DOCTOR of OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
APPLICATION PROCESS

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SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR OTCAS

  • Please follow these instructions carefully as the LSU Health Shreveport Occupational Therapy Program will use the information provided on OTCAS to make decisions regarding admission.
  • Check your OTCAS email regularly since this is how the Program will communicate with you. Make sure that emails from OTCAS are accepted (not sent to junk mail) by your email program.
  • It is the responsibility of the applicant to complete the correct prerequisite courses and to meet application deadlines. The Program does not notify applicants of missing documents, ineligible prerequisites, or approaching deadlines.
  • The Program starts accepting applications through OTCAS in July. Interviews are held in December and successful applicants are admitted to the program in May. Applicant responsibilities are listed according to this timeline.
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What is the application process and timeline?

July 2024

  1. Create  OTCAS account  and begin application.
  2. Once you have listed all colleges you have attended in the OTCAS system, you should print the Transcript Request Form (located within the OTCAS system) and provide it to the Registrar’s office at each institution so that the Registrar can send an official copy of your transcript to OTCAS. Do this in July so that the official transcript will arrive at OTCAS in time for the system to verify your grades.
  3. Upload a resume addressing the following as applicable: work history, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and relevant life experiences.
  4. Your Personal Statement (essay) should address why you selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals. The personal statement (essay) is an important part of your application for admission and provides you with an opportunity for you to clearly and effectively express your ideas.
  5. Document observation hours in the Experience section of the OTCAS application and/or upload the certificate of completion for the Online Shadowing Program to the Documents section of the OTCAS application. 
  6. Submit three letters of reference via the OTCAS Evaluation Portal. If completing observation hours, each LOTR you observed must submit an evaluation on your behalf. 

October 15, 2024

Deadline to submit your final application. "Submit" means that you have completed the “submit and pay” process on OTCAS. Depending on what documents OTCAS has already received, submitting will move your application from an “In-Progress” status to a “Received > Awaiting Materials” status or a “Materials Received (Complete) > Verifying” status. In order for your application to meet the November 30th verification deadline, you should have all your materials in by October 15 (and have a “Materials Received (Complete)>Verifying” status). The verification process may take up to six weeks. While we will still consider applications that are not complete after October 15, we will not consider applications submitted after October 15.

November 30, 2024

Deadline for "verified" OTCAS application. If your application is not verified by OTCAS by this date, your application will not go forward. 

December 31, 2024

Unofficial Fall 2023 transcripts are due in the Program in Occupational Therapy office for students who were enrolled during the Fall semester. Unofficial transcripts should be sent to Connie Perkins via email at connie.perkins@lsuhs.edu. 

January 2025

Interviews are scheduled in early January. Students who have been selected for interviews will be notified by email through OTCAS. It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor their OTCAS email account and respond to all emails. Interviews may be conducted virtually. 

January 30, 2025

Applicants are notified of the admissions committee’s decisions. Applicants are notified by OTCAS email and official university letter. Acceptances are conditional until the applicant meets all admission requirements.

May 19, 2025

Classes begin. 

   

Contact for admissions questions:

Sara Walters, DrOT, LOTR, BCP
318-813-2951
sara.walters@lsuhs.edu 

Question regarding determining Residency Status, click HERE.