Low Grades, 3+ W's, & PT School...PLEASE HELP!!

[deleted854653]

Hi all,
I have a couple of questions and honesty would be greatly appreciated

I started college Fall of 2014 and was a straight A student...until Fall 2016 [my junior year]. I attend a tier one university and my cumulative GPA is a 3.3 but my grades have went down TREMENDOUSLY due to lack of motivation and not knowing what I want to do with my life. But long story short, I..
-dropped Precalculus Fall 2016
-got a D in Gen Chem 2
-retook Gen Chem 2 in Spring 2017 and dropped the class along with General Biology 2

...So within two semesters, I have dropped 3 classes.
To make matters worse, I am on the verge of dropping another class this semester [General Physics 1].
I became interested in physical therapy this past summer but this is a huge issue that has me wondering if I should even go through with applying to PT school.

I know that dropping classes in consecutive semesters looks really bad but I am graduating in December 2018 and plan on retaking General Biology 2 next semester. My plan is to apply to the 2019 cycle and use the gap semester to accumulate more shadowing hours and retake classes. I am also actively looking for a job as a PT/Rehab Technician, as the experience is more valuable than volunteering
But since I already have 3 W's on my transcript, should I just abort my plan to attend PT school?
I'd hate to waste time making up for past failures only to have my applications trashed once the admission committees see all the classes I've dropped.
I feel like physical therapy would be a great career for me because I am a fitness fanatic and the job requires helping others regain mobility. I'm just at a stand still because the field is so competitive and my stats are pretty incompetent. What would you recommend doing?

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[Abudara]

I have 3 W’s and I submitted my applications to 8 schools last month.

3 W’s isn’t that big of a deal, they don’t count against your GPA. I would just try to avoid any more W’s and try your hardest to get A’s in the remaining prerequisite courses you have. If you got a C or lower in any prereq class, I would retake that course as well.

As far as gaining experience as a rehab aide.. I think it’s helpful for different reasons but I would prioritize your classes (especially prereqs) over anything else.

Your cGPA is 3.3, if you scroll through this forum you’ll find dozens of people that got into DPT programs with a cgpa of 3.3 or lower. I don’t think you have a reason to give up now.

 

[DPT2021]

First, I think you have a pretty good essay ahead of you. Most people have trouble trying to think of a topic to write about. You should be able to come up with something about how the pursuit of a PT career allowed you to rededicate yourself. I think as long as you can explain the Ws, you can turn those into a positive.

I think your plan is pretty good but you might want to consider stretching things out to Spring 2019. Retaking Bio shouldn't be too bad but having to take Chem 2 at the same time as Physics 1 or 2 might be tough. I guess it depends on your class load and how good you are in math (chem, and especially physics, are more math oriented than the other sciences).

After thinking about it, I'd probably take chem 2 by itself after graduating in December. I'd use the extra time working and preparing for the GREs.

 

[deleted854653]

If you can sell yourself as an applicant and convey your rising motivation in the way of consistently improving grades, then you stand a chance. I just got into my #1 program and here's my background:

6 dropped classes, including precalculus and Physics 1. 'D' in Gen Chem 1. Retook Gen Chem 1 and received a 'C'. 'F' in Gen Chem 2. Retook Gen Chem 2 and got an 'A'. 'C' in A&P 1. Retook A&P1 and got an 'A'. On top of all of that, I graduated with an overall GPA of 3.23 and a "best attempt" prerequisite GPA of ~3.4. I did many of my retakes this past summer after graduating. I ended up completing 14 credit hours in one summer and receiving an 'A' in all 4 courses.

However, I did perform above average on the GRE. My last 60 credit hour GPA was 3.74. Also, my undergrad university was quite rigorous, which may have helped. Considering that you're at a tier 1 school, it should help give you an extra nudge.

Outside of grades, I worked as a rehab aide for 2 years, volunteered a crap ton in different areas besides PT, and wrote a pretty good essay, if I do say so myself.

As far as your question about being a rehab aide versus volunteering, be aware that, though being an aide offers valuable experience to you and your application, volunteering for 30 hours in 5 different PT settings is arguably better than 1,000 hours in one setting as an aide.

Moral of the story-- don't give up if you're passionate about physical therapy. As long as you show tangible proof of your willingness to improve and work hard as a student, there's a program out there willing to take a chance on you.

REPLY:
Were the classes retaken at a community college or your university?
I want to take the remaining prerequisites at a community college for financial reasons

 

[ugadpt18]

REPLY:
Were the classes retaken at a community college or your university?
I want to take the remaining prerequisites at a community college for financial reasons

I retook them at my local university. While the university was less rigorous and less expensive than where I received my degree, it was a university nonetheless.