My DD has completed her Common App Essay and is not working on supplemental writing essays for various colleges. She wants to be a Physical Therapist and several program have the standard “Why do you want to be a PT” questions.
She decided on PT after several sports injuries that required PT. She said it seemed interested and every day would be different because every patient has a different problem. But she really settled on PT because there is a good job outlook over the next decade and it pays well. She doesn’t have to be “on call” like most physicians. And also because she will earn a doctorate a degree higher than her chemical engineer Dad.
No altruistic " I want to help people" It really was a practical decision which is her personality, cut and dry do the thing that makes the most sense.
So should the essay be the fluff or the facts. It pays well and I am likely to be able to get a job when I graduate?
Her essay is really supposed to be about her…not her job prospects. I would strongly suggest she wrote about anything but getting a job when she graduates. The schools likely expect that students will do that. Not a very compelling essay, in my opinion.
I’m not sure what you mean about “fluff”. Seems to me she should be able to write a decent not fluff essay that is not about her job prospects.
What I am saying is the she is a very practical kid. The reason she wants to become a physical therapist are really cut and dry. In ranked order 1. It seems like an interesting profession where the work would be varied every day. 2. The job prospects are good. 3. It pays well . 3. She can still have a personal life. 4. She gets a degree higher than her Dad. Those plain facts are her, simple, responsible and practical.
She is asking me if she should write something about wanting to help people blah, blah, blah. Or tell them the facts. I want to be a Physical Therapist because it is a good job that will keep me in the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed.
When you consider how many college graduates are unable to find employment in their major upon graduation these days. Yeah job prospects are a huge priority.
I think the first 3 points are fine. I’d leave off the part about sticking it to her dad. It’s fine to sound reasoned and rational about it being interesting and a good paying job. Leave the rest out.
I would probably focus on her injuries and how it led her to the field. She could certainly go on to discuss how she researched the field an why she feels it would be a good match for her.
Neither is a good essay. Is there some reason she can’t address why she is suitable for it, what qualities she has that would make her good at this etc, what drew her interest from he own experiences? No you never say in an essay that you just want to go through the motions and collect a paycheck. and you should not give generic ‘want to help people’ answer, that phrase is meaningless and not helpful. Trying to best her Dad? no.
you gotta play the game. honesty will all but certainly end her chances. even if 99.999% of people pander to the person reading the app and they see the same thing over and over and over. you gotta as you said fluff it up!
I don’t think you have to fluff and it isn’t good enough unless it is has content. This is just a simple case of a student not wanting to dig deep enough to say something meaningful.
I think happy 1 has it right. Focus on the injuries as the original source of interest, that PT helped her, the science of it intrigued her, what she saw in other patients’ progress, having autonomy on the job: there are all kinds of possible angles. And then, yes, that she has researched the field itself and job prospects and a PT career offers the stability and pay that she wants, mobility (can live anywhere), opportunity to develop and progress etc.
One of my kids was hit by a car and would not be able to walk without her PT. Your daughter will mature, but as you represent her at this moment, I am glad she was not my daughter’s PT.
I also wouldn’t say that she wants to do PT because she could have a personal life. It is true we all want to have a personal life, but we don’t want to come across to only want to do our job 9-5. They want to look for people with a passion for PT, possibly someone who would go over and beyond to find a new technique to help future patients.
I am not tied 100% to my job, but I am very interested in what I am doing. I spend my personal time to keep up with the latest technology, and I push my firm to adapt what’s new out in the market place. When I hire people I look for people with similar passion. Those adcoms are looking for few students who are not just going to do the minimum to collect a paycheck.
This was a real case. We interviewed a very smart PhD woman. We asked her why she wanted the job. These were the reasons, 1) Her kids were getting older and she wanted to earn more money, 2) Our company was very close to her kids’ school so it would be convenient for her to do pick up and drop. Needless to say, she didn’t get the job.
I get that she may not want to present some of her reasons why she wants to do PT, but she can write about the initial motivation (injuries) and maybe her thought process or personality behind her decision of PT (she’s pragmatic and takes a practical approach to life). There is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing a career that looks interesting, provides variety and has plenty of growth and need. Remember, she doesn’t have to list all her reasons, just a few of them.
@labegg, I would focus on this - specifically, on your daughter’s evolving perception of the importance that physical therapy played in her own recovery from injury.
Speaking as a physician having specialized in traumatic injuries, the importance of physical therapy can’t be emphasized enough. Fixing the wounds is critical, but for a good functional recovery aggressive and effective physical therapy is essential. Speaking to this - with reference to personal experience - and to the variety of patient challenges wouldn’t be “fluff”, and it doesn’t sound like it would be insincere.
I wouldn’t overthink this one. I doubt your daughter will get in based on an inspirational “why I want to be a PT” supplement. But a bad one could hurt, so play it safe.
One of the more memorable responses on this forum was to the tune of “they don’t want to know what the college will do for you, but what you will give to the college.” I think that applies to any sort of selective process. She brings personal experience and perspective to the table, which can be considered valuable in that it will make her a better clinician and give her the motivation to not drop out. She can be considered to have exposure to the field – perhaps she won’t switch majors after she finds out what it’s really like. Etc. Everyone wants the degree/stability/etc, but how can that influence their decision to select her?
I agree that her essay should be about how her sports injuries led her to this field. Most kids wouldn’t even have this on their radar – it’s her own personal experience that made her think of it.
Of the reasons she gave you for wanting to be a PT, this is the only one she should talk about: “1. It seems like an interesting profession where the work would be varied every day.” Why does she find it interesting, exactly? I mean, there are plenty of other professions that would fulfill her other requirements, yet she chose this one. She should think about what it is about being a PT that appeals to her. And she can’t just say “it seems interesting!” and leave it at that. She should come up with at least a few adjectives that describe for her what being a PT means – and even better if she can describe an actual interaction she had with a PT that made her think “I’d like to do this job.”
How long does the essay have to be? I’m guessing no more than a couple of paragraphs, right? She doesn’t have to write any kind of soul-searching piece; just a bit about her personal experiences that led her to the PT field, then a few sentences describing why she thinks it’s interesting, then a conclusion.
I predict that if she goes the route of reasons 2,3 and 4 in her essay, she will not be accepted. Come on! Be sensible. She should go with her first reason and if she can manage to come up with some interesting anecdote or a compelling reason why she offers something to the program her chances of acceptance will increase.
Definitely don’t mention the money the career has to offer. I think all of the other reasons are reasonable. I would focus most on the sports injuries sprouting her interest. I think the fact she has looked at job stability is a sign of maturity and that might merit a mention as well. She might want to put something in there about wanting to help others overcome their sports injuries like she did.
I am, in my heart and soul, a creature of movement. As an athlete, I love to feel my own muscles move. Lately I listen for, and feel, the slight click in my knee that is a permanent reminder what might have been a crippling injury. I credit much of my return to play to my physical therapist, who cajoled, pushed, and occasionally brought me to tears. Her example lead me to and through places of pain and acomplishment… Blah, blah, blah… When I realized that physical therapy would be an excellent match for my interests in… Blah, blah, blah
" every day would be different because every patient has a different problem."
That is the essence of her essay, right there.
It’s not about truth or fluff; it’s about connecting with your audience. Find the part about PT that will connect your daughter to the person reading it.