PTCAS 2013-14 Essay Question

[gravesw87]

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Does anyone know what the essay question is? Do they even release that information prior to July 2nd? I assume it will change from the prior application cycle.

Sorry if the answer to this can be found elsewhere. Everything I found when doing a search was relevant to the 2012-13 cycle.

 

[jdaniels360]

Not released till July 2nd as far as i know. If anyone knows otherwise please share 🙂

 

[nicolej5]

ours last year was released several weeks before I believe. I definitely remember working on it before the cycle opened.

 

[MyFutureBH]

ours last year was released several weeks before I believe. I definitely remember working on it before the cycle opened.

how did you all get your essay so early and where did you have to go on ptcas since the app is not actually open?

 

[nicolej5]

how did you all get your essay so early and where did you have to go on ptcas since the app is not actually open?

I just did in word docs and slowly worked on it. Copy and pasted when the cycle opened.

 

[jdaniels360]

I think myfutureBH is asking where on PTCAS can the essay be found before the release date of july 2nd.

 

[okramango]

It was announced on their facebook page.

 

[AlexFLA]

Hi Alex, the essay for the 2013-2014 Application Cycle, which launches on 2 July will be: “Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as a career choice versus other health care careers.”

 

[nicolej5]

Hi Alex, the essay for the 2013-2014 Application Cycle, which launches on 2 July will be: “Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as a career choice versus other health care careers.”

Hm that's interesting. That's the same one as last year. My understanding is that they change it all the time. The best tip I got for this prompt was to really go into the decision making PROCESS. Key word. Not "oh I needed pt and thought I'd become one." That's what motivated you to become one, not the thought process involved in choosing pt and eliminating the others. Really gear your essay towards that.

 

[okramango]

The previous essay prompt was used for a few years, so they might be using this current one for a few years too before they change it again.

I do remember last year that PTCAS released another essay prompt sometime in the spring. It was something about professionalism in terms of direct access to PT. Then closer to the start of the application cycle, they changed their mind and announced the essay prompt about the decision making process. So you might not really get a final answer to the essay prompt until closer to the opening of the new cycle.

My suggestion (and what I did last year), is to make a list of all of the things that you want to make sure your PT programs know about you, regardless of what the essay question is. Are there certain experiences, personal traits (with specific examples of them), or ideas that you want to make sure your programs know about you, and that don't show up anywhere else in your application? You can then figure out how to incorporate that info into your essay depending on whatever the prompt is.

Whatever the essay question ends up being, remember that schools really want to make sure that you truly want to be a PT and have the academic ability, maturity, focus, and motivation to make it successfully through their program. Whatever the essay question is, make sure that you convince your programs of these things with your essay.

 

[ems7]

Does anyone know what the essay question is? Do they even release that information prior to July 2nd? I assume it will change from the prior application cycle.

Sorry if the answer to this can be found elsewhere. Everything I found when doing a search was relevant to the 2012-13 cycle.

According to the PTCAS FB site, an admin answered a student on Thursday who posed this same question. Their response was:


The essay for the 2013-2014 Application Cycle, which launches on 2 July will be:

“Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as a career choice versus other health care careers.”

 

[BrighterFuture]

But this was the prompt for 2012 cycle too?

 

[pubicsymphysis]

Mmm.. I guess they recycled it

 

[Gopher1]

About how long are people making their essays? I hate adding fluff, so the shorter the better for me.

 

[adetutu04]

It's the same as the previous cycle, "Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as a career choice versus other health care careers"

Fine with me.

 

[jasonc]

There is a 4,500 character limit, including spaces (~1 page).

I'm assuming most people will be somewhere in the 4,000 range.

 

[jdaniels360]

Sheesh! One page? That's it?! Idk why I thought 4500 was more.... =\

 

[megi1212]

Question for Re-applicant: There is only one box for essay submission, does that mean first time and re-applicants submit their essay in the same box? Because from what I know there used to be two separate boxes.

 

[easb]

Question for Re-applicant: There is only one box for essay submission, does that mean first time and re-applicants submit their essay in the same box? Because from what I know there used to be two separate boxes.

I also expected to see the second box there, but it is not there! The second box should have been for the second essay for those who are re-applying, right? I suppose new applicants and re-applicants just submit one essay in the same box.

 

[ptlover]

From my understanding, you fill out the re applicant essay for the specific school you are reapplying to. Many of them have this option.

 

[okramango]

There is a 4,500 character limit, including spaces (~1 page).

I'm assuming most people will be somewhere in the 4,000 range.

Just FYI, last year some of us wrote essays that were just barely under the 4500 character limit according to Word, but when copied and pasted into PTCAS it was not accepted. I had to cut my essay several times, down to about 4450 characters, before PTCAS would accept the essay. That was frustrating since I had put so much work into my essay and keeping it under the 4500 character limit.

 

[IndianaDPT]

As the DPT Admissions Director for Indiana University, let me say that PT programs are consulted by APTA regarding the general admission question yearly. There is a feedback process whereby programs indicate their preference for questions, although programs may include their own supplemental questions.

I welcome your questions about the Indiana University program, located in Indianapolis, America's 13th largest city and amateur sports capital of the world!

Best wishes to all!

Josh Morrison
Director, Student Enrollment Services
Indiana University School of Heath and Rehabilitation Sciences
http://www.shrs.iupui.edu.
[email protected]