"I'm sorry but your application wasn't strong enough"

[imallama]

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What does that mean exactly? I got a rejection letter stating that, which made me question if I'll even be able to get into any PT program. I also thought I nailed the interview...but I guess not?

I didn't think my application was the strongest but I didn't think it was that weak either. These are my stats:

GPA: 3.32
Pre-req: 3.03
GRE: 151V, 151Q (using the best of my 2 tries), 5.0 AW
Hours: 160 (still doing them though)

 

[NeophyteParkour]

I don't know what school you applied to, but different schools put a different emphasis on certain things.

Many people just contact the school and ask them specifically what they can do to make their application stronger for next year.

 

[imallama]

I don't know what school you applied to, but different schools put a different emphasis on certain things.

Many people just contact the school and ask them specifically what they can do to make their application stronger for next year.

This was for Samuel Merritt. I am planning to do that, but in the email they said to not contact them until April if we want to talk about that. Something about not having the applications back from the acceptance committee.

 

[ptdpt]

What does that mean exactly? I got a rejection letter stating that, which made me question if I'll even be able to get into any PT program. I also thought I nailed the interview...but I guess not?

I didn't think my application was the strongest but I didn't think it was that weak either. These are my stats:

GPA: 3.32
Pre-req: 3.03
GRE: 151V, 151Q (using the best of my 2 tries), 5.0 AW
Hours: 160 (still doing them though)

Don't ever doubt yourself. It wasn't what they are looking for but another PT school will love what you have to offer.

 

[Jaug15]

Don't ever doubt yourself. It wasn't what they are looking for but another PT school will love what you have to offer.

Agreed. I started thinking the same thing at one point when I received a few rejections but I will be attending one of my top programs this summer. Each program weighs parts of the application differently so some one out there will take you. Just keep your head up and Good Luck!

 

[rangardrum]

Getting rejected is EXTREMELY common in this process. The vast majority of people get rejections. Try not to take it personally. I had a 3.96 gpa and 1340 gre and still got rejected at Northwestern. There are so many applicants in recent years that schools often have to turn down people they wouldn't have even hesitated to accept in the past. They only have so many seats available after all. It says nothing about you personally.

Your GPA is right around the average range (3.4-3.5), for accepted candidates at all schools. I wouldn't worry about that. You've applied to plenty of other schools, right? Was Samuel Merritt just high up on your school wish list?

 

[imallama]

Getting rejected is EXTREMELY common in this process. The vast majority of people get rejections. Try not to take it personally. I had a 3.96 gpa and 1340 gre and still got rejected at Northwestern. There are so many applicants in recent years that schools often have to turn down people they wouldn't have even hesitated to accept in the past. They only have so many seats available after all. It says nothing about you personally.

Your GPA is right around the average range (3.4-3.5), for accepted candidates at all schools. I wouldn't worry about that. You've applied to plenty of other schools, right? Was Samuel Merritt just high up on your school wish list?

Oh wow, crazy. I thought a person with your stats would for sure get into almost any program, lol.

I understand that its not a personal thing, it's just that I thought I'd at least get into one of the 11 programs I applied to by now, but still no dice. Its down to the last 4 schools (USC, UOP, Chapman, and Azusa).

As for Samuel Merritt, I only really liked it and wanted to go there because of the massive amount of clinical hours they give you. I am a very big hands-on type of learner, and because of that, I wanted to try to get into a program that lets you use direct application of knowledge. I feel that my strongest area isn't so much in academics but more in people skills, so if I'm able to, I'd like to be able to use that skill as much as possible.

 

[Azimuthal]

I had friends from East Bay who were rejected from Samuel Merritt. One letter said that the the application pool was very competitive, while the other had the same statement yours did. The latter was actually missing a pre-requisit requirement. I'm not saying that you did, but that was the case with his application - 1 missing biology course to fulfill a year's requirement on a quarter based system.

 

[fallingreason]

It's not all about scores and grades.

 

[AbbaZabba]

It's not all about scores and grades.

While that's true, many schools place most of their emphasis on those things.

 

[imallama]

I had friends from East Bay who were rejected from Samuel Merritt. One letter said that the the application pool was very competitive, while the other had the same statement yours did. The latter was actually missing a pre-requisit requirement. I'm not saying that you did, but that was the case with his application - 1 missing biology course to fulfill a year's requirement on a quarter based system.

Hmm, I fulfilled all the required classes (as it stated that on the letter), so I'm not sure of what it could be exactly. I think it might be my pre-req GPA. My combined science and math is 2.94, but factoring in some of the other requirements pushes it past 3.0 I believe.

 

[Kepania]

It's not all about scores and grades.

No it is not. You also wrote an essay(s). You had letters of reference. There were other places on the application to indicate your extracurricular activities. I don't know when you completed undergrad, but another thing I've learned is that some schools appreciate an applicant with some life/work experience and not just fresh out of school. There are many factors. Each school has it's definite/minimum requirements, but the admissions committees look at your whole application and different schools give varying amounts of weight or importance to every part. Don't get discouraged. Rejections are a major part of this process. When April rolls around you can ask SMU for advice on how to strengthen your application should you choose to reapply there next cycle. But hopefully you'll get into one of the other schools. Good luck!

