VCU Graduate School Application Process
All applicants must complete a VCU Graduate School Application in addition to the OTCAS Application. This application can be accessed at: https://ssb.vcu.edu/
The questions marked with the red asterisk are required and must be answered to complete the application. The software will indicate with a checkmark when each section is complete.
- For Application Type please select "Graduate (Sum) USCitz/PermRes," and Summer 2011 for Admission Term, as our program starts in June.
- Under "Planned Course of Study" select "Occupational Therapy–MSOT (Entry-Level)"
- In the Essay text box simply type "Submitted via OTCAS"
Applicants who wish to apply to pay in-state tuition must complete the Virginia In-state Tuition section of the Graduate School Application
There is a $50.00 application fee to apply to VCU Graduate School. This VCU application fee is a separate application fee from that of OTCAS.
All applicants must submit official GRE scores to VCU. Although you report your Verbal, Quantitative, and Writing GRE scores as part of the OTCAS application, these scores are self-reports and must be verified by VCU. You must have the Educational Testing Service (ETS) send an official score report, current within the last 5 years, directly to VCU by the December 1st application deadline. The ETS Institutional Code for VCU is 5570. The GRE is produced by Educational Testing Service (ETS) and administered at hundreds of test center locations around the country. Computer-based testing is available at PrometricTM Testing Centers and at some colleges and universities. Many Prometric Testing Centers are located inside Sylvan Learning Centers. There are ten centers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. After August 1, 2011 the GRE General Test will be a revised with different types of questions and different scoring. The new GRE will be scored on a scale ranging from 130-170 in one point increments compared with the former score range from 200-800 in 10 point increments. Regardless of whether applicants take the test before or after August 2011, the percentile scores will be used in the application review process.
In Summary
ALL applicants must complete the three following steps before the VCU Entry-level Graduate Admissions Committee will begin the review of your application.
- A complete OTCAS application with reported coursework verified by OTCAS from official transcripts sent directly to them
- A complete VCU Graduate School Application with the VCU application fee paid
- A request to ETS that an official GRE report be sent to VCU
Applicants with outstanding application scores are notified of acceptance as soon as their application is reviewed and scored. The Chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee, Dr. Dianne Simons, will send the initial acceptance via email through the OTCAS email system. Official letters from the Department of OT and from the VCU Graduate School will follow. The goal of the Entry-level OT Graduate Admissions Committee is to notify all applicants of their acceptance as early as possible and by April 1, at the latest. A waiting list is created when the class has been filled and applicants are contacted about their desire to be included on the waiting list. An offer of admission can be made any time between April 1 and the day that Orientation starts on June 1, 2012. Applicants are kept apprised of their ranking on the waiting list throughout this time.
