Program-Specific Info / Q's CSUDH OTD Applicants 2022

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futureOT!!

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Hello! I haven't seen any threads or come across anyone else applying to CSUDH's OTD program this cycle, so I figured I'd start one! Would be nice to see if there's anyone else also applying!

STATS:
Cumulative GPA: 3.3 (From a UC)
Prerequisite GPA: 4.0 (Half taken at CC's and half during undergrad)
Observation Hours: 120 in a school district, also shadowed at other settings for about 5 hours each just to get a feel (SNF, pediatric private practice, hospital)
Work/Volunteer Experience: Special Education Paraprofessional in a school district, EMT, Medical Assistant, Research Assistant, 150+ hours volunteering in the hospital, did a lot of community outreach in college
Letters of Rec: 1 from the OT I shadowed at the school district, one from one of my managers at work, and another from an anatomy professor.
GRE: 161V / 154 Q / 5.5 AWA

APPLIED: So far the only school I'm planning on applying to is CSUDH!
Interviews:
Acceptances:
Waitlists:
Rejections:

Feel free to share your thoughts/concerns/feelings! I've honestly felt so anxious during this entire process and am excited for when they release the actual application!
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Good luck on your GRE! I re-took it a couple of months ago to improve my score. I managed to get a combined 308 and a 5 on the written part. How are you studying for it?
 
Hi!

Thanks for starting this thread! I've been looking for a CSUDH OT 2023 thread too. :)

I called admissions recently and they said that they are considering pushing the OTD application deadline a bit further out since the application still isn't available. So, that's good news!

Did you also apply to the MSOT program?

STATS:
Cumulative GPA: 3.43 Biopsychology (UC Santa Barbara)
Prerequisite GPA: ~3.94 (A- in Stats)
Observation Hours: 290 total (85 as an inpatient OT volunteer at a rehabilitation hospital + 205 as a volunteer at 2 different outpatient pediatric clinics)
Work/Volunteer Experience: summer internship at an outpatient PT clinic while I was in college (before I discovered OT) and almost 2 years working in public health since graduating in 2020
Letters of Rec: 1 from my supervising OT from one of the peds clinics, 1 from the manager of my public health program, 1 from a program coordinator in my public health program (also has her OTD)
GRE: 158 V, 160 Q, 4.0 AWA
 
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also, happy World Occupational Therapy Day! 😊

Best of luck to everyone with their applications!
 
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GoOTOT said:
Hi!

Thanks for starting this thread! I've been looking for a CSUDH OT 2023 thread too. :)

I called admissions recently and they said that they are considering pushing the OTD application deadline a bit further out since the application still isn't available. So, that's good news!

Did you also apply to the MSOT program?

STATS:
Cumulative GPA: 3.43 Biopsychology (UC Santa Barbara)
Prerequisite GPA: ~3.94 (A- in Stats)
Observation Hours: 290 total (85 as an inpatient OT volunteer at a rehabilitation hospital + 205 as a volunteer at 2 different outpatient pediatric clinics)
Work/Volunteer Experience: summer internship at an outpatient PT clinic while I was in college (before I discovered OT) and almost 2 years working in public health since graduating in 2020
Letters of Rec: 1 from my supervising OT from one of the peds clinics, 1 from the manager of my public health program, 1 from a program coordinator in my public health program (also has her OTD)
GRE: 158 V, 160 Q, 4.0 AWA
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Hey! Thanks so much for your response! I didn't know anyone else applying so it's nice to know someone's in the same boat! Your stats look great, and thanks for letting me know what the admissions office said! Do you think our application will also include an essay portion/personal statement? And I'm only applying to their OTD program! :)

Are you planning on applying to other schools? I feel like I'm putting myself in a risky position just applying to CSUDH since I know it's so competitive, but I really would only want to go to CSU's because of the cost (SJSU's OTD program start date is a bit too early for me!) Wishing you the best of luck in everything, I'll keep you updated!
 
