Before You Apply

RF-PTCAS Certification and Authorization Statement 

Prior to submitting the RF-PTCAS application, individuals will be required to indicate their understanding and acceptance of the terms described below:

• I certify, as required in the application, that I have read and understand all application instructions, including the provisions which note that I am responsible for monitoring and ensuring the progress of my application.
• I certify that I have read and will abide by all program-specific instructions for my designated physical therapist residency/fellowship programs.
• I certify that the information on my application represents my own work.
• I understand that withholding information requested on the RF-PTCAS application, or giving false information, may be grounds for denial of admission to a PT residency/fellowship program participating in RF-PTCAS or may be grounds for expulsion from the institution after I have been admitted.
• I agree, understand and consent to RF-PTCAS and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) releasing my de-identified application data that does not contain personally identifiable information, as set forth in the RF-PTCAS privacy statement, and admission decisions submitted to RF-PTCAS by my designated PT residency/fellowship programs to third party health and education organizations for educational research purposes (including surveys). Such educational research is conducted for the purpose of improving PT postprofessional education and admissions.
• I understand and consent that, should I accept an offer of admission from a program to which I have applied, RF-PTCAS may notify the other programs to which I have applied of my acceptance of an offer or matriculation at an alternate program.
• I acknowledge and agree that my sole remedy in the event of any proven errors or omissions related to the handling or processing of my application by RF-PTCAS is to obtain a refund of my PTCAS application fee.

Account Creation

Applicants are required to create only one RF-PTCAS account and use this single account to submit applications and materials to all RF-PTCAS-participating programs to which they are interested in applying. Applicants discovered to have multiple RF-PTCAS accounts will have duplicate accounts suspended.

Colleges Attended

Applicants are required to enter on their application all postsecondary colleges and universities attended, regardless of whether courses completed at the institution were used to obtain a degree, were transferred to another institution, or were relevant to their PT degree. This includes any international institutions, nondegree programs, community colleges, and dual-enrollment programs during high school in which college credit was earned. Each institution should be entered only once regardless of gaps in attendance or number of degrees earned. It is particularly important to list the institution where a physical therapy degree was earned and to indicate such degree on the application, as all programs require this information.

Official Transcripts

Applicants must arrange for RF-PTCAS to receive an official transcript from the institution where they received their physical therapy degree. Applications will not be considered complete or processed until an official transcript is received from the PT program showing a physical therapy degree was conferred upon the applicant. Electronic transcripts are preferred, though hard copy transcripts sent directly by the registrar to RF-PTCAS are accepted.

Deadlines 

RF-PTCAS deadlines are all posted in Eastern Time. The application for each program will close at 11:59 p.m. ET. on the stated deadline date without variation or exception for alternate time zones.

A program may deny your application if your transcript or other materials arrive late. If you submit your application prior to a program’s deadline, RF-PTCAS will process and release your application to the program even if your materials arrive after the deadline. RF-PTCAS is not responsible for any materials lost in the mail, or for delays caused by the U.S. Postal Service, third-party shipping companies, or institutional registrar offices. Express or certified mail does not guarantee expedited processing, nor does sending documents via these methods guarantee receipt by RF-PTCAS. RF-PTCAS does not accept documents in person in our offices under any circumstances.

Application Fee Payment

All RF-PTCAS application fees must be paid online via credit or debit card at the time of application submission. RF-PTCAS does not accept cash, check, or money order for application fee payment.

RF-PTCAS charges an application processing fee of $170 for the first program applied to, and $70 for each additional program. The application fees for each program are paid at the time of submission via debit or credit only, and must be paid through our online payment system. Payments cannot be accepted over the phone. Note: Some programs may have an additional supplemental application fee charged outside of our system. RF-PTCAS has no control over these fees, and does not set, monitor, or collect any program-specific supplemental fees.

Admissions Decisions

RF-PTCAS does not share final admissions statuses or decisions with applicants at any time. Each individual residency or fellowship education program to which an applicant applies will share any admission status updates with the applicant directly.

RF-PTCAS Applicant Responsibilities

Applicants to physical therapy residency and fellowship education programs through RF-PTCAS are expected to abide by certain rules and requirements as a part of the application process. These expectations are laid out in each of the sections below.

Professionalism and Core Values

Applicants are expected to act professionally in all of their dealings with RF-PTCAS staff and their physical therapy residency or fellowship education programs. Applicants must properly follow all instructions and meet all deadlines. Responsibility, respect, good judgement, and cooperation are qualities valued by the physical therapy profession; applicants are expected to demonstrate these qualities beginning with the application process.

In addition to acting professionally, APTA has identified seven core values that define the critical elements of professionalism in physical therapy. These core values are listed below in alphabetical order with no preference or ranking given to them. The seven values identified were of sufficient breadth and depth to incorporate the many values and attributes that are part of physical therapist professionalism.

• Accountability
• Altruism
• Compassion/Caring
• Excellence
• Integrity
• Professional Duty
• Social Responsibility

Applicants are encouraged to read more about each of the seven core values by visiting the APTA webpage devoted to the core values. Doing so will help applicants to understand the definition and sample indicators for each core value, including a description of what the physical therapist would be doing in practice, education, and/or research if these core values were present.

In addition to the expectation that applicants act with professionalism throughout the application process, applicants are also expected to meet the additional expectations listed below:

• Act with honesty and integrity throughout the admissions process.
• Communicate professionally and promptly with RF-PTCAS and residency and fellowship education programs when requested.
• Be responsible and accountable for your actions.
• Research the admission prerequisites and requirements for each selected program prior to applying.
• Abide by all deadlines posted by RF-PTCAS and selected programs.
• Create only one RF-PTCAS application.
• Enter accurate and comprehensive data into the RF-PTCAS application.
• Arrange for RF-PTCAS to receive the required official PT program transcript(s) promptly upon account creation.
• Arrange for all additional or supplemental materials to be provided to RF-PTCAS or the program, as required.
• Download and save a copy of your RF-PTCAS application for each program upon submission.
• Frequently check the receipt status for of all materials sent to RF-PTCAS by logging in to your application and notify RF-PTCAS promptly of any missing items.
• Frequently check for notification from RF-PTCAS in the email account used to create your RF-PTCAS account, as well as directly in your RF-PTCAS application.
• Promptly enter any changes to your name, contact information, residency information, or visa status into your PTCAS application.