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How Do I Write My PTCAS Essay (Personal Statement)?

The PT School application process is challenging, to say the least. But, it’s incredibly rewarding, because at the end of this process you’ll be on your way to starting your career and getting your dream job as a physical therapist.

One of the most important parts of the PT School application process is the personal statement , or the essay . Each year, the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service ( PTCAS ) sets a specific prompt for the personal statement. This personal statement is submitted to every school to which you apply. In short, it’s a chance for you to set yourself apart from the other applicants. So, how do you write your PTCAS essay ? Let’s dive in to learn more about this part of the application process, and learn more about our services to help you with your personal statement here !

What is a Personal Statement?

A Personal Statement is an essay that explains your background and allows you to describe yourself. It’s a common requirement for graduate schools and jobs, so it’s especially important for you to use the personal statement to explain why you want to pursue this opportunity.

A Personal Statement can be a general description of yourself or it can answer a specific prompt . It’s common for graduate schools to ask specific questions for the Personal Statement.¹ In this case, the Personal Statement is a chance for you to show the admissions committee who you are beyond the data in your application . In an essay format, you can expand upon your character, goals, and background, allowing the admissions committee to get to know you.

What Should I Know About a Physical Therapy Personal Statement?

PTCAS Personal Statement prompts can vary in topics, but ultimately they touch on the physical therapy profession. It’s important that you answer the PTCAS question in your essay. But you should also view this as an opportunity to describe yourself to the admissions committees. Keep in mind that these committees are reviewing hundreds, or even thousands, of applications each year. Use this opportunity to set yourself apart .

In your essay, you should explain why you want to become a physical therapist, but try to avoid using a common reason such as “I want to help people.” Show the admissions committee your passion for physical therapy and prove to them why you belong in physical therapy school and why you’re going to become a great physical therapist.

Above all, remember that through the 4,500 characters in your essay, you’re not just telling the admissions committees who you are… you’re showing them.

Lab P. The Personal Statement // Purdue Writing Lab. Purdue Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/job_search_writing/preparing_an_application/writing_the_personal_statement/index.html. Published 2020. Accessed July 26, 2020.

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing PT School Application Essays

Here are some pointers for writing essays when you apply to physical therapy school. Please know that there isn’t a single best way to write your essays and everyone will answer each prompt differently, so do what works for you!

Essays are challenging to write, especially without any guidance. I had about 10 revisions of each of the 7 essays I wrote, had several people read them each time, and still had trouble writing some of them.

How to Start Writing Your Essay

1. Organize Your Thoughts

Write down the essay prompt, either on a computer or by hand. Read it a couple times, even out loud, until you have a good idea of what it is asking.

Then write down any thoughts that came to mind. They can be related to the prompt, or you can just write down what you like about the physical therapy profession or any specific experiences that stand out to you.

It doesn’t matter if you’ll actually end up writing about them. Don’t worry about your grammar or if it is written well. Just write down all of your thoughts into bullet points, or just a few words or a sentence for each idea.

If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, there is a section at the end of this post just for you. There are a lot of questions that may help you come up with ideas for your essay, so go check them out!

2. Turn your ideas into paragraphs

Write more about each point that you wrote down. Try to form a paragraph and relate it back to the prompt. If you’re struggling on writing more than a sentence or two about the bullet point, then maybe one of your other ideas will be better to include in your essay.

3. Choose 2-3 things to talk about

Now that you’ve written as much as you can about each bullet point, you should start to see a general direction to keep writing your essay. What are your favorite topics? What ideas can relate to each other to make a cohesive essay? What ideas answer the prompt the best?

4. Form a Complete Essay

Now that you’ve chosen your favorite paragraphs, format them into one essay. Now you can add an introduction paragraph that briefly mentions these paragraphs and your overall topic. Then you can add a conclusion.

5. Edit Your Essay

Now that you have a complete essay, you can read it from beginning to end. If it doesn’t flow well between each paragraph, add some transition sentences. If you don’t answer the prompt very well, rewrite some sentences. Keep editing and rewording until the essay is finished.

How Do You Format Your Essay?

You can format your essay however you like! I recommend that you have an introduction, some body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, you don’t need your typical “5 paragraph” essay. Some supplemental essays may also have a shorter length, so you might only write two paragraphs.

You can indent each new paragraph, or just put a space between paragraphs instead of indenting, unless the school states that there is a specific way they want you to format your essay.

General Tips for PT School Essays

I know that writing your essays is not as simple as those 5 steps. It can take weeks and be mentally exhausting. However, I’ve included a bunch of tips to help guide you to writing a great essay.

Be careful what you write about patients. If you choose to write about a patient, don’t include any specific personal information like their name, ethnicity, or occupation, or you will be violating HIPAA. Describing their general age, condition, gender, what setting you observed in, general occupation if it relates to your story, and what interventions were used is perfectly fine.
Don’t use contractions. I just did, but that’s besides the point! Contractions are too casual, so avoid them if possible.
First-person speech. It’s ok to say “I” and talk in first person. You’re writing about yourself, after all! Just make sure that you vary your sentence structure so that you don’t begin every sentence with “I”. There is never any reason to say “I think” in any sentence. It sounds unprofessional, so just delete it.
Focus on the positives. If you had any negative experiences, setbacks, or mistakes, don’t spend too much time writing about them. Explain yourself in a couple sentences, but focus on what you learned and how you’ve bettered yourself. Don’t dwell on the past, but try to focus on the positive results.
Try to avoid clichés. Almost everyone can write about how they want to be a physical therapist because they love to help people, or because they got injured and need physical therapy. You can briefly write these things, but you need to have other, more personal experiences that you can write about. Be sure to set yourself apart from others.
Why have you chosen each school? For supplemental essays for a specific school, make sure to mention why you want to go to their school, if it fits into the prompt. It’s good to show that you’ve done your research and are excited to attend their program for specific reasons.
Answer the question. It’s self-explanatory, but it’s so easy to get caught up in what you’re writing and go in a direction that doesn’t answer the original prompt. Make sure everything that appears in the essay helps to answer the prompt in some way.
Have others read and edit your essay. Family members, friends, classmates, college writing center, or people on the Student Doctor Network Forums can all help your essay. It’s so beneficial to have an outside perspective on essays, especially because the admissions committee reading your essay won’t read it in the same way that you do. Try to have as many people critique your essay as possible.
If you ask for help online, don’t post your entire essay for everyone on the internet to read. Make a new thread or comment on a current essay thread, and send an email directly to the person willing to read your essay. There are people that might steal your essay and use it as their own, so be careful who you send it to.
Take a break from writing. Constantly thinking about your essay, rewriting, and editing is exhausting. It’s helpful to take a few days from working on your essay, and then come back to it with a fresh start.
Try writing in different environments. I wrote mostly at home, but found that I got stuck with my writing. I started to write at coffee shops, which helped me be more productive. Try working at a library, outside, at a friend’s house, or in a different room in your own house.
Essays can take weeks to write. Make sure you start early enough so you aren’t stressed out from trying to meet an upcoming deadline. Start working on your essays as soon as possible.
Be careful when writing multiple essays. The PTCAS essay is sent to every school, so don’t copy and paste the same paragraphs into any supplemental essays. However, if two different schools have an essay prompt that is similar, then feel free to similar paragraphs.
Essays are weighed differently by each school. Some might not even read the PTCAS essay, others care more about their supplemental essays, or some schools do not care much about a well-written essay.
Maximum character length. You don’t have to write 4498 out of 4450 characters for your essay to be great. Shorter is fine if you can get your point across. Aim for the character maximum, but it’s fine to have several hundred less than that.
What if you wrote too much? Worry about the essay length after you have written your thoughts down. When you are finalizing your essay, remove the repetitive information and anything that does not support the prompt, for starters. Then you can try rewording your sentences so they get straight to your point.

Tips for Specific Essays

If you’re stuck with writing your essays, see if you can answer these questions. You don’t need to answer all of them or any of them to write a great essay. A lot of these questions will overlap and be useful on other prompts, so make sure to read through everything if you need help.

Hopefully these questions will get you out of any writers block you may have.

PTCAS Essay

You can find the essay prompt on the PTCAS Essay page , or on their Facebook page once it is released. When I applied in 2014, the essay prompt was released in early June, and the PTCAS application opened in early July. This gave me an entire month to write my essay before I could even start my PTCAS application.

The essay prompt changes every year or every several years, so I can’t give great advice for this. These are some tips from past essays, so hopefully they help.

How have your life experiences shaped who you are?
What observation experiences can you talk about?
Are there any patients that have influenced you?
How has an experience impacted how you want to want to practice physical therapy?
Who are the most influential people in your life?
When did you know that you wanted to be a physical therapist?
When have you been on a team or worked in a group? How was the team approach better than working by yourself?
Where do you see the field of physical therapy going, and how do you fit into that picture?
What sort of physical therapist to you see yourself being?
How would you treat your future patients?
What dream goals do you have?
What character traits are important to have as a physical therapist
What experiences have strengthened those traits for you, or what traits are you currently working on?
How has your time spent as a patient affected how you will be a physical therapist?
Are there any specific therapists that you wish to be like, or any therapists that you don’t want to become?
Why will you be valuable to this profession?
Are you interested in teaching, research, owning your own business, traveling, working for a nonprofit, or volunteering in another country?

Autobiography Essay

What challenges have you overcome in your life?
What are some of your major accomplishments?
Why do you want to be a physical therapist?
What things have you done that helped you grow as an individual
What activities have you participated in?
Who are some influential people on your life?
How have your family, friends, or peers shaped who you are today?
How would other people describe you?
What 5 words describe you the best?
What character traits are important for a physical therapist to have? Do you have these traits, or how are you improving them?
What is important to you?
How will your experiences make you a successful physical therapy student/physical therapist?
How did your upbringing shape your personality, and how will that make you a better physical therapist?
How have your experiences led you to the physical therapy career instead of other health care careers?
Is there a central theme about your life experiences?
How can you contribute to the field of physical therapy and your future patients?

