Preparing for Occupational Therapy School

What You Should Do When...

First-Year:

  • Keep your grades up!
  • Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
  • Check out the Roanoke College's HPAG web site.
  • Join Students Interested in Health Careers.
  • Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
  • Identify occupational therapy schools that you might like to attend. Check out the web site for each of these schools and note specific requirements.
  • Investigate summer paid or voluntary medically-related experiences.

Second-Year:

  • Keep your grades up!
  • Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
  • Participate in Students Interested in Health Careers.
  • Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
  • Investigate shadowing opportunities with occupational therapists. Investigate summer paid or voluntary medically-related experiences.
  • Log on the Educational Testing Service (ETS) web site to learn about the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Third-Year:

  • Keep your grades up!
  • Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
  • Participate in Students Interested in Health Careers.
  • Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
  • Investigate shadowing opportunities, placements, and internships with occupational therapists.
  • Prepare to take the GRE. Consider taking a preparatory course for it.
  • Take the GRE in spring semester.
  • Complete the necessary application materials for selected schools. Submit on the first day possible.
  • Conduct a practice interview with members of HPAG.

Fourth-Year:

  • Keep your grades up!
  • Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
  • Participate in Students Interested in Health Careers.
  • Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
  • Investigate shadowing opportunities, placements, and internships with occupational therapists.

What If You Don't Get In? Try Again!

  • Contact schools and ask an admissions counselor what your weak areas are and how you can strengthen your application in the next round.
  • Apply again.