Admission: OT: College of Health Sciences: Illinois

Admission counselor and studentAdmission Requirements
Prerequisite Courses
Application Process
GPA Verfications
Interview/Selection Process
Technical Standards for Admission
Matriculation Process
Reapplication Process

Downloadable Application

Admission
 The College of Health Sciences Occupational Therapy Program considers for admission those applicants who possess the academic and professional promise necessary to become competent, caring members of the health care community. To select these candidates, a rolling admissions framework has been established.

Competitive Admissions
Within this competitive admissions framework, multiple criteria are used to select the most qualified candidates from an applicant pool that exceeds the number of seats available. Interested individuals are advised to complete their application as early as possible to ensure timely consideration.

Applications received are reviewed by the Director of Admissions in conjunction with the OT Program Admissions Committee to determine the applicant’s eligibility for an interview. Admission decisions are made approximately one to two weeks after interviews have concluded.

Admission Requirements
Individuals applying for admission to the College of Health Sciences Occupational Therapy Program must satisfy the following minimum requirements before the academic year commences for the incoming class:

  1. Possess a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university;
  2. Achieve a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale (only grades of C or higher will be considered to fulfill prerequisite requirements);
  3. Complete the minimum number of prerequisite courses in the prescribed subject areas at a regionally accredited college or university before the program begins;
  4. Take and submit the Graduate Record Examination general test scores (optional for those with GPAs above 3.0). Scores will be accepted from tests taken no earlier than January 1, 2004. The Midwestern University institutional code for the GRE is 1769. For more information about the GRE, contact Educational Testing Services (ETS) at 1-866-473-4373 or visit www.gre.org;
  5. Satisfy the standards set forth by the Admissions Committee (including documentation of academic and professional promise in the prospective student);
  6. Complete the OT Program's interview process. On campus interviews are by invitation only;
  7. Complete a first aid course within three years prior to enrollment;
  8. Present evidence of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Level C/Health
    Care Provider or Basic Life Support of the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross. It is the student's responsibility to maintain CPR certification at this level while enrolled in the program;
  9. Reflect a people/service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities;
  10. Reflect proper motivation for and commitment to health care as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer work, or other life experiences;
  11. Possess the oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with clients and colleagues;
  12. Abide by Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy;
  13. Pass a criminal background check.

Prerequisite Courses
Students must complete these courses with a grade of C or higher

Course Required Courses
Human Anatomy One course*
Physiology One course*
Statistics One course
Human Development One course
Abnormal Psychology One course
Social & Behavioral Science One course

*The Anatomy and Physiology requirements may also be fulfilled by taking Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology II, as some universities offer combined courses.

Additional courses in the sciences and mathematics are also recommended, including chemistry, physiology, physics, and additional biology courses.

General education electives are also recommended to demonstrate competency in English composition, oral communication, problem-solving behavior, logic, and ethical theories.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:Must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework in the United States. Of the 30 semester hours, 6 hours must be in nonremedial English composition, and 3 hours in speech/communication. Students must complete these courses with a grade of C or higher.

Application Process
To be considered for admission to the Occupational Therapy program, applicants must submit the following items to the Office of Admissions:

  1. A properly completed application. For questions about the application or admissions process, you may contact the Office of Admissions at 800-458-6253 or e-mail at admissil@midwestern.edu.
  2. A nonrefundable, nonwaivable application fee of $50. Make checks payable to Midwestern University: OT.
  3. Two properly signed and sealed letters of recommendation from professionals who know the applicant well. The Office of Admissions will accept letters from prehealth advisors or committees, science professors, and health professionals.
  4. Official transcripts from every undergraduate, graduate, or professional school attended. Each transcript MUST be signed and sealed by the registrar of each institution.
  5. Standardized test scores (GRE general test scores,
    required of students with a GPA less than 3.0).

Send all application materials to:
Office of Admissions
Midwestern University
555 31st St.
Downers Grove, IL 60515

Note: Please notify us of any changes to your mailing address and e-mail address.

All requests for withdrawing an application must be done in writing.

GPA Verifications
The Office of Admissions considers grades from all nonremedial, college-level courses completed after high school. All attempts of repeated courses must be used in the calculation of the GPA. No grades of C– or below are accepted for any pre-professional course considered a prerequisite for admission; however, the grades must be used in the GPA calculation. Courses in which “credit” or a grade of “pass” is earned will be counted as fulfilling the prerequisite requirement if the applicant can provide verification that the grade earned was equivalent to a C or higher. Such courses are not included in the cumulative GPA calculation.

