Physical Therapy High School Early Acceptance (HSEA) Program
High school senior students with 24 ACT (or equivalent SAT) scores or higher are eligible
to apply on a competitive basis for early conditional acceptance into the physical
therapy program. High school students (or freshman with less than 30 credit hours
completed) should contact the PT department for an application for early conditional
acceptance.
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Application Process
Applications should be submitted to the department by November 15 or January 15 (Scholars Day deadlines) or April 1 prior to fall freshmen enrollment at SBU. Notifications will be sent by December
15 for the December Scholars Day applicants, by March 1 for the January Scholars Day
applicants, or by May 1 for April applicants. A maximum of 20 awards will be given
during any one academic year. If the 20 slots are not filled during the first selection
cycle, a late cycle pool will be considered during February of the student’s freshman
year. If slots are not filled for any one academic year, they will not roll over or
be extended.
Once a student is accepted into the HSEA program, the student is expected to enroll
immediately and begin taking a full-time course load at SBU. All undergraduate classes
must be taken at SBU. HSEA students must confirm their intent to matriculate into
and pay the appropriate deposit for the professional phase of the program by the end
of January in their intended enrollment year. Currently, the DPT program utilizes
PTCAS (www.PTCAS.org) as a centralized application data base and all students applying to the program must complete this process. For HSEA students, completing
the PTCAS application signals your intent to matriculate into the DPT program.
Students earning this conditional acceptance must meet the following standards to
enter the professional phase of program:
- Submit a current overall graduate program application (PTCAS currently utilized)
- Earn an overall GPA of 3.00 and a prerequisite GPA of 3.25
- Document 40 hours of observation or work hours in physical therapy
- Participate in 50 hours of community service
- Complete the bachelor's degree in any major at SBU prior to enrollment in the physical
therapy program
- Complete PTH 2523 Introduction to Physical Therapy and KIN 3073 Physiology of Exercise at SBU with a minimum of a "B" grade prior to enrollment
- Complete all prerequisite courses with a minimum of a “C” grade prior to enrollment
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Scholarships
Successful HSEA participants will receive a scholarship upon entering the professional
phase of the physical therapy program with the potential of up to $3,000. Students will receive credit for the scholarship by attending and documenting mentoring
sessions on a semester basis during their undergraduate semesters (max 8 semesters).
The total scholarship is awarded in 3 equal annual installments upon entry to the
SBU PT program. The award is not distributed as cash. If the student does not accept
the HSEA enrollment into the SBU PT program, the award becomes null and void. If the
student does not merit entry to the SBU PT program under the established guidelines
as a HSEA participant, the award becomes null and void. Once enrolled in the professional
phase of the program, the HSEA participant must meet established unconditional matriculation
requirements or the remaining award distributions will be forfeited. Eligibility for
awarding the HSEA is established at the point of SBU undergraduate graduation and
all normal requirements must be completed at the time of recognized graduation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This is the same program that we used to call the “Freshman Guarantee.” We have
updated the requirements and felt the old name was not reflective of the message we
were intending to send. This program is designed for high-achieving high school students
offering them an early conditional acceptance into the DPT program at SBU and rewarding
them for choosing to come to SBU as a freshmen student.
If you meet the established standards of conditional acceptance when it is time for
you to enter the professional phase of the program, then the answer is “yes!” However,
if you do not meet the standards of the conditional acceptance, then the answer is
“no.” If the latter is the case, you may always apply through the general application
pool.
Yes! It is expected that you move immediately from high school to SBU and begin taking
classes that next fall.
In general, the answer is yes. The spirit of this provision is not to prevent the
student from taking an occasional summer or correspondence course from a different
college or university. It should be noted that when taking occasional courses at other
colleges or universities, you must seek prior approval from your undergraduate degree
advisor and possibly the PT department as well. If there is any question, please receive
permission in advance and do not assume the course will automatically transfer.
The application process is competitive to determine the top 20 who eventually receive
the HSEA award. A waiting list will be compiled from those students not initially
accepted. Students on the waiting list will apply through the general application
pool during their senior collegiate year, and open HSEA slots will be awarded at that
time based on competitive ranking of the student’s general pool application.
Absolutely! Students who attend SBU receive preference points on their application.
If a student excels in their coursework and on standardized entrance exams, they have
an excellent chance of being accepted. Remember, this is a competitive process!
We recommend you take your prerequisite courses early in your college career and work
to have most if not all completed by the end of your junior year. If you have outstanding
coursework when you apply to our program, we insert a grade of “C” as a placeholder
to estimate your overall application. For students who have several prerequisite courses
outstanding, this can really harm your application.
Yes! While you do receive advisement on how to obtain your bachelor’s degree from
your undergraduate advisor, they may not always have the most accurate information
on how to enter the PT program at SBU. You are encouraged to seek advisement from
your PT mentor, the PT admissions coordinator, and attend informational meetings through
the pre-PT club on a semester basis. It is best that we hear directly from you! You will receive credit toward your HSEA “scholarship” by coming to seek our consul
during each semester (up to 8 semesters). This will help us to ensure that you are
on track to enter the program and achieve your goal of becoming a professional physical
therapist.
