<p>D1 has (most of) her college applications in, so now for D2 (a sophomore). The search is quite different.</p>
<p>D2 wants to be an occupational therapist and is most interested in combined BS/MOT programs or 3-2 programs. We can find the former through aota.org, and WUSTL has a list of colleges with which it has a 3-2 program. </p>
<p>Looking for combined BS/MOT or 3-2 programs is one place to start, but I think that is too limiting and doesn't address fit. I am concerned the programs are too rigid-- no time to take merely interested classes and very little flexibility if there is a scheduling problem for a required class. Also most don't come with a guarantee of acceptance into the master's portion of the program. So, a combined degree of 3-2 program might be nice but . . ..</p>
<p>D2 is bright-- A's and usually one B/ semester in honors classes. It's hard to say what her test scores will be, but let's say 1800 - 2000 for SAT.</p>
<p>D2 cares a lot about service/helping. The best schools for her will include service in their institutional values and will have a student body seeking out community service opportunities.</p>
<p>Geography is not much of a factor. (In other words, she would like to go far away and I would like her close.)</p>
<p>She doesn't seem to have a strong preference as to size.</p>
<p>If she were applying today, her list would be Lawrence, USC, and Idaho State (safety). I think she should look into Univ. of Puget Sound and that she is likely to find other interesting schools if she broadens her search. Schools with religious affiliations and allied health majors?????</p>
<p>I'm interested in comments on the named schools- specifically as to their OT programs and community service,- comments about OT programs at a broader range of schools, and comments about schools really committed to community service. </p>
<p>If your daughter is truly that interested in service, I strongly urge you to look at Tulane in New Orleans. It is a strong school academically and gives good aid and scholarships despite the steep price. Community service is not only a core teaching at Tulane, but it is also a requirement that students complete community service (I do not know how much) during their 4 years at the school. Also, with New Orleans still recovering from Katrina, your daughter will be able to greatly help the city in its rebuilding.</p>
<p>I don't know anything about the quality of their OT dept./degrees, but they do offer a BS & and MOT. When my son visited a couple of years ago, there was a huge emphasis on [url=<a href="http://www.slu.edu/x24776.xml%5Dservice%5B/url">http://www.slu.edu/x24776.xml]service[/url</a>], both in the local community and elsewhere. Also, significant scholarship $$ were offered based on grades and scores, with additional merit scholarships available upon application. I was very impressed with the people and the programs at SLU.</p>
<p>As much as I love OT's and I admire your D for wanting to be one (and I write this as somebody who had many OT's as a child and benefited from them enormously) I think that deciding to be an OT as a college sophomore is way, way too early.</p>
<p>Instead, of looking for 3-2 programs, why not look for schools that have an education major, have a co-op program, or otherwise emphasize community service?</p>
<p>Some suggestions:</p>
<p>Earlham College (education major, Quaker affiliation)
Northeastern University (have an education major and a co-op program, where D can intern with OTs)
Drexel (education, co-op)</p>
<p>Uni. of Scranton (PA) had a very good rep for allied health areas and I believe has a strong OT program. As a Jesuit school (like St. Louis mentioned earlier), they will also offer a strong focus on service activities for their students.</p>
<p>unalove-- I hope she will go to a school where she can explore whatever catches her fancy (but with good allied health advising) and save the OT for a full graduate program. She needs to like the school apart from the OT program, not solely because of it. We'll see. Right now she is single-minded, but she has a couple years.</p>