When is it worth it to re-take a course?

[MFS6]

I am planning to apply to PT schools next cycle, and am trying to make my stats as competitive as possible in the next few months...I was not planning on retaking any classes, but I am fortunate enough to have a job as a rehab aide at a hospital that will reimburse me for 75% of tuition. I am definitely retaking one class that I got a C in years ago (the only C on my transcript). I'm struggling to decide if it's worth it to also retake a semester of physics, to bump my grade up from a B to an A. This would raise my pre-req GPA from 3.6 to 3.7 (varies by school). It's not much, but 3.7 just seems more impressive. It will also very slightly raise my overall GPA, which is around 3.52 at the moment.
Do you think that it's worth the effort to retake the class while working full-time, for only the .1 increase? Thanks for any thoughts on this!

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[nicolej5]

it would be silly to retake a class to get from a B to an A

 

[argonzalezz09]

I think your gpa is just fine. I would rather use that time to add some cool stuff to my resume! Schools are looking for unique individuals its not just about numbers. Best of luck

 

[NewTestament]

Which class did you get a C in? If it's a critical pre-requisite (AP, chemistry, biology), I would retake it at a community college. If it's not, forget it. Don't retake physics. A B is fine.

If you decide not to retake that class, then try to volunteer in a different setting. Use your time to enhance your application. As argon just said, schools consider more than grades, and want unique individuals in their programs. What makes you stand out?

Kevin

 

[Myosin]

I'm going to go against the other posters and tell you to do it, and that is only under a few conditions.

If you have the time and if you have the spare money for the remaining 25%, then you should definitely do it.

You can get all the great letters of recommendation and billions of observation hours, but at the end of the day, your raw numbers are what will always matter the most.

Small differences in gpa are actually very big when you're competing against people that will all have roughly the same range of scores and hours as you.

I have retaken 6 classes that I got B's in when I was a teenager and didn't know any better. After I finish this set, my prereq gpa will have been raised from 3.3 up to 3.9. I have been told that the one extra class to bring it to a 4.0 is not worth it, and I agree with that, but the rest I think were absolutely necessary.

 

[MFS6]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts! Myosin, have you had any interviews yet? I was told by one PT student that you should always have a good explanation for why you retook a class, beyond the fact that you wanted to raise your GPA. Just curious if this has come up in any interviews for you...

I'm definitely retaking the class I got a C in- it was one I took when I was in high school and didn't know any better.

I do think that I have a fairly impressive overall application, but I would hate to not even get to the interview stage because of my GPA.

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

If you've taken 120 semester hours of courses and you're retaking one class, that additional 4.0 in a 4 semester hour class not going to make a dent in your overall GPA (if it's a 3.50, it might raise it to a 3.504). It may or may not bump up your prereq gpa from a 3.6 to 3.7.

Also, don't take it unless you're 100% sure you'll get an A. I took physics I and II at two different schools (due to where I was living at the time) and even though they were both CC's, physics II was taught at such a different level and I struggled to get a B. The worst thing would be if you retook it, and got a B again, or even went down a grade. It's not worth the risk.

 

[nicolej5]

You can get all the great letters of recommendation and billions of observation hours, but at the end of the day, your raw numbers are what will always matter the most.

Small differences in gpa are actually very big when you're competing against people that will all have roughly the same range of scores and hours as you.

That is completely false. Your essay and letters of recommendation are HUGE parts of your application. There are plenty of people on this board who had had pretty poor stats get interviews and even acceptances because of essays and lor's. Obviously, you need to be over the 3.0 gpa mark, but if you think a school will accept someone with a 3.9 over someone with a 3.8 just for that reason, that's ridiculous. A well rounded applicant with a slightly lower gpa will trounce an application with only a high gpa towards their favor almost every time.

 

[NewTestament]

I have to agree with Nicole. Some schools only accept the most academically qualified and weight stats against everything else. Still, you need good LORs, good references, quality experience in various settings, and you need to know how to write a good essay. Physical therapists must be able to communicate their thoughts effectively, and say more than "I want to help people." It's possible to have the best grades and not get accepted because the rest of the application is weak. Conversely, you can have relatively low stats, but make up for them with strong LORs and a well-written personal statement. Obviously, the best combination is to have good grades, and strong LORs.

I would not repeat this class. If you had a B in AP, then that would be another thing. An increase of .1 of you GPA is not worth the cost. I would spend your time making sure the rest of your application is solid and competitive. A B in physics II would be an A in any other class.

Kevin

 

[dizzy88]

You can get all the great letters of recommendation and billions of observation hours, but at the end of the day, your raw numbers are what will always matter the most.

I'm going to have to disagree with this. Our department chair went over the point system our school uses to rank applicants and grades are hardly important in comparison to your essay (biggest chunk) and LORs.

Back to the original question at hand, if you have the time/money and you are certain you will get an A the 2nd time around, I would retake the class. Also take in to consideration the strength of your overall application. If you have a unique essay, stellar references, and lots of varied experiences, I hardly doubt retaking 1-2 classes will matter in comparison.

Good luck!