Admission: PT: College of Health Sciences: Illinois

Professor and studentsAdmission Requirements
Prerequisite Courses
Application Process and Deadline
Interview/Selection Process
Technical Standards for Admission
Dual Acceptance
Matriculation Process
Reapplication Process

Important Application Information
for 2009 Enrollment
The Physical Therapy Program at Midwestern University will participate in the new Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service, known as PTCAS. Applicants applying to the entry-level professional physical therapist program for the 2009 entering class will apply online using the PTCAS application. Applicants can begin their PTCAS application on August 1, 2008. The PT program application deadline is December 15, 2008. To learn more about the PTCAS application process, please visit the PTCAS web site at www.ptcas.org in June.

Admission
The College of Health Sciences Physical Therapy Program considers for admission those students who possess the academic and professional promise necessary to become competent, caring members of the health care community. To select these candidates, a competitive admissions framework has been established. Within this competitive admissions framework, multiple criteria are used to select the most qualified candidates from an applicant pool that exceeds the number of seats available.

The Midwestern University Physical Therapy Program uses the Centralized Application Service PTCAS for students applying to the program. All applicants to the Physical Therapy Program are required to submit their applications to PTCAS (http://www.ptcas.org) with all required materials by December 15, 2008. Please refer to the PTCAS website for instructions on submission of your PTCAS application materials.

The Physical Therapy program operates on a rolling admissions basis where completed applications are reviewed throughout the admissions cycle to determine the applicant's eligibility for an interview. Interviews are typically conducted during the winter or spring. Admission decisions are generally made within one month of the interview.

Admission Requirements

  1. Possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
  2. Possess a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
  3. Complete prerequisite courses: 44 semester/64 quarter credits, as listed below, from a regionally accredited college or university; no grade less than a “C” will be accepted for any prerequisite course.
  4. Submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test scores; the test must have been taken no earlier than January 1, 2004. The Midwestern University institution code for the GRE is 1769 . For more information about the GRE, contact Educational Testing Services (ETS) at 866/473- 4373, or visit www.gre.org.
  5. Complete a first aid course within the past three years.
  6. Possess current certification by the American Heart Association in Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers. (Enrolled PT students must also maintain CPR certification at the BLS level.)
  7. Reflect a people/service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities.
  8. Reflect proper motivation for and commitment to health care as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer or other life experiences.
  9. Possess the oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues.
  10. Abide by Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy;
  11. Pass a criminal background check.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework in the United States. Of the 30 semester hours, 6 hours must be in nonremedial English composition, and 3 hours in speech/communication.

Prerequisite Courses

Science Courses Semester Hours Quarter Hours
Biology with lab 4 6
Vertebrate Anatomy (2 cr.) with lab 2 3
Physiology (2 cr.) with lab 2 3
General Chemistry with lab 4 6
General Physics with lab 8 12
General Courses    
Math (College Algebra or above) 3 4
Statistics (Should include inferential statistics) 3 4
English––must include at least one composition course (oral
communication/public speaking recommended)		 9 13
Social & Behavioral Sciences (at least one psychology course) 9 13

Application Process and Deadline

  1. PTCAS Application
    Applicants are required to submit an application with all required materials to the Centralized Application Service for Physical Therapy Schools (PTCAS) at http://www.ptcas.org by December 15, 2008. Please refer to the PTCAS application instructions for specific details about completing the application, required documents, and processing time. The PTCAS application should be available for applicants beginning on August 1, 2008. Due to the large number of applications and the limited number of seats available, applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their PTCAS application early in the cycle. Midwestern University operates on a rolling admissions basis where applications are reviewed throughout the admissions cycle.

  2. Letters of Recommendation
    Applicants are required to submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation from professionals to PTCAS (http://www.ptcas.org). The Office of Admissions will only accept letters of recommendation received directly from PTCAS. It is preferred that one letter be from a science professor who has actually taught the student or a pre-health advisory committee. The second letter can be from any one of the following: pre-health advisory committee, pre-health advisor, college professor, or healthcare professional (preferably a PT) who knows the applicant well. Please refer to the PTCAS application instructions for specific guidelines and requirements for submitting letters of recommendation.

  3. GRE Scores
    Applicants are required to submit official GRE general test scores directly to Midwestern University. The MWU institutional code for submitting your scores is 1769. Only test scores earned during the previous five years (no earlier than January 2004) and sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) will be accepted.

  4. Completed Applications
    Upon receipt of your PTCAS application with all required materials, the Office of Admissions will send all applicants who meet the minimum overall GPA requirement of 2.75 a letter verifying receipt of the PTCAS application. The letter will also include instructions on checking the status of your required application materials online. Please remember that all applicants must also submit official GRE general test scores to Midwestern University to complete their applications. It is the applicant's responsibility to track the receipt of their application materials and to ensure the submission of all required documents. Only applicants who submit completed applications with all required application materials will be considered for potential entrance into the program.

Please Note: Applicants are responsible for notifying the Office of Admissions of any changes in their mailing address or email address. All requests for withdrawing an application must be done in writing via email, fax, or letter. Contact information for the Office of Admissions is listed below.

Contact information for the Office of Admissions is listed below.

