Apply to Physical Therapy School – Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center

Applications

There are 3 general steps to the PT school application process. See the tabs below to view the 3 steps and more information on financial aid resources.

Application Process Application Checklist Financial Aid Tracker Templates

Application Process

There are three general steps in applying to physical therapy (PT) schools: the primary application, the secondary application, and the interview.

1. Primary Applications

Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS)
Opens mid-June. It includes a personal statement (4500 characters)
- Personal statement prompt changes every 2-3 years
- 2024-2025 cycle prompt: “Every applicant is unique in their own way, possessing individual qualities, abilities, and backgrounds. What unique traits will you bring to the physical therapy profession that will help you succeed?”
Once the application is complete, PTCAS forwards it to whichever schools the student has designated
Application fees: $165 for the first program designation and $65 for each additional program designation
- PTCAS Fee Assistance Program: offered at the start of each cycle on a first-come, first-served basis. Fee waivers for first program designation.
Submit your primary application for schools with rolling admission as early as possible.
List of LOR Requirements

2. Secondary applications or supplementary forms are specific to individual schools. Some schools may include these applications in the PTCAS application, while others may send them after they have received the PTCAS application. Both frequently request additional information, essays, letters of recommendation, and/or fees. Some schools may screen applicants before the applications or forms are sent out.

3. Interviews: After reviewing the primary and secondary applications (or supplementary forms), PT schools invite promising applicants to interview. Applicants are responsible for all interviewing costs, including airfare, lodging, ground transportation, professional attire, and meals.

Interview Information
Sample Interview Questions
Health Professional School Interview Room Reservation Request: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many health professional schools conduct online interviews. Applicants can request a reservation for a private space with on-campus wifi access.

For Hawaiʻi Residents Only: Apply to the Hawaiʻi WICHE Professional School Exchange Program. PSEP gives residents from WICHE participating states affordable access to enroll in out-of-state professional healthcare programs at participating WICHE institutions when those programs are unavailable at a public institution in their home state. Applications open on August 1.

Background Check: Before official acceptance, schools usually conduct a background check on accepted students. Thus, please ensure that you conduct yourself professionally at all times. A record of misconduct may result in the residence of acceptance by schools.

Re-applicants: Many applicants may not be admitted to the professional school they desire on their first try. However, if you choose to re-apply, there are many things to consider before re-submitting another application in the following cycle.

Tips:

Check individual schools’ admissions websites to find out how they handle:
- Advanced Placement (AP) credits
- International Baccalaureate (IB) credits
- College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits
- Courses taken at a community college
- Non-US coursework
- Courses taken for credit/no credit instead of a grade
- Residency issues
- Time limits on prerequisite science courses

Please note that if you are retaking courses because PT schools may not accept Advanced Placement (AP), online, or community college credit, your financial aid and/or scholarship status may be affected.

Application Checklist

Financial Aid

Financial planning is a crucial step in applying to physical therapy (PT) schools. It is important for students to create a plan and make decisions in their educational expenses. Students are highly encouraged to budget their finances before, during, and after PT school.

Financial Planning Information

TRIO Mānoa Student Support Services (SSS): is a resource for first-generation college students and students with high-financial need. TRIO Mānoa is an academic advising office specialized in helping students succeed. Services offered include one-on-one advising, a computer lab, free printing, study room spaces, educational workshops, exclusive events, and a summer scholarship for accepted students.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid:

All applicants are encouraged to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Must apply the year prior to matriculation even if you do not know if you were accepted into graduate or professional school yet.
Applicants may be considered for grants, work-study, and loans to help fund the cost of undergraduate, graduate, and professional school education.
Opens on October 1st.
Provides funding on a rolling basis (first come, first serve).

APTA Financial Education Program: Students are invited to visit the new APTA Financial Education Program, an online tool designed to increase financial literacy, including in the area of student debt. This free educational platform offers an individualized experience to users through videos, articles, webinars, quizzes, online communities, live chats, calculators, and more.

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE): Hawaiʻi residents are eligible to participate in the Professional School Exchange Program (PSEP), a service of WICHE. PSEP enables qualified residents from WICHE participating states affordable access to enroll in selected out-of-state professional healthcare programs at participating WICHE institutions when such programs are not available at a public institution in their home state. Many Hawai‘i residents must attend professional schools out-of-state to obtain the necessary education and training needed for professional healthcare positions. Therefore, the State of Hawai‘i, through WICHE PSEP, helps subsidize the tuition costs for qualifying Hawai‘i residents to attend a participating WICHE PSEP program. In return, WICHE PSEP students are required to return to work in the State after completing their program of study.

PSEP-selected students pay reduced levels of tuition at the WICHE participating institution. The home state pays a negotiated “support fee” designed to cover a portion of the cost of the students’ education; this fee is paid directly to the enrolling program’s institution. No payments are made directly to students. Students enrolled at public institutions generally pay the resident tuition rate, however, students may be required to pay the unmet non-resident tuition differential if the WICHE PSEP support fee does not cover the entire non-resident tuition differential. Students enrolled at private institutions pay the balance of the full private tuition minus the WICHE PSEP support fee.

Support is available to a limited number of Hawai‘i residents studying physical therapy and enrolling at participating WICHE PSEP schools.

List of Participating Schools

Note: To be considered for this scholarship, you must apply one full year in advance of matriculation, generally in the summer of your application year.

Military Financial Aid

Tracker Templates

Reminder!

UH Mānoa has a preferred acceptance program for physical therapy school with the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP)!

Prepare

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