Do not be so worried, your stats are great!! I did some research and found that several accepted applicants have an undergrad overall gpa between a 3.0-3.6. Yes it is VERY competitive and OT Schools no doubt accept a good amount of individuals within the 3.7 and above gpa range for undergrad studies and gpa is an important factor in terms of displaying one's discipline and potential in handling graduate level work, but its not the only factor. In several cases those same schools will accept people with lower gpas because their prereq gpa is stellar (which is a better indicator of how one would potentially fair in specifically an OT coursework load) and/or in their interview these individuals exhibit in a manner of great mastery a well-rounded skill-set needed to be an OT that is a valuable asset to society, (such as good communication skills, the ability to relate, the ability to establish rapport, being able to multi-task efficiently, time management, leadership abilities etc.). Some schools tend to put much more emphasis on gpa than on the well-rounded qualities of an individual when evaluating applicants which is just fine and I am not saying someone with a high gpa is automatically not well-rounded because I know several people with high gpas who are well-rounded, it just depends on the person. Other schools however will holistically evaluate the individual and see not only if the gpa is decent but do they show themselves as a well-rounded individual and do they show a sincere PASSION to be an OT professional that advances the improvement of the quality of living for individuals and empowers individuals to adapt and function which are vital components to a human's survival and well-being. Do some research on a variety of programs and see for yourself how the applicant are evaluated. Less expensive schools, (such as the public Texas OT schools for Texas residents) tend to be MUCH more competitive because people want the schooling but want to pay as little as possible which is understandable. An OT I was helping out got into an expensive private school (that was not even in Texas) with a much lower gpa than yours because they did not care about the costs of school and having to relocate, they just wanted to be an OT PERIOD. I am in a similar boat where my undergrad gpa is higher than that OT's was but it is lower than yours, yet I have a burning desire to go wherever necessary to be equipped to be a stellar OT, and I just scored an interview with an expensive private school which excites me to no end cause I just want to be an OT and I would be more than happy to take out huge grad student loans and pursue my dream career and just work my tail off to pay it back. Consider applying to schools in a multiplicity of states if feasible unless you are sure without a shadow of a doubt that you only need to apply to schools in one state cause you are very confident and sure you will get in. If OT is really what you want to do and you exhibit a passion for it than you will get in cause you have already exhibited good discipline with your grades, and that prereq gpa is pretty stellar which will be a huge help. 🙂 Trust me I should be more worried than you cause my gpa is lower than yours.