The Office of Admissions
Midwestern University
555 31st St.
Downers Grove, IL 60515
630.515.7200
admissil@midwestern.edu

Interview/Selection Process
If after reviewing the completed admissions file the applicant is considered eligible for an interview, the applicant is notified of available interview dates and invited by the Office of Admissions to schedule an on-campus interview. The applicant must contact the Office of Admissions to schedule an interview date.

A typical interview day involves participation in the following activities, which are coordinated by the Office of Admissions: an interview with at least one interviewer, lunch with current Midwestern University students, a campus tour, and an opportunity to meet with an admissions counselor and the financial aid office.

During each interview session, the interviewer questions the applicant about his/her academic, personal, and professional aspirations and preparedness for admission to the program, rating the prospective student on a standardized evaluation form. These evaluations are made a part of the applicant’s file, which is then made available to the Physical Therapy Admissions Committee. The Physical Therapy Admissions Committee meets periodically to review the files of applicants who have been interviewed. The Committee reviews the full application file for each applicant who was interviewed and then formulates and submits its recommendation to the Dean for final approval. The Dean, via the Office of Admissions, notifies each applicant in writing of the admissions decision.

Technical Standards for Admission
A candidate must have abilities and skills in five areas: I) observation; II) communication; III) motor; IV) intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative; and V) behavioral and social. Technological compensation can be made for some limitation in certain of these areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner.

I. Observation: The candidate must be able to accurately make observations at a distance and close at hand. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and somatic sensation and is enhanced by the functional use of all of the other senses.

II. Communication: The candidate must be able to communicate effectively, efficiently and sensitively in both oral and written form and be able to perceive nonverbal communication.

III. Motor: Candidates must be able to coordinate both gross and fine muscular movements, maintain equilibrium and have functional use of the senses of touch and vision. The candidate must possess sufficient postural control, neuromuscular control and eye-to-hand coordination to perform profession-specific skills and tasks (for example, the physical therapy program requires a candidate to be able to move at least 50 pounds vertically and horizontally).

IV. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: The candidate must be able to problem solve, measure, calculate, reason, analyze, record and synthesize large amounts of information in a timely manner. The candidate must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand spatial relationships.

V. Behavioral and Social Attributes: The candidate must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment and the consistent, prompt completion of all responsibilities and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships. Candidates must be able to tolerate physically, mentally and emotionally taxing
workloads and to function effectively under stress. The candidate must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility, and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, effective interpersonal skills, willingness and ability to function as an effective team player, interest and motivation to learn are all personal qualities required during the educational process.

Dual Acceptance Program—College of St. Francis
The Physical Therapy Program has a dual acceptance agreement with the University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Students may inquire about the agreement through the Office of Admissions at the University of Saint Francis and/or Midwestern University..

Matriculation Process
The matriculation process begins after an applicant receives notification of his/her acceptance into the Physical Therapy Program of the College. The student must return both a signed matriculation agreement and deposit to the Office of Admissions. The student must also:

  1. Submit deposit monies by the dates designated in his/her matriculation agreement—the entire deposit is applied toward the student’s first-quarter tuition.
  2. Submit official final transcripts from all colleges attended post-high school by the deadline of two weeks (14 calendar days) prior to the first day of classes. For students who are accepted to MWU less than one month prior to the first day of classes, they will have 30 calendar days from the date of their acceptance to submit all official transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Any special circumstances or requests for exceptions to this policy must be made by the Office of the Dean of the college. If students fail to submit all official final transcripts by the stated deadline, their acceptance or continued enrollment in the college may be jeopardized.
  3. Submit proof of immunization against measles, mumps, rubella, oral polio (opv), diphtheria, and hepatitis B.
  4. Provide evidence of testing for tuberculosis within the last 12 months. A titer verifying immunity to the previously mentioned diseases may be required.
  5. Submit proof of medical insurance coverage. The student may select either a plan offered by an MWU-approved carrier or a comparable plan offered by an outside carrier of the student’s choice.
  6. Submit proof of Illinois residency (this applies only to those students claiming Illinois residency).
  7. For non-U.S. citizens/nonpermanent residents only provide documentation verifying that sufficient funds have been deposited in a U.S. bank to cover all expenses while attending CHS.
  8. Provide documentation that any additional coursework or service requirements stipulated by the Admissions Committee of the program has been completed.
  9. Satisfy Technical Standards for the program.
  10. Submit additional documents as required by the Office of Admissions.
  11. Sign authorization form allowing a criminal background check
  12. Sign the Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy.
  13. Complete physical exam and submit form.
  14. Sign Credit Policy Statement

If the student either fails to satisfy the above matriculation requirements or omits/falsifies information required on official admissions documents, the student automatically forfeits his/her seat in the program. Any individual accepted for admission to the Physical Therapy Program of the College of Health Sciences, who does not comply with stated time lines for submission of all required materials, receives no further notification from CHS relative to forfeiture of his/her seat.

Reapplication Process
After receiving either a denial or end-of-cycle letter, a prospective student may reapply for the following year’s admissions cycle. Before reapplying, however, individuals contemplating reapplication should seek the advice of an admissions counselor.

To initiate the reapplication process, the prospective student must complete and submit a new application and proceed through each step of the entire application process.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)