Need help being competitive for next year

[lucylovesspud]

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Hey y'all!

I am a non-traditional student, I suppose, planning to apply next year. As I'm working out my game plan for being as competitive as possible on my application, I need some advice.

A little background first - I graduated a few years ago with a degree in Industrial Design. I have work experience as a product designer, web designer, graphic designer, and marketing manager. I was laid off a year or so ago, and decided to change careers. My undergraduate gpa is low, 3.19. I haven't taken the GRE yet. I've been working hard to make As in my prerec courses I'm taking at community college, so far so good. I didn't have to take hardly any hard math or sciences for my under grad (precisely why I chose that major) so I have all those to take over the next few semesters. I have about 25 observation hours at two different facilities, but plan to get at least 100 before I apply. I volunteer at my church a lot, and teach a toddler Sunday school class. Other than that, most of my time is spent on school and working. I was elected to my city's chamber of commerce board of directors while I was working, so that is an extra-circular I guess.

My main question is this, will being able to add "volunteering with my registered therapy dog" enhance my application much? When my dog was a puppy, I started training him to be a therapy dog. It was a goal of mine when I was still cooped up in my office job, but I never finished the training. I'm wondering if I should resume training now so that I can add that to my application. It will be costly and time consuming, but fun. I just want to know if anyone thinks it will be worth it for me to add another item to my plate right now. Will this make me stand out? The program that we will be training with is legit and getting through this therapy dog training is no joke.

Also, I'm trying to be smart about where I apply. Anybody know any schools that love to be innovators or be ground breakers or anywhere, really, that I might have an advantage with my design background??

Thanks in advance! And good luck to all of y'all applying now!

 

[starrsgirl]

I don't think going for the official therapy dog training will change your application much. In my opinion, these extra curricular type activities are way down the list in terms of evaluating your competitiveness. Certainly, if you did work with your dog as a therapy dog, it would give you some interesting talking points in your essay and interviews. But when you say it's costly and time consuming, it's probably not worth it. The best thing you can do for yourself if ace your classes, take the GRE and get more observation hours. Especially because you are a non traditional student, they will look more at that then put a ton of weight on extra curriculars. You sound fine in that department with the things you already have.

 

[kingofqueensDPT]

Hey y'all!

I am a non-traditional student, I suppose, planning to apply next year. As I'm working out my game plan for being as competitive as possible on my application, I need some advice.

A little background first - I graduated a few years ago with a degree in Industrial Design. I have work experience as a product designer, web designer, graphic designer, and marketing manager. I was laid off a year or so ago, and decided to change careers. My undergraduate gpa is low, 3.19. I haven't taken the GRE yet. I've been working hard to make As in my prerec courses I'm taking at community college, so far so good. I didn't have to take hardly any hard math or sciences for my under grad (precisely why I chose that major) so I have all those to take over the next few semesters. I have about 25 observation hours at two different facilities, but plan to get at least 100 before I apply. I volunteer at my church a lot, and teach a toddler Sunday school class. Other than that, most of my time is spent on school and working. I was elected to my city's chamber of commerce board of directors while I was working, so that is an extra-circular I guess.

My main question is this, will being able to add "volunteering with my registered therapy dog" enhance my application much? When my dog was a puppy, I started training him to be a therapy dog. It was a goal of mine when I was still cooped up in my office job, but I never finished the training. I'm wondering if I should resume training now so that I can add that to my application. It will be costly and time consuming, but fun. I just want to know if anyone thinks it will be worth it for me to add another item to my plate right now. Will this make me stand out? The program that we will be training with is legit and getting through this therapy dog training is no joke.

Also, I'm trying to be smart about where I apply. Anybody know any schools that love to be innovators or be ground breakers or anywhere, really, that I might have an advantage with my design background??

Thanks in advance! And good luck to all of y'all applying now!
.

My undergrad GPA was lower! i graduated with a 3.03 overall. I fell sick my sophomore year spring semester and had a 1.8(ended up retaking every course) GPA and i just received admittance to PT school. It is deff possible, look into schools that look at your higher grades in pre req courses and do well on your GRE i think that is what helps. If you have a low GPA then make up for it with a high GRE. It took me 2 cycles to get in but in this cycle alone i received 3 interviews and already have 1 acceptance. Just remain focus and everything will work out!

 

[UpDownPT]

Hey y'all!

I am a non-traditional student, I suppose, planning to apply next year. As I'm working out my game plan for being as competitive as possible on my application, I need some advice.

A little background first - I graduated a few years ago with a degree in Industrial Design. I have work experience as a product designer, web designer, graphic designer, and marketing manager. I was laid off a year or so ago, and decided to change careers. My undergraduate gpa is low, 3.19. I haven't taken the GRE yet. I've been working hard to make As in my prerec courses I'm taking at community college, so far so good. I didn't have to take hardly any hard math or sciences for my under grad (precisely why I chose that major) so I have all those to take over the next few semesters. I have about 25 observation hours at two different facilities, but plan to get at least 100 before I apply. I volunteer at my church a lot, and teach a toddler Sunday school class. Other than that, most of my time is spent on school and working. I was elected to my city's chamber of commerce board of directors while I was working, so that is an extra-circular I guess.

My main question is this, will being able to add "volunteering with my registered therapy dog" enhance my application much? When my dog was a puppy, I started training him to be a therapy dog. It was a goal of mine when I was still cooped up in my office job, but I never finished the training. I'm wondering if I should resume training now so that I can add that to my application. It will be costly and time consuming, but fun. I just want to know if anyone thinks it will be worth it for me to add another item to my plate right now. Will this make me stand out? The program that we will be training with is legit and getting through this therapy dog training is no joke.

Also, I'm trying to be smart about where I apply. Anybody know any schools that love to be innovators or be ground breakers or anywhere, really, that I might have an advantage with my design background??

Thanks in advance! And good luck to all of y'all applying now!
.

All your professional experience, chamber work, and dog stuff is gold. This will get you into schools above what your stats dictate. Remember to flesh out these soft skills.

I am non trad and received interviews or acceptances at schools I have no business going to simply because of my professional experience. Aim high, these flaky college students are unarmed opponents when it comes experience and interviewing.