General Admissions & OTCAS Going into college soon, not sure if my path is worth the risk..

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Kaitlyn.w0009

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Messages
18
Reaction score
0
Hello! I am currently a junior at a Florida highschool. I don't currently have my GPA handy, but my average of all my classes is a 96, which is fairly consistent. I've always been a great student (have been apart of Johns Hopkins for years, for accepted into Princeton programs as a freshman, etc) however I tend to underestimate myself. I've wanted to be an OT since my freshman year and I haven't found anything else that interests me like this does. However all I've been reading about is how competitive OT schools are, and that really worries me. I love the field, but I'm not sure if it's worth the risk of taking a certain path to become an OT during my undergrad and then ending up not getting accepted into the graduate school. So, how do you think I can lessen this worry? I'm considering psychology as my undergrad, and I can't really do anything with that degree standing alone haha. Do you have any suggestions for better undergrads that I can use if I don't get accepted or do you think psychology is a solid choice? I'm just having so many worries about this and I'm not sure if I'm just freaking myself out. Any input would be more than appreciated, thank you so much.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Hi there! I think your nerves are getting the best of you. You're a great student with a set idea of what you want to do; this is a great start. Psychology is a great undergraduate degree for OT. When you are an undergraduate, look at the OT programs you would like to get into and see what prerequisites they require. Incorporate these classes into your studies. Also gain practical experience by observing and volunteering with occupational therapists throughout your undergraduate degree. Above all, believe in yourself and be kind to yourself. If OT is for you, I promise you will find a way to get there. :)
 
If pursuing psychology and OT is the path that will make you happy, then nothing is in your way! Yeah, OT school is competitive, but that's cuz amazing students like you are applying. If you have a good GPA in college, that's great. Keep in mind, if you spend more time on this forum, you'll find that the application process for OT school is often holistic, taking all aspects of the applicant into account. If you volunteer a lot, get involved, explore the field, these things will all help you.

Also, just want to throw in the fact that most undergrad majors don't automatically lead to a career path. If you study psych, and you decide OT is not for you, you can honestly pursue anything you want. I have friends who majored in psych who are working in hotel administration, tech startups, law firms, etc. My point, you can study anything in college, and most of the time the job you have after undergrad has nothing to do with your major.

I studied drama, and I'm entering OT. I have a friend who majored in English who is working for a hospital.......so, study what interests you, and don't put so much pressure on yourself! Make sure to observe OT in person, to make sure that it is what you see for yourself. Give yourself a chance to explore, and also have fun in college :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
You can major in anything, or try to get into a bs/ms program. So major in what you're interested in. OT school is really not as competitive as med school or anything, so you'll be fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I'm actually jealous of the position you're in! Many people don't decide on OT until after college and end up having to go back to complete prereqs, observation hours, etc. Since you already know, you can research schools early on and plan out the classes you need to take. You can also shadow OTs during summers/break. If you plan it out and do well in your prereqs, you should be a competitive applicant when the time comes :) You can also take a year after college to do a volunteer program or gain some work experience, which will help enhance your application. Good luck with everything and don't give up before even starting!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Hi, I think you’re in a very fortuitous situation. You know what you want before you’re even starting! Not many people can say that as you can see from the general STD OTD thread. I would recommend very highly to apply straight to schools that offer joint Bachelors/Masters program. Many Bach/Masters programs are 3+2= 5 years total, where as a typical program would be 4 undergrad +2.5 or 3= 6.5 or 7 years.It would be cost efficient and save you time. I highly recommend doing a public school. I’ve done many hours on research about return on investment and there is not actual evidence stating a better school (private like USC or Thomas Jefferson) lead to more income.

Why you ask? Because the entire process that you would eventually go through going the Bach to Masters route would require taking the GRE (stressful, time-consuming, expensive, think SAT on steriods) and collecting letters of recommendation (a pain as well) , not to mention the personal statement(s) and costs of around $200 per application (OTCAS and directly to schools).

If you do decide to go the undergrad then masters route I recommend maintaining an over and prerequisite over all GPA of at least 3.5 and prequisete GPA of 3.5 and having a variety of experiences to make yourself a well-rounded candidate like clinical observation, school observation and elderly care observation of at least 60 hours each. I know it sounds overwhelming but I you only focus on one observation a year (fresh,soph,junior) it’s manageable.



I highly recommend looking into -

https://www.towson.edu/chp/departments/occutherapy/programs/combined/

https://www.bu.edu/academics/sar/programs/occupational-therapy/bs-ms/


You may find these links helpful and less anecdotal.

http://www.aota.org/education-careers/considering-ot-career/faqs/planning.aspx

https://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/ot/upload/FAQ_OT.pdf


Here are other programs I know less about but worth checking out if you’re interested in the BA/MS route.

Keuka College

Shawnee State University

Goodluck!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Hi, I think you’re in a very fortuitous situation. You know what you want before you’re even starting! Not many people can say that as you can see from the general STD OTD thread. I would recommend very highly to apply straight to schools that offer joint Bachelors/Masters program. Many Bach/Masters programs are 3+2= 5 years total, where as a typical program would be 4 undergrad +2.5 or 3= 6.5 or 7 years.It would be cost efficient and save you time. I highly recommend doing a public school. I’ve done many hours on research about return on investment and there is not actual evidence stating a better school (private like USC or Thomas Jefferson) lead to more income.

Why you ask? Because the entire process that you would eventually go through going the Bach to Masters route would require taking the GRE (stressful, time-consuming, expensive, think SAT on steriods) and collecting letters of recommendation (a pain as well) , not to mention the personal statement(s) and costs of around $200 per application (OTCAS and directly to schools).

If you do decide to go the undergrad then masters route I recommend maintaining an over and prerequisite over all GPA of at least 3.5 and prequisete GPA of 3.5 and having a variety of experiences to make yourself a well-rounded candidate like clinical observation, school observation and elderly care observation of at least 60 hours each. I know it sounds overwhelming but I you only focus on one observation a year (fresh,soph,junior) it’s manageable.


.
I highly recommend looking into -.

https://www.towson.edu/chp/departments/occutherapy/programs/combined/

https://www.bu.edu/academics/sar/programs/occupational-therapy/bs-ms/

.
You may find these links helpful and less anecdotal..

http://www.aota.org/education-careers/considering-ot-career/faqs/planning.aspx

https://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/ot/upload/FAQ_OT.pdf

.
Here are other programs I know less about but worth checking out if you’re interested in the BA/MS route..

Keuka College

Shawnee State University

Goodluck!
.
Jeff has a BS/MS program as well, and I believe is cheaper than BU. UNH has a BS/MS as well, and I believe Worcester state in Mass has the option. I'm sure there are others but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
 
You're in a great situation already! Other than what everyone else said (3-2 programs are great - WashU has one), I would say work in the field if you can! Shadow if you can't find a paid job. Spend summers as an aid or something light that, doesn't even have to be OT.. just working somewhere with patient / client interaction. Gives you GREAT stuff to discuss in interviews as well as write about in your essays. You'll eventually need to shadow, but working in healthcare at some capacity makes you stand out and look awesome.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Top