5 PT School Application Mistakes that RISKS REJECTION | Why students get denied from PT school
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Dr. Justin Lee, a physical therapist and PT admissions expert, outlines the top five mistakes students make when applying to physical therapy school. He emphasizes the importance of early application, meeting minimum requirements, taking prerequisite courses at the correct level, requesting recommendation letters well in advance, and not taking the GRE simultaneously with the application process. His advice aims to help students avoid these pitfalls and increase their chances of admission to their desired PT programs.
Takeaways
- 📅 Don't wait until the last minute to apply; aim to submit your application by August to take advantage of rolling admissions.
- 🔍 Check the minimum requirements for your top PT school choices to ensure you meet the GPA, GRE, recommendation letter, and observation hour standards.
- 🎓 Ensure you're taking the correct prerequisite courses at the appropriate level, especially for biochemistry, physics, and biology.
- 🕒 Ask for letters of recommendation well in advance, ideally two months before the application period, to avoid delays.
- 📝 Do not take the GRE at the same time as applying to PT school; plan to take it in the spring or summer before the application period opens.
- 🚫 Avoid common mistakes to increase your chances of acceptance into PT school, especially if you're aiming for competitive public school programs.
- 📝 The importance of refining your essay cannot be overstated; it takes time to create the best possible version.
- 📉 Understand that applying late can put you at a disadvantage, as many programs have a rolling admission process.
- 📚 Be aware of the difference between general education requirement courses and higher-level courses required for PT school prerequisites.
- 🔢 Pay attention to credit conversions if you're in a quarter system, making sure your credits align with semester-based systems used by most programs.
- 🤔 Reflect on which of the top five mistakes resonates with you and consider how to avoid them in your application process.
- 🌟 Consider joining a coaching program like the PT Application Boot Camp to learn secrets and strategies for a successful PT school application.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of the video?
-The main purpose of the video is to discuss the five most common mistakes made by students when applying to physical therapy (PT) school and to provide advice on how to avoid them.
What is the first mistake mentioned in the video regarding PT school applications?
-The first mistake is waiting to apply right before the deadline, which is not advisable due to the rolling admissions process where applying earlier increases the chances of acceptance.
Why is it recommended to apply by August for PT school?
-Applying by August is recommended to take advantage of rolling admissions and to ensure that all application materials, including essays and prerequisite courses, are completed and submitted well before the deadline.
What is the second mistake discussed in the video?
-The second mistake is not meeting the minimum requirements for the PT program, such as GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and observation hours.
Why is it important to check the minimum requirements for a PT program?
-Checking the minimum requirements is crucial to ensure that the applicant is qualified for the program and to avoid wasting time and resources on an application that will not be considered.
What is the third mistake related to prerequisite courses?
-The third mistake is not meeting the prerequisite level course requirements, such as taking the incorrect level of biology, chemistry, or physics courses needed for PT school admission.
Why should students take the higher level courses for prerequisites if they are not majoring in a related science field?
-Students should take the higher level courses because these courses are typically required by PT schools to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the subject matter, which is essential for a career in physical therapy.
What is the fourth mistake mentioned in the script?
-The fourth mistake is asking for a letter of recommendation too late, which can delay the application process and put the applicant at a disadvantage.
How far in advance should students ask for letters of recommendation according to the video?
-Students should ask for letters of recommendation at least two months in advance to give the recommenders ample time to write a thoughtful and strong letter.
What is the fifth and final mistake discussed in the video?
-The fifth mistake is taking the GRE at the same time as applying to PT school, which can分散 attention from other important aspects of the application.
When does the speaker recommend taking the GRE for PT school applicants?
-The speaker recommends taking the GRE in the spring or summer before the application period opens, ideally between January and May, to ensure that results are available when applications are submitted.
What is the PT Application Boot Camp mentioned in the video?
-The PT Application Boot Camp is an online group coaching program led by Dr. Justin Lee, aimed at teaching students the secrets of the application process to increase their chances of getting accepted into PT school.
How can students benefit from joining the PT Application Boot Camp?
-Students can benefit from the PT Application Boot Camp by learning how to avoid common mistakes, capitalize on strengths, and gain insights to improve their application, ultimately increasing their chances of acceptance into PT school.
