ptcas 2021 essay prompt examples

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The Curly Clinician - Physical Therapy + Lifestyle

PTCAS Essay 2020-2021/2021-2022/2022-2023: Initial Thoughts + 5 Tips

June 25, 2020 Physical Therapy , Pre-PT , PTCAS & Planning

Hi friends! Long time no personal statement post! PTCAS updated their essay for the 2020-2021 cycle, so I figured I’d give you guys my initial thoughts on the essay prompt and share a few tips to help you get started on crafting a winning essay!

PTCAS Essay Prompt : Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

In my opinion, I think this is a great essay prompt! It is way better than the one I had to answer when I applied in my opinion: “What is professionalism in the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapy program?”…yea bleh. This prompt isn’t too vague; it’s just specific enough so that you know exactly what admissions committees are looking for, but you still have free range to make it personal and add your own flare.

1. Answer the prompt, period.

I know this may seem obvious, but I have edited many essays for pre-PT students, and have come across essays that didn’t even answer the prompt. This is a sure-fire way to stop someone from reading your essay, so follow directions, and try not to deviate too far from the prompt.

2. Wanting to “help others” is not enough.

Almost everyone wants to be a physical therapist because they want to help people, or because they had an awesome physical therapist when they were injured. While this is great, admissions committees want to hear why you want to become a physical therapist (which is why they explicitly included this in the prompt) as opposed to an MD/DO, a PA, an OT. Really think about WHY you want to help people. What are your passions? Pull from your life experiences (healthcare and/or non-healthcare related) to make your essay more personal.

3. What is your s tory?

Everyone has a story. Like the prompt requires, you must go beyond your initial experiences with physical therapy. Did you have a really impactful patient? A family tie? A childhood experience? Whatever it is, tell it! Your story will always be enough. This may require a bit of brainstorming (and deep thought), and that’s fine. Remember that admissions committees aren’t looking for this extravagant story though, they just want to know you and why physical therapy is the right fit. This is your personal statement…make it PERSONAL!

For example, my “PT story” includes the lack of representation for Black women in academia in general, but especially in the physical therapy profession. I began my essay discussing my first real experience with representation: receiving a Holiday Barbie doll that was Black every year for Christmas as a child. This was a piece of my story, and I used it to explain why physical therapy was the career choice for me, and how it made me a great applicant.

4. Make sure your essay has structure.

You need to have an introduction (with a captivating opener to engage the reader), and a conclusion to bring your essay full circle. I began my essay with a childhood memory (as mentioned earlier), but you could begin with a quote (kinda cliché, but you could make it work), a question, a general idea, or something else. You want to grab the reader’s attention immediately !

5. Show, don’t tell!

Use lots of examples. Show your story, don’t just tell it. The reader must be able to visualize your words, so that your story can come to life. You can achieve this by having a “theme” that you incorporate into your essay.

Alright guys, I hope this was helpful, and is a good start to helping you craft an awesome essay. Remember that I am available for editing (this essay, supplemental essays, and resumes), so click here if that is something you are interested in! Also feel free to check out this post for more tips on writing your essay(s)!

Special thanks to my sweet friend Yusra . She wrote a post like this on a past PTCAS prompt, and it inspired me to write one with my thoughts for this year’s prompt!

Reader Interactions

July 2, 2020 at 1:10 pm

Hi, thank you so much for these helpful tips! Do you think it best to discuss one personal experience when writing the personal statement or is it okay to talk about more than one?

July 5, 2020 at 3:53 pm

You’re so welcome! And I think it is okay to discuss more than one, just not too many!

July 22, 2020 at 10:20 pm

Hello, I was wondering if you could just glance over my essay and let me know if the structure is fine?

July 25, 2020 at 12:36 pm

Hi, I offer editing services under my “shop/services” page!

July 25, 2020 at 11:38 am

Wonderful insight! These tips gave me some great ideas for my essay after weeks of being lost with this prompt. Thank you so much!