Diversity Essay

Describe your life experience as it is related to your culture.
Is it hard to understand others who are from a different culture?
Do you have a culturally different perspective than your peers?
Does your culture have a different set of health care beliefs, or have you encountered another culture with different beliefs?
Have you had an experience in life where you felt like your culture created a barrier for you?
Have you volunteered for an economically disadvantaged population?
Do you have trouble relating to higher socioeconomic classes?
Have your experiences helped you relate better to certain people?
Have you witnessed any social, cultural, or economic barriers when observing in a health care setting?
How have you learned from any of these experiences?
How does recognizing, understanding, or appreciating diversity make you a better physical therapist?
Have you worked with individuals with disabilities?
How do these experiences support that you will be able to work with diverse patients when you are a physical therapist?

Reapplicant Essay

Have you retaken any classes?
Did you retake the GRE?
Do you have additional observation experiences?
Did you observe in any new settings or see a different patient population?
Did you have any additional work experience?
Where you involved in any groups or team sports?
Did you volunteer?
How are you more prepared to be a successful student?
Have you improved any personal skills?
Have you worked with individuals that are different or gave you a unique perspective?
What have you learned and how have you improved?
How did these new experiences change your perspective, improve your application, change your personality, taught you something new, made you grow, or support your desire to become a physical therapist?

Does Your Academic Record Accurately Reflect Your Capabilities?

Most people say that you should only answer this section if something major happened in your life that was out of your control, like an illness, personal injury, family emergency, death of a loved one, etc.

Don’t use this area to write a list of excuses for why your grades weren’t as good as you wished. Examples of excuses: Explaining that you weren’t mature enough, didn’t study hard enough, partied too much, took too many difficult classes, or went to a challenging university. Those are excuses because you were responsible and they could have been avoided or handled better. If you are eager to explain yourself, you can try to add a sentence or two into your PTCAS essay.

A lot of people had lower grades at the beginning of their college career, so if your grades improved over time and your transcript shows that, you don’t need to write an essay to explain yourself. It takes a while to learn how to succeed in college, and admissions committees understand that.

Additional Resources

Unfortunately there isn’t much information about physical therapy school essays. I found these resources for general essay writing, grad school essays, and med school essays, but they’re mostly applicable to physical therapy school too!

PTCAS Essay Prompt Essay Workshop 101 Writing the Personal Statement Personal Statement Before You Write Your Personal Statement, Read This Writing Your Medical School Personal Statement: Tips and Myths Writing the Personal Statement for Medical School

Student Doctor Network Forums:

Supplemental Essays character limit PTCAS Essay question for 2015-2016 application cycle! Essay This year’s personal statement prompt? Should I or should I not write about this in my essay? Re-applicant essay Does your personal statement have to be 4500 characters?

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Pingback: PTCAS: Personal Statement/Essays

The link you set for the reapplicant essay doesn’t lead to that blog post. I wanted to ask if you know if reapplicants should submit the same essays if the essay question is the same this year?

Sorry for taking so long to reply! I just saw your comment this morning.

Thank you for letting me know about the link. Occasionally blogs are taken down, so I’ll have to go through and make sure to remove all the links to that site.

That’s a tough question, and I don’t think there is really a correct answer. If you read the Student Doctor Network forums , you can find others who have run into the same situation. Do you know why you were not accepted the first time around? If you didn’t meet the GPA or GRE requirements, your application may have been automatically disqualified and your essays might have never been read. You can choose to use the same exact essay, but hopefully they haven’t been read by the same program already. You can also choose to edit your essays a little bit, and maybe add any new experiences that you’ve had since you last applied.

Best of luck this application cycle! 🙂

Hi Katie! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I really appreciate it!!! I’m just wandering if you know any PT personal essay editing service?

Hey Lauren! Sorry for the delay in my response, and I hope it isn’t too late.

When I was applying to schools, I sent my essays to 3-4 of my friends (including an English major), so I got tons of feedback from them. There’s also the Student Doctor Network forums, and there are DPT students and PTs that offer up their spare time to edit essays! Just be cautious when sending your essay to strangers on the forum – make sure that they have a decent number of posts on that site.

I’m not sure if there is an essay editing service online, specific towards PT admissions essays.

If you need any last minute help, feel free to email me your essay and I can give some comments! Best of luck with getting into schools! 🙂

I’m almost finished with my PTCAS application process and I found this. Super helpful, I’m making some edits to my essay now. Thank you!

You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help! Good luck with applying and everything.

Thank you, that was so helpful!

You’re welcome! Thanks for the nice comment 🙂 glad I was able to help!

PTCAS Personal Statement Examples

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) first launched the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) on August 1, 2008, in an attempt to simplify the registration process for prospective physical therapist (PT) students and to make the interview process for professional PT educational programs easier.

PTCAS enables people to apply to numerous PT programs using a single web-based application and one set of materials. The American Physical Therapy Association administers PTCAS is a service of Liaison International, a Watertown, Massachusetts-based education information technology firm.

Best Practices To Communicate Your Determination In PTCAS Essay

1. communication.

This is the first and most crucial element a student must grasp before the beginning of actual writing. It is also the most important for your future education. Examine your manuscripts and ask yourself the following questions:

Is my vocabulary large enough to convey all of the information and details I need to the reader?
Are both my written and spoken talents near-perfect enough to persuade the reader to support you?
Is it possible for me to adequately communicate how good a communicator I am?

Some of these may appear strange at first glance. But, keep in mind that communication is the most crucial factor in establishing patient-therapist relationships and achieving the best results.

It’s Good To Know: Physical Therapy Personal Statement Examples

Only after getting a professional license, a physical therapist can practice. Keep in mind that, to avoid numerous uncomfortable circumstances, every professional should follow business ethics.

You will be able to obey all of the rules and regulations once you have learned everything. The admissions committee will be confident that you will always want to advocate for your patients in the future, no matter what.

3. Maturity

As a therapist, you must demonstrate that you can function well in every stressful setting. This will ensure that you can face the most unexpected and extreme situations with a cool head.

From the standpoint of social, physical, and emotional well-being, you can determine your maturity level. There’s nothing wrong with being vulnerable to others. But, the capacity to control one’s emotions is more important for a future physical therapist. You can familiarise yourself with one of the applicable PTCAS personal statement samples if you’re looking for one.

4. Responsibility

As a student, you should take responsibility for your education; therefore, if you accept the challenge, you must demonstrate that you can not only obtain the incoming material but also locate extra sources.

The best thing you could do is join a study group. You can create a training timetable, and work with your lecturer to increase your knowledge and learning skills. This demonstrates your commitment to your education and excitement for it. If you don’t hold yourself accountable, your future patients may suffer as a result.

Common Avoidable Mistakes In PTCAS Essay Prompt

If you identified all of the main themes to include in advance, writing the PTCAS essay and supporting physical therapy personal statements should come as no surprise to you. If you answer the query correctly and include various examples to demonstrate all of the positive qualities of your personality, the results will undoubtedly brighten you up.

There’s nothing like hiring a personal statement writer to acquire an excellent personal statement that puts your story in context and illustrates your strong desire to become a skilled physical therapist.

Avoid unnecessary words and tough word constructs, and don’t treat them as fiction.
Remember not to capitalize the practice’s title or name, whether it’s a physiotherapist or a physician consultant, from an excellent PTCAS statement example.
Ensure there’s no vagueness or space for a double perception of your phrases in your statements, and prevent underestimating and overestimating them.
Don’t exaggerate the field in your phrases; pay attention to your syntax, and don’t add facts that the board knows but has nothing to do with you. If you believe that as a Physiotherapist, you will excel at athletics therapy, you may be wrong. They may also allocate you to the burns healing unit, infection control center, stroke rehabilitation, or prosthetics.
Generalizations and clichés should be avoided. The following are the most common clichés for personal statements:
“I am very enthusiastic about…
“I have always sought to be a PT…
“The world we’re living in… ”
“I’ve always been captivated by…
“I enjoy dealing with students… “I’ve always been impressed by…

What should I Write In PTCAS Personal Statement

What has shaped who you are as a result of your life experiences?
What kind of observational experiences do you have?
Are there any patients who have had an impact on you?
How has a personal experience influenced your desire to practice physical therapy?
Who are the people who have the most influence in your life?
When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career as a physical therapist?
When was the last time you worked in a group or on a team? How was working in a group better than working alone?
What direction do you see physical therapy taking, and how do you see yourself fitting into that picture?
What kind of physical therapist do you want to be?
What would you do if you were in charge of future patients?
What personality attributes are necessary for a physical therapist?
What events have helped you enhance those traits, or what traits are you working on now?
How has your experience as a patient influenced your decision to become a physical therapist?
Why do you think you’ll be useful in this field?
Do you want to teach or conduct research?
Owning a business, traveling, and working for a non-profit organization are all options. or doing voluntary work in a different country?

PTCAS Essay Examples

When I shattered my arm at the age of 12, I was afraid but also ecstatic. Finally, I’d be able to put on a cast and have all of my friends sign it, as well as relate the stories about breaking my arm while falling from a tree.

The recovery was difficult and unpleasant, as well as painful. But, I eagerly anticipated the day when I could remove the cast and resume my normal daily routines. Whenever the cast came off, it surprised me. I started staring over my left arm in disbelief, unsure why it’s so much shorter than my right because it was that difficult to do things with it.

And that is when the doctor told me that my ordeal wasn’t finished yet. He told me that I’d have to go through months of physical therapy before I could play basketball or throw a football. I was upset at first, but after a few weeks, I found a new passion in the procedures that I had to practice regularly.

I was interested in learning more about the muscles and tendons they were working on, as well as why they were so effective. This passion has remained with me for many years. That is why, I’ve decided to get a degree in physical therapy.

At the age of 12, my physical therapist pushed me to pursue a career as a physical therapist. I see a future in which I can collaborate closely with my patients to develop a therapy plan based on their hobbies and interests, and then follow them on their path to complete recovery and beyond.