 

[rickygeli]

Don't ever doubt yourself. It wasn't what they are looking for but another PT school will love what you have to offer.

That's true!

 

[AbbaZabba]

Thought I'd give some confidence boosters:

I only had a 3.0 cumulative GPA

But, I had about a 3.4-3.5 prereq GPA

1190 old GRE 4.5 AW

I really focused on my essays. I also work at a pediatric hospital, in the rehab dept. So, I could get (what I feel) were above ave letters of rec.

Just found out I got into a school. So. Very. Excited.

Point? Keep your head up! Someone will take you. And, if not this year, next year!

p.s. I've got several rejections with the generic "Your application was not strong enough. Here are ways to improve your application: Increase GRE, GPA, get better letters of recommendation, do more volunteer hours, and focus more on your essays." Basically, do everything, but do it better. (Wow, thanks for the specifics, right?)

 

[Azimuthal]

Hmm, I fulfilled all the required classes (as it stated that on the letter), so I'm not sure of what it could be exactly. I think it might be my pre-req GPA. My combined science and math is 2.94, but factoring in some of the other requirements pushes it past 3.0 I believe.

That may be the case but you shouldn't worry too much about it. How many schools did you apply to? I was rejected by 3 schools before I received an acceptance. Embarrassingly, my combined GRE score (previous version) was sub-1000. None of my rejection letters told me what I needed to improve on. I just got the generic "the application pool for admittance was very competitive this year..."

Keep at it! You will find a PT school that best fits you!

 

[Tiumoy]

Your stats are fine. I got accepted into Touro College in New York and University of Michigan - Flint with my statistics.

University: University of Illinois at Chicago
Major😛sychology
Overall GPA: 3.4
Pre-Req GPA:3.1
GRE: 1090 (400V/690Q)

Full Time Rehab Tech (SNF) - 8 months Experience

 

[imallama]

Thought I'd give some confidence boosters:

I only had a 3.0 cumulative GPA

But, I had about a 3.4-3.5 prereq GPA

1190 old GRE 4.5 AW

I really focused on my essays. I also work at a pediatric hospital, in the rehab dept. So, I could get (what I feel) were above ave letters of rec.

Just found out I got into a school. So. Very. Excited.

Point? Keep your head up! Someone will take you. And, if not this year, next year!

p.s. I've got several rejections with the generic "Your application was not strong enough. Here are ways to improve your application: Increase GRE, GPA, get better letters of recommendation, do more volunteer hours, and focus more on your essays." Basically, do everything, but do it better. (Wow, thanks for the specifics, right?)

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm happy for you 🙂 But yeah...generic rejections are so...unhelpful.

That may be the case but you shouldn't worry too much about it. How many schools did you apply to? I was rejected by 3 schools before I received an acceptance. Embarrassingly, my combined GRE score (previous version) was sub-1000. None of my rejection letters told me what I needed to improve on. I just got the generic "the application pool for admittance was very competitive this year..."

Keep at it! You will find a PT school that best fits you!

I applied to 11 schools total, 6 in California and 5 out of state. I didn't get into any from out of state and have gotten rejected from 2/6 in California. So as of now I'm I only have 4 schools left to hear from.

Your stats are fine. I got accepted into Touro College in New York and University of Michigan - Flint with my statistics.

University: University of Illinois at Chicago
Major😛sychology
Overall GPA: 3.4
Pre-Req GPA:3.1
GRE: 1090 (400V/690Q)

Full Time Rehab Tech (SNF) - 8 months Experience

Ah, okay. I have 160 volunteer hours at an inpatient/outpatient hospital setting and am still trying to rack up more hours. By the time the final PT verification hours are done, I should have over 200 hours total.

 

[fallingreason]

Not to be a Debbie downer, but CA schools are some if the most competitive simply because of the location. Did you see the PTCAS message that said CA received as many applicants as the 27 lowest applicant states combined?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using SDN Mobile

 

[NeophyteParkour]

Ah, okay. I have 160 volunteer hours at an inpatient/outpatient hospital setting and am still trying to rack up more hours. By the time the final PT verification hours are done, I should have over 200 hours total.

To be honest, I don't think "your stats are fine" is the motivation you need. A 3.0 GPA might get you in somewhere, while a 3.5 might get you rejected somewhere else. People with all kinds of GPAs get rejected from schools, so it's never a guarantee.

If you do not get into a school this year, if you want to make your application stronger, then don't stop at 200 hours of volunteering. Get as many settings as you can and maybe choose different people for references (maybe a more recent PT will be a more appropriate person to get a reference from). I know someone with a GPA around 3.55, and he got rejected from all the schools he applied. He spent the following year collecting more volunteer hours, and the next year when he got accepted, the school he was originally rejected from told him it was the extra volunteer hours that really changed their mind about him (showed that he was motivated, and it was what he wanted to do in life).

