General Admissions & OTCAS Personal statement

[manpin]

For the schools on Otcas what is the Max word/character count for personal statements?


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[Bokonomy]

I don't think there's a specific amount unless a school specifies, but try to keep it under a page and a half/between 500 and 1000 words.

 

[manpin]

Thank you for replying back! Im at about 2 pages right now, so maybe I should try to cut back


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[Bokonomy]

Thank you for replying back! Im at about 2 pages right now, so maybe I should try to cut back


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Unfortunately, probably. It sucks to cut at first, but you'll get to used to it after a few drafts. I can have you look at mine from last year if you want. Of course, since it's a personal statement, it can be totally different from mine and work out!

 

[RUNNING_OT]

Mine was 4 pages. As long as you address the questions and to the point, unless a school specifies the length isn't important. Just make sure you know what they are asking.

 

[MusicalOT14]

Check the websites for the schools that you are applying to because unfortunately you can only submit 1 personal statement through OTCAS so you have to make sure it matches the standards for all of the schools, but I don't believe itself OTCAS has a limit. I believe when I applied last year my essay had about 5,000 characters (between 3-4pages). If there are no restrictions with the schools you are sending to just make sure to answer the questions completely, show your passion for OT and anything that makes you unique or may make you an asset to their program. Best of luck with this crazy application process, wishing you much success!

 

[journeytoOT]

Hi there!
Fairly new to this forum and the application process, but I found this link:

https://portal.otcas.org/applicants2013/instruction/otcas_personal_statement.htm

saying that the personal statement should be limited to 1 page, 5000 characters with spaces? Is this true or is there no limit?!

 

[RUNNING_OT]

Hi there!
Fairly new to this forum and the application process, but I found this link:

https://portal.otcas.org/applicants2013/instruction/otcas_personal_statement.htm

saying that the personal statement should be limited to 1 page, 5000 characters with spaces? Is this true or is there no limit?!

That limit was for those applying in 2013. They have changed it since then:


"Personal Statement
Use your own words to create a personal essay that responds to the question below. Upload your personal essay using the upload tool labeled ‘Personal Statement.’

Your Personal Statement should address why you selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals. The personal essay is an important part of your application for admission and provides you with an opportunity for you to clearly and effectively express your ideas.

Do NOT personalize your statement for a particular degree institution. You can NOT make any edits to your Personal Statement after you have e-submitted your completed application to OTCAS.



Technical Requirements
Applicants must upload their personal statement to the OTCAS Application. The accepted file formats are MSWord (.doc, .docx), JPEG (.jpeg, .jpg), PNG (.png), Rich Text Format (.rtf), Portable Document Format (.pdf), and ASCII Text file (.txt). The size limit for each file upload is 5MB.

OTCAS will not review your essay response for grammar or content."

Although there is no limit, you should contact programs to see if they have a limit. Last year, mine was 4 pages, and about 7,200 characters with spaces and I got into a few schools.

Good luck!

 

[justinr1372]

Unfortunately, probably. It sucks to cut at first, but you'll get to used to it after a few drafts. I can have you look at mine from last year if you want. Of course, since it's a personal statement, it can be totally different from mine and work out!

Hey, I am a current 2016 applicant for various Florida MOT program and I am also struggling with the word count.
Can you send me your personal statement so I can get an idea of how concise it should be?
Thanks!

 

[FutureKidOT]

Couple questions...

1. Mine is about 6,500 characters with spaces. Is this a good length? I answered the questions and feel like it is a strong statement. I assumed that there was going to be a limit on characters though so I shortened it up.

2. Single or double spaced?

 

[DLA Editors & Proofers]

Unless a program specifies a different word count, you will want to keep it to around 750 words. In our experience, it is rare for a PS to be at its best at over 775 words. It can work well for a PS to be on the shorter side, but usually ones less than 650 words have left out something important.