Has anyone been invited to the early decision interview yet?
Program-Specific Info / Q's Chatham interview
- Thread starter rach528
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I got an interview for November 15th today!
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Hey, I was at the interview on the 15th as well! I actually preferred the interview style with having multiple people. Felt like more of a conversation than anything. And the writing sample was honestly made for me. As a psych major, research methods and experiments are a big part of my upper level classes. For the first time, I actually thanked my pain-in-the-butt professor for making research methods so tough.
What did you think of the program overall?
What did you think of the program overall?
I thought it was okay too! I've visited before, so I really wasn't nervous or anything. I'm from Pittsburgh, so In familiar with the area and school. All of the professors seem really nice and down to earth. I love how the program is hands on and the cadaver lab is a plus. I will most likely attend because of convenience and I like the program overall. I hope we hear back soon because I have to send a deposit in for another school!
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If I am being completely honest, I was kind of disappointed by the program. My expectations were really high after the last school I interviewed at. I thought everyone was fabulous, but I just wasn't all that impressed.
A friend of mine interviewed for the DPT program and found out two weeks after. So if it wasn't for Thanksgiving I would assume a similar timeline!
A friend of mine interviewed for the DPT program and found out two weeks after. So if it wasn't for Thanksgiving I would assume a similar timeline!
I do wish that they offered different types of things. I know other programs have splint making labs and things like that. So, I feel like Chatham could definitely step up their program. I felt that the tour given during the interview day was not very informative at all. Many people traveled far for the interview and had not visited and knew little about the program, so I think they should have given a better tour. I have toured before on two separate occasions, and the professors and students were more helpful and knowledgeable. But, I can definitely see how it would not be many people's top choice if they have the opportunity to go else where! I will have to consider the pros and cons if I get accepted.
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Yes, other schools' labs were amazing. Specialized pediatrics, huge mock apartment, assistive technologies, general labs, and others. The tour was disappointing, I agree. I might have been a little tougher because I give tours for my college so I know how I usually run things. The student I had was like "oh well I mean that's like it and stuff so like I'm just gonna leave, but I don't know what you are supposed to do now so bye". It just felt impersonal. I don't want to bash on the school or anything, it was just a let down.
But in the end, I think I would rather go somewhere than nowhere.
I don't know why I am just seeing this now. Sorry for the delayed response. But I agree that the students could've done a better job. The other students I interacted with before were more enthusiastic about the program. Their website and newsletter gives more information about the program if you are interested! But, I will be attending. Good luck with everything!
I received the email this morning about being invited to interview at the end of January. Any suggestions on what type of questions to prepare for from those of you who have interviewed this year already? Good to know everyone's impression of the program... I'm from Alabama and making the trip there for the interview is going to be a big ordeal!
Congratulations on getting invited for an interview! I had to travel a bit for the interview too, I'm from out of state. Chatham was my top choice, so I am thrilled that I was accepted. The questions were pretty typical, a mix of behavioral-type and more informational questions about the career path. The interview style (more people than just you and one interviewer) was different from what I'm used to, but I liked it!
Thanks! I feel better having an idea of what to expect. If you don't mind me asking, what did you bring with you? Obviously a resume and some questions to ask them, but was there anything else important to bring?
I brought my resume, but didn't end up needing it. I also brought a water bottle, because I didn't want to lose my voice. I was glad I had it, but other people might not think you need water. Other than that, nothing that I can think of! They will give you a folder and pen when you get there, so don't worry about those things. Let me know if you have any other questions, good luck!
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I received an email in the beginning of the week from Chatham and I'm sort of on the fence whether to go or not. 
Can someone tell me how many people were at the interview when they went?
The reason why I'm unsure if I'll be attending is because I've already been accepted to one of my top 2 choices, but I really want to see what another school's program looks like.
So far I've toured Salus and USciences and I thought they were both great, but neither blew my mind.
Can someone tell me how many people were at the interview when they went?
The reason why I'm unsure if I'll be attending is because I've already been accepted to one of my top 2 choices, but I really want to see what another school's program looks like.
So far I've toured Salus and USciences and I thought they were both great, but neither blew my mind.
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I received an email in the beginning of the week from Chatham and I'm sort of on the fence whether to go or not.
Can someone tell me how many people were at the interview when they went?
The reason why I'm unsure if I'll be attending is because I've already been accepted to one of my top 2 choices, but I really want to see what another school's program looks like.
So far I've toured Salus and USciences and I thought they were both great, but neither blew my mind.
When I was there for the Early Decision morning session, I would say there were 20-25 people. I ended up getting deferred until regular decision, but I was actually okay with that.
I toured Belmont, East Carolina, Murphy Deming, and Chatham. Chatham was probably my least favorite of all. Not a lot of dedicated OT space and the tour guide that I had was not fantastic.
However, I believe that the experience was priceless and the interviewing practice helped me a lot. I would go if you could or you might have that what if.
I have an interview at Salus in February. What did you like and dislike? I'm actually really hoping I get accepted off the waiting list at Murphy Deming, but I scheduled an interview just in case.
Good luck with everything!
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Good luck on the Salus interview!
Salus was my first school I toured and I liked it a lot! The facilities themselves didn't blow my mind, but everything else was exactly what I was looking for. The Faculty seemed super involved and really excited that we were all there. The Program Director herself came out and talked to us for about 40 minutes and told us about her vision and the reason behind their curriculum. So it was nice to know that the atmosphere is personal and you're not just a number in their class.
