OT/PT Accepted / Waitlisted/ Rejected - 2024 Cycle

[ot2.0]

28 minutes ago, otot123 said:

The last day to write CASPer for UofT OT was on Dec 7th...

Sucks that they did it so early. I was expecting to be around the same time as Western in Jan. 

 

Does anyone know if its worth it to even apply if you let a low score? ;/ so disappointed uoft added casper this year

[otot123]

On 12/9/2023 at 11:35 PM, ot2.0 said:

Sucks that they did it so early. I was expecting to be around the same time as Western in Jan. 

 

Does anyone know if its worth it to even apply if you let a low score? ;/ so disappointed uoft added casper this year

Yeah, its so early. I imagine the addition of CASPer might make this years cohort less competitive, as it is already cutting out people who don't want to write it, and people who sadly didn't notice the deadline was earlier. Even their PT CASPer deadline is in january! 

I would say its still worth applying. My friend attended their info session and mentioned that it didn't seem like they were giving CASPer much weight; i'm assuming this means a low CASPer can probably be offset by a strong sGPA, references and/or experiences. Keep in mind the CASPer test only gives you your quartile in comparison to all the people who wrote CASPer on the same day as you, and each of the schools are looking at your score in comparison to the rest of their OT applicants, not in comparison to all of the people who wrote the CASPer on the same day as you. 

[s9983]

On 12/9/2023 at 11:05 PM, otot123 said:

The last day to write CASPer for UofT OT was on Dec 7th...

LOL oh well

[otot123]

8 hours ago, s9983 said:

LOL oh well

You are still able to take it for Western though! There's a few dates left in January. 

[ot2.0]

On 12/9/2023 at 11:58 PM, otot123 said:

Yeah, its so early. I imagine the addition of CASPer might make this years cohort less competitive, as it is already cutting out people who don't want to write it, and people who didn't notice the deadline was earlier. Even their PT CASPer deadline is in january! 

I would say its still worth applying. My friend attended their info session and mentioned that it didn't seem like they were giving CASPer much weight; i'm assuming this means a low CASPer can probably be offset by a strong sGPA, references and/or experiences. Keep in mind the CASPer test only gives you your quartile in comparison to all the people who wrote CASPer on the same day as you, and each of the schools are looking at your score in comparison to the rest of their OT applicants, not in comparison to all of the people who wrote the CASPer on the same day as you. 

Thank you for responding! This gives me hope haha

[s9983]

For queens PT, do we need to submit volunteer & professional experience? I could've sworn that I read that somewhere that we do, but I can't seem to find that on the admissions page now

[mmimimimi]

On 11/28/2023 at 3:24 PM, VOT2024 said:

Hello all! 

Has anyone seen the new lottery system for the U of A OT admissions this year? This is my dream school to apply to, but I do not meet any of the criteria for both routes. For reference this is from their website:

 

Is it still worth applying if I do not meet the criteria for both routes? I was told by many that the first route seems a bit high with a 3.8 GPA and a 4th quartile for CASPer... unless this is the new norm for occupational therapy admissions. I am unsure of my CASPer score as I took it last week, but my GPA is 3.77, so I don't meet the 3.8 requirement.

From my understanding for the second route you need 4 of the 6 things listed?

Thanks everyone! 

In the exact same boat. I think this lottery system is very weird.....I've never seen something like this before

My GPA is estimated going to be around 3.785 when applying. That is if I use my letter grade for all 20 courses in my calculation. Is that how they calculate the grade? Or do they use the actual GPA listed on your transcript under each of the particular years? Because the latter is rounded up.

[hopefulOT2024]

Hi guys, 

I am applying to UofT and Queens and wondering if it's okay to use sessional/ contract instructors as a reference? I didn't realize this may be an issue and now offices are closed so idk if i should change my reference lol :/

[skay0817]

On 10/20/2023 at 7:29 AM, Aliannado said:

Hello, I hope you have a great first year so far.

I'm interested in both Queen's PT and OT. I was wondering if you can provide some insights on the application process (grade, experiences with OT) and how do you find the PT program at Queen. I'm debating in applying between Queen and Western. 

Thank you.

