General Admissions & OTCAS Are information sessions worth it?

[OTwannabe3]

Hi guys,

I will be applying to the 2016/2017 application cycle and I wanted some input on the topic of: Is it worth it to drive hundreds of miles and take off work to attend information sessions/open house? I was reading a post from a while back saying it is critical to attend these information sessions to stand out in the application pool. While I would love to attend information sessions and get to talk to current students/professors in the program, I really cant afford to take off work . Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

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[beestrng]

Hi guys,

I will be applying to the 2016/2017 application cycle and I wanted some input on the topic of: Is it worth it to drive hundreds of miles and take off work to attend information sessions/open house? I was reading a post from a while back saying it is critical to attend these information sessions to stand out in the application pool. While I would love to attend information sessions and get to talk to current students/professors in the program, I really cant afford to take off work . Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

no unless its columbia or something.

 

[LAtoSDtoOT]

For some schools like CSUDH attendance us mandatory, you recieve a certificate at the end of the info session which must be included in your application package.

 

[c2902]

While it may not get you into the school to attend an info session, if you are on the fence, or simply want to make an informed decision, a visit to the school can tell you a bit about the culture of the program and whether or not it would be a good fit. The "rank" of the school doesn't always mean it will be a good choice for you. I attended an info session at one of the top ranked programs in the country, and everyone there was under 25, blonde and all dressed the same. As a career changer in my 30s, I didn't think it would be a good match, never mind the reputation. At the info session of the program I ended up going to and graduating from, the students we met were more diverse in age and background, as were the people at the session, and the faculty spoke about how they appreciated applicants with diverse and non-traditional backgrounds. That program ended up being a better fit for me for several reasons, culture being one of them. Just something to think about.

 

[Shevek]

I went to the info session at Jefferson. We were offered a perspective on which LOR were strongest. We were told that we could change our LOR choice because we went to the information session. Only if we went to the information session.

 

[MusicalOT14]

I would say go to the info session. It most certainly can't hurt! It lets those who are making the decisions know that you are serious about the school. It will also let them put a face to a name in some cases. Going to the info sessions will allow you to see the school and get a feel for it. The school may have seemed great on paper but then you go and you find it is not the right fit for you. Then again, you may go and find you love the school and that will give you more motivation and drive to complete an absolutely stellar application! It's not always easy but it can't hurt. I went through this all just last year and I am in the process of creating a blog on the experience, feel free to check it out at https://rn2ot.wordpress.com/. It is fairly new, but I am doing my best to offer advice /tips on the whole application process. I wish you the very best of luck and much success!

 

[NavyLady88]

I attended the virtual information session last year and found it very helpful-it aided in my decision for which school to attend this fall! Your school may be on the list of others that provide information about their program. Here is the link for this year's. The best part is that it's free! Hope this helps others in their decisions, good luck!!

https://www.careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=d2d3a297-d2d2-48ac-b594-a50200b6e911