General Admissions & OTCAS Rutgers OTD

[Thefutureisot]

Did anyone apply to the new Rutgers OTD program? Has anyone heard anything?

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[OTDreamer98]

I did! I have no heard from them yet. I have been receiving other acceptances, however, not sure if i should hold my place somewhere else while i wait.

 

[Thefutureisot]

I did! I have no heard from them yet. I have been receiving other acceptances, however, not sure if i should hold my place somewhere else while i wait.

Same! Seems like we may not know anything until January

 

[MB_OT]

I also applied so I figured I would hop on this thread! Keep me updated if you guys hear back from them.

 

[vinniemagg]

Same! I have not heard anything yet, but when I went on a virtual tour I do recall them saying its not rolling. We may have to wait until after deadline...but I am not 100% sure.

 

[MB_OT]

I received an email on Friday 12/11 about an interview. They said they haven’t finalized any dates yet for interviews, but they will likely be late January/February. I’m sure they are still sending out invitations since nothing is finalized yet.

 

[Thefutureisot]

I received an email on Friday 12/11 about an interview. They said they haven’t finalized any dates yet for interviews, but they will likely be late January/February. I’m sure they are still sending out invitations since nothing is finalized yet.

When did you apply

 

[MB_OT]

When did you apply

Everything was submitted/verified on November 1st.

 

[OTDreamer98]

I received that too! At this point I already put a deposit down for another school

 

[tionna101]

I am in the process of applying and will finalize my application sometime this week. I will keep you guys updated !

 

[OTDreamer98]

Received my acceptance today! I’m going to be declining though

 

[MB_OT]

Received my acceptance today! I’m going to be declining though

I was notified today I have been accepted! I have until Feb 28 to accept their offer.

Congrats to both of you! I have my interview February 5th and was wondering if you guys had any advice for it.

 

[OTDreamer98]

Congrats to both of you! I have my interview February 5th and was wondering if you guys had any advice for it.

Thank you! I actually didnt interview so i have no idea what to expect but from my other interviews I would say just know your "why OT" statement and just really be your authentic self!

 

[Thefutureisot]

I have not heard a thing and I submitted my application in November 😂 buts it’s all good I was accepted to an accredited school back in December.

 

[tionna101]

I have not heard a thing and I submitted my application in November 😂 buts it’s all good I was accepted to an accredited school back in December.

Same !

 

[Thefutureisot]

Same !

Is the school you got accepted to where you’re going?

 

[tionna101]

No I decided to change my career path and become a clinical social worker , the schools I applied to are very far and the cost is ridiculous.

 

[geethehopefulOT]

I was notified today I have been accepted! I have until Feb 28 to accept their offer.

You didn't have to interview? I was told they are requiring an interview. I have mine on Friday.

 

[OTDreamer98]

You didn't have to interview? I was told they are requiring an interview. I have mine on Friday.

I was accepted without interview as well.

 

[squidsie]

Received my acceptance today! I’m going to be declining though

 

[OTish20]

You didn't have to interview? I was told they are requiring an interview. I have mine on Friday.

I also was accepted without an interview. I'm not entirely sure why they are interviewing some and not others. Is anyone else a little worried about them not being fully accredited? That bit of unknown is enough to give me anxiety over accepting or not.

 

[Thefutureisot]

I also was accepted without an interview. I'm not entirely sure why they are interviewing some and not others. Is anyone else a little worried about them not being fully accredited? That bit of unknown is enough to give me anxiety over accepting or not.

I wouldn’t do it.

 

[OTish20]

I wouldn’t do it.

I don't think I will. I seemed to have applied after some of the people on this thread and somehow heard back sooner. Also I thought they would be requiring interviews and am confused as to why some are being interviewed and not others. My application was by no means a shoe-in lol so overall I don't feel very confident in accepting. I also received an acceptance to an accredited Master's program the same day so I think I'll be okay!

 

[OTish20]

A big name school like Rutgers won't have problems with accreditation, as long as they meet the standards. When I talked to the program director, she was pretty confident they would be accredited, it just takes time.

Although you are probably right and I thought that too but big schools have also lost accreditation in the past. My friend was attending SLU Medical School (a known, reputable school) a few years ago and they ended up being put on probation and risked losing accreditation while she was attending. This is, of course, a selected anecdote among many other situations in which schools do not lose accreditation, but just an example to demonstrate that big schools do, on occasion, lose accreditation. At the end of the day, you are free to make your own choices, but it is YOUR education and YOUR money and it has more risk involved than other choices. I would suggest thinking through your choices at the very least. Best of luck!

