General Admissions & OTCAS OTCAS Inquiry*Upcoming Application Cycle

[gOT2beOT]

Hi guys! This summer I plan to apply to OT programs when the new cycle opens. This being said, I have a few questions:

1. What carries over to the next cycle if I begin entering information onto the application now? What does not carry over?

2. I completed a B.S. at a University but am completing pre-reqs at a Community College. When I enter this college on OTCAS (since I am only taking a few courses) should I select Y or N when it asks if I earned a degree or plan to earn degree from this college?

3. How early in advance did you request transcripts for OTCAS? My Comm College final grades for summer courses will be available 8/14/18.

3. Is it possible to apply one school at a time? How do I do this? There are some schools I want to apply to in August but some in October.

4. If a school has its own requirements it wants on OTCAS how do I submit these without them going to other schools?

5. What did anyone do when a program wanted their hours to be verified by a practitioner's signature on OTCAS?

Thanks in advance! Any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

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[mjb2017]

Hi guys! This summer I plan to apply to OT programs when the new cycle opens. This being said, I have a few questions:

1. What carries over to the next cycle if I begin entering information onto the application now? What does not carry over?

2. I completed a B.S. at a University but am completing pre-reqs at a Community College. When I enter this college on OTCAS (since I am only taking a few courses) should I select Y or N when it asks if I earned a degree or plan to earn degree from this college?

3. How early in advance did you request transcripts for OTCAS? My Comm College final grades for summer courses will be available 8/14/18.

3. Is it possible to apply one school at a time? How do I do this? There are some schools I want to apply to in August but some in October.

4. If a school has its own requirements it wants on OTCAS how do I submit these without them going to other schools?

5. What did anyone do when a program wanted their hours to be verified by a practitioner's signature on OTCAS?

Thanks in advance! Any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

To answer your first question, anything you enter now can be carried over to your application for next cycle, except documents that are uploaded- letters of recommendation and program-specific material. I'm not 100% sure about the personal statement and optional observation hours documents, but I'm assuming they also would not carry over. I highly recommend going ahead and entering as much information now as possible because it will make your life much easier to not have to deal with the basic information once you're trying to get all the program-specific materials in.

Question 2: If you're not going to receive a degree from the community college then respond no to that question. I think a lot of people end up taking pre-reqs from a different school than they received a degree from.

For your first question 3, I would go ahead and request your transcripts as early as possible just to make sure OTCAS receives them on time. Your transcripts won't be verified until you submit your first application though so don't worry about them only having a received status beside them. There is a transcript request form that OTCAS recommends the registrar attaching to your transcripts so make sure you let your school know about that before getting the transcripts sent!

For your second question 3, you can apply to one school at a time, but there are certain sections that you will not be able to edit after you have submitted to at least one program. This includes your personal statement so make sure you're happy with it before you submit anything!

Question 4: Each school will have its own tab in OTCAS where you will be able to submit program-specific material.

Question 5: Under the documents tab in the supporting information section there should be optional document uploads of observation hours. I'm assuming this would be the appropriate spot to upload a practitioner's verification of your hours.

 

[gOT2beOT]

To answer your first question, anything you enter now can be carried over to your application for next cycle, except documents that are uploaded- letters of recommendation and program-specific material. I'm not 100% sure about the personal statement and optional observation hours documents, but I'm assuming they also would not carry over. I highly recommend going ahead and entering as much information now as possible because it will make your life much easier to not have to deal with the basic information once you're trying to get all the program-specific materials in.

Question 2: If you're not going to receive a degree from the community college then respond no to that question. I think a lot of people end up taking pre-reqs from a different school than they received a degree from.

For your first question 3, I would go ahead and request your transcripts as early as possible just to make sure OTCAS receives them on time. Your transcripts won't be verified until you submit your first application though so don't worry about them only having a received status beside them. There is a transcript request form that OTCAS recommends the registrar attaching to your transcripts so make sure you let your school know about that before getting the transcripts sent!

For your second question 3, you can apply to one school at a time, but there are certain sections that you will not be able to edit after you have submitted to at least one program. This includes your personal statement so make sure you're happy with it before you submit anything!

Question 4: Each school will have its own tab in OTCAS where you will be able to submit program-specific material.

Question 5: Under the documents tab in the supporting information section there should be optional document uploads of observation hours. I'm assuming this would be the appropriate spot to upload a practitioner's verification of your hours.

Thank you so much! This is so helpful. I appreciate it!

 

[mjb2017]

Thank you so much! This is so helpful. I appreciate it!

Hope I answered everything thoroughly enough! Good luck with your applications!

 

[gOT2beOT]

Hope I answered everything thoroughly enough! Good luck with your applications!

Hi another question, if I have someone submit an LOR now, before the application cycle begins in July; will it carry over?

 

[mjb2017]

Hi another question, if I have someone submit an LOR now, before the application cycle begins in July; will it carry over?

From what I've seen people say on here it won't so wait until the new cycle opens.

 

[gOT2beOT]

From what I've seen people say on here it won't so wait until the new cycle opens.

Thank you so much!!