Pre-Occupational Therapy
If you’re a current student at Cornell, schedule your appointment with the Dimensions Associate Director to get started planning your future career in occupational therapy.
Prepare for occupational therapy programs
Choose a major
- Biochemistry and molecular biology
- Psychology
- Kinesiology
These majors are good choices and are our most popular for pre-occupational therapy since they help satisfy most prerequisites for veterinary medicine school. However, you may consider another major instead. You strengthen your application if you double major in e.g. biochemistry and molecular biology with another major outside of the natural sciences because it sets you apart from other applicants.
Complete your prerequisite coursework
Not all occupational therapy programs require the same prerequisites. Meet with the Associate Director of Dimensions to review school-specific prerequisites.
Typical prerequisites include:
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Psychology
- Sociology
Take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Most occupational therapy schools require the GRE (administered by the Educational Testing Service) for admission. Dimensions provides resources and 1:1 professional support when you are preparing for the GRE, which consists of verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections, and lasts approximately four hours.
Apply to occupational therapy programs
Before you begin to apply to occupational therapy programs, meet with the Dimensions Associate Director to plan out the steps necessary for applying.
You will also meet with Cornell’s Health Professions Committee. Cornell’s Health Professions Committee will review your application in its entirety and author a committee letter of recommendation.
If you’re interested in learning more about Cornell’s pre-occupational therapy program, let us know.