 

[Thefutureisot]

Although you are probably right and I thought that too but big schools have also lost accreditation in the past. My friend was attending SLU Medical School (a known, reputable school) a few years ago and they ended up being put on probation and risked losing accreditation while she was attending. This is, of course, a selected anecdote among many other situations in which schools do not lose accreditation, but just an example to demonstrate that big schools do, on occasion, lose accreditation. At the end of the day, you are free to make your own choices, but it is YOUR education and YOUR money and it has more risk involved than other choices. I would suggest thinking through your choices at the very least. Best of luck!

This is absolutely right! You can have a big name but still have some mishaps with a accreditation. Honestly any school that’s already accredited can be at risk as well whenever they go through the process of reaccreditation

 

[OTish20]

This is absolutely right! You can have a big name but still have some mishaps with a accreditation. Honestly any school that’s already accredited can be at risk as well whenever they go through the process of reaccreditation

Yes, exactly! If you look at any article about the SLU thing, they had gaps in their education and didn't meet some standards. Someone somewhere just didn't do enough to prevent that and that can happen anywhere regardless of big name. And yeah, you're right about the second part as well, that an accredited school can be at risk as well which is why I mentioned that a school only in the applicant stage (they will be granted candidacy in May) has more risk than any other school, I think.

I think one thing to consider as well is that when it comes to the healthcare field, school name rarely plays as big of a part as you think. Regardless of if you are a Columbia OT grad or graduate from a rural school in Iowa, you will still be an OT and be paid a similar starting salary (dependent on a few things). The only advantage you may have is networking, but I really think experience in the field is more important than the people that you know. Anyway, this is just my opinion, do what you will!

 

[FuturepediatricOT13]

For whoever received an interview/acceptance, do you mind sharing your stats? thanks!

 

[geethehopefulOT]

For whoever received an interview/acceptance, do you mind sharing your stats? thanks!

what would you like to know? I had an interview!

 

[FuturepediatricOT13]

what would you like to know? I had an interview!

Great to hear, congrats! Just your GPA and observation hours. i plan to apply next year

 

[OTDreamer98]

Great to hear, congrats! Just your GPA and observation hours. i plan to apply next year

I was accepted and had a 3.08 GPA and 250 Observation hours. I think its important to realize gpa is not everything and they're looking for a well rounded applicant! I was heavily involved in clubs and held leadership positions for about half of them. Of course grades are important but make sure you're involved in other things! Good luck!

 

[geethehopefulOT]

Great to hear, congrats! Just your GPA and observation hours. i plan to apply next year

My GPA was 3.86! I have 80 observation hours but they didn't ask for any this year due to covid. I was also involved in many clubs and organizations and also did a ton of volunteering!

 

[janensea]

I applied on January 11th, just a few days before the deadline (Jan. 15th). Today (2/22) I received an interview offer with a date of March 19th. The interview is 3+ hours long! Thought I would share just in case there are others who applied later and are wondering when they'll hear back. Any day now

 

[geethehopefulOT]

Has anyone decided they will attend Rutgers OTD program?

Waiting to see if I get accepted, but most likely no. I’m hoping to be accepted to Kean’s OTD program or I will be attending Monmouth’s OTD program since I was accepted there.

 

[ang.thelastairbender]

Received an interview offer today (3/04), but I will be declining!

 

[janensea]

Accepted today (3/25) ! I really like the program, just have to decide if I am ready to make that move from California 🤣

 

[OTish20]

Accepted today (3/25) ! I really like the program, just have to decide if I am ready to make that move from California 🤣

Congrats!! It didn't end up working out for me because they're still in the preaccreditation stage and you need to be in the candidacy stage to officially accept students which they said will happen in May. That's just too late for me to wait since 2/3 of my viable options for school begin in May/June. It's a tough decision because it's such a good school otherwise and I'm sure the program will be great! However, it's also brand new, so there are no NBCOT pass rates from years past to look at.

