Date OptomCAS was mailed: 10/23/2013
Interview Invitation Extended for (school name): ICO, NECO, IAUPR
Date Interview Scheduled: ICO (11/7/2013), IAUPR (1/15/2013) NECO (4/9/2014), Still waiting to hear from WesternU.
Accepted (indicate school attending): IAUPR (1/29/2013) declined, ICO (4/17/2014)
ATTENDING!
Bachelor's Degree: B.S. in Biological Sciences
OAT (AA, TS) 1st time in December: 270,260;
2nd time in April: 300,290
GPA(Overall, Science): 3.07, 2.93
Extracurriculars: As you can see, my grades and OAT scores were NOT competitive at all, and one didn't compensate for the other. It was everything else on my application, LORs, experiences, and especially interview that saved me and made me "the" small percentage of exceptions.
What saved me:
1. A reason and explanation for my low GPA - apparently good enough reason for them to consider me.
2. Being absolutely, completely prepared for my interviews (used SDN interview feedback) and expressing my passion, determination, personality. I think my interview is what mainly saved me. After meeting my interviewer at ICO, she said she would fight and do what she could for the admissions committee to consider me. She told me that I was a unique applicant who has experience that's beyond and above other applicants.
Not saying this to brag -- mentioning it to let some of you know that there is STILL a chance if you can make yourself stand out.
3. I would assume REALLY good letters of recommendations from 2 well known optometrists who are professors (one is a clinical professor at Berkeley School of Optometry, and the other teaches at SUNY, SCCO, and Western). I was lucky to have the opportunity work with them during my job after I graduated college. I also asked a college professor (Human Anatomy) to write me a letter who could vouch for my improvement in his class. I failed his class the first time, and received a B+ the second time around.
4. Good personal statement. I spent like 4 months revising/editing it. I have a folder of at least 30 different rough drafts.
5. Co-founder and president of the pre-optometry club at my school. Establishing a brand new club also made me stand out.
6. Program coordinator for a telemedicine diabetic retinopathy screening program for 2 years after I graduated. I had a lot of impressive administrative responsibilities - I won't go into detail. If anyone is curious, PM me. I really think this made me stand out.
7. Shadowed at every single optometrist possible - this also REALLY made me stand out. I shadowed at a private practice, retail, interviewed a Kaiser optometrist, group settings, pediatric optometrist, etc etc etc. I shadowed at least 7 DIFFERENT
TYPES of optometrists.
8. Interned at an ophthalmology office, (worked closely with the optometrist there) for 2 years
9. A bunch of volunteering - homeless shelters, etc.
10. Went on a mission trip (See The Lord Organization) to Taiwan and visited rural/underserved populations to give free eye exams/glasses. Also mentioned that I will be doing another trip with Unite for Site in Honduras in the upcoming months.
Sorry if this was TMI - just thought it might be helpful to some applicants out there, because I remember how hopeless I felt. SO relieved and excited
that I can finally post this. Grades and OAT really don't mean EVERYTHING - I'm confident that I will succeed academically in optometry school. I will just have to work a lot harder than others and that's OK with me.
PM me if you have any questions. Good luck to everyone else!
