PTCAS Help
Please note that the FAQ and Instructions links on the PTCAS site are extremely helpful in answering questions you may have about specific sections. I have included some advice I found helpful for each section, but if something is still not clear be sure to refer to FAQ or Instructions sections for further doubts or questions.
Contact Information
Personal Information
Background Information
These three sections are very straight forward. Just be careful for spelling errors and correct information, and be honest in all answers.
Colleges and Universities
In this section simply enter any and all universities you have attended with the correct dates. Remember you MUST enter all universities you have attended no matter how many classes you took.
Coursework
This is one of the more time consuming sections to fill out. The easiest way to do this is to get a printed copy of your transcripts and copy them straight across. Remember that when your PTCAS is submitted they will go through all your coursework to verify that it was input correctly. Putting it in right the first time will same you a lot of time. Be very careful to enter all information correctly the first time, if they find that even one class title is spelled wrong they will send it back saying there is a problem which could add weeks, even months onto your application schedule!
Tests
Unless you are an international student, the only test you will enter here will be the GRE. If you are an international student you must take the TOEFL test to ensure competency in the english language. Remember, you do not have to take the GRE before submitting your PTCAS but make sure that when you do take it (before the Dec 15th deadline) you go in and enter your scores. When you take the test you will know immediately your Verbal and Quantitative scores, but the Analytical score will take a few weeks to be entered since your essay has to be read and judged. Refer to the GRE page for more info /gre.html
PT Observation Hours
It is usually more convenient to use Electronic Verification however the therapist you have been shadowing may ask for a Paper Verification instead. With Electronic Verification, an email will be sent to the physical therapist asking him to verify the hours that you have entered. There should always be a confirmation email sent from PTCAS when they have sent a Verification Request to the therapist and when he/she has filled it out and returned it. If you do not receive a confirmation email be sure to contact PTCAS to have them resend a request to the therapist and be sure to remind the PT to keep checking their email for the request so they don't miss it.
Important: It is not uncommon to log hours in one location but two different types settings. For example, working in a hospital you may complete some outpatient orthopedic hours as well as some inpatient hours. Because you cannot enter outpatient and inpatient hours in the same entry. PTCAS will not allow you to use two locations so a way around this is to do two separate entries and make one Electronic Verification and the other Paper Verification, both verified by the same PT. This way that PT can verify the hours for both settings when normally PTCAS wouldn't allow it.
Important: It is not uncommon to log hours in one location but two different types settings. For example, working in a hospital you may complete some outpatient orthopedic hours as well as some inpatient hours. Because you cannot enter outpatient and inpatient hours in the same entry. PTCAS will not allow you to use two locations so a way around this is to do two separate entries and make one Electronic Verification and the other Paper Verification, both verified by the same PT. This way that PT can verify the hours for both settings when normally PTCAS wouldn't allow it.
Extracurricular Activities
All schools like to see a variety of extracurricular activities, it shows that you are a well rounded person and not a recluse that spends every minute of the day with you nose in textbooks. Things like community service, scouting, church service, sports, research experience and leadership are all things that look good to application committees. Take some time out of your schedule to make sure you get these experiences in, try to have a good balance between extracurriculars, shadowing, and school work. It will set you apart from many applicants who may just have a really high GPA or thousands of shadowing hours.
Honors
This is your chance to sort of "boast" about yourself. If you have certain honors, i.e. scholarships, awards, etc, make sure to include them! These are the things that will set you apart from other applicants, so don't be bashful here.
Work
Not much to this section. Just include the jobs your have done and make sure you put correct information. I'm not sure if they look highly on those who have had jobs in PT settings or not, but I wouldn't worry if you don't.
Professional Licenses and Certificates
These can be very helpful in setting you apart from other applicants as well. PT schools would look highly on an applicant that is a certified personal trainer or athletic trainer. If you can get any kind of certification before you apply it would be worth it, BUT I wouldn't recommend putting off turning in your application just to get a certification. Start working on these well before you apply if you decide you want to have a certification, however I would say that the majority of applicants don't, so don't feel like you have to.
References
Every program usually requires a letter of recommendation from 1) A licensed physical therapist, and 2) A professor from a PT prerequisite class. On top of this, some programs may require a letter from a past employer, a second physical therapist or a second professor. Again, know what the specific requirements are for the programs you are applying to.
Make sure you give your references enough time to write a good letter. Give them a heads up when you start shadowing, or begin a semester of class that you will be asking them for a letter when you are done, this way they can be observing you throughout the course of your time together and it will allow them to write a more personal letter. Along these same lines it is important that you know the person writing your letters and they have a high opinion of you. Do not ask someone to write you a letter that you think may say negative things about you. This is an important part that admissions boards look at heavily, so don't settle for a low quality letter. To do this, take the time to get to know your reference. Ask your teacher at the the beginning of the semester to keep an eye on you and inform him/her that you will be asking them to write you a letter at the end of the semester. Spend the semester getting to know that professor and develop a good relationship with him/her. Use this same process when shadowing physical therapists. This will ensure a good letter of recommendation when the time comes, and you will not have to surprise the person by asking them for a letter out of the blue.
Make sure you give your references enough time to write a good letter. Give them a heads up when you start shadowing, or begin a semester of class that you will be asking them for a letter when you are done, this way they can be observing you throughout the course of your time together and it will allow them to write a more personal letter. Along these same lines it is important that you know the person writing your letters and they have a high opinion of you. Do not ask someone to write you a letter that you think may say negative things about you. This is an important part that admissions boards look at heavily, so don't settle for a low quality letter. To do this, take the time to get to know your reference. Ask your teacher at the the beginning of the semester to keep an eye on you and inform him/her that you will be asking them to write you a letter at the end of the semester. Spend the semester getting to know that professor and develop a good relationship with him/her. Use this same process when shadowing physical therapists. This will ensure a good letter of recommendation when the time comes, and you will not have to surprise the person by asking them for a letter out of the blue.
Essay
The important thing to remember with the essay is to ANSWER THE QUESTION. Many people start writing their essays and before they know it they are off on a tangent that has nothing to do with the question asked. Make sure you stay on topic and be sure to answer the question without veering off with side stories.
One thing with the essay sections is to write your essays in a word processing program first and then paste them in. But be aware of the character limits for each essay (they may all be different). To get the exact character limit for each essay, just start typing in the box provided and red numbers will appearing showing the number of characters you have left. It's a pain to write the whole essay and then go and paste it in and realized your 2,000 characters over the limit. This same thing applies for essays that may be required for each program you select in the program destinations section.
One thing with the essay sections is to write your essays in a word processing program first and then paste them in. But be aware of the character limits for each essay (they may all be different). To get the exact character limit for each essay, just start typing in the box provided and red numbers will appearing showing the number of characters you have left. It's a pain to write the whole essay and then go and paste it in and realized your 2,000 characters over the limit. This same thing applies for essays that may be required for each program you select in the program destinations section.
Certification and Authorization Statements
Nothing too tricky about this section, simply go in, check "yes", check the box saying you agree, and push OK.
PT Program Designations
This is one of the easier sections to complete. One important thing to observe is that some programs, when selected, will have a link to input supplement information right in PTCAS. These usually include secondary essays, explanation of coursework, etc. Make sure you don't forget about these supplement areas, it can be a huge headache if you wait to submit your PTCAS until the day it is due and you realized you forgot to fill out some programs supplemental information.