more advantageous for me and I was accepted into 4 of the 6 with stats a little lower than yours as far as GPA. Ten plus was a little outrageous to me but I had seen several people do that. However, with your stats, I don't think 10+ is necessary. But if you are worried between, 5-10 would be fine. I freaked out about that too but got exactly what I wanted, good luck!
 
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Hi All,

Here are my stats so far...

Undergrad (Business Econ) GPA: 3.5 -- UC Irvine

Pre-Req GPA: 4.0 (but I have only taken 2 psychology courses, chemistry I, and bio 1)

GRE: 1170 (760 math, 410 vocab)...I might re-do this, since my vocab score was so low

100+ hours in outpatient...currently volunteering at a nursing home

Here's my question...I plan on applying for PT school next summer, and different schools have different requirements. Would it be better to focus on a small amount of schools (i.e. 5 schools) with the same pre-reqs, or apply to 10+ schools and try to accomplish all the different pre-reqs.

I feel that the positives of focusing on a small number of schools with the same pre-reqs would be:

1.) I wouldn't have to take a large number of classes from now until next summer, so my GPA will probably have a good chance at being really high, and I will not be as stressed because I wouldn't have to cram a bunch of classes to satisfy all the different school pre-reqs

2.) I will get to know each school better (i.e. attending orientation) and I feel like that will make a difference because schools remember who came to those events during the admission process

I feel the negatives for focusing on a small number of schools would be:

1.) Less of a chance of getting into PT school


Also, does it look bad if you only take 2 science courses per semester? Like, would it be better to take 2 science courses and get A's, or 3+ science courses and risk getting B's instead of A's.

Thanks!!


Your stats are good so I think you would be fine with applying to only 5 schools. If I were you with great stats already, I would not pay more money to take more prerequisites in order to be able to apply to 10+ schools. I would just finish the prerequisites required for the schools you would really like to attend. Also, while I do not think taking only 2 classes at a time looks bad, I also think schools would like to see that you can handle more at once due to how rigorous the programs are. So if you are only taking two classes at a time, I would make sure I am doing other things in addition to that such as working part time, volunteering, extracurriculars, ect..
 
Although my pre-req GPA is nice right now, I'm going to be taking the most important classes next (Anatomy and Physio) so hopefully I'll be able to sustain it. I'm going to try and get a part time job as a PT aid while taking classes so I can obtain a good letter of rec, as well as satisfy even more of the shadowing hours (and prove to PT schools I can handle their rigorous course load).

Also, I currently play in intermural basketball and softball, as well as weightlift 4-5x a week at my local gym...I know I can put the intermural sports as extracurricular activities, but do schools consider weightlifting as a plus? I feel like the time I spend staying in good shape should be recognized as a positive by schools, but I was wondering if they care about that at all?

Again, thanks for the advice everybody!!
 
Intramurals aren'the best extracurricular activities. Don't get me wrong it's good to show that you are involved with physical activities, but you might want to look at getting involved with clubs and research assisting related to health/PT/exercise science. Weightlifting should not be listed as an activity in my opinion.

You would also be well served to find a different setting to shadow or volunteer in. Acute/peds/etc. With having your undergrad in business it would help them to see that you have spent ample time being involved in the profession and understand the different facets of it. Most schools want you to have time spent in at least 2 settings.

Stats look good. Keep it up and I'm sure you will be accepted! Have you taken physics? Make sure you don't overlook those classes. Good luck!
 
Thanks! Yeah I thought they wouldn't care about weightlifting lol...I'm thinking about volunteering at a local rescue mission, but I'm so busy already with school and shadowing...but I think I'll try and get involved with some type of extracurricular activity soon...thanks again!
 
As for physics, I'm taking that later because I'm trying to figure out which schools accept Algebra based, and which schools accept Calculus...even though I got an A in Calculus, I'd prefer to take the Algebra-based course
 
If you are going to volunteer, really try to find something healthcare related. Special Olympics, Red Cross, some of the "causes" organizations. That will help a lot.
 
I think it'd be better to focus on the schools that require the pre-req's that you already have and are planning to take. If you have a "top" school you want to go to, base what schools you apply to off their required courses. Most schools (in my experience) have similar requirements. Luckily for me, my undergrad program required me to take almost all the pre-reqs for most PT schools, so I only had to take 2 or so extra courses to be able to apply to a wider range of schools.
 
That sounds like a great idea! Thanks for the input everybody, this site is such a great resource for help
 
Also, is there a website where you can find physical therapy clubs to join? Or are they only located at schools...I'm going to a community college, and I doubt there is a PT club that exists there
 
Wow. I applied to 2 schools that I was really interested in instead of a bunch that I could have cared less about. I also have good stats though so i knew I had a good chance of getting in both places. Looks like yours are pretty good, too. When I went for my interview at one of the schools the professor asked where else I applied and was pleasantly surprised when I told him only one other, because this demonstrated serious interest in the programs I did apply to. Just something to keep in mind.

Also, more schools definitely gets pricey.
 
Cool thanks for the info! Would you mind telling me which places you applied to?
 
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