The students that gave us the tour were pretty informative and helpful. They all joined the cohort when the program wasn't yet accredited, and all expressed how happy they were that they took a chance with Salus. They buy you lunch which is cool, but the food is pretty average. However, you live in Philly so food shouldn't be that big of a deal in my opinion.
Later that week I toured USciences and the resources they had were definitely a little more advanced, but the atmosphere was a little off. The online reviews of student satisfaction there are pretty low and I'm always confused with programs who don't interview their OT applicants. You'd think with such a social profession you'd want to meet the applicants in person. ALSO, OT is the only Health Profession at their school that isn't included in their White Coat Ceremony which makes me feel a little less significant compared to their other Health Majors. I know that shouldn't be a deciding factor, but I just felt that (along with no interview) spoke for how seriously they take their OT students.
The reason why I talked about USciences was because it made me realize how much I enjoyed Salus.
Salus just had a great feel to it and I'd be more than happy to be apart of their growing program. The only con I have is that their facilities didn't blow me away, but the overall tuition is a fraction of what most of the other schoools I applied to cost, so I can deal with that.
I hope that helped, because I know I was a little all over the place!
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That was extremely helpful, thank you so much! I have my heart set on OTD, but I'm getting deferred and wait listed. I'm not sure what will happen. I'm from a rural area, so I'm not sure how living in Philly would be. I bet rent is pretty expensive.
So much to think about!
I received an email in the beginning of the week from Chatham and I'm sort of on the fence whether to go or not.
Can someone tell me how many people were at the interview when they went?
The reason why I'm unsure if I'll be attending is because I've already been accepted to one of my top 2 choices, but I really want to see what another school's program looks like.
So far I've toured Salus and USciences and I thought they were both great, but neither blew my mind.
I would say that Salus and Chatham are pretty similar schools, just different sides of the state. I got into both but decided I'd rather go to Salus just because it's closer to home and I felt like the facilities were better and the students seemed a little more enthused lol. Chatham was really nice but not my most cost effective option.
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I also interviewed at Chatham in November. There were 40 people there (I counted ) I was deferred to regular decision, which I was also kind of happy about because I won't be hearing from most other schools until Jan at the earliest.
I was accepted to Salus as well, and agree with all the comments above comparing the two programs. I will say one definite strength of Chatham is that they focus on real-life practice, and they have a reputation for producing competent OTs. (The OT who referred me to the program told me this from her experience. Chatham also told us this was what set their program apart).
But Salus is so new, that we really don't know how successful their students will be in the real world. Their first class has an NBCOT pass rate of 100%, which is a great sign. They said their program differentiated itself by having a lot of interdisciplinary work with other health sciences students.
) I was deferred to regular decision, which I was also kind of happy about because I won't be hearing from most other schools until Jan at the earliest.I was accepted to Salus as well, and agree with all the comments above comparing the two programs. I will say one definite strength of Chatham is that they focus on real-life practice, and they have a reputation for producing competent OTs. (The OT who referred me to the program told me this from her experience. Chatham also told us this was what set their program apart).
But Salus is so new, that we really don't know how successful their students will be in the real world. Their first class has an NBCOT pass rate of 100%, which is a great sign. They said their program differentiated itself by having a lot of interdisciplinary work with other health sciences students.
I was at the early decision interview for Chatham and there were 40 people there. However, I have heard that the regular decision interview can have up to 100. I don't know how accurate this is, but that is just what I have heard. I feel like the interview was just so they could get a feel for your personality. The questions were very basic and not hard to answer at all. I thought the interview was super easy compared to the interview at Salus. Good luck if you decide to go! The location is awesome, the professors are so personable and seem to truly care about their students, and the tuition is great. Also, I am from Pittsburgh and they have a great reputation. I've come in contact with many therapists who have graduated from there, and they were pleased with the program. I work as a rehab aide with therapists who attended Chatham's program, and they are great therapists. It's all about your personal preference though. I'm a Pittsburgher so I chose to attend and stay in Pittsburgh. But again, good luck with whatever you decide to do!
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I was at the early decision interview for Chatham and there were 40 people there. However, I have heard that the regular decision interview can have up to 100. I don't know how accurate this is, but that is just what I have heard. I feel like the interview was just so they could get a feel for your personality. The questions were very basic and not hard to answer at all. I thought the interview was super easy compared to the interview at Salus. Good luck if you decide to go! The location is awesome, the professors are so personable and seem to truly care about their students, and the tuition is great. Also, I am from Pittsburgh and they have a great reputation. I've come in contact with many therapists who have graduated from there, and they were pleased with the program. I work as a rehab aide with therapists who attended Chatham's program, and they are great therapists. It's all about your personal preference though. I'm a Pittsburgher so I chose to attend and stay in Pittsburgh. But again, good luck with whatever you decide to do!
Thank you very much for all of the information! I did a bunch of research on Chatham since my last post and I ultimately decided to not go to their interview. The only reason being that I want to be closer to home and Salus is only an hour away from home compared to 6 with Chatham. I was VERY impressed with their facilities and their faculty so I think, like you said, it's all just personal preference. Best of luck in school and take care!
I'm actually in the same boat. I have to decide between Salus and Chatham. I like that Chatham is an older program, great curriculum, and since I am out of state I like that they offer graduate housing (which would take away a big pain). But Salus is also a great school. I really don't know what to do. It's crazy that my determining factor may be housing, but I mean I gotta have somewhere to live for two years.
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I was notified on Thursday that I'm on the alternate list. Is anyone else on this list?
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I was placed on the alternate list as well but I turned it down. I have been accepted to Salus and could live at home if I go there, so it's much cheaper. Good luck, I hope you get accepted!
I'm also placed on the alternate list. I interviewed the second round.
