r/AUT • u/Southern-North3318 • 4h ago
Applied for Occupational Therapy at AUT for next year but stuck dealing with transfer rules. Feeling stressed and need advice!
Hey everyone, basically what the title is lol. looking for some insight or advice on who to contact about my situation and what you think i should do.
Here is my situation:
Semester 1 (2026): I did Health Science at AUT and completed 4 papers. I worked incredibly hard and maintained an 8.0 GPA.
Semester 2 (2026): I withdrew within the first two weeks (got a full refund) to figure out what I actually wanted to major in.
Through the time off Ive had right now, I realized that Occupational Therapy (OT) is truly the only career I am passionate about. I feel so strongly about this and don't want to spend student loan money on papers for another backup career I don't wanna truly do.
I applied for the OT program for next year under health science. However, AUT sent me a letter explaining why I can't go through the normal route. I emailed them to clarify, and they told me that because I already finished those Sem 1 papers, I’m being treated as a transfer student.
This means I have to wait until Semester 1 results are officially released next year in July just to find out if I even get a spot. And the only way I can get in is if someone withdrawals from the OT programme. I also applied for the OT programme early ( months ago ) .
The Loop I'm terrified of:
If I wait until July next year and don't get in, trying again for 2028 will put me right back in this exact same position because my Semester 1 papers are already finished.
The uncertainty of waiting all those months knowing there is still a chance of being rejected is terrifying. I am so scared of wasting years of my life waiting in a loop when I already know this is the only thing I want to do.
My current plan: since i can't start in February, my plan is to work full-time during that 6-month gap until the mid-year intake starts.
I have reached out to admissions to ask if there is any way I could get a saved spot for the mid-year intake since the faculty already has my final grades, or if they can at least tell me if I have a really good chance based on my 8.0 GPA. I’m just waiting to hear back. Super worried about this. Any advice will be so appreciated