July 25, 2020 at 12:38 pm

You’re so welcome, good luck with everything!

August 18, 2020 at 10:33 pm

Awesome thank you!

September 13, 2020 at 11:56 pm

What do you think is an appropriate length for the essay. The maximum word limit is 4500 but I’m afraid of writing too much that it might loose the interest of the reader and too little that the reader may not see my personality/experience detail.

September 15, 2020 at 7:42 pm

You should definitely try your hardest to hit the 4500 CHARACTER limit!

September 24, 2020 at 11:24 am

Hello, I am having the hardest time starting on my personal essay. I know exactly what I want to say, I just do not have right words at the moment. When I first read your tips, I had the perfect flow going but now I am stuck.

September 24, 2020 at 3:40 pm

Hi Alicia! My biggest piece of advice for when you are stuck is to take a break. Coming back to your essay later with a fresh pair of eyes can be a game changer. I hope this helps!

January 5, 2021 at 4:20 pm

Hey girly! Thank you so much for all the info! It’s been really helpful exploring your blog! I’m a little confused on the how often the prompts change for the personal statements. Is it every two years that a new prompt gets put out?

January 5, 2021 at 5:41 pm

You’re so welcome! And yes typically they change every 2 years!

July 28, 2022 at 10:40 am

Thank you so much for all this info! It’s been super helpful as my college also did not have a Pre-PT club. When writing the PTCAS essay, is it okay to use “PT” instead of physical therapy or things like “PT school”? I am right over the 4500 character limit and am trying to cut some things out! Thank you for all of your help!

August 18, 2022 at 10:36 pm

You’re so welcome Sarah! Yes, that is totally fine!

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PTCAS Personal Statement Examples

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) first launched the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) on August 1, 2008, in an attempt to simplify the registration process for prospective physical therapist (PT) students and to make the interview process for professional PT educational programs easier.

PTCAS enables people to apply to numerous PT programs using a single web-based application and one set of materials. The American Physical Therapy Association administers PTCAS is a service of Liaison International, a Watertown, Massachusetts-based education information technology firm.

Best Practices To Communicate Your Determination In PTCAS Essay

1. communication.

This is the first and most crucial element a student must grasp before the beginning of actual writing. It is also the most important for your future education. Examine your manuscripts and ask yourself the following questions:

• Is my vocabulary large enough to convey all of the information and details I need to the reader?
• Are both my written and spoken talents near-perfect enough to persuade the reader to support you?
• Is it possible for me to adequately communicate how good a communicator I am?

Some of these may appear strange at first glance. But, keep in mind that communication is the most crucial factor in establishing patient-therapist relationships and achieving the best results.

It’s Good To Know: Physical Therapy Personal Statement Examples

Only after getting a professional license, a physical therapist can practice. Keep in mind that, to avoid numerous uncomfortable circumstances, every professional should follow business ethics.

You will be able to obey all of the rules and regulations once you have learned everything. The admissions committee will be confident that you will always want to advocate for your patients in the future, no matter what.

3. Maturity

As a therapist, you must demonstrate that you can function well in every stressful setting. This will ensure that you can face the most unexpected and extreme situations with a cool head.

From the standpoint of social, physical, and emotional well-being, you can determine your maturity level. There’s nothing wrong with being vulnerable to others. But, the capacity to control one’s emotions is more important for a future physical therapist. You can familiarise yourself with one of the applicable PTCAS personal statement samples if you’re looking for one.

4. Responsibility

As a student, you should take responsibility for your education; therefore, if you accept the challenge, you must demonstrate that you can not only obtain the incoming material but also locate extra sources. 

The best thing you could do is join a study group. You can create a training timetable, and work with your lecturer to increase your knowledge and learning skills. This demonstrates your commitment to your education and excitement for it. If you don’t hold yourself accountable, your future patients may suffer as a result.