With a physical therapy degree, I will be able to use the most up-to-date research and techniques to provide the most effective treatment regimen for my patients, speeding up their recovery and allowing for more complete healing.

As a physical therapy student, I see professionalism as a way to keep learning about rehabilitation, improving my ability to connect with patients and coworkers, and following a set of standards that are both fair and ethical.

I feel that a commitment to the aforementioned responsibilities will undoubtedly impact what my future holds as a graduate student working as a rehabilitation professional.

Without a doubt, there is no growth without information.

A person who is unfamiliar with old-fashioned or traditional medical procedures will assist in the treatment of patients. As someone interested in pursuing a profession in this field, I am excited to learn about new ways to treat a patient who is in pain.

It will always be my belief but there is no such thing as plenty of learning because circumstances and scenarios change daily. As a result, I am a firm believer in customized treatment.

As humans, we are subject to new sets of laws and norms that are put in place to prevent anarchy while also providing protection. Being a Physical Therapy student is nothing out of the ordinary.

We are even required to adhere to the standards to a greater extent because we are dealing with people who have to deal with chronic pain daily. During my internship, I had the opportunity to deal with patients, counseling them, and clarifying conditions to them that they should be aware of.

Even though it was difficult, I believe it was an invaluable learning experience for me since I realized the significance of communicating.

https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/asahp/jah/2022/00000051/00000002/art00009

https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1148913

https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1524&context=honorsprojects

Author & Editor Team: : Adila Zakir, Alexa Smith

Our review panel has been working in academic and non-academic writing for more than 1 decade.

Lesson 24: The PTCAS Essay

doctor-consulting-with-patient-knee-problems-physical-therapy-concept_t20_0xPYA6 (2).jpg

The Essay is the main opportunity to tie activities and experiences together and connect with the people who read your application . Ultimately, you want to write an essay that makes the reader want to become your future professor or colleague. The PTCAS application requires one 4500-character, or about 550-word, essay. While this length can sometimes seem long, it’s an incredibly limited amount of space to convince the admissions committee that you’re someone they want to have as future colleagues or students.

For the 2020 application cycle (and likely future application cycles) the essay prompt is:

Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

This prompt allows you to really get into your core motivations for becoming a physical therapist. A personal statement is not the space to rehash from the activities and experiences sections the core responsibilities you had shadowing in a physical therapist’s office . This is the time to discuss your experiences with the patient complaining of back spasms, whose grandmother had the same name as yours, whose anxieties were eased by this mere fact along with your calm grips carefully putting his exercise bands on his ankles. It’s the time to discuss why your lacrosse injury freshman year that left doctors saying “you’ll never play again” reinforced your confidence in physical therapy, allowing you to, in fact, play again.

In general, you’re going to want to tell your reader why it’s inevitable that physical therapy school is the next step in your journey . However, you don’t tell the reader this by saying, “A DPT program is the inevitable next step in my journey.”

You show it by explaining to the reader the things you’ve done that have gotten you to the point where you’ve concluded, Hm, I think I’m ready to spend almost a decade of my life and hundreds of thousands of dollars on a career making people’s lives better, or at least less bad .

This usually means recounting an event or a set of events that created a turning point in how you view the world and want to contribute to it . A good story comes from the deep, dark crevices of that turning point . You may not even consciously know that turning point exists, so think deeply.

Why did you decide to volunteer at the pediatric PT office? What was it about the Parkinson’s patient with trouble walking that made you feel so confident?

The easiest way to write a compelling story is to write from a specific event . Now, this doesn’t mean just writing broadly about your volunteer work at a PT office. It means writing about a patient whose terror at the thought of standing up required you to gently help him make small motions as if he were getting up for days on end until he finally made it halfway up. It means writing about the intense jubilation even a halfway stand evokes.

A specific example is compelling not for the content itself, but for the specificity that drives the narrative forward .

Writing a good story means starting with a vision in your head and translating that vision to the written word . However, language is an imperfect medium to express those intangible images—sometimes lingering, sometimes fleeting—that sit in your mind. Language will never truly crystallize the vision you have up there, but you must start with that vision if you’re ever going to get anything close.

The Definitive Medical School Applications Guide expands upon this attitude towards writing. For more advice on crafting a compelling application, consider reading the following sections:

4. “I’m not convinced he wants to be a doctor”: What Not to Write About and How Not to Write it

5. How to Write your Essay: Two Approaches

6. Cleaning Up the Mess

8. Activities, Activities, Activities

While these sections describe the Medical School Application, their implications reach far beyond this application. Figuring out a writing method that works well for you and determining how to group, describe, and order your experiences apply equally to the PTCAS application.

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Topher began working at Stanford University’s Career Planning & Placement Center in 1998. His career spans 30 years. At Santa Clara University, he managed Bay Area, Los Angeles and Texas territories where he recruited, evaluated, and admitted athletes, freshman, and transfer applicants. At Ohlone College in Fremont, he served as Interim Director of Admission and Records. Since 2011, he has worked in test prep and college consulting, providing guidance to families preparing their children for college.

Topher sees applicants as they are, then inspires and motivates them to step up and into their potential. His clients have enjoyed extraordinary success at institutions ranging from selective Ivies to renowned public universities.

Lesson 23: The Physical Therapy School Application Process

Lesson 25: the veterinary school application process.

How to Get Into Physical Therapy Schools

Applicants to PT programs need to demonstrate empathy and an interest in physical therapy, experts say.

Physical therapist helping senior woman (80s) with leg exercises.

Getty Images

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the number of employed physical therapists in the U.S. will be 22% higher in 2028 than 10 years prior.

People who suffer traumatic injuries often face a difficult journey to recovery. They might struggle to walk or have other mobility challenges, and they could feel significant pain. These are situations where a physical therapist , or PT, can provide critical assistance.

This kind of health care professional is an expert on diagnosing and counteracting mobility problems. He or she can offer hands-on therapies and prescribe exercise regimens.

Though graduate education wasn't always required to become a physical therapist, a doctorate degree is now necessary to join the profession in the U.S. An aspiring U.S. physical therapist will need to complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, or DPT, which typically requires about three years of full-time study.

He or she will also need to pass the national physical therapy exam, or NPTE, and obtain a license to practice in the state where he or she intends to work.

Physical therapists sometimes choose to pursue further education after they complete a DPT program by obtaining a residency, fellowship or board certification within a particular physical therapy specialty, such as women's health, neurology or clinical electrophysiology.

The number of job opportunities in this field is growing, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts that the number of employed physical therapists in the U.S. will be 22% higher in 2028 than 10 years prior. In 2018, the median annual salary among physical therapists was $87,930, the bureau reports.

The average debt burden among newly minted DPT graduates is often significant. For example, the average debt-to-income ratio among Florida early-career physical therapists surveyed in 2016 was 197% – equal to almost two years of the average salary, according to student debt research published by the American Physical Therapy Association, or APTA.

Nevertheless, some young physical therapists say that they are glad they invested in their education, despite the cost.

"I have student loans that I pay on every month, and I probably will for forever or for the foreseeable future, but I love what I do, so it kind of just is what it is," says Lauren Lobert, who received her DPT degree from the University of Michigan—Flint in 2012 and owns APEX Physical Therapy Practice in Brighton, Michigan.

Lobert says her PT job allows her to assist people in need in a tangible way, and she finds physical therapy a fulfilling and meaningful profession. "You get to work with people through injuries or through some of the hardest times in their lives," she says, adding that she enjoys building relationships with patients.

The physical therapy field is ideal for highly active people who like to move around, she adds, because PTs don't spend a lot of time "sitting behind a desk."

What It Takes to Become a Physical Therapist

The abilities to empathize and communicate well are essential for success as a physical therapist, according to individuals working in the field.

"Physical therapy is a personal profession," Morgan Nolte, a board-certified clinical specialist in geriatric physical therapy, wrote in an email. "You have to be able to connect with people, talk to people, and exhibit a true interest in helping others. Community service and leadership experience can help you further stand out from the crowd," adds Nolte, who has a DPT degree.

It is also imperative to commit to lifelong learning, says Chalee Engelhard, director of the DPT program at the University of Cincinnati , where she is also an associate professor.

Another important quality for an aspiring physical therapist to have is resilience, Engelhard says. When patients are unable to meet their mobility goals, physical therapists need to calmly assess the situation and figure out a solution, she adds.

Craig Stiemsma, a professor at Dordt University in Iowa and director of its pre-physical therapy club, says anyone who is considering a physical therapy career needs to assess whether he or she enjoys working with people and solving problems, since both of those activities are central components of physical therapy jobs.

They should then observe physical therapists in action to gauge whether the profession is a good fit, Stiemsma says.

Field experience can help prospective students determine whether physical therapy is the right calling before they enroll in the prerequisite courses that are mandatory for admission to a particular PT school, Stiemsma adds.

According to the APTA, completing college classes in the following academic disciplines is often necessary in order to qualify for acceptance into a PT program:

"You are not required to select a particular major in order to be eligible for admission to a PT program," the association states in its online guide to the PT school admissions process. "The most common undergraduate majors among PT students include exercise science, biology, kinesiology, and psychology."

The association adds that PT school hopefuls may need to complete a certain number of hours of PT-related fieldwork to be competitive candidates; meet GPA and GRE requirements; get references and participate in interviews; disclose if they have any criminal convictions; and undergo criminal background checks and drug screenings.

Additionally, some PT schools prefer in-state students and may require that candidates demonstrate certain physical, behavioral or cognitive abilities that they deem necessary to complete a DPT degree and excel as a physical therapist, according to the association.

Stiemsma advises aspiring physical therapists to look up the typical grades and test scores among admitted students at their target program and attempt to exceed the average. Having exceptional credentials will boost the odds of acceptance, he emphasizes.

