Do I have a chance?

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I'm currently a junior undergrad at a 4 year institution and I've just decided that I want to do occupational therapy, but I'm a worried that I'm not going to be a competitive applicant. Anyone mind giving me some feedback/compare their stats?

Overall GPA: 3.6
Pre-Req GPA: 3.8
GRE: Taking this summer
Extra Currics: Divison I Athlete, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, YMCA, OT intern at a center for disabled adults, and I'm getting all of my observation hours done this summer.
Schools I'm interested in applying to: NYU, VCU, Chicago State, Rush, PhilaU, Temple, SUNY Downstate, University of Washington, Columbia (maybe), Mercy, Kean, University of Illinios at Chicago.

Do you think I seem like a semi-competitive applicant?

 

[otwa]

I applied to UIC, UW and Columbia. Both UIC and UW require minimum 50 percentile on the GRE (they won't consider your application without that). All require high GPA, I haven't seen many/any people get in with lower than a 3.7. Other than that, you seem like a very competitive applicant and should definitely give it a shot if you have the money and are sure you want to go right through!

 

[CoastalOT]

No offense but you sound like a spazz if you don't think you have a chance w those grades. There are like 1 million schools out there and your GPA is competative. The worst thing that happens is you have to go to a community college retake some pre-reqs or complete them; and apply for the following year. You are a solid applicant. If you want to go to the BEST OT school out there, then no, you are not the best applicant. Look nationwide, and try. Don't be nervous. If this is REALLY WHAT YOU WANT, then you can make it happen.

no offense to otwa: he is citing schools that get tons of applicants. State schools get tons of applicants because they ar echeap, and Columbia gets tons of applicants, well, because it's Columbia. You don't need a 3.7 to get into many OT schools, so I would disregard or at least contextualize that comment.

 

[otwa]

No offense but you sound like a spazz if you don't think you have a chance w those grades. There are like 1 million schools out there and your GPA is competative. The worst thing that happens is you have to go to a community college retake some pre-reqs or complete them; and apply for the following year. You are a solid applicant. If you want to go to the BEST OT school out there, then no, you are not the best applicant. Look nationwide, and try. Don't be nervous. If this is REALLY WHAT YOU WANT, then you can make it happen.

no offense to otwa: he is citing schools that get tons of applicants. State schools get tons of applicants because they ar echeap, and Columbia gets tons of applicants, well, because it's Columbia. You don't need a 3.7 to get into many OT schools, so I would disregard or at least contextualize that comment.

I was certainly not intending to say that you will not get in anywhere, just that at the schools I cited, I was told by the admissions committees that they rarely accept applicants with below a 3.7. Just wanted to relay what I'd heard.

 

[CoastalOT]

I was certainly not intending to say that you will not get in anywhere, just that at the schools I cited, I was told by the admissions committees that they rarely accept applicants with below a 3.7. Just wanted to relay what I'd heard.

OTWA: Sure, and you're right. The reality is there are more schools than just Columbia University etc. It's ridiculous that many programs now require a 3.7 as a baseline. This isn't medical school we're talking about, and OT's only make about 75k a year max.

More importantly, this person should know there are MANY OT schools around the country, and his/her GPA is competative at many of them.

 

[otwa]

osu789: Agreed!

 

[CoastalOT]

osu789: Agreed!

OTWA: What I've learned is that if you are dedicated to doing something, you can do it. We're blessed to live in a country that gives people so many chances and opportunities. I've seen people with awful GPA's as undergrads take steps to ameliorate their record and get into an MOT program. Sure, you might have to take some extra classes, you might need to do an OTA program, you might need some work experience. You need to show you're capable, motivated, and that you've overcome the reason for the lower GPA in your past: but students can do it.

If you are dedicated enough, and you put the time and the effort to beefing up your credentials you can get into the program you choose. I just think people should be aware of that; not everyone is aiming to go to an Ivy league school.

