Taking multiple years off b/w undergrad and PT school?

[thisismyaccount]

I had sort of awkward timing regarding my graduation from college. I had always planned to take a year off between undergrad and PT school. I graduated in December 2013 (which took me by surprise, I didn't expect to get all my classes so easily throughout college) with my BS 1 quarter into senior year (so 2 quarters early) and was going traveling in the Spring so I couldn't even apply for jobs until June (but I did have a job at my college campus during the period before my traveling). During the summer I was applying for PT aide jobs but didn't get any and just got employed as a rehab aide a few weeks ago in the nursing home setting.

Applications are already starting to be due for PT school on October 1, and I'm just not prepared at all. I haven't even taken my GRE yet, let alone feeling well-researched in the schools I want to apply for, knowledgeable about their programs, faculty, etc, researching about how student loans work, and having to apply a whole year before you even want to start has blindsided me a bit. My reluctance is mainly due to me having a relatively low GPA (but I do have quite a bit of experience in different settings) and I really don't know how likely I am to get accepted, so I have been a bit scared about applying so soon.

I'm really thinking that I should put off applying rather than starting in 2015-16 school year, until 2016-17. I'm not really that worried about the whole age of getting my degree thing (I turn 23 in December and know I'll be in the 26-30 range by the time I finish school, assuming I get in), but I just wonder how schools will look at me when I am applying for the first time almost 3 years after I technically completed undergrad (December 2013 undergrad, applying to start PT school in the Fall of 2016 rather than 2015).

Anyone able to give input?

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[davidtheusername]

They won't care. I'm in my early 30's and applying after a ten year career in education. Lot's of people aren't going straight to school. If your GRE/prereq GPA/cumulative GPA are good then you're going to be ranked well whether you apply the day you graduate or 10 years later. If you do decide to wait a year, you might as well use part of that time to strengthen your application. Retake some of the prereq classes that gave you a low GPA at a community college. Use that time to nail the GRE too. The cumulative GPA is harder to raise, but in a year you should be able to make your prereq GPA and GRE look pretty good and that makes up for the other GPA being low.

 

[DesertPT]

As long as none of your pre-reqs are too old (some schools require they be taken in the last 5, 7 or 10 years, depending on the school), and you can put together a competitive application, you're good to go.