General Admissions & OTCAS Application Tips/Safety Schools

[agingold]

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Hi everyone!
I'm getting ready to apply to MOT and MOST programs for Fall 2016 and need some advice. I'm incredibly nervous for the whole application process since I just decided last fall to go into this field and haven't had much time to prepare.
Does anyone have some advice/tips/suggestions for safety schools for me? I know my GPA isn't great and I don't have GRE stats yet, but does anyone know of programs that place heavy weight on hours/volunteer work?

GPA: 3.5 (should be 3.6 after summer and fall) at top 20 public u
GRE: Taking in August
Observation Hours: 280 via internship at OT/SLP/PT clinic for kids with disabilities, 20 through adult clinic, TBD through nursing home (just got confirmation today!)
Volunteer Hours: 100 hours with special needs population, 75 of hippotherapy/therapeutic riding
Work: current job doing therapy with teenager with special needs, previous jobs at summer camp with leadership positions
Reccomendations: 2 major professors I am close with, 2 OTs from my internship

 

[cb31]

Your GPA is actually pretty good... What is your prereq GPA? I got into two schools and my overall GPA was 3.5 (3.48 according to OTCAS) my prereq GPA was probably like 3.8 I never calculated it (i got mostly As and two B+s in my prereqs tho). If you get at good GRE score then you should be a good candidate. What schools are you looking into?

So i guess my advice is do well on the GRE and write a good personal statement.

Hi everyone!
I'm getting ready to apply to MOT and MOST programs for Fall 2016 and need some advice. I'm incredibly nervous for the whole application process since I just decided last fall to go into this field and haven't had much time to prepare.
Does anyone have some advice/tips/suggestions for safety schools for me? I know my GPA isn't great and don't have GRE stats, but does anyone know of programs that place heavy weight on hours/volunteer work?

GPA: 3.5 (should be 3.6 after summer and fall) at top 20 public u
GRE: Taking in August
Observation Hours: 280 via internship at OT/SLP/PT clinic, 20 through adult clinic
Volunteer Hours: 100 hours with special needs population, 75 of hippotherapy/therapeutic riding
Work: job doing therapy with teenager with special needs, previous jobs at summer camp with leadership positions
Reccomendations: 2 major professors I am close with, 2 OTs from my internship

 

[HopefulOT17]

As someone who is applying next cycle as a second timer, I would have to say that I don't believe that there is such a thing as a safety school. I thought that I had found a couple and was swiftly rejected. Yet, I was wait listed at a reach school.

Your stats seem good and I think you experience is valuable. Honestly, figure out what kind of school you want to be at (clinical practice based vs. research based), cost, program length, location, etc.

I will be honest in saying my biggest mistake was worrying too much about a program's ranking and if I thought I could get in. This time around, I am putting my efforts into finding programs that offer what I want, a place I could realistically afford, and finding a place with a good fit for me. I didn't understand what that meant until I interviewed at schools and found that I loved some and hated others.

Sorry for the long post. I wish you the best of luck applying!

 

[agingold]

Thanks ya'll!
As far as prereqs, it just depends on the school, as we know they're all different but I think it's around a 3.5

I'm from GA so I'd love to stay in the south though I'm willing to re-locate to the NE. Unfortunately I don't have time to take a lot of the prereqs so I have extremely limited options after going through every single accredited program.
I'm definitely applying to Milligan (top besides the cost at the moment), GRU, MUSC, and UNC.
Other schools I'm looking at are Chatham, Tufts, Boston-Sargent, and more unrealistically UIC and TJ.

 

[cb31]

Thanks ya'll!
As far as prereqs, it just depends on the school, as we know they're all different but I think it's around a 3.5

I'm from GA so I'd love to stay in the south though I'm willing to re-locate to the NE. Unfortunately I don't have time to take a lot of the prereqs so I have extremely limited options after going through every single accredited program.
I'm definitely applying to Milligan (top besides the cost at the moment), GRU, MUSC, and UNC.
Other schools I'm looking at are Chatham, Tufts, Boston-Sargent, and more unrealistically UIC and TJ.

I like Chatham... I applied and got into there this year, but decided to go to a different school. Definitely a program worth looking into. I don't know your finances but Boston is AN EXTREMELY expensive place to live... I didnt look at any schools there for that reason... I just couldn't see myself taking out that many loans (OT school is expensive enough).

 

[YayOT]

Students don't usually live in Boston proper though. I know someone who lives in Medford a mile from Tufts campus. Her room is $625 a month in a nice 5 bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood. A little more for utilities. Of course, that's still more than someplace like the Midwest.

 

[cb31]

Students don't usually live in Boston proper though. I know someone who lives in Medford a mile from Tufts campus. Her room is $625 a month in a nice 5 bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood. A little more for utilities. Of course, that's still more than someplace like the Midwest.

Lots of students actually do live in Boston... nonetheless as in anywhere I'm sure there are some cheap spots. But cost of living, commute time, living alone/getting roommates, etc need to be considered when thinking about an out of state school. I was unware of how much the Boston area cost of living was until several of my college friends moved there for grad school... I'm just giving a heads up for those that don't know....

 

[agingold]

I like Chatham... I applied and got into there this year, but decided to go to a different school. Definitely a program worth looking into. I don't know your finances but Boston is AN EXTREMELY expensive place to live... I didnt look at any schools there for that reason... I just couldn't see myself taking out that many loans (OT school is expensive enough).

I completely agree; cost of living is definitely the biggest downside for these NE schools (especially compared to the SE). I'm really hoping to get into one of the southern schools I'm looking at but these as a back-up; I might even re-consider applying again next cycle and taking a year off.

 

[HopefulOT17]

East Carolina University is relatively affordable, even for out of state. I had found decent rooms to rent for $450-$550 when I was looking at the costs of living. Non-OTCAS school. Lovely facility and a nice area.

 

[gottabeOT]

Hi @agingold! Congrats on deciding to take the plunge and apply to OT school. The application process can be stressful, but you're getting an early start and you have lots of time to finalize your applications before they're due in the fall/spring!

I can't give you much advice about which schools to pick (safety schools, etc.) because it's difficult to tell exactly what each program is looking for. However, regarding the more general OT school application process, I have actually written several blog posts on topics such as getting recommendation letters, writing essays, using OTCAS, and interviews, which you can read here: https://gottabeot.wordpress.com/applying-to-ot-school/

I hope this information helps, and best of luck with the application process!

 

[agingold]

Hi @agingold! Congrats on deciding to take the plunge and apply to OT school. The application process can be stressful, but you're getting an early start and you have lots of time to finalize your applications before they're due in the fall/spring!

I can't give you much advice about which schools to pick (safety schools, etc.) because it's difficult to tell exactly what each program is looking for. However, regarding the more general OT school application process, I have actually written several blog posts on topics such as getting recommendation letters, writing essays, using OTCAS, and interviews, which you can read here: https://gottabeot.wordpress.com/applying-to-ot-school/

I hope this information helps, and best of luck with the application process!

Thank you so much! Your blog is incredibly helpful and will definitely be a great resource during the application process.