Suggest matches and reaches for an aspiring Occupational Therapist [3.7 GPA (3.6 without music), <$40k, FA possible only without non-custodial parent]

Chance Me / Match Me
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DS26 is hoping for a career as an occupational therapist. He would like a school that has either a combined undergraduate/graduate degree in OT, or that offers priority admission to grad school for its undergraduates.

He has seen some schools he likes, and one he loves, however the feedback he is getting from a lot of people is that he needs to aim “higher”. Both he and I are very skeptical that “higher” means better, but he would like to see some schools that might be matches or reaches to see if he’s missing something.

Before I give stats, there are a couple complicating factors

Finances: We could afford $30-$40K tuition. He will probably qualify for need based aid, but will need a non custodial parent waiver at some schools. We expect he will get it, but it would obviously be easier to be at a school that either doesn’t require non custodial parent info, or that is affordable with just merit aid.

Current School: He’s on financial aid at a pretty competitive private prep school that doesn’t offer AP’s and doesn’t weight GPA at all. That makes it hard to know where to apply. Kids with similar GPA’s and rigor seem to have gone to schools like Bucknell, Skidmore, Dickinson, Santa Clara, Providence etc . . .

Demographics
US Citizen
White male

Intended Major(s)
Most combined OT programs seem to limit majors. If he could choose anything he’d probably choose music ed, or music therapy.

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

Unweighted HS GPA: 3.7-3.8 (note, he has taken 2 music classes every semester, which pulls this up. If you just looked at core academics it’s around 3.6)

PSAT Scores: 1060 in 10th without prep. Hoping to bring this up.

Coursework
Note: He’s a rising junior, so this includes anticipated classes.

English: I, II, III, IV (all honors)

Science: Biology, Chemistry, Physics (all on level)

Social Science: Global Issues, USH, Western Civ, Psychology (all honors)

Math: Geometry, Algebra II, PreCalculus, (all on level) Advanced Statistics

World Language: Spanish II, III, IV (all on level)

Music: 10 credits total, including the most advanced vocal and instrumental ensembles and AP level music theory.

Awards
School based award for service

Extracurriculars

Music: Multiple classes, private lessons, ensembles etc . . .

Musical theater (summer program, 2 shows each summer)

Performs a few times a month at a local memory care facility

2 varsity sports (doesn’t plan to compete NCAA, but will look for opportunities to play)

Coaches and instructs kids in his sport, both for pay and through Special Olympics.

Camp counselor for kids with disabilities

Has shadowed OTs in multiple settings

Essays/LORs/Other

LOR’s will probably speak very highly of character, kindness, leadership, and work ethic but he’s not an academic standout.

Essay will probably be about a kid he works with, which would fit well with his career goals.

Will submit a music supplement at schools where that’s an option.

His ideal school seems to be MidAtlantic, under 10K, well defined campus, opportunities for music as a non-major, and athletics as non NCAA athlete, opportunities to work with children and adults with disabilities. He is fine with either Catholic or secular.

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Home state?

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Sacred Heart University and the University of Scranton have a combined program. I don’t know if the cost will come down to what you need it to be, but it’s worth researching. You can also look at Mercy University. Again…not sure about costs.

Your son may also want to consider instate schools and then apply to grad school through the traditional route (compare costs).

If he found schools that he really likes…why “aim higher”? Have you looked at costs at these schools?

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If he’s sure about wanting OT, then direct-admit, affordability, and fit are far more important than “aiming higher.”

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That is an excellent question.

I think he spends a lot of time people who place a pretty high value on prestige and name brand, and he just wants to look at the kind of schools they’re talking about, and see if he’s missing something.

If I have to guess, he’ll come back to the one he likes. I think it’s a great fit for him in many ways. But he just wants to see more.

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I’m trying to provide a little privacy for him. We know what our in state options are. At this point, there’s an out of state option that’s affordable and guaranteed admissions unless his grades fall off a cliff that he likes more than anything in state.

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Will these “higher” schools come in at your price point?