There are significant nonacademic considerations in the PT school admissions process, notes Nolte, who owns a Nebraska-based physical therapy practice – Reshape Physical Therapy and Wellness LLC – and serves as an academic coordinator for the geriatric physical therapy residency at Creighton University in Nebraska. "Going out of your way to get observational experience, or better yet work experience, in settings where physical therapy takes place will set you apart."

Eric J. Hegedus, a professor and founding chair with the DPT department at High Point University in North Carolina, says his school uses a holistic admissions process that accounts for more than numbers, adding that they use interviews to screen applicants.

"We want to see how the applicant interacts and communicates, see their passion for physical therapy, and hear their story," Hegedus wrote in an email.

Jasmine Marcus, a physical therapist in Ithaca, New York, who received her DPT degree from Columbia University , says a solid application essay helped her stand out in the PT school admissions process. "The best thing that you can do is just try to stand out a little bit," she says.

Marcus notes that many PT admissions essays discuss the incident that precipitated the candidate's interest in the PT profession. However, that approach will often be dull and "generic" if it recounts an everyday physical therapy treatment session, she says.

"You're describing something that the person reading it isn't going to be very interested in and that hundreds of other people could have described as well, so I usually recommend that you write about something that's just going to show off who you are as a person," she says.

The essay should highlight traits about a PT school applicant that would make him or her a good physical therapist, she adds, suggesting that the essay topic doesn't need to be physical therapy. She says her own application essay focused on how her communication skills as a former journalist and writer would translate well into the PT field, where questioning and understanding patients is vital.

"So I kind of took my strengths and how I was unique but also spun it in a way that showed why I would make a good future physical therapist," Marcus explains.

What's Taught In Physical Therapy School

Hegedus, who has a DPT degree, suggests that PT school is similar to other types of health care professional programs in its rigor, but he notes that it differs in important ways.

In contrast to other health care grad programs , during PT programs "you must learn and apply (rather than memorize and regurgitate)," and you gain expertise in how the way someone moves can contribute to their pain and aggravate their disabilities, he says.

Alice Holland, who received her DPT degree from the University of Southern California , wrote in an email that PT school is exceptionally demanding and often involves back-to-back classes.

"The first year of DPT school is very anatomy-heavy with cadaver work, the second year is focused on neurobiology and the third year is bringing all knowledge together to form treatment plans," says Holland, who started an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic, Stride Strong Physical Therapy LLC, and has hired PT school grads.

She adds that DPT students typically participate in internships at PT clinics, which allows them to gain relevant work experience and begin to interact with patients.

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The Curly Clinician - Physical Therapy + Lifestyle

PTCAS Essay 2020-2021/2021-2022/2022-2023: Initial Thoughts + 5 Tips

June 25, 2020 Physical Therapy , Pre-PT , PTCAS & Planning

Hi friends! Long time no personal statement post! PTCAS updated their essay for the 2020-2021 cycle, so I figured I’d give you guys my initial thoughts on the essay prompt and share a few tips to help you get started on crafting a winning essay!

PTCAS Essay Prompt : Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

In my opinion, I think this is a great essay prompt! It is way better than the one I had to answer when I applied in my opinion: “What is professionalism in the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapy program?”…yea bleh. This prompt isn’t too vague; it’s just specific enough so that you know exactly what admissions committees are looking for, but you still have free range to make it personal and add your own flare.

1. Answer the prompt, period.

I know this may seem obvious, but I have edited many essays for pre-PT students, and have come across essays that didn’t even answer the prompt. This is a sure-fire way to stop someone from reading your essay, so follow directions, and try not to deviate too far from the prompt.

2. Wanting to “help others” is not enough.

Almost everyone wants to be a physical therapist because they want to help people, or because they had an awesome physical therapist when they were injured. While this is great, admissions committees want to hear why you want to become a physical therapist (which is why they explicitly included this in the prompt) as opposed to an MD/DO, a PA, an OT. Really think about WHY you want to help people. What are your passions? Pull from your life experiences (healthcare and/or non-healthcare related) to make your essay more personal.

3. What is your s tory?

Everyone has a story. Like the prompt requires, you must go beyond your initial experiences with physical therapy. Did you have a really impactful patient? A family tie? A childhood experience? Whatever it is, tell it! Your story will always be enough. This may require a bit of brainstorming (and deep thought), and that’s fine. Remember that admissions committees aren’t looking for this extravagant story though, they just want to know you and why physical therapy is the right fit. This is your personal statement…make it PERSONAL!

For example, my “PT story” includes the lack of representation for Black women in academia in general, but especially in the physical therapy profession. I began my essay discussing my first real experience with representation: receiving a Holiday Barbie doll that was Black every year for Christmas as a child. This was a piece of my story, and I used it to explain why physical therapy was the career choice for me, and how it made me a great applicant.

4. Make sure your essay has structure.

You need to have an introduction (with a captivating opener to engage the reader), and a conclusion to bring your essay full circle. I began my essay with a childhood memory (as mentioned earlier), but you could begin with a quote (kinda cliché, but you could make it work), a question, a general idea, or something else. You want to grab the reader’s attention immediately !

5. Show, don’t tell!

Use lots of examples. Show your story, don’t just tell it. The reader must be able to visualize your words, so that your story can come to life. You can achieve this by having a “theme” that you incorporate into your essay.

Alright guys, I hope this was helpful, and is a good start to helping you craft an awesome essay. Remember that I am available for editing (this essay, supplemental essays, and resumes), so click here if that is something you are interested in! Also feel free to check out this post for more tips on writing your essay(s)!

Special thanks to my sweet friend Yusra . She wrote a post like this on a past PTCAS prompt, and it inspired me to write one with my thoughts for this year’s prompt!

Reader Interactions

July 2, 2020 at 1:10 pm

Hi, thank you so much for these helpful tips! Do you think it best to discuss one personal experience when writing the personal statement or is it okay to talk about more than one?

July 5, 2020 at 3:53 pm

You’re so welcome! And I think it is okay to discuss more than one, just not too many!

July 22, 2020 at 10:20 pm

Hello, I was wondering if you could just glance over my essay and let me know if the structure is fine?

July 25, 2020 at 12:36 pm

Hi, I offer editing services under my “shop/services” page!

July 25, 2020 at 11:38 am

Wonderful insight! These tips gave me some great ideas for my essay after weeks of being lost with this prompt. Thank you so much!

July 25, 2020 at 12:38 pm

You’re so welcome, good luck with everything!

August 18, 2020 at 10:33 pm

Awesome thank you!

September 13, 2020 at 11:56 pm

What do you think is an appropriate length for the essay. The maximum word limit is 4500 but I’m afraid of writing too much that it might loose the interest of the reader and too little that the reader may not see my personality/experience detail.

September 15, 2020 at 7:42 pm

You should definitely try your hardest to hit the 4500 CHARACTER limit!

September 24, 2020 at 11:24 am

Hello, I am having the hardest time starting on my personal essay. I know exactly what I want to say, I just do not have right words at the moment. When I first read your tips, I had the perfect flow going but now I am stuck.

September 24, 2020 at 3:40 pm

Hi Alicia! My biggest piece of advice for when you are stuck is to take a break. Coming back to your essay later with a fresh pair of eyes can be a game changer. I hope this helps!

January 5, 2021 at 4:20 pm

Hey girly! Thank you so much for all the info! It’s been really helpful exploring your blog! I’m a little confused on the how often the prompts change for the personal statements. Is it every two years that a new prompt gets put out?

January 5, 2021 at 5:41 pm

You’re so welcome! And yes typically they change every 2 years!

July 28, 2022 at 10:40 am

Thank you so much for all this info! It’s been super helpful as my college also did not have a Pre-PT club. When writing the PTCAS essay, is it okay to use “PT” instead of physical therapy or things like “PT school”? I am right over the 4500 character limit and am trying to cut some things out! Thank you for all of your help!

August 18, 2022 at 10:36 pm

You’re so welcome Sarah! Yes, that is totally fine!

Sharing clinical sprinkles about physical therapy.

Ptcas personal statement prompt 2021-2022.

If you're applying for a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program for the 2021-2022 cycle, you're in the right place.

This year's prompt matches last year's prompt which is:

Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experience with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

This is an elaborate way of asking... Why physical therapy? Why PT above all other health professions?

If your answer is simply, "because I want to help people," I'm going to be the one to tell you that you're going to need to dig a lot deeper than that. The prompt literally asks for a deeper story.

You don't have to have been a patient in PT to want to apply to PT school. I hadn't been a patient myself before I applied to school. Through observation hours and more, I found my calling in PT. I share my "PT why" in my personal statement for the 2013-2014 cycle here .

If you're finding yourself scrambled on how to write your essay or even how to start, a coaching call may be the best option for you. I've helped several pre-PT, pre-OT, pre-PA, and pre-med, students with their personal statements, and they've successfully been accepted. I specialize in finding the deeper WHY and making sure the writer is showing, not telling.

If you've already have what you think is a close-to-final draft, I also provide consults to go over the essay with an unbiased view and help you bring in an emotional touch to your story to captivate the reader. I had a less than ideal application and I believe my personal statement helped me stand out. Read more about my less-than-ideal application here .

Good luck to all of those applying! And follow @clinicalsprinkles on Instagram for more application tips and learning about the life of an outpatient ortho PT.

PT School Personal Statement Examples: a Quick Guide

Table of Contents

Your statement is your chance to “sell” yourself to the admissions committee. We have great PT school personal statement examples to inspire you in crafting your statement.

We hope they provide a wealth of insights into the personal statement process and help you achieve admission to your dream PT school.

What Is a PT Personal Statement?

Personal statements for physiotherapy programs are creative writing assignments required for the UCAS application. It helps the admissions committee decide if you’re a good fit for their class and institution .

When applying to an undergraduate or graduate program, you’ll need to highlight your talents, achievements, and goals in your statement.

If you’re anything like most applicants, the mere thought of writing a personal statement makes you break out in a cold sweat. However, we have made it easy by detailing what to include in a PT personal statement.

How to Write an Outstanding PT Personal Statement

Writing a PT personal statement can be nerve-wracking. However, these steps will help you write an impressive personal statement that brings it all together in one successful, polished piece.

