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.