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This is disappointing to hear but thank you for chiming in. I'm not going to hold my breath 🤢
Program-Specific Info / Q's San Jose State MSOT Fall 2016 applicants
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This is disappointing to hear but thank you for chiming in. I'm not going to hold my breath 🤢
Yeah I turned down a few. They were at the end of my lists. I got into my other top school and waitlisted at my #2 so I'm still in good shape. A few of the schools would not grant me an extension. Which was okay because I understand others are waiting.
I've still got hope. I really really reaaaaaaaaallllly think they are hella backed up. Super overwhelmed with the unprecedented amount of applications they got. The director told me they had more applications than ever (and this was mid Nov). I think she said they weren't even going to begin reviewing applications til mid december (but she also mentioned they had sent out a few applications already. Maybe to the people who had reapplied). Then remember they were closed for about a month over the holiday. Along with their certification review or whatever.. plus one 2nd year grad student working on all of this! Pretty insane. Oy vey!
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I completely agree! I don't think we need to start worrying until more people start to pop up with acceptances. Stay positive everyone!
Definitely don't lose hope, but don't turn down another school! All of the people that I know who have been accepted are first year applicants. On the plus side, none are going to attend SJSU (chose different schools), so there may be a few extra spots opening up much later in the process.
Congrats!!! You're so lucky to have so many options
I really wish I had applied to more schools. Does anyone mind giving me feedback on my chances? Now that I know SJSU goes off last 60 credits I feel like I should have a better chance?? I applied early November and was told my file was complete mid November. Please be honest I want to have a realistic idea of whether or not I might get in 
OT shadow/volunteer hours= 250 in 4 settings (school, hand, pediatric clinic, nursing home)
My last 60 graduate GPA= 4.0
My overall Master's degree GPA= 4.0
My last 60 undergraduate GPA= 3.94
My overall undergraduate GPA= 3.4 (did horrible freshman and sophomore year)
Prerequisite GPA= 4.0 (redoing A&P 1 which I had an A in before because class was too old)
GRE: 159 Verbal, 150 Quantitative, 4 Writing
Lots of related work experience and tons of other domestic and international volunteer experiences (outside of OT).
Really good recommendations from OT, professor, employer (they each sent me a copy)
Pretty strong personal statement within the required guidelines
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Congrats!!! You're so lucky to have so many options
OT shadow/volunteer hours= 250 in 4 settings (school, hand, pediatric clinic, nursing home)
My last 60 graduate GPA= 4.0
My overall Master's degree GPA= 4.0
My last 60 undergraduate GPA= 3.94
My overall undergraduate GPA= 3.4 (did horrible freshman and sophomore year)
Prerequisite GPA= 4.0 (redoing A&P 1 which I had an A in before because class was too old)
GRE: 159 Verbal, 150 Quantitative, 4 Writing
Lots of related work experience and tons of other domestic and international volunteer experiences (outside of OT).
Really good recommendations from OT, professor, employer (they each sent me a copy)
Pretty strong personal statement within the required guidelines
Um, I cannot imagine why you wouldn't get in. You're stats are absolutely STELLAR!!!!! SJSU would be crazy to pass you over.
Thanks @Prospective O T you're kind to say that 😀 but sounds like plenty of people have been accepted and I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with my application/stats 🙁 Maybe having another Master's is a negative? Maybe they have enough former teachers/social workers? Maybe my name? Idk Trying to look at all possibilities of what might be a problem with my application. I thought it was my undergraduate GPA but apparently they don't go off that. I'm totally confused
Trying to look at all possibilities of what might be a problem with my application. I thought it was my undergraduate GPA but apparently they don't go off that. I'm totally confused
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Hello everyone,
I got an email from the department with my conditional acceptance yesterday afternoon. Application was handed in and verified by the department on Oct 1st.
Last 60 GPA = 3.86
Prereqs GPA = 4.0 (still need to take ceramics & neuroanatomy)
Overall Undergrad GPA = 3.75
MAT scores = 424
Experience = 7 years Combat Medic United States Army
Recommendations = 2 OT's (Acute Care & Hospice) , 1 professor (Motor Development professor), 1 nurse (nurse I used to work under as a medic), 1 Army Major (executive officer I used to work under as a medic)
Personal Statement = 1 1/2 pages (850 words)
OT shadow/volunteer hours = over 1000 hours in 5 settings (Acute, Hospice, Hand Therapy, PolyTrauma, Ergonomics).
