General Admissions & OTCAS What Are My Chances?

[nb97]

Good Evening everyone! This is my first time ever creating a post, and I honestly I am absolutely lost and gutted. I genuinely feel like I will not get accepted to any OT programs and I feel I will let my parents down. I have a 2.8 overall GPA in Biology as I am a Bio major, with a 3.8 GPA for my psychology minor. I have A+ in all my prereqs for graduate school, along with 60 hours of volunteer work at three different facilities (outpatient, nursing home, and private practice). My top choice is Kean, but I am willing to relocate around the Jersey, New York, Upstate New York, and even Pennsylvania if I have to. What should I do to improve my chances of getting accepted? I am honestly so lost and confused!

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[filetmignon]

Hello! Is your bachelor's degree cumulative GPA above 3.0? If not then I suggest focusing on schools that look at the last 60 units of your grades. Don't be discouraged by your past GPA-- that number is already fixed and can't be changed. Focus on what you can do now to strengthen your application. In my opinion what will make you a competitive applicant are strong letter of recs, experience working in diverse OT settings, and a good personal statement. My cumulative GPA was 3.2 and my GRE scores were average, so I found that I performed better with programs that looked at my application holistically. I also learned that I made a better impression when the programs interviewed me. That may work well for you too!

Your preq GPA is good and I'm assuming you have 60 volunteer hours observing OTs, in which that case a little more could be of benefit (I've seen programs requiring a minimum of 40 hours to 80 hours). Do your research on the programs you're thinking of applying and evaluate which ones are within your reach. It's okay to acknowledge it may be a challenge getting in, but don't let that hold you back from putting in your best effort. Good luck!

 

[gOT2beOT]

Hi there,
Id apply to Slippery Rock University in PA. It is my undergrad school with a brand new program, itll be about 2 years old by the time you'd enter. They are very holistic in how they complete admissions and I know of a friend who was accepted who had similar stats.

 

[nb97]

Hello! Is your bachelor's degree cumulative GPA above 3.0? If not then I suggest focusing on schools that look at the last 60 units of your grades. Don't be discouraged by your past GPA-- that number is already fixed and can't be changed. Focus on what you can do now to strengthen your application. In my opinion what will make you a competitive applicant are strong letter of recs, experience working in diverse OT settings, and a good personal statement. My cumulative GPA was 3.2 and my GRE scores were average, so I found that I performed better with programs that looked at my application holistically. I also learned that I made a better impression when the programs interviewed me. That may work well for you too!

Your preq GPA is good and I'm assuming you have 60 volunteer hours observing OTs, in which that case a little more could be of benefit (I've seen programs requiring a minimum of 40 hours to 80 hours). Do your research on the programs you're thinking of applying and evaluate which ones are within your reach. It's okay to acknowledge it may be a challenge getting in, but don't let that hold you back from putting in your best effort. Good luck!

I am still currently completing my undergrad in Biology. I will be graduating this upcoming May 2020. I know I can bring my GPA up, but does that mean the schools will view my current GPA or the improved GPA? Also, how/what do I type to search for the last 60 units of my grade? Unfortunately I do not understand that. Also how do I know which programs look at my application holistically? Thank you so much for the advice! It does make me feel better.

 

[nb97]

Hi there,
Id apply to Slippery Rock University in PA. It is my undergrad school with a brand new program, itll be about 2 years old by the time you'd enter. They are very holistic in how they complete admissions and I know of a friend who was accepted who had similar stats.

Hello! Does this school provide a Masters Program for OT? I looked into it, and I only see a Doctoral Degree for OT.

 

[filetmignon]

I am still currently completing my undergrad in Biology. I will be graduating this upcoming May 2020. I know I can bring my GPA up, but does that mean the schools will view my current GPA or the improved GPA? Also, how/what do I type to search for the last 60 units of my grade? Unfortunately I do not understand that. Also how do I know which programs look at my application holistically? Thank you so much for the advice! It does make me feel better.

