General Admissions & OTCAS Applying to OTD schools

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tabsabs

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Hey guys! As we're all gearing up to start OTCAS applications, I've been researching which schools I should apply to. I want to go into an OTD program, but am afraid that they have more stringent application standards/requirements than MSOT and will decrease my chances of being accepted. Should I balance out the amount of OTD vs MSOT/MOT programs I apply to in order to increase my chances?

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I've actually heard that it can be easier to get into an OTD because the programs tend to be newer/people don't want to pay the extra money and put in the extra time when it's not worth it financially in most cases.

If you're set on the OTD, just apply to a variety of them.
 
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Hi, I am applying this round to OTD schools. I am afraid I might not get accepted into an OTD program and was wondering if it will hurt my application if I apply to both MSOT and OTD programs at same time? Will programs know I applied to both?
 
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Hi, I am applying this round to OTD schools. I am afraid I might not get accepted into an OTD program and was wondering if it will hurt my application if I apply to both MSOT and OTD programs at same time? Will programs know I applied to both?
I applied to both at seperate schools, but if the program had both, I only applied to 1 or the other. Others that I know going into my cohort applied to both, so it's really not a big deal.
 
Depending on the program, some of them let you apply simultaneously to both programs. Schools can't really prove that you are applying to both programs to increase your chances of getting in. It could be that some people are still unsure about what their role is going to be in the field of OT.
 
the programs tend to be newer/people don't want to pay the extra money and put in the extra time when it's not worth it financially in most cases. If you're set on the OTD, just apply to a variety of them.

@Bokonomy Excellent advice. In my humble opinion I would not advise anyone who could get into an affordable public program to try to get into a more expensive OTD. The degree isn't required and won't increase chances at being hired, or affect your salary.

The OTD will be required in 10 years or so- the good thing is that we will all be grandfathered in and not need to get it. The other positive is that it will disincentivize more applicants from flooding our field due to the high cost of our degree and in turn resulting in lower salaries. The negative is that the move towards an OTD will turn away individuals who do not have as much financial resources.
 
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