Interview/Selection Process
Students selected for an interview will be notified by letter or telephone of available interview dates and invited to schedule an on-campus interview. The applicant must contact the Office of Admissions to schedule an interview date.

During each interview session, the interviewer(s) questions the applicant about his/her academic, personal, and professional aspirations and preparedness for admission to the program, rating the prospective student on a standard evaluation form. These evaluations are then made a part of the applicant’s file, which is then made available to the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee. The Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee meets approximately one to two weeks after the interviews. The Committee reviews the full application file for each applicant who was interviewed and then formulates and submits its recommendation for action. Each applicant will be notified in writing of the admission action/decision.

Technical Standards for Admission
A candidate must have abilities and skills in five areas: I) observation; II) communication; III) motor; IV) intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative; and V) behavioral and social. Technological compensation can be made for some limitation in certain of these areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner..

I. Observation: The candidate must be able to accurately make observations at a distance and close at hand. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and somatic sensation and is enhanced by the functional use of all of the other senses.

II. Communication: The candidate must be able to communicate effectively, efficiently and sensitively in both oral and written form and be able to perceive nonverbal communication.

III. Motor:Candidates must be able to coordinate both gross and fine muscular movements, maintain equilibrium and have functional use of the senses of touch and vision. The candidate must possess sufficient postural control, neuromuscular control and eye-to-hand coordination to perform profession-specific skills and tasks.

IV. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: The candidate must be able to problem solve, measure, calculate, reason, analyze, record and synthesize large amounts of information in a timely manner. The candidate must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand spatial relationships.

V. Behavioral and Social Attributes: The candidate must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment and the consistent, prompt completion of all responsibilities and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships. Candidates must be able to tolerate physically, mentally and emotionally taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. The candidate must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility, and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, effective interpersonal skills, willingness and ability to function as an effective team player, interest and motivation to learn are all personal qualities required during the educational process.

Matriculation Process
The matriculation process begins after an applicant receives notification of his/her acceptance into the Occupational Therapy Program. The student must return both a signed matriculation agreement and deposit to the Office of Admissions. The student must also complete the following:

  1. Submit deposit monies by the dates designated in his/her matriculation agreement; the entire deposit is applied toward the student’s first-quarter tuition.
  2. Submit official final transcripts from all colleges attended post-high school by the deadline of two weeks (14 calendar days) prior to the first day of classes. For students who are accepted to MWU less than one month prior to the first day of classes, they will have 30 calendar days from the date of their acceptance to submit all official transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Any special circumstances or requests for exceptions to this policy must be made by the Office of the Dean of the college. If students fail to submit all official final transcripts by the stated deadline, their acceptance or continued enrollment in the college may be jeopardized.
  3. Complete a medical file as requested by the Office of Student Services.
  4. Submit proof of medical insurance coverage. The student may select either a plan offered by an MWU-approved carrier or a comparable plan offered by an outside carrier of the student’s choice.
  5. Submit proof of Illinois residency (this applies only to those students claiming Illinois residency).
  6. For non-U.S. citizens/nonpermanent residents only, provide documentation verifying that sufficient funds have been deposited in a U.S. bank to cover all expenses while attending CHS.
  7. Provide documentation that any additional coursework or service requirements stipulated by the admissions committee of the program has been completed.
  8. Sign authorization form allowing a criminal background check.
  9. Submit additional documents as required by the Office of Admissions.
  10. Sign Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy.
  11. Complete physical exam and submit form.
  12. Sign Credit Policy Statement.
  13. Satisfy the Technical Standards for the program.

If the student either fails to satisfy these matriculation requirements or omits/falsifies information required on official admissions documents, the student automatically forfeits his/her seat in the Program. Any individual accepted for admission to the Occupational Therapy Program who does not comply with stated timelines for submission of all required materials receives no further notification from CHS relative to forfeiture of his/her seat.

Reapplication Process
After receiving either a denial or end-of-cycle letter, a prospective student may reapply for the following year’s admissions cycle. Before reapplying, however, individuals contemplating reapplication should seek the advice of an admissions counselor. To initiate the reapplication process, the prospective student must complete and submit a new application and proceed through each step of the entire application process.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)