Pre-Occupational Therapy

Preparing for professional school starts year one at Carthage, and we are here to help you each step of the way! We recommend that you reach out to your advising team as soon as possible regarding your plans so they can help you start preparing. Carthage also has many articulation agreements that can assist you in reaching your professional goals. 

Applying to Occupational Therapy School
Carthage students usually apply to somewhere between six and eight schools in total. There is a financial commitment associated with application fees, so you should only apply to schools you would genuinely consider attending.

Applications will be submitted through the OTCAS platform. This opens in July, and if you are planning on attending right after your undergraduate degree, you should apply in the summer of your junior year. It is recommended that you have all materials ready when the platform opens and submit them during late summer. Your application will be most competitive if you submit it before September 1. Below is the list of application materials.

• Shadowing hours
• GRE scores
• Personal statement
• Three or more letters of recommendation
• Transcripts (official copy)

Shadowing and Volunteering Amount/Location
The minimum amount required for most OT schools is around 40, but you will need more to be a competitive applicant (think well over 100). The location of shadowing largely depends on where you plan on applying. Different schools have different qualifications in terms of where and how you shadow or volunteer. Some programs require that students have hours of experience in MULTIPLE different settings; it is highly recommended that your hours come from at least two different locations to get a large amount of experience in a variety of positions before you apply.

Entrance Exam: Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Although most OT schools do not require a GRE, some may. Make sure you check your list of schools you plan to apply to before registering. The GRE will require less or more time studying based on how extensive your knowledge is on tested material, and you should pace out those hours around your own current and anticipated schedules. ETS.org has free resources and practice tests available to assist you. We recommend that you take the GRE at least one full year before you submit your application. This would align with the summer going into junior year or the fall of your junior year, allowing adequate time to prepare if you need to retake it and ensures you have your results before your application deadline.

Personal Statement
You will need to submit a personal statement with your application. To help craft your personal statement, attend our Personal Statement Workshop, typically held in the fall semester.

Letters of Recommendation
You will need several letters of recommendation (3-5) for your application. While different schools may have different expectations for where your letters of recommendation should come from, it is usually expected to have 1-2 letters from a science course professor, one letter from a non-science course professor, and 1-2 letters from an OT you have worked with or shadowed under.

Ideally, you should ask for a letter of recommendation at least 2-3 months in advance of your application deadline, although give as much time as possible. This way, they have adequate time to reflect upon their experience and write the best possible letter they can. If you are participating in an experiential role, it is suggested that you ask for a letter a month or two prior to the close of that experience.

OT students are able to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree at Carthage and then attend Washington University in St. Louis for two years, earning a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.

Learn about the OT Dual-Degree Program