Outlines
📚 Importance of Early Planning in PT School Application
The first paragraph discusses a student's experience who was advised to delay his application due to multiple shortcomings, such as not meeting the minimum GPA requirement, not having taken the GRE, lacking a refined essay, and missing the early application deadline. The coach emphasizes the importance of planning ahead to avoid these mistakes. Dr. Justin Lee introduces himself as a PT admission expert and outlines the purpose of the video: to educate viewers on the top five common mistakes made by students applying to physical therapy school.
🚫 Common Mistake: Applying Late and Not Meeting Minimum Requirements
The second paragraph highlights the first two common mistakes: applying right before the deadline and not meeting the minimum requirements for admission. Dr. Lee stresses the significance of applying early to physical therapy programs, as they often operate on a rolling admission basis, and the importance of checking and meeting minimum standards such as GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and observation hours in relevant clinical settings.
🔍 Ensuring Prerequisite Courses are at the Correct Level
The third paragraph addresses the mistake of not taking prerequisite courses at the appropriate level, particularly in subjects like biology, chemistry, and physics. Dr. Lee explains the difference between general education courses and those offered by the respective departments that are required for PT school applications. He also advises on ensuring that credit conversions are accurate for students in quarter or semester systems.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Assessment
💡Delay
💡Minimum GPA Requirement
💡GRE
💡Essay
💡Rolling Admissions
💡Prerequisite Course
💡Letter of Recommendation
💡PT Application Boot Camp
💡Procrastination
💡Competitive Programs
Highlights
Coach advises delaying application if chances of acceptance are low.
Student's application issues included not meeting minimum GPA, no GRE, and unprepared essay.
Essay preparation time is crucial and should not be rushed.
Applying early is recommended to take advantage of rolling admissions.
Students should apply by August to maximize chances of acceptance.
Checking minimum requirements for top programs is essential.
Minimum standards include GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and observation hours.
Prerequisite courses must be at the appropriate level for PT school admission.
Students often mistake general education courses for prerequisite courses.
Credit conversion is crucial for students in quarter systems.
Asking for letters of recommendation too late can delay applications.
Recommendation is to ask for letters two months in advance.
Taking the GRE at the same time as applying can be detrimental.
GRE should be taken in advance, ideally in the spring or summer before application season.
PT application boot camp offers coaching to avoid common mistakes.
Coaching program helps maximize chances of acceptance into PT school.
Public school education is often more competitive and requires a strong application.
Transcripts
student that I coached a couple years
ago where he made a lot of mistakes and
as I was going through an assessment
with him in our initial consultation
I took a big sign and said hey buddy
I think that we are going to have to
delay you a year or two maybe to give
you a better chance because there is
just very little chances that you're
going to get accepted this year and he
was kind of taken aback and kind of
almost pissed off and agitated it's like
why like I've been working really hard
the last year to get all my classes in
and everything why would you recommend
this and
it turns out that that this guy number
one was trying to apply to a program
where one he did not even meet the
minimum GPA requirement two has not
taken the GRE yet three has not worked
on the essay and is trying to rush
everything when the essay takes a long
time to refine and make the best
possible and four he's already kind of
past that applying early rolling and
Mission time and his trajectory was
pretty much trying to hit right at the
deadline
so there were a lot of mistakes here
that could have been avoided had he
planned a little bit earlier so in this
video we're going to talk about the five
most common mistakes that we can learn
and this is just a student one example
but I encounter a lot of students who
make these mistakes whether that's all
five or some of them and I'm sure that
as you're watching this video we can
help avoid those mistakes too so let's
get into it Lego what's up everyone my
name is Dr Justin Lee physical therapist
I'm the PT admission expert and I help
students get accepted into physical
therapy school the first time so here
are the five most common mistakes that I
see when students are applying to PT
school
[Music]
number one
students are waiting to apply right
before the deadline
I talked about this so many times if a
school's deadline is let's say October
15th do not wait right before to apply
and send everything in this is going to
be really important because most
programs are rolling Admissions and the
earlier you apply the better I've talked
about this many many many many times I
recommend students applied by August
latest to really have their best chance
to take advantage of that Rolex and
Mission Part all right we're going to go
through numbers two through five here in
a little bit but make sure you wait till
you hear about number four and five
because these things you can definitely
control right now and if you don't take
advantage of that control right now then
later on when you are ready to apply
your hands are in a cuff and you have no
control over what to do so please watch
this video and hear number four and five
for that information
thank you
number two you did not meet the minimum
requirements so you have your list of
top programs but you haven't really
checked out the requirements what's the
minimum GPA both overall prerequisite or
