What should I do!?

[rachieh13]

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Help! I'm so stressed out! I have finished and submitted my applications for PT school for the 2nd time. I tried to get in last year and had no luck. In the last year I have retaken my GRE's (only improved a little from the first time I took them) and I have retaken classes to boost my GPA (which wasn't that great from my undergrad) after all this I decided I needed to try again, I am currently a PT tech and this December will have 2 years under my belt of outpatient and inpatient setting.

I'm so worried that I won't get in again and in that case, do I try for the 3rd time? or do I find something else to do? I have put so much time and money into this process and it is not cheap! I have wanted to do this forever and now it is constantly weighing on my brain and I would have no idea what else I wanted to do if I didn't do PT. I love my job as a tech but I can't live off of this income forever and I want to move on with my life. I am waiting for my boyfriend to come home from the army and when he does we're hoping to start a life together but in this area I live in there aren't many DPT programs within a commuting distance. Once he is home he already has a job lined up in our hometown so I can't ask him to relocate. There is 1 school that I could commute to and the rest would be in Philly which is a good 1hr 15 min commute. I guess that could be doable if I had to do it. I really do not want to live in that area either (I'm not a city person!) I know I'm probably being too picky because I won't move away but my boyfriend and I have had our time apart and with him moving back home I don't wanna have to pick up and leave again after he's finally home. I guess what I'm asking for is any insight from anyone who is in the field or anything that would make me de-stress a little bit. Any kind words would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[deepeetee]

Hi!
So I am currently on my 3rd year applying and I will do it again if I don't get in this year! I hate the rejection but it has also shown me how bad I really want this. My first year, I was so sure I would get in that I only applied to one school. MISTAKE! Last year I applied to 5 schools and was waitlisted on two of them. I have retaken classes and worked as a PT tech and an office manager. Just letting you know you are not the only one out there that doesn't get in the first time!!! Stick with it 🙂 and GOOD LUCK!

 

[Myosin]

Do you mind me asking what your stats are?

It depends on how deep you really want to go with physical therapy.

Is this a profession that you know for sure you want to do, even if it means another year or more in rejections?

If yes, then just stay strong and keep trying. You will eventually get in at some point if you're willing to keep working for it.

If no, or you just can't afford the money or time it takes to keep trying, then start making a plan B for something else you enjoy working as.

I have a friend in medical school. His wife lives 6 hours away from him. he lives in an apartment and she lives in their hours. He drives to see her ever weekend he can. He said it's stressful, but it's just temporary and they will have a much better life when he finishes.

Best of luck to you either way.

 

[Nailey13]

How did you do in the classes that you ended up retaking? Did you enroll in a rigorous test prep course for the GRE and did you give yourself enough time to really prepare for it well? Have you also volunteered in in-patient, rehab hospital or SNF settings? Getting a good GRE score and applying to programs that either average or take the better grade of any class that you've retaken will get you a long way. I know you've already submitted your apps, but do you feel comfortable adding a few more schools to improve your chances? You can totally do this and even if you have to apply next year, I say go for it! Do whatever it takes. Better to wait a year to do something that you really love than spend the rest of your life hating what you felt like you had to settle for.

 

[rachieh13]

Thank you so much, this has made me feel so much better.

My GPA for undergrad was 2.67 but the only reason that was so low was because of my freshman year, I have come a long way since then. Also, in my undergrad degree I did not take all of the science requirements with a lab so I have taken them all since graduating from undergrad and done very well in all of them. I don't know with these 6 classes included what my GPA will come to because I am still waiting on PTCAS to get back to me on my overall GPA calculations.If you look at my major GPA from undergrad it was around a 3.0 I believe. The classes I didn't do well in were gen eds.

I took my GRE's last year and they were the new format and I got a 138 in verbal, 142 in quantitative and 3.0 in analytical. I retook them this year and I had a 144 in verbal, 145 in quantitative and 3.0 in analytical. So I showed some improvements but not much.

I am currently retaking A&P 1 and 2 just to give me more of a boost and to refresh my memory. These classes will be completed in December and then I will have a better idea of my overall GPA

 

[deepeetee]

Better to wait a year to do something that you really love than spend the rest of your life hating what you felt like you had to settle for.

Couldn't have said it better 😀

 

[Outdoors]

Did you use a GRE Prep book or class for the GRE? I found that learning the format and how ETS wanted the responses formatted rather than learning additional knowledge was pretty pivotal to doing well

 

[rachieh13]

I used a GRE prep book both times, I purchased the one from Sylvan which was supposed to be Gauranteed higher test scores. I think my hardest portion of the test was the vocabulary. I will admit that my vocabulary is not the greatest.

 

[DPTHopeful921]

What school is within commuting distance from you right now, and what schools are you looking at near Philly?

 

[rachieh13]

Lebanon valley college is close to me, but they may or may not be accepting grad students because they offer a 6 year program as well and had a high retention rate the past 2 years and weren't accepting grad school applications. The schools in philly are Thomas jefferson, drexel, arcadia, widener and temple which are all over an hour away

 

[Snugglyjeff]

Lebanon valley college is close to me, but they may or may not be accepting grad students because they offer a 6 year program as well and had a high retention rate the past 2 years and weren't accepting grad school applications. The schools in philly are Thomas jefferson, drexel, arcadia, widener and temple which are all over an hour away

Sigh...I know exactly how you feel. I'm so nervous that I won't be accepted anywhere and I have absolutely no back up plans...I'm putting all of my eggs in one basket. But honestly, if you don't get in, don't give up because I know I won't. I'll try to take several more classes at the local CC and retake GRE's if I have to. Anything to keep pushing forward. If you know you want it, you gotta have it and just keep working at it.