Begin with a few phrases on an experience that ignited your interest in the field.
Highlight your interest in physiotherapy by discussing pertinent aspects of your work experience, reading, hobbies, or anything else you find interesting.
Share what you’ve learned about physiotherapy and what you find most interesting about the field. Tutors in charge of admissions want to see that you have done your homework and are prepared for the program’s challenges.
You’ll need great people skills, the ability to work well in a team, and patience to succeed as a physiotherapist. Keep these talents in mind while you write the rest of your statement.

PT School Personal Statement Examples

Remember, your statement is only a small part of the application process and should be manageable. These INK examples detail what to write and how to write it, so it impacts the admission board.

I have always been passionate about the art of physical therapy. I also have a long-standing interest in human anatomy and kinesiology that was further stoked during my undergraduate studies. In particular, I found myself captivated by musculoskeletal injury prevention and management. I want to explore novel ways to enhance biomechanical efficiency through various stretching and movement exercises. My curiosity quickly translated into tangible accomplishments, such as designing several clinical interventions for athletes suffering from injuries or chronic conditions.

I believe PT school will provide me with the necessary skill set to embark on a meaningful career in helping people. As such, I am eager to hone my knowledge and develop effective strategies to rehabilitate clients. By utilizing evidence-based practices, I aspire to use my creativity to find innovative solutions tailored to each individual’s needs. Additionally, providing compassionate care is critical in helping patients reach their goals and regaining quality of life.

Pursuing physical therapy would allow me to make a lasting difference in the lives of those around me. With this in mind, I look forward to combining my enthusiasm and expertise with the invaluable experience offered by your esteemed program. It will help me become a highly competent practitioner and leader in this field.

I have long aspired to attend physical therapy school to hone my natural talents and knowledge of the human body. I possess a unique combination of practical skills and expertise that will make me an asset at any educational institution.

I’ve always had a passion for health and wellness, honed through years of recreational and professional experience. As a volunteer ambulance driver with a rural hospital, I regularly saw firsthand how physical therapy could dramatically improve lives. Further, my work as a strength trainer has provided me with invaluable insight into effective patient rehabilitation and injury prevention. In short, I am intimately familiar with therapeutic techniques designed to restore mobility, correct alignment issues, and reduce pain.

Moreover, I understand the emotional component of healing. Having endured numerous sports injuries myself, I relate deeply to those struggling with their conditions. This empathy allows me to create personalized treatment plans tailored to meet each client’s individual needs. My goal is not just to treat ailments but also to alleviate suffering, providing holistic care and gentle guidance every step of the way.

My diverse skill set and compassionate nature would be a perfect fit for physical therapy school. Therefore, I request that you consider me as an applicant.

Yours truly,

Final Words

These PT school personal statement examples above outline how to present your skills clearly and set yourself apart from competitors . It uses specific details to convey unique qualities.

Review these sample personal statements to learn more about what makes a persuasive personal statement. They also make great comparison points when building your PT school personal statement.

PT School Personal Statement Examples: a Quick Guide

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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The PT Application Essay Course

As a physical therapist, writer, and editor, I’ve helped hundreds of future physical therapists get into over 175 PT schools. I’m so excited to combine all my experience and advice into a new video that will guide you in writing a physical therapy essay that will help you stand out from the crowd! This course combines my years of helping future PTs write and edit their perfect PTCAS personal statement, and will help you do the same!

I’ve recently updated the course to reflect the new PTCAS personal statement for 2023 and include even more helpful information I’ve gathered editing essays over the years!

To purchase, simply submit payment via Venmo (@jasmine-marcus), Cash App (@jmarcusdpt), PayPal (jmarcusdpt@gmail), Apple Pay or Zelle (email me for username) + make sure to give me your email (the one you use to sign into Gmail/YouTube), and a personalized link to the course will be emailed back to you within a day!

For a short time, this 30-minute video is being offered for only $20!

How to Ace Your Physical Therapy School Interview

Last Updated April 19, 2024

Tim Fraticelli, DPT Physical Therapist

When you get an invitation to your first physical therapy school interview, you feel excited for about 10 minutes. Then, if you’re like most people, you start to freak out a little bit thinking about all the PT School interview questions they’re going to ask you!

(If you’re a PT looking for PT Job Interview Strategies, read this article: PT Job Interview Guide )

Don’t worry – that’s normal. That’s also why I put together this article with tips I learned from my PT school interview process.

***Note: This article is about 3,000 words of helpful advice. But we knew something was missing, so we created a guide that shares the exact strategies and ESSAYS we used to land a seat at the #1 PT School in the country. You can read that article here: The Physical Therapy School Interview Guide .

Definitely finish reading this article, but check out the Guide too 🙂 ***

Common Physical Therapy School Interview Questions

Every PT program is going to have their own spin on the interview process and questions they ask. Some programs will do group interviews with multiple students, while other programs pair a single student with a group of faculty members.

Most interview committees will start with a ‘Get to Know You’ set of questions. These are designed to draw answers about your background, so expect to hear a variation of the following.

1. Tell me about yourself.

They’re not looking for your entire life story here. Keep it to the point.
Never , ever , EVER , start with “My name is _________, I am ______ years old, and I was born in ____________.”

A better start is this:

“My name is _____________ and I attend the University of __________ majoring in ___________. I enjoy being a part of a few groups/clubs at school, but outside of academics I enjoy ____(insert tasteful and interesting hobbies / activities)____.

Share your story to highlight strengths. Here’s mine :

“I come from a unique background having grown up in a small farming town where my family operated their own plumbing and electrical services business. I worked throughout high school and summers in college working alongside of my dad, making extra money to help pay my way through school.” (You can make almost any background sound unique and interesting if you’re honest and tie it to a reason why this makes you an interesting candidate.)

A quick background will share that you’re hardworking, independent, and self-motivating without even saying any of those ‘buzz words.’ You’re telling them through your story.

2. What Are Your Biggest Strengths?

They’re looking for character qualities here, so have a few stories in mind to give as an example. Don’t just say “Responsibility” or “Hardworking”.

Use others as ‘proof’ by starting with a version of a compliment that you’ve received from a former employer.

Here’s an example:

“I’ve always tried to make it a point to be the first one in and the last one out, especially when it comes to work and getting a task done. One of the most common points of feedback I get from employers is that I’m a reliable worker, so I’d put reliability towards the top of my biggest strengths list.”

Here you’ve given proof through an example that you are reliable and that others notice it. It’s one thing to say you are good at something, but it’s so much better when others say it about you, so be sure to share this type of example to back up your claim.

3. Why Did You Choose Physical Therapy?

Look around you. You’re surrounded by a dozen of other students who will probably all say some variation of this answer: “I want to help people.”

Bankers help people. Realtors help people. Nurses help people. My point: you need a more solid answer than I want to help people.

Yes, physical therapists help people. In fact, the APTA’s mission statement takes it even further:

Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience.

Physical Therapists are movement experts who help people regain the ability to live without pain and to return to doing the things they love. Without movement, our lives would be completely different and if you’ve spent any time in the clinic, you’ve seen how PTs impact the lives of their patients.

Your reason for choosing Physical Therapy as a career needs to stem far beyond the fact that it’s consistently listed in the top 10 most rewarding careers. You need to experience why it’s so rewarding.

The best way to do this is through shadowing a physical therapist. Clinical experience in a variety of settings (hospital, nursing facilities, orthopedics, pediatrics, etc.) will give you a wide range of stories to draw from and support the reason why you know that you want to be a physical therapist. We’ll discuss clinical experience later on in this article.

If you think this article was helpful, Check out our Physical Therapy School Interview Guide .

4. Why Do You Want to Attend This Program?

I know what you’re thinking inside… I want to attend any program that accepts me! Fair enough, but you will need to have specific reasons to back up your answer.

Devour the program’s website information.
Know the history of the program and what makes them unique.
Research the faculty and their specialties and articles they’ve published.
Understand the student statistics (graduation rate, board pass rate, etc).
Come prepared with specific questions that you were not able to answer with online research.

Talk With a Current Student or Graduate

If you really want to show that you’re interested, ask the admissions team if you can have the email of a current student. Most students are more than happy to share advice with prospects, so don’t be surprised if you actually reach a student! Be respectful of their time and ask specific questions.

You can also jump on LinkedIn and find a graduate of the program. Make a connection and send a quick message saying that you’re interested in the program they also attended and that you have an interview coming up. Ask if they would share any advice about the interview process or about specific aspects of the program they really enjoyed.

With your research complete, you can use this to back up your answer by saying that you’ve been communicating with graduates and current students (they may ask you who, so remember the graduate’s name!) and they’ve really spoken well about the program, especially (give an example).

Random Physical Therapy School Interview Questions You Might Hear:

5. Share 3 things that you learned about the person to your left. (group interview setting) 6. What was your favorite undergraduate class? 7. How do you handle stress? 8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 9. Explain how you’ve handled a conflict situation? 11. Why do you want to be a Physical Therapist? 10. Tell me about a time when you (popular start to behavioral interview questions )

Essay During Your Physical Therapy School Interview

During one of my interviews, there was a time set aside for the prospective students to write an essay. We had to write an essay in 1 hour answering this question: What was the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far.

Talk about philosophical.

The point to this exercise was threefold (in my opinion):

Can you organize your thoughts in a well-written format?
Can you support your claims with solid examples?
Can you show us your creative side?

There’s a book that I absolutely love called To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink . The basic summary of the book is this: We’re all trying to persuade, negotiate, and pitch something regardless of the type of work we are in. (I’d highly recommend his book for inspiration on exercising your creative and improvisational side.)

If you have an arsenal of examples to support your claims and work to think of creative ways to present them, you’ll win over an audience. If you get an essay during your interview, channel your inner storyteller and captivate your audience with examples that highlight your creativity and character.

How to Stand Out When Answering PT School Interview Questions

Read any good books lately.

