We've all heard...."Cs get degrees" from all of our friends but we've also heard "Cs get you nowhere." A C in the GPA score is an average grade. It isn't perfect but it isn't failing. Most of us have grown up with parents pushing us to get higher than an average grade on report cards. Then you get into college and when your parents find out you got a C in a course they always pull "A C won't get you into graduate school/a good job!" Well, I am here to prove them (slightly) wrong.
Recently I have researched all of the physical therapy schools around the east coast. I researched about 20-plus DPT schools and only one was ranked in top 10 of Physical Therapy schools. As I made my list I wrote down the requirements like GRE scores, GPA score, prerequisites, intern hours, letters of recommendation, etc. Well (except for the top 10 school) nobody said I had to have a 4.0 GPA to apply. Nobody told me I had to have A+ in all of my prerequisites to apply. Nobody told me I had to be an overachiever student in all of my course work. Now I'm not saying this is true for medical school or law school. I am saying not every top job wants a straight A student.
Guess what they truly care about? You. Who you are, what clubs you were in, did you join greek life, did you hold leadership positions, did you make an impact on your community, did you volunteer? They care about what makes you unique. What makes them want to meet you. They will compare you to another student who is fighting for that spot in graduate school. They will compare grades and GPA but they also compare your social life. Sometimes you can win that spot because you did something more for your college community.
My advice for you is to be social, join clubs, be leaders, intern, shadow someone, do everything you can to make you unique. Have a personal story that will draw those board members to you. Be you. Don't forget about your academic life but don't let it be what makes you, you.
This is my advice for anyone applying for graduate school. For people who are skipping out on student involvement fairs to get extra review in or if you are scared to go out for a club team or leadership position. It is worth it in the end.
Just do it.
