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[nismo13]

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Hey I'm a junior at UIC, going to apply for the 2012-2012 cycle for PT school on PTCAS. I have not taken my gre yet, planning on taking it in the spring. I am a Kinesiology major, movement science concetration

Just wondering if anyone has any tips or any words of wisdom for me lol

 

[NeophyteParkour]

Get everything done EARLY.

LOR's, GRE, Applications, Supplemental Essays, PTCAS, etc.

 

[nismo13]

Well i can't start my ptcas until july when the 2012-2013 cycle starts.

I still have to take the gre which is on my list

My letters of recommendation , how many do you guys think is a good idea , and from whom?

And I can't apply yet for the school programs until July most likely

 

[NeophyteParkour]

Well yea I meant PTCAS and applying in the appropriate time, not now. Applying in September is better than in December though.

For LORs I recommend getting between 3-5. At least 1 from a PT, and at least 1 from a professor. Most of the schools I'm applying to require 3, with those 2 necessary, or perhaps a professor in major specifically. You should probably ask them sometime around when you have your PTCAS application started, so that they can submit it and not have to hold onto it for a while.

 

[nismo13]

Thanks for the tips

Just gotta keep my gpa up as this is the last year of grades the committee will see when i put my application together.

Also gotta get a gre study guide and think about who i am gonna beg for my lor's 😛

 

[Litlwarrior08]

You can nose around the PTCAS site and check out the various programs and the requirements. Everything is there regarding requirements and how / and who to contact at the schools. Even the directions for filing it out. Then check out the program web sites--in depth. PTCAS allows for 4 LORs. Be ready to start your PTCAS app in July 2012 when the cycle opens. Keep a log of your observation hours and contact person(s) info- must be a PT. Save your money....the process cost $$$ and the 2ndary apps / transcripts, application fees to the specific programs, etc. AGAIN...start ASAP....don't wait until nov / dec to start. i have seen where people will start a PTCAS app (don't hit submit or make payment) just so they have access to see the program. Wish I had thought of it sooner because I was stressed waiting for PTCAS to open. But it isn't that bad if you have all your stuff ready to input. Good Luck

 

[rangardrum]

Just to add what others have said about PTCAS, try to get your transcript(s) sent to them ASAP too. It can take them weeks and weeks to process and review it, and that hung me up for a few weeks when I was otherwise done with my app. I started on it very early though, so I still had my apps sent out fairly early (late Aug.)

 

[nismo13]

Well I still have this spring semester as well as a couple classes in summer. So I will start the application in July. But I will have to wait till the end of summer for my transcript because of the summer classes.

 

[Litlwarrior08]

PTCAS lets you do an academic update in Dec after your initial application. This way you can add your summer and Fall semester grades w/ a new transcript and post your planned spring classes. For you that would be the summer and fall of 2012. If you will have all your stuff done summer of 2012 you might want to hold off sending the transcript till your grades are up (ususally by Aug). So it would still be early enough unless you were trying to get in for early decision which everything is due by aug 15. but again it is ok to have an outstanding class/in progress / planned when you apply.

 

[rangardrum]

Well I still have this spring semester as well as a couple classes in summer. So I will start the application in July. But I will have to wait till the end of summer for my transcript because of the summer classes.

Hmm, depending on how late those summer classes go, you might still want to arrange for a transcript to be sent to PTCAS right around when they open up the new application cycle in July. This past summer I took a couple classes, and these classes don't currently have grades assigned to them in PTCAS. That didn't stop me from getting accepted at the first school I've heard back from though!

There is an "academic update" in PTCAS in December in which you can have another transcript sent to PTCAS after your fall quarter/semester to update course grades for any outstanding courses that you have listed (as planned coursework) through the fall. I'd think you could just update your grades for the summer classes then. What's nice about that is this allows you to get your application sent out earlier.

Are you interested at all in Early Decision option? I didn't use that option, but you'll especially need to get the transcript in right away in July if you'd like to go that route.

 

[nismo13]

Yeah I have a lot of tough classes lined up for the fall so I don't know if I want to do an academic update after my fall classes are over with.. lol

But i haven't thought about early decision. I am in Chicago and i know UIC has early decision so I guess it would be worthy to know if i got in or not a bit earlier. So i think my best option is to send in my transcript when the applications open up in July. When should i have my gre score by , I still have to take it :/

 

[Litlwarrior08]

GRE should be done late spring if you want the score for early decision app. Some people take one just to see how they do and if not "good enough" or they want to score higher... they take it again. You might want to give yourself time to get a 2nd one in. Check out the ETS site for how long it takes to get the results. Things changed this year and the dust should be settled by the start of the new year.