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jimjr03 said:
Good luck on your GRE! I re-took it a couple of months ago to improve my score. I managed to get a combined 308 and a 5 on the written part. How are you studying for it?
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I'm following GregMat's 1-month plan! And congrats on the good score!!
 
futureOT!! said:
Hey! Thanks so much for your response! I didn't know anyone else applying so it's nice to know someone's in the same boat! Your stats look great, and thanks for letting me know what the admissions office said! Do you think our application will also include an essay portion/personal statement? And I'm only applying to their OTD program! :)

Are you planning on applying to other schools? I feel like I'm putting myself in a risky position just applying to CSUDH since I know it's so competitive, but I really would only want to go to CSU's because of the cost (SJSU's OTD program start date is a bit too early for me!) Wishing you the best of luck in everything, I'll keep you updated!
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Same! It's nice to have more people to talk to during the application process. Your work/volunteer experience looks amazing! Super well-rounded.

I don't recall the program director saying there would be a full personal statement. Just the supplemental questions and the interview portion.

I plan on applying to a few more schools, I've just been a bit stuck on my personal statement. CSUDH is definitely at the top of my list of schools though. It is a bit intimidating knowing how competitive it is.. especially with how small this first OTD cohort is going to be :(

Good luck with everything!! Hoping for the best!
 
Hey guys,

I am attending the CSUDH OTD Program Information Session on Friday. Let me know if you guys have any questions that you would like for me to bring up. :)
 
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Hatchy’s OT said:
Hey guys,

I am attending the CSUDH OTD Program Information Session on Friday. Let me know if you guys have any questions that you would like for me to bring up. :)
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Hi!

How’d the info session go? :) Are they still considering early interviews for MSOT/OTD dual applicants based on the interest form we filled out?
 
GoOTOT said:
Hi!

How’d the info session go? :) Are they still considering early interviews for MSOT/OTD dual applicants based on the interest form we filled out?
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Hey! Yeah they said they would send out an email later on regarding the MSOT applicants! :) Apparently, about 60 people sent in interest forms for the OTD program already! So stressful because they’re only planning on taking 15 for the first cohort!
 
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futureOT!! said:
Hey! Yeah they said they would send out an email later on regarding the MSOT applicants! :) Apparently, about 60 people sent in interest forms for the OTD program already! So stressful because they’re only planning on taking 15 for the first cohort!
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AH! I’m getting more and more nervous going into the 2nd week of November.

Thanks so much for sharing this! I wonder if they’ve already started looking through the interest forms or if they’re going to wait until a certain date to start reviewing.
Did they have any updates regarding the CalStateApply application?
 
GoOTOT said:
AH! I’m getting more and more nervous going into the 2nd week of November.

Thanks so much for sharing this! I wonder if they’ve already started looking through the interest forms or if they’re going to wait until a certain date to start reviewing.
Did they have any updates regarding the CalStateApply application?
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Omg wishing you the best of luck in getting into the MSOT program!! :) Dr. Hwang said they released the interest forms just to get some preliminary data but won't judge applicants based off of them, it's mainly just to make sure they have the contact info of everyone interested in applying! Right now, they don't know when the CalStateApply will open up because they're waiting to hear back from WASC to get an official green light to release the program, he just said TBD for now! :) He also said MSOT applicants won't have to resend their GRE scores/transcripts for the OTD program!
 
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I'm wondering what they're going to do with students that got admitted into the MSOT program, but also applied for the OTD program. It seems like students would have to confirm their choice of going into the MSOT program by December, but decisions for the OTD program wouldn't come out until March (if I remember correctly). Did they mention that at all?
 