I got an email from the department with my conditional acceptance yesterday afternoon. Application was handed in and verified by the department on Oct 1st.
Last 60 GPA = 3.86
Prereqs GPA = 4.0 (still need to take ceramics & neuroanatomy)
Overall Undergrad GPA = 3.75
MAT scores = 424
Experience = 7 years Combat Medic United States Army
Recommendations = 2 OT's (Acute Care & Hospice) , 1 professor (Motor Development professor), 1 nurse (nurse I used to work under as a medic), 1 Army Major (executive officer I used to work under as a medic)
Personal Statement = 1 1/2 pages (850 words)
OT shadow/volunteer hours = over 1000 hours in 5 settings (Acute, Hospice, Hand Therapy, PolyTrauma, Ergonomics).
Congratulations!!!!
That's awesome! I'm so happy for you 🙂 I'm also glad to hear they are sending out acceptances
My most recent email from Dream says "there is a huge stack of mail that has accumulated over the past month and a half while we were on winter break, so it will take some time for me to go through all the mail." Just FYI in case you've mailed anything in and want to know the status.
KQED (Local public radio, NPR), broadcasted from SJSU today. It was on the show "Forum". it was good stuff to think about if you go here/want to go here. It is really interesting t here how the school is handling race relations, also what the local police are like and the clashes they have had with sjsu students. Good to listen to if you're a minority and even if you're not a minority. Ya learn a lot about the racial/social dynamics at the school and within San Jose. And if we're all trying to be OTs it is super important for us to understand the society and the peoples in our communities, right? Yay-uhhhh!!!
Forum on the Road: Race Relations on College Campuses
http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201602171000
Three former San Jose State University students are currently on trial for hate crimes committed against an African-American freshman in 2013. They're accused of repeated physical and mental abuse, including fastening a bike lock around the victim's neck. As campuses across the nation struggle to respond to racist incidents, Forum, in a special "Forum on the Road" broadcast from SJSU, will discuss what the school has done to address racial issues in the wake of the 2013 incident, which sparked widespread anger and protests.
Forum on the Road: Race Relations on College Campuses
http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201602171000
Three former San Jose State University students are currently on trial for hate crimes committed against an African-American freshman in 2013. They're accused of repeated physical and mental abuse, including fastening a bike lock around the victim's neck. As campuses across the nation struggle to respond to racist incidents, Forum, in a special "Forum on the Road" broadcast from SJSU, will discuss what the school has done to address racial issues in the wake of the 2013 incident, which sparked widespread anger and protests.
San Jose, along with the greater Bay Area, is one of the most diverse and accepting regions in the world. I was attending SJSU at the time of this incident and was shocked that stuff like that still went on, but I also thought of it as an anomaly at SJSU. I can't speak on if there are any racist subcultures going on, but just walking around and being among the student population on a day to day basis, it is a good mix of people interacting with others outside of their own ethnicity, I would go as far as to say it is not even an issue, actually a bigger issue to be concerned about is being on and around the campus after dark as there are not so great neighborhoods around campus. In addition to that, being a graduate student, you would have been even further removed from the types of people who would even think of engaging in that disgusting behavior. These sorts of things would be a bigger concern if you were a minority attending a university in the southern states really. At SJSU, Asians seem to be the majority, with Hispanics 2nd, and whites probably 3rd, but no single ethnicity overwhelmingly dominates to my naked eye.
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But it is not an anomaly that racist stuff happens. It is not often this dramatic but it happens constantly. Little things. The wording of a sentence. The reaction on the street. I've had crappy things said to me by store owners, bartenders, doorman.. right here in SJ. Broad daylight. It's just rude and freakin awkward.
It breaks my heart a little even to read that you think it is "not even an issue". That is something they touched on in the forum today. How so many people see it as not a big deal, not even an issue. But you ask me, and probably any other minority who has experience this stuff constantly (again, not a huge production all the time, but a constant) it is the most HUGE deal.
