Anyone else surprised by how much rejection hurts?

[affa]

Wow, I don't think I like what I've learned about myself from all this.

I found out one rejection feels way worse than the combination of one acceptance and 3 alternate lists feels good, and that rejecting an interview invitation today for another school made my rejection sting less.

Apparently I am way more petty and thin skinned than I thought I was.

This process sucks. School and the career better be way more fun!

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[gymnastau]

Wow, I don't think I like what I've learned about myself from all this.

I found out one rejection feels way worse than the combination of one acceptance and 2 alternate lists feels good, and that rejecting an interview invitation today for another school made my rejection sting less.

Apparently I am way more petty and thin skinned than I thought I was.

This process sucks. School and the career better be way more fun!

You're not alone. You're probably not petty or thin-skinned. This process simply can be rotten from start to finish in many ways. I not a fan of my sometimes delayed reaction to rejection....The "I don't care" followed by the sick to my stomach, "I'm crushed" feeling a few days or hours later.

 

[STHERE]

Hey Affa,

Don't feel too bad, you got into the school I really wanted to get into! I can't feel too bad for you! lol What is your first choice school?

Equally bummed, PhilaU and Jefferson waitlisted me and one acceptance into a ultra expensive school... but I just can't bare to do this process all over again and I will bite the bullet and go to the expensive school then wait around a third year!

 

[WSUCoug2010]

Wow, I don't think I like what I've learned about myself from all this.

I found out one rejection feels way worse than the combination of one acceptance and 2 alternate lists feels good, and that rejecting an interview invitation today for another school made my rejection sting less.

Apparently I am way more petty and thin skinned than I thought I was.

This process sucks. School and the career better be way more fun!

Well if it makes you feel any better, I have been rejected 17 times. Never once getting waitlisted or accepted! I am praying for the day that I get accepted! I will be going on my 4th year of apply next year!

 

[shimmyshimmy]

Hey Affa,

Don't feel too bad, you got into the school I really wanted to get into! I can't feel too bad for you! lol What is your first choice school?

Equally bummed, PhilaU and Jefferson waitlisted me and one acceptance into a ultra expensive school... but I just can't bare to do this process all over again and I will bite the bullet and go to the expensive school then wait around a third year!

STHERE, i was also accepted to USciences...I have until tomorrow to hand in the deposit. Have you visited the campus and talked to other students about the program? What is your opinion on the program? I'm 75% sure I can't go b/c it's outside of New York not to mention it is super duper expensive...but it's the only school that accepted me so far. BLEEHHHH!!! Don't know if I should fork over the money to hold a seat...

 

[affa]

Well if it makes you feel any better, I have been rejected 17 times. Never once getting waitlisted or accepted! I am praying for the day that I get accepted! I will be going on my 4th year of apply next year!

I think I didn't explain myself well..and hurt peoples feeling in the process. I'd like to try to explain myself a bit better and hopefully reduce the pain I have inadvertently caused.

No, it really doesn't make me feel better to know you are having such a difficult time. The feeling and thoughts I have had regarding your story relate to being inspired by the inner strength and commitment to your goals you have been forced to cultivate. I have wondered if I would be able to find it in myself to go through this again. Knowing you and many other people have makes me impressed by the human capacity. It has left me feeling very lucky, not smug.

What I was trying to say is that this process is so hard because my responses don't seem logical. That even though things are going pretty well for me I still cried myself to sleep over the rejection letter. And didn't jump for joy for the acceptance letter. I was trying to say something about how I (and maybe everyone) are more hurt by rejection than affirmed by acceptance and how strange that is.

I'm sorry if I did such a poor job of saying this right the first time that it was read as me making light of your story. That was not my intention and I will be more careful in the future.

Now as this horrible process is coming to a close I wanted to thank everyone who has posted. This forum is in many ways what has kept me at all together these last few months. I feel so lucky to have stumbled on it. It took what felt like "a me versus the world" feeling and turned it into a "lets help each other get this this world together fight."

Best of luck to all of us.

 

[OTPanda]

I think I didn't explain myself well..and hurt peoples feeling in the process. I'd like to try to explain myself a bit better and hopefully reduce the pain I have inadvertently caused.