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jimjr03 said:
I'm wondering what they're going to do with students that got admitted into the MSOT program, but also applied for the OTD program. It seems like students would have to confirm their choice of going into the MSOT program by December, but decisions for the OTD program wouldn't come out until March (if I remember correctly). Did they mention that at all?
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They didn’t mention anything, but I feel like those students would probably have to decide if they still want to be considered for the OTD a few weeks before the start of the semester! At this point they don’t know when they will be opening the application, so I anticipate the EARLIEST it would be due is January to give people ample time to fill it out, which is after the start of the MSOT program
 
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futureOT!! said:
They didn’t mention anything, but I feel like those students would probably have to decide if they still want to be considered for the OTD a few weeks before the start of the semester! At this point they don’t know when they will be opening the application, so I anticipate the EARLIEST it would be due is January to give people ample time to fill it out, which is after the start of the MSOT program
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Thanks for the info! You may be right... we may have to risk giving up our spot in the MSOT program (if we're admitted) for a chance to get into the OTD program. Decisions decisions...

By the way, how did the GRE go?
 
Hello!

Has anyone gotten an application response yet? Are all of you trying to get into the OTD program?
I applied only to CSUDH and haven't heard a peep - getting nervous. I spoke to one of the professors today who said that all students should be notified by Thanksgiving. The next two weeks are going to be torturous!

BS Kinesiology
Cumulative GPA: 3.98
Prerequisite GPA: 3.94 (A- in A&P)
Observation Hours: n/a in OT, shadowed other medical professions and had severe health problems that changed everything - have been a PT and OT patient myself, which greatly influenced my decision. I took the OT workshop for Obs hours substitution.
Work/Volunteer Experience: 4 years art academy assistant in high school working with disabled and juvenile hall students, 2 years LTAC Respiratory Care certified CNA, Psych unit CNA, 2 years medical assistant, 6.5 years ED registration, EMT B, 5 years volunteering with hippotherapy clinic as a kid
Letters of Rec: 1 from my ED supervisor, 1 from my ED lead, 1 from the professor with whom I wrote a medical journal article
GRE: 148 Q (I know, Yikes), 161 V, 4.0 AWA.
 
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BusyBeeWannaBeOT said:
Hello!

Has anyone gotten an application response yet? Are all of you trying to get into the OTD program?
I applied only to CSUDH and haven't heard a peep - getting nervous. I spoke to one of the professors today who said that all students should be notified by Thanksgiving. The next two weeks are going to be torturous!

BS Kinesiology
Cumulative GPA: 3.98
Prerequisite GPA: 3.94 (A- in A&P)
Observation Hours: n/a in OT, shadowed other medical professions and had severe health problems that changed everything - have been a PT and OT patient myself, which greatly influenced my decision. I took the OT workshop for Obs hours substitution.
Work/Volunteer Experience: 4 years art academy assistant in high school working with disabled and juvenile hall students, 2 years LTAC Respiratory Care certified CNA, Psych unit CNA, 2 years medical assistant, 6.5 years ED registration, EMT B, 5 years volunteering with hippotherapy clinic as a kid
Letters of Rec: 1 from my ED supervisor, 1 from my ED lead, 1 from the professor with whom I wrote a medical journal article
GRE: 148 Q (I know, Yikes), 161 V, 4.0 AWA.
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Your stats and experience look awesome!! If you get accepted to the MOT, would you still try to get into their OTD program? Wishing you the best of luck!!
 
jimjr03 said:
Thanks for the info! You may be right... we may have to risk giving up our spot in the MSOT program (if we're admitted) for a chance to get into the OTD program. Decisions decisions...

By the way, how did the GRE go?
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It went well! I just got my official scores today:
161V/154Q (pain cuz I had been regularly scoring 158+ on practice tests) and 5.5 AWA!! Hoping they don’t care about the quant score as much as the essay and verbal portion!
 
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futureOT!! said:
It went well! I just got my official scores today:
161V/154Q (pain cuz I had been regularly scoring 158+ on practice tests) and 5.5 AWA!! Hoping they don’t care about the quant score as much as the essay and verbal portion!
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Wow! With your stats and GRE score, I’m sure you’re definitely a top candidate. Congrats on your GRE scores!
 
futureOT!! said:
Your stats and experience look awesome!! If you get accepted to the MOT, would you still try to get into their OTD program? Wishing you the best of luck!!
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Aw thanks! My low GRE Q and lack of OT shadowing makes me nervous. I only applied to the MSOT. I strongly considered the OTD because I enjoy research, but I plan to do the MSOT and most likely work through a PPOTD instead.
 
