General Admissions & OTCAS Another chance thread

[yearoftheami]

So I recently graduated in May with a Biology degree/ math minor. Just like a few others on this forum my undergrad GPA is very low. At the university I attended, I was told from the very beginning I would have to be a Biology or Chem major to stay in their 'Pre-professional' program. As time went on, I noticed a lot of people dropping or switching their majors from Bio and Chem to something easier or more manageable, i.e English, business, and so on. I thought it was too late for me to do the same (junior year) so I just proceeded forward. Long story short, my GPA is shot (2.59). The fortunate thing is, I have only taken intro to psych, and Anatomy & Phys 1&2. I received a B+ in all three of those courses, but am willing to retake them this summer.

What Im getting at is: Do I still have a decent chance at getting into the OT profession? Ive been working at the hospital for a year now, and I have had the privilege to observe some OTs as well as PTs. I am more fond of OT for some personal reasons and I want to start shadowing next month.

If I take all of the basic pre-reqs for smaller public or private MOT programs within the next year, retake my GRE this summer ( 157V, 152Q 4.0AW), and just focus on volunteering; Can I apply next application cycle? ..or is this too much of a stretch? I also have a lot of extracurricular things I was involved in if that even matters. President of 3 clubs, VP of chem club, and several community service hours as a result of being in a sorority.

I just need some strong, reasonable advice.
Thanks!

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[Kidamnesiac]

One thing I have noticed is that as applictions rise, so too the same types of applications rise: I.e. Sciences, such and such hours in a setting, desire to serve a community (service with disabled children or adults). These things are all great, but the secret is to stand out.

On your SOP, don't give the standard story about being inspired to enter OT based on an encounter (unless they specifically ask for that). Show them that you're reading their literature...use their words and show that you understand them. Don't volunteer at the same old places...go to a Native American reservation or a homeless shelter. Don't observe at the same old places...observe hippotherapy and burn or edema units. Do a bunch of different settings. Retake those prereqs...a's will look way better than even a B+ and hopefully you won't be distracted by other classes. My advice would be: try your best to stand out from a lot of the applicant info you see on here, because many of these common pieces of an application (I.e. 100 hours observing at a hospital) aren't going to be that impressive beside 100 others that say the same. Also, one thing that I'm sure many people don't do is learn the program to which they're applying (especially the people who apply to 15 programs at once). Professors want to know that you're invested in their program and the way that they do things. Let them know you've studied their program and you know it better than other applicants. Visit if you can and email professors as well. This will make you stand out. I hope that helps!

 

[Kidamnesiac]

Blasted phone...double post.

 

[BLS614]

Kidamnesiac's advice is spot on! It certainly does seem like people note similar experiences, so standing out is a must! An old neighbor of mine is in an OT program in Florida and she had a pretty low cumulative GPA. However, she had some really cool experiences to discuss in her personal statement (including a three month volunteering stint in Peru at an orphanage for children primarily with physical disabilities). Obviously that isn't something everyone can do, but she definitely felt like it helped her stand out amongst the other applicants that year. Also, look to apply to programs that are holistic in their approach to admissions. I know Virginia Commonwealth University breaks down by percentage points how much they weigh each part of their application. Overall GPA is only 5% while your prereqs are 20%. The biggest weight is your personal statement at 30%. There are definitely schools that will immediately discount people the second they see their undergrad GPA, so look for the schools that look at the whole application before making a decision. Good luck to you!!

 

[BadgerGirl22]

Although VCU states they look at the whole application, they do not. They first look at the quantitive section (GPA, GRE, etc) before they look at qualitative section of your application (personal statement, references, etc). This means your application may not pass the first found and your personal statement (which has a high weight) may not even have been looked at before they make a decision. I was very upset by this when they told me. I personally feel that the whole application should be looked at before deciding if a person is rejected from a program. That being said VCU is very good about giving feedback on what area of your application needs improvement.

 

[BLS614]

Although VCU states they look at the whole application, they do not. They first look at the quantitive section (GPA, GRE, etc) before they look at qualitative section of your application (personal statement, references, etc). This means your application may not pass the first found and your personal statement (which has a high weight) may not even have been looked at before they make a decision. I was very upset by this when they told me. I personally feel that the whole application should be looked at before deciding if a person is rejected from a program. That being said VCU is very good about giving feedback on what area of your application needs improvement.

I'm sorry to hear that! I didn't realize they look at the quant section first. I agree that they should look at the whole application before making a decision. Their website is a little misleading in that way. However, the overall GPA is still only 5% (or 10% then of the first half of the application) which means if you do really well on the three GRE sections and the pre-reqs, you could still move forward.

 

[Kidamnesiac]

Very true BLS...some schools don't overemphasize GPA. That's definitely going to generate a better chance at standing out.

 

[ExceptionalSea]

i got into a program with a 2.84 cumulative GPA. you can definitely do it. also some other schools look at the last 60 credit GPA, and include any post-bac classes you have taken. i would research those.

i agree with others that at this point it seems imperative to get A's in your pre-reqs to give yourself the best shot possible, especially since these classes will be most similar to what you will be studying in OT school. and what others have said about standing out in a unique way, i completely agree. i think part of the reason why i was accepted to a program was my unique volunteer experience rebuilding new orleans after hurricane katrina. if you have anything outside the normal realm of OT volunteer and observation, i would highlight it as something that shows your love of serving the community/people, etc.

 

[yearoftheami]

Thanks a lot you guys! The feedback and helpful tips provided by kidamnesiac, bls614, badgergirl22, osu789, and exceptionalsea is definitely going to give me motivation to positively start this process. I know it will be a long journey, but Im willing to give it my all. I mean, after undergrad, I could've sworn up and down I wanted to be done with school and just start working. However, gaining some work experience has shown me that there is more to life than just a paycheck. I want to connect with patients. Be one of the sole reasons they are learning how to re-adapt to life.

Ive been lurking around some of the threads, and from what Ive seen I know we are all capable of becoming OTs one day. So congrats to ExceptionalSea, you are definitely an inspiration! And to osu789, you sound really close to being accepted somewhere! Don't give up hope just yet! :]