And you can say to be more concerned about walking around at night but I personally am not concerned at all, I moved here from the east coast. Spent lots of time in Baltimore and Philadelphia. The danger out here is nothing in comparison, but everyone should be smart and use common sense when out at night! or any other time). But yeah.. I keep going back to the forum because they touched on that as well. It is easy for someone who is not constantly affected by these race issues to turn a blind eye. It is easy to say it is not a big deal. It is easy to say not to be concerned about it. Because that is what it is like for you, through your eyes. You ask me what my concerns are? I want to know what the campus is doing about diversity issues. SJSU has consistently been losing minority students because of their lack of action and lack of support.
When I met with the director of the SJSU OT program we talked about race issues within the campus and within San Jose for over an hour. It was AMAZING. It is a huge deal, and I like that the OT department is at least educated and supportive of it. And we talked about how being OTs you have to be able to see through the eyes of the community you work in. I hope no one ever downplays the hardships of someone else, a patient, because they have not personally experienced it.
Also you said "In addition to that, being a graduate student, you would have been even further removed from the types of people who would even think of engaging in that disgusting behavior. "
That is so grossly false. It doesn't matter your program, grad or undergrad. People on every single level of our country (And the world) can exhibit disgusting behavior. Please don't turn a blind eye to that. Racism is an institution. Institutionalized. It passed top-down. The people at the top are usually the most disgusting and vile. Remember when SJSU had an issue with one of the committee presidents (or VP?) having to step down because she made a racist, insensitive, disgusting comment at a meeting. A MEETING! WITH minorities present! And nobody said anything. Nobody said.. hey that was pretty nasty and ignorant. Nope. and that my friends, is the program. We all have to be the change!
And no, this is not just an issue for southern states. This stuff is every where guys. I can share my experiences but I don't feel like it is necessary. Just know it happen everywhere. The west coast is amazing and the racial climate here is totally different than out east, in the best way possible, but it is very present and very common. Even right here in Silicon valley.
On the broadcast they said the racial make up is mostly white and asian followed by hispanic and only 3% black. It was nice to hear the administration talk about this stuff and how they have dropped the ball and are trying to get it together. I hope they do. I believe they do. And hopefully if I get into SJSU I can help with all of this.
Sorry this is so long but I love having open conversations about this stuff with no defensiveness or name calling.. ya know, us all being mature OTs/Future OTs and such 😀
Another week has past. Has anyone heard anything? Do we know when rejections are released?
I still haven't heard anything. I've pretty much accepted the fact that I'm probably going to get rejected as my app was completed in October and I still haven't heard anything
Dream told me that they just finished the accreditation process and the program passed! Phewwww 🙂 So they have just now returned back to the application review process. She said they are very behind compared to past years but that we will definitely hear back by April at the latest.
That is so helpful! Thank you for posting this. Calms my nerves 🙂 we can do this, guys!
I plan on taking it this summer if I get in
Yeah, I imagine that in their regular schedule of processing they are somewhere in the beginning of January rather than end of February. Trying not to panic until mid March, lol 🙂
I'm registered for the UCLA online extension one that starts at the end of March! I think it's around half the cost of the SJSU one, and maybe I'll have a chance to drop it if I get rejected...😕
I'm enrolled in the UCLA Extension Neuroanatomy course which starts on March 27. There are still seats available if anyone is interested. The cost was under $600 but is about to increase slightly. Still, significantly less expensive than SJSU's course plus you're done by June 19.
Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was recently accepted into a different program in Southern California and they want a confirmation to enroll by March 10. I really hope I hear back from SJSU before then.....
When was your application verified? And congrat!
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Thank you! My OTCAS application was verified on 9/29, but my application was complete with the OT department on October 1st. As far as I know, they consider applications "complete" on the day that the OT department received all of your documents.
Hello all. I just received a conditional acceptance email this evening.
For those who are interested, I applied at the end of September and my application was verified mid-October.
Stats:
Last 60: 3.4
Prereqs: 4.0, still need Neuro and Physiology lab
GRE: 162 verbal/150 quant/4.5 writing
Volunteer: 120 hours (school setting, SNF, private clinic)
4 Strong letters of recommendation
This was my second year applying to SJSU. I spent a lot of time on my personal statement this second round and I think it is a big part of why I was accepted.
Good luck everyone!
For those who are interested, I applied at the end of September and my application was verified mid-October.
Stats:
Last 60: 3.4
Prereqs: 4.0, still need Neuro and Physiology lab
GRE: 162 verbal/150 quant/4.5 writing
Volunteer: 120 hours (school setting, SNF, private clinic)
4 Strong letters of recommendation
This was my second year applying to SJSU. I spent a lot of time on my personal statement this second round and I think it is a big part of why I was accepted.
