Are you stressed?

[amaleigh84]

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I'm just curious about the stress level of those involved with applying to OT school. I'm a very easy-going, everything will work out kind of person. However, I'm starting to get worried! I went to my first OT information session today and you could feel the tension in the room! I am so passionate about going into OT that it is scary to think of not getting accepted. The director broke it down to the fact that about 3 out of 32 applicants are accepted each year! (About 26 students total)

Is this an easy-going process for you or are stressed out?! Any suggestions on how to relax through this process?

 

[mgeagle]

I'm just curious about the stress level of those involved with applying to OT school. I'm a very easy-going, everything will work out kind of person. However, I'm starting to get worried! I went to my first OT information session today and you could feel the tension in the room! I am so passionate about going into OT that it is scary to think of not getting accepted. The director broke it down to the fact that about 3 out of 32 applicants are accepted each year! (About 26 students total)

Is this an easy-going process for you or are stressed out?! Any suggestions on how to relax through this process?

It can be stressful but there are many ways to cope with it, first off what are your stats? If they are competitive and you can communicate effectively to people you are fine, schools do have low acceptance percentages but there are a variety of reasons why most do not get in. Some people procrastinate or are in a position to where they turn their applications at the last minute. Do this and you greatly increase your chance of rejection cause classes fill quick, another reason for non-acceptance is people trying to apply to only the best of the best programs or programs with cooler cities that everyone applies to but they only have average stats. Also communication and teamwork skills, OT requires an individual to have good people skills and know how to work well with others, I have seen a person with a 3.8 gpa and tons of solid osbservation hours who is not a very good communicator get denied from OT school because they bombed the interview and realized they needed work on that. Relax yourself by doing!! If this is what you want moping about stress will not ge you into school any faster, do more volunteering for the community, do more shadowing hours, learn more about OT so the interviewers know you know OT, turn apps in early, you can't change the past but the future is yours for the taking.The more you do to make yourself look better in front of grad schools, the less stressed you will be and you will be relaxed because you will gain satisfaction in the laboring you put in for your passion. For me also I just trust in God cause if OT is the passionate something he wants you to do then no matter what the odds you'll get into a school.

 

[amaleigh84]

Thanks!

My stats are okay. I'll graduate in May with around a 3.6 gpa if all goes well. I'm a Recreational Therapy major with a minor in Psychology. I'm in the process of applying to Recreational Therapy/Child Life internships at hospitals around the country, so I believe that is definitely adding to the stress. This is a 600 hour internship where I will hopefully be working with medically fragile children. I'm a bit of a non-traditional student. I'm 29 and spent 8 years working as a nanny/household manager. I'll have about 120 observation hours in three different settings, and have been volunteering at the local hospital for over a year--with great references. I haven't taken the GRE yet-plan to do so in October!

Your advice is good though! I know you just have to stick with the process and believe everything will work out.

 

[mgeagle]

Thanks!

My stats are okay. I'll graduate in May with around a 3.6 gpa if all goes well. I'm a Recreational Therapy major with a minor in Psychology. I'm in the process of applying to Recreational Therapy/Child Life internships at hospitals around the country, so I believe that is definitely adding to the stress. This is a 600 hour internship where I will hopefully be working with medically fragile children. I'm a bit of a non-traditional student. I'm 29 and spent 8 years working as a nanny/household manager. I'll have about 120 observation hours in three different settings, and have been volunteering at the local hospital for over a year--with great references. I haven't taken the GRE yet-plan to do so in October!

Your advice is good though! I know you just have to stick with the process and believe everything will work out.

Ok, you sound like a good candidate, especially if you land that internship, what school information session did you go to? When do you plan on applying and what is that prereq gpa looking like? What schools are you lokking to apply to?

 

[ScarlettTiger]

I felt very stressed when I applied last year-I'm a pretty easy-going, realistic optimist but I got really overwhelmed by the whole application process. Your stats sound great though! I recommend staying proactive through the whole process, i.e calling programs, making sure they received your application/transcripts/GREs, keep them updated if you start a new internship/work/volunteer experience related to OT, and ask (don't harass though) when you can expect to hear back from them about your app. I know it may sound like a lot of effort or more stressful, but it'll be reassuring knowing you did everything you possibly could on your part.
Good luck! 🙂

 

[RedHeadOT]

YES!! I am stressed. haha! I feel like my stats are pretty good and I feel as though I am a good candidate, but when I think about the number of available spots for each school I start to get worried. I just want to have all my applications submitted already. At least then it would be out of my hands.

