Other OT-Related Information Current OT Student--Ask me anything!

[OTTP]

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Hi! I'm about to graduate from an MSOT program. Currently I'm in my first Fieldwork II experience. I used to frequent this forum when I was an undergrad seeking answers about my future. I'm happy to answer any questions people have about OT or OT school!

 

[grumpystudent99]

Hi, thank you for posting this. I'm in undergrad and I'm starting to freak out about how complicated the OT school application process seems and whether I have a chance at getting in to the programs I want. I'm not sure how much you are willing to answer, so I'm just going to lay it all out here and any response would be appreciated.

I'm a rising junior and I've been interested in OT for a long time. I'm a psychology major with a minor in health science. I've started obtaining shadowing hours and I also work as a direct support professional at an organization that supports individuals with disabilities, but I still feel like I'm behind. My GPA is a 4.0 but I know that OT applications require far more than good grades. I am insecure about the fact that I don't really have any hobbies because I've been buried in academics for the first half of my college career.

On the topic of OT school:
1. What can I do to gain more experience and increase my chances of getting in to an OT masters program? I plan to apply to schools in Fall 2028, but I'm willing to take a gap year if need be.
2. How the heck do I get letters of recommendation? When is it appropriate to ask a professor or an OT, and how?
3. Any general tips from someone who went through the process?

Misc questions
1. How are you feeling about your job options following graduation?
2. What was your favorite aspect of your specific MSOT program?
3. How did you get interested in OT?

 

[OTTP]

Hi! Sorry I missed this. It sounds to me like you’re well on your way to a successful OT school. application. For my junior year, I was about in the same boat as you. I didn’t even have a 4.0 but I worked at a developmental therapy clinic and took shadowing opportunities whenever I could. To expand yourself in that area, I would recommend diversifying your shadowing experiences. I had I think 200 hours of shadowing in a neuro rehab clinic (a super obscure internship I applied for) and a dozen or so of school-based therapies. Schools like to see that you’ve seen the field from different angles.

Letters of recommendation were easily my least favorite part of the process. Luckily you’re still early in college so you have plenty of time to cultivate relationships. I got a rec letter from a professor from my sophomore year that I kept a relationship with, a boss (not OT or therapy related), and an OT at my glorified shadowing internship. If you shadow an OT consistently and show active engagement and interest in the field, I think they will have no problem writing a letter for you. The great thing about OTs in the field is they understand how OT school and the process works and all the components that go into it, so asking them for a letter shouldn’t be as awkward as it feels like.

As far as tips, I’d say remember quality over quantity. you can get 1000000 hours of shadowing and engagement but if you don’t apply yourself in a meaningful way that will give you opportunities to provide anecdotes and reasons for your passion in the essay section, it’ll be a lot harder for you. Be prepared to answer “why OT?” and also answer “WHAT is OT?” they will make sure you know the what and the why thoroughly during your application process.

 

[OTTP]

Hi, thank you for posting this. I'm in undergrad and I'm starting to freak out about how complicated the OT school application process seems and whether I have a chance at getting in to the programs I want. I'm not sure how much you are willing to answer, so I'm just going to lay it all out here and any response would be appreciated.

I'm a rising junior and I've been interested in OT for a long time. I'm a psychology major with a minor in health science. I've started obtaining shadowing hours and I also work as a direct support professional at an organization that supports individuals with disabilities, but I still feel like I'm behind. My GPA is a 4.0 but I know that OT applications require far more than good grades. I am insecure about the fact that I don't really have any hobbies because I've been buried in academics for the first half of my college career.

On the topic of OT school:
1. What can I do to gain more experience and increase my chances of getting in to an OT masters program? I plan to apply to schools in Fall 2028, but I'm willing to take a gap year if need be.
2. How the heck do I get letters of recommendation? When is it appropriate to ask a professor or an OT, and how?
3. Any general tips from someone who went through the process?

Misc questions
1. How are you feeling about your job options following graduation?
2. What was your favorite aspect of your specific MSOT program?
3. How did you get interested in OT?

As far as your misc questions go, for job prospects I’m feeling grateful every day I chose OT. While the need for a lot of jobs is diminishing in this horrible job market, OT is not. Schools need us, SNFs need us, hospitals still need to realize how much they need us. Home care is always there too. Whether it’s a full time position or multiple part time positions, I’m not worried about finding a job.

My favorite part about my program was the community and how much more passionate it made me about our field 🙂 my cohort had about 45 people and we got very close. We were given a lot of opportunities to explore and shadow as students, but also going to a bigger name school provided a lot of very enriching fieldwork opportunities that I am very grateful for.

I got interested in OT after being a pre-med drop out lol. I realized the path was not for me and stumbled across OT when looking up jobs that combined health science with more 1:1 patient care. I’ve always worked with kids so I applied to work at a pediatric developmental therapy center and fell in love with helping kids develop skills and thrive. No matter what population you choose, what I always hear from other clinicians is how rewarding it is!

I hope this was helpful and I’m happy to answer any other questions you have 🙂 Hopefully you also saw my other reply below