Well I'm screwed.

[ImAToysRUsKid]

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I thought I'd be above the 3.0 Science GPA and it looks like the way PTCAS calculates it . . . . I'm not. Science GPA is calculated on Anatomy and Physiology in Biology, Biology, Chemistry and Physics only.

I am 31, and when I was younger I went to a community college, not because I wanted to but, to appease my parents. Because I wasn't focused, my grades suffered as I didn't really care about school at all. I got two F's in Biology and Chemistry, C's in Anatomy and Physiology and withdrew from other courses. Later on I went back to school, got my degree and retook those courses. I received A's and B's in Anatomy and Physiology and Chemistry along with A-'s on both Physics I and Physics II. (I'm taking Chemistry II this spring.)

I'm just pissed. I've spent a lot of time and energy working toward this and two schools have already rejected my application based on this arbitrary definition of "Science" courses. Why don't they consider "Other Science," "Movement Science" in the Science GPA? And why don't they exclude the previous grade if you retook the course? I failed Chemistry I, retook it and received a B. Great right? No, I'm left with a 1.5 GPA in my Chemistry GPA calculation.

Just came here to vent because I'm a little too embarrassed to bring this up with my girlfriend or others that have been supporting me all these years.

 

[SPT hopeful]

I thought I'd be above the 3.0 Science GPA and it looks like the way PTCAS calculates it . . . . I'm not. Science GPA is calculated on Anatomy and Physiology in Biology, Biology, Chemistry and Physics only.

I am 31, and when I was younger I went to a community college, not because I wanted to but, to appease my parents. Because I wasn't focused, my grades suffered as I didn't really care about school at all. I got two F's in Biology and Chemistry, C's in Anatomy and Physiology and withdrew from other courses. Later on I went back to school, got my degree and retook those courses. I received A's and B's in Anatomy and Physiology and Chemistry along with A-'s on both Physics I and Physics II. (I'm taking Chemistry II this spring.)

I'm just pissed. I've spent a lot of time and energy working toward this and two schools have already rejected my application based on this arbitrary definition of "Science" courses. Why don't they consider "Other Science," "Movement Science" in the Science GPA? And why don't they exclude the previous grade if you retook the course? I failed Chemistry I, retook it and received a B. Great right? No, I'm left with a 1.5 GPA in my Chemistry GPA calculation.

Just came here to vent because I'm a little too embarrassed to bring this up with my girlfriend or others that have been supporting me all these years.

Don't give up man! I am In my mid 30's and barely made it through high school -graduated with<2.0 GPA. I was denied from my state school (that everyone easily got into) where I grew up as they suggested a local community college because of my high school grades. It took me all these years to build up good enough grades and had to even retake a physics course because I withdrew, barely scored a 300 on the GRE, and was able to squeeze into a top 10 DPT school this year. Have a strong story on your essay and find references that will go above and beyond in writing your reference letter. Best of luck!

 

[FeesicalTerrapee]

PTCAS gpa calculation off to me because it doesn't account for the repeated courses. Instead it counts for all the course. I'm in the same boat where it brought my gpa down lower than I expected. But i really do believe it matters to focus on the schools that are have heavy consideration for course repeats. I noticed as I was filling out applications that many schools have their own supplemental application that allow you to show your repeated courses. This factors into the school's gpa and is a lot more accurate than the PTCAS. If its really something you want to do, you should give them look at those programs.

I think a lot of us are in your position, so keep positive and contact the schools that you have a chance at!

 

[okramango]

Each PT program will have their own way of calculating science GPA and prereq GPA, and they don't always use the GPAs that PTCAS calculates. PTCAS does not do grade replacement, but some programs will replace grades in their calculations. In your case, it probably would be best to research and find programs that replace grades and apply to those ones. Don't give up yet, it's just a matter of applying to the right programs.

 

[starrsgirl]

You just need to find some other places to apply! I had a PTCAS math/science GPA that was below a 3.0. I was a math major for a few years and took years of advanced calculus. I got C's in those classes which I was pretty proud of at the time. I also failed Differential Equations when I started taking it (and then stopped being a math major...haha). So anyway, even though i'm really good at math and STILL tutor high school and college kids, my math and science GPA is awful. I applied to 2 top 20 rated schools and 1 school that is the worst ranked ever. I got into the first 2 schools because they just used the pre req GPA. The crappy school rejected me based on my math/science GPA. REALLY?! I'm doing really well now at one of the AWESOME schools so I figure it's that school's loss.

