DPT Physical Therapy Admissions

[MeccaB]

Hey guys! I just wanted to start a thread and see if anyone here is applying to any DPT programs. If so, where have you applied and have you heard back yet?

[SCEdge86]

Hi MeccaB,

I just heard about grad cafe and figured it could either ease or agitate my anxiety over hearing from schools. I think you are the only person I could find that was pursuing DPT so far. I live in NC and have applied to all in-state schools...UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, ECU, and Elon. They all hold interviews. I submitted my application in September but most of the deadlines were this week. I still haven't heard anything...! 

Where did you apply? Have you heard anything?

[MeccaB]

Hey SCEdge86,

So awesome to hear someone else is applying to a DPT program as well! I felt like I was the only one for a second. I live in New England so I'm applying to schools like Boston University, Northeastern, Sacred Heart University, some state schools like UCONN, and some others like Springfield College, University of Hartford, UMass Lowell, etc. Mine all hold interviews as well. I haven't heard back anything either, but about half of mine are rolling admission so I'm hoping anytime now? One of my friends goes to Sacred Heart and already got an interview to the DPT program, but she is also an internal student whereas I would be an external applicant so I'm sure they take their own before going to external applicants first. Still I'm super nervous on my end!

[SCEdge86]

MeccaB,

Cool to communicate with someone else about all this stress! Haha. 

So when did you submit through PTCAS? When were your program deadlines? How big are the classes?

PTCAS verified my application on 9/10/15. All of my program deadlines were November 2nd, with the exception of UNC-Chapel Hill which was October 1st. That said, I did submit early but have received confirmation from all programs that my application is under review and interview invitations should be sent by mid-December. Some of mine are on rolling admissions and others are not. Most of the class sizes are in the 30-45 students range, except Duke is 72 people. I've also heard stories of applicants getting invited for interviews just a few days before the date of the interview! I thought getting the application in was stressful, but just waiting to hear is way worse! I felt fairly comfortable with my strength as an applicant, even after 6-7 years out of undergrad (and being a chef for the past 6years!).

Feel free to share your thoughts!

Thanks

[MeccaB]

Haha I'm feeling exactly the same way! So I submitted through PTCAS in mid-july (I forgot the exact date) as most of my program deadlines are in December/January. I know you mentioned some of yours were in November which is really early! Pretty much all of mine were December 15th or January 15th, so now I just have to play the waiting game. That's awesome to hear your applications are under review already! I know all of mine are submitted and ready for review but I'm pretty sure I wont hear about interviews, etc. until late November/early December. Some of mine are rolling and others have told me that I'll hear back "closer to the program deadline" which I know isn't really specific, but I don't want to bother the admissions committee either with tons of questions! Most of my class sizes are around 30-50 students, I know Springfield is around 48 or something close to that, just depends on the program. Smaller programs like the University of Hartford I know have around 30 spots. 

Funny you mention being a chef as that's what I was considering long before I got into undergrad! Haha

What did you major in Undergrad? I'm in Exercise Science right now and am set to graduate this December.

[SCEdge86]

I was a Biology major Chemistry minor at UNC-Chapel Hill, and I graduated in 2008(yes I will be the "old guy"). I was thinking about medical school but realized I didn't know what that meant for me at that time - like I would be doing something just because I felt like I was "supposed" to be a doctor. I decided to take a year off to weigh my options and then began cooking. I don't regret that but I wish I had found PT sooner - one year turned into 6 going on 7. I also wish I had taken more Exercise Science classes. But I moved to Colorado and had some great experiences as a chef . Thats where I tore several ligaments in my knee snowboarding and boom!-Physical Therapy! haha. I've been playing catch-up since then. Moved back to NC, taking the GRE, shadowing a ton, and most recently started a job as a PT Tech. Im right on the border of my undergrad credits expiring so Im really hoping to get accepted this year...I'm retaking A&P II right now actually (the last credit I have outstanding). My overall GPA in undergrad was a 3.3 (which has gone up slightly with A's in the classes I have repeated...maybe 3.4?) and my science GPA is around 3.53. I took the GRE once and got 159 verbal, 154 quantitative, and 4.0 writing. Not the highest stats, but within competitive for the programs Im applying. Just crossing my fingers for interviews!! 

[MeccaB]

2008 isn't THAT long ago! haha I once shadowed a man who was a flight attendant for 25 years and after that decided to go to PT school. Needless to say he now works at several hospitals in Boston living his dream. My sister just graduated from Med School and her decision to go actually helped me decide not to go. I realized that you have to really want it or have a niche you're interested in and I honestly gravitate more towards the body. That's awesome how you found your way into PT! I feel that's how most of us end up applying haha. Man I HATED the GRE after all that studying but it has to be done! My overall GPA now at Boston University is a 3.5 and I actually got really similar GRE scores to you! Same here, I just want to be competitive for the schools I'm applying to! I'm getting so anxious checking my email everyday, I just want an interview!

[SCEdge86]

Yeah I'm obsessively checking my email! Im a little nervous since my deadlines have all passed. I know I still have time but I am seriously resisting emailing admissions offices. I figure they would probably only give me a vague and generic response anyways. I want them to remember my name but not in a "because I annoyed them" way haha. I wouldn't be so nervous if it weren't for the fact that if I don't get in this year I will certainly have to retake even more of my undergrad courses, and would need to look into enrolling soon! Im really hoping to hear before Thanksgiving...

Anyway, keep me posted on all your stuff too and best of luck! 

[taylorh]

Hey I just heard about grad cafe. Did you guys get into a program?

[Courtney K]

Good luck to all of you! I hope that you all got into the schools that you wanted. Grad school applications can be stressful!