Acceptances for Fall 2010 and Fall 2011?

[lawhim2]

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Hello,

I'm interested in hearing how competitive OT has been for the most recent application windows.
Has anyone been accepted anywhere with GPA's of 3.0-3.2 range?

I'll be applying for fall 2012 with a Cumulative 3.292 and a pre-req of over 3.8.. I'll have over 100 volunteer/observation hours by then & decent GREs/letters of rec. (Double majored - Psychology & English)

I know OT has become increasingly competitive.. Am I at all competitive enough to have a shot at acceptance or should I be freaking out.

 

[FutureOT2013]

Hello,

I'm interested in hearing how competitive OT has been for the most recent application windows.
Has anyone been accepted anywhere with GPA's of 3.0-3.2 range?

I'll be applying for fall 2012 with a Cumulative 3.292 and a pre-req of over 3.8.. I'll have over 100 volunteer/observation hours by then & decent GREs/letters of rec. (Double majored - Psychology & English)

I know OT has become increasingly competitive.. Am I at all competitive enough to have a shot at acceptance or should I be freaking out.

I got into USC with a 3.00 cumulative, doubled in Cell Biology and Biochemistry. I also got into SJSU but they asked for my last 60 which was a 3.6. I had 4 years work experience in an unrelated field, a 3.95 pre req, and a 1200 GRE. With that GPA you definitely aren't written off as I was a perfect example. As long as you have excellent recs and a personal statement which explains mediocre grades and how you've matured since then you should be competitive. I only applied to those two schools and was fortunate to get into one, but if I had to do it all over again I might apply to a few more schools just to be safe.

 

[FutureOT2013]

Forgot to mention I was admitted for Fall 2011.

 

[Penguinita]

hey lawhim2,

GPA is only ONE factor of many schools look at. From an information session at Columbia University one of the professors stated that they accepted a student who had a 2.7 GPA, his undergrad degree was a BS in Chemistry from Brown University.

As for myself, I was wait listed and rejected last year and accepted this year to NYU. I think what really helped me out this year was that I doubled my volunteer hours as well as developed a closer relationship to the OT who did my recommendation letter. I also kept fixing and improving my essay up to the very end.

See if you could meet with someone on the admittance committee for which ever OT programs you're interested and ask if they will sit down and speak with you. <--- I never did that, however that idea was given to me by the main secretary to an OT program in NJ.

I hope this helps! This process will be long (at least for me ;p) but in the end so worth it 😀

 

[Whistle Pig]

As FutureOT has noted, you're not out of the hunt. Let me say what she said a bit differently, that may have application for you, to a "lesser" degree.

Future got in inspite of her GPA. Yours might be the same, again, to a "lesser" degree since you have less deficiency to make up. It's not difficult to ascertain what DID compensate for lower than typically would be optimal GPA ... TONS of work experience, far above average GREs, a butt-buster major (VERY FEW OTs double majoring in cell bio/biochem! Make that ... VERY FEW!) She had an adequate statement, again, which offered no apparent damage to the process. If she were a fresh outta school applicant, the outcomes might have been sorely different.

Safe saying that in the example noted, GPA did little to get the candidate in. The less compensation necessary, the better. It's a mix, but again, while there is inclination for many to project denial about the growing need for consistent, pervasive performance in every measure, it's not a thesis you'd be wise to test. Do your best in every way.

One final observation: Penguin similarly benefitted from having a hard science major ... from a perceived hard science institution. Brown. Very few OTs from Ivies. Check it out. That talks to academics. If one is an alum of Ol' State U or Ho Hum College, like many/most these days (85% are now going to mass public institutions) ... well Ivy League U credentials ain't gonna help. If Penguin had that 2.7 from Akron or Savannah State or Bemidji State ? Forget it.

 

[Penguinita]

One final observation: Penguin similarly benefitted from having a hard science major ... from a perceived hard science institution. Brown. Very few OTs from Ivies. Check it out. That talks to academics. If one is an alum of Ol' State U or Ho Hum College, like many/most these days (85% are now going to mass public institutions) ... well Ivy League U credentials ain't gonna help. If Penguin had that 2.7 from Akron or Savannah State or Bemidji State ? Forget it.

Hey WhistlePig,

no no no I'm not the one from the Ivy! I stated in my previous comment that in the information session that I attended one of the clinical instructors noted that one of their students entered from Brown with a 2.7GPA.
I finished my AA with a 3.54 and BA with a 3.56, pre-reqs vary depending on the school 3.4-3.8.

 

[Whistle Pig]

Hey WhistlePig,

no no no I'm not the one from the Ivy! I stated in my previous comment that in the information session that I attended one of the clinical instructors noted that one of their students entered from Brown with a 2.7GPA.
I finished my AA with a 3.54 and BA with a 3.56, pre-reqs vary depending on the school 3.4-3.8.

NICELY done and thanks for getting me squared away! Congrats on NYU! You may need a visit to Ft. Knox!

 

[Kaytie OT girl]

Hello,

I'm interested in hearing how competitive OT has been for the most recent application windows.
Has anyone been accepted anywhere with GPA's of 3.0-3.2 range?

I'll be applying for fall 2012 with a Cumulative 3.292 and a pre-req of over 3.8.. I'll have over 100 volunteer/observation hours by then & decent GREs/letters of rec. (Double majored - Psychology & English)

I know OT has become increasingly competitive.. Am I at all competitive enough to have a shot at acceptance or should I be freaking out.

You definitely have a good chance. Make sure you have near perfect LOR, GRE, and a good amount of volunteer hours. I was accepted this year and my GPA is about the same as yours and my major is social science. I applied at 3 places and was accepted at one which also happened to be my number one choice so I lucked out. If you have an interview anywhere just make sure you really shine and it also helps to explain any grade discrepancies. For me, I had super bad grades my first two years of college and then I greatly improved my last two years and in the pre-reqs.

You definitely have a good shot it just isn't as easy as someone who has a higher GPA. I would recommend applying to more schools. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[MICKEY41]

I think you have a great shot. My GPA falls between that range as well and I was just accepted this week. I have a BS in health sciences and have the required amount of observation hours. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[Jeckika]

I am around that range too. I graduated this past January with a BA in Psychology, from a state school. My GREs were mediocre and I volunteered at two different settings and completed just over 100 hours. I was invited to 3 interviews and was accepted to 3 programs (one without an interview). I feel that although my overall GPA wasn't awesome, I was able to express how my past experiences have led to my abilities that are applicable in OT. I also did well in all my pre reqs and I also have experience working in the health care field. I think you have a great chance and although you may sometimes be discouraged, stay determined and work hard! 🙂