Applying/ Reapplying: 16 Point Checklist

Here are some questions I asked myself when I applied/ reapplied. It is helpful to think about these things before submitting an application.

1. How is your GPA? (Cumulative, Pre-requisite, Last 60 credit hours GPA)

2. Are there classes that you can retake? Be careful with this because some programs only let you retake the same class twice.

3. Do you have flexibility in your schedule to retake classes?

4. Do you have a wide range of observation hours in different settings? I personally had 3 different settings : pediatrics, outpatient, and inpatient. My hours totaled to around 600 because I have a job as a Rehab Aide.

5. Do you have a good connection with a PT you shadowed ? This is SUPER important. All programs require a letter from a PT, so making sure that this PT can vouch for you is important.

6. Do you have a professor that sees your capability as a student? I asked a professor from a community college who’s class I was taking as a retake. He saw my potential because I always went to open lab hours, asked questions, made an effort to help my peers if they had questions, and told him about my goals as a physical therapist. He got to know me as a student and knew what type of professional I wanted to become.

7. Do you have a third reference ( another PT, professor, or employer ) who can speak about your capabilities? For my recommendations I had: 2 PTS, 1 academic professor, and 1 mentor who helped me grow as a student.

8. Do you have a GRE score that totals 300 or above? Do you have a minimum (for some programs) of 150 in verbal and quantitative sections?

9. Have you adequately studied for the GRE? Some recommend a minimum of 2 months - it all depends on your strengths and what you need to study.

10. Do you have other experiences in the field outside of observation hours? Such as volunteering or research?

11. Have you clearly thought of your goals a a student? What types of things you want to accomplish while in the program?

12. Have you thought of your goals as a professional? Do you want to help the community, work in pediatrics, do research? What is your passion? This can definitely change while in PT school but its nice to have an idea!

13. Have you thought about what points you want to highlight in your essay? If you are reapplying have you looked at your essay to see what things you want to highlight again and what you have done since reapplying?

14. Have you done your research on what programs you will be applying to? Do you meet their requirements?

15. Have you reached out to their program and spoken to them about yourself and asked questions regarding their program? You should definitely have questions!

16. Are you being realistic about the current position you are in? Meaning do you know what things are your weak points are and your strengths of your application.

17. TRANSCRIPTS! Make sure to locate all of them from every college-level school you attended

Consider these things and let me know if this helps you as you prepare to apply! If you think I forgot something that you did let me know I’ll add it!