Common Avoidable Mistakes In PTCAS Essay Prompt

If you identified all of the main themes to include in advance, writing the PTCAS essay and supporting physical therapy personal statements should come as no surprise to you. If you answer the query correctly and include various examples to demonstrate all of the positive qualities of your personality, the results will undoubtedly brighten you up. 

There’s nothing like hiring a personal statement writer to acquire an excellent personal statement that puts your story in context and illustrates your strong desire to become a skilled physical therapist.

• Avoid unnecessary words and tough word constructs, and don’t treat them as fiction.
• Remember not to capitalize the practice’s title or name, whether it’s a physiotherapist or a physician consultant, from an excellent PTCAS statement example.
• Ensure there’s no vagueness or space for a double perception of your phrases in your statements, and prevent underestimating and overestimating them.
• Don’t exaggerate the field in your phrases; pay attention to your syntax, and don’t add facts that the board knows but has nothing to do with you. If you believe that as a Physiotherapist, you will excel at athletics therapy, you may be wrong. They may also allocate you to the burns healing unit, infection control center, stroke rehabilitation, or prosthetics.
• Generalizations and clichés should be avoided. The following are the most common clichés for personal statements: 
• “I am very enthusiastic about…
• “I have always sought to be a PT…
• “The world we’re living in… ” 
• “I’ve always been captivated by… 
• “I enjoy dealing with students… “I’ve always been impressed by…

What should I Write In PTCAS Personal Statement

• What has shaped who you are as a result of your life experiences?
• What kind of observational experiences do you have?
• Are there any patients who have had an impact on you?
• How has a personal experience influenced your desire to practice physical therapy?
• Who are the people who have the most influence in your life?
• When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career as a physical therapist?
• When was the last time you worked in a group or on a team? How was working in a group better than working alone?
• What direction do you see physical therapy taking, and how do you see yourself fitting into that picture?
• What kind of physical therapist do you want to be?
• What would you do if you were in charge of future patients?
• What personality attributes are necessary for a physical therapist?
• What events have helped you enhance those traits, or what traits are you working on now?
• How has your experience as a patient influenced your decision to become a physical therapist?
• Why do you think you’ll be useful in this field?
• Do you want to teach or conduct research?
• Owning a business, traveling, and working for a non-profit organization are all options. or doing voluntary work in a different country?

PTCAS Essay Examples

When I shattered my arm at the age of 12, I was afraid but also ecstatic. Finally, I’d be able to put on a cast and have all of my friends sign it, as well as relate the stories about breaking my arm while falling from a tree.

The recovery was difficult and unpleasant, as well as painful. But, I eagerly anticipated the day when I could remove the cast and resume my normal daily routines. Whenever the cast came off, it surprised me. I started staring over my left arm in disbelief, unsure why it’s so much shorter than my right because it was that difficult to do things with it. 

And that is when the doctor told me that my ordeal wasn’t finished yet. He told me that I’d have to go through months of physical therapy before I could play basketball or throw a football. I was upset at first, but after a few weeks, I found a new passion in the procedures that I had to practice regularly. 

I was interested in learning more about the muscles and tendons they were working on, as well as why they were so effective. This passion has remained with me for many years. That is why, I’ve decided to get a degree in physical therapy.

At the age of 12, my physical therapist pushed me to pursue a career as a physical therapist. I see a future in which I can collaborate closely with my patients to develop a therapy plan based on their hobbies and interests, and then follow them on their path to complete recovery and beyond. 

With a physical therapy degree, I will be able to use the most up-to-date research and techniques to provide the most effective treatment regimen for my patients, speeding up their recovery and allowing for more complete healing.

As a physical therapy student, I see professionalism as a way to keep learning about rehabilitation, improving my ability to connect with patients and coworkers, and following a set of standards that are both fair and ethical. 

I feel that a commitment to the aforementioned responsibilities will undoubtedly impact what my future holds as a graduate student working as a rehabilitation professional.

Without a doubt, there is no growth without information.