 

[janensea]

Congrats!! It didn't end up working out for me because they're still in the preaccreditation stage and you need to be in the candidacy stage to officially accept students which they said will happen in May. That's just too late for me to wait since 2/3 of my viable options for school begin in May/June. It's a tough decision because it's such a good school otherwise and I'm sure the program will be great! However, it's also brand new, so there are no NBCOT pass rates from years past to look at.

Indeed! All solid points. My hunch is that this is a program that in 5-8 years is going to be looked at very, very highly. Not just because it's Rutgers but because the director they have at the helm is extremely capable and ambitious. You can tell she's going to want this program to stand out and is looking for very leadership-oriented applicants (that says a lot about you that you were accepted!!!). Totally get your hesitance in not having any data, but in cases like these, taking cues from the track record of the leadership (I think Dr. Rogers was involved with TJU?), and of the institution itself (solid PT and OTA programs at Rutgers) can be helpful. (Taking risks and newness excite me, safety be damned )I am leaning away from the program for reasons totally unrelated to its accreditation and rather because I am not inclined to live again in the northeast (I loathe the weather). We shall see!

Which program are you eyeing for a May/June start? So exciting, that's so soon!

 

[OTish20]

Indeed! All solid points. My hunch is that this is a program that in 5-8 years is going to be looked at very, very highly. Not just because it's Rutgers but because the director they have at the helm is extremely capable and ambitious. You can tell she's going to want this program to stand out and is looking for very leadership-oriented applicants (that says a lot about you that you were accepted!!!). Totally get your hesitance in not having any data, but in cases like these, taking cues from the track record of the leadership (I think Dr. Rogers was involved with TJU?), and of the institution itself (solid PT and OTA programs at Rutgers) can be helpful. (Taking risks and newness excite me, safety be damned )I am leaning away from the program for reasons totally unrelated to its accreditation and rather because I am not inclined to live again in the northeast (I loathe the weather). We shall see!

Which program are you eyeing for a May/June start? So exciting, that's so soon!

Those are all really great points as well and I'm sure they'll have a great first cohort! Maybe I just need to have more confidence, but I was shocked that I got accepted haha I'm a midwestern gal so the weather doesn't bother me much, although it's definitely not desirable lol
Carroll University (small school in Wisconsin) or UW Madison! Third possibility is UW Milwaukee but they haven't gotten back to me yet.

Which school are you leaning most towards?

 

[Bkot08]

Anything new with this program? I interviewed and still did not yet hear back.
They said they’re waiting til they achieve candidacy status before they make any offers to anyone but clearly they already did send out some acceptances. I’m getting pretty impatient and annoyed with the way they’re going about this process lol. Did anyone get accepted and actually planning on going there?

 

[OTish20]

Anything new with this program? I interviewed and still did not yet hear back.
They said they’re waiting til they achieve candidacy status before they make any offers to anyone but clearly they already did send out some acceptances. I’m getting pretty impatient and annoyed with the way they’re going about this process lol. Did anyone get accepted and actually planning on going there?

Really??? Wow. I was given until the end of February to either accept, decline, or be reconsidered in their regular admissions which I thought would have sent out decisions by now. From my understanding, they were accepting students on a normal schedule, but they had to wait until May to formally enroll students and have people put down their deposits because that's when they were anticipating reaching their candidacy status. May seems extremely late to make a decision, though, since most schools get back to people in March and everyone only has a few weeks to make their decision.

 

[janensea]

Anything new with this program? I interviewed and still did not yet hear back.
They said they’re waiting til they achieve candidacy status before they make any offers to anyone but clearly they already did send out some acceptances. I’m getting pretty impatient and annoyed with the way they’re going about this process lol. Did anyone get accepted and actually planning on going there?

When was your interview? I understand your frustration. It's unnerving to be so close to the start date and not have clarity. I can share a little with you about what I know and perhaps it will be helpful.

Here is the text of my unofficial admission offer:

Dear ____ ______:

I am so very pleased to inform you that the Rutgers OTD Admissions Committee has recommended you for admission into our OTD Program located on the Newark Campus, which begins September 2021.

We want you to recognize that we are an entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program which has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The program must be granted Candidacy Status prior to officially enrolling any students. If you indicate on the survey that you would like to attend, then please be aware that our program has not been granted permission to enroll students. There is a chance that our program would not be allowed to enter a class of students.

