OVERVIEW

In an effort to simplify the application process for prospective physical therapist (PT) students and to facilitate the admissions process for professional PT educational programs, APTA first launched the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) on August 1, 2008. The 2009-10 cycle for the 2010 entering class will launch on July 15, 2009. PTCAS allows PT applicants to use a single Web-based application and one set of materials to apply to multiple PT programs. PTCAS is a service of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and is administered by Liaison International (LI), an education information technology company located in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Applicants who apply through PTCAS submit a completed web-based application comprised of biographical data, colleges and universities attended, academic course history, physical therapy observation hours, list of reference providers, work experiences, extracurricular activities, honors, professional licenses, and a personal essay. It is the applicant's responsibility to read and follow all PTCAS and program-specific instructions.

PTCAS MATERIALS

PTCAS FLYER - Programs, advisors, and applicants are welcome to download, print, and duplicate the following PTCAS flyer (PDF) intended for use with prospective PT applicants.
PTCAS POWERPOINT SLIDES - Programs, advisors, and applicants are welcome to review the PTCAS overview slides. The slides are not intended to serve as a substitute for the full instructions.

2009-10 APPLICATION CYCLE

The 2009-10 PTCAS admissions cycle begins on July 15, 2009. Applicants may start and submit the PTCAS application as soon as it is available. The first regular application deadline date is October 1, 2009 and the last regular application deadline is May 14, 2010. PTCAS will not accept application materials from applicants after May 30, 2010. The 2009-10 PTCAS application cycle will officially close on June 1, 2010, unless otherwise announced.

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

All professional physical therapist (PT) education programs recognized by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) with full or candidate status are invited to participate in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). Institutions that participate in PTCAS must require all applicants to the professional (entry-level) PT program to apply through the Service, including individuals who are given preference in the admissions process.

ROLE OF PTCAS

The purpose of PTCAS is to facilitate the PT admissions process for applicants and programs, promote the physical therapist profession and educational programs to a broad spectrum of applicants, and provide rich applicant data for institutional, regional, and national analysis. PTCAS will not determine whether an applicant has met the PT program requirements or is eligible for admission.

PTCAS PROCESSING OVERVIEW

TCAS will consider an application complete and ready for transcript verification once the following items are received:

Complete PTCAS application
Official transcripts from every regionally accredited U.S. college and university attended
Correct PTCAS application fee

PTCAS will also accept up to four (4) letters of reference, signed PT observation hours forms, TOEFL scores, and foreign transcript evaluation reports, as required by participating programs. PTCAS does not hold applications for these missing documents, but individual programs will not consider applicants who are incomplete based on the local admissions standards.

VERIFICATION

Once an application is deemed complete by PTCAS, the Service will verify the accuracy of the application materials, compare original transcripts to the self-reported course information on the application, calculate 22 PTCAS GPAs, and submit the verified application file to the applicant’s designated PT institutions. PTCAS processing may take up to five weeks once all required materials are received.

FILES SHIPMENTS TO PT PROGRAMS

PTCAS will begin to forward verified applications to PT programs during the week of August 18, 2009. PTCAS will ship newly completed and revised application files to programs on at least a weekly basis during the cycle. PT programs may contact applicants directly about their application within a few weeks after receiving the verified application from PTCAS or only after the PT program deadline has passed, depending on program policy.

ROLE OF PT PROGRAMS

PT programs will determine whether an applicant is eligible for admission and will notify applicants directly regarding all admission decisions. PT programs may not take all PTCAS application fields into consideration in the admission decision process. Admission policies and prerequisites vary significantly by program.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

PT programs may also require applicants to send additional materials directly to the institution, known as supplemental materials. PT programs will not consider an applicant’s file or offer acceptance until all required materials are received. Supplemental materials may include a graduate school application, official GRE scores, signed PT observation forms, etc. Failure to submit all required PTCAS and supplemental materials by the program’s deadline may jeopardize an applicant’s eligibility for admission consideration.