No, it really doesn't make me feel better to know you are having such a difficult time. The feeling and thoughts I have had regarding your story relate to being inspired by the inner strength and commitment to your goals you have been forced to cultivate. I have wondered if I would be able to find it in myself to go through this again. Knowing you and many other people have makes me impressed by the human capacity. It has left me feeling very lucky, not smug.

What I was trying to say is that this process is so hard because my responses don't seem logical. That even though things are going pretty well for me I still cried myself to sleep over the rejection letter. And didn't jump for joy for the acceptance letter. I was trying to say something about how I (and maybe everyone) are more hurt by rejection than affirmed by acceptance and how strange that is.

I'm sorry if I did such a poor job of saying this right the first time that it was read as me making light of your story. That was not my intention and I will be more careful in the future.

Now as this horrible process is coming to a close I wanted to thank everyone who has posted. This forum is in many ways what has kept me at all together these last few months. I feel so lucky to have stumbled on it. It took what felt like "a me versus the world" feeling and turned it into a "lets help each other get this this world together fight."

Best of luck to all of us.

Affa,

I am lucky enough to actually know you in person (we commiserated through A&P together last summer) and I can attest to the fact that you would never purposely hurt anyone. You have been such a great source of support and information for me throughout this process and I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate you.

I totally understand everything you were explaining in your initial post on this thread. When I got my rejection letter from AT Still I was in shock. AT Still was supposed to be my safety school and they flat out rejected me without even looking at my application because of my science GPA. When I got the rejection letter from Pitt, I couldn't believe how bad it hurt when I knew in my heart that even if Pitt had accepted me, it would be a logistical NIGHTMARE for me to go to school there. Either way, I started to accept the fact that I wasn't going to get in anywhere and started working on my backup plan for retaking some of my prereqs.

What I have learned through this process is that as much as we are developing preferences for different schools for various reasons, the schools have their own criteria for what it is they are looking for. Does it make sense? Heck no! Does rejection hurt? Always. Ultimately, I agree with you that hearing about the level of commitment that so many people on here have shown has given me a new found respect for the kinds of people that we will one day be working with.

I debated whether or not I was going to respond to you publicly or not but ultimately I decided that it was important because we are all in this together. I hate that the amount of school seats are not growing at the same rate that the demand for OT's is. I hope that they can fix this and create opportunities for all of us that are passionate about OT can be given the opportunity to become OTs!!

Ok, I'll stop babbling now.

Warmly,

OTPanda

 

[gymnastau]

Aww Affa... I didn't think your post caused any pain. At least I didn't read it that way. I found what you wrote to be very refreshing and honest because I have also experienced confusing emotions with this whole process.
It was really nice to read what you shared because I would frequently come to this board and only read about everyone's acceptance celebrations. I wanted to know others cried themselves to sleep too. Been there done that!

 

[ptdpt]

Well if it makes you feel any better, I have been rejected 17 times. Never once getting waitlisted or accepted! I am praying for the day that I get accepted! I will be going on my 4th year of apply next year!

WSU, I am really touched by your resilience. Most people couldn't go through rejection muliple times; it shows your dedication to becoming an OT. I don't understand why the schools can't see it!!!!

After being rejected the first round, did you reach out to the schools to find out what you could do to be more competitive for the next cycle? If you haven't done it already, I would pick two to three schools in my area that are my top choices and remain in touch with them until the next cycle. I would have them assess my whole application packet and tell me the areas I need to improve. They will tell you if you need to take over a class or if you need more observation hours. During the year, I would ask them if it is possible to observe an OT class. You need to develop a relationship with the program. Basically, I would make sure that the chair of the program knows who you are and why you would be a good fit for their program. Once you have created a relationship with a program, you can drop an e-mail here and there updating them on your progress and how much you want to be an OT student in their program.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you get in next cycle!!

 

[OT2bhopefully]

Well if it makes you feel any better, I have been rejected 17 times. Never once getting waitlisted or accepted! I am praying for the day that I get accepted! I will be going on my 4th year of apply next year!

