Optometry School Admissions Sandra McIntyre Kaplan Test Prep

Optometry School Admission Trends APPLICANTS Applicants2,5032,513 Applications12,83512,775 Applications per Applicant Acceptance (% of students receiving at least one offer) 67%69% Average Applicant GPA MATRICULANTS Matriculants Average GPA Average OAT Academic Average Score 323*319 Average OAT Total Science Score 327*320

OAT Scoring

Choosing an Optometry School Illinois College of Optometry Indiana University School of Optometry Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) School of Optometry Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry New England College of Optometry Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry Pacific University College of Optometry Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University Southern California College of Optometry Southern College of Optometry The State University of New York, College of Optometry The Ohio State University College of Optometry University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry University of Houston College of Optometry University of Missouri St. Louis College of Optometry University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry There are 21 Optometry Schools in the US and Puerto Rico

Optometry Admissions Timeline Official OAT Scores available 3-4 weeks after test date. Primary applications take 4-6 weeks to be verified. Earliest admissions offers come out Dec 1. Ideal Possible Take OAT AprMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDecJanFebMar Take OAT PrimaryPrimary Applications SecondarySecondary Applications Interviews Rolling Admissions

Requirements for Application OAT Scores OptomCAS Primary Application –Biographic and Background Info –Colleges attended and coursework –Professional Experiences Secondary Applications Letters of Recommendation Official Transcripts Fees –$125 for first school; $45 for each additional

Factors in Admissions Absolutely Deny Presumably Deny Presumably Admit Application Strength Undergraduate GPA OAT Score Letters of Recommendation Optometry Experience/Volunteer Work Personal Statement Interviews Research

GPA Your science and overall GPAs are incredibly important. The most common major for Optometry School applicants in 2009 and 2010 was Biology. By the numbers    Choose major that interests/challenges you Squeeze out every point you can. “Trend-up” and do well in major. Choose Bio major "just because" pre- optometry Game your GPA with easy classes or P/F Over-estimate importance of GPA. GPA Average GPA for Optometry School applicants in 2011: 3.31 Average GPA for Optometry School matriculants in 2011: 3.42

Letters of Recommendation So what should they be? Remind your recommenders of your accomplishments, even if they remember you. Tell them that you’re applying for optometry school, and what the overall theme of your application is. Be specific! The best letters of recommendation come from professors who know you, not necessarily the most prestigious professors at your school.

Experiences and Activities What should you focus on? –If you have these kinds of experiences, be sure to play them up! –If not, don’t worry; it’s helpful but far from necessary. Activities –Focus on those where you’ve shown leadership; better to be president of the soccer team than a member of Future Optometrists of West Cleveland. –Highlight your accomplishments – what makes you special? Direct optometry or patient experience

Personal Statement So what should you do instead?    Use past/present stories and a theme. Showcase lessons learned from experience Write effectively and follow directions Write “why I want to go to optometry school”. Speak negatively of anyone or anything. Go at it alone. Personal Statement Optometry schools have plenty of nice stories; you need to market yourself: be positive, have a theme, and write effectively! Make it personal – what makes you different?

Interviews Just like every other part of your application, you must work hard to prepare for your interviews if you hope to make a great impression! Consider every interview mandatory Schedule interviews strategically Become acquainted with admissions staff Discount them Judge schools based on ranking alone Inundate admissions staff with requests    Interviews What to consider with interviews:

Interviews Why do you want to study optometry? –I’ve always wanted to help people. –I think I’d be good at it. –I want to make a lot of money. –I couldn’t get into med school. Prepare in advance by thinking of your answers! There’s no “right” answer to a question like this, but there are many bad ones:

Interviews Why do you want to study optometry? –are honest and true to your real feelings. –are consistent with protecting patients’ interests. –show you to be well-informed about the general field of medicine. –memorably refer to the specific events you wrote about in your personal statement. Every question has red flags, answers which definitely reflect negatively on you. Give answers which:

OAT Importance in Admissions Illinois College of Optometry Indiana University School of Optometry Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) School of Optometry Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry New England College of Optometry Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry Pacific University College of Optometry Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University Southern California College of Optometry Southern College of Optometry The State University of New York, College of Optometry The Ohio State University College of Optometry University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry University of Houston College of Optometry University of Missouri St. Louis College of Optometry University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry 11 schools say the OAT is a significant factor in admissions; 9 say moderate.

The OAT SectionQuestionsDurationTopics Optional Tutorial15 minutes Survey of the Natural Sciences 100*90 minutes40 Biology 30 General Chemistry 30 Organic Chemistry Reading Comprehension40*50 minutes3 passages with questions each Optional Break15 minutes Physics40*50 minutesFirst-year, Noncalculus- based Physics Quantitative Reasoning40*45 minutesAlgebra, Probability and Statistics, Geometry, Trigonometry Optional Post Test Survey15 minutes Cost of exam is $226. Need to wait 90 days in between test dates

The OAT Why prepare for the OAT? A few more questions right can make a significant difference in your score. Every additional point leapfrogs you past hundreds of applicants. It’s the one common yardstick by which every applicant is measured equally. Most importantly, it’s the one final aspect of your application that you can change right now. It is one of the most important factors of your application.

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