 

[rangardrum]

Yeah I have a lot of tough classes lined up for the fall so I don't know if I want to do an academic update after my fall classes are over with.. lol

But i haven't thought about early decision. I am in Chicago and i know UIC has early decision so I guess it would be worthy to know if i got in or not a bit earlier. So i think my best option is to send in my transcript when the applications open up in July. When should i have my gre score by , I still have to take it :/

I like Litlwarrior08's advice about considering giving yourself time to take it twice, just in case.

If UIC is your first choice, I'd definitely try to get into their ED pool of applicants if you can!

 

[nismo13]

I'm definitely shooting for early decision.

Whats the ets site btw?

I am going to order a kaplan gre course book set , my brother is using one for the mcat, i figure this should get me ready. There are also free practice exams at scheduled times on the kaplan website. Will try to take one of those to see where I'm at.

 

[rangardrum]

I'm definitely shooting for early decision.

Whats the ets site btw?

I am going to order a kaplan gre course book set , my brother is using one for the mcat, i figure this should get me ready. There are also free practice exams at scheduled times on the kaplan website. Will try to take one of those to see where I'm at.

Sounds good.

ETS: http://www.ets.org/ 🙂

 

[nismo13]

November 29, 2011 or later 10 – 15 days after the test date

So I will most likely take it a little later than November, and I should get it back within 10-15 days, sounds reasonable.

 

[nismo13]

The classes I am taking in the spring are

Kn 261 - kinesiology class
Math 180 - calc
HN 318 - genetics class for my major
CL 201 - medical terminology

In the summer I am taking
Kn 352 excercise physiology
PSCH 320 - developmental psych

I know that the medical terminology is a prereq for some schools as well as the developmental

Will it hurt that they don't see a grade for developmental psych since the summer class is an 8-week session: June 11 - August 3

And many of you told me to send in my transcripts in July.

In regards to this acedmic update in December , it will update my summer as well as Fall grades into the system. Is this absolutely necessary , will schools look down on my application if i don't do this? Like i said I will be taking some tough classes in the fall and am not sure if I should go through with the academic update

 

[rangardrum]

The classes I am taking in the spring are

Kn 261 - kinesiology class
Math 180 - calc
HN 318 - genetics class for my major
CL 201 - medical terminology

In the summer I am taking
Kn 352 excercise physiology
PSCH 320 - developmental psych

I know that the medical terminology is a prereq for some schools as well as the developmental

Will it hurt that they don't see a grade for developmental psych since the summer class is an 8-week session: June 11 - August 3

And many of you told me to send in my transcripts in July.

In regards to this acedmic update in December , it will update my summer as well as Fall grades into the system. Is this absolutely necessary , will schools look down on my application if i don't do this? Like i said I will be taking some tough classes in the fall and am not sure if I should go through with the academic update

Schools will need to see that you adequately completed ALL prerequisites before the time in which the program begins. The academic update is just a convenient way in PTCAS of going through with that process (through fall of that year at least). I believe after that you have your transcripts sent directly to the school (not PTCAS) for the next year if you're still finishing prereqs. The latter situation shouldn't apply to you though if you're done after those summer classes.

In my case, I was conditionally accepted with the assumption that I adequately complete my remaining prerequisites before the program begins this coming summer. If I were to not complete the prereqs (or not report them), I assume I'm not admitted.

EDIT: Whoops, forgot to address one more thing. It won't hurt at all that they won't see the grade for those final two classes when you apply in the summer. You'll just want to use the academic update to report your grades once it's made available. Hope that helps!

 

[nismo13]

Well in the case of early decision , im not sure what schools have this , I think UIC as well as Northwestern ( I am applying to about 5 Illinois schools ) If I apply to ed for these 2 programs as well as any others in august which is the due date. They will only see my grades for spring semester and not my summer or fall 2012 grades correct?

