General Admissions & OTCAS Chances of acceptance ot school

[GinaG3]

I'm applying to the 2017-2018 cycle for OTCAS and want to know if I even have a shot. I had a very rocky start to undergrad (my first 2 semesters gpa was under a 3.0) which left my cumulative GPA at a 3.1, however after those initial semesters my gpa skyrocketed.

Cumulative: 3.1
Last 60 GPA: 3.4
Prereq: 3.6 (depending on the school)
I have 150+ observational hours
GRE 155, 150, 3.0 on writing (planing to retake).

I feel like my cumulative is holding me back even though I can explain why my grades where so bad and then show dramatic improvement. I graduated with a Psychology and Rehabilitation Psychology degree, and am current working as a Line therapist in a gap year and have tons of other great experiences. Any thoughts on my chances of getting in?

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[Coco88]

I'm applying to the 2017-2018 cycle for OTCAS and want to know if I even have a shot. I had a very rocky start to undergrad (my first 2 semesters gpa was under a 3.0) which left my cumulative GPA at a 3.1, however after those initial semesters my gpa skyrocketed.

Cumulative: 3.1
Last 60 GPA: 3.4
Prereq: 3.6 (depending on the school)
I have 150+ observational hours
GRE 155, 150, 3.0 on writing (planing to retake).

I feel like my cumulative is holding me back even though I can explain why my grades where so bad and then show dramatic improvement. I graduated with a Psychology and Rehabilitation Psychology degree, and am current working as a Line therapist in a gap year and have tons of other great experiences. Any thoughts on my chances of getting in?

I'd say you definitely have a shot! Most schools will look at Prereq GPA and trend. I'd definitely suggest getting your writing GRE up, I think 4.0 is what some schools require and is a good baseline and make sure your hours cover multiple settings. Good luck!

 

[FINGERS_CROSSED]

I got into OT school with a 3.01 undergrad GPA but I also only applied to schools that did not need the GRE.

 

[proapplicant]

my stats are almost identical to yours... pre-req gpa might have been a little lower. i got in my 2nd time around and they highlighted my hours and letters of rec. focus there, maybe? i say you have a good shot, anyway.

 

[Futurenjot]

I got into OT school with a 3.01 undergrad GPA but I also only applied to schools that did not need the GRE.

How did you do that? What schools do you apply to?

 

[FINGERS_CROSSED]

How did you do that? What schools do you apply to?

I volunteered in four OT settings for over 300 hours and got all As in my prerequisite classes. I also applied to 12 schools (NY, NJ, CT, and MA) to increase my chances. I tried to make up for my low GPA and it definitely helped.

 

[Futurenjot]

I volunteered in four OT settings for over 300 hours and got all As in my prerequisite classes. I also applied to 12 schools (NY, NJ, CT, and MA) to increase my chances. I tried to make up for my low GPA and it definitely helped.

That's amazing and inspirational.
I couldn't get as many hours because life became so difficult and I had to work full time.
I got rejected from most of the schools I applied but I did get interviews for two.

 

[FINGERS_CROSSED]

That's amazing and inspirational.
I couldn't get as many hours because life became so difficult and I had to work full time.
I got rejected from most of the schools I applied but I did get interviews for two.

That's a great sign you got some interviews. I think it's a great way to show your personality. Good luck!!

 

[PuppyloverOT]

I think you have a great shot! From my observations, the "top ranked" programs (somewhat arbitrary but that's besides the point) seem to emphasize GPA. I'm not saying don't apply to any top ranked programs, but I would keep your options open. Most of the schools I applied to were in the top 20 and they were very strict about GPA. I was told that Towson did the first round of cuts mainly on GPA. Pitt seems to take a lot of their alumni and I've heard you have to have a high GPA to make it in if you didn't go there. I would def. bust your ass and try to get super high GRE scores, I think that would make you a fantastic applicant. Kaplan has some helpful info Goodluck!