General Questions about Applying

[WaHOOS06]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to SDN but I've heard a lot of great things about it. I'm currently a 3rd year and will be applying to optometry schools this summer. I had some general questions about the process I hope you all don't mind answering.

Do optometry schools have an "AMCAS" or whatever the thing Med schools have that holds your recommendations and you tell them to send your letters of rec to schools. Do we have something like that or any type of database that holds our info for us and we tell them to send info out? Or do we just have our professors send out the letters individually?

Also, when do schools start accepting applications. Most seem to be Mid August or early September. Are some earlier than that, or do they all generally fall in that range?

Thanks for your help.

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[al-majhul]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to SDN but I've heard a lot of great things about it. I'm currently a 3rd year and will be applying to optometry schools this summer. I had some general questions about the process I hope you all don't mind answering.

Do optometry schools have an "AMCAS" or whatever the thing Med schools have that holds your recommendations and you tell them to send your letters of rec to schools. Do we have something like that or any type of database that holds our info for us and we tell them to send info out? Or do we just have our professors send out the letters individually?

Also, when do schools start accepting applications. Most seem to be Mid August or early September. Are some earlier than that, or do they all generally fall in that range?

Thanks for your help.

Hey WaHOOS -- allow me to be the first from the forum to welcome you to our bandwagon! You've made a terrific decision to join us.

And now to your questions. Applying to optometry schools is not a centralized process like med schools. You get your letters of recs sent out individually, unfortuantely -- however i do know of some career centers at univerisities that will provide a service of centralizing the process of sending out your letters for you. I know UCLA's career center does that -- see if there's an equivalent program at your school.

You seem to be on the mark about when schools start accepting apps. It's best to get yours in early as most have rolling admissions.You don't need to have EVERYTHING in by then, but the preliminary app is a crucial step. They will wait for your OAT scores, they know it's in october Some schools will only accept the October OAT though (such as Berkeley) -- so plan to take it then.

k, that's my two cents....once again, congrats on a good decision.

 

[PLPrincess]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to SDN but I've heard a lot of great things about it. I'm currently a 3rd year and will be applying to optometry schools this summer. I had some general questions about the process I hope you all don't mind answering.

Do optometry schools have an "AMCAS" or whatever the thing Med schools have that holds your recommendations and you tell them to send your letters of rec to schools. Do we have something like that or any type of database that holds our info for us and we tell them to send info out? Or do we just have our professors send out the letters individually?

Also, when do schools start accepting applications. Most seem to be Mid August or early September. Are some earlier than that, or do they all generally fall in that range?

Thanks for your help.

Some schools have a Pre-Medical/Professional Admissions Comittee that interviews you and compiles your letters of rec from optometrists and professors into one good one. That's how my school did it anyway....

Good Luck!

 

[PLPrincess]

Hey WaHOOS -- allow me to be the first from the forum to welcome you to our bandwagon! You've made a terrific decision to join us.

And now to your questions. Applying to optometry schools is not a centralized process like med schools. You get your letters of recs sent out individually, unfortuantely -- however i do know of some career centers at univerisities that will provide a service of centralizing the process of sending out your letters for you. I know UCLA's career center does that -- see if there's an equivalent program at your school.

You seem to be on the mark about when schools start accepting apps. It's best to get yours in early as most have rolling admissions.You don't need to have EVERYTHING in by then, but the preliminary app is a crucial step. They will wait for your OAT scores, they know it's in october Some schools will only accept the October OAT though (such as Berkeley) -- so plan to take it then.

k, that's my two cents....once again, congrats on a good decision.

Just keep in mind that the OAT is now computerized and you can take it during any month as far as I know. It might be a good idea to take it in July/August so that you know whether you need to improve your score. I think this year students were allowed to take the OAT up until the middle of March (some schools at least, it's best to check with each individual school to see when the latest you can take it is).