WSUCoug2010, I suggest you get more volunteering hours if you haven't done so? maybe over 100 hours and with various sites to show you have a broad understanding of OT and passionate about the field, that would make you stand out and try to apply early and to 10+ schools!!! That's what I did on my second year of applying and got in

 

[WSUCoug2010]

WSUCoug2010, I suggest you get more volunteering hours if you haven't done so? maybe over 100 hours and with various sites to show you have a broad understanding of OT and passionate about the field, that would make you stand out and try to apply early and to 10+ schools!!! That's what I did on my second year of applying and got in

Thank you for your suggestion. I appreciate it. I have over 800 hours of OT observations in sniff, outpatient rehab, hospital and peds. Most schools are telling me to improve my GPA. I have been trying to take classes but with already have a 4 year degree, taking a few classes here and there, unfortunately won't raise my GPA up a whole lot, which sucks. I talked with one school that pretty much told me to re-take any classes that I didn't have an A in. This next year I am going to look at retaking A&P and some other classes just to help boost my GPA again. My CUM is a 3.2, but my pre-req GPA could get a little help. Hopefully next year I can get in...

 

[WSUCoug2010]

WSU, I am really touched by your resilience. Most people couldn't go through rejection muliple times; it shows your dedication to becoming an OT. I don't understand why the schools can't see it!!!!

After being rejected the first round, did you reach out to the schools to find out what you could do to be more competitive for the next cycle? If you haven't done it already, I would pick two to three schools in my area that are my top choices and remain in touch with them until the next cycle. I would have them assess my whole application packet and tell me the areas I need to improve. They will tell you if you need to take over a class or if you need more observation hours. During the year, I would ask them if it is possible to observe an OT class. You need to develop a relationship with the program. Basically, I would make sure that the chair of the program knows who you are and why you would be a good fit for their program. Once you have created a relationship with a program, you can drop an e-mail here and there updating them on your progress and how much you want to be an OT student in their program.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you get in next cycle!!

Thank you! Those are great suggestions. I actually have been in contact with a few schools after this cycle to really improve my applications. I think next year I will def try and apply a lot earlier! Good luck to you as well!

 

[WSUCoug2010]

I think I didn't explain myself well..and hurt peoples feeling in the process. I'd like to try to explain myself a bit better and hopefully reduce the pain I have inadvertently caused.

No, it really doesn't make me feel better to know you are having such a difficult time. The feeling and thoughts I have had regarding your story relate to being inspired by the inner strength and commitment to your goals you have been forced to cultivate. I have wondered if I would be able to find it in myself to go through this again. Knowing you and many other people have makes me impressed by the human capacity. It has left me feeling very lucky, not smug.

What I was trying to say is that this process is so hard because my responses don't seem logical. That even though things are going pretty well for me I still cried myself to sleep over the rejection letter. And didn't jump for joy for the acceptance letter. I was trying to say something about how I (and maybe everyone) are more hurt by rejection than affirmed by acceptance and how strange that is.

I'm sorry if I did such a poor job of saying this right the first time that it was read as me making light of your story. That was not my intention and I will be more careful in the future.

Now as this horrible process is coming to a close I wanted to thank everyone who has posted. This forum is in many ways what has kept me at all together these last few months. I feel so lucky to have stumbled on it. It took what felt like "a me versus the world" feeling and turned it into a "lets help each other get this this world together fight."

Best of luck to all of us.

I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't offended at all, nor were my feelings hurt! I know what you mean when you are wanting to get into one school so bad, and you get rejected, and then you get accepted to a school that you didn't really want to get into. And although I wish I could get into ANY school, there are schools that I would prefer to get into. No hurt feelings, but thanks for taking the time to explain!

 

[New Start]

WSUCoug2010- With a GPA of 3.2 and 800 observation hrs (wow that's a lot of hrs!), I have to ask what's your pre-req GPA and GRE score? I ask bc many schools can live w/ admitting a std w/ a 3.2 gpa.

If you applied 17 times over the course of 4yrs and still haven't become admitted to any schools you're doing something wrong... I wanna help as I'm sure every other student who has read your post does as well.

Advice: applying 17 times over the course of 4yrs is a horrible track record, lose that way of thinking as you still have time to apply into many prgs for 2012 cohort:
East Michigan (MI) 4/1
U of St. Augustine (had multiple deadlines)
Barry U (FL) 4/1
Louisiana State U (New Orleans campus) 6/1
West New Mexico: 4/1
Spalding: 5/15
Milligan: 4/1
Thomas Jefferson University 6/30

It sounds like you'll do anything to become admitted so here's your chance... there's no need in waiting another year!!!