 

[prodigiousflame]

yes I am stressed but mostly because my stats sort of suck

 

[mreowskis]

I'm stressed too! So much is happening at once! One of my programs changed their application process to online, when I already got all my rec letters on paper in my possession :/ Luckily it's not due til December. That's what I get for being an eager beaver I guess.

On top of that, my grandpa just passed away, I'm moving back home after the weekend, and I'm trying to find a job that'd start after my move D: But that's life! Everything comes in waves 😉 I do yoga, take a nice hike in nature, or even grocery shop to take a breather from the stress.

A lot of it is how you approach the stuff that stresses you out too; some things you just gotta accept that you can't get them done at this very moment and put them aside, as much as we'd wish we could get it over with. Sure, realistically, the small number of acceptances make the odds of us getting in tiny, but it doesn't help us to be realistic right now, as it'd only drag us down with doubt. Being positive, on the other hand, frees our worries (or at least diverts them for the time being) and enables us to keep our focus on what needs to be done now. You can do it! Stay strongg 👍

 

[BHSUStudent]

If you think about it, many people apply to 5+ schools to get in. So there is an artificial saturation of applications, which is why a wait list has to be implemented since people can only attend 1 school of their choosing. Those 4 extra applications sent out to other schools gets added to the total number of applicants for those programs.

 

[BHSUStudent]

YES!! I am stressed. haha! I feel like my stats are pretty good and I feel as though I am a good candidate, but when I think about the number of available spots for each school I start to get worried. I just want to have all my applications submitted already. At least then it would be out of my hands.

Don't be too eager. I was eager to hit the submit button with my OTCAS application, and about 1 weak later after I submitted, I found a typo. I have an unconscious tendency to spell "HIPAA" HIPPA instead.

 

[RedHeadOT]

Don't be too eager. I was eager to hit the submit button with my OTCAS application, and about 1 weak later after I submitted, I found a typo. I have an unconscious tendency to spell "HIPAA" HIPPA instead.

BHSUStudent, that really sucks. Hopefully the committees reviewing your apps will overlook the typo. Their eyes have to get tired at some point, right?

 

[drm66]

Yes…..I think my family, friends, and boyfriend are just as anxious for this application process to be over as I am.

Sometimes I feel like I have everything under control. I have 1 more reference I am waiting on….little things like that, which are out of my control are stressful. Gre's uh…

One day at a time.

If you feel like you are going crazy…you probably are….and I am right there with you!

 

[ExceptionalSea]

i know i'm stressed! i keep having recurring nightmares that i don't get in anywhere

 

[prodigiousflame]

Yes…..I think my family, friends, and boyfriend are just as anxious for this application process to be over as I am.

Sometimes I feel like I have everything under control. I have 1 more reference I am waiting on….little things like that, which are out of my control are stressful. Gre’s uh…

One day at a time.

If you feel like you are going crazy…you probably are….and I am right there with you!

lol definitely feel you on the Gre's...err...uhhhh haha

 

[naijagirl90]

Yes!! Applying to OT was definitely stressful, but I am glad it is over. Taking the GREs added on to the stress

 

[ExceptionalSea]

double post whoops

 

[coolrunnins]

YES! This process is I think inately stress producing. Its unfortuante that the way it works is you do lots of work for uncertain results. Also, the over-saturation of applications to each program doesn't help one feel confident since they numbers mislead a bit and getting on the waitlist is where a lot of the spots open up from!

 

[janicedemesa]

There's a better way to get away from stress like choosing to feel happy all the time.
thanks,
Occupational Therapy Assistant salary

 

[Krys]

Yes…..I think my family, friends, and boyfriend are just as anxious for this application process to be over as I am.

Sometimes I feel like I have everything under control. I have 1 more reference I am waiting on….little things like that, which are out of my control are stressful. Gre’s uh…

One day at a time.

If you feel like you are going crazy…you probably are….and I am right there with you!

you summed up my life at the moment perfectly!

I think everyone is feeling the high stress but I thought i'd feel less stressed when I submitted the application as it turns out i'm more stressed because it is out of my hands now and completely up to the schools whether they want to interview me now or not.

 

[Gabriella O]

AMEN!!!!!!!!!

Seriously It is all Gods work. Stats,rec letters etc..are great but God will get you into these programs.