OTA Admissions

Steps to apply to the OTA program

Complete all steps to apply to the occupational therapy assistant program at Jamestown Community College.

1. Apply to JCC

Complete the general admission application process to JCC.

  • All official transcripts, high school equivalency diplomas/scores, college and/or military transcripts must be submitted to the Admissions office to process your application.
  • All OTA applicants will be initially accepted as Individual Studies majors as an OTA candidate.
Apply to JCC

2. Review OTA program eligibility requirements

The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at JCC is a selective admissions program with additional application and eligibility requirements. Meeting minimum criteria does not guarantee admission.

Course Eligibility, Grade, & Essay Criteria

Applicants must demonstrate academic readiness through college coursework or high school academic performance.

The minimum criteria for admission into the OTA program includes:

  • Eligibility for placement into ENG 1510 without supports
  • Eligibility for placement into MAT 1500 without supports
  • Completion of a high school or college biology, chemistry or physics course, with a C or better 
  • Academic readiness through either their college work or high school record*:
    • Applicants with 15 or more completed college credits (letter-graded):
      • Must have a minimum cumulative college GPA of 2.5 from all colleges attended.
    • Applicants with fewer than 15 completed college credits:
      • Must have a high school average of at least 85%, or
      • A high school GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (if reported in GPA format).
  • Essay:
    • Review WhyChooseOT.com to gain insight into the profession of OT.
    • Submit a personal statement explaining why you want to be an OTA, using concepts learned at WhyChooseOT.com.

*Additional Review: Applicants who have completed some college coursework but fewer than 15 credits may have their academic record reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and college GPA may be considered as part of the admissions evaluation. High school equivalency (GED/TASC) recipients will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Note: Students in the top 20% of their high school graduating class within the last two years and who meet the minimum requirements will receive automatic acceptance into the program, if application is received by the deadline (January 13).

OTA Point System

Once the minimum requirements are met, a point system will be used with your application to determine your acceptance into the program.

Points for education, GPA, and essay
Criteria Description Points
Previous education Bachelor's degree or higher 3
Associate degree 2
Technical degree or certificate 1
GPA (15 credits or more) GPA of 3.45-4.0 3
GPA of 2.95-3.44 2
GPA of 2.45-2.94 1
GPA of 2.25-2.44 0
HS or HS/GPA (less than 15 credits) 91.5-100% 3
87.5-91.4% 2
82.5-87.4% 1
79.5-82.4% 0
Essay Completed during application Up to 10
Readmission to the OTA Program

A student seeking readmission may enter the OTA program according to the following criteria:

  • A student seeking readmission into the OTA program must reapply and meet the eligibility requirements.
  • Any readmitted student who has withdrawn from the program for a period greater than three years will be given credit for OTA 1510 only, providing a grade of "C" or higher was obtained. The student will be required to complete all other OTA courses in sequence.
  • A student will be permitted to repeat each OTA course one time. If the student is unsuccessful in repeating any OTA course, they are ineligible to continue in the OTA program.

3. Apply to the OTA program

Apply to the OTA program. Log in using the account you created when you applied to JCC.

Applicants should be prepared to write an essay, responding to the following prompt: In one or more paragraphs, introduce yourself to the OTA faculty. Explain why you aspire to become an occupational therapy assistant and discuss professional goals that you have set for yourself. Identify your perceived strengths and weaknesses as you seek to further your academic career.

Applications received by January 13 will take priority. Applications will be reviewed after January 13 until the program is full.

OTA Application