Hi! I can't speak much on the OT side of things since I was only ever interested in PT, but I can tell you that I am liking the Queens PT program so far! The 2025 class are the "guinea pigs" of this new curriculum so we've hit some bumps in the road and we are learning right along side the faculty of what this all means, but so far it has been enjoyable. What i love specifically is our weekly clinical exam. Sounds daunting I know, but instead of one large OSCE at the end of the semester worth a ton of % of our grade, we have one small 10 minute station each Friday that we are marked on. Way lower stakes, just higher frequency of assessment. We also got to learn a bit of everything - MSK, neuro, and cardioresp - all within our first 12 weeks of the program (some other schools only have one focus per semester). We go on our first placement right after Christmas break. Our schedule is set up so that we do 2 months placement, 2 months in class, 2 months placement, 2 months in class, and repeats until we graduate. If you have any more specific questions let me know! Good luck in your application  

[skay0817]

On 12/16/2023 at 11:46 AM, s9983 said:

For queens PT, do we need to submit volunteer & professional experience? I could've sworn that I read that somewhere that we do, but I can't seem to find that on the admissions page now

It will be inserted into your essays! There is no spot specifically in ORPAS to list it like you might see with Western

[ANGot]

On 12/18/2023 at 7:55 AM, mmimimimi said:

In the exact same boat. I think this lottery system is very weird.....I've never seen something like this before

My GPA is estimated going to be around 3.785 when applying. That is if I use my letter grade for all 20 courses in my calculation. Is that how they calculate the grade? Or do they use the actual GPA listed on your transcript under each of the particular years? Because the latter is rounded up.

Same here, just got my casper back and now I don't qualify for either :((, I'm not sure if it is worth applying to alberta anymore which is sad. This seems to be a new system so not sure how it will be.

[BCOT7]

On 12/18/2023 at 4:55 AM, mmimimimi said:

In the exact same boat. I think this lottery system is very weird.....I've never seen something like this before

My GPA is estimated going to be around 3.785 when applying. That is if I use my letter grade for all 20 courses in my calculation. Is that how they calculate the grade? Or do they use the actual GPA listed on your transcript under each of the particular years? Because the latter is rounded up.

They don't even want reference letters and have waived it off. They want "life experiences instead," so does that mean we have to write about it? The Alberta application is very strange this year 

[s9983]

Is Casper the same examination for PT/OT students as it would be for med students for example? Been doing a bit of practice and was wondering if I should stray from watching these videos catering to medical students writing a casper exam. 

[skay0817]

2 hours ago, s9983 said:

Is Casper the same examination for PT/OT students as it would be for med students for example? Been doing a bit of practice and was wondering if I should stray from watching these videos catering to medical students writing a casper exam. 

I believe it is the same one or at least very similar. The test is for all health science students which includes PT, OT, veterinary, etc. I would say watching those videos definitely won't hurt you!

[VOT2024]

On 12/18/2023 at 5:55 AM, mmimimimi said:

In the exact same boat. I think this lottery system is very weird.....I've never seen something like this before

My GPA is estimated going to be around 3.785 when applying. That is if I use my letter grade for all 20 courses in my calculation. Is that how they calculate the grade? Or do they use the actual GPA listed on your transcript under each of the particular years? Because the latter is rounded up.

Good point about the GPA calculation, I am also very confused about it. I have no idea whether or not they take your yearly GPA and average that out across 20 courses or if they do the calculation with all 60 recent credits? I'm very confused as that would also change my GPA!

 

[VOT2024]

On 12/21/2023 at 1:13 AM, BCOT7 said:

They don't even want reference letters and have waived it off. They want "life experiences instead," so does that mean we have to write about it? The Alberta application is very strange this year 

I think you could probably just mention your life experiences in your statement of interest as well?? I am also a little unsure but it seems like life experiences are the big focus this year, and they are looking for very specific ones 

[ot2.0]

Does anyone have any practical tips for when writing their personal submission? For example, certain things they made sure to include or some sort of format that made it easier to write? Feel free to PM <3 Tyia!! 

[Noël]

On 11/10/2023 at 4:36 AM, ebirley7 said:

Hello everyone,

This year I am applying to all Ontario OT schools and wanted some input if I even have a chance. I have a s-gpa of 3.411 and a c-gpa of 3.5. I still am taking my CASPER in late November and I have my personal submissions yet to write. My resume is not too bad as my program (engineering) had work terms integrated into so I have lots of professional general experience and I have a few volunteer positions I think are more specifically relevant to OT. My references will be okay. One is a professor I have work on my final project with, and one is the supervisor of my hospital volunteering. My question is, is it even worth applying this year? I have already paid for the CASPER test but haven't paid for anything else so if my gpa is going to almost immediately disqualify me from any program I might rather save the couple hundred dollars of ORPAS fees to apply.

