Do You Need A High GPA To Get Into Physical Therapy School?

Follow the journey of one of our Pre-PT grind coaches, the future Dr. Ben Kim!

Ben was born and raised in Southern California. He studied Molecular Biology at UC Merced. He graduated in 2015 with a low GPA, 2.4. And was recently accepted into a physical therapy program!

Since graduating, he’s spent the last few years re-taking prerequisite courses. Prior to, he never really knew what he wanted to do as a career until the end of his junior year. He bounced between the ideas of pursuing pharmacy and physical therapy and decided to try PT his junior year. After deciding PT, he started to learn how great the field was through different shadowing experiences. One big eye opener for him was Smart Success PT.

Ben originally heard about Pre-PT Grind through Casey and from being a part of Smart Success PT. He was able to network and ended up joining the Pre-Doctor of Physical Therapy Facebook Group page. He enjoyed the community that was built and enjoyed seeing people strive to reach new heights.

Here are four tips Ben has to give to pre-PT’s while they are in their application cycle.

1. Believe You Are Your Number One Asset

By being a part of  SSPT, and the Pre-PT Grind/Accepted System, Ben learned early how important it is to work on his personal development to make himself unique. Being a part of this community allowed Ben to see the value of a positive mindset which is one of the biggest reasons he was able to get into PT school while having a low GPA. He decided that PT was going to be his plan A, without any room for a plan B. By changing his mindset, Ben realized that the application isn’t just about GPA or GRE scores. Some schools will accept or deny you because of your GPA and GRE, but those weren’t the schools Ben looked into. Self development allows people to show off their true colors. When you are confident and believe in yourself, other people will be confident in you and your abilities.

2. Stand Out

To really stand out as a Pre-PT student, you should reach out to the school you are applying to and visit. Ben’s advice in doing so was to see faculty members who are going to be involved in the application process in person, and he dressed to impress. If you aren’t able to see them in person, then make sure you email or call them. Having connections with faculty involved in the process will tell you more about that specific schools application process and they can give you noteworthy advice for your application cycle. By reaching out to schools, you’re putting a face, name, and some personality into your application which will definitely help you stand out. Plus, you never know who can end up in your network if you don’t give it a try.

3. Grab the Admission Committee's Attention

The admissions committee is looking for someone who stands out and grabs their attention. School selection was an important factor to Ben’s physical therapy school acceptance. He consistently showed schools that he wanted to be a PT by surrounding himself with activities that revolved around physical therapy. He shadowed in different sites, worked in different settings, and immersed himself in SSPT and Pre-PT Grind. His experience in the field allowed him to prepare himself for his future PT career and that made him feel miles beyond everyone else in his application cycle.

4. Have a Great Letter of Recommendation

Having the right people in your corner who can speak on your accomplishments is very important. A strong letter of recommendation tells the admissions counsel that there are faculty members, PTs, professors or mentors who believe in you and know that you will succeed in their program. Ben shared great advice by stating the best way to get a glowing letter of recommendation is for you to be yourself in everything that you do.

Take Ben’s advice and make sure you believe in yourself, stand out, grasp admissions attention and have an awesome letter of recommendation to help you in your application cycle! Congratulations again to Ben on his acceptance to PT school! If you ever have any questions or want to know more please reach out to Pre-PT Grind or Ben Kim directly!

Thank You For Your Attention!

As always, please feel free to Contact Us at contactpreptgrind.com and ask us any questions! We are here to serve YOU!

How We Serve You!

Did you know you are losing $75k-$100k in lost PT income every year you do not get accepted into PT School?

The Accepted System is the #1 way for to save that time and money! The Accepted System helps passionate Pre-PTs gain clarity, direction, and confidence when applying to PT school without wasting time or money.

This system includes over 75+ lessons, a private FB group of winning colleagues, scripts & downloads, 12+ hours of personal coaching and much more. We help you EVERY step of the way on your journey.

A proven system to get you into PT school without wasting time or money. We have everything you need to know in order to SET YOURSELF APART as a winning Pre-PT Student! Click here to learn our Accepted System Method! 

The Mini Course to Get You Into PT School!

What's Inside the Kickstarter Mini Course?

15 video lessons to kickstart your application process! Cover the basic essentials to set yourself apart and make yourself stand out! Kickstart your application & Get Accepted!

We currently are editing PTCAS and supplemental essays for this application cycle! If you are interested in having your essay read and edited, email us at [email protected] and we will give you more information on this process!

Free Content!

Put your anxiety at EASE. Understand your next moves in your Pre-PT Grind and DOMINATE this application cycle! Check your worries at the door with this checklist and GET INTO PT SCHOOL this cycle! Click here to get your FREE checklist!

Are you interested in learning the Top 10 Things that will help you WIN as a Pre-PT and set yourself apart from other DPT school applicants? Click here for a FREE Cheat Sheet!

We also have a FREE E-book of the Top 10 Tips to get into Physical Therapy School! Click here for the FREE 10 tips!

Pre-PT Grind Podcast: Experience is the best teacher, preferably the experiences of others. A weekly audio experience to serve you on the go. Listen to the Pre-PT Grind Podcast on iTunes & Libsyn.

Pre-PT Grind Store!

Ready to ROCK OUT some awesome Pre-PT Grind Merch to all of your friends? Head over to the Pre-PT Grind store to pick up t-shirts, crewnecks, and sweatshirts! Click here to get access to the store!