Application Guide
Applicants seeking admission to a physical therapy program should contact the schools they are interested in attending for information on specific prerequisites and admission requirements. Admission to a physical therapy program generally requires volunteer or paid experience in a health care setting.
Application Information - Primary
Centralized Application Service: PTCAS - Phyiscal Therapist Centralized Application Service
Cost: $155 for first DPT program designation. Each additional school is $60.
When to apply: Students will apply in the summer of the year preceding their planned matriculation. PTCAS opens late June to early July.
Courses and Transcripts: The courses you have taken will need to be self-reported and you will also need to have official transcripts sent to the application service.
Most centralized applications will have a form to print off that will need to be attached to your transcript. You will be asked to enter information, grades and credits for every course that you have enrolled in at any U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution. Transcripts should be sent from the registrar’s office of all US and/or Canadian Schools attended.
You may order a transcript from the MSU registrar’s office from the registrar’s web site, https://reg.msu.edu/. There is no charge for sending transcripts. If you are taking courses during the spring semester, it is advised you wait until your spring semester grades are posted to your record as professional schools will want to see those grades.
Resources: PTCAS Applicant Help Center
Application Information - Secondary
The majority of DPT schools will require a secondary application, which are sent directly to the student by the individual school and are focused on the interests of that specific school. Secondary applications may arrive anywhere from a few days to up to 6 weeks after submission of the primary application – the timeline varies from school to school. Secondary applications should be submitted 2-4 weeks upon receipt.
Entrance Exam
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The GRE is required for admission to Physical Therapy programs. Please see our GRE page for more information on this exam.
Personal Statement
The personal statement is a very limited in length essay that is used as a device to get a better understanding of the applicant. It is a very important element that should be prepared well in advance to the application and should be edited thoroughly by many different people, such as but not limited to, the writing center, friends and family.
Length: 4,500 character limit for PTCAS participating schools.
Prompt: What is professionalism in the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapist degree program?
What to include:
- Why you selected this field of health care
- What motivates you to learn more about health care
- Pertinent information about you not included elsewhere in the application
- Special hardships or experiences that have influenced your educational pursuits
- Commentary on significant fluctuations in your academic record not explained in the application.
Resources:
Work/Activities
This section gives applicants an opportunity to expand on their experiences. All of your work in leadership, clinical experiences, community service, research, publications, awards and honors are detailed in a single section.
PTCAS requests that applicants enter their experiences among the following categories:
- Employment: Paid work done outside of the PT field
- Extracurricular Activities: Research, club memberships, sports, etc.
- Volunteer: Volunteer experiences of any kind
Observation Hours
A separate category in the PTCAS application is listed for Observation Hours. PT schools often request shadowing experience, including a minimum for observation hours. Students are encouraged to check with individual PT schools for shadowing requirements.
Recommendation Letters
PTCAS allows up to 4 recommendation letters.
While you must pay careful attention to the guidelines of each school that requests your letters, we suggest you identify the following people to request letters of evaluation from:
- Two science faculty who taught you in a class
- One non-science faculty
- One individual working in the profession you wish to pursue (example: an osteopathic physician, dentist, physical therapist, pharmacist, etc)
- One or two additional individuals who know you well from a work, volunteer or research experience
Interviews
After submitting the primary application, and secondary applications if required, students may receive an offer to interview. Not all DPT programs require an interview as part of the application process, but for the ones that do, they have indicated an interest in selecting you. Remember, you are not only preparing to answer their questions, you are preparing to ask your own. While they determine whether you are the right fit for the program, you need to determine if the program is the right fit for you.
Schools use personal interviews with applicants to assess qualities such as maturity, interpersonal skills, and ability to articulate strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to discuss why you wish to pursue a career in physician assistant and the experiences that have motivated you.
Resources:
- Interview Tips
- InterviewStream - Free mock interview software