General Admissions & OTCAS OTCAS EOP/letter of recommendation question

[ZachMXafOT]

I'm a bit confused on the letter of recommendation/evaluation process through OTCAS. It states you can submit up to 5 with a minimum of 3. My program requires 2, one from an OT and one from a professor. I have 4 people, 2 OTs, 1 professor and 1 employer (squadron commander, I'm active duty and can speak to my volunteering, character, leadership, etc.).

From what I've heard OTCAS does not send all of the recommendations/EOPs to your school but only 3 even if you have more and they are randomly chosen. If this is the case should I leave out my employer to ensure that 2 are from an OT and 1 from a professor? I would hate to leave out what I know will be an amazing recommendation from my commander but also fear that if I include or request it, then one of the others will not be sent and left out.

So can anyone confirm if all your recommendations (up to the 5) are sent or just 3 and then if that's the case how do they pick and choose which are sent?

Thanks!
Zach

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[mjb2017]

I'm a bit confused on the letter of recommendation/evaluation process through OTCAS. It states you can submit up to 5 with a minimum of 3. My program requires 2, one from an OT and one from a professor. I have 4 people, 2 OTs, 1 professor and 1 employer (squadron commander, I'm active duty and can speak to my volunteering, character, leadership, etc.).

From what I've heard OTCAS does not send all of the recommendations/EOPs to your school but only 3 even if you have more and they are randomly chosen. If this is the case should I leave out my employer to ensure that 2 are from an OT and 1 from a professor? I would hate to leave out what I know will be an amazing recommendation from my commander but also fear that if I include or request it, then one of the others will not be sent and left out.

So can anyone confirm if all your recommendations (up to the 5) are sent or just 3 and then if that's the case how do they pick and choose which are sent?

Thanks!
Zach

I didn't personally do this but I've seen other people say that they've sent the LORs they want a specific school to read straight to them by email. I would still email the program to make sure they'll allow this, but this way you'll know they'll get the right ones. If they do only want an OT and professor though then they're not going to make an exception and read an extra from an employer just because it's good. I bet other people applying to this program would have an exceptional employer LOR too so you won't be the only one!

 

[ZachMXafOT]

I didn't personally do this but I've seen other people say that they've sent the LORs they want a specific school to read straight to them by email. I would still email the program to make sure they'll allow this, but this way you'll know they'll get the right ones. If they do only want an OT and professor though then they're not going to make an exception and read an extra from an employer just because it's good. I bet other people applying to this program would have an exceptional employer LOR too so you won't be the only one!

My admissions counselor said I could send her the employer one. And I'm not confused on which ones they want, they just have a minimum, not a maximum and the minimum must be an OT and professor. Seeing as my commander's letter speaks about more than just my work performance but community outreach, volunteering, strengths as an officer candidate it would be beneficial to help explain who I am in the application process. Not sure that last statement you made there was trying to imply but thanks for the response.

 

[mjb2017]

My admissions counselor said I could send her the employer one. And I'm not confused on which ones they want, they just have a minimum, not a maximum and the minimum must be an OT and professor. Seeing as my commander's letter speaks about more than just my work performance but community outreach, volunteering, strengths as an officer candidate it would be beneficial to help explain who I am in the application process. Not sure that last statement you made there was trying to imply but thanks for the response.

My admissions counselor said I could send her the employer one. And I'm not confused on which ones they want, they just have a minimum, not a maximum and the minimum must be an OT and professor. Seeing as my commander's letter speaks about more than just my work performance but community outreach, volunteering, strengths as an officer candidate it would be beneficial to help explain who I am in the application process. Not sure that last statement you made there was trying to imply but thanks for the response.

Didn't realize you were saying the program would take more than 2 LORs! I would email them all of your potential recommendations just to know they got them all. I thought that the schools got all the recommendations submitted and they would just choose which they wanted to read but maybe that's not true.

 

[ZachMXafOT]

Didn't realize you were saying the program would take more than 2 LORs! I would email them all of your potential recommendations just to know they got them all. I thought that the schools got all the recommendations submitted and they would just choose which they wanted to read but maybe that's not true.

No worries. I reached out to OTCAS as well, took a bit for them to clarify, but all evaluations/recommendations (up to the maximum 5) are sent to the school/program. From there you may be right, only certain ones are selected to be read/considered. Thanks again.