PTCAS Submission

[hboardz133]

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I'm sure all of you got this e-mail after registering yesterday with this sentence.

""" APPLY EARLY!! Do NOT wait for PTCAS to receive all of your materials before you submit your application. It can take up to 4-5 weeks to process your file once it is "complete" (application, fee payment and all U.S.transcripts received)."""

It then follows it with this:

IF REQUIRED BY YOUR DESIGNATED PROGRAMS, you should next...
(4) Take GRE and request official scores to be sent to correct codes.
(5) Complete the Reference section, so your evaluators have time to respond.
(6) Complete the PT Observation Hours and arrange for a PT to verify your experiences.
(7) Submit supplemental materials and fees directly to your designated programs.


So exactly what do we need to have done before we can submit? It seems like they just want your general info, transcripts, and money before you submit. Obviously, we all want to be early since they don't start processing till its submitted and it sounds as if the GRE, LOR's, observation, and other supplemental materials can alllll be done after submission. I think PTCAS is being quite ambiguous when it comes to this.

Woosah. Got a little flustered there for a moment! 😡 happy PTCAS'ing.

 

[jdaniels360]

It may be able to be submitted, but i'm sure you won't be considered until they have all your official info and documentation, so why not just have everything together before you submit? Unless you're taking the GRE super late. At least that's what i think i plan on doing :S

 

[okramango]

You also can't change your essay or extracurriculars once you submit. You can add more letters of recommendation or new PT observation settings, but I wouldn't trust PTCAS to send these to your schools if they have already sent your submitted application to your schools. They do say that they send these to schools if you update them, but some of us had problems with this last year. I added more observation hours to my PTCAS after they sent my applications, and one of my schools did not see this and initially disqualified me. I had to proactively work with the school to look again at my PTCAS to see that I had added more hours and met their minimum, and the school later offered me admission. I agree with Joe that it's much easier to just have everything ready by the time you submit.

Also, keep in mind that if you submit in July or August, it very likely won't take 4-5 weeks to process. Last year I submitted my application in late August and it took only 3 days to process once they had all my transcripts. The longer processing times happen if you wait longer to submit.

 

[jdaniels360]

Quick question with transcripts mango... So we just go to the registrar's office and tell them we need a copy of our official transcript sent to PTCAS's address? I can't find the address they want the transcript sent to on the instruction set. PTCAS is also slow to respond on twitter and facebook right now. Wouldn't it be more efficient to do this electronically rather than by mail? Maybe it already is that way, i'm not really sure.

 

[ptlover]

there is a PTCAS transcript form under the institutions attended tab

 

[okramango]

Quick question with transcripts mango... So we just go to the registrar's office and tell them we need a copy of our official transcript sent to PTCAS's address? I can't find the address they want the transcript sent to on the instruction set. PTCAS is also slow to respond on twitter and facebook right now. Wouldn't it be more efficient to do this electronically rather than by mail? Maybe it already is that way, i'm not really sure.

You have to print out a form for each or your institutions from PTCAS, after you input all your classes, and that form has the address where your transcripts need to be sent. Your school needs to include that form with the transcripts to PTCAS.

I'm sure you can go to the registrar's office to do it, but I did it all by mail and electronically. I had five colleges to send transcripts from, and some of them allowed electronic transcript orders, while others only took orders by mail or in person. I just checked each school's website to find out. To do it by mail, I just printed the transcript order form from the website, included the PTCAS form in the envelope, and requested that they include the form with the transcripts. For electronic orders, I was able to scan the PTCAS form and send to the school. It just depends on your school and how they handle transcript requests.