Too late to apply?

[OTorBust]

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It is now December 29th... and the priority deadline for most of my top schools have past (UIC's priority is 12/1, final deadline is 1/1/12).

I have nearly everything ready on OTCAS. Everything except for the dreaded personal statement. I'm trying to get it done this afternoon, and just found SDN... It's been helpful for advice... but now I'm realizing that most of you guys (everybody?!) has already turned in their stuff and are just waiting for interviews or acceptance/rejection... Am I way too late? Is it even worth applying for Fall 2012? The application fees are pretty steep and I'm almost certain I won't get into my top choice (UIC - because it's a good program and really convenient)... so should I fork over the money on the off chance that I'll get in, or save my money and spend the next year building up my qualifications (more hours, more volunteering, finishing pre-reqs, job experience, researching schools more, making contacts in departments and admissions, etc. etc.)?

Thanks for any help or advice you're able to give me. For now I'm going to continue to work under the assumption that I WILL be submitting my apps, but I'd really like to hear what you all think.



Details on me:
University: Albion College
Major: Anthropology/History (so, yeah, that's a problem too)
Overall GPA: 3.78
Pre-Req GPA: 4.0 (still need several courses, was under the impression I could take them after acceptance, prior to matriculation)
GRE: VR-166, Q-149, AW-3.0 (ouch on the Analytical writing, I panicked) -- Plan on retaking GRE soon, within next few weeks
Observation Hours: ~40

Applying to: UIC, MWU, WashU St. Louis, maybe UW Madison, maybe USC.

Main qualifications: I'll totally rock as an OT (creative, hardworking, intelligent, quick on my feet, upbeat, etc.), I love working with kids, experience with special needs population (TA/JobCoach for post-high school transition program, former TA for high school SpED), I really want it... plus my own experience with ADHD and being hypersensitive.

Extra-Curric:
Volunteer: Therapeutic day school for Autism, other stuff
Acceptances: None
Rejections: None
Interviews: None

 

[otsomeday]

I applied late last year and wasnt accepted to any schools. I learned from that this year and applied right when otcas opened. I was accepted to the first school I interviewed with this year. Lasst year I was rejected 3 times.

 

[OTorBust]

May I ask when and where you applied? What was the biggest difference in your application from one year to the next? Did you significantly strengthen your application, or do you think your acceptance the next year was due mostly to timing?

So, per your experience, would you suggest I still apply? If you were able to do it over, would you have bothered applying the first time around?

Thanks so much, and congratulations for getting in! Where are you at now? How are you finding school so far?

 

[otsomeday]

I dont start till fall 2012 at MWU. Do I think you will get into a school if you apply now....probably not since there are waitlists just for interviews. But I am glad i applied last year because I got experience in doing a few interviews so I knew what to expect the second time around. I did strengthen my application within the last year ( more volunteer experience and finished my last pre-req ). Ive also worked full time now for 3 years after i got my bachelors degree so i have work experience. Ive found most people who apply for OT have psych degree and cant find a job doing anything and have no real life experience.

 

[OTorBust]

Ughhh... I think I knew this all along, but now I'm convinced that it's too late. This is really throwing off my game plan!

But I think you're right... I'll still apply, but maybe to not as many schools as I had originally intended. The application process itself has been quite a learning experience. And who knows, maybe somebody in the admissions office will recognize my brilliance ;-) Brilliance covered in layers of procrastination and poor time management skills, maybe.

Thanks for you're input!

 

[Shelby029]

I'm only applying to one place this year and it is not do until Feb 1st. Not to far away but it seems that most schools had earlier deadlines! I suppose it just depends on where your wanting/willing to go if you should apply this round or not. 🙂 Good luck

 

[gymnastau]

It is now December 29th... and the priority deadline for most of my top schools have past (UIC's priority is 12/1, final deadline is 1/1/12).

I have nearly everything ready on OTCAS. Everything except for the dreaded personal statement. I'm trying to get it done this afternoon, and just found SDN... It's been helpful for advice... but now I'm realizing that most of you guys (everybody?!) has already turned in their stuff and are just waiting for interviews or acceptance/rejection... Am I way too late? Is it even worth applying for Fall 2012? The application fees are pretty steep and I'm almost certain I won't get into my top choice (UIC - because it's a good program and really convenient)... so should I fork over the money on the off chance that I'll get in, or save my money and spend the next year building up my qualifications (more hours, more volunteering, finishing pre-reqs, job experience, researching schools more, making contacts in departments and admissions, etc. etc.)?

Thanks for any help or advice you're able to give me. For now I'm going to continue to work under the assumption that I WILL be submitting my apps, but I'd really like to hear what you all think.



Details on me:
University: Albion College
Major: Anthropology/History (so, yeah, that's a problem too)
Overall GPA: 3.78
Pre-Req GPA: 4.0 (still need several courses, was under the impression I could take them after acceptance, prior to matriculation)
GRE: VR-166, Q-149, AW-3.0 (ouch on the Analytical writing, I panicked) -- Plan on retaking GRE soon, within next few weeks
Observation Hours: ~40

Applying to: UIC, MWU, WashU St. Louis, maybe UW Madison, maybe USC.

Main qualifications: I'll totally rock as an OT (creative, hardworking, intelligent, quick on my feet, upbeat, etc.), I love working with kids, experience with special needs population (TA/JobCoach for post-high school transition program, former TA for high school SpED), I really want it... plus my own experience with ADHD and being hypersensitive.