I think i should be set with all my pre reqs. I am going by northwestern's guide since it is the most strict i believe. They require 12 hours of behavioral sciences. I have a intro to psych, i have abnormal, and am going to take developmental in the summer, but that leaves one more class that i need. i am taking Kinesiology 335 for my major this semester which is excercise psychology, will this count as the 4th and overall 12th credit needed to satisfy northwestern's behavioral sciences pre reqs? I mean if i go through early decision with them, they will see all but my summer grade , and there should be a section where i mark the classes I am taking in the summer as well as fall right? Because another thing is that I took both my anatomy and physiology classes at a community college and UIC doesn't recognize the lab portion so I have to take a cadaver course next fall to make up for those credits. This is why i want to make sure that Northwestern as well as other schools will see that I am in the process of attaining credit for developmental in the summer as well as the cadaver class in the fall so they can rest assured for early decision that I will have those classes completed. Sorry I am being wordy , but i just want to make sure I have all my pre reqs in order and I am glad I found this site with such helpful people 🙂

 

[exsc4950]

If you decide to go with ED, you will be able to pick one school, and one school only from PTCAS. If you aren't admitted into the program, the rest of the PTCAS programs are opened up for you. If you decide to do ED, the due date for the application will be mid-August. The 2011-2012 cycle's ED application due date was Aug 15.

 

[Litlwarrior08]

When I applied in July 2011 I entered my planned fall 2011 and planned spring 2012 classes into PTCAS courses page. I sent my trans which included up to sp 2011. I will again up date in dec to show the new grades from fall 2011 and the continued plan for 2012. You have to send transcripts to PTCAS for the dec update so they can verify the new grades. Then the final transctripts go directly to the schools that accept you (or just the one you choose) because they will want to see that you completed the prereqs and your BS/BA degree. Requirements must be completed before you start the program. This is hard for applicants needing to take or repeat a summer course and the DPT program starts in June or July. So keep that in mind for you applications.

Correct on the transcripts for ED --usually tranny grades just show the spring prior and you put the summer and fall into planned and do AU. Ditto rangardrum. And I would assume most applicants are conditionally accepted because we have the BS/BA to complete and prereqs.

This is reminding me how many questions i had about the whole process---This forum has been very helpful. Really hope someday I can help others because I get accepted and can give program support to peers.

 

[nismo13]

Ok so i did not know that i could only send out one early decision. And if I do , then all my other apps are put on hold until i get a decision. Well my first choice would have to be UIC but idk if I should do early decision now.

So if i do early decision then UIC will see my spring grades and my summer and fall classes will be inputted as to be completed.

But if i don't do early decision then all the schools will see my spring and fall + summer grades due to the ptcas grade update in december.

Like i said I have a tough fall course schedule next year and I dont know if I want my schools to see those course grades.. lol

I think going ed for UIC would be my best bet since this would only let them see my spring grades. But if i do this , what is the latest i could get a decision back, will it really hurt me if i am rejected?

 

[rangardrum]

Ok so i did not know that i could only send out one early decision. And if I do , then all my other apps are put on hold until i get a decision. Well my first choice would have to be UIC but idk if I should do early decision now.

So if i do early decision then UIC will see my spring grades and my summer and fall classes will be inputted as to be completed.

But if i don't do early decision then all the schools will see my spring and fall + summer grades due to the ptcas grade update in december.

Like i said I have a tough fall course schedule next year and I dont know if I want my schools to see those course grades.. lol

I think going ed for UIC would be my best bet since this would only let them see my spring grades. But if i do this , what is the latest i could get a decision back, will it really hurt me if i am rejected?

If your first choice school offers ED, I say go with it. The only reason I didn't do it was because I didn't have a clear #1 option that offered ED. I think it's a great choice though if your #1 school offers it. Sometimes they only get a surprisingly small number of ED applicants, and that helps your odds.

 

[nismo13]

Thanks for the response

I have also read that ed gets small pools of applicants at times. But if i don't get in ed , is there still a chance for me to get into lets say Northwestern? That is my second choice and I am jw if my app will get to them too late

 

[rangardrum]

Thanks for the response

I have also read that ed gets small pools of applicants at times. But if i don't get in ed , is there still a chance for me to get into lets say Northwestern? That is my second choice and I am jw if my app will get to them too late

As of this year, both Northwestern and UIC have deadlines in mid-October. The only applicants you'll be behind at Northwestern are the ED applicants (if you ED at UIC). Decisions on ED candidates are made relatively quickly, so it shouldn't threaten your app arriving at Northwestern in time. For instance, this year Northwestern notified ED candidates about their status by Sept 27 (I know this because I applied there). So as you can see, that's before the deadline for any program in the country.

Also, lots of helpful information about specific program deadlines can be found below.

http://www.ptcas.org/Directory.html

 

[nismo13]

That's reassuring

If i get any more questions il be back lol

And i looked at ur stats , very impressive, good luck at Pitt