Future Plans - Graduate School

November 18, 2024

I have always been passionate about making a difference in people’s lives. My many life experiences shared in my first post as well as my want to be impactful in the lives of others are the reasons why I want to enter graduate school and earn a doctorate degree in physical therapy. Along with my undergraduate research and coursework, I have begun thinking about my plans after graduating as a Rehabilitation Science major. 

What am I looking for?

As I have begun my graduate school research process, there are a few things that are of great importance to me. Growing up in a small midwestern town in southern Minnesota, I have been able to understand my love for the outdoors and the ability to travel. As I think about graduate school, location is an important factor for me. I would like to explore outside of the midwest while still being in a location where I can travel back home without facing many challenges. When looking at schools, I am focusing on program reputation as well as affiliations programs have with healthcare facilities that will provide me with the greatest opportunities and experiences. I also am looking for a program that is an in person experience with hands on opportunities as well as a timeline where I will be able to begin graduate school right after graduating my undergraduate program.  

What Schools? 

While researching graduate schools, a few outside of the midwest have sparked my interest. The University of Colorado - Denver is my number choice as I think the acceptance requirements are reasonable for my academics. The location of the University of Colorado is what I am looking for in terms of the distance away from home but I am not sure if the price of living in Colorado is reasonable for me. I am also interested in the University of South Florida in Tampa and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Although I would like to move out of the midwest I have determined a few safe schools that have interested me in the midwest. These include the University of South Dakota in Vermillion and Des Moines University located in Des Moines, Iowa. The process of applying to graduate schools will begin in the summer/fall of 2025. In the meantime, I will be continuing to look for schools that I may be interested in such as schools in Wyoming, South Carolina, and North Carolina. I will also be preparing to take the GRE by using the GRE handbook that was provided to me by the McNair program. The choice of graduate school is my next big decision I will make and I am looking forward to what my future as a grad student has in store for me.

University of Colorado - Denver, Medical Campus