Application Experiences of a Peer and Professor

 I thought it would be helpful to include the application experiences of one of my professors as well as one of my peers to give more diverse perspectives on the application process. 

I asked Dr. Samia Rafeedie, a clinical professor of occupational therapy at USC, about her application experience. Dr. Rafeedie told me that she didn't feel she had a good chance of getting into OT school, because she had a 3.2 GPA. She also knew that the school she was applying to, Ohio State, only had 60 spots with 280 applications. But Dr. Rafeedie really believed that she would be a good OT, so she sought to get strong letters of recommendation and wrote a personal statement about what she would bring to the table as an OT. Dr. Rafeedie shared with me that her personal statement portrayed a parallel between being an immigrant and a patient, as she wrote about her experience immigrating from Palestine. When her family came to the US, they did not know the language or the culture. But there was an Arab community center, where families learned their history, as well as how to dance and cook. Dr. Rafeedie shared that this was OT for her parents, a way to adapt, transition, and feel included. She drew from her family's lived experience, and how OT facilitates adaptability and transitions. She saw how the Arab community center helped her family thrive. Dr. Rafeedie recommended telling a story for your personal statement that will really set you apart from anyone else.

The student I interviewed was Calvin Lee, one of the most diligent and admirable students in my cohort. I felt his input about applying would be especially valuable because he applied to OT school twice. He shared with me what he wish he knew when he applied, his tips, and how he improved his application the second time he applied:

"I wish I knew how holistic the application process really was! I got way too focused on my GRE score because I thought that that was a really big piece of the application, but in reality, everything is weighed together and nothing is more important than the other. I would also say to definitely have people read over your personal statements! This is so key because, even though you might think your essay is ready to be submitted, another set of eyes can pinpoint some parts of your essay that might need more polishing. I know it’s scary to have other people read your writing, especially if there are personal aspects within it, but I think I’ve grown a lot by being uncomfortable and stepping outside of comfort zone to let others read over what I write. One more thing is letters of recommendation: make sure you ask people that can really write you good letters! Communicate with the people you  asked and let them know if there’s anything specific you’d like them to include that might make you look stronger in your application.

So I applied to USC twice and the first time I applied, I wasn’t offered a place in the entering class. I got back in touch with the admissions committee to see what I could improve on when I reapply for the following year. For my application specifically, they said that my essay could have been stronger. This is where I want to emphasize having people look over your writing again. It really helps!!! The first time I applied, I literally had NO ONE read over my essay and I just submitted it because I was too shy to share it. The second time that I applied, I had multiple people read it, including friends, family, and professors. As much as I feel confident in my writing, I always appreciate having others read it over and give me feedback because it’s most likely that there is always something to improve on that I might have missed."

I hope these two perspectives give you more insight into what OT schools are looking for in applicants. As always, please feel free to comment any questions you may have for me. Best of luck! 

-Bethany

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