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
-Call each of these schools and get to know anyone and everyone who is willing to assist you (faculty to receptionist) during your application process and keep on calling until you receive an interview
-Never mention to the schools that you have applied 17 times over the course of 4yrs
-Highlight the 800hrs of observation and the knowledge that you have
-and determined what makes you different from the other thousands of stds (along w/ having 800hrs of observation)

My interest in becoming an OT only came about last June... I applied into 12prgs through OTCAS, interviewed w/ 4 prgs and was admitted into 3 of them. My stats.... are bad but I demonstrated to those 4 schools who I interviewed w/ although my GPA and GRE scores were poor I'm still a quality student. I accomplished this by highlighting other factors away from grades that makes me different from the other thousands of applicants.

MY STATS:
GPA - 2.95
Pre-req - 3.65
GRE - 144q 144v 3.5a

WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT:
Age: 26
Have a Masters in Business Administration
Incorporated a Business
Built an OT website (www.OTrecovery.com)
Patent a goniometer w/ adjustable arms
Serving in the AZ Air National Guard
150hrs of observation at the VA hospital

 

[OTlove4life]

Thank you! Those are great suggestions. I actually have been in contact with a few schools after this cycle to really improve my applications. I think next year I will def try and apply a lot earlier! Good luck to you as well!

WSUCoug2010-

I agree with New Start. Highlight your volunteer work, how you are personally connected to it, and possibly how it reaffirmed your desire to become an OT. Also, consider applying to schools with large cohorts. CSU Dominguez HIlls admits a lot of students (more than 50 but not sure of the exact number) and USC's cohort is 98 or 99. CSUDH is also a spring semester start, so you could probably still apply for next year (Jan. 2013).

The application process is exhausting and emotional and it almost destroyed me. According to my abnormal psychology textbook from last fall, applying to graduate school is either the 3rd or 4th (can't look it up b/c i put the book in storage) most stressful life event for college-aged adults--right ABOVE being the victim of a crime. Knowing this actually helped me get through the process because it made me realize that my emotions/reactions/feelings of stress and pressure were on par for this specific life event. I'm not saying that everyone reacts with the same amount of stress, but it's nice to know that it's recognized enough to be in a psych textbook. I hope you find a program, I'm pretty sure everyone on here hopes the same thing.

 

[affa]

I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't offended at all, nor were my feelings hurt! I know what you mean when you are wanting to get into one school so bad, and you get rejected, and then you get accepted to a school that you didn't really want to get into. And although I wish I could get into ANY school, there are schools that I would prefer to get into. No hurt feelings, but thanks for taking the time to explain!

I'm not sure if you are looking for ideas or advice but I have a couple thoughts that if you haven't thought of them already may be helpful....

You seem to have legit stats, so it seems likely the reason you are not being accepted comes from other parts of your application. The biggest ones I can think are your letters of recommendation and your personal statement.

My letter of rec writer told me a horror story about how a colleague of theirs was given a horrible letter of rec and had sent it to many places before one person kindly (and illegally) mentioned it. Needless to say I asked to see my letter- even though I had checked the box saying I wouldn't have access to it. My LOR writer laughed and said they had no problem with it, and told me they were going to give me one for my records anyway. They told me it is just the story they tell everyone who asks for a letter, just to warn them for the future. Phew.

I sent my personal statement to 8 people for feedback, I even posted one on facebook when I felt stuck. I have gotten feedback from schools that they thought it was very good. I have a funny, humbling, awkward suggestion; post it here! And let us help!

 

[OTlove4life]

affa- good points. Someone at USC told me that I'd be surprised how many people send in negative LORs without knowing it. I also checked the confidentiality boxes but my letter writers volunteered copies to make sure I was happy with what they'd written. Some of the LOR forms are rating scales with additional letters being optional. For these I asked my letter writers to include the additional letter as it would make my application stronger. I also had them include additional letters for forms that didn't give this option. After talking to graduate assistants, coordinators, and other people in admissions from different schools, I have found that the admissions process is not as clean-cut and rule bound as it seems.

here's an article that helped a lot:
http://www.gettingintogradschool.com/book/applying-to-graduate-school

i'm looking for another one that was helpful...i'll post as soon as i find it.

