Help with OT Admissions

[NJ Aspiring OT]

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Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum and came across it in my search for advice about MOT program admission. I was hoping someone could provide me with some insight about admissions. I am currently a senior Exercise Science and Sport Studies major at Rutgers University in New Jersey. I have dreams of becoming an Occupational Therapist someday. My only concern is that my GPA (likely graduate with around 2.9) will raise a red flag for admissions directors. My pre-reg GPA is about 3.2, mostly Bs. I have yet to take the GREs and aim to score high to ofset my GPA. I also have 50 hours of volunteer experience so far. I also have leadership experience as the Vice President, President, and Regional Philanthropy chair of my fraternity in college.

After graduating in May, I plan on taking a year off to take my GREs, get more volunteer experience (aiming for close to 1000 over the course of the next year), maybe retake courses, and possibly work as a Occupational Therapy aide. I feel like my major has provided me with courses to prepare me well for an OT program (Neuro Kinesiology, Motor Learning, Systems Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Anatomy, Sociology of Healthcare, Adolescent Development, Bio, Chem, Physics, Statistics, etc.), but I am frankly concerned that my low grades in bio, chem, and physics will hold me back. Next year I plan on applying to as many schools as I can all over the country to improve my chances for admission.

I was just wondering if anyone has specific advice for me to improve my chances for admission. Should I retake all my pre-reqs after graduating (mostly B grades) and shoot for As? Does it matter if I take them at community college or a 4 year university? Should I take graduate-level courses in science instead to show I can handle upper-level courses? Should I aim to volunteer in any specific environment (small clinic, hospital, large rehab center, community center, etc.)?

 

[veggieswirl]

i had similar stats to you and got in this year, a lot of volunteer hours helped me. You can take your pre-requisite classes at ANY accredited college or university, so yes, that includes community colleges. Solid B's is NOTHING to worry about, apply, and if you don't get in, retake and reapply! Talk to the schools you are interested in, as they can give you the best advice!

 

[eagle88]

you are going to want to get a lot of volunteer hours from MANY MANY MANY different populations and settings. The more unique the volunteer experience and exposure to any healthcare setting the better. see what resources you have around you and set up as many volunteer hours as possible. Also, you will want to get really solid letters of recommendations. You should try to get 3 LOR and one should be with an OTR. So this may mean that you need to volunteer with a specific OTR for a longer period to gain a potential letter of rec. Bunch of schools don't factor in the GRE so keep that in mind. But yes aim for a high GRE score. You should also really sell yourself in your personal statement. This one item should make them interested in you to look further into your application. When looking for schools, look for schools that look at last 60 or 90 credits of your college career. i am assuming that your latest coursework are the better grades. Apply to a bunch of schools all over but don't apply to a lot of "reach" schools. You want to aim for schools that you meet the requirements in and only apply to a couple (1 or 2) reach schools otherwise it would be a waste of money.

 

[NJ Aspiring OT]

Thanks so much for the advice!
I do plan on getting my volunteer experience from various different settings.

As far as pre-reqs go, these are my stats:
Functional Human Anatomy (w/ Cadaver Lab): B
Sociology of Medicine and Healthcare: B
Abnormal Psychology: A
Statistics: A
Systems Physiology: Taking next semester
English Comp: B+
Physics 1: C
Physics 2: C
Bio 1: C+
Bio 2: C
Chem 1: C
Chem 2: D

Not Required, but related courses:
Motor Learning: B+
Psych of Sport and Exercise: B+

Should I try to retake any of my science courses?

Also, I have not taken physiology lab yet. Do you think it is absolutely mandatory to have a physiology lab in addition to anatomy lab?

Should I take a course in medical terminology after graduating?

Also, my school doesn't offer a Developmental Psychology of Life Span course, but I have taken Adolescent Development Psychology and got a B+. Should I try to take Life Span over the summer at another university?

 

[rr549]

I would say, try to stay as competitive as possible with all grades. With the current economic situation a lot of people are making a transition to the healthcare industry. I applied this year and did not get a chance to interview.

My stats:

3.5 last 60 hrs
3.7 pre-reqs
65 hrs of observation in three different settings
100+ hrs of observation in PT setting plus I worked as a tech (not sure if that mattered)
and 3 letters of recommendation and one of those letters was from the head of TOTA hear in Houston.

And my personal statement was pretty personal.