New to the Process-Advice Please!!!

[gadget86]

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Hello!

I graduated from University about four years ago and have recently decided to go back to school for occupational therapy. It's a rather daunting task and I'm excited/nervous!!

I just finished enrolling and a local community college to get my prereqs started. I was a communications/cinema studies major in college so needless to say I didn't have much in the math and science department.

I unfortunately slacked off a lot and graduated with just a 2.619 GPA 😱
I know it's bad and I won't try and make excuses. It is what it is and I'm a completely different person then I was in College. I plan on taking at least 20 hours of prereqs between now and application time (my goal is for entering 2015). But even if I managed to get A's in everything (which by golly I'm going to work my tail off to do!!!) I'm not sure I'll make a 3.0 overall. I know how competitive this process is and I know it will be an uphill battle but if anyone has any suggestions on how I can persevere I would greatly appreciate it!!!

Also, any suggestions on best places to try and get OT observation/volunteer hours?

 

[beestrng]

From what I read here it might be better to apply to private schools when you hit at least 3.0. Have you looked into a post bacc?

SNF (nursing homes) are probably the easiest way to get your hours in. I walked into 20 and was offered 2 places.

 

[beestrng]

Also try your local hospital, they usually make you get a physical and proof of vaccinations. But I felt they were the most receptive.

 

[Gemut]

2.6ish GPA is a hard sell at most schools. If you are serious about OT grad school, consider earning a second bachelors. Earning 30 new credits on top of your current credits and applying about 90 credits from your first degree is standard operating procedure when earning a second BA or BS. Low residency schools will allow you to transfer credits in from multiple sources, including community college and credit by exam (CLEP) and take as few as 6 credits at that school, as long as it is in a field substantially different than your first degree. If you are earning lots of credit anyway, this will be the easiest way to burry your less than stellar GPA before you apply to OT school. You will still have those credits to average in if all previous credits are figured in, but at least your bachelor's GPA will be much higher. Everywhere I have looked, the average GPA at OT school admits is above 3.5. This doesnt mean you can't get into any OT grad school, it just means it is highly unlikely when applying a statistical analysis that considers standard deviations. A 2.6 is more than 3 standard deviations from the mean.

I used this method due to the fact my first BA was from a school that was not regionally acreddited. I have not had any problem using my second BA on my applications. You can problably complete the second degree for under $5k if you already have lots of post bachelorcredits.

 

[gadget86]

Hey thanks so much for the help! I'm still slightly confused about the post-bacc. Right now I am signed up for community college which I start next month. I've compiled a lots of varied pre-reqs from different OT programs. I'll be taking 10-12 credits a semester so that would be fall 2013, spring 2013, summer 2013, then probably about 6 credits in fall 2014. So give or take around 34 credits all at community college. Then do I go into a postbacc program? I'm just trying to figure out the most effcient (and cost effective way) to bring up my gpa and get my prereqs.

 

[Gemut]

A second Bachelors is not post-bac per se, but more undergrad level work. A second Bachelors is usually frowned upon due to it's redundancy and lack of graduate level work. One is normally counseled to do graduate level course work after completing a BA or BS. In a situation where your GPA is below advertised MSOT program minimums, it is the only way demonstrate a BA or BS with the necessary GPA. Many individuals who are pursuing a nursing degree as a career change will pursue a second BA. Prior to 2007 earning a second BA in OT was still an acceptable path into the OT profession. Not any more.

 

[jewel11786]

I think what the others are trying to advise with a 2nd bachelor's degree is to take this path maybe in health science or something similar where you can take your pre-reqs and additional classes to help boost your overall GPA. I considered doing this for myself in biology before I decided upon OT. Basically most 4 year schools offer this option where you apply your first bachelors and use the general ed classes such as english, math, history, electives etc. to fulfill the first 90 or so credits and then you just take the classes you need for another major. So if you decided to go for health science you would take all the core classes required for the health science major only. Does that make sense? Basically you could show the schools that you can pull off a good GPA now. If you do this I recommend selecting a major where you can take your pre-reqs. Of course this is one alternative route. Other than that, work you butt off to get a good GPA in the pre-reqs and maybe start calling schools you're interested in to see what they require in terms of GPA and other application considerations. It's good to see you recognized your mistakes in your past, but unfortunately you may need to do a little bit extra work to make up for it. Applying for OT is not easy now and I wish you the best of luck.

For observation/volunteering: Summer camps for people with disabilities, hospitals, rehab clinics, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, etc. Call around and ask, but some of the best ways to get this experience is to volunteer through a hospital or nursing home or rehab. Just tell them you want to work with OT and I'm sure they will accommodate. Also be sure to get experience in several different settings with different populations (adults, kids, older adults). If you call a place and ask nicely I'm sure an OT will let you observe for at least a day.