 

[mco316]

I've really appreciated this thread... I have yet to receive an acceptance or a rejection, which is another difficult state of being that is part of this process. I thought last week was the week to find out key info but nada. I hope next week is the week!!!

WSUCoug2010, I'm rooting for you! This is my first try and since I don't yet know if anything I've done is going to yield the results I hope, so I can't offer advice, but I hope that you are able to reach your goal someday! Are you still waiting to hear from anyone else this cycle?

 

[STCM]

affa- good points. Someone at USC told me that I'd be surprised how many people send in negative LORs without knowing it.

Another thought on LOR's,

I was told by an admissions coordinator that sometimes people don't write very much in the OTCAS form, only fill out the rating part, and that this really hurts their application. I should have heeded this much more closely. I asked for one LOR from my boss at the restaurant where I work. She said, "Why don't you write it and I'll sign it." English is not her first language and she's not very confident in her writing skills. I told her it was all online and I would look over it if she wanted me to.

To my dismay, I got an email within twenty minutes of sending her the form saying she had submitted the LOR. She had, apparently thought that she just needed to fill in the rating part and throw in a few comments at the end about how she trusted me and how I stay calm when things get busy. This wasn't by any means a negative letter, but not exactly a well thought out, thorough explanation of my strengths. I didn't get into my program this year and I think that might have been one small part of that.

So... I'd recommend to anyone to think very carefully about your LOR's and explain to them the importance of a thorough letter that uses specific examples of your strengths.

 

[gymnastau]

WSUCoug2010- With a GPA of 3.2 and 800 observation hrs (wow that’s a lot of hrs!), I have to ask what’s your pre-req GPA and GRE score? I ask bc many schools can live w/ admitting a std w/ a 3.2 gpa.

If you applied 17 times over the course of 4yrs and still haven’t become admitted to any schools you’re doing something wrong... I wanna help as I'm sure every other student who has read your post does as well.

Advice: applying 17 times over the course of 4yrs is a horrible track record, lose that way of thinking as you still have time to apply into many prgs for 2012 cohort:
East Michigan (MI) 4/1
U of St. Augustine (had multiple deadlines)
Barry U (FL) 4/1
Louisiana State U (New Orleans campus) 6/1
West New Mexico: 4/1
Spalding: 5/15
Milligan: 4/1
Thomas Jefferson University 6/30

It sounds like you'll do anything to become admitted so here's your chance... there’s no need in waiting another year!!!

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
-Call each of these schools and get to know anyone and everyone who is willing to assist you (faculty to receptionist) during your application process and keep on calling until you receive an interview
-Never mention to the schools that you have applied 17 times over the course of 4yrs
-Highlight the 800hrs of observation and the knowledge that you have
-and determined what makes you different from the other thousands of stds (along w/ having 800hrs of observation)

My interest in becoming an OT only came about last June... I applied into 12prgs through OTCAS, interviewed w/ 4 prgs and was admitted into 3 of them. My stats.... are bad but I demonstrated to those 4 schools who I interviewed w/ although my GPA and GRE scores were poor I’m still a quality student. I accomplished this by highlighting other factors away from grades that makes me different from the other thousands of applicants.

MY STATS:
GPA - 2.95
Pre-req - 3.65
GRE - 144q 144v 3.5a

WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT:
Age: 26
Have a Masters in Business Administration
Incorporated a Business
Built an OT website (www.OTrecovery.com)
Patent a goniometer w/ adjustable arms
Serving in the AZ Air National Guard
150hrs of observation at the VA hospital

It could be the region they are applying in is exceptionally competitive. So although great improvements are made every year, every year the application pool gets more competitive.. Which sort of leaves you up against what you were your 1st year applying. I have heard stories on this forum about certain regions where you can't even get an interview at a school without a <insert GPA> or above. I think there was chat about Texas schools being like this. From what I know the Washington region is similar. Sounds like WSUCoug has definitely been doing everything that is being asked. I hope schools see how hard many re-applicants work to get admitted. Especially when I hear stories from people I have shadowed with about co-workers who quit the field a year or two in deciding it wasn't for them. If you have applied 2 or more years in a row is fairly likely you are extremely passionate about OT. If I am receiving care I want a practitioner who invests themselves into the field and me because they love it. I don't care if their OTCAS GPA was a 3.5 or above or where they went to undergrad. Just saying though I know this is how this application stuff works...


