How much do essays matter?

[Phyline]

I keep seeing everybody post their stats and replies like "You'll get in!", "Your GPA will land you an interview even though your GRE isn't very good!", "Oh come on you, your grades are great, you're gonna get into every school you listed!"

What about the multiple essays you send to schools? What if my GPA and GRE are stellar, but my essay sucks or the admission committee just doesn't like it or doesn't think I'm a good fit? Do these not carry much weight?

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[dancing_DPT]

I think it stands to reason, if you have a pretty high gpa then you will care enough to do the research and thoughtfully create an essay that does not suck. I cannot speak for my school or other schools, because I have no idea whether or not they looked at our essays as a deciding factor. However, I do know it's just another way for schools to see you as a person (with thoughts feelings and ideas) on paper before they invite you to interview. I advise you to spend time looking into APTA's vision statement and think about how it relates to you as a newcomer in the field, and spend some time looking at the school's website and think about why you really want to be a student in that particular program. Make every word count, and don't belabor the points you are trying to make. Lastly, get other people to read it to ensure it reads smoothly and to pick up any grammar or spelling issues.

I especially remember the anxiety I felt as I had to write 7 unique essays last year. Just remember there IS a light at the end of the tunnel!!

 

[atcdpt]

You're are literally going to hear this statement in pt school many times, "it depends."

It will depend on what schools that you apply to.

-some schools like Chapman have so many applicants that they just weed out the hundreds of applications by GPA and GRE... I believe most schools that don't require interviews don't take the essay as seriously as they should. I know many schools initially weed out applicants until they reach a certain number that they are comfortable taking the time to view, and if two students have equally similar stats, the extra curricular as well as the essay can literally make the difference between being offered an interview.


Obviously don't write anything crazy that may jeopardize your chances. I know my school gave me interview questions that came from my essay!

Good luck and savor the journey!

 

[starrsgirl]

I feel like GPA and GRE are the only factors at many schools that get you an interview. Once you get an interview, you already made the "big cut". Then, the committee reads your essay and scores it along with the interview which make them not as valuable as the first cut. (For instance, my school interviews 100 and accepts 50. So you get into the 100 pool based on GPA/GRE mainly. Then it's a 50/50 shot to get a slot based on interview and essay and other random things.) So yes, essays are important but the best essay in the world won't make up for crappy grades or low GRE scores.