Additionally, the program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Therefore, please be advised that we will not be sending out the official packets until May, at which time we will know our candidacy status. But given the strength of your application, we wanted to notify you in advance of our decision. Please note that a deposit is not needed at this time but will be required when you receive your official admissions packet sometime in May.

If you plan on accepting our offer of admission, this form must be completed by April 9, 2021.

If you have decided on another program to attend, I ask that you please complete the same form (and select "I would like to withdraw my application") so we can adjust our class accordingly.

Congratulations! You should be so very proud of yourself and of your accomplishments given the very competitive applicant pool we had this year. We are looking forward to being a part of this very exciting chapter in your life, and if I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

____ ________

Admissions Specialist


I believe their hands are tied and that they are chomping at the bit for the next phase. It really is out of their hands until ACOTE takes next steps. Without being sure of the details of your situation, my best guess is that the 25 seats they've offered up are 'locked in' to specific candidates and you are possibly on a waitlist. Some accepted candidates have said "yes, I commit" but without an official offer and an ability to put a deposit down, it's not legally binding or in any way official. So there are likely plenty of people in a sort of limbo state or on an waitlist who will be notified next month by Rutgers, when those first 25 people start to put their money down (or not) after official admission offers are made.

 

[OTish20]

When was your interview? I understand your frustration. It's unnerving to be so close to the start date and not have clarity. I can share a little with you about what I know and perhaps it will be helpful.

Here is the text of my unofficial admission offer:

Dear ____ ______:

I am so very pleased to inform you that the Rutgers OTD Admissions Committee has recommended you for admission into our OTD Program located on the Newark Campus, which begins September 2021.

We want you to recognize that we are an entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program which has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The program must be granted Candidacy Status prior to officially enrolling any students. If you indicate on the survey that you would like to attend, then please be aware that our program has not been granted permission to enroll students. There is a chance that our program would not be allowed to enter a class of students.

Additionally, the program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Therefore, please be advised that we will not be sending out the official packets until May, at which time we will know our candidacy status. But given the strength of your application, we wanted to notify you in advance of our decision. Please note that a deposit is not needed at this time but will be required when you receive your official admissions packet sometime in May.

If you plan on accepting our offer of admission, this form must be completed by April 9, 2021.

If you have decided on another program to attend, I ask that you please complete the same form (and select "I would like to withdraw my application") so we can adjust our class accordingly.

Congratulations! You should be so very proud of yourself and of your accomplishments given the very competitive applicant pool we had this year. We are looking forward to being a part of this very exciting chapter in your life, and if I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

____ ________

Admissions Specialist


I believe their hands are tied and that they are chomping at the bit for the next phase. It really is out of their hands until ACOTE takes next steps. Without being sure of the details of your situation, my best guess is that the 25 seats they've offered up are 'locked in' to specific candidates and you are possibly on a waitlist. Some accepted candidates have said "yes, I commit" but without an official offer and an ability to put a deposit down, it's not legally binding or in any way official. So there are likely plenty of people in a sort of limbo state or on an waitlist who will be notified next month by Rutgers, when those first 25 people start to put their money down (or not) after official admission offers are made.

Have you decided where you are going?

 

[janensea]

Have you decided where you are going?

I am deciding between Rocky Mountain College in Montana (swoon), or Rutgers. Pretty sure the mountains are calling my name.... 🏔️🏔️🏔️ 😊

 

[OTish20]

I am deciding between Rocky Mountain College in Montana (swoon), or Rutgers. Pretty sure the mountains are calling my name.... 🏔️🏔️🏔️ 😊

Haha nice, 2 very different campuses you have there! The mountains sure would be beautiful

 

[Bkot08]

When was your interview? I understand your frustration. It's unnerving to be so close to the start date and not have clarity. I can share a little with you about what I know and perhaps it will be helpful.

Here is the text of my unofficial admission offer:

Dear ____ ______:

I am so very pleased to inform you that the Rutgers OTD Admissions Committee has recommended you for admission into our OTD Program located on the Newark Campus, which begins September 2021.

We want you to recognize that we are an entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program which has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The program must be granted Candidacy Status prior to officially enrolling any students. If you indicate on the survey that you would like to attend, then please be aware that our program has not been granted permission to enroll students. There is a chance that our program would not be allowed to enter a class of students.

