General Admissions & OTCAS Prereqs at CC vs Postbacc?

[RaphOT]

Hey everyone! I’m a recent graduate from UC Irvine with a BA in a social science major. The last 2 quarters, I didn’t really I didn’t want to pursue a career related to my major or the internships that I had been doing.

I’m planning on starting Prereqs to go to OT school, but I was wondering if there was any preference on courses taking at a 2 year community college vs. a 4 year University? I’m considering an informal post bacc at a state college, but would much rather do it at a CC because of the costs.

I’m interested in SJSU, CSUDH, Dominican, University of St. Augustine - San Marcos, West Cost University, and Stanbridge University in case that makes a difference!

Any information would be super helpful! Thank you!

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[Asantana53]

Hi,
I believe most programs have no preference where you complete prerequisite courses as long as it’s at an accredited school. I know for sure SJSU and Dominican don’t have a preference.

I would look at their program prerequisites list. If they do have a preference it should be mentioned there.

 

[LeggOT]

CC all the way!! That's what I did (besides Abnormal Psychology; they didn't offer it at my local CCs so I took it at UC Berkeley Extension). It's soo much cheaper and personally I found my professors to be more educated than the ones at my university. So you can definitely get quality education for a fraction of the price!

 

[meanttobeot]

Hey everyone! I’m a recent graduate from UC Irvine with a BA in a social science major. The last 2 quarters, I didn’t really I didn’t want to pursue a career related to my major or the internships that I had been doing.

I’m planning on starting Prereqs to go to OT school, but I was wondering if there was any preference on courses taking at a 2 year community college vs. a 4 year University? I’m considering an informal post bacc at a state college, but would much rather do it at a CC because of the costs.

I’m interested in SJSU, CSUDH, Dominican, University of St. Augustine - San Marcos, West Cost University, and Stanbridge University in case that makes a difference!

Any information would be super helpful! Thank you!

I didn’t apply to the schools you mentioned but did get in everywhere I applied with most of my prereqs taken at a community college (my degree was in art and social studies years ago) Just confirm with admissions at the schools you’re applying to what specific series of A&P they’ll accept - at the cc I went to there was a two quarter series that was fine for some pre nursing/other fields and a three quarter series that was what I needed. I had a fantastic prof & classmates and definitely feel as well prepared as anyone else in my cohort. Regardless, it’s always a good idea to reach out to schools saying “hey I’m really excited to go for this and want to be sure I’m doing it the right way” and start a line of communication. I know they get tons of emails/inquiries, and I’m the kind of person who hates feeling like I’m inconveniencing anyone, but I think being able to send that “ok, I’ve done what you’ve suggested and submitted my application! Thanks for all your help! I look forward to the opportunity to interview/contribute to your program or get feedback on where I could improve if that’s the case when you have the chance” emails played a big role in things working out for me.
Take your time, work hard for all As on prereqs (regardless of where) and start getting in touch with hospitals/school districts etc to start building up a good variety of OT related volunteer & observation experience. Good luck!!!

 

[future_OT6]

I definitely recommend the CC route!!! That's what I did (for Anatomy, Physiology, Medical Terminology, and more), and I got into every school I applied to. I truly think I had a better shot at getting a higher grade because I took them at a CC--not that they were necessarily easier, but the education was a lot more individualized and there was a bit more flexibility. Schools seem to care more about the grade you get in the course, not whether it was taken at a 4 yr university or a CC. Plus it saves you so much money. I agree with the poster above, as well: if you're in doubt, it's best to just send an email to confirm that the courses will count. I did this, and all of the schools I contacted were super nice and helpful!

 

[old noob]

Pre-OT/Application stage. Stuck in a rural town, I went to a CC for most of my pre-reqs. Although the advisor from the state school to which I transferred noted my A&P were from CC, he confirmed they were transferrable. Most schools have some online (search for) "transfer equivalency" page which can tell you if/how credits transfer. Even those that showed up as non-transferable were manually accepted. Disclaimer, the advisor did say, if it were to come down to two qualified candidates, non-CC credits would be preferred, but fortunately, application review is holistic and will never come down to that specific scenario.

IME, in my CC A&P courses by the end of the semester there were ony 8 students so I feel I received more personal attention, and all of us had personal anatomy models off which we studied.