Extra-Curric:
Volunteer: Therapeutic day school for Autism, other stuff
Acceptances: None
Rejections: None
Interviews: None

Based on my experience last year, once a deadline has passed you can no longer apply through the OTCAS. The drop down option disappears.
There are definitely schools whose deadlines are later and continue to accept applications. USC is one of them.

Good luck, just keep at it. The personal statement can be so hard. I eventually told myself I had to produce something because it was holding me back to from completing the application. Its harder than people assume. 🙂

 

[veggieswirl]

You have a good shot at USC. Applying early is best for some schools, but USC has a February deadline and lets you have pre-reqs in progress.

 

[OTorBust]

Awesome news about USC! They've been sending me a lot of stuff and it seems like a really good program. Do any of you know of any programs known specifically for their peds program?

My knowledge of other OT programs is pretty limited, do you guys have any suggestions? I've restricted my search primarily to Illinois (plus St. Louis and Madison), U of Puget Sound, and USC.

I might have also been too restrictive in looking just at the top rated OT programs. Not sure how to judge or compare programs against one another.

Now I'm wondering if it's worth it to apply to some other schools (which may or may not be a good fit with specialty and/or location) so that I can start on schedule (Fall 2012), or if I should just spend the next year strengthening my application and figuring out what I really want to do. Both are feasible options... gotta weigh the pros and cons and maybe just put the apps out there and go with the flow.

Sorry for the tangent! I'm a big over-analyzer!

And yea, the personal statement is killer! 😱 I finally worked up a pretty good draft, but I gotta go back and retool it and make sure it hits all of the key points.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thank you for your input, everybody!

 

[OTorBust]

Trying to subscribe to this thread...

 

[eagle88]

OTorBust... you are going to want to get a lot more than 40 hours of volunteer. I would recommend at LEAST 80. with multiple different settings.

 

[veggieswirl]

USC is known for pediatrics. I am not going there but...... if I could convince myself it is worth the cost i would finish applying. I second everyone else who says tons of hours is VERY VERY important because I am not the only mediocre student from this forum who has gotten in with low grades(i got a C in physiology) but an extremely impressive volunteer resume. The other guy I know of had thousands of hours with pediatric cancer patients and like a 2.4 or 2.5 undergrad. In my humble opinion, you only need about 100 OT hours and the rest of your hours can be just general volunteer hours from a hospital.

 

[OTorBust]

...thousands of hours with pediatric cancer patients and like a 2.4 or 2.5 undergrad. In my humble opinion, you only need about 100 OT hours and the rest of your hours can be just general volunteer hours from a hospital.

😱 Holy cow! How on earth do you get HUNDREDS (not to mention thousands) of observation/volunteer hours?! I've struggled enough trying to get my 40. Although, I did pretty much get 30 of them in November. I have more volunteer hours (around 20?) at a therapeutic day school for kids with autism, plus old hours (a few years ago) volunteering as a museum researcher/docent/tour guide, etc.

Do you have any advice about how to get those hours considering I'm working full time and going to night school? I have to take a lot of pre-reqs because I was basically able to avoid taking ANY science classes in undergrad (the only two I took were astronomy 101 and a seminar on climate change).

Is there any way they'd consider my job (TA/Job coach for a post-high school transition program for young adults with special needs) as relating to or fulfilling some of my hours? I do work with the OT occasionally (usually only random 45 minute periods), and we do implement the OT's sensory diets and other modifications...

Whether I get in or not I'm going to keep volunteering and observing. I live pretty close to Marianjoy Rehab Hospital, they have a well established volunteer program. And I'm planning on volunteering with Easter Seals (they have a few main offices near by). I don't know what I'd do if I didn't live close to a metropolitan area!

 

[eagle88]

- The guy most likely was working has a rehab aid with the occuapational therapist and counted them as volunteer hours
-You will have to have volunteer hours directly with OTRs. I don't think COTA's count.
- its hard, but you will have to set up volunteer hours with OTRs around your area. Really try to get multiple hours in several different settings. The more unusual and unique the better.
- I doubt your occupation will count as volunteer hours because it is not directly with an OTR. But it is good to have on resume or mention it during an interview
Hope this info helps.

 

[veggieswirl]

Yes, your job ABSOLUTELY counts! It is worth noting that for level 1 field work, OT students DO NOT need to be under the supervision of an OTR, it could be a speech therapist, or a social worker, or all kinds of other professionals. I walked over to the VA hospital next to my undergrad for the last two years of my undergrad career between classes and then came back to volunteer while looking for work after i graduated, and i got 500 volunteer hours that way, but bureaucracy kept me out of the OT department, it took me three tries to get my finger prints through the finger print thing so i could transfer, so i just stayed where i was. Ask the schools if COTAs count! Any kind of human service experience looks really good. Don't under estimate non-OT hours, because i think my VA hours made me a huge standout, and i was not directly in OT or under the supervision of one.

 

[gigi22]

I'm feeling the same way, waited too long to get my aps in! My OTCAS was verified about a week ago, but I need to do the supplementals. I'm still finishing some non-OTCAS aps too. I feel like I stressed over the essays for too long. I'm still going for it, but if I get nothing I will be super quick next year!

Your stats are great, definitely try for USC. I visited and was so impressed by the program. I think the cost can be justified vs waiting another year to go somewhere else. It's hard to be so passionate about this and face the possibility of not getting in anywhere!

My stats are:
3.2 undergrad
~3.5+ Prereq
90th percentile V/Q GRE, 3.5 writing
100 hrs OT
Yoga teacher 5 years