Additionally, the program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Therefore, please be advised that we will not be sending out the official packets until May, at which time we will know our candidacy status. But given the strength of your application, we wanted to notify you in advance of our decision. Please note that a deposit is not needed at this time but will be required when you receive your official admissions packet sometime in May.

If you plan on accepting our offer of admission, this form must be completed by April 9, 2021.

If you have decided on another program to attend, I ask that you please complete the same form (and select "I would like to withdraw my application") so we can adjust our class accordingly.

Congratulations! You should be so very proud of yourself and of your accomplishments given the very competitive applicant pool we had this year. We are looking forward to being a part of this very exciting chapter in your life, and if I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

____ ________

Admissions Specialist


I believe their hands are tied and that they are chomping at the bit for the next phase. It really is out of their hands until ACOTE takes next steps. Without being sure of the details of your situation, my best guess is that the 25 seats they've offered up are 'locked in' to specific candidates and you are possibly on a waitlist. Some accepted candidates have said "yes, I commit" but without an official offer and an ability to put a deposit down, it's not legally binding or in any way official. So there are likely plenty of people in a sort of limbo state or on an waitlist who will be notified next month by Rutgers, when those first 25 people start to put their money down (or not) after official admission offers are made.

Congrats on your acceptance!

I was thinking the same. Not a big deal because I already put a deposit down for a program in my state (NY), but it would’ve been nice to know if I am at least waitlisted!

What do you guys think about the vaccine mandate? I’m guessing this is going to upset a lot of people and may even deter some from attending Rutgers.

 

[Bkot08]

I was also just butthurt because being rejected/waitlisted AFTER being interviewed is so rude😂

It’s like if you reject me because my app/stats weren’t good enough then fine. Always a way to bring those up. But if my stats were enough to land me an interview, and they meet me and I still get rejected then it’s because they didn’t like me as a person lol. It definitely isn’t that deep or personal, but you can’t help but feel slightly discouraged and down yourself. Oh well, none of this will matter in 3 years when I have the same exact degree as any other OTD program🤷‍♀️

 

[OTish20]

I was accepted again after indicating a few months ago that I'd like to be reconsidered in the regular admissions because I didn't know where I would be going to school. I will be declining, hopefully good news for anyone hoping to go!!

 

[janensea]

Congrats on your acceptance!

I was thinking the same. Not a big deal because I already put a deposit down for a program in my state (NY), but it would’ve been nice to know if I am at least waitlisted!

What do you guys think about the vaccine mandate? I’m guessing this is going to upset a lot of people and may even deter some from attending Rutgers.

That is an interesting take. Why do you think that?

I would guess the exact opposite. My thinking would be, if you're going into a healthcare profession: 1) you're more likely to appreciate the ability to be fully on campus for labs and lecture (as opposed to online) and 2) you would be relieved by the knowledge that you're in the company of other fully vaccinated individuals. It's hard for me to imagine a person deciding against a university because it mandates vaccination. But, what do I know hahaha 😊

 

[janensea]

I was also just butthurt because being rejected/waitlisted AFTER being interviewed is so rude😂

It’s like if you reject me because my app/stats weren’t good enough then fine. Always a way to bring those up. But if my stats were enough to land me an interview, and they meet me and I still get rejected then it’s because they didn’t like me as a person lol. It definitely isn’t that deep or personal, but you can’t help but feel slightly discouraged and down yourself. Oh well, none of this will matter in 3 years when I have the same exact degree as any other OTD program🤷‍♀️

Since you got an interview, you must be a qualified candidate! I bet you nailed your interview, and it is very likely you'll get an acceptance in May. I know you said you were also accepted somewhere in New York, but if you really liked Rutgers' program, keep hope. It's a totally wonky situation for sure, and I hear you on the frustration front, but if it's what you really want, don't give up. Stay in touch with Dr. Rogers and Kathy London and see what happens ☀️

 

[vinniemagg]

Congrats on your acceptance!

I was thinking the same. Not a big deal because I already put a deposit down for a program in my state (NY), but it would’ve been nice to know if I am at least waitlisted!

What do you guys think about the vaccine mandate? I’m guessing this is going to upset a lot of people and may even deter some from attending Rutgers.

I just got another email today about my acceptance and if I want to still attend the program. I am all for the vaccine mandate...makes me want to go there even more. Most clinical sites, like the one where I work, won't let anyone in who isn't vaccinated to observe or work.