If you're still in undergrad then I totally think you can bring up your GPA to 3.0+. I believe you'll continuously submit an update for your grades after you complete your classes. I calculated my last 60 units using a GPA calculator I found on Google. It's not quite clear to me which programs will look at your application holistically, some of them will say it but actually focus on your GPA and GRE scores and others would list something like this (e.g. Selection is based on recommendation letters, GPA, work/volunteer experience/community service in an Occupational Therapy department, and personal video. We accept 50 students per year. A minimum 3.20 GPA is required for both cumulative GPA, and the prerequisite science GPA.) Do take the time to research the programs. I believe you'll find plenty of info from this forum.

 

[deleted967957]

Keep your head up!! I think you'd be a great candidate. I felt similar to you at the beginning of the app process. You can make up for the lower GPA in in different ways (eg. GRE, volunteer experiences, personal statement, fostering relationships to get killer recommendations). Spend months on your personal statement - constantly refining it and asking for feedback from people around you. It may even be worth addressing your GPA in your statement/supplemental essays if the opportunity arises. I did! I talked about how in college I regretted overcommitting myself in so many engagements (I played sports, did clubs and activities) and felt I could have done better in my classes, but at the same time the extra curriculars I was involved in taught me amazing things.

My undergrad GPA on my transcript was a 3.24 (BA in Exercise Science) and prereq GPA 3.9-4.0. I did mediocre on the GRE (really good verbal, bad quantitative score, average writing). Academically I really don't stand out as there are so many amazing candidates applying with higher GPAs,GRES...I think what helped was everything else I was involved in and the statement, volunteer experiences, recs. I got rejected from schools but also accepted/waitlisted at a lot! I'll be attending a highly ranked program I didn't think I'd ever get into. You never know what schools are looking for.

Your psych GPA is awesome and in reality it's more relevant to OT than Bio
Be confident and best of luck!!

 

[deleted967957]

Also...if you are able to retake any classes from your undergrad at a community college I'd encourage you to do so!
I retook 2 classes from my undergrad..I turned 2 C+s into As and it boosted my cumulative undergrad GPA from a 3.24 to a 3.33.

 

[1katiekatie1]

Hello! Is your bachelor's degree cumulative GPA above 3.0? If not then I suggest focusing on schools that look at the last 60 units of your grades. Don't be discouraged by your past GPA-- that number is already fixed and can't be changed. Focus on what you can do now to strengthen your application. In my opinion what will make you a competitive applicant are strong letter of recs, experience working in diverse OT settings, and a good personal statement. My cumulative GPA was 3.2 and my GRE scores were average, so I found that I performed better with programs that looked at my application holistically. I also learned that I made a better impression when the programs interviewed me. That may work well for you too!

Your preq GPA is good and I'm assuming you have 60 volunteer hours observing OTs, in which that case a little more could be of benefit (I've seen programs requiring a minimum of 40 hours to 80 hours). Do your research on the programs you're thinking of applying and evaluate which ones are within your reach. It's okay to acknowledge it may be a challenge getting in, but don't let that hold you back from putting in your best effort. Good luck!

Hey filetmignon! I have similar stats as you did with a 3.2 GPA and average GRE scores-- do you have any advice on writing a strong personal statement? I'm struggling starting mine. Thanks in advance!

 

[filetmignon]

Hey filetmignon! I have similar stats as you did with a 3.2 GPA and average GRE scores-- do you have any advice on writing a strong personal statement? I'm struggling starting mine. Thanks in advance!

Hi! So the OTCAS personal statement question is fairly general (Your Personal Essay should address why you selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.)

Some advice:

1. Address all the questions. Tie it back to the main point you're making.
2. Do not write your personal statement like an expanded resume.
   They already see what is listed on your application (GPA, GRE, work/ volunteer experiences). Use these experiences to show them what you learned and how they make you a good OT).
3. Be concrete. Be specific.
   Don't just tell about what you did, show them. I'll provide an example taken directly from my personal statement. Telling example: "I learned to be a leader from volunteering at the American Red Cross." Showing example: "I began regularly volunteering at the American Red Cross, where exceptional mentors primed me for leadership and gave me executive responsibilities over local disaster relief efforts and home fire campaigns." This demonstrates my character as being trustworthy, responsible, and proactive in my community.
4. Don't dwell on your past mistakes.
   I did mention in a very short paragraph acknowledging my low GPA resulting from poor academic performance and how I've worked through that.
5. Keep it at a respectable length.
   I kept mine at a page and a half (708 characters). There's a good chance that a long personal statement may result with redundancy and possibly boredom.
6. Get it proofread from people from all sorts of background.
   For me, the challenge was letting go of my fear of people reading and critiquing my writing. It took multiple revisions and several proofreaders, but I felt like I became a stronger writer because of it. I also hired a professional proofreader who has experience with personal statements to help me flush out vague ideas and reformat sentences for greater clarity.

