Older Applicant ??

[ninjaLifts]

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Hello all,

I spend most of my 20's in the military. I am now 31 and been looking at going the DPT route. My undergrad degree is a Bach. of Arts from an accredited online school. My credits will transfer fine, so I am not worried about that portion (asides from not having the flashy big name school degree). I also should add my degree GPA is a 4.0, but I do have a few 3.0's from 12 years ago in my community college days.

My real question is; since I have an BA degree should I focus on taking pre-reqs from a community college, or should I apply for a masters in exercise science, and then apply for DPT school. I do have some pre-reqs already but not nearly enough.

Also, does anyone on here have experience applying for DPT programs as an older student? If so, how did it go?

Thanks all.

 

[runnerflute]

I'm 30, a non-trad student and I'm finishing up my 1st year of PT school. We are still young, my friend!

Save money and take your pre-reqs at a CC. A master's degree isn't going to help you since the DPT is an entry level clinical doctorate.

I decided 5 years ago that I wanted to become a PT. My bachelor's is in music and I had to spend 2 years taking pretty much all the pre-reqs. I applied and got in my first cycle. Schools will appreciate your experience and maturity. You'll offer a different perspective to younger students.

Good luck as you decide your next steps!

 

[scrawnyguy]

I was in a similar situation, only I'm a little older at 34. I was in the Army for about 14 years. I finished my degree while still serving, but I didn't have any of my prereqs completed so I went back to school full time at a CC when I got out a couple years ago. I was recently admitted to one of the more competitive programs in the country so it's formula that can definitely work.

 

[starrsgirl]

I was in a similar situation. I'm turning 35 and in my 2nd of PT school. I also spent my 20s in the military.

Don't worry about a masters. You can absolutely do the pre reqs at a community college. From personal experience, if you happen to have the affordable option to do a few semesters at a state university or similar for the pre reqs, I think you will give yourself that much more help when you get into PT school. It may also make you slightly more competitive (versus community college) at time of application but not enough to be prohibitive if you can't do it (I'm a community college girl myself....didn't hurt too bad for applications but I definitely had to play catch up a bit in my first year of school)

Go ahead and average all your GPAs together now (remember to find ANY and ALL schools you took any classes at ever.). For me this ended up being 7 schools...and sadly quite a few failures and withdraw-failing when I had to drop a class late in the game because of military requirements. If you have anything like that, just make sure you include them in your GPA calculations so you know where you are standing.

Also, last thought....even though you say your credits will transfer, make the call to your top schools and make sure they will actually accept the pre reqs you have completed. If it's an out of state school or they haven't had a student from there before, sometimes they have to look it up and make sure. Again, you don't want any surprises when it's time to apply.

 

[ninjaLifts]

good advice from all.

thank you!

 

[Carson Ranger]

I'm 42 and wrapping up my first year at UNLV.

1. get your pre-reqs done as cheaply and conveniently as possible. Community College pre-reqs are just as good as any other school in the vast majority of cases. And in ANY case, an A at a CC trumps a lower grade anywhere else -- the PTCAS calculations are paramount to keep your application on the table.

2. a master's would be a waste of time if you know you want a DPT.

2. ALL PT programs want a mix of backgrounds and experiences in their incoming classes. Non-trads are essential to producing a well-rounded class of entry-level DPTs.