Program-Specific Info / Q's Colorado State University students - question!

[esi17]

I applied to Colorado State University -- DEFINITELY my top choice for graduate school.
I was wondering if any current OT students or applicants could give me any information on their GPA/pre-req's/etc., anything to let me know if I should keep my hopes up waiting for that March 1st letter!

My current OTCAS GPA is a 3.8, but I'm waiting on an academic update that would make it a 3.84
Pre-req GPA is 3.95
My essay was great and I responded well to the prompt (I believe, at least)
GRE was 155/155/5.5

Any information, please let me know!

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[lucys1024]

I wish someone would comment. CSU is one of my dream schools. Your stats look spot great to me. I want to go because of the focus on Neurodisorders, that is where my fascination lies. I volunteer at a top Peds Rehab Hospital, and the main OTR that is in charge of ND, NM, DS, etc clinics- went to CSU.

 

[CharacterZero]

I applied there as well and would love to go, but from what I've heard they place a lot of emphasis on gpa and mine probably won't cut it They do weigh the supplemental essay the same as cumulative gpa though I think (at least according to their website). They don't require any shadowing hours so I don't know that they weight experience very much, if at all.

 

[lucys1024]

...

 

[esi17]

This is how they determine admittance:
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA (20%)
• GPA in prerequisite courses (25%)
• Number of credits completed in prerequisite courses (10%)
• GRE Analytical Writing (10%)
• GRE Quantitative (5%)
• GRE Verbal (5%)
• Life Experience Essay (25%)

 

[csustudent]

Hi! I'm a current CSU student. I'm happy to say my stats are a distant memory... I THINK I had a 4.0 in prereq's and my undergraduate cum was somewhere around 3.6. No clue what my gre's were. I'm sorry I can't be of more help!

I will share that my cohort is filled with smart, interesting people with a huge diversity of backgrounds. I don't know what people's stats were, and as soon as you get that letter it stops mattering. I know that's not helpful, I remember the anxiety.

Feel free to pm me!

 

[MarieOT]

Have any of you guys that applied to the school of occupational therapy at CSU heard anything?

 

[Bosh2112]

No, but I'm getting really impatient! Lol
They said they would notify all applicants via US mail around March 1st. So hopefully only a few more days!!

 

[esi17]

Not yet, but I've been checking every day! Post on here whenever you here anything!

 

[csustudent17]

I am currently in my first year as an OT student in the masters program at CSU. I actually did not hear back from CSU until after St. Patrick's day last year regarding whether I was admitted or not. So try to be patient. I graduated from my undergrad with a 3.56 GPA and scored a combined 299 on the GRE, I don't recall what my essay score was. However there are people in the program that were above and beyond students that had 4.0 GPA's and much higher GRE's. My prerequisite GPA was higher than my normal GPA and I also took my time writing my essay since it is one of the more weighted admission criteria.

A last little bit of advice I have is that at this point you've done all you can do as far as applying...you will go crazy if you sit and worry about what you could've done different or worry about when you will hear back.

 

[WorkingHard16]

So has anyone heard from CSU or are these letters a myth lol

 

[katland3]

So has anyone heard from CSU or are these letters a myth lol

Still waiting...

 

[Corimtwa]

Also still waiting.

 

[OTFall2014]

I called CSU the week before last because I had to put down my deposit on another school and they said that the letters would go out last week for both acceptances and rejections....but I'm still waiting.

 

[katland3]

Maybe that means the letters are floating around now and depending on our individual locations we should receive them this week, maybe even today! Let's hope.

 

[ChacotheDog]

I like your optimism. Mine didn't come today. Fingers crossed for tomorrow!

 

[Bosh2112]

Still waiting here too. I have been checking the mail at least 3 times a day...it's seriously getting ridiculous haha.

 

[keiri11]

Yeah, I applied and am waiting as well. This is torture. Kind of disheartened by the statistics (only 10-15%) get in, but still hoping. I wish there was another O.T. program in Colorado.

 

[ALH OT]

I got an email today that I was accepted and will be receiving a letter in the mail with details next week. Good luck to everyone!

 

[esi17]

I just received an e-mail saying I was accepted as well! Soo exciting! Good luck to everyone as well.

 

[ChacotheDog]

Ruh-roh. I didn't receive an e-mail yet.

Congrats on getting in!

 

[ChacotheDog]

I got my acceptance letter today! Yay!

 

[esi17]

Could we start a Facebook group for our class?

