Poor Undergrad GPA.. advice?

[future PT from CA]

I started off my undergrad VERY poorly because of personal issues. Parents got divorced, trouble staying focused in school, and worked during every year of college just to pay rent since my folks couldn't support me because of low income and divorce. I explained all of this in the app but my GPA suffered because of it.

Had a 2.6 freshman, 1.6 soph but starting my junior year I became extremely independent and motivated. 3.0 or higher and a 4.0 post grad GPA which included Anat, physio, physics 1 and 2, psych. The grades im most afraid of from my undergrad fresh and soph year were Cs in chem and D+ in gen chem 2 and many C's in gen bio. Everything else I got A's or B's in.

Do y'all think schools will weigh heavily on my undergrad bio and chem? Here are my stats which seem higher than you'd think because i omitted bio due to not having labs. Also i used ochem grades since they were higher, and counted AP Chem for one of my reqs so no GPA calc added there. A lot of schools are saying I need bio labs but some are willing to waive for me. I used to be a bio major and took 7 lower division bio but none had labs.

Current Stats after everything:
cum GPA 3.14
ptcas preGPA 3.71
GRE pending.. Taking this sunday
240 inpatient, 2500+ outpatient and pt aide exp. I also have my CSCS and certified personal trainer..

Sorry if this was complicated!
END PERSONAL STORY

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[heaq12]

I started off my undergrad VERY poorly because of personal issues. Parents got divorced, trouble staying focused in school, and worked during every year of college just to pay rent since my folks couldn't support me because of low income and divorce. I explained all of this in the app but my GPA suffered because of it.

Had a 2.6 freshman, 1.6 soph but starting my junior year I became extremely independent and motivated. 3.0 or higher and a 4.0 post grad GPA which included Anat, physio, physics 1 and 2, psych. The grades im most afraid of from my undergrad fresh and soph year were Cs in chem and D+ in gen chem 2 and many C's in gen bio. Everything else I got A's or B's in.

Do y'all think schools will weigh heavily on my undergrad bio and chem? Here are my stats which seem higher than you'd think because i omitted bio due to not having labs. Also i used ochem grades since they were higher, and counted AP Chem for one of my reqs so no GPA calc added there. A lot of schools are saying I need bio labs but some are willing to waive for me. I used to be a bio major and took 7 lower division bio but none had labs.

Current Stats after everything:
cum GPA 3.14
ptcas preGPA 3.71
GRE pending.. Taking this sunday
240 inpatient, 2500+ outpatient and pt aide exp. I also have my CSCS and certified personal trainer..

Sorry if this was complicated!
END PERSONAL STORY

I know a lot of schools won't accept a C- or lower for certain classes, so I'd retake gen chem 2 at a minimum

 

[future PT from CA]

I know a lot of schools won't accept a C- or lower for certain classes, so I'd retake gen chem 2 at a minimum

That's on my to-do list for sure. I will be applying to schools that accept Ochem for chem requirement and most have said okay. Bio lab was hit or miss, but most pointed towards having to take a bio lab before acceptance.

Think I still have a good chance this year though?

 

[Rgvmed]

here's what you do, crush the GRE and make sure you have a minimum of a C in those prereqs. When I was studying for the GRE, I kept telling myself that this is my ticket to PT school so go get it. If you are meant to be in a graduate level program, you should be able to score a 310 with the right amount of effort. This may tick some people off, but the people who are generally "bad" at standardized tests are the ones who don't know how to properly attack the test (keyword is generally, this doesn't apply to everyone so don't flame me for my generalization). It's a game, play the game. If you can go into the application process with a 315 GRE or great, many schools are going to want to snatch you up regardless of your overall GPA.

 

[DesertPT]

This has been covered ad nauseum...search for a few threads on bad GPAs and PT school and you will find all the info you need.

 

[future PT from CA]

I believe you @knj27

I have read much about the possibility that PT school is still in reach, I just like hearing objective feedback and what areas most would consider to prioritize over others

 

[DesertPT]

Well as you may very well know, factors in your acceptance are generally going to be as follows (in rough order of most to least critical - YMMV depending on your personal history and the schools you are applying to):

1. pre-req GPA (and/or science GPA depending on the school)
   
2. cGPA
   
3. GRE scores
4. LORs/Essay(s)/Observation hours (each school values each pretty differently, but all together these three aspects show your dedication to PT/answer the "why PT" question)
5. Non-PT extracurriculars and achievement/awards/other (the less critical "bonus points" that make you look like a well-rounded individual).

So pretty much you need some of everything, but I'd prioritize your efforts in that order.

Interview scores are also critical obviously, but that could fit anywhere in the ranking depending on the school, and it is not a part of your initial application.