 A person who is unfamiliar with old-fashioned or traditional medical procedures will assist in the treatment of patients. As someone interested in pursuing a profession in this field, I am excited to learn about new ways to treat a patient who is in pain. 

It will always be my belief but there is no such thing as plenty of learning because circumstances and scenarios change daily. As a result, I am a firm believer in customized treatment.

As humans, we are subject to new sets of laws and norms that are put in place to prevent anarchy while also providing protection. Being a Physical Therapy student is nothing out of the ordinary. 

We are even required to adhere to the standards to a greater extent because we are dealing with people who have to deal with chronic pain daily. During my internship, I had the opportunity to deal with patients, counseling them, and clarifying conditions to them that they should be aware of. 

Even though it was difficult, I believe it was an invaluable learning experience for me since I realized the significance of communicating.

https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/asahp/jah/2022/00000051/00000002/art00009

https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1148913

https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1524&context=honorsprojects

Author & Editor Team: : Adila Zakir, Alexa Smith

Our review panel has been working in academic and non-academic writing for more than 1 decade.

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Sharing clinical sprinkles about physical therapy.

Ptcas personal statement prompt 2021-2022.

If you're applying for a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program for the 2021-2022 cycle, you're in the right place.

This year's prompt matches last year's prompt which is:

Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experience with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

This is an elaborate way of asking... Why physical therapy? Why PT above all other health professions?

If your answer is simply, "because I want to help people," I'm going to be the one to tell you that you're going to need to dig a lot deeper than that. The prompt literally asks for a deeper story.

You don't have to have been a patient in PT to want to apply to PT school. I hadn't been a patient myself before I applied to school. Through observation hours and more, I found my calling in PT. I share my "PT why" in my personal statement for the 2013-2014 cycle here .

If you're finding yourself scrambled on how to write your essay or even how to start, a coaching call may be the best option for you. I've helped several pre-PT, pre-OT, pre-PA, and pre-med, students with their personal statements, and they've successfully been accepted. I specialize in finding the deeper WHY and making sure the writer is showing, not telling. 

If you've already have what you think is a close-to-final draft, I also provide consults to go over the essay with an unbiased view and help you bring in an emotional touch to your story to captivate the reader. I had a less than ideal application and I believe my personal statement helped me stand out. Read more about my less-than-ideal application here .

Good luck to all of those applying! And follow @clinicalsprinkles on Instagram for more application tips and learning about the life of an outpatient ortho PT.

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PTCAS Personal Statement (Essay) Example

When most people start writing their PTCAS personal statement, they look for an example of the essay. Unfortunately, there are not many online, and I don’t share my clients’ work with anyone.

Luckily, someone in a forum I frequent posted her essay for other applicants to read. I haven’t worked with her and don’t know her, but she says she is a current PT student who used this essay to get in.

Although there are many different approaches you can take with the essay, this is one way to write it. Here are some of the things this personal statement does well:

• It has an interesting opening. She begins right in the middle of the scene, and while the language it a little flowery for me, she explains everything well enough so that you can follow what’s going on.
• It makes the applicant look good. The story is all about how she organized a fundraiser as a teenager. This is impressive and show her generosity, leadership skills, desire to help others, etc.
• It’s unique. She doesn’t write about getting hurt playing a sport, attending PT as a patient, loving to exercise, or her shadowing hours. Instead, she writes about something meaningful to her that only she could write.
• It’s on topic. She’s not discussing what got her interested in PT or how she knows that PT is right for her. She’s writing about the unique traits that will help her as a PT – just as the prompt asks.
• It’s not directly about PT. The main story is not about PT. It allows us to learn about the writer and see what she is like. It only ties into PT at the end to answer the prompt about how the traits she has will help her in the field.

You can read this essay to see what makes a good one, but remember that it is just one example. There are many ways to write well for PTCAS, but it’s worth noting the things that make this essay a good one.

