Hello, I'm currently in my last year of undergrad in biology specialization and hoping so much to get into Optometry school for fall 2013. I study in Montreal, Quebec (Canada) and I started familiarizing myself with optometry admission requirements and certain things they require specially through this forum (Thank you all !! I would have been completed lost without it!).
I'm really stressed out at this point because of the high GPA and OAT scores and extra-curricular activities and shadowing.
My GPA currently is really not impressive 3.05/4.3 and I'm scheduled to take the OAT for the first time July 30th. The reason why I'm taking it at this date is because Waterloo University requires the OAT scores to be taken before July31st 2012 for their fall admission. (I'm planning to apply to Waterloo University, University of Montreal (which I highly doubt I'd get in, they're really tough), Berkeley, ICO, SUNY, SCCO)
I started shadowing an optometrist and an optician at Greiche&Scaff (I've done around 8 hours).
Other than that, I'm contacting a CLSC to volunteer there, trying to get a job as a sales associate and optometrist assistant. Also, I've emailed a few profs to volunteer in their lab researches.
All this is to do, but none of it is guaranteed yet and I won't have many years of experience in any of them since I will only begin now. Also, I've tried to shadow optometrists at their clinic, but many tend to say that they do not do that, which makes it very difficult! How did you guys approach them in order for them to accept ?
I also want to apply for the CSTEP and the summer program Berkeley offers during summer 2013 (I couldn't this summer, because I wanted to entirely focus on OAT).
Therefore, I'm hoping to get high grades on my OAT, which I believe is going to be a HUGE factor in my admission, seeing that my GPA won't be more than 3.3-3.4/4.3. Concerning the GPA, do admission committees prefer you to retake courses? I'm not going to lie, but during my two first years of undergrad it did not go so well, therefore I have a couple C's (3) and D's (3). Do they take into consideration when there's a remarkable increase? My last year I got a lot of A+ and A's.
What would you guys suggest I do in order to increase my chances? and as for the OAT, I'm Studying with Kaplan's comprehensive review, Princeton MCAT review of Physics& Math, Princeton Review for MCAT Biology and I also have the Princeton review Cracking the MCAT, Mometrix OAT flashcard. I've been stressing a little and don't know whether it's a good to purchase the Kaplan's Big Book Review...have any of you used it and how was it? Should I just purchase it and study with that or the material I have is sufficient?
Sorry for the extremely long post & never ending questions, but this is the only place I can seek good advice! Since my faculty advisor was 0 help (all he replied was "I don't know it really depends" to any question I asked him).
Thank you so much!
I'm really stressed out at this point because of the high GPA and OAT scores and extra-curricular activities and shadowing.
My GPA currently is really not impressive 3.05/4.3 and I'm scheduled to take the OAT for the first time July 30th. The reason why I'm taking it at this date is because Waterloo University requires the OAT scores to be taken before July31st 2012 for their fall admission. (I'm planning to apply to Waterloo University, University of Montreal (which I highly doubt I'd get in, they're really tough), Berkeley, ICO, SUNY, SCCO)
I started shadowing an optometrist and an optician at Greiche&Scaff (I've done around 8 hours).
Other than that, I'm contacting a CLSC to volunteer there, trying to get a job as a sales associate and optometrist assistant. Also, I've emailed a few profs to volunteer in their lab researches.
All this is to do, but none of it is guaranteed yet and I won't have many years of experience in any of them since I will only begin now. Also, I've tried to shadow optometrists at their clinic, but many tend to say that they do not do that, which makes it very difficult! How did you guys approach them in order for them to accept ?
I also want to apply for the CSTEP and the summer program Berkeley offers during summer 2013 (I couldn't this summer, because I wanted to entirely focus on OAT).
Therefore, I'm hoping to get high grades on my OAT, which I believe is going to be a HUGE factor in my admission, seeing that my GPA won't be more than 3.3-3.4/4.3. Concerning the GPA, do admission committees prefer you to retake courses? I'm not going to lie, but during my two first years of undergrad it did not go so well, therefore I have a couple C's (3) and D's (3). Do they take into consideration when there's a remarkable increase? My last year I got a lot of A+ and A's.
What would you guys suggest I do in order to increase my chances? and as for the OAT, I'm Studying with Kaplan's comprehensive review, Princeton MCAT review of Physics& Math, Princeton Review for MCAT Biology and I also have the Princeton review Cracking the MCAT, Mometrix OAT flashcard. I've been stressing a little and don't know whether it's a good to purchase the Kaplan's Big Book Review...have any of you used it and how was it? Should I just purchase it and study with that or the material I have is sufficient?
Sorry for the extremely long post & never ending questions, but this is the only place I can seek good advice! Since my faculty advisor was 0 help (all he replied was "I don't know it really depends" to any question I asked him).
Thank you so much!