 

[CO OT Guy]

Hi everyone, for those of you who got accepted to CSU, I'd love to know your stats if you're willing to share? Also, how many observation hours do you have? I applied but was not accepted. I have a 3.54 cum gpa, 4.0 in pre-reqs (although I did get an F in one of them originally, but retook it and got an A...so Idk if it's considered a 4.0 or 3.5). I got a 165 on the verbal, 147 math, and 3.5 writing and I have 30 hours of observation right now. I've done a decent amount of volunteer work and will have completed my bachelor's in 3 years while working full time as a CNA (I had 21 credits left to take at the time I applied). My thoughts are that I need to bring up my writing score on the GRE and get a lot more observation hours. I'm also wondering if the amount of credits I had left to take hindered my acceptance. Since they put a lot of weight on the life experience essay, I'm also starting to wonder if my background is not diverse enough for what they are looking for. Anyway, any advice you have would be much appreciated! I'm planning to reapply for next year. Congrats to those who got in!!

 

[ALH OT]

University: Penn State University
Major: Human Development and Family Studies, Honors College
Overall GPA: 3.83
Pre-Req GPA: not sure
GRE: 158, 156, 4.5

Extra-Curric: 3 research experiences, OT club, gerontology club, honors clubs

Volunteer: 150+ hours at a variety of settings (in and outpatient pediatric, outpatient adult, stroke floor, and school setting)

Acceptances: Chatham, Rush, Temple, Pitt, Colorado

Rejections: None

Waiting: UW Madison, Virginia Commonwealth

I think there were a few things about my application that helped me greatly...
First, I had to write a thesis in undergrad, and I think with the growing emphasis on research in the field of OT, that may have helped me quite a bit. Also, I had very strong letters of recommendation (my boss of 5 years from my job working at a camp with kids with disabilities and behavioral challenges, my thesis supervisor who knew me for two years, and an OT who had been in the field 25 years). And at the two interviews I had I was told my personal statement stood out. I consider myself very lucky to have gotten accepted to the schools I did!

I also had to retake a class, specifically physiology (went from a C to an A), so I don't think schools hold that against you too much.

Best of luck!

 

[PCK6]

Could we start a Facebook group for our class?

Hi esi17, yes I think we should get a fb group together for our class! Do you know if anyone has already done that or is planning to?

 

[esi17]

Hi esi17, yes I think we should get a fb group together for our class! Do you know if anyone has already done that or is planning to?

I just made one!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/293434507474208/

There is the link, let me know if it doesn't work!

 

[TheOTLife]

Hi everyone, for those of you who got accepted to CSU, I'd love to know your stats if you're willing to share? Also, how many observation hours do you have? I applied but was not accepted. I have a 3.54 cum gpa, 4.0 in pre-reqs (although I did get an F in one of them originally, but retook it and got an A...so Idk if it's considered a 4.0 or 3.5). I got a 165 on the verbal, 147 math, and 3.5 writing and I have 30 hours of observation right now. I've done a decent amount of volunteer work and will have completed my bachelor's in 3 years while working full time as a CNA (I had 21 credits left to take at the time I applied). My thoughts are that I need to bring up my writing score on the GRE and get a lot more observation hours. I'm also wondering if the amount of credits I had left to take hindered my acceptance. Since they put a lot of weight on the life experience essay, I'm also starting to wonder if my background is not diverse enough for what they are looking for. Anyway, any advice you have would be much appreciated! I'm planning to reapply for next year. Congrats to those who got in!!

Don't lose heart! I was turned down my first time too. I, unlike you, did really poorly in undergrad (2.8), but I was lucky in that I didn't take any of the necessary prerequisites for this program until several years later (my economics degree didn't require any of them except stats). Since returning to school i have had a 4.0 so my prerequisite GPA was a 3.9-4.0. My GRE scores were verbal 169, quantitative 162, writing 4.5. I have 130 hrs volunteer work doing hippotherapy with an OT, 30 hrs volunteer work at the VA hospital, and have 1500 hrs working as a direct care professional. I was definitely more of a long shot than you are. The main things that I think helped me were my GRE scores, my work experience, my personal essay (I rewrote it completely before reapplying, but give yourself a few months so that you can approach it from a fresh perspective, and remember to focus on your strengths and the experiences you've had where you have acted in a manner similar to an OT), my recommendations (I had great ones from my anatomy/physiology prof, the OT I worked with, and my boss - I think this went a really long way, so make sure you keep up those relationships), and the fact that I took all of the prerequisites that I could from CSU online (including biomechanics of human occupation - which is no longer an online-only course which may make that harder for you, but try and take it if you can and haven't).

I understand all of the aspects of CSU that make it a top-choice school, but if you are willing to move out of state there are many great programs that I'm sure would love to have someone with your credentials, so you might want to look into a few other schools as backups. I think knowing I had other choices helped in my application to CSU because it made me feel less desperate, which I think improved the tone of my application. I hope that this is helpful and I wish you the best of luck. You can do it!

P.S. I'm not sure if you've seen this link, but it tells you how they weight everything: http://www.ot.chhs.colostate.edu/students/documents/Admissions Review Process7-12-2013.pdf. You can also try calling them and asking them what part of your application needed the most strengthening up.