Need Advice: USP vs. Reapply next year?

[Konmavro]

Hey everyone,

First let me introduce myself. My name is Konstantinos and I just joined this site. I am a recent graduate from Rutgers University and got my B.S. in Exercise Science and Sport Studies. I want to go to physical therapy school and was recently accepted to The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. There is a catch though...they accepted me to the "last pre-professional" phase of the program. This entails me re-taking the last undergrad year before I start the professional physical therapy part of the program. I have already taken many of the classes in this phase and the school has been pretty vague on explaining this situation fully to me. Also, they make it seem like this is the only option as I wouldn't be able to pick and choose classes to re-take. I was wondering if anyone has been in this situation before and has any advice about me pursuing/passing on this opportunity. I was wait listed at the Joint Rutgers/UMDNJ Camden program and also have the option of reapplying next year after heightening my credentials. The USP program would allow me to breeze into the PT program as long as I obtain a 3.0 on this pre-professional phase, but it would cost me a year of tuition and schooling. Please, any advice or similar situations would help me a lot as I am laboring on accepting or taking a year off. Thanks in advance and I am happy to have found a place like this.

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[PTapp]

What's your GPA and GRE scores? If they are good enough and don't get into Rutgers, I say take a year off, get a full-time job with your degree and re-apply to some other schools as early as you can. It seems like USP is being ridiculous with their requirements. I, personally, would not go to school for another year and get in more debt for USP. Good luck to you.

 

[Konmavro]

Hey sorry it took me long to reply,

My GPA is a 2.88 overall and 2.88 for my major. my GRE score was low..I didn't prepare well for the test and got a 900. Now if I decide to go to USP I would be putting myself in a huge amount of debt depending on what kind of financial aide I receive.

If I decide to take the year off, I would take a GRE class and retake the exam a second time, and I would retake a couple of upper level science courses to raise my GPA. I have experience and was thinking of getting some sort of certificate such as a CSCS or ACE to also raise my credentials.

All of this doesn't guarantee that I will be accepted if I re-apply next year which scares me. I'm really losing my mind trying to figure this out..I wish Rutgers would just admit me and put this all to an end!

 

[jesspt]

In all honesty, neither your GPA scores or you GRE would have gotten you in to PT school where and when I attended. And, I'm not sure that they're going to be good enough to get you in next year even if you take a few classes over. I think you might wqant to think long and hard about USP's option.

 

[Konmavro]

well it wouldn't just be taking a few classes over. It would be that plus gaining more experience, and also taking a GRE course so I can improve my score. But you are right, I am thinking hard about this USP option which is why I'm asking for opinions on it.

 

[es888w]

From what I got from the PT schools that rejected me, they want at least a 3.0 GPA in science/pre-reqs. However, even a 3.0 will not cut it, if everyone who applies has a 3.4.

Although some PT schools don't say what they will cut as a first criteria to look at your application, they all seem to have a min 3.2 cumulative GPA as a first bar. So they would just not look at applications with less than a 3.2 cumulative GPA, which means you could have a 3.5 science GPA and a 1400 GRE, but with a low cumulative GPA, your application was already eliminated. Of course they always say they look at everything, but you need to have the odds in your favor. Don't believe the urban legend of that one person who got accepted with a 2.7 GPA. There are a thousand other people that did not get accepted with a 2.7 GPA.

All PT schools require is 100-200 hours of PT experience so getting more experience would be helpful but might not help that much.

I am not trying to discourage you but USP seem to be at least accepting you. You would have to spend a year and tuition expenses but at least you have a chance to get into their PT program.

The alternative is to take the year off, repeat your science/pre-reqs course to raise the science GPA (which is easier to raise, because there are only about 40-45 credits that all the schools require --- raising your cumulative GPA from 2.88 will be very hard, meaning it will take a lot of courses to raise it, just try to mathematically calculate it).

Retaking the GRE will help but all of this will not guarantee that you will be accepted into a PT program when you reapply next year, unless you get a very high GRE score. I had a 1320 GRE, 3.3 cumulative GPA and 3.1 science GPA and got rejected by 5 schools (fortunately one school accepted me). I am expecting to be rejected by 2 more schools that have not decided yet.

I feel for you. It's just incredible how competitive PT schools are. Considering the expenses to get the DPT degree in order to make 60K-75K with a student loan of 150K-180K, it almost does not make sense to go into PT unless it is your dream. Good luck in your decision.

 

[PTapp]

Konmavro, with your GPA and GRE scores, I would go for USP. Like everyone else said, it will be very very hard for you to raise your GPA. (but GRE is possible, of course). If you really want to do PT, take the offer IMO.