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He’s found a safety that he really likes with guaranteed admission for a 3.25 and up that’s affordable without aid, and the school he loves is affordable according to the NPC. It doesn’t require noncustodial parent info. The school he loves is probably a likely for general admissions, and maybe a match for the guaranteed entry OT program.

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Some of the schools he is looking at it’s hard to tell because the NPC’s ask for info on both parents.

But he’s found a safety and a likely that he really likes. The safety is both financial and academic safety. The likely’s doesn’t require noncustodial parent info, and the NPC says $36K which is doable for us.

ETA: I misread your question. Since I don’t know what the “higher” schools would be, I have no idea what they might cost.

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I think that if he found an affordable safety school that he likes and is a guaranteed direct admit…he has hit the jackpot!

Take a look at the American Occupational Therapy Association list of programs.

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I think so too. He is very much a rule follower and I told him that College Confidential says to find your safety first and make sure it’s affordable. So, he did!

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My younger child applied initially to three colleges and all were really safety schools. But that didn’t matter to her…or us. She really liked these colleges and felt she would be happy at any of the three.

She received acceptances to all three before Christmas. Applied EA or rolling admissions. She happily matriculated to and graduated from one of these safety schools.

My point being…there is nothing wrong with attending a college your son loves even if it’s a safety school.

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I am a PT. No one has ever asked me what undergraduate school I attended. Not patients, employers, colleagues. Very few have ever even asked where I went to grad school for PT. Once you pass your boards, it is very much a level playing field. He should go where he can get good grades in pre med type classes, continue his exploration of the field and be inspired and happy.
Music and OT are a great combination. And male OTs are in the minority, which may well make him more attractive to grad programs.

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I know that and he knows that. He’s just hearing from many sides that other schools are “better” and he wants to see some of these better schools, just to see what they offer.

I think the school he likes the best is a really good match. I like so many things about it for him, but I also know that we’re early in the process and I want him to explore more options so he doesn’t feel like he missed out.

I won’t be surprised if he comes back to the same option in the end, though.

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Is he planning on working in a school? If so, it makes sense to go to school in the area you’d like to work. Practicums and internships often leads to jobs. I assume the same is true for clinical work.

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I don’t think he knows what setting he wants to be in yet. It’s kind of early to make that kind of specific plan.

I know in our area, the public schools are desperate for all kinds of related service providers. I can’t imagine he’ll need connections from a practicum or internship if that’s the job he wants.

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Totally agree.

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Thank you! Sacred Heart was one that wasn’t on our radar, so I really appreciate it. It looks like they have a lot of music there.

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Here’s a list of schools that have early assurance programs, and music, and 10K or fewer students.

Does anyone have a sense of which would be likely/match/reach? Has anyone had any experience with any of them?

Duquesne
Elizabethtown
Hartford
Ithaca
Monmouth
Nazareth
Sacred Heart University
Saint Joseph’s University
Seton Hall
Shenandoah

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Since the competitiveness of direct-entry programs can differ so greatly from the overall competitiveness of the school, I have nothing to contribute on the “chancing” front, unfortunately.

But I’m curious as to how many of these have actual music therapy opportunities, and also how the music opportunities look for non-majors. I had thought about mentioning Hartford, for example, but wasn’t sure how accessible opportunities in the conservatory would be for an OT student. I assume the school that has emerged as a favorite passes these additional filters as well, yes?

The one that I wondered about, which isn’t on the list you just gave because it doesn’t have direct-entry, is Slippery Rock, which is quite good of all of the disability-serving fields. What’s interesting to me is that they offer a 3+3 BS in Recreation Therapy + OTD, where you apply to the OT program at the end of the second year… and they also have a BM in Music Therapy that covers a lot of the same pre-OT requirements as the Rec Therapy curriculum. The BM couldn’t be compressed into 3 years, but I’d still be curious about a pathway through those two programs, or whether it would be possible to add the music piece into the RT/OT program. That said, I see why direct-entry would still be more appealing if there’s someplace where you can get that without losing anything on the music side.

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