It is usually a series of actions that lead to you becoming a dominant applicant. As I was running today, I learned five key things that can be applied as a pre-PT.

The first point is that experience always beats ability. When you have experience or done something before, you naturally have confidence in yourself that you don't have when you haven't done it before. As a pre-PT, you must understand that experience is going to be your advantage.

A personal experience, whether good or bad, is still an experience. This experience developed you into a certain type of applicant, whether that's rejection or grades that you struggled with. You can also leverage other peoples’ experiences. You can leverage other Pre-PT’s experiences, whether they are applying to the schools you've applied to, whether they're a year ahead of you, whether it's mentors or whether it’s other physical therapists. There is so much wisdom and experience that allows you to pace yourself properly,...

Have you ever been in a situation where things aren't going as planned but you found somebody that helped you change your mindset for the better? Maybe they were able to redirect your focus and give you perspective. You might have found someone that probably had a much harder situation than yours and was able to explain how what they did or went through was far harder than what you're going through right now and it was helpful. That person was one of two people that hold the key to your acceptance.

In our lives, there are two types of people, the enabler and the motivator. You must choose very carefully who you share your frustrations with and who you're going to with your problems. Enabler means “a person or thing that makes something possible.” The very thing you are trying to make possible, the enabler is going to light that fire and make that “something” possible. For example, if you're going to them with the mindset of “I'm never going to get...

Every part of our journey is preparing us for something. But, are we looking at our current situation in the type of light that would be important to look at it in order to become a successful Pre PT, as we pursue Physical Therapy school? 

Opportunity does not waste its time with people who are not prepared. 

It's going to pass you by and find somebody else who's been working harder than you. Someone who has been prepping more than you because they might have been a little bit more hungry than you are at this time.

You have to be ready for your opportunity.

Depending on where you are in your pre-PT journey, you have to be preparing a little bit different of course. However, you have to see the end goal whether it be your interview day or your acceptance letter day. You have to have that in mind so you are prepared for it when the opportunity comes. You have to prepare for what you're going through now because that next opportunity is focused on today's...

Pre-PTs all have the same fears, some are a little stronger than others because of different things; GRE practices not looking good, freaking out because the test is in two weeks. Then we start panicking and getting in our own head and start thinking, “Shoot there's a lot of other applicants. There's a lot of people in my class applying. I'm seeing people online that are killing it and they have a higher GPA. Maybe they're not struggling with the GRE.” Now we’re putting ourselves in a position where we start saying, “Shoot! maybe it's not meant for me, but I know I love it. I know that I can't really see myself doing something else but should I have a plan B?"

Sometimes I like to ask myself, what's my life? What's my buyout from choosing to do something else other than PT? With that, there are five questions you should ask yourself along this journey.

Question 1: “What will really stop me from getting accepted?” 

• Will the PT program...

There are so many different things that are in the back of your mind when you're applying as a pre-PT that really affect how you do. Let’s talk about identity crisis. 

An identity crisis is in short, when you have this moment where you really don't know who you are anymore. It's tied to something that really doesn't define you, but you lead yourself to believe it.

What does that mean?

We're all human beings, but as a pre-PT applying to PT school you've been gifted with the ability to be you. When we go through certain obstacles many times we associate those obstacles with who we have become. Whether it's the GRE (fourth time taking it or fifth time taking it) or being rejected and looking at that and saying, “that's just who I am.” You might even be thinking, “last year I applied and I felt like I did everything in my power to have the best possible application. But it just didn't work out. So, I'm trying again this year, but I have even more...

So many times throughout our academic career, we've been trained to either ask the teacher, find a video, or get help from the tutor when we’re struggling. Basically, relying on other people to help us become a better student. Asking for help is a good thing, but, immediately running to others at the first sign of struggle may be a detriment to some people who are struggling with certain classes and other things that may not be working at this time. So, another tactic to think about is whether or not you’re an independent student or a dependent student.

Being independent versus dependent is important because this whole journey is an independent project. Meaning PT school, your board exam, the tests that you take in PT school, even the tests that you take now as Pre-PT students, you're taking them by yourself. So, whether you're a Pre-PT, going into PT school, or even started PT school already, a truth about studying that not a lot of people talk about is the importance...

PT schools: “We want someone unique, different. We want someone who stands out."

Every Pre-PT:  “How should I stand out?”

PT schools: “Oh, just get your GRE up. Get a higher GPA and more observation hours” (the same advice cycle after cycle)

Your professors, your advisors, and the PT schools are saying, “be different" or "be unique.” But then they're giving you the same advice, cycle after cycle, but expect something different. I liken this to the parable that says, basically, “If you're given a fish eat for a day if you're taught how to fish, eat for a lifetime.” They're not really teaching you how to fish. They're just giving you food, they're not teaching you how to hunt. They're just giving you surface-level answers. But not really teaching you anything of substance, then they get frustrated because they're not getting unique, different applicants, then you get frustrated because you listen to them, then you apply with...

I want you to think about this: you have something you're excited about doing like going to a party or a concert or maybe on a date. You start getting ready hours ahead of time. You're so excited to go so you're not procrastinating for that. Why? Because it's fun. Your expectations are so high for this experience that you do not want to procrastinate. There’s no reason to. You're so excited for that opportunity that your actions to get that opportunity follows. And what are those actions? Everything but procrastination.

Now, let's think about it from the PTCAS perspective or from the perspective of studying for the GRE. We've been taught to have our expectations and standards so low for stuff and the mindset that “we don't want to do it” for so long that our actions follow. And what are those actions? Procrastination!

A lot of you are thinking, “well, I took this class before and I failed.” “I took the GRE before and I got a low...

A Quick Q & A.

Q: What is Accreditation? 

A: A process in the United States that ensures the quality of education for the students

Q: Who grants Physical Therapy (PT) schools accreditation? 

A: A body called “CAPTE” or Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education.

Q: Why is accreditation important? 

A: In order to sit for your licensing exam and become a licensed Physical Therapist, you have to have graduated from an accredited institution. 

How accreditation works

When PT schools are applying for accreditation they are applying to get accepted for accreditation, aka “Candidacy.” Candidacy means that a school is a candidate for accreditation. 

The schools have to write down everything that they want to happen in school and actually do it. They have to say where the money is going. They say how much is going to a cadaver lab, how much is going to the teachers and the students. They have to break...

You might have asked yourself “what should I be majoring in as a Pre-PT?” Is there one best thing? Is there a worst one? Should I stay away from this? Should I stay away from that?

Is there something you can choose that will put you above the rest that will make you stand out? That'll make you be different? Truth is … it doesn't really matter what major you do as a Pre-PT and undergrad. Why? Let's take a step back and think about this. 

When you go to PTCAS or when you go to the school's website, does it ever say that they require a certain major? Does it ever say that they want you to be a biology major? Does it ever say they want you to have a Kinesiology degree? Does it ever say they want you to have an Exercise Science degree? No. 

What does it say?

It says stuff about your GPA requirements and the GRE requirements. It says stuff about the letters of recommendation they want and about the hours and the experiences, but it never says anything about...