Honest assessment of my chances at grad school and steps to take in the future

[Overclass]

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Hey all, I'm sure you get a million of these threads so I'm just going to cliff note the important information

-IHS Major Senior at a Mid Level state school, though it's graduate program for OT is top 20.

-GPA: 3.34 Pre Req: 3.1, Last 60 hours: 3.51
Bad grade in Physiology (retaking in Summer II when I have a less hectic work schedule), and a C my freshman year in entry level Psych which I am also retaking this summer.

-Have not taken the GRE yet, but generally score in the 90%+ percentile for most standardized tests so assuming at least 70 percentile since the average person taking it is likely smarter than other tests such as the ACT I've scored high in.

-LOW work experience but plan on taking the next year off to gain work experience and Apply for the 2014-2015 admissions class.

-Male and very physically fit and generally do well in interviews (I know this section may sound conceited but I know men are underrepresented in the field and that some schools are in need of physically stronger people to help move heavier patients), so I do feel this would help my chances slightly.


Now that we've gotten all that out of the way I would like your honest input on several pressing questions.

1) If I retake Physiology and get a 3.5 and Psychology and get a 4.0, my graduating GPA would be a 3.45 and my Pre-Req GPA would be a 3.7. Is this competitive enough or would you suggest retaking several other classes to boost it. How bad does retaking core classes like Physiology look? I got a D the first time (overslept a test... yeah.) so if I was able to put forth the time and get a BA/A in it would they hold the previous grade against me? I've heard some Grad schools average the GPA of retaken classes so would it be worth it to retake several classes I got less than a 3.4 in? Money isn't of much issue, but time is. Would I probably be good if I just retake the two classes mentioned above and apply with a 3.45/3.7 Pre Req? I'm thinking of staying one more year and just re-taking everything, but I'm really not sure if the time/cost would be worth if, especially if some grad schools just average the difference.

2) I know work experience is huge. Would 1000 hours be a good goal to set, or due to my lower end GPA would more be needed? I mean as a tech or volunteering in addition to the 80 or so of Shadowing.

3) How bad will the D in Physiology look after I retake it and do better? Will it be something I likely can explain in an interview?

4) Are there other options you would consider viable with an IHS degree if I do not get into OT school? Would I be better off going to get OTA certification, work for a few years, and then re-apply? I know the bad stigma around it, but is anybody familiar with Chiropractic education and admittance to schools?


Thank you very much for your time and input! I know it is wordy and rushed, but I'm honestly on the verge of having an anxiety attack about my future and whether or not a few dumb weekends of partying my sophomore year impacted my life forever.

 

[resot]

Sorry if this may seem like a stupid question, but what is IHS?

 

[Overclass]

Sorry if this may seem like a stupid question, but what is IHS?

It's fine, I should have been more clear. Interdisciplinary Health Services. Was originally in Pre-OT but didn't want to pigeon hole my options and it was the one that allowed me the fastest graduation.

I also looked ahead and took the most common pre-req courses (Abnormal Psych, Stats, ect).


Another question I have is how hard is it to get an initial interview? Out of say 200 applicants for 30 spots, would you say 100 get a phone interview? The reason I ask this is due to me not taking college very seriously early on (came from an affluent family and felt financially secure, just partied a lot), but around halfway through my Sophomore year I smartened up about schooling. Than, in the summer before Junior year, my good friend was in a car accident, causing him to go to an OT to recover. As corny as this sounds, seeing that and the look of satisfaction on his face when progress was made inspired me, causing my GPA to spike up again. I knew that I wanted to help people. The feelings my friend Tom had should be felt by everyone recovering from an injury. I feel if I have a chance to explain my situation, where they can hear the desire and fire in my voice, well, that would help tremendously. So is it pretty easy to get to the interview portion of it?