Not sure about the other schools you mentioned but Thomas Jefferson's has already offered all their acceptances.
Eastern Michigan has changed when they begin their program so their deadline went from what was Jan 5th to August 1st, 2012.

I applied late in the game to a few extra schools. Definitely didn't hurt but it is wise to ask the program how many spots they have left. I've heard Unv. of Toledo is also full already too.

 

[gymnastau]

Another thought on LOR's,

I was told by an admissions coordinator that sometimes people don't write very much in the OTCAS form, only fill out the rating part, and that this really hurts their application. I should have heeded this much more closely. I asked for one LOR from my boss at the restaurant where I work. She said, "Why don't you write it and I'll sign it." English is not her first language and she's not very confident in her writing skills. I told her it was all online and I would look over it if she wanted me to.

To my dismay, I got an email within twenty minutes of sending her the form saying she had submitted the LOR. She had, apparently thought that she just needed to fill in the rating part and throw in a few comments at the end about how she trusted me and how I stay calm when things get busy. This wasn't by any means a negative letter, but not exactly a well thought out, thorough explanation of my strengths. I didn't get into my program this year and I think that might have been one small part of that.

So... I'd recommend to anyone to think very carefully about your LOR's and explain to them the importance of a thorough letter that uses specific examples of your strengths.

You are mentioning LOR. Gosh they can be so tricky! Knowing EXACTLY what a program wants can be crucial. I applied to a small school not using the OTCAS who rated LORs and other application materials. I was told my score for my LOR portion was an 8.6 on a 10 point scale. They said the average score was a 9.5. Boy I felt let down. The same LOR were sent to another program who told me my letters of recommendation were exceptional. What the huh?!?!
You mentioned those rating scales though are so important. Both schools I mentioned above had a rating scale that was submitted with my LORs. I have no doubt after speaking individually to each of the people who wrote my letters that it came down to being marked "above average" rather than "exceptional" 1 or 2 times. It really can affect the weighing of those rating scores. Crazy!

 

[frootloops]

I hear how intense graduate school is, but I have a feeling that applying and waiting for a response is the worst part.

 

[mgilmore]

I was rejected today from BU and can definitely relate to all your posts. It's extremely discouraging to work so hard at something only to get nothing in exchange for your efforts.

Keep your heads up

 

[gymnastau]

So sorry Mgilmore. I hope that it was at least a nice rejection letter. Seriously, I always felt a little better when the rejection was kindly put. Sad but true. haha
Did you apply elsewhere? I saw in another post you have amazing stats, good luck!

 

[mgilmore]

Thanks gymnastau, that means a lot I'm waitlisted at NYU and am still waiting to hear from Columbia, Colorado State and USC but I'm not holding my breath. haha

 

[affa]

The letter I wish I got today: http://science-professor.blogspot.com/2010/02/dear-applicant.html

Have to say I have nothing nice to say about Pacific University today. Everything from their fussy application to the fact they never respond to phone calls or even sent a "thank you for applying, we have received all that we need" email, to the rude man i talked with whom I think runs their grad admissions to the stories of the disrespectful way that they run their interviews... all of which has left me with a bitter taste.

Oh, and the (kinda thoughtless) rejection letter. I'm sure that has nothing to do with it...
Nope, not a thing.

So glad this is almost over. I need a good night's rest and some time and distance to recuperate from all of this. Three rejections in a week and I quite literally want to curl up in a ball and hide.

If I thrived under this kind of stress I would have considered med school.

Hope this was an acceptable rant, I actually do feel a little better from it!

Update:
I had two major exams yesterday and not enough sleep...I reread the rejection letter this morning after a full nights rest and other than the rather dumb line about "hoping [applying to them] was a valuable experience" it was fine. I was being dramatic and inappropriately emotional yesterday. I reread what I wrote as well... whoa. A bit much, sorry.

 

[gymnastau]

That letter was awesome!
Hope you are feeling better after some rest.

