for those who took courses AFTER graduating with a bachelors (2024)

prodigiousflame said:

This is for those who went back to community college after receiving a subpar GPA for their bachelors degree. Have you run into any problems trying to get admitted into programs because they ONLY look at your bachelors coursework and not postbach grades? I believe University of Illinois won't look at coursework past undergrad, just reaching out to see if people know of any others. I would hate to think that all my hard work was for nothing. Also do the OTCAS just calculate bachelors as the overall GPA or do they also count all the community college work pre bachelors as well as post bachelors? Thank you

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I did most pre-req post bachelor and have been admitted to 2 programs and wait listed at 2. I don't think they really look at it differently because all programs require a non-OT bachelor so most students didn't take the pre-req during their bachelor. I think OTCAS calculates GPA based on all of your classes regardless of when you took them. So their overall includes the post undergrad (don't quote me on that but I'm pretty sure).

I didn't re-take any classes at a community college, but I took 2 additional pre-reqs post-bachelors. I've been accepted into multiple programs and have had no issues/questions from admissions departments about these classes. Just make sure the class fulfills the required amount of credits that each school wants.

Have you tried contacting the OT department at the University of Illinois? It seems a little odd to me that they won't accept any classes post-grad, especially since many people don't take certain classes with their major and others have taken classes over 5 years ago and have to take them again. I would think that retaking classes for a better grade could only help you and not hurt you.

Also, OTCAS averages ALL classes together into 1 GPA (it's not separated into pre- and post-bachelors).

Thank you for the responses so far. University of Illinois actually left a voicemail on my machine informing me that they only look at the undergraduate degree.
I took or retook prereqs at the CC but I also took extra classes to help boost my overall GPA and also my last sixty. I'm sort of relying on those extra fluffer classes I took post graduation lol. So then I get nervous when I see this on the schools websites:

Required GPA

Minimum overall undergraduate GPA: 3.0

which mine was lower than that upon graduation

I took the majority of my OT pre-reqs after I graduated with my Bachelor's and my undergrad GPA was really terrible (like a 2.7) but I did so well with my pre-reqs that it brought my undergrad GPA up to a 3.0 with my pre-req GPA somewhere around a 3.8/3.9. I was accepted to 2 programs and turned down an interview at a third. I only applied to OTCAS programs so these GPAs are based on their calculations.

I should also say that OTCAS, while they do distinguish between the four separate years of undergrad and post-bach coursework ultimately all of the coursework and grades are tallied to be one final total ("overall").

Freshman
Sophom*ore
Junior
Senior
Total Undergraduate
Post-BS/BA Baccalaureate
Cumulative Undergraduate
Graduate
Overall

It just doesn't make sense not to take them when so many people major in things unrelated to OT in undergrad and therefore don't have most of the prerequisites covered.

Now i'm freaking out because UIC is my top choice school. I am currently taking A&P II at community college....