This is all I can think of that I would have told myself for now. I hope it helps to give you a better idea of how to approach your personal statement.

 

[1katiekatie1]

Hi! So the OTCAS personal statement question is fairly general (Your Personal Essay should address why you selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.)

Some advice:

1. Address all the questions. Tie it back to the main point you're making.
2. Do not write your personal statement like an expanded resume.
   They already see what is listed on your application (GPA, GRE, work/ volunteer experiences). Use these experiences to show them what you learned and how they make you a good OT).
3. Be concrete. Be specific.
   Don't just tell about what you did, show them. I'll provide an example taken directly from my personal statement. Telling example: "I learned to be a leader from volunteering at the American Red Cross." Showing example: "I began regularly volunteering at the American Red Cross, where exceptional mentors primed me for leadership and gave me executive responsibilities over local disaster relief efforts and home fire campaigns." This demonstrates my character as being trustworthy, responsible, and proactive in my community.
4. Don't dwell on your past mistakes.
   I did mention in a very short paragraph acknowledging my low GPA resulting from poor academic performance and how I've worked through that.
5. Keep it at a respectable length.
   I kept mine at a page and a half (708 characters). There's a good chance that a long personal statement may result with redundancy and possibly boredom.
6. Get it proofread from people from all sorts of background.
   For me, the challenge was letting go of my fear of people reading and critiquing my writing. It took multiple revisions and several proofreaders, but I felt like I became a stronger writer because of it. I also hired a professional proofreader who has experience with personal statements to help me flush out vague ideas and reformat sentences for greater clarity.

This is all I can think of that I would have told myself for now. I hope it helps to give you a better idea of how to approach your personal statement.

This was super helpful! I definitely need to work on being okay with letting people critique my work. Thank you so much for your advice!

 

[MPHGOALSSSS]

Hi! So the OTCAS personal statement question is fairly general (Your Personal Essay should address why you selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.)

Some advice:

1. Address all the questions. Tie it back to the main point you're making.
2. Do not write your personal statement like an expanded resume.
   They already see what is listed on your application (GPA, GRE, work/ volunteer experiences). Use these experiences to show them what you learned and how they make you a good OT).
3. Be concrete. Be specific.
   Don't just tell about what you did, show them. I'll provide an example taken directly from my personal statement. Telling example: "I learned to be a leader from volunteering at the American Red Cross." Showing example: "I began regularly volunteering at the American Red Cross, where exceptional mentors primed me for leadership and gave me executive responsibilities over local disaster relief efforts and home fire campaigns." This demonstrates my character as being trustworthy, responsible, and proactive in my community.
4. Don't dwell on your past mistakes.
   I did mention in a very short paragraph acknowledging my low GPA resulting from poor academic performance and how I've worked through that.
5. Keep it at a respectable length.
   I kept mine at a page and a half (708 characters). There's a good chance that a long personal statement may result with redundancy and possibly boredom.
6. Get it proofread from people from all sorts of background.
   For me, the challenge was letting go of my fear of people reading and critiquing my writing. It took multiple revisions and several proofreaders, but I felt like I became a stronger writer because of it. I also hired a professional proofreader who has experience with personal statements to help me flush out vague ideas and reformat sentences for greater clarity.

This is all I can think of that I would have told myself for now. I hope it helps to give you a better idea of how to approach your personal statement.

Thanks so much for your advice!! I'm currently working on my PS right now... did you mention how you were introduced to OT? And would you be willing to look over/proof mine?

 

[filetmignon]

Thanks so much for your advice!! I'm currently working on my PS right now... did you mention how you were introduced to OT? And would you be willing to look over/proof mine?

I didn't mention how I was introduced to OT, but I would mention it if it strongly ties into your narrative, like a family member needing OT, or you personally working with one.

And yes, I'd be honored to look over your personal statement