USC has a direct entry 6 year program that is very hard to get into, Marquette is starting a new 6 year BS to OTD program next year. You can shadow OTs in trauma hospitals and in schools and private practices. Apparently an OTD, which is a 3 year grad program, is now the standard.
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A three year doctorate for OT is not required. I would recommend a 2 year masters in OT unless you are truly interested in research or teaching. Employers do not care if you have a masters or doctorate as long as you pass your OT boards and carry a state license in states that require a license. The extra year for a doctorate is just an additional year of tuition.
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What school is UB?
It seems like there are Early Assurance programs that let you pick a major, those that strongly suggest one, and those that require one. None of the suggested or required ones are music, which probably isnāt shocking.
I have a few questions.
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How much does name brand matter? I feel as though there are some degrees where the name on the diploma is really important (e.g. finance, law) and some where certification matters (e.g. ABET, or nursing) but otherwise you can anywhere and still get a good job. What is OT like?
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How selective are EA programs vs. a 4 year undergrad and then continuing to OT at the same school, vs. applying to OT at a brand new school? Is one route easier than the others?
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A lot of the schools that seem like they would be options because they have both music and OT, are schools that if he applied to non-music, non-OT, it would be a safety or a likely. I canāt figure out how to fid out department specific admissions rates
Buffalo, I believe.
- UB is SUNY Buffalo
- I have worked with OTs for 35 years. It is my understanding that āname brandā does not matter. What matters is getting the degree at an accredited program and passing the required exams.
- I would say that all pathways are competitive. I would take a deep dive into the individual schools, ask questions etc.
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And read on the AOTA website for info too.
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I looked at Indiana State University. Their masters program gets about 200 applicants. They extend interviews to some (did not state how many) and offer a spot to 30.
James Madison University masters OT program does not list all statistics, but they accept 24 applicants and they say they receive a lot of applications relative to spots available. They are looking for āpassionateā students who come from a variety of majors and life experiences. Work experience is a plus, which indicates to me that many take time after college to strengthen their application before applying.
Clemson answers the question of what is considered a competitive applicant to OT graduate programs. They specifically named Medical University of SC and indicated that recent students have had on averageā¦a 3.6 gpa (among other things). It seems that Clemson offers early assurance to the MUSC doctoral program (3+3 program) and students apply by January 30th of their sophomore year. I am confused because it also states that competitive applicants have experiences including Peace Corp, Americorp etc. These applicants obviously do not enter through the DE route (unless they can defer).
I cannot find admissions statistics for BS/MS direct entry programs coming out of HSā¦such as Quinnipiac etc.
Added: Le Moyne College located in Syracuse, NY has a DE masters OT program. Take a look at it to see the requirements for HS students.
He has found a few EA programs that seem like they would be a fit and list entry requirements that he could meet, although they donāt say how competitive they are if you meet those criteria. They are at schools that otherwise I think would be match or safety for him.
Any thoughts on what he should do for prep during HS?
At this point he is on track to have 3 years of science, bio, chem, physics, and 4 years of math (through precalc and AP stats).
He needs to meet your state requirements for HS graduation (not suggesting he isnāt). I would also make sure to meet the requirements for the DE programs he wishes to apply to. Keep in mind that other applicants may have met more than the minimum requirements of a particular DE program.
As far as āprepā during HS ā¦he should keep his grades up, make sure he has relationships with teachers for letters of rec, volunteer with organizations he enjoys, etc. I would also try to shadow for a few hours if possible, maybe work in a camp, try to speak with an OT etc. You indicated in a prior post that he has some of these experiences already.
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Agree with @twogirls . Your son should do what he enjoys doing!
I would suggest he spend some time shadowing and/or talking to some folks working in the allied health professions. OT is one, but he might like PT as well.
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The rehab I work for has a high school student volunteer program for the playroom. The students basically hang out with our pediatric patients. If itās a baby they get held if itās an older kid you play (mentally) age appropriate games or watch movies. Iād bet some of the adult facilities near you might have volunteering opportunities as well. Even after graduation Iāve seen more than one former volunteers get a job as an aide either for nursing, recreation or therapy while theyāre in college. Many have changed their mind about their major after exposure to more fields.
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I feel like heās doing the right things outside of school, weāre going to try to get some formal shadowing, but otherwise, I think that itās not surprising that his favorite activities overlap with the career heās interested in.