If you’d like to work with me to  brainstorm  your essay topic or  edit  your essay  once it’s written, reach out, and if you need extra preparation, take a look at my  PT school essay course ! Good luck!

2 thoughts on “PTCAS Personal Statement (Essay) Example”

hi!! i dont know if you would ever see this but i am really strugglin with my essay and i dont know where to go because it seems to disconnected, i reallly need some help! if you have any time thank you so so much!!

Please email me

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How to write your physical therapy personal essay

by tkaprowy | Mar 22, 2021 | Uncategorized

I’m a little bit in love with this year’s physical therapy personal essay prompt. I’ll admit it’s a strange thing to be in love with and, thinking on it, maybe I’m really just in love with the person who composed it. Either way, there is serious sass living between the lines of this thing.

If you haven’t already seen it, the prompt for the PTCAS 2020-21 cycle reads as follows:

“ Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experience with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career .”

What I love about this is someone has clearly gotten fed up. It’s likely physical therapy schools were receiving versions of the same personal statements again and again and … again. Ones in which applicants wrote about how they knew they wanted to be a physical therapist:

• because they want to help people.
• after they received physical therapy themselves.

And this person? The one who wrote this prompt? Was tired. Was unimpressed. And that’s understandable.

DON’T BE GENERIC

Why so? Well, first, saying you want to help people doesn’t really answer why you want to be a physical therapist . Physical therapists, after all, are not the only people who help. Everyone does in healthcare, a). And, b), helping isn’t unique to the healthcare field. Teachers help. Police officers and flight attendants do, too. So using that as the basis of your answer for why you want to be a physical therapist is like building the foundation of your house on publicly-owned land; it’s not yours to claim.

Second, you have to wonder how many times poor admissions officers have read about people discovering they want to be a physical therapist after they received P.T. for the first time and were wowed by their own progress. I think it’s safe to assume it’s as common as answering the question, “Why do you want to be a doctor?” by describing how you liked to “heal” your stuffed animals when you were a kid. Or saying you knew you wanted to be an engineer because you’ve always had an affinity for Legos.

Those stories have been so over-told that they have become cliché . It does not matter how well you write these stories, you will not make inroads with your reader because your reader will be asleep.

So. What does this physical therapy prompt want out of you? Happily, it’s very clear: you should be writing about a moment of confirmation.

WHAT IS A MOMENT OF CONFIRMATION?

These are moments where everything, in a flash, comes together. Something happens, something changes, something begins. And you realize something important.

Maybe it’s the moment you realize that you want to be a physical therapist. Maybe it’s the moment you realize you have what it takes to be a physical therapist. Or, perhaps it’s the moment where you realize, holy crap, I don’t want to be a rodeo clown at all, I want to be a physical therapist instead.

The great thing about these moments — and the reason why the writers of this prompt are probably asking to read about them — i s they may or may not have to do with P.T. It could be the moment when someone is panicking in the library before an exam and you suddenly know exactly what to say to help them. It could be the moment when you park on the side of the road so you can help a turtle get across it so it doesn’t get splooshed. It could be the moment when someone plays their turn at Scrabble after a 16,000-hour mull and you realize you’ve been silently rooting for them (and actually interested in what they’ll spell).

All you need to do is outline the moment when you realized, wow, this is it. This is where it’s been heading all along. I know this for the first time right now .

DO STORY TELL, DON’T ESSAY WRITE

Whatever moment you choose, the prompt is asking you to get specific and dig deep by telling a story. This is actually great news for you. Telling a story is far, far more interesting than writing an essay. We’re also, in general, far, far more skilled at telling stories than we are at churning out boring essays.

That the word “specifically” is also in your prompt is also great news. Asking you to be specific is just another way of asking you to be detailed. And details are the funnest part about personal statements.