OT is a great field, and I'm not in it for the money, I really do want to help people and that is why I am working so hard. That said I do find it perplexing that our pay isn't much better than nurses, and we have to have similar GPAs to medical school applicants. OT used to be a BS degree just a few years ago, and now there is talk of it moving in the direction of PT towards a doctoral degree. I find it perplexing that with increasing need of OTs and PTs (with a huge boomer generation needing us) that standards and cut offs are getting higher and higher. There will be a point where the raw cost benefit analysis just won't be worth it to many students. Someone with a 3.9 and perfect community service can go and become a doctor, and make about 3-5 times what an OT makes.

 

[otwa]

osu789, I am agreeing with you!! There are tons of amazing schools out there. I was not intending to say that anyone interested in OT should give up if they don't have a 4.0. The fact that OT schools look at the whole candidate when assessing applicants speaks to the profession as a whole. I have talked to many OTs who went to schools that weren't even ranked and had amazing experiences; in the end, we'll all come out with a degree and the ability to practice. School choice is just one small aspect of what will be a lifelong experience.
When I was deciding where to apply, I looked to people who had gone through the experience for honest advice specific to their experience. That is all I am trying to supply now.

 

[dobber]

My mommy is a nurse and she says she makes more than the OT she works with. They both work similar hours and the lady has been around for a while (meaning, not a recent graduate). OT is starting to seem like it is not gonna be worth it for many people soon and a lot of people are going at it for the money (they'll always want to give a 'i wanna help people excuse' but sometimes that isn't true). WSUCougar has been applying for FOUR years and she still hasn't gotten in - although she hasn't posted in a while.

Grades are going up (you can see people with med school grades NOT getting into OT school) and the competition will go up as well. We are at a transition stage with this program.

It won't necessarily saturate the market but OTs will be making less and less. Which means work more and more. Which means it loses the glamour it has. You might as well just be a nurse. Those will be always in demand no matter what. Not saying OT sucks but you gotta look at the big picture here and see what ends up being worth it.

 

[prodigiousflame]

hi dobber, does your mom and the ot work in a hospital?

 

[girlfromseattle]

@ Dobber. Are you a current OT student? What you stated above seems to be an opinion. According the the BLS OT is expected to grow more than any other profession until 2020. OT is growing in part because the elderly population is one of the biggest population groups that will require OT services. Also OT has only 2% unemployment. Check out this video by CNN http://money.cnn.com/video/news/201...-therapy-low-unemployment.cnnmoney/index.html
OT's make more than nurses. An OT right out of school makes the same salary that a nurse with 10 years of work experience makes. Good luck with whatever you decide to pursue.

 

[OTTXGirl]

@ Dobber. Are you a current OT student? What you stated above seems to be an opinion. According the the BLS OT is expected to grow more than any other profession until 2020. OT is growing in part because the elderly population is one of the biggest population groups that will require OT services. Also OT has only 2% unemployment. Check out this video by CNN http://money.cnn.com/video/news/201...-therapy-low-unemployment.cnnmoney/index.html
OT's make more than nurses. An OT right out of school makes the same salary that a nurse with 10 years of work experience makes. Good luck with whatever you decide to pursue.

I couldn't agree with you more!!! As it stands the burn out rate for nurses is at it highest level due to the inflation of applications seeking out to be a nurse for job stability opposed to actually seeking to provide quality care. And as you stated OT's stand to make far more than Nurses especially if you are a traveling OT working with the geriatric population. Doppers commentary is very far from the truth of the direction that OT is actually going. Further more you should never enter a healthcare field based solely off of what you are going to make financially..Healthcare requires compassion and that you sincerely care about the patients that you will work with.

 

[andgelyo]

Impressive stats, i think you have a shot. Just formulate a good essay and be confident in your interviews if needed and i think you will be good to go.

 

[prodigiousflame]

::rolling eyes at this thread::

 

[SamuraiIAmurai]

I got into UIC with a 3.46, but I did well on the GRE. Different programs look at different aspects of an application. Some look almost exclusively at grades, some look at GRE scores, and some look at the whole applicant. A 3.6 is a very competitive GPA, which I hope OP actually realizes.