At every interview I attended, I was asked a variation of this question: What was the last book you read or found interesting? Every time!

Now I love reading and listening to books, so I had a few in mind. I’d recommend that before you go on your interview, have one or two books prepared ( one fiction and one non-fiction ) and remind yourself of the main idea and a few specific parts that really stood out.

If you really want to connect with what’s new in the field of Physical Therapy, check out the APTA’s News section on their website or follow their website MoveForwardPT to learn how PT impacts people every day.

Clinical Hours and Experience

Most programs require anywhere from 50 to 200+ shadowing hours. The more hours the better, especially if you can show that you’ve shadowed in a variety of settings.

This is one area that can really make you stand out as an applicant. Take diligent notes while shadowing and track the number of hours you spend in each different setting (orthopedics, pediatrics, neuro, home health, inpatient hospital, etc.).

Make notes about experiences that were challenging or that impacted your decision in the clinic. In one of my physical therapy interviews, I shared a story about working with a patient who experienced a terrible accident, leaving her unable to walk. For months she spent countless hours at PT, and despite the progress she made, she’d always need assistance for the rest of her life. I shared that particular story because it wasn’t glamorous. My point was to tell them how I understood that not everything in PT rehab is rainbows and lollipops. Sometimes our patients will respond great, while other times they may be angry, sad, frustrated, and in tears.

Spend time in the clinic. Talk with patients. Ask the physical therapist what they do , and why they decided PT versus other career options.

Undergrad GPA

Some programs have a minimum GPA for admissions, which can vary from 3.0 to 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. If you have a low GPA and didn’t do so great on your science prerequisites , be prepared to answer the questions about your grades. Fun fact: the average GPA for admitted PT students was 3.52 according to the PTCAS 2011-2012 data.

Here’s the key : don’t give excuses. A program will look more favorably on a student who had lower grades at the start of school and worked to raise them throughout his time in school. On the other hand, if you have a high GPA, but your last semester was a blow off the semester with multiple C’s, it might relay that you slacked off a bit – not a quality you want to display!

Did you struggle with a certain class – how did you resolve it? Tutoring? Self Study?

Did you change your major 3 times? Be ready to defend why you won’t change your mind about physical therapy.

Review your transcript and get ready to answer specific questions, but remember that GPA isn’t everything. However, if your science classes need to be improved, it wouldn’t hurt to retake a course to change that C to an A. If you have a free summer or an open class, show that you want to be challenged by taking an extra class like advanced exercise physiology, kinesiology, or even business management or economics.

It’s unlikely that they will ask you specific questions about your GRE. As long as you meet the minimum requirement, you’ll be fine. Just remember that if you have an average GPA and average GRE, there better be something about you that screams above average . If your GRE is below the average (and especially if it’s below the minimum), just retake the test. Spend a little money on a great GRE text (I recommend the Barron’s test prep. There’s a free version and a pro version that’s $100 that has a ton of sample questions and answers.

Final Tips For Getting into Physical Therapy School

Practice out loud.

The best way to prepare for an interview is to rehearse what you plan on saying. Even if you don’t get the questions you practice, you’ll be rehearsing ways to organize your thoughts and real-life examples as you speak out your answers. You can’t practice enough! When you feel like you can answer questions well, try answering in front of someone – you’re going to have to do it eventually, so might as well practice with someone you know.

Don’t Say Anything Stupid

Ok, easier said than done. But seriously, don’t say anything of the following:

Gather Your Thoughts

It’s OK to take a few seconds to gather your thoughts before you start to answer a question. Oftentimes interviews can feel conversational, but sometimes you might feel like they’re just asking random questions. If you feel like a question came from left field or you really want to answer it well, say this: “That’s a really good question. Let me gather my thoughts on that for a few seconds.”

Even if you don’t come up with a brilliant answer, this strategy does two thing s:

Helps to prevent word vomit. The last thing you want is to spew out a ton of words that make no sense whatsoever.
It shows them that you’re interested in giving a well-thought answer. Most people will respect you for taking some time to honestly think about it, especially if it’s a tough question.

If you think this article was helpful, Check out our Physical Therapy School Interview Guide .

Faq about physical therapy admissions process.

Does it matter if my observation hours are paid or volunteer? No, but it does matter that you spent time directly learning from an actual PT.

Will my experience as a massage therapist, yoga, or fitness instructor help me to get into PT school? It won’t hurt and if you can show the value of bringing your perspective to the PT field, it’ll definitely help you in telling your story to the admissions team.

Will being a PT tech help me to get into PT school? If you worked directly under a PT as a tech, that will give you an edge in terms of clinical experience. Now it’s your job to convince them that you used every day to learn from your PT and really took the time to go above and beyond to deliver great patient care (within your scope of practice of course).

I didn’t get into PT school. Should I go to PTA school first? Nope, that’s not necessary. You don’t need to go to PTA school as a stepping stone to PT school. Work on improving your GPA, GRE, and clinical experience and apply again.

What is a competitive GRE score for PT school? I’d recommend looking at the average GRE scores posted by school according to the PTCAS database . I averaged 150 for Verbal and 156 for Quantitative, which is about average for most programs. Remember, it’s an average, so there’s wide range of scores for admitted students.

What is a competitive GPA for PT school? Most schools list a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher. Reference the PTCAS database to see what the average GPA is for the schools you’re considering.

Do PT schools put greater emphasis on the verbal or quantitative part of the GRE? As long as you are within normal limits or near the average, I don’t think it really matters. If one score is really high but the other is extremely low, you might want to retake the GRE to see if you can get an average (or above average) score for both.

How many physical therapy programs should I apply to? The answer depends on a few factors: cost, location, and time. Do you have the funds to apply to each? Do they all require an interview – that’ll add up in travel costs. Will the interview times conflict with each other or with your school schedule. I applied to 4 programs, but I know of students who applied to over 20 programs.

What should you include in your personal statement? Short version: Your most compelling story on why you are made to be a PT.

Do I need a degree in exercise physiology or kinesiology if I want to be a physical therapist? Absolutely not. I have a degree in business administration and took the prerequisites to become a physical therapist after I graduated. You will have exercise physiology and kinesiology during your graduate PT studies, so it doesn’t hurt to take a few courses while you can. But you definitely don’t need to major a science field to better your chances.

What books are helpful to learn more about physical therapy? The APTA’s main website and public website MoveForwardPT are great tools to keep you informed about all things PT. If you want to get a head start, many programs use: Kendall: Muscles , Differential Diagnosis for Physical Therapists , Neumann Kinesiology Text

I failed a class in undergrad. Can I still get into physical therapy school? Sure, just be ready to answer questions about it during an interview. Prep for ways to show how you learned from it and improved as a student.

Should I try for an early decision PT program? If you know without a doubt that you want to attend a certain program, the early decision route may be a good idea. It is a little risky, but again, if you are set on a program, it could be a good option for you.

Can I take physical therapy program prerequisites at a community college? Many students (including myself!) took anatomy, physics, and biology at a community college. Always check with your prospective schools, but in general I would say that it is not uncommon to see prereqs from a community college.

What should I do if I’m put on the waiting list for a physical therapy program? Aah, the dreaded waitlist. I know how you feel. Try contacting the school to get an idea of why they put you on the waitlist. They may just be waiting for you to finish a course. If that’s the case, send them your transcript as soon as it’s completed. They may also give great advice for you to boost your chances for the next application cycle if you don’t get selected this year.

Never lose hope! I know a few students in my program alone who were given a slot a month or two before the program started because someone decided not to attend!

Also, keep shadowing and look for ways to stand apart through leadership opportunities at your school or with a job. It doesn’t hurt to send the school a letter of intent with an update on what you’re doing to improve your experience and even knowledge through an additional class.

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! I really wanted to create a thorough article to outline the interview process for PT school and answer as many questions as possible.

Are you applying to PT school this year? Connect with us in the comments and like PTProgress on Facebook !

* Learn about our Newest Resource for PRE-PT Students *

The physical therapy school interview guide.

Click here to read the article explaining why we created the interview guide.

Get the PT School Interview Guide for $30 $16

In one year, you will either be in PT School or sitting in front of your computer reapplying.

What do you want to do?

Tim Fraticelli is a Physical Therapist, Certified Financial Planner™ and founder of PTProgress.com. He loves to teach PTs and OTs ways to save time and money in and out of the clinic, especially when it comes to documentation or continuing education. Follow him on YouTube for weekly videos on ways to improve your financial health.

10 thoughts on “How to Ace Your Physical Therapy School Interview”

My GRE score IS 141 on quantitative and 143 on verbal, which doesn’t meet the min requirement for the program I applied to; however, my Pre-req GPA is 3.75 and my overall GPA is 3.89. I’ve done 200 hrs of shadowing. What’s my chance of getting into the program?

I also took the GRE twice, but this score was the highest. I sent them both scores, and I’m not sure if that was even a good idea.

I have similar gre scores and will be applying to some pt schools with it. Did you ever get in with those scores?

Excellent tips. I wish I had these available to me before I started school.

My interview is this coming Thursday. This article was very beneficial in giving me an idea of what to expect and how to formulate my thoughts. Thank you! Have a blessed day!

How did your interview go Alex? Any tips?

It was really helpful. Thanks for taking the time out to write such an in dept article. I have an interview on Monday and will use the tips and advice given. Thanks once again. 🙂

Thank you for this.

Brilliant, thank you so much for all the thought you put into this.

Sandy did you end up getting in? if so where did you apply to?

Physical Therapy Resources for YOU

PTProgress brings physical therapy education to you with career insights, education resources, and health content to help you make progress toward your goals.

In addition to helpful documentation templates and continuing education discounts, you can find free articles and physical therapy videos on the blog and YouTube channel.

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Tim Fraticelli, DPT, CFP® Physical Therapist Founder, PTProgress.com

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where Pre-PT=DPT

Essays.

Interviews.

Essays.