 

[mgilmore]

Sorry to hear that, affa. And wow, that letter was terrible IMO! "We could have accepted you, but it's random bad luck that you didn't get in"? I don't know how that would make anyone feel better
I hope you are feeling better now. It's their loss, and you'll get into a better school that deserves you in their program.

 

[STCM]

As one advisor said, A lot of the people who don't get accepted would make great OT's.
Unfortunately, there simply isn't enough room in most of these programs for all of the strong applicants. That's where the schmoozing comes in, I guess.

 

[affa]

That letter was awesome!
Hope you are feeling better after some rest.

Much better, thanks! And thanks for taking on this role of emotional supporter on this forum. I've noticed you always take the time to answer questions or let people know they are not alone. I have no doubt this generous and kind nature of yours will help you be an amazing OT and make you an awesome classmate to have.

 

[affa]

Sorry to hear that, affa. And wow, that letter was terrible IMO! "We could have accepted you, but it's random bad luck that you didn't get in"? I don't know how that would make anyone feel better
I hope you are feeling better now. It's their loss, and you'll get into a better school that deserves you in their program.

Thanks for taking the time to respond with such kindness.

I have some great folks in my life but have found they are less capable of saying the right things at the right time as strangers on this forum. Maybe it is because folks hoping to become OT's are just more likely to be supporters!?

 

[gymnastau]

Much better, thanks! And thanks for taking on this role of emotional supporter on this forum. I've noticed you always take the time to answer questions or let people know they are not alone. I have no doubt this generous and kind nature of yours will help you be an amazing OT and make you an awesome classmate to have.

Thanks Affa, I appreciate you saying that.

 

[frootloops]

OT schools are cruel and unusual. I just don't understand how these admissions processes work.

 

[OTislander]

Wow, I'm so glad that I found this discussion! I applied to 10 schools and have yet to receive an acceptance...I'm still waiting on 2 schools and am trying to stay positive but it's definitely really hard after all the rejections. I also thought my stats were pretty good (not amazing) but I never dreamed I wouldn't get in anywhere. I'm starting to come to terms with having to reapply next round but I feel like it's so hard being positive about it! Thankfully I want to be an OT so bad that I'll just have to suck it up! haha But it's nice to know that there are other people in the same boat!

 

[Karine]

Wow, I'm so glad that I found this discussion! I applied to 10 schools and have yet to receive an acceptance...I'm still waiting on 2 schools and am trying to stay positive but it's definitely really hard after all the rejections. I also thought my stats were pretty good (not amazing) but I never dreamed I wouldn't get in anywhere. I'm starting to come to terms with having to reapply next round but I feel like it's so hard being positive about it! Thankfully I want to be an OT so bad that I'll just have to suck it up! haha But it's nice to know that there are other people in the same boat!

I'm so anxious to apply and am afraid of not getting in anywhere. Do you min sharing your stats and volunteer..?

 

[OTislander]

GPA: 3.6
Pre-req: 3.4
GRE: I got in the 70th percentile in verbal and math and a 4.5 on writing
Volunteer: ~150 hours shadowing OT in 4 different settings and over 300 hrs working with a child with autism.
I am also involved with several clubs and organizations on campus and have had leadership roles.

Compared to the rest of the stats posted I guess I'm fairly average, but I have a lot of life circumstances that I hoped would bring a diversity factor but I guess not! haha But I'm not giving up!

 

[Karine]

GPA: 3.6
Pre-req: 3.4
GRE: I got in the 70th percentile in verbal and math and a 4.5 on writing
Volunteer: ~150 hours shadowing OT in 4 different settings and over 300 hrs working with a child with autism.
I am also involved with several clubs and organizations on campus and have had leadership roles.

Compared to the rest of the stats posted I guess I'm fairly average, but I have a lot of life circumstances that I hoped would bring a diversity factor but I guess not! haha But I'm not giving up!

Thanks, that's great to know. I have yet to take some pre-reqs but I have similar overall GPA and prob will have similar volunteer. I'm crossing my fingers for you for those schools you waiting to hear from!

 

[gymnastau]

Hang in there and stay focused on the end result. Passion will get you through the stressful application process, but it is miserable there is no doubt. And don't freak out if you end up deciding to apply a 2nd year (or have to). It really is not a full year to wait and it goes by really fast!

