References + PTCAS questions

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I am kind of iffy about my references and the strength of the letters and worried about how much this will affect my acceptances. Unfortunately I wasn't really tight socially with my professors at my Uni. I already graduated from my undergrad and had a year off.

I only have one professor who accepted to write me a reccomendation, but we aren't close and I wasn't "memorable". I figure for the other references I could get two PTs to write them too if I shadowed with them recently. Still, just shadowing with a PT (10-20 hours) can make it difficult for them to really know me. So yeah, these references are worrying me about how much schools take a look into consideration of them. I am just so worried about the recommendation letters more than my stats. My stats are kind of low, but poor letters might weigh them down even more...

I have been working a part time job at a restaurant.... but I don't know if I should ask my employer to write me a reference seeing that the work setting isn't... PT/health care related. Should I go ahead and use them as a 4th reference?

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PTCAS Questions

I haven't e-submitted my application yet. I'm still trying to get my references in... I know the deadline for some schools are Feb 15. Question is, if I e-submit, can I add any new references or hours? I don't have the the references or hours planned yet because I haven't been able to make the arrangements at the moment.

It is safe for me to just add fake stuff in to save the spot, and then edit it later and ask for verification?

After you e-submit once, and add school more schools later, do you have to go through the process of getting references, hours, transcripts confirmed/processed again?

Some of these may have been listed in the ptcas faqs... but I just want to make sure from others about their experiences. Thanks.


Here are my stats
Cum undergrad GPA: 3.49
Sci-math GPA: varies 2.8-3.0
GRE: verbal 460, math 570

 

[markelmarcel]

So yeah, these references are worrying me about how much schools take a look into consideration of them.

Well... I don't know what to say because I had really strong LOR. Even though I came back from taking 2 years off to take my prereqs, when I was in my classes I always made sure the professor was aware of who I was by being a student that always asked for help/asked questions in class/etc. It's hard to be "noticed" when you are in a room with 90-120 people (like in my classes) but I made the extra effort to go and ask for help. I even went as far to visit most of my professors to explain my situation to them- I was 25, came back to school because I want to go to PT school, have a degree, etc, etc. I think that this really helped me, because I was able to ask for references with more confidence.

As far as my PT LORs, the one is a family friend and I have known her for my entire life, and she was the one that pushed me to go DPT instead of PTA, so I know my letter from her was good. The other PT- I did only shadow with for awhile, but I just tried to make as good of an impression as I could and when I asked him for a LOR I told him that if he was uncomfortable "rating" me/writing one, that I understood since I had only just met him.

I think of it this way (and this is just my opinion)-- A LOR is sometimes the only glimpse of "you" that an admissioms committee gets (other than your personal statement) and I want to make sure that those I ask have given me STRONG support in case the school doesn't interview and this is my only shot at giving them a first impression of me. I also think that strong LOR can help weaker grades, I was blessed to have strong grades.

That being said, when people agree to write LOR, I doubt that they write them to sabatoge you, or say negative things. If it's someone you aren't as close with, it will probably be more vaque "hard-worker", "polite", whereas if it's someone you have formed a relationship with it's more explicit "Jim was a hard-worker in lab, always volunteering to help students who were struggling."

I have been working a part time job at a restaurant.... but I don't know if I should ask my employer to write me a reference seeing that the work setting isn't... PT/health care related. Should I go ahead and use them as a 4th reference?

Keep in mind, PTCAS only allows you to have 4 letters total, if you were to meet a professor/another PT/PTA that could write you a better letter, you won't be able to use them if you already have 4.

I used another professor (chem) as my 4th "extra" one. So I had 2 from PTs and 2 from professors.

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PTCAS Questions
If I e-submit, can I add any new references or hours?
Yes, I believe that you can. I'm pretty sure that I did. My application was sent out to my schools a total of 3 times over the course of getting everything "complete".

Also- the longer you wait the more you jepordize yourself for getting an acceptance. This application process has been open since July 1st and even though some program deadlines are not until Feb/March they still accept applications before that, and many times are already handing out acceptances before the printed deadline.

You need to prepare yourself that you may potentially not get in this year. Then, you need to come up with a plan of attack that includes re-taking some courses to bolster your GPA (especially the math/sci one) and give the GRE another shot or two.

It is safe for me to just add fake stuff in to save the spot, and then edit it later and ask for verification?

Do not enter anything "fake" because when you submit- it will send to the schools you have applied to. If you don't have anything to input leave it blank.

After you e-submit once, and add school more schools later, do you have to go through the process of getting references, hours, transcripts confirmed/processed again?

No, once you e-submit once any changes you make on the application, including adding more schools, will cause the system to automatically send these updates to the schools you've chosen. In theory, (not always reality) that is why we have PTCAS- it's a centralized application so you do not have to repetitively go through the process of letters, transcripts, etc to each individual school. Sounds great, but it's a new system and thus there are lots of "bumps".