Anyway, now that you have your official calculations, look to target some other schools if you need to. Go for schools that do grade replacements, or ones that use the last 60 GPA or one that use pre req GPA only.

(The other funny part for me was that I too failed Chemistry in my younger days. My Chemistry was so hold that they don't count it and required me to retake it...but yet that very old grade still counts. So you don't count it, but you count it? It's all a big numbers game you have to play.)

Good luck! And read that fine print carefully at each school.

 

[PWDPT]

I thought I'd be above the 3.0 Science GPA and it looks like the way PTCAS calculates it . . . . I'm not. Science GPA is calculated on Anatomy and Physiology in Biology, Biology, Chemistry and Physics only.

I am 31, and when I was younger I went to a community college, not because I wanted to but, to appease my parents. Because I wasn't focused, my grades suffered as I didn't really care about school at all. I got two F's in Biology and Chemistry, C's in Anatomy and Physiology and withdrew from other courses. Later on I went back to school, got my degree and retook those courses. I received A's and B's in Anatomy and Physiology and Chemistry along with A-'s on both Physics I and Physics II. (I'm taking Chemistry II this spring.)

I'm just pissed. I've spent a lot of time and energy working toward this and two schools have already rejected my application based on this arbitrary definition of "Science" courses. Why don't they consider "Other Science," "Movement Science" in the Science GPA? And why don't they exclude the previous grade if you retook the course? I failed Chemistry I, retook it and received a B. Great right? No, I'm left with a 1.5 GPA in my Chemistry GPA calculation.

Just came here to vent because I'm a little too embarrassed to bring this up with my girlfriend or others that have been supporting me all these years.

Dude, University of Saint Augustine. Or any other non PTCAS school. Apply there, destroy the GRE's, get some good LOR's. Its not over, some schools calculate their own GPA's even if it is a PTCAS. Just do some research on here and the PTCAS directory about schools that may or may not be PTCAS, accept low GPA's (Touro Nevada, AT still, Nova, etc...), and then you'll be good. Don't have the 'its over' attitude, which is what your post seems like you have gone to. Good luck man. Im in the low GPA boat too well get in.

 

[charliexbrown]

I went through the same thing when I saw my Science GPA calculated. Here I am thinking it would be at least a 3.0 then I see that 2.64. 🙁 I first initially just thought I might as well just work flipping burgers cause no school would accept me (lol). I also remember being really upset they didn't factor in my A&P classes in the GPA since I got A's in both. I guess it has to be biology based versus human based to count in the GPA, but it still makes no sense to me. I always felt it was a science class and I busted my butt to get A's in them to boost my 'science GPA'. But alas...

But then I did my research and looked up schools that don't look at science and combined science+math GPAs since mine were on the low end. As others on this post have said, research schools that don't require a 3.0 for the science GPA. It took a while but I looked up EVERY accredited program in the US and compared their requirements. I was able to find 6 schools that I liked and could see myself at with my numbers. Unfortunately this also made the number of schools I wanted to apply to smaller, which really upset me... but I'm glad I didn't end up wasting money to immediately get a rejection for not meeting qualifications. I honestly am not a huge fan of PTCAS' GPA calculation, so first I highly sought out non-PTCAS schools to apply to. University of Saint Augustine for the Health Sciences is a good option, since they will only factor in your higher grades for your pre-requisite GPA and last 45 hours (I think) for your grade trend GPA.

Good luck! You still have lots of options of schools available to you. It's not over yet 🙂

 

[ImAToysRUsKid]

Thanks for the kind words, support and encouragement. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the advice given is applicable to me. I am getting married this summer and we would like to start to "settle in" somewhere and plan for a family in the near future. I don't have the freedom to venture out to programs across the nation that doesn't hold to the PTCAS-calculated science GPA.

It's all truly unfortunate and disheartening. I've been sulking over this revelation for a few days and have become a bit of a recluse. I thought that retaking courses would absolve me from this error of judgement I made almost a decade ago. I never seem to catch a break.

Good luck to everyone else.