Providing free resources to educate all physical therapy school applicants regarding the admissions process as well as helpful and practical advice and suggestions to navigate this process efficiently and confidently. These resources are available via my social media outlets as well as my monthly newsletter.

Offering online courses and coaching services to assist applicants in the concluding steps of their application-essay and interview preparation. A wide variety of services are available to find the option that best meets every applicants needs during these crucial concluding steps of the application process.

Sharing practical and prudent financial advice to help all future and current physical therapy students to avoid financial pitfalls that plague our profession and society at large. I am not a financial professional, however, I feel a strong sense of obligation to share what I have learned from research and personal experience.

Shaun Brewer, PT, DPT

10+ years of coaching experience

Selected by NAU faculty to review application essays and perform interviews for 17 incoming applicants

1,510 application essays edited

469 mock interviews performed

Coaching individuals attending universities across the country

Clients accepted to 192 of 300 DPT programs across the country

Accepted into 5/6 highly competitive DPT programs I applied to:

NAU , UW, EWU, UTMB, UNLV (I chose NAU…go lumberjacks!!)

What PTAPPCO Costumers are saying:

"Shaun helped me deliver my own story and present it in the best way possible writing my essays and preparing for interviews. He helped me find my deeper meaning, greatest strengths, and meaningful experiences in a way that made the programs want to get to know me."

"Shaun was my saving grace. He gave me the support and the confidence I needed to believe in myself. He helped me with essay editing and interview coaching & the end result was acceptance into 3 DPT programs including my top choice school! He knows exactly what programs are looking for, and I don't know where I'd be without him!"

"After working with Shaun I was able to achieve acceptance at my top choice program and received compliments about my application essay from admissions committees. He helped me convey my passion and story in my essay."

"Shaun gave me a different perspective when it came to my application, essays, and interviews. If you want to be a competitive applicant, use Physical Therapy Application Coach because Shaun is the best!"

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"Shaun's coaching made the biggest difference for me and my application, and I know he can do the same for you if you are willing to put the work in and let him help you. I left my interview and thought that was way too easy...I would recommend everyone use Shaun's services, even if you think you are a smart kid."

"Utilizing Shaun made my application experience SO much easier. Starting from freshman year, he gave me a specific roadmap. It doesn't hurt to have somebody who's got your back who knows everything there is to know about getting into PT school."

"Being happy with the results I had with Shaun’s essay coaching I decided to utilize his interview coaching services. The mock interview I had with Shaun definitely boosted my confidence and self esteem. I definitely recommend Shaun’s services to you guys! You will invest your time and money, but you want to make sure you do this right the first time and not have to do it again."

"Shaun took my essay from a 2 to a 10 in a matter of 2 coaching sessions. I looked back at my first draft I had sent him and realized how glad I am that I did not submit it to PTCAS. I heard good news from every school I applied to and will be attending my top choice in Fall 2019."

Having access to Shaun's essay and interview services helped not only to reduce my stress level, but gave me the affirmation I needed to complete the process confidently. I valued the mock interviews the most because they helped me develop an answer repertoire that I could apply to any question."

"To any of you who are having second thoughts about your application or your essays, work with Shaun! He will take your essays to the next level, which is what you want to have the first time you apply. If you want to do it right the first time, Shaun is going to help you do that and really help you get into the school of your choice."

"Shaun helped me discover the best things about myself as an applicant. He was the best essay and interview coach I could have asked for. I was accepted to several programs and will be attending my top choice in the fall!"

"I would definitely recommend others to use these services and have passed on Shaun's contact information to my friends so they can get the same help I received. Thanks again Shaun! It feels so great to be accepted into PT school and know that my future is secured!"

86 Physical Therapy Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best physical therapy topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ simple & easy physical therapy essay titles, 👍 good essay topics on physical therapy, ❓ physical therapy research questions.

Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of Physical Therapists In the recent past, as a result of the increased autonomy of physical therapists in executing their duties, there has been an increase in the number of ethical and legal responsibilities of individuals in this […]
The Career of a Physical Therapist The cost of attaining a degree in Physical therapy at the University of Delaware is estimated to be about 9,486 dollars for the in-state tuition fee and 23,186 for the out-of-state.
Physical Therapy Activities The justification for conducting this particular research was premised on the fact that relatively few studies had attempted to evaluate and address the relationship between physical therapy treatments and outcomes by specifically investigating the individual […]
Negligence in Physical Therapy Even if the therapist owed a duty to the patient and acted outside the standard of care, the plaintiff still has to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the action of the therapist caused an […]
ACL Surgery Physical Therapy Plan Resistance training can be incorporated into the exercise program to help build strength and improve stability in the knee. Working with a physical therapist with knowledge of ACL rehabilitation is necessary to guarantee the program’s […]
The Education of Physical Therapy Students In the era of COVID-19, many students were forced to study online, and this type of learner has become one of the most popular in the medical sphere.
Aspects of Geriatric Physical Therapy The authors of the study evaluated secondary data and presented the interconnections of an essential chain of mechanisms reflection on training processes such as enzymes, neurotransmitters, and ion channels positively influencing the cardiovascular system, cardiorespiratory […]
Job Opportunities for a Physical Therapist Assistant Since a range of health issues and disorders are addressed in the specified settings, the assistance of a qualified PTA is likely to be quite welcome in a rehabilitation center.
Physical Therapy: Orthopedic Chairs Proposal Being aware of the fact that the received orthopedic chairs are out-of-date and out of service for necessary repair, I have to inform healthcare staff about the shortages of new products, and our administrator is […]
Funds to Set Up Physical Therapy and Rehabilitative Medicine Department There is a current need to evaluate the provision of physical therapy in society today, taking into consideration the number of people who need therapy, and the people with actual access to the service.
Arthritis: The Use of Physical and Occupational Therapy Incorporating credible evidence, the paper expounds on biological factors such as unusual bowel permeability, genetic and microorganism as the causes of arthritis The paper examines the use of physical and occupational therapy, as some of […]
Paraplegia: Normative Model for Physical Therapy Education Adjustment to the way of life and the budget is likely to follow in order for the family to cope with the paraplegic condition.
Analysis of the Physical Therapy Market For this reason, it is possible to admit the existence of a significant business potential related to the development of the MBE Ltd.
Physical Education: Effect of Phototherapy Therefore, it is evident that the intensity of an exercise directly influences one’s heart rate, breathing rate, skin coloration, sweating, and recovery.
Careers in the Health Professions: Physical Therapy The organization is the sole accreditation agency in the United States with regard to education in Physical Therapy. He is married with two children and is undergoing computer course in the hope of landing a […]
Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease Hypotension is an “abnormal condition in which the blood pressure is not adequate for normal perfusion and oxygenation of the tissues”.
Medicine Issues: Physical Therapy as a Profession The aim of this essay is to discuss the profession of physical therapist explaining the role of women in this field.”Physical therapy in the United States was originally an occupation composed almost entirely of women; […]
The Career of a Physical Therapist Assistant The career of a physical therapist assistant is exciting, flexible, and highly rewarding, but students require necessary qualifications to join the profession.
Physical Therapy: Overweight or Obese People With Osteoarthritis The abstract is a comprehensive summary of all the components of an article. Analyzed results are found in the results section of the article.
Physical Therapy in Canada and Thai Research indicates that the advancement of technology in medical field has also provided the need for physiotherapy in the field of health.
Dealing With Patient Resistance in Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy in Gynecological Practice
Good Physical Therapy as an Alternative to Drugs in Pain Management
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation: Use in Physical Therapy
Application of Physical Therapy in Urology
Discrimination in the Private Physical Therapy Practices
Exploring the Theory of Expert Practice in Physical Therapy
Evidence-Informed Physical Therapy of the Musculoskeletal System
Physical Therapy for Athletes
Experimental Methods of Physical Therapy Effects on the Human Body
Code of Ethics of the American Physical Therapy Association
Treatment Methods Used in Physical Therapy
Contraindications and Restrictions for Physical Therapy
Robotic Rehabilitation for Physical Therapy
The Possibility of Reducing the Dose of the Drug Through Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy After Triangular Fibrocartilage Injuries and Ulnar Wrist Pain
Pulsed Radio Frequency Energy as Physical Therapy
The American Physical Therapy Association
The Effectiveness of Physical Therapy
Positive and Negative Side Effects of Physical Therapy
Advantages of Modern Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy and Acquired Brain Injury Patients
Methods of Physical Therapy in the Treatment of Diseases of Various Systems and Organs
Physical Therapy: The Pharmacological Aspect of Musculoskeletal Systems
Physical Therapy in Gynecology for the Recovery and Treatment of the Body
Physical Therapy for Pain Relief
Contraindications to the Use of Physical Therapy Methods for Treatment
Post-stroke Balance Rehabilitation of Multilevel Physical Therapy
The Influence of Physical Therapy on the Human Body
Viewing the Practice of Physical Therapy From a Professional’s Perspective
Patient Satisfaction With Physical Therapy
Accelerating the Achievement of Desired Treatment Results With Physical Therapy
The Appointment of Physical Therapy for a Certain Range of Indications
Physical Therapy for Neurological Conditions in Geriatric Populations
Physical Therapy for Becoming a Licensed Physical Therapist
Combination of Physical Therapy With Other Therapies
Effective Methods of Treatment Using Technologies Close to Physical Therapy
The Downsides and Benefits of an Effective Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
What Does Physical Therapy Mean?
What Is the Main Focus of Physical Therapy?
What Are the Types of Physical Therapy?
What Are Things Physical Therapist Do?
What Usually Happens at Physical Therapy?
Who Benefits From Physical Therapy?
Why Do Patients Go to Physical Therapy?
Why Do Doctors Recommend Physical Therapy?
Does Physical Therapy Really Help?
Can Physical Therapy Harm a Person’s Health?
How Long Does Physical Therapy Last?
Should a Person Immediately Go to Physical Therapy if There Is Pain?
Is Physical Therapy Painful at First?
Does a Person Need to Go to Physical Therapy Often?
What Happens to a Person When They First Visit a Physiotherapist?
How Does Medical Terminology Relate to Physical Therapy?
How Physical Therapy Has a Positive Impact on Patient’s Disease, Deformity, or Injury?
How Can Clinical Decision Making for a Physical Therapy Assistant Help?
What Happens After Physical Therapy Is Done?
What Clothing Should People Wear to Physical Therapy Appointments?
What Can Not Be Done Before the Medical Examination?
Should People Take Painkillers Before Physical Therapy?
What Time of Day Is Best for Physical Therapy?
Is a Physical Therapist Better Than a Chiropractor?
How Does Physiotherapy Work?
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IMAGES