You could also consider raising your prereq GPA by taking classes at a community college. I know it's probably the last thing you want to do right now, but if it helps you get accepted somewhere, then it's worth it.

Yes, your stats are good enough where you may get in somewhere next year even if you do nothing more. However, it's the likelihood of getting accepted that you want to improve.

 

[imallama]

To be honest, I don't think "your stats are fine" is the motivation you need. A 3.0 GPA might get you in somewhere, while a 3.5 might get you rejected somewhere else. People with all kinds of GPAs get rejected from schools, so it's never a guarantee.

If you do not get into a school this year, if you want to make your application stronger, then don't stop at 200 hours of volunteering. Get as many settings as you can and maybe choose different people for references (maybe a more recent PT will be a more appropriate person to get a reference from). I know someone with a GPA around 3.55, and he got rejected from all the schools he applied. He spent the following year collecting more volunteer hours, and the next year when he got accepted, the school he was originally rejected from told him it was the extra volunteer hours that really changed their mind about him (showed that he was motivated, and it was what he wanted to do in life).

You could also consider raising your prereq GPA by taking classes at a community college. I know it's probably the last thing you want to do right now, but if it helps you get accepted somewhere, then it's worth it.

Yes, your stats are good enough where you may get in somewhere next year even if you do nothing more. However, it's the likelihood of getting accepted that you want to improve.

Yup, my back up plan is that if I don't get into any programs, I'm going to attend a community college to re-take some of my science pre-req's while also trying to find a job as a PTA somewhere.

As of right now, I really enjoy volunteering at the hospital I'm at and I'm going to try to get as many volunteer hours as I possibly can. If I don't get in, I'll try to keep my volunteer position there. If I do get in, I'll finish out as many hours as I can before the semester starts (but that's once again assuming that I get into a program).

For my hospital references, I got a Recreational Therapist and the Physical Therapist in charge of the volunteer program at the hospital I'm at. Maybe next time I'll just double up on the Physical Therapist recommendation letters, haha.

 

[DPTHopeful921]

a safe bet as far as recommendation letters are at least 2 PTs and an academic reference. Thats what a lot of schools want, just from what I have seen and schools I applied to. I wouldnt do the Recreational Therapist as a reference, I think it speaks more about how much you want to do PT school if you get a PTs to do letters. In the end its your application, but I just figured I'd offer up my opinion.

 

[NewTestament]

Here are my suggestions:

-Apply to state schools and private schools. It's hard to get accepted to OOS schools.

-Keep volunteering. One mistake I made is that I stopped volunteering after 300 hours. 300 hours is good, but if you have the time, keep volunteering. Try to gain 100+ hours in three different settings. Check your local hospitals, assisted care facilities, and ask others PTs if they can connect you with specialized PTs. The nurse at my hospital connected me with an in-home PT. Most applicants have no more than two different settings so having three would be golden.

-Retake some classes at your community college and save money. The second time you take a class, it's much easier and you'll feel like an expert. Buy a study guide too.

-Have two PTs and one professor write your a LORs.

-Prepare answers for some of the most common questions asked in interviews. Peruse SDN, and me, for advice.

Kevin

 

[meredithpd]

This is good advice from NewTestament. Remember that you're competing against people like me. I had ok stats (As and Bs, and I did above average on the GRE), but I worked for a few years after college in 3 settings: general OP ortho, a pediatric hospital, and a hand therapy specialty clinic. I also already had a few hundred hours of volunteering throughout college. Plus, in my free time I volunteered a lot, like with Ambucs and in the med tent during the local marathon, etc.

Part of the weeding-out process is pulling people who are "green." The more experience, the more likely you are to be accepted.

Be careful not to be too all about PT. My interviewers asked me more about extracurriculars, like being president of Photography Club and a pit crew I was in once-upon-a-time, than they did PT-related stuff. No one even asked about my undergrad research. Not once. I think I got into good schools because I brought diversity and experience to the table, not just good stats.

Hope this helps. And I hope you get good news from the remaining schools!

 

[imallama]

Here are my suggestions:

-Apply to state schools and private schools. It's hard to get accepted to OOS schools.

-Keep volunteering. One mistake I made is that I stopped volunteering after 300 hours. 300 hours is good, but if you have the time, keep volunteering. Try to gain 100+ hours in three different settings. Check your local hospitals, assisted care facilities, and ask others PTs if they can connect you with specialized PTs. The nurse at my hospital connected me with an in-home PT. Most applicants have no more than two different settings so having three would be golden.

-Retake some classes at your community college and save money. The second time you take a class, it's much easier and you'll feel like an expert. Buy a study guide too.

-Have two PTs and one professor write your a LORs.

-Prepare answers for some of the most common questions asked in interviews. Peruse SDN, and me, for advice.

Kevin

Wow, thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it Kevin. I'll for sure send you a message asking about some other things. I have an interview with UOP on Friday, so I've been trying to prepare for that. Hopefully things go well, but you never know lol.

If I don't get in to any schools, I'm definitely going to try to get a 3rd PT experience. What would you recommend, by the way? SNF? At-home care? What do you think would make your application really stand out?