Let me know your thoughts!

I got into uOttawa OT with a sGPA of 3.46 last year, so you might stand a chance there!

[skay0817]

On 12/27/2023 at 8:59 PM, ot2.0 said:

Does anyone have any practical tips for when writing their personal submission? For example, certain things they made sure to include or some sort of format that made it easier to write? Feel free to PM <3 Tyia!! 

Hi! My biggest advice is READ the question. People lose easy points by missing parts of the question or going off on tangents and not being specific and sticking to the prompt (QUALITY over quantity as well). My other piece of advice is to be yourself and be unique. Try to find something unique about you - either an experience, a memory, your motivators, etc...and really draw on it in your writing. Good luck  

[Add]

Does anyone know what queens looks for in an applicant? In previous years it seems that they valued experience highly

[skay0817]

42 minutes ago, Add said:

Does anyone know what queens looks for in an applicant? In previous years it seems that they valued experience highly

Hi! Current Queens PT1 here. I would say they do place a lot of emphasis on experience based on their essay questions. They also want to see that you have made a well informed career decision as can be seen by essay question #1. You can view some of my previous posts/comments in case I miss something here, but be as detailed and specific as you can when recalling your experiences remembering quality over quantity. Pull out some unique details if you can that may make you stand out. 

They do place emphasis on your c-gpa, s-gpa, and casper scores as well. It all comes into play obviously. If you have a low gpa and casper score but amazing essays/experience, it may not be enough to get you in. But they look for well rounded candidates. You can have a bit lower gpa and casper to get into Queen's than say Mac, UofT, or Western, but then they want to see you have the passion and experience to back it up.

[OTboundshan]

Hi Guys, 

I’m just joining the thread here. I am applying for the 2024/2025 cycle OT programs in Ontario. I have applied to all schools in Ontario. I am now waiting for offers which won’t be until March for McMaster interviews and May/June for the other schools. I also just received my Casper quartile score. My quartile score is 4th quartile. My sub-gpa from my calculation is a 3.78. I’ll have to wait until February to see my sub-gpa through OPRAS. I also should note that I have clinical experience as I work as a PTA currently and I also have volunteered with an OT for a stroke program run by March of Dimes Canada. I also had volunteered at the LIFE program with March of Dimes. 

[ot2.0]

-resolved-

[physiowannabe123]

Is there any way to get around a missed deadline?

[Add]

Applied (OT): Queens, Western, McMaster
Accepted:
Waitlisted:
Rejected:
GPA: 3.68 s-gpa and 3.56 c-gpa
CASPer Quartile: 4th
Perceived strength of essays/interviews/references: 

- Reference from an OT prof and from my work supervisor of 3 years

- worked on a community engagement project for the faculty of rehab sciences at my school

- interviewed OTs from a variety of disciplines, including long term care, primary care, research, holistic health

- volunteer research assistant in an OT study, certified to do cognitive assessments as part of this research

- independent study and my upcoming poster presentation in my Queens resume, more experience as a volunteer research assistant using voice analysis software

- talked about my interest in OT research, attending conferences for rehab sciences

- worked in a student planning job where I assisted in supporting over 400 orientation events, my supervisor wrote one of my references

- talked about teaching ESL students

- highlighted my experience competing in horseback riding, certifications and awards related to this, volunteering in therapeutic riding and shadowing other equine assisted therapies, talked about over 500 hours shadowing equine industry professionals with the eventual goal of being certified and practicing in hippo therapy

- volunteered in therapeutic riding (6 months) and in a facilitated communication group for aphasia(6 months)

- for western, I had talked about how I created a social justice petition that got over 3000 signatures and was implemented within my university, and I talked about inclusive approaches to event planning

I think that the weakest point of my application is definitely my GPA. I did poorly in 2 of the courses that were included in the most recent 20 from my last semester of second year. Without those grades I would be applying with a 3.95, so I am prepared to maybe just reapply next year. Not sure if I should apply to Alberta or not.