I don't know what nurses get paid, but I heard from a nurse earlier this week that the market is overly saturated so many new nurse graduates are not able to find jobs. You know what you need to do to get into OT school (good grades, lots of volunteer hours, strong recommendations), so just keep doing that! There's nothing else you can do, anyways.

 

[BHSUStudent]

OTWA: Sure, and you're right. The reality is there are more schools than just Columbia University etc. It's ridiculous that many programs now require a 3.7 as a baseline. This isn't medical school we're talking about, and OT's only make about 75k a year max.

More importantly, this person should know there are MANY OT schools around the country, and his/her GPA is competative at many of them.

It's just an arbitrary way of culling the enormous stack of applications.

 

[BHSUStudent]

My mommy is a nurse and she says she makes more than the OT she works with. They both work similar hours and the lady has been around for a while (meaning, not a recent graduate). OT is starting to seem like it is not gonna be worth it for many people soon and a lot of people are going at it for the money (they'll always want to give a 'i wanna help people excuse' but sometimes that isn't true). WSUCougar has been applying for FOUR years and she still hasn't gotten in - although she hasn't posted in a while.

Grades are going up (you can see people with med school grades NOT getting into OT school) and the competition will go up as well. We are at a transition stage with this program.

It won't necessarily saturate the market but OTs will be making less and less. Which means work more and more. Which means it loses the glamour it has. You might as well just be a nurse. Those will be always in demand no matter what. Not saying OT sucks but you gotta look at the big picture here and see what ends up being worth it.

Everything is getting oversaturated, because guess what... The growth rate of the economy isn't keeping up with the growth rate of the population. If this trend keeps up, eventually every window of opportunity will close and there won't be any profession or field left to go into. You think nursing is invulnerable? Just pick your poison.

You are worried about OT Salaries? Sorry, but people are working harder for less all across the board. This trend has been occurring beneath our noses since 1971, way before the 2008 recession. It's called inflation. Your assessment is myopic when you look at the big picture.

 

[BHSUStudent]

OT is a great field, and I'm not in it for the money, I really do want to help people and that is why I am working so hard. That said I do find it perplexing that our pay isn't much better than nurses, and we have to have similar GPAs to medical school applicants. OT used to be a BS degree just a few years ago, and now there is talk of it moving in the direction of PT towards a doctoral degree. I find it perplexing that with increasing need of OTs and PTs (with a huge boomer generation needing us) that standards and cut offs are getting higher and higher. There will be a point where the raw cost benefit analysis just won't be worth it to many students. Someone with a 3.9 and perfect community service can go and become a doctor, and make about 3-5 times what an OT makes.

It's oversaturation of higher education. Higher education in the U.S. is a profitable business, not a public service. Universities are privately owned and funded. It's like the manufacturing industry. Produce greater quantities of products at lower manufacturing costs and you can maximize your profit margins.

It's reportedly one of the reasons why tuition has increased so drastically, as this is one of the mechanisms that control supply and demand. The other control on supply/demand is admissions requirements and criteria.

So, the higher admissions requirements/criteria is there, because they can put it there. It doesn't matter if these requirements are similar to medical school requirements, they can demand a GPA of 3.8-4.0 so long as there is a large enough supply of applicants. The two professions in this context are unrelated.

You're presumption about a doctor making 3-5 times what an OT makes is rather inaccurate. They take out 200k-300k loans for medical school, make 40k during residency, and start out at around 90k per year at entry level. Then add overhead costs and other fees. Yes, you could make 400k per year as a neurosurgeon. But that is median level salary, not entry level salary, and does not account for the enormous amounts of debts or other fees (e.g., malpractice) that go along with practicing medicine. So expect to work 10+ years in sweatshop conditions (i.e., 100+ hour work weeks) to pay off all your bills before making decent money.

It's all relative. If say, an OT took out a 100k loan to get his masters degree, and is making 60k per year at entry level, he makes about as much as someone who didn't take out a 100k loan and acquired a 30k per year job. And this would be true for 10-15 years. And if the 30k per year managed to climb the ladder and land a position at 50k per year, he will be better off than the OT for quite some time. Not to mention that he would have a 60k+ head start over the OT since the OT went to OT school without earning a wage for 2+ years.