First, details help your moment/story come alive for your reader . To do so, you should address what was happening to every one of your senses at that time. So if you were on the side of the road with the turtle, what did you feel? See? Hear? Smell? Taste? Did you notice a cinnamon Trident gum pack in the ditch? Were you headed to karate practice? Did you consider not stopping for a second? Did you turn back? Was it spring? Were birds chirping? Were you afraid the turtle was going to bite you? Were you afraid it was going to be slimy? Or stinky?

Second, details show your reader how open and honest you’re being because you just can’t make them up . They help prove your story is true. That’s important for your reader to know in order to become invested.

FOLLOW IT UP

After you’ve described your life-changing moment, you then get to explain specifically why this steered you toward physical therapy. Which means you get to explain what was going on in your head at that time. This generally invites paragraphs that start with, “This is the moment I realized …” And then you explain what you realized.

So, again with the turtle, what did you realize? That you feel compelled in every fiber of your being to assist reptiles (and people) make safe progress?

If you’re describing the kid freaking out in the library, did you realize you have the ability to break down tough things for people so they’re digestible?

If you’re describing the Scrabble game, did you realize you have an inordinate amount of patience?

All of these qualities are both yours and belong to the best physical therapists. So this is a big part of your answer. After all, you can convincingly answer why you want a specific career if you can prove to your reader that your personality is actually built for it .

DON’T STOP WITH THE TURTLE

Because a moment of confirmation is when several pieces come together and click, you should feel free to weave in other parts of your life story in your essay after you’ve established your opening moment. So you should feel comfortable saying, “Standing beside this poor turtle, I realized I had felt this way when I …” Then you can fill in the blank. Was it when you shadowed a physical therapist? Or when coaching color guard? Or when you’ve been with your grandmother?

These examples shore up your answer and, although they might be more standard, together they all demonstrate (prove!) that you’re on the right career path. They also help you demonstrate other parts of your personality, background, education and/or goals.

I look forward to working with students to help answer this interesting prompt. If you’re looking for another example of how you can answer why you want a career in healthcare (without actually writing about healthcare), click here and skip down to the python runs into a poodle section. If you need any more guidance, don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]

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How Do I Write My PTCAS Essay (Personal Statement)?

The PT School application process is challenging, to say the least. But, it’s incredibly rewarding, because at the end of this process you’ll be on your way to starting your career and getting your dream job as a physical therapist.

One of the most important parts of the PT School application process is the personal statement , or the essay . Each year, the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service ( PTCAS ) sets a specific prompt for the personal statement. This personal statement is submitted to every school to which you apply. In short, it’s a chance for you to set yourself apart from the other applicants. So, how do you write your PTCAS essay ? Let’s dive in to learn more about this part of the application process, and learn more about our services to help you with your personal statement here !

What is a Personal Statement?

A Personal Statement is an essay that explains your background and allows you to describe yourself. It’s a common requirement for graduate schools and jobs, so it’s especially important for you to use the personal statement to explain why you want to pursue this opportunity.

A Personal Statement can be a general description of yourself or it can answer a specific prompt . It’s common for graduate schools to ask specific questions for the Personal Statement.¹ In this case, the Personal Statement is a chance for you to show the admissions committee who you are beyond the data in your application . In an essay format, you can expand upon your character, goals, and background, allowing the admissions committee to get to know you.

What Should I Know About a Physical Therapy Personal Statement?

PTCAS Personal Statement prompts can vary in topics, but ultimately they touch on the physical therapy profession. It’s important that you answer the PTCAS question in your essay. But you should also view this as an opportunity to describe yourself to the admissions committees. Keep in mind that these committees are reviewing hundreds, or even thousands, of applications each year. Use this opportunity to set yourself apart .

In your essay, you should explain why you want to become a physical therapist, but try to avoid using a common reason such as “I want to help people.” Show the admissions committee your passion for physical therapy and prove to them why you belong in physical therapy school and why you’re going to become a great physical therapist.

Above all, remember that through the 4,500 characters in your essay, you’re not just telling the admissions committees who you are… you’re showing them.

Contact us today with any questions or for help with your PT school personal statement!

