I have a BS in Psychology and am tired of Corporate Amercia. I want to go back to school and get a masters in OT, i love the work. But my final GPA was terrible due to poor chocies and life circumstances. I did okay on the GRE but not great. However I was pursuing a Masters in counseling and I got a 3.0 there but got out of it becuase of how bad the mental health system is terrible. Also, I just found out that I have some learning disabilities. Do I even have a shot as A guy to get into an OT program? Please respond.

I have a BS in Psychology and am tired of Corporate Amercia. I want to go back to school and get a masters in OT, i love the work. But my final GPA was terrible due to poor chocies and life circumstances. I did okay on the GRE but not great. However I was pursuing a Masters in counseling and I got a 3.0 there but got out of it becuase of how bad the mental health system is terrible. Also, I just found out that I have some learning disabilities. Do I even have a shot as A guy to get into an OT program? Please respond.

There are very many OT programs out there that will almost take anyone who meet just the minimum requirements. If you noticed on application forms, they ask that the deadline application date is "on available basis". Meaning they take anyone until the seat is filled.
Whereas PT applicants are so competitive that you have to apply about 7 to 10 months in advance with NO "on available basis" seating.
There are a lot of private schools that people just dont apply to. I know a lot of OT classes where there are only about 15 people, and the max class size should have been 30. Thats 15 available spaces that could have been filled!
Also, alot of times, applicants just drop their OT application from smaller schools because they find out they get into bigger schools they were on the waiting list for...USC, NYU, OSU, etc.
I know at a certain school, They ask PT applicants who don't get accepted to join OT with automatic acceptance, because there are so many seats available for OT. Thats a fact! So apply to many OT schools and I am sure you will get in. just meet the minimal requirements!

OT's roots began in the mental health field, and while saying that a big comeback is imminient in the face of the economy the way it is, OT runs many aspects of health care facilities, especially when they demonstrate their proficiency to management. Just letting you know you can have your cake and eat it too if you still like psych.

An OT school may take anyone, and if they learn that it's not for them down the road, the school doesn't mind if you leave. You have to make sure it's what you want to do. OT and PT's work from the minute we get there to the minute we leave. It has to be billable time.. or leave. So if your desk job was (like many) 2 hours working and 6 hours looking like you were working but surfing the net... heads up! I know an OT who was an office manager and she does so much more running a sub-acute rehab for 20K less it makes her head spin.

As for PT schools offering seats in the OT program, business is business. I hope applicants stick to their guns, the OT program closes, and demand continues to exceed supply in the OT marketplace. Maybe these things are cyclic.

But OT working in the health care field is just another instance where OT runs rings around PT for personal variety and career exploration ..

I would say that OT may not be as competitive as Med, Dental and Pharm school, but it is still competitive.

From my experience, some schools are more competitive than others.'; in general, OT programs that are highly respected (ie. UNC-CH, BU, Washington University) are going to be more competitive than newly-accredited OT programs.

For most OT schools, you have to have pretty good GPA on your pre-req's (pre-req GPA matters more than overall GPA) ie.) <3.5 and gre (verbal + quan) < 1000 to be competitive. And if you have good objective and varied recommendations(ie. worker rec, academic rec, volunteer rec)
- that is a big plus.

Also, working/volunteer experience goes a long way. The people who review your application also encounter the same misconceptions/ lack of awareness by the public about OT, so they really want to know that you have a clear understanding of OT and you are sure that is what you want to do.
At the end of day, it would be a waste of time 2 go thru the program and get to fieldwork and decide that OT is not for you. If that is the case, why not give ur seat to someone who knows what OT is and knows they want to become an OT?
So with that said, your purpose statement can make a big difference, if you can demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about the profession and you REALLY want to be an OT.

i agree with everyone here!

dominican university in california is the easiest school to get into. it's a private university, free application fees, and no interview. don't worry about curriculum, it is certified by aota. i was accepted even before i sent my 40+ volunteering hours.

however, this was a school that was going to be my 'fall back' plan just incase i didn't get into the schools i wanted. as for your previous grades and education, i feel you. i've been there. hopefully you'll turn up your motivation and keep pushing toward your dreams. grades are grades- don't let it keep you from trying to get ahead. good luck man!