Stuck in the Roundabout

Applying to and getting accepted into grad school is no easy feat. Trust me, I've been through the torture these past few months. I can flat out say I don't have the best GPA in the pool. Why should I worry though? All I hear are the constant drone of "colleges want a 'well-rounded' student," always ending with the dreadful tagline, "You'll be fine. You have nothing to worry about." Let me be the first to say: shenanigans.

Maybe it's not every school. Maybe it's not every major. Heck, maybe it's just me and I'm not quite as well-rounded as I think I am. I've applied to twelve schools. TWELVE! (Soon to be 14, but who's counting.) Out of those 12 schools, I have been accepted to one. ONE! What does that mean for me, and, more importantly, the poor undergrads as a whole: Maybe being well-rounded isn't the most important. I think it's a factor, don't get me wrong, but it seems there are other factors at play here that I just missed the boat on.

As mentioned earlier, my GPA could definitely be improved. Especially after PTCAS averaged out my retakes. "Don't worry!" they told me. My GRE scores are pretty competitive, and you'd be hard-pressed to find someone more involved than me. (Ok, I'm not the most involved, but my campus involvement is pretty impressive). I do the volunteer work. I had the observation. What is my downfall? GPA! My poor, pitiful GPA gets me rejected to all the schools I had hoped to be accepted into.

So, my word to the wise: Keep your GPA up! Do good on your GRE! After that, your stuff is icing on the cake. Yes, get involved. No, don't be a social outcast, but find that balance. Don't let your GPA suffer because you want to be in 15 different student organizations. At the end of the day, school's will be judging you on that GPA. Maybe not all programs. Maybe not all schools, but it seems to be a common theme in the medical/health field.

Feel free to debate this with me. I'd really like to hear your experiences and some proof for the other side!

In other news, I have sent my application in for the University of North Dakota Physical Therapy program. They don't use the PTCAS system, so my GPA will be much higher, and I will be facing less applicants! Fingers crossed!

The Waiting Game

Hey all,

I realize I haven't posted in a while, but the PT world has been pretty quiet for me. Here's where I stand so far:

AT Still University of Health Sciences

AZ - Application put on hold

Central Michigan University

MI- Still waiting; should be soon

Chatham University

PA- waitlisted; still hoping for a spot

Drexel

PA- rejected

Franklin Pierce University

NH

Concord Campus

NH- decided not to apply

Hampton University

VA- haven't heard anything!

Oakland University

MI- waiting; should hear in Feb.

Touro College

NY

Bay Shore (Long Island)

NY- accepted; paid $1,000 deposit to hold my seat

University of Maryland - Eastern Shore

MD- haven't heard anything

Wayne State University

MI- waiting; should hear in Feb.

I also decided to apply to the University of Illinois- Chicago and Grand Valley State University, but both programs have also rejected me.

It's been a tough road, but there is still lots of hope out there. I've been accepted to Touro College in NY. I am very excited to have an option. My only reservations with that school are mainly the costs associated. Not only is tuition more expensive, but cost of living in NY is a lot higher than I would like. Then there is always the money associated with traveling home. All things you have to consider when deciding on a grad school. I also have not visited the campus yet. I would have liked to get to know the program a little better before I committed with a deposit, but timing prevented that. I've heard good and bad things about the program, so we will see! In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for me!