General Admissions & OTCAS Are MOT admissions very competitive as of 2023?

[cr39284]

I know PT has been extremely difficult for people to get accepted almost anywhere, but has OT been super competitive or is it on the easier side of graduate admissions for anyone who has been applying lately? I have heard that some programs haven't even been able to fill their seats completely so I am just wondering.

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[OTtobehopefully]

I think it just comes down to where you’re applying. state schools or schools with low tuition are still very competitive from what I’ve seen. however, I think most students who meet the 3.0 GPA requirement, completed most of the prereqs, and attempted to get some hands on experience with relevant populations (through shadowing, work, or extracurriculars) will have no problem getting into a private school. I don’t think it’s as competitive as it used to be. I went overboard by applying to 8 schools, and I ended up getting accepted to 5 and turned down interviews for the remaining 3. These schools all ranged from $52k - $90k, so not terribly expensive but not in state tuition either.

 

[cheersforyou]

I've heard that application numbers are down overall so it's probably less competitive than it was pre-COVID. (Hearing this from faculty at a public OT school)

 

[FutureOTMax]

I know PT has been extremely difficult for people to get accepted almost anywhere, but has OT been super competitive or is it on the easier side of graduate admissions for anyone who has been applying lately? I have heard that some programs haven't even been able to fill their seats completely so I am just wondering.

I think MSOT programs are harder to get into than OTD programs for sure. I applied to 6 schools, 2 OTD programs and 4 MSOT programs. I was denied by all of the MSOT programs, but accepted into all the OTD programs.

 

[TDP1]

Ditto @FutureOTMax

 

[EmpowerOT]

I agree that the choice of school plays some role, yet it's undeniable that competition across OT programs is fierce. Perhaps the number of students has dropped since COVID, and quite frankly that's a good thing for those of you posting here and for our field: OTs in the field are not flooded with new grads driving down our compensation, and some seats are finally opening up in programs. I have witnessed the transition from BS to MS and now towards the OTD, I have observed admission standards becoming progressively tougher. I'm guessing some of our elder OTs might even remember when OT was an associates degree! The requisite GPA is consistently high across the board. It's not a critique of the OP, but rather a reminder as you all know, that OT isn't a path for those seeking an 'easy degree': those of you posting on this forum display a lot of the required persistence required to get into a program. As many of you are aware, our field demands relentless dedication and perseverance to navigate and excel in a program.