Good luck everyone!
Congratulations @SoontoBOT and thank you so much for letting us know! I'm so happy to hear you got in the second time around 🙂 I might reapply as well! I was wondering if anyone is checking their mysjsu account? Has that changed for anyone?
PS: I emailed Dream last week asking when we will hear back about acceptances/rejections/waitlists and I'll post here with any info I get
PS: I emailed Dream last week asking when we will hear back about acceptances/rejections/waitlists and I'll post here with any info I get
Hi, @10ninja
I emailed Dream a couple days ago and she responded at 2:32 am that night/morning, lol. I asked her when we could expect to hear back and she said anytime between now and mid-April. I really hope I get an email regarding my position sometime before March 10th (the date to confirm my seat in another program), but it's looking like I might not hear back until April sometime. I wish I had submitted my application for Oct. 1st... instead my verification date with SJSU is marked 11/7. I still need to take neuroanatomy and plan to sign up for it with SJSU, but don't really want to pay for the class only to drop it if I am denied entry into the program.
As for mySJSU, my status of admission still says "Refer to Grad Dept-Provisional." At least it's not a rejection!
Thank you so much for sharing! Oh my goodness-April! Wow, this is going to be a long wait! I just checked mysjsu and it says referred to grad department. When does SJSU have it's neuro class? I want to say it starts in May; if you get in, you would be able to take it with the other SJSU OT students, right? 🙂
Is the "provisional" part new? I think mine just says "Referred to grad dept"
Mine has always said provisional. It might be because I am missing some prereqs (neuroanatomy and a skills course). Do you have any ideas? I honestly have no idea.
I read that students can sign up for it in April, but I couldn't find an exact date for when it starts. I would assume May, or maybe even June? That's just speculation on my part though.
http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/admission/rec-7381.7385.7386.html
According to this link, it seems that "referred to grad dept" and "referred to grad dept provisional" means the same thing. Strange hmm
Hah! Funny, I was literally about to link that. I believe they wish to have an updated transcript submitted to them showing that I completed my skills course at the end of the semester. By chance, are you missing any prereqs other than the neuroanatomy course?
I also have yet to complete neuro and the skills course. So the two different statuses is weird. I think the provisional part sounds like a good thing? I've never seen it before in past threads, but maybe it's like a provisional acceptance?
Edit: oh and sorry guys! I think I'm just nervously rambling on this forum. I just want one acceptance
Edit: oh and sorry guys! I think I'm just nervously rambling on this forum. I just want one acceptance
Oh jeez, I sure wish it did! I think it's more like I'm missing something I'm unaware of... I tried to be as fastidious as possible in my applications to make sure nothing was missing, but this whole processes has been much more tedious than I would have imagined. If anything comes up, I'll definitely let you all know!
Edit: I tried to look at mySJSU's to-do list but their site is down. I'll report back.
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Where else did you apply? If you want to share...
PM'ed you!
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Does anyone know how much the Neuroanatomy course is at SJSU?
My status says "referred to grad dept-provisional" and I am missing the neuroanatomy prereq (which I will be taking through the UCLA extension). I received my acceptance last Sunday and my status has not changed. GAPE needs my transcript with my degree posted, and this will not be available until after I graduate with my bachelor's degree in May. I still have "transcript with degree posted" in my to-do list, which is most likely why it says "provisional".
As far as I know, admissions decisions are sent from the OT department first and your MySJSU status updates later. It seems like this update has even taken several weeks in past years.
As far as I know, admissions decisions are sent from the OT department first and your MySJSU status updates later. It seems like this update has even taken several weeks in past years.
Thank you for chiming in! I really appreciate it
When I took the class two years ago I paid around 1300, others paid half that at other universities so I would shop around. But, it was a really great class taught by Dr. Wynn who is a big name in the field and the chair of the department (not sure if she will be teaching it this year, worth looking into I think).
Regarding the neuroanatomy course with UCLA extension, is this the class people have signed up for?
Functional Neuroanatomy (online)
March 28 - June 19
Fee: $735
https://www.uclaextension.edu/pages/Course.aspx?reg=266889
Functional Neuroanatomy (online)
March 28 - June 19
Fee: $735
https://www.uclaextension.edu/pages/Course.aspx?reg=266889