 

[Member76762]

I think you have a great shot if you retake those classes. I also retook a psych. class. My overall GPA was a 3.0 and I was accepted into several schools. The volunteer hours are important. I did over 100 total, in 5 different settings. The work experience is a major plus. Make sure you have a solid essay where you mention your observation experience (or reference it) and great letters of recommendation. Also, apply to many schools if this is what you really want. Stand out on paper and relax / show them you want it on interviews. Good luck! P.S.-yep you being a guy helps (in my opinion)

 

[mlc54]

I think a few of the answers to your questions depend on the school(s) you will be applying to. As far as pre-req grades go, some schools are willing to take the better grade of the 2 if you retake it, while others will average the 2 grades together. I would definitely suggest re-taking Physiology and Psych, but I'm not sure if re-taking EVERYTHING will be that much of a benefit to you. I guess it depends on what class it is and the grade...if it is Anatomy and Physiology, I would absolutely recommend it since these are important classes, nearly every school requires them, and many grad schools look at these grades in particular to assess how well you will do in their program.

As far as work hours go, it again depends on the program. All of the programs I applied to said they wanted my resume with work experience, but did not list a specific amount of hours they were looking for. For observation hours, make sure you go to a few different settings instead of getting all the hours in one place. I ended up doing some in an outpatient hand therapy, some in an inpatient hospital, and most of my observation in a high school. Since I got nearly 50 hours at the school alone, I was then able to ask the OT I observed for a letter of recommendation, which I feel helped me since it's the profession I'm aiming to get into and she knew the "right" things to say that schools would want to see. Also, every school requires a different amount of observation hours, so make sure you look on the program's website or call the school if necessary!

I would suggest going right for MOT instead of COTA if that's where you really would like to end up. I am personally on my second year of applying to grad school (since I only applied to my undergrad university the 1st year and didn't get in). But after taking a year off since college and going through this second application process (and applying to 9 different schools this time around), I feel like I am WAY more prepared than I would have been last year, plus I have more options on where I want to go. But this is just my opinion.

Lastly, some programs require an interview and some do not. Out of the 9 schools I applied to, only 2 of them required an interview while the rest just review your application. So this answer also depends on where you will be applying to school.

I hope this helped!! Feel free to message me if you have any questions! 🙂

 

[jewel11786]

I recopied some of your questions to make it easier to answer them. My suggestions are in bold below.

1) If I retake Physiology and get a 3.5 and Psychology and get a 4.0, my graduating GPA would be a 3.45 and my Pre-Req GPA would be a 3.7. Is this competitive enough or would you suggest retaking several other classes to boost it. How bad does retaking core classes like Physiology look? I got a D the first time (overslept a test... yeah.) so if I was able to put forth the time and get a BA/A in it would they hold the previous grade against me? I've heard some Grad schools average the GPA of retaken classes so would it be worth it to retake several classes I got less than a 3.4 in? Money isn't of much issue, but time is. Would I probably be good if I just retake the two classes mentioned above and apply with a 3.45/3.7 Pre Req? I'm thinking of staying one more year and just re-taking everything, but I'm really not sure if the time/cost would be worth if, especially if some grad schools just average the difference. I do suggest retaking those classes, absolutely. I think it depends on the school whether they average the GPA for retaking a class or taking the higher one of the two. Either way the bad grade will be on your transcript no matter what, unless your university offers a grade replacement policy if you're taking the class there. If it comes up in an interview be honest about your mistake and turn your mistake into a positive, without going into too much detail. As for classes below a 3.4, I think it would be a waste of money to retake them unless they are pre-reqs. You should aim to have at least a 3.0 in pre-reqs. But so far your GPA is looking good and makes you a competitive applicant.

2) I know work experience is huge. Would 1000 hours be a good goal to set, or due to my lower end GPA would more be needed? I mean as a tech or volunteering in addition to the 80 or so of Shadowing. While work experience is helpful and looks good, I wouldn't beat yourself up with it. Aim to get about 100 hours or so all together of pure volunteer/shadowing in OT in different settings. If you decide to work as a tech or aide along OTs maybe during the application phase go for it, but it should be for your own knowledge and experience. And be sure it doesn't get in the way of your studies.

3) How bad will the D in Physiology look after I retake it and do better? Will it be something I likely can explain in an interview? Yes, it's absoutely something you can use in an interview and something you can turn into a positive as I mentioned above. Schools want to see growth and the fact that you can handle the rigorous OT curriculum.

