Anyone have specific recommendations for schools more open to accepting older students? I'm doing my own research, but just looking for more info.
PT school recommendations for older students
- Thread starter Nigel0223
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Sorry for not being more specific. More like late 30s, early 40's. Thanks.
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I agree that most, if not all schools, will look to see if you're competitive and don't care what your age is. If anything, your age may give you an advantage because you likely have better interprofessional and interview skills than those just graduating college.
I think most schools like variety in the student population, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. At my program (boston U) we have like 10 people in their 30s... Oldest is 36 or something. MGH IHP in boston has nontraditionals and older I believe too.
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They'll accept anyone who meets standards and pays tuition.
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Agree with all of what is said above. As far as I can tell, programs tend not to care how old you are.
In terms of your overall experience in a program after you're accepted, I do think that some schools tend to have more nontraditional/older students than others. I went to an info session at Samuel Merritt in Oakland, and it seemed like a large portion of the students (Maybe around half or maybe even more? Not sure) were older students going back to school. My sense was that this was less about admissions targeting those students and more about those students being the ones who could afford the program because they had savings from past work. One student I spoke with had been a lawyer for a number of years, others were returning to school from other careers.
Some schools publish average age of students- keep an eye out for this sort of info when you're researching programs.
In terms of your overall experience in a program after you're accepted, I do think that some schools tend to have more nontraditional/older students than others. I went to an info session at Samuel Merritt in Oakland, and it seemed like a large portion of the students (Maybe around half or maybe even more? Not sure) were older students going back to school. My sense was that this was less about admissions targeting those students and more about those students being the ones who could afford the program because they had savings from past work. One student I spoke with had been a lawyer for a number of years, others were returning to school from other careers.
Some schools publish average age of students- keep an eye out for this sort of info when you're researching programs.
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Yes, in my class at MGH IHP we have several students in their 30s including myself. I believe the oldest is 38.
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I think these types of questions are great to ask at interview days and campus tours (ask the current students the numbers in their class and the class above/below them). I am an older student and go to a school with hardly any non traditional students. There is 1 other older student in my class. And there are NONE in the class below me. And in the class above me, there were maybe 2 students I would consider "non traditional" but they were still younger.
I go to a highly competitive, traditional state school. If I had to predict, I bet the schools with lower admissions numbers (GPA, GRE) will have more older students. It's really difficult to correct poor undergrad GPA from a long time ago, or take the GRE after being out of school forever....I had a lot more luck getting into private schools because of that. I also felt that the private schools seemed to value the diversity more than the state school (state school had a million 4.0 gpa applicants they can choose from).
I go to a highly competitive, traditional state school. If I had to predict, I bet the schools with lower admissions numbers (GPA, GRE) will have more older students. It's really difficult to correct poor undergrad GPA from a long time ago, or take the GRE after being out of school forever....I had a lot more luck getting into private schools because of that. I also felt that the private schools seemed to value the diversity more than the state school (state school had a million 4.0 gpa applicants they can choose from).
OP - I think that if a non-trad has good enough GPAs/LORs/GRE scores/etc to get an interview spot, chances are very good that s/he will get in. Older students bring a lot of life experience to the classroom and most schools value that. Use that to your advantage also, by highlighting stuff that you have done, that a 22 y-o couldn't have. I have an unusual background and talked about it with the faculty members who interviewed me. After I got accepted, many of them brought it up as I went to their offices to chat or ask questions about tests/homework- I think they wanted to hear the rest of my stories...
There is no program that is going to balk at a student in their 30's, 40's or above. In fact, most programs like taking these students as it adds an element of maturity and different perspective to a class with a lot of 22 year olds. That said, the standards for entry are not one bit different for anyone, no matter what your age. Most of the time, at the end of the day students are ranked according to GPAs, GRE scores and interview scores, and may the best man win...age isn't really a factor.
