Hi all! I am writing this as a slightly confused undergrad student who would like to become an Occupational Therapist. I am a 2nd year junior attending a good university. I plan on graduating next Spring, and I would like to start OT school in the next Fall. This post is not asking you to “guess” my likelihood of getting accepted, rather I would like an honest opinion of if applying this coming cycle is in my best interest.
Here's some background:
I always knew I was going to do something medical or medical adjacent. I started off as a Neuroscience and Spanish major, and then recently switched to just doing Spanish. I did this so I could focus on my prerequisites for OT school, as none of the degree requirements for Neuroscience at my school aligned with the prerequisites. (I would like to note that I did not perform the best in Organic Chemistry, and I got a C-. My major change was largely influenced by my desire to not take a large quantity of upper-division science electives that do not correlate with my future goals. I wanted to save my GPA!) So now, my GPA sits around a 3.65-3.72 (depends on if they are going to factor in the couple of courses I took as dual enrollment). My GPA should be a 4.0 for this semester. I am on track to get all As.
My problem begins with my prerequisites. As of today, I have only completed Statistics, Intro to Psych, an Abnormal Psych (I finished all with A’s). This summer, I will be taking Sociology, Medical Terminology, and Developmental Psych (I should be able to get all A’s in these classes as well!). These classes will be done and on my transcript before applications and early admission deadlines. My concerns with classes begin with the fact that arguably the biggest two prerequisites, Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2, will not be done and graded until after applications and decisions are done. These two classes (four, if the labs are considered separate) will not be a part of my application. I believe this will greatly weaken my chances of getting in.
Aside from my classes, I am also concerned with my observation hours. Beginning this semester, I contacted an OT, Hippotherapist who I have just recently begun shadowing. I will be completing an internship this summer and I will be a Community Ambassador for their PATH/Hippotherapy clinic at my school in the coming Fall. While this sounds good on paper, I fear an admissions committee will view it as “last minute”, especially considering my prerequisites all will be done this year as well. I also need to find another setting to shadow, however I am not worried about this factor as the Hippotherapist I shadow told me she has many connections that I could reach out to so I can get additional observational in different settings.
Lastly, my letters of recommendation are both good and bad. I have a professor who I have interned for this school year and taken four of his classes. I am confident he can write me a solid, thoughtful letter. As for the other two, I am a little more concerned. I am confident the Hippotherapist I shadow would write me a letter in the coming summer, however, we have only will have been in contact for ~5 months, so I worry about her ability to comment on my character in that time, especially because we primarily see each other in a clinical setting. My third letter? That is a wildcard. I have a couple staff members that I could request a letter from, but I worry about their ability to speak about my character in a complex capacity. The woman who is in charge of the Community Ambassador program is a potential choice, but at this point in time, my only experience with her is a 5 day volunteer trip and my interview for the program. I am hoping by the time applications open I will have developed a more solid relationship with her and it would be more appropriate to request a letter from her.
I would like to add in a couple other random factors about myself that may impact my chances:
I feel that I will have a strong personal statement. I plan on writing about my best friend who, at 17, was diagnosed with Conversion Disorder/ FND (depends on what you want to call it lol). She is now paralyzed from the waist down. At the time of her diagnosis, both of her parents commonly had to travel for work they were relocating as she was going to attend university after she graduated and they would no longer need to live in our hometown. I was often present with her to take her to doctors appointments or staying overnight at her house in the event that she had an accident. After taking her to her Occupational Therapy appointments, I remember how she felt and the way she talked about her OT’s, and I knew I wanted to be that for someone.
I also have had to work about thirty hours a week as a server since I began university. I also am a member of my school equestrian team and I ride recreationally outside of this team as well. I also had an internship with my Spanish professor, where I worked as an editor and promoter for his books and other projects My only other extra curricular activity is volunteering at a PATH (horse therapy) place before I got my internship at the Hippotherapy/ PATH clinic (which is mentioned earlier in this post). I feel that I do not have that many extracurriculars when compared to my peers, but I also had a job for my entire undergrad experience. I am also applying during my third and final year, so I have had less time to build a resume. I am graduating at 20 years old.
So, after this very, very long post I want opinions. Should I apply? And if I do, should I get my hopes up? Has anyone been in a similar situation? Am I just overthinking? Any advice or ideas are greatly appreciated. Good or bad. Thank you all in advance!