science GPA what's the minimum GRE what
is the minimum letters of recommendation
what is the minimum observation hours
and for which setting clinical setting
see these minimum requirements are there
on purpose and there are a lot of
students who apply and they are not
qualified because they do not hit these
minimum level standards so please double
check your top list and make sure you're
hitting these minimum standards
[Music]
okay number three is that you are not
meeting the prerequisite level course
meaning if you have a biochem or physics
these are generally the most common
mistake classes there are two level
courses there is the fundamental class
which is what's mostly offered to
fulfill the general education
requirement and then there is the high
science class right and these are the
classes that are offered by the
department so biology instead of taking
fundamental biology or just intro to
biology you should be taking General
biology that is given by the biology
Department same thing with chemistry and
physics most programs will have two
level classes let's say you're a
communication major there is no reason
that you should be taking this high
level biology course you just need a
regular biology course just to fulfill
that science general education right but
that communication student is not trying
to get into PT school so this makes most
sense for that person but for you who's
trying to get into BT School you need
this higher level course I had so many
many students who show me their
prerequisites and their application and
they show me the classes that they're
taking and unfortunately the biology
chemistry and physics class is not at
the level that it should be so that is a
no-go and that means they have to wait
several years to take the appropriate
class now in addition to this if you are
a quarter or a semester system you
better make sure your credits match up
too most programs will do a semester
based system or a full year right a full
year of semester-based credit is eight
credits a full year of quarter-based
credits is 12 credits so make sure you
have that conversion if you're going
from quarter to semester so you're
fulfilling that prerequisite
requirements
thank you
number four number four and five are the
things that I told you that you should
have control over now number four is
making the mistake of asking for a
letter of recommendation too late
oh this frustrates me so much when I'm
working with students and they're
getting ready to apply like okay I got
my essay done I got all the stuff in
great I'm ready to apply and I asked
them how about your letter of
recommendation oh
I didn't ask yet okay well if you ask
them do you think they're going to be
done in a week
no your physical therapist or your
professor has so many other things to do
you have to give them ample time to
write your letter of recommendation I
recommend two months in advance so
pretty much as soon as ptcast opens ask
your professor your physical therapist
whoever you need to for that letter of
recommendation the last thing that you
want is to be ready to apply and now
you're waiting for your letter of
recommendation that you have absolutely
no control over and something where you
should have applied you would have
applied by August now you are waiting
till September or October to submit a
completed application
I would hate myself and I'd be so
frustrated if that was me in that
situation so please let's avoid this
common mistake and ask for your letter
of recommendation early
[Music]
okay number five is going to be taking
the GRE
at the same time that you are applying
to PT school
ah man
when you're watching if you're watching
this video chances are it's probably not
during the application process chances
are it's probably application has passed
or you're preparing to apply
you can take the GRE anytime
take it now do not take the GRE at the
same time that you are applying there is
so many more other things that you
should be focused on like writing a
really really good essay putting all of
your energy on finishing up your
prerequisite classes or submitting your
application those are the things they
should be focused on not the GRE you can
totally take this years in advance but I
don't know why students procrastinate
this
please take the GRE what I recommend is
in the spring or the summer right before
PT cast opens in June so take it
anywhere from January February March
April or May and then get your results
and then when applications open up in
June you can get those results and
submit it with your application this is
also important because let's just say
you don't get the score that you want
and there's always time to retake that g
r e
these are the top five most common
mistakes I'm curious which one resonated
with you which one did you not know of
I'd love to hear in the comments below
now when you are ready to apply to PT
school what I'd recommend is to join my
online group coaching program PT
application boot camp in this group
coaching program I'm going to teach you
all the secrets of the application I'm
going to teach you these things to avoid
and things to capitalize on so that you
can have your best
vacation ever so that you can
highest chances to get accepted to PT
school the students that were in this
program got into multiple PT programs
and I'm confident that I can help you
out too I've done this for many years
and I'm coaching students through this
process because there is not a resource
out there that helps students do this so
if you're looking to give yourself the
best shot to get into PT school
especially your Top Choice which is
hopefully a public school education
where their tuition is less I talked
about this before in one of my other
videos
those are the most competitive programs
so you need to have your best shot
possible
I'm the PT admission expert I can help
you
feel free to comment any questions that
you have below I'll see in the next
video have a great one you guys
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