4) Are there other options you would consider viable with an IHS degree if I do not get into OT school? Would I be better off going to get OTA certification, work for a few years, and then re-apply? I know the bad stigma around it, but is anybody familiar with Chiropractic education and admittance to schools? If you want to be an OT, going to OTA school is a waste of time and money, in my opinion. My school has an OTA to OT option and some of my classmates are OTAs and they still have to take ALL the same classes and go through the same fieldwork as non-OTAs. If you want something go for it, and don't take the easy way out. If you don't get in the first application cycle, look at what you can improve and try again. As far as similar careers to OT, if you're into sports or or other physical-type activities look into Sports Rehab or recreational therapy. Rec therapists don't make nearly as much as OTs but it seems like a very fun and rewarding career and I'm considering getting a certification in this field at some point.

Overall, I think you'll be fine, you seem like a very competitive applicant! Also, look at some less competitive schools as well and don't give up. I don't know where you live, but I can give you some suggestions on OT schools that don't get a lot of press in the northeast. If you want to know the names of them feel free to PM me. Good luck.

 

[pherrera]

Hey all, I'm sure you get a million of these threads so I'm just going to cliff note the important information

-IHS Major Senior at a Mid Level state school, though it's graduate program for OT is top 20.

-GPA: 3.34 Pre Req: 3.1, Last 60 hours: 3.51
Bad grade in Physiology (retaking in Summer II when I have a less hectic work schedule), and a C my freshman year in entry level Psych which I am also retaking this summer.

-Have not taken the GRE yet, but generally score in the 90%+ percentile for most standardized tests so assuming at least 70 percentile since the average person taking it is likely smarter than other tests such as the ACT I've scored high in.

-LOW work experience but plan on taking the next year off to gain work experience and Apply for the 2014-2015 admissions class.

-Male and very physically fit and generally do well in interviews (I know this section may sound conceited but I know men are underrepresented in the field and that some schools are in need of physically stronger people to help move heavier patients), so I do feel this would help my chances slightly.


Now that we've gotten all that out of the way I would like your honest input on several pressing questions.

1) If I retake Physiology and get a 3.5 and Psychology and get a 4.0, my graduating GPA would be a 3.45 and my Pre-Req GPA would be a 3.7. Is this competitive enough or would you suggest retaking several other classes to boost it. How bad does retaking core classes like Physiology look? I got a D the first time (overslept a test... yeah.) so if I was able to put forth the time and get a BA/A in it would they hold the previous grade against me? I've heard some Grad schools average the GPA of retaken classes so would it be worth it to retake several classes I got less than a 3.4 in? Money isn't of much issue, but time is. Would I probably be good if I just retake the two classes mentioned above and apply with a 3.45/3.7 Pre Req? I'm thinking of staying one more year and just re-taking everything, but I'm really not sure if the time/cost would be worth if, especially if some grad schools just average the difference.

2) I know work experience is huge. Would 1000 hours be a good goal to set, or due to my lower end GPA would more be needed? I mean as a tech or volunteering in addition to the 80 or so of Shadowing.

3) How bad will the D in Physiology look after I retake it and do better? Will it be something I likely can explain in an interview?

4) Are there other options you would consider viable with an IHS degree if I do not get into OT school? Would I be better off going to get OTA certification, work for a few years, and then re-apply? I know the bad stigma around it, but is anybody familiar with Chiropractic education and admittance to schools?


Thank you very much for your time and input! I know it is wordy and rushed, but I'm honestly on the verge of having an anxiety attack about my future and whether or not a few dumb weekends of partying my sophomore year impacted my life forever.

I think everyone on here has very very good advice for you. I agree with everyone here. And a big factor is which schools you are applying for! Once you figure that out, then you can narrow down what you really need to retake. Because depending upon the school, they will either average your two grades for pre-reqs or take the highest one. Some schools look at overall GPA & last 60 hours. Or only the last 60 hrs and pre-reqs. Some even look at your last 90 hours! I think most schools are forviging when they look at your freshman and sophomore year. I think they understand a lot of people don't do as well because they are adjusting into college life, and that sometimes we are young and dumb and don't try as hard. I honestly think you are OK. Definitely re-take those C's and D's though. Especially if they are science classes! Don't freak out. You'll be fine and good luck! 🙂

 

[Overclass]

Thank you for your time and replies 🙂, it's very much appreciated. You guys are more help than my counselor ever was.