Graduate school. I remember being a freshman considering pursuing Occupational Therapy and thinking to myself that sounds so daunting, I can’t apply to graduate school. The road to attend graduate school seemed long and overwhelming—a never-ending to-do list of coursework and checklists. Yet here I am, about to start my Master’s program with one thing to say: you can do it!
Taking that step and deciding to pursue Occupational Therapy, and therefore a graduate degree can be overwhelming. Below you will find a timeline of tasks to complete each year of undergrad to keep you on track for applying. Please note that this is a suggested timeline based off of what I did throughout my years at Penn State as well as what other students pursuing OT did. It is only here as a guide to help you, not overwhelm you. My hope is that this eases your stress of applying and gives you an idea of just what you’re getting yourself in to!
Freshman Year
Freshman year looks a bit different for everyone. Since Penn State does not have an OT major, the first task towards pursuing OT is determining which major (and possibly which minor) you would like to work towards. Technically, when applying to graduate school, as long as you have completed all the prerequisite coursework, you may major in whatever you would like.
However, I recommend choosing a major that goes hand in hand with OT. This means pretty much anything science, rehabilitative, or health-related. Once you choose a major, discuss the possibility of adding a minor with your advisor. The decision to add a minor does not need to happen during your freshman year but keep the idea in the back of your head. The more background knowledge you can bring into graduate school the better and adding a minor only helps with this.
Another thing to do during your freshman year is to develop an academic plan. Meet with your advisor and discuss your thought about applying to graduate school for OT. Your advisor can give you a recommended course plan and help you plan out when to take the prerequisites you’ll need in order to apply.
Lastly, it is never too early to start working on your shadowing hours. Most graduate schools require a minimum of 40 hours of shadowing to apply and some schools specify that shadowing hours must be completed in a variety of settings (hospital, out-patient, acute care, etc.) with a variety of demographics (geriatrics, pediatrics, adults, etc.). Although schools offer a minimum number of hours, it is good to have at least 20 or 30 more than the minimum. Since that equates to around 60 hours or more, I recommend starting your freshman year so that you can spread them out.
Sophomore Year
Sophomore year looks a lot like freshman year. If you have not already done so, try securing what you would like your major and possible minor to be.
Hopefully, by Sophomore year you have discussed attending OT graduate school with your advisor and have started to work towards completing your prerequisites.
During this year, you should also continue to work on shadowing hours. Breaks from school are a great time to gain a few hours here and there. Some places even offer internship programs for the summer. These are a great way to gain a lot of hours and lots of great experience!
Junior Year:
Junior year is an important year for applying. A lot happens between the fall of your junior year and the fall of your senior year. To start, the best advice I can give is: be organized. Before your junior year starts, create an excel sheet with information about all of the schools you are thinking about applying to. List the location, the start term of the program, cost of tuition, whether they require the GRE, the type of program, how many letters of recommendation they would like, whom they would like recommendation letters written by, a minimum GPA required, the number of shadow hours required, the prerequisites they require– any information you may need about programs going forward. Once you make this list, junior year is a great time to complete any tasks on your list that still need to be done. For example, maybe you make your list of schools and realize you would need to take a Physics course in order to apply to several of the schools on your list. Knowing this Junior year gives you plenty of time to take this course before graduating and maybe even before applying.
Once you have created your list, your fall semester should look pretty much the same as freshman and sophomore year. If you can, continue to find shadowing opportunities either in the State College area or at home on breaks. You may also want to check out information sessions, either in person or online, that most graduate programs offer throughout the year. These information sessions are a great way to learn more about each program and the process of applying to the schools you are interested in.
When Spring comes around, there are a few things to add to your to-do list. If any of your schools require the GRE, the time to start studying for them is in the spring of your junior year. Although you have classes and a full load of coursework to do, try to schedule some time each week to start studying. As for when to first take the exam, I recommend scheduling to take your first GRE by the end of May. Taking it for the first time in May gives you time after school ends for the summer to really buckle down and study more. It also gives you more time in case you would like to retake the GRE. You can take the GRE every 21 days and up to five times in a 365-day period. I do not recommend taking it that many times, but taking the test for your first time in May gives you several months to retake it if you are not happy with your scores before applications open in July. Although you do not have to have your GRE’s completed by the time applications open, it is helpful to have that out of the way and checked off your list.
Another task to add is finding and securing individuals to write your letters of recommendation. Typically, schools require a minimum of three letters, however, OTCAS allows you to submit a maximum of five letters. Almost every school requires a letter of recommendation from an Occupational Therapist, a professor, and a supervisor (either from a professional setting or educational setting).
Start thinking about who you would like to write letters of recommendation for you in the early Spring and before the Spring semester ends, ask the list of people you have come up with if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. If they say yes, give them a deadline for which you would like them to complete the letter. I recommend giving them a deadline that is a minimum of two weeks prior to when you would like to submit any of your applications to allow enough time for you to receive letters. Chances are, the people who are writing your letters of recommendation are also writing applications for several others as well. It is polite to give ample warning about when you would like your letters by
In mid-July of the summer after your junior year, the OTCAS application will open for the upcoming application window. Once the application opens, set a goal in your mind of when you would like to submit your applications. Overall, the earlier the better! Having your applications completed and submitted before starting your senior year in the fall helps a lot. Take it from someone who knows, the act of trying to balance school work and applying to graduate school is very overwhelming.
Senior Year
When the fall semester of your Senior year rolls around, you should have most of your applications wrapped up and in the final stages of submitting if you have not already. Now comes the worst part—waiting.
It may take several weeks or even months for schools to get back to you regarding your application. If a school shows interest in your application, they will contact you regarding an interview. Before interviewing with graduate schools, I recommend attending a mock interview with Career Services. These are very beneficial and will help you prepare for what lies ahead.
Once your interviews with schools are complete, they will reach out to you about whether you have secured a spot in their program and officially been accepted. This is the exciting part of the journey because guess what? You did it! After you start hearing back from schools, it is just like choosing an undergraduate school all over again. Look at the finances, examine what you liked and disliked about a school, and make a decision that is right for you.
Along the journey of applying to graduate school, you may hit some bumps in the road. You may not receive the grade you want or you might not get in to your top school. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that you can do this. Hopefully, the above timeline helps you manage your journey of applying to graduate school and know that as always, the Occupational Therapy club is here for you!
Best of luck!
Emma B.