New PTCAS Essay Question for 2018-2019!

[PT_Student_123]

Applicants applying via PTCAS in the upcoming 2018-19 cycle will respond to a new PTCAS essay question, "Describe a meaningful experience in your life. Reflect on how that experience influenced your personal growth, such as your attitudes or perceptions." Responses will be limited to 4500 characters. DPT programs may require additional school-specific essays. The 2018-2019 application instructions will be available in mid-May.

Good Luck! New Applicants! Get this essay out the way now!

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[Octopussional]

Where did you find this info?

 

[PT_Student_123]

Where did you find this info?

A reliable Health Advisor from UC San Diego, Adele Savage. She belongs to a professional organization for advisors for the health professions, and the physical therapy liaison with her professional organization sent it to her.

 

[cc_pt]

Should my response to this essay question tie back into physical therapy and why I want to be in their program or can it be unrelated? Not so sure how the experience I am thinking of would relate to physical therapy. Thanks for the help!

 

[PT_Student_123]

Should my response to this essay question tie back into physical therapy and why I want to be in their program or can it be unrelated? Not so sure how the experience I am thinking of would relate to physical therapy. Thanks for the help!

This is the general PTCAS prompt, so this goes to ALL your programs not just individual ones, so you don't want to address individual schools in this particular essay.

The question asked another way could be, "What is something that has happened in your life that has helped you personally grow?" Essentially you are telling a story and explaining how that story has helped you grow as an individual. This is a really open ended prompt, so have fun with it.

 

[TheDancingWriter]

I didn't really feel like the question was answered, but do all of these prompts have to tie back into physical therapy somehow, or no?

 

[PT_Student_123]

I didn't really feel like the question was answered, but do all of these prompts have to tie back into physical therapy somehow, or no?

I would tie the quality that you are trying to highlight through your story back to an aspect of PT.

 

[dpt0207]

@TheDancingWriter
Like @PT_Student_123 said even though the prompt doesn't mention anything specifically about PT, I would still relate something in your essay to PT. Explain why you want to be a PT, a quality you have that will make you a good PT, a lesson you learned that you'll use as a PT, etc., I talked to one of my professors who also teaches in the DPT program at my school and reviews applications. He said even though the prompt doesn't say anything about PT, you should still tie PT into your essay. (This may not be necessary for every program; but I think it'll help to write something in relation to PT in your application.)

 

[destinedDPT]

I'm trying to find the 2018-2019 PTCAS application instruction, does anybody know if it's up yet?

 

[FTPT]

I'm trying to find the 2018-2019 PTCAS application instruction, does anybody know if it's up yet?

My advisor told me that even though last year's cycle is officially closed, this year's cycle doesn't officially open until end of June/ beginning of July! (Not sure if this is true though, it was just his response when I asked why it hadn't updated!)

 

[destinedDPT]

Thank you for getting back to me. Good luck!

 

[dpfdpt]

Applicants applying via PTCAS in the upcoming 2018-19 cycle will respond to a new PTCAS essay question, "Describe a meaningful experience in your life. Reflect on how that experience influenced your personal growth, such as your attitudes or perceptions." Responses will be limited to 4500 characters. DPT programs may require additional school-specific essays. The 2018-2019 application instructions will be available in mid-May.

Good Luck! New Applicants! Get this essay out the way now!

Will this likely be the essay prompt if I apply Fall of 2019? or just for Fall 2018?

 

[PT_Student_123]

Will this likely be the essay prompt if I apply Fall of 2019? or just for Fall 2018?

I have no idea for the cycle of 2019-20. I only know that this is the general essay prompt for 2018-19 cycle.

 

[ACPTWannabe]

I have also confirmed this is the prompt from the pre-health advisor at my university, Appalachian State in North Carolina. I feel like this prompt gives us a unique opportunity to share aspects of our stories that we otherwise would be unable to convey in our application. While it maybe important to mention physical therapy it won't be strictly necessary to do so. Striving to do so just for the sake of mentioning PT could actually weaken your essay by drawing focus away from how your experience shaped your outlook.

 

[triciamartin23]

wow thanks!

 

[dptdiaries]

Does anyone know the prompt for the 2019-2020 application cycle?

 

[BBol]

I believe it changes every two years. So it should be the same prompt as the 2018-2019 cycle since the 2017-2018 prompt was different.

 

[BYoo]

Does anyone know the prompt for the 2019-2020 application cycle?

It's awesome to see that you want to stay on top of things by starting a couple of months before the cycle opens. Applying early is highly recommended as many programs do rolling admissions.
However, make sure the essay stays relevant and fresh in your mind. Some programs may ask you about them during interviews which can sometimes be months after you've written it.
If you obtain the prompt beforehand, what I suggest is for you to write this essay a week before the application opens. This way, it will stay fresh and relevant as you write program specific essays and allow you to connect key ideas between them (because often times, the prompts are all similar). At the same time, it will give you enough time to actually write the other essays and get your application turned in as soon as possible.

 

[PROMKing]

I'm a current 2nd year PT student, willing to help proofread essays. DM me if interested.