 

[prodigiousflame]

GPA: 3.6
Pre-req: 3.4
GRE: I got in the 70th percentile in verbal and math and a 4.5 on writing
Volunteer: ~150 hours shadowing OT in 4 different settings and over 300 hrs working with a child with autism.
I am also involved with several clubs and organizations on campus and have had leadership roles.

Compared to the rest of the stats posted I guess I'm fairly average, but I have a lot of life circumstances that I hoped would bring a diversity factor but I guess not! haha But I'm not giving up!

those are great stats..especially compared to mine..if you dont mind can you share the schools you have applied to?

 

[speedyy12]

hey everyone! i'm a current 1st year OT student and keep your head up! i know the application and waiting process is a pain but it is worth it. even if you don't get in the first round, you have next year and during the year as you apply you can take over classes and do some volunteer work (be diverse with your selection - i know that is what they look for at least my program does) and if you live close or near to the school you want to apply to go and talk to the professors. it really does make a difference. good luck!! if anyone has questions feel free to message me. also, remember that it doesn't matter where you go as long as you get the education you need to pass the NBCOT! so you don't have to always apply to the top ranked schools.

 

[OTislander]

I applied to: UNC, tufts, MUSC, shenadoah, temple, UAB, UF, Pitt, Wash U st. louis
I got an interview at UNC but was later rejected! Luckily my university is an ambassador school to University of St. Augustine so I think I'm going to try and get in for january admissions (and I've also heard it's less competitive then!) So I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[andgelyo]

Hey guys! Just want to say, my mother is a nurse, and the physical therapist she works with said that he applied everywhere got rejected like 24 times! He finally got in on the 25th try. Just goes to show, passion is everything! Do not give up! Even though i was rejected from my top choice school, i'm waiting on one more. Hopefully i'll hear good news, if not we just have to try harder

 

[cammmiam]

I applied to: UNC, tufts, MUSC, shenadoah, temple, UAB, UF, Pitt, Wash U st. louis
I got an interview at UNC but was later rejected! Luckily my university is an ambassador school to University of St. Augustine so I think I'm going to try and get in for january admissions (and I've also heard it's less competitive then!) So I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Did you get into st aug? Our stats are kind of close and that's the school I want to go to!

 

[Meadow10]

have been wanting to be an OT for ten years but I have not gone because of the loans. Does anyone have any advice about whether this wAs the right decision?

 

[futureOTstudent23]

Hey everyone,

I applied for Fall of 2016 and did not get in anywhere. I was wait listed at the Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Davenport.

I applied to 10 schools. Midwestern-IL, Brenau, Nova (OTD and Masters), UIC, Rush, Indiana State, Grand Valley, Davenport, Univ of Wis.-Milwaukee
GPA: 3.1 (not so competitive =/)
pre-req GPA: 3.2-3.7 depending on the school
Observation hours: almost 200 in pediatric clinic, nursing home, hospital, school, and rehab
Currently working as a ABA therapist

What should I do to become a stronger applicant? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I was planning on retaking some pre-req classes to raise those grades up. Also anyone know of schools that are "easier" to get into that are also accredited?

 

[OTlovexo]

Hey everyone,

I applied for Fall of 2016 and did not get in anywhere. I was wait listed at the Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Davenport.

I applied to 10 schools. Midwestern-IL, Brenau, Nova (OTD and Masters), UIC, Rush, Indiana State, Grand Valley, Davenport, Univ of Wis.-Milwaukee
GPA: 3.1 (not so competitive =/)
pre-req GPA: 3.2-3.7 depending on the school
Observation hours: almost 200 in pediatric clinic, nursing home, hospital, school, and rehab
Currently working as a ABA therapist

What should I do to become a stronger applicant? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I was planning on retaking some pre-req classes to raise those grades up. Also anyone know of schools that are "easier" to get into that are also accredited?

Replying because I am also interested in how to become a stronger applicant/what schools might be "easier"

I only applied to one school last application cycle (bad idea I know; but it worked best location wise & I was avoiding the GRE) but I didn't get accepted, and it turned out they only accepted FOUR people that were outside of their school. So this application cycle I am concerned every time I see a school with a combined bachelors/masters!

My GPA isn't too high either, and neither is my pre-req /: Worried that I won't be able to make my application much stronger...