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futureOT!! said:
It went well! I just got my official scores today:
161V/154Q (pain cuz I had been regularly scoring 158+ on practice tests) and 5.5 AWA!! Hoping they don’t care about the quant score as much as the essay and verbal portion
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Congratulations, that's a great score! In the MSOT info session I attended, the average scores accepted were lower than yours. Your stats look amazing!
 
Hi everyone! I am waiting to apply for the OTD program too! I filled out the survey that they sent out a couple of months ago, but still waiting for applications to open up. Has anyone been contacted for any potential interviews?
 
OT2023! said:
Hi everyone! I am waiting to apply for the OTD program too! I filled out the survey that they sent out a couple of months ago, but still waiting for applications to open up. Has anyone been contacted for any potential interviews?
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I don’t think they’ll start doing interviews until after they open the application
 
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Hi! Has anyone received any updates regarding the application :oops: the due date is supposed to be December 1st so I'm a just a bit worried.
 
OhTeaa said:
Hi! Has anyone received any updates regarding the application :oops: the due date is supposed to be December 1st so I'm a just a bit worried.
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Not yet. Ignore that supposed due date for now, during the info session they said the due date is TBA. They’ll give people ample time to apply once they release the application
 
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Hi everyone! Did anyone else get a call from the department for a meeting with the OTD department chair?
 
GoOTOT said:
Hi everyone! Did anyone else get a call from the department for a meeting with the OTD department chair?
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I did not, but I also did not apply to the MSOT. What did they say in the call? Did you indicate in your MSOT application that you intended to apply for the OTD program as well?
 
futureOT!! said:
I did not, but I also did not apply to the MSOT. What did they say in the call? Did you indicate in your MSOT application that you intended to apply for the OTD program as well?
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Also I saw in the other thread you were admitted to the MSOT program!! Congratulations!!
 
futureOT!! said:
Also I saw in the other thread you were admitted to the MSOT program!! Congratulations!!
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Thank you so so much!!

The call, and email that followed, seemed like the meeting would be in regards to my dual application. They said I wouldn’t have to prepare anything so I am assuming it’s an informal meeting.
 
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GoOTOT said:
Thank you so so much!!

The call, and email that followed, seemed like the meeting would be in regards to my dual application. They said I wouldn’t have to prepare anything so I am assuming it’s an informal meeting.
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How did it go?
 
Just received an email from the department regarding the Zoom meeting update happening on the 20th!
 
I felt like the meeting went well! It was a 20 minute one-on-one zoom call with the department chair. I was asked about my dual application and which program I was interested in more and why, along with a few other questions :)

I’ve accepted my seat in the masters program , but I’ll be attending the meeting on Tuesday just to get any updates regarding the OTD program.
 
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Hi, did anyone attend the info session last month? I had to leave the meeting early and missed the information for submitting applications.
 
Hi! Just wanted to pop in and ask how everyone’s been LOL are you all still applying for the CSUDH OTD program? did anyone already accept admissions/start school for other programs? :)
 
Hey!! Been doing well, just very nervous LOL! Just mailed in my application so hoping for the best! How about you?
 
Same! Sent mine in on 2/3. Just waiting to receive the essay questions now. I wonder if they’ll be sending them after 2/15 though :oops:
 
Hey y’all!! Anyone hear anything back from the department yet regarding decisions? :3 I know they said by March 10 but I’m ansy already LOL
 
Hi everyone! For those that got the letter regarding a reserved seat in CSUDH’s 2023 OTD cohort, would y’all be interested in getting a discord started?
Open to other platforms too!
 
GoOTOT said:
Hi everyone! For those that got the letter regarding a reserved seat in CSUDH’s 2023 OTD cohort, would y’all be interested in getting a discord started?
Open to other platforms too!
Click to expand...
super down for this!
 
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