General Admissions & OTCAS Feeling discouraged and down..

[Babybluentexas]

I have busted my tail to be able to apply to certain schools by the deadline. I had my gpa drop (thanks OTCAS) and now I’m going to be missing my recommendation from the OT I shadowed with. I gave her a months notice and resent the link several times. I even sent a reminder email again yesterday to try to get her to fill out the forms. Today? Nothing. The 4th is the deadline and I’m going to miss out. I know it’s not the only school... but I honestly never thought this would be the hang up.

I even know gave her flowers cause it was so difficult to get someone to agree to the shadow hours. I have a 300 hour internship starting in the spring with an OT, but already placed 4 applications. They don’t mean a whole lot without the OTR.

Sorry just needed to vent and really don’t think my friends understand the process well enough to listen. Lol

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[Babybluentexas]

Sorry just wanted to add that we had a good relationship. She gave me a hug on my last shadow day and was always telling the patients how impressed she was with me. I’m sure she just has a lot of other things going on. I’ll just keep on trucking...

 

[luminosity]

Hi! I don't know if this will help, but you can submit your app even if you don't have the recommendation in. As long as its saying "request sent/pending", you can submit and the recommender just needs to do their part.

As for your OT, if she hasn't replied to your email- give her a call and speak to her directly. If she keeps saying "she'll get to it," just ask her straight up if she can do it or not. If you shadowed at other places and you had a good relationship with them, I would just explain your situation and ask if they're willing to write you a letter of rec last minute!

Hope this helps!

 

[Babybluentexas]

Hi! I don't know if this will help, but you can submit your app even if you don't have the recommendation in. As long as its saying "request sent/pending", you can submit and the recommender just needs to do their part.

As for your OT, if she hasn't replied to your email- give her a call and speak to her directly. If she keeps saying "she'll get to it," just ask her straight up if she can do it or not. If you shadowed at other places and you had a good relationship with them, I would just explain your situation and ask if they're willing to write you a letter of rec last minute!

Hope this helps!

Thanks that does help quite a bit— or at least relax me! I’ll try to stop by her place and Monday and chat with her!

 

[hannieOT]

Hi hi! I know that feeling entirely. Last cycle, I had to bug my OT to write her rec for about 2 months. I'm pretty sure she wrote me a poor rec too because of it. Trust your gut. If something feels wrong about bothering her, find a different OT to write you a letter. This cycle, I asked an OT I shadowed 4 years ago if she'd write me one. She was thrilled, and wrote it within one week. Also, think about taking the year off to fix that GPA drop and get a different letter. Don't be discouraged, it will all work out!

 

[OT1795]

I hope it worked out ok for you! If it makes you feel any better, unless the school says at least 1 letter HAS to be from an OT, it is definitely possible to still get in without one, as long as you have the required number overall and they speak highly of you and your abilities.

If I could change one thing I did last cycle, I would have given the people writing my letters a much earlier "deadline" to have them in by. Pretty sure they can't see what schools you've selected in OTCAS, or when their actual deadlines are. All they see is the deadline you set...but I could be wrong on that. I'm trying to repress all memories from the application process!

 

[Babybluentexas]

Well turns out I think she reversed the deadlines. My application off OTCAS was completed and the other one hasn’t. Lol