By Rhyan Caruso
1.) Focus on pre-requisite grades.
(Most schools require at least a C on most pre-req courses). Having a high GPA will only strengthen your application, but to have a chance at PT school, make sure you have at least the required minimum GPA for the school’s you are looking to apply for.
2.) Observe a Physical Therapist
Begin shadowing opportunities as early as possible. Try to get as many hours observing a physical therapist as you can, in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Getting a job as a rehab aide/tech will allow you to get both your observation hours and paid at the same time.
3.) Volunteer
In a profession where giving back is the motto, PT schools value the importance of volunteer work when it comes to choosing which students they want to be a part of their program. Volunteer opportunities can include things like volunteering at an animal shelter, coaching kids in a sport, volunteering at a food pantry, etc.
4.) Network
In school with teachers, and especially in your shadowing/observation opportunities, be sure to build good connections and keeping in touch with the physical therapists you are working with and observing because when it comes time to apply to PT schools you will need references. A great reference is very important when it comes to helping your chances of getting into PT school.
5.) Highlight Your Strengths
Whether it be you were very involved in your school, community, you worked a bunch of jobs to help pay your way through school, etc. Highlight your own strengths and do not play to the strengths/focus on others when building your application.
For me personally, I applied to PT school with an average cumulative GPA of 3.5. I believe I found my own success in the application process by highlighting the variety of experiences I had, that couldn’t be judged by just a number. This includes my variety of jobs worked, people I met that wrote great references for me, my experiences giving back to my community, just to name a few. If you have any weaknesses in any one of these areas, just make sure you are able to counterbalance it with strengths in the other areas within this list, and your chances of getting accepted into PT school will increase dramatically.