Dimension of Health Essay Outline (Gym.. Health Class, Physical
life fitness physical therapy towson
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High School Research Lesson Add-on for Any Research Project or Essay
"Pineapple Pizza Paradox: An Essay for International Pineapple Day
High School Research Lesson Add-on for Any Research Project or Essay

VIDEO

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Rejected from Physical Therapy School or Accepted to PT School! What to do next!
Acute care physical therapy Pelvic Floor #shorts #viral #physics
Mercer University Physical therapy at health #viral #university
Best Advice for Physical Therapy School
How to Apply To Physical Therapy School (PTA School)

COMMENTS

How Do I Write My PTCAS Essay (Personal Statement)?
Each year, PTCAS sets a prompt for you to answer for the personal statement. You're given about one page, or 4,500 characters, to answer the PTCAS prompt. PTCAS Personal Statement prompts can vary in topics, but ultimately they touch on the physical therapy profession. It's important that you answer the PTCAS question in your essay.
The Ultimate Guide to Writing PT School Application Essays
2. Turn your ideas into paragraphs. Write more about each point that you wrote down. Try to form a paragraph and relate it back to the prompt. If you're struggling on writing more than a sentence or two about the bullet point, then maybe one of your other ideas will be better to include in your essay. 3.
Physical Therapy Personal Statement Examples
physical therapy essay examples. Below are some physical therapy personal statement examples. These examples will allow you to see what shape and tone you require, as well as what colleges are searching for in general. It's Good To Know: Candidate Statement Sample. Sample#01. When I was a kid, I first heard the term "physical therapy."
PTCAS: Personal Statement/Essays
Every year, PTCAS has an "essay" section. This is essentially your personal statement, even though it is not stated outright. The personal statement is your chance to really show your personality, so you want to make it count! If your grades or GRE scores aren't the best, your essays could really set you apart, + take your application to ...
PTCAS Personal Statement Examples
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) first launched the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) on August 1, 2008, in an attempt to simplify the registration process for prospective physical therapist (PT) students and to make the interview process for professional PT educational programs easier.
Lesson 24: The PTCAS Essay
Lesson 24: The PTCAS Essay. Dec 2. Written By Topher Williamson. The Essay is the main opportunity to tie activities and experiences together and connect with the people who read your application. Ultimately, you want to write an essay that makes the reader want to become your future professor or colleague. The PTCAS application requires one ...
How to Apply to Physical Therapy Schools and Become a Physical Therapist
An aspiring U.S. physical therapist will need to complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, or DPT, which typically requires about three years of full-time study. He or she will also need to ...
PTCAS Essay 2020-2021/2021-2022/2022-2023: Initial ...
Hi friends! Long time no personal statement post! PTCAS updated their essay for the 2020-2021 cycle, so I figured I'd give you guys my initial thoughts on the essay prompt and share a few tips to help you get started on crafting a winning essay!. PTCAS Essay Prompt: Every person has a story that has led them to a career.Since there are a variety of health professions that "help" others ...
PTCAS Personal Statement Prompt 2021-2022
PTCAS Personal Statement Prompt 2021-2022. If you're applying for a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program for the 2021-2022 cycle, you're in the right place. This year's prompt matches last year's prompt which is: Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that "help" others ...
Physical Therapy School Application Guide: Get Into PT School
Getting into PT School isn't easy. Every year, 18,000+ students submit their physical therapy school application for 10,000 PT School seats. Less than 50% of PT School applicants will get an acceptance letter, which makes it a very competitive field to enter. This guide was created by two Physical Therapists who were accepted into the #1 ...
DPT Admissions Process
The Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service allows Doctor of Physical Therapy program applicants to use a single online application and one set of materials to apply to multiple education programs. Most, but not all professional DPT programs, participate in PTCAS. Applicants who wish to apply to a nonparticipating PTCAS program must ...
PT School Personal Statement Examples: a Quick Guide
How to Write an Outstanding PT Personal Statement. PT School Personal Statement Examples. Example 1: Example 2. Final Words. Your statement is your chance to "sell" yourself to the admissions committee. We have great PT school personal statement examples to inspire you in crafting your statement. We hope they provide a wealth of insights ...
The PT Application Essay Course
The PT Application Essay Course. As a physical therapist, writer, and editor, I've helped hundreds of future physical therapists get into over 175 PT schools. I'm so excited to combine all my experience and advice into a new video that will guide you in writing a physical therapy essay that will help you stand out from the crowd! This ...
Physical Therapy School Interview Tips and Strategies
Essay During Your Physical Therapy School Interview. During one of my interviews, there was a time set aside for the prospective students to write an essay. We had to write an essay in 1 hour answering this question: What was the best decision that you've made in your life so far.
Advice on writing PT school essays? : r/PTschool
When writing essays for applying to PT school, is it better to only answer the prompt and focus strictly on physical therapy-related experiences and not derive from what it's asking you, or is it better to tell a story of who you are (i.e. your life experiences) and how you came to choose PT as a future profession? Just how much should I stay ...
How to write your physical therapy personal essay
FOLLOW IT UP. After you've described your life-changing moment, you then get to explain specifically why this steered you toward physical therapy. Which means you get to explain what was going on in your head at that time. This generally invites paragraphs that start with, "This is the moment I realized …".
Physical Therapy Application Coach
Selected by NAU faculty to review application essays and perform interviews for 17 incoming applicants. 1,510 application essays edited. 469 mock interviews performed. Coaching individuals attending universities across the country. Clients accepted to 192 of 300 DPT programs across the country. Accepted into 5/6 highly competitive DPT programs ...
86 Physical Therapy Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
Medicine Issues: Physical Therapy as a Profession. The aim of this essay is to discuss the profession of physical therapist explaining the role of women in this field."Physical therapy in the United States was originally an occupation composed almost entirely of women; […] The Career of a Physical Therapist Assistant.
Sample physical therapy school essay
After you submit your essay, I will review based on the level of essay editing service you've chosen. I offer proofreading, personal critiques and brainstorming to help dig out your story and make sure it shines. The prompt for the physical therapy personal statement essay is a unique one — and I love it.
Physical Therapy school personal statement : r/writing
Physical Therapy school personal statement. Currently applying to Doctor of Physical Therapy programs! Any help with my essay would be appreciated. This is my 3rd draft. Thanks in advance. Essay Prompt: Describe your decision making process in choosing physical therapy as a career choice versus other health care careers.
Really conflicted about essay topics : r/PTschool
Physical therapy school is going to be a new environment with its own stressors that you can translate that experience into being successful student. I encourage you to explore your thoughts and turn that into an outstanding essay. ... This is something that my first choice school would really like to read an essay on. It was mentioned at the ...
Physical Therapy Essay Sample 2014
This is just a sample. You can get a custom paper by one of our expert writers. If you are looking for a physical therapy essay sample from 2014, then you have come to the right place. At Free Essay Example, we provide students with high-quality essay examples that they can use for their own academic purposes.
Essay Physical Therapy School
Megan Sharp. #12 in Global Rating. 2456Orders prepared. Essay Physical Therapy School, Salvador Dali Research Paper, Tv Station Business Plan, Custom Cheap Essay Ghostwriters Websites For University, Dissertation Ideas Sport Science, My Unforgettable Moments Essay, Best Presentation Writers Sites For Mba. Essay Physical Therapy School -.

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How Do I Write My PTCAS Essay (Personal Statement)?

What is a Personal Statement?

What Should I Know About a Physical Therapy Personal Statement?

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing PT School Application Essays

How to Start Writing Your Essay

How Do You Format Your Essay?

General Tips for PT School Essays

Tips for Specific Essays

PTCAS Essay

Autobiography Essay

Diversity Essay

Reapplicant Essay

Does Your Academic Record Accurately Reflect Your Capabilities?

Additional Resources

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PTCAS Personal Statement Examples

Best Practices To Communicate Your Determination In PTCAS Essay

3. Maturity

4. Responsibility

Common Avoidable Mistakes In PTCAS Essay Prompt

What should I Write In PTCAS Personal Statement

PTCAS Essay Examples

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Lesson 24: The PTCAS Essay

Download 50 more successful Harvard Medical School application essays now! FREE!

Lesson 23: The Physical Therapy School Application Process

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PTCAS Essay 2020-2021/2021-2022/2022-2023: Initial Thoughts + 5 Tips

1. Answer the prompt, period.

2. Wanting to “help others” is not enough.

3. What is your s tory?

4. Make sure your essay has structure.

5. Show, don’t tell!

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Sharing clinical sprinkles about physical therapy.

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PT School Personal Statement Examples: a Quick Guide

What Is a PT Personal Statement?

How to Write an Outstanding PT Personal Statement

PT School Personal Statement Examples

Final Words

Abir Ghenaiet

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The PT Application Essay Course

How to Ace Your Physical Therapy School Interview

Common Physical Therapy School Interview Questions

Top 10 PT School Interview Questions:

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What Are Your Biggest Strengths?

3. Why Did You Choose Physical Therapy?

If you think this article was helpful, Check out our Physical Therapy School Interview Guide .

4. Why Do You Want to Attend This Program?

Talk With a Current Student or Graduate

Random Physical Therapy School Interview Questions You Might Hear:

Essay During Your Physical Therapy School Interview

How to Stand Out When Answering PT School Interview Questions

Clinical Hours and Experience

Undergrad GPA

Final Tips For Getting into Physical Therapy School

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