General Admissions & OTCAS Questions about observation hours

[Makingmoves2014]

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Does anyone know if your observation hours carry over to the next cycle?? I have 63 hours of observation hours in four different settings. I'm going to try to get another 60 hours of observation hours.

 

[sb0106]

Does anyone know if your observation hours carry over to the next cycle?? I have 63 hours of observation hours in four different settings. I'm going to try to get another 60 hours of observation hours.

Absolutely!

 

[ExceptionalSea]

definitely! that is how people compile so many hours 🙂

 

[rc6]

It depends on the school. Some schools only look at the last calendar year of hours, some the past 2 years, and some just include it all. Just look at each schools policy on observation hours.

 

[sb0106]

question: can you use references from this year for next year?
I'd hate to have to go through the process of getting new letters

 

[USCOT16]

question: can you use references from this year for next year?
I'd hate to have to go through the process of getting new letters

Hi @sb0106 , it depends on the program...In my experience, the ones that reject you don't. For the two schools that I got waitlisted from this cycle (San Jose State and St. Augustine), they offered to keep all of my admission materials (including letter of recs, essay, obv hours, transcripts, etc) for the next cycle. For the schools that I got rejected from, they didn't offer and when I called they said they don't. Either way, they don't carry over on OTCAS. You'll have to contact the programs you applied to and ask them.

 

[sb0106]

Hi @sb0106 , it depends on the program...In my experience, the ones that reject you don't. For the two schools that I got waitlisted from this cycle (San Jose State and St. Augustine), they offered to keep all of my admission materials (including letter of recs, essay, obv hours, transcripts, etc) for the next cycle. For the schools that I got rejected from, they didn't offer and when I called they said they don't. Either way, they don't carry over on OTCAS. You'll have to contact the programs you applied to and ask them.

Oh no that sucks!! I was planning on applying to a whole bunch of new schools, widening the area I'm willing to travel to. So basically you are saying I have to start all over in terms of getting letters?

 

[Makingmoves2014]

Ok I was just wondering but I called OTCAS and they told me that my observations hours will not carry over. I guess I will try to get 60 hours but I'm already swamped with classes, CNA testing, and possible getting a second bachelors…..oh yeah and studying for the GRE….

 

[AL1114]

I think what OTCAS is referring to is that they don't carry over on the application. This means that you have to type them in on your application again. The hours you did still count, but you should try to do more to show that you are still active about learning about the field of OT. Also, LORs don't carry over, you will have to get your prof. and contacts to re-submit a letter via the link provided to them by OTCAS.