Dordt University’s Kinesiology program reports a 100% acceptance rate for its 2025 class of students applying to physical therapy graduate schools, starting their preparation in the first year.
Most graduate-level physical therapy (PT) schools have an average acceptance rate of 10% and require a rigorous process of interviews, GRE tests, course prerequisites, and over 60 hours of field experience.
Against these odds, 100% of kinesiology students from Dordt University’s class of 2025 who applied to PT school were accepted into one of their top-choice programs. Dordt’s Kinesiology (formerly HHP) program works with students to prepare them for the graduate school application process beginning in their first year.
Cade Rohwer, a senior and wide receiver for Dordt’s football team, applied and was accepted into Des Moines University’s PT program. “Dordt has done an excellent job preparing me for PT school. Dr. Stiemsma, my adviser, was pivotal in helping me select the courses that would help me for PT school as well as helping me to build a schedule that is manageable alongside football and other college courses,” says Rohwer.
Dr. Craig Stiemsma, professor and chair of the kinesiology program at Dordt, helps prepare his students for PT school from the moment they join the program. When students begin planning their four years of study, Stiemsma and his students review a document listing every accredited graduate school and their prerequisites. Then, they use the graduate school prerequisites to build their course schedule and strengthen their application.
In addition, a student-led club, the Pre-PT club, brings in speakers and hosts events that prepare students for the graduate school application process. The club connects Dordt graduates working in physical therapy with current PT students and brings in representatives from PT grad schools for Q&A sessions. Students participate in mock interviews with Dr. Stiemsma and begin intentionally building their professional reference list by early junior year.
Alexa Kopaska is another student who has appreciated the rigor and resources of the program. She applied and was accepted into the University of Iowa’s PT program, which is one of the best PT programs in the nation, according to the U.S. News and World Report.
“One thing that the pre-PT program prepared me very well in was knowing what I needed to do since freshman year: the Pre-PT Club made me aware of the testing and application process for grad school as well as helping me to set goals that I was constantly working towards,” says Kopaska.
“We have a combination of dedicated students, a thriving Pre-PT club, experienced advising, and a tremendous educational framework,” says Stiemsma. This combination of academic rigor, hands-on experience, and strategic preparation helps students navigate the graduate school application process with confidence and equips them for a promising future in the field of physical therapy.
About Dordt University
As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.
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