Lab P. The Personal Statement // Purdue Writing Lab. Purdue Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/job_search_writing/preparing_an_application/writing_the_personal_statement/index.html. Published 2020. Accessed July 26, 2020.

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Lesson 24: The PTCAS Essay

The Essay is the main opportunity to tie activities and experiences together and connect with the people who read your application . Ultimately, you want to write an essay that makes the reader want to become your future professor or colleague. The PTCAS application requires one 4500-character, or about 550-word, essay. While this length can sometimes seem long, it’s an incredibly limited amount of space to convince the admissions committee that you’re someone they want to have as future colleagues or students. 

For the 2020 application cycle (and likely future application cycles) the essay prompt is: 

Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

This prompt allows you to really get into your core motivations for becoming a physical therapist. A personal statement is not the space to rehash from the activities and experiences sections the core responsibilities you had shadowing in a physical therapist’s office . This is the time to discuss your experiences with the patient complaining of back spasms, whose grandmother had the same name as yours, whose anxieties were eased by this mere fact along with your calm grips carefully putting his exercise bands on his ankles. It’s the time to discuss why your lacrosse injury freshman year that left doctors saying “you’ll never play again” reinforced your confidence in physical therapy, allowing you to, in fact, play again.  

In general,  you’re going to want to tell your reader why it’s inevitable that physical therapy school is the next step in your journey . However, you don’t tell the reader this by saying, “A DPT program is the inevitable next step in my journey.” 

You show it by explaining to the reader the things you’ve done that have gotten you to the point where you’ve concluded,  Hm, I think I’m ready to spend almost a decade of my life and hundreds of thousands of dollars on a career making people’s lives better, or at least less bad . 

This usually means  recounting an event or a set of events that created a turning point in how you view the world and want to contribute to it .  A good story comes from the deep, dark crevices of that turning point . You may not even consciously know that turning point exists, so think deeply. 

Why  did  you decide to volunteer at the pediatric PT office? What was it about the Parkinson’s patient with trouble walking that made you feel so confident? 

The easiest way to write a compelling story is to write from a specific event . Now, this doesn’t mean just writing broadly about your volunteer work at a PT office. It means writing about a patient whose terror at the thought of standing up required you to gently help him make small motions as if he were getting up for days on end until he finally made it halfway up. It means writing about the intense jubilation even a halfway stand evokes.  

A specific example is compelling not for the content itself, but for the specificity that drives the narrative forward . 

Writing a good story means starting with a vision in your head and translating that vision to the written word . However, language is an imperfect medium to express those intangible images—sometimes lingering, sometimes fleeting—that sit in your mind. Language will never truly crystallize the vision you have up there, but you must start with that vision if you’re ever going to get anything close. 

The Definitive Medical School Applications Guide expands upon this attitude towards writing. For more advice on crafting a compelling application, consider reading the following sections:

4. “I’m not convinced he wants to be a doctor”: What Not to Write About and How Not to Write it

5. How to Write your Essay: Two Approaches

6. Cleaning Up the Mess

8. Activities, Activities, Activities

While these sections describe the Medical School Application, their implications reach far beyond this application. Figuring out a writing method that works well for you and determining how to group, describe, and order your experiences apply equally to the PTCAS application.

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Topher began working at Stanford University’s Career Planning & Placement Center in 1998. His career spans 30 years. At Santa Clara University, he managed Bay Area, Los Angeles and Texas territories where he recruited, evaluated, and admitted athletes, freshman, and transfer applicants. At Ohlone College in Fremont, he served as Interim Director of Admission and Records. Since 2011, he has worked in test prep and college consulting, providing guidance to families preparing their children for college.

Topher sees applicants as they are, then inspires and motivates them to step up and into their potential. His clients have enjoyed extraordinary success at institutions ranging from selective Ivies to renowned public universities.

Lesson 23: The Physical Therapy School Application Process

Lesson 25: the veterinary school application process.