Iām more wondering about what he does in school, whether there are specific courses that might make sense. Heās worried he wonāt get in because he doesnāt have enough rigor in science, or likely wonāt make it to calculus.
Does he want to take additional science classes or classes with more rigor? If he does, itās fine. If he doesnātā¦itās also fine. Worrying about it will not accomplish anything. I mentioned earlier that he should take a look at the minimum requirements for DE programs, but understand that many applicants have more than the minimum.
When it comes time to apply to schools I would make sure to have a few safety schools in the mix. He could choose a major, study, volunteer etc ā¦with the intention of applying to OT masters programs.
He could also apply to a mix of direct entry BS/MS programs. Take a look at the one I mentioned above - Le Moyne College in Syracuse NY and see what you think about the admissions requirements for DE.
There are multiple pathways to becoming an OT if that is the plan, including taking time after college to strengthen his application if necessary.
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According to College Navigator (fedsā website) there are 23 schools that offer degrees in both music therapy and occupational therapy.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=all&p=51.2305+51.2306&pn=1&ct=1+2&ic=1
Most music therapy programs are Masterās level, but there are some schools that offer a Bachelorās or a minor. I would investigate these particular schools to see if they have any accelerated paths to an OT degree, as it seems these schools might best mesh your sonās current interests.
There was someone on the boards recently who had an interest in music therapy, and a number of the programs I looked at were not B.M.s.
If you let us know more about your son, including his academic background and the budget, Iām sure that people would be happy to provide more targeted suggestions.
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If he does an early assurance program, heād still want to be somewhere with a strong music program. Shenandoah, Duquesne, and Ithaca are places with EA programs that jump out at us for their music reputation.
As far as stats, heās at a private school with no APs, although there are some courses like Calculus or stats where kids take the test, and no weighting. His GPA is 3.8+ but thatās with a lot of music and with the Bās mostly in math. He also didnāt take science freshman year. I think itās likely to come down.
ECās are good. Lots of music, a sport every season, and volunteer and paid work as a coach, swim teacher and camp counselor with both kids with and without disabilities.
I think if he applied to any of the 3 schools I mentioned for a liberal arts degree he would be admitted, but I donāt know how much harder OT is.
All he can do is try his best. If he dives into DE programs he might be able to find the data he/you are looking for- maybe not for all programs but certainly for some. I do think DE programs are competitive, but I also think he should apply and see. Keep in mind that we do not know the applicant pool at the schools he has in mind- we donāt know who else is applying.
As long as he also applies to non DE safety schools, he can position himself to apply to OT masters programs through the traditional route. Most students apply to graduate programs this way.
Springfield College (Massachusetts) looks like it has a DE BS/MS OT program for incoming HS students. They list the admissions requirements and have a music minor.
Can he reach out to the programs (ie Ithaca) and talk to them?
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I am currently seeing an OT who specializes in hand therapy. They are not easy to find. It is a good specialty, IMO.
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I just looked at Shenandoah and they do list minimum requirements and admissions information for the DE BS/MS program. It also says they offer 10 spots - which to me means it is competitive. This does not mean he should not apply.
Duquesne also lists admissions requirements that are necessary in order to be considered, but it does not state how many spots there are.
These programs do not list how many applications they typically receive (or I canāt find). Any DE program (OT, PT, etc) is going to be competitive (unfortunately).
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It sounds like your S has a lot of interests, and is already highly engaged in helping people in a multitude of settings.
He may want to look at undergraduate programs that would allow him to explore and engage with his varied interests and set him up for graduate school and/or entry level positions post undergrad.
I teach at James Madison University (JMU) in the arts, and work with advisees who are also in the pre-OT, pre-PT, and Music and Human Services minors.
At JMU, as an example, your S could major in music with the more flexible BA with double minors in Pre-OT and Music and Human Services. This could also be done with the BM in music, but that would likely be very intense because of the performance and recital requirements.
There is also the Independant Scholars program, where a student may design a major and complete a research project centered around their varied interests. I have advised a few students who have done this as a double major with their arts major, and found it incredibly rewarding.
I share these options at JMU, because that is the school with which I am most familiar. I am sure that similar options are available at a number of schools!
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For schools with strong music programs on that list, Iād also check out Belmont, Temple, and Western Michigan as well. I donāt see that any of the three have direct entry or accelerated programs with OT, though.
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