 

[future PT from CA]

I have a similar rating scale in my head as yours and most others on SDN, One area that I have trouble evaluating is the science GPA. I was once a bio major and didn't enjoy the pure sciences much. The 7 bio courses I took in my undergrad drag my science GPA down, but my last 60 credits are almost all A's and especially core PT as you can see are extremely high.

I'm hoping adcoms use the same logic as i do.

Can anyone chime in on what kind of applicant I should be? Aim for lower schools? Aim for the wherever i choose and explain my undergrad grades? What is realistic with my stats and background.

 

[DesertPT]

Can anyone chime in on what kind of applicant I should be? Aim for lower schools? Aim for the wherever i choose and explain my undergrad grades? What is realistic with my stats and background.

Aim for whatever is cheapest.

 

[ktachiba]

Aim for whatever is cheapest.

Personally, I would rather pay an extra $20-30g's to go to a school that I would enjoy rather than going to the cheapest school. I figure I'll just work until I'm 70ish instead of retiring at 65 to make up for the difference in tuition, as I don't want to be useless when I get older and do nothing all day. Plus, I believe I've found an occupation that I would enjoy doing the rest of my life, so it won't feel like work even when I'm that old.

Even if I get accepted to the state schools in California, I would rather go to UNE in Maine cuz I don't want to live in Los Angeles. I hate the traffic in that area, and California is over crowded, especially in LA. So for me, the most important factors when deciding on a school are the NPTE pass rate/graduation rate, and location of the school.

 

[Rgvmed]

Personally, I would rather pay an extra $20-30g's to go to a school that I would enjoy rather than going to the cheapest school. I figure I'll just work until I'm 70ish instead of retiring at 65 to make up for the difference in tuition, as I don't want to be useless when I get older and do nothing all day. Plus, I believe I've found an occupation that I would enjoy doing the rest of my life, so it won't feel like work even when I'm that old.

Even if I get accepted to the state schools in California, I would rather go to UNE in Maine cuz I don't want to live in Los Angeles. I hate the traffic in that area, and California is over crowded, especially in LA. So for me, the most important factors when deciding on a school are the NPTE pass rate/graduation rate, and location of the school.

I can respect that, and that is ultimately your decision but those are A LOT of "ifs". How can you possibly know what you will feel like at 65? You could end up with a bad back and saddled with PT loans at age 55, who knows. I'm just saying, you shouldn't base your current decisions on your mindset, and much less your body, at age 70. But, you do make a good point. If you feel like loans won't stress you out and you are willing to pay up, then I can see where you are coming from.

 

[ktachiba]

I can respect that, and that is ultimately your decision but those are A LOT of "ifs". How can you possibly know what you will feel like at 65? You could end up with a bad back and saddled with PT loans at age 55, who knows. I'm just saying, you shouldn't base your current decisions on your mindset, and much less your body, at age 70. But, you do make a good point. If you feel like loans won't stress you out and you are willing to pay up, then I can see where you are coming from.

haha yeah that's true...I guess I should have said paying an extra 20-30g's would be worth it to go to a school where I would enjoy living and being at, rather than saving money and living in an area I would be miserable at. However, I feel that I could find ways to work as a PT even if I get injured later on in life. The occupation has so many options and areas to work in, that I'm sure I could find a position where I could make money no matter how physically hurt I am.

 

[infinitedpt]

That's amazing that you took 7 bio classes and none of them had labs. Wow! is about all I can say. I think most PT schools will require the labs (without waiver), so if you cannot get those taken, you may want to only consider schools that have told you they would waive the requirement or they don't require them (which I have not seen any schools that don't require them).

I agree with the statement to "Go Get That GRE Score"!! It sounds like it could/will be very important in your case. Scoring high on the GRE can prove that this is something you can do.

I started off my undergrad VERY poorly because of personal issues. Parents got divorced, trouble staying focused in school, and worked during every year of college just to pay rent since my folks couldn't support me because of low income and divorce. I explained all of this in the app but my GPA suffered because of it.

Had a 2.6 freshman, 1.6 soph but starting my junior year I became extremely independent and motivated. 3.0 or higher and a 4.0 post grad GPA which included Anat, physio, physics 1 and 2, psych. The grades im most afraid of from my undergrad fresh and soph year were Cs in chem and D+ in gen chem 2 and many C's in gen bio. Everything else I got A's or B's in.

Do y'all think schools will weigh heavily on my undergrad bio and chem? Here are my stats which seem higher than you'd think because i omitted bio due to not having labs. Also i used ochem grades since they were higher, and counted AP Chem for one of my reqs so no GPA calc added there. A lot of schools are saying I need bio labs but some are willing to waive for me. I used to be a bio major and took 7 lower division bio but none had labs.

Current Stats after everything:
cum GPA 3.14
ptcas preGPA 3.71
GRE pending.. Taking this sunday
240 inpatient, 2500+ outpatient and pt aide exp. I also have my CSCS and certified personal trainer..

Sorry if this was complicated!
END PERSONAL STORY