how many opt schools did you apply to

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i am really not confident in my gpa to get me in....my extra currics are ok, i did this unite for sight thing...so i really dont want to take a year off, b/w undergrad and opt school, so i wanted to apply to all 20+ schools. i know its going to cost a massive amnt (that's not an issue), but should I do this?

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I applied to 7. If you have the bank roll to do it, then sure.. but I mean are you really going to want to go to EACH school.. If its your only option, than I'm sure u will, but you will waste a lot of money if you are granted all these interviews.

I feel like I spent too much and I only went to two interviews.. thank God my top choice (SCO) was the second one, b/c I had scheduled an interview with NOVA and ICO, and was blessed enough to be able to decline the invitation for interview. Otherwise, I would have spent a ton more of money to travel.
 
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There is absolutely no reason to apply to every single school. Find the ones you would actually want to go to and apply to those. If you give us your stats we can help you out a little more.
 
not to mention that if you are accepted to multiple schools you are going to lose out on money when it comes to matriculation fees..

I lost out on 900 bucks at AZCOPT.. and it cost me 500 just to fly out there, rent a car, and hotel. $1400 dollars down the drain to a school I'm not even going to.
 
i am really not confident in my gpa to get me in....my extra currics are ok, i did this unite for sight thing...so i really dont want to take a year off, b/w undergrad and opt school, so i wanted to apply to all 20+ schools. i know its going to cost a massive amnt (that's not an issue), but should I do this?

That's one of the silliest things I've ever heard in regard to O.D.-application. First, the money: you're looking at $965.00 is OptomCAS fees and another ~$900.00 in supplemental-application costs (figured estimating eighteen of the schools charge $50.00 fees — just a rough number). If you're this anxious, you'll probably go to a large number of the interviews you're offered (say, you're not accepted on-the-spot); travel-fees will pile to several hundred dollars more. If you're wait-listed, you might pay hundreds (maybe thousands) on top of all this, to reserve your place. Depending on how you play your situation (and, if you play it the way you want to choosing which schools to apply to, this could well happen), you may lose ~$10,000 before orientation (if that seems like an exorbitant estimate to people, they should really think on the costs of air-travel [which actually can be cheaper than long-distance buses or trains, for those who're about to shout, "Greyhound!"]).

Second, you're bound to look irredeemably weak and pathetic to any admissions-committee that grants you an interview:

Interviewer: How many school did you apply to?
You: All of them.
Interviewer: ...! [Loser...!]

(Or you could lie, and hope not to get caught, if that's your wish.)

Last, would you actually attend "any" of the colleges? If not, why the hell apply to the ones you never would?

I'm not sure if you're just panicking and nervous, but, I feel, you really need to sit down and pare your options to ~half a dozen schools (then, if there're others you very much like, add them to the list).
 
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not to mention that if your OAT is not on point, they will ask you to take it again... thats a few hundred bucks.. then it costs to send to additional schools...

Guess everyone is trying to tell you.. Don't do it.. plain and simple.
 
The original poster acknowledged that it would cost a massive amount, and that paying for it would not be an issue (LUCKY!).

The truth, as commando303 said, is that you would look like a total dork. Why not narrow it down to maybe 10 of them. That won't look as pathetic. As someone else said, posting your stats would be very helpful if you want guidance from others.

Based on my observations from this forum, I'd consider applying to 1-4 schools on the low side, 5-8 on the average side, and 9-12 on the high side.
 
beware...its not pretty...
gen chem: C+, C-, D (retaking it at cc and getting a A in the whole series)
Math: B, B, C-
Stats: A
English Req: B-
Anatomy: C
Psych: A
Ochem: W (from my cc, but I am going to retake it UCSD)

So I guess thats a 2.81
I haven't taken OAT yet.
But I did this volunteer abroad thing for a month in India to give eye care/cure blindness in poor areas so thats good. And I shadowed/worked with an optometrist for a summer. I am 2 pre-opt clubs. Starting my own opt club.
 
To be honest, I think you shouldn't even worry about that right now. Raise your stats first and then worry about what schools you should/can apply to.

Keep in mind though, some optometry schools only accept students from a limited number of states. For instance, NSUOCO only accepts students from Oklahoma, its bordering states, and Nebraska. I don't think the OptomCAS system checks this for you, so if you apply to a school that won't accept students from your resident state, then that's more money down the drain :(
 
If you are applying this cycle, there is only 7 schools you can apply now.

Deadline:
3/31/2010
Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University
The Ohio State University College of Optometry

4/1/2010
Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University
Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry
NOVA Southeastern University College of Optometry

5/1/2010
University of the Incarnate Word School of Optometry

5/15/2010
Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry

After you checked each school's GPA average, you can probably eliminate some of the schools to save you some time and money.
 
beware...its not pretty...
gen chem: C+, C-, D (retaking it at cc and getting a A in the whole series)
Math: B, B, C-
Stats: A
English Req: B-
Anatomy: C
Psych: A
Ochem: W (from my cc, but I am going to retake it UCSD)

So I guess thats a 2.81
I haven't taken OAT yet.
But I did this volunteer abroad thing for a month in India to give eye care/cure blindness in poor areas so thats good. And I shadowed/worked with an optometrist for a summer. I am 2 pre-opt clubs. Starting my own opt club.

Well, no offense, but, with those numbers, I don't feel you should be admitted (no, it isn't all about grades and tests, but that doesn't excuse poor ones).

If you do get an interview, bear in mind, if it is open-file, you'll almost certainly be asked why your grades look as they do; be prepared with a better answer than, "Uh...I don't know." If there were extenuating circumstances, if it was a bad time in your life, if there's any explanation except, "I didn't understand or care for the material," plan how you'll lay it before an interviewer.

You mention you're re-taking your chemistry classes (why are there three grades? Is one for lab.? Did you get [at best] a C+ in the lab.?) at a community college. Not only do schools tend to look less favorably upon courses completed at non–four-year colleges, they're suspicious when courses are repeated at such institutions after an applicant has fared poorly in them in maybe a more challenging program. Be ready to explain this decision.

Your extra-curricular eye-health–related activities might make you stand out from the crowd, but don't overestimate their value (committees didn't, for instance, seem to mind my scant experience in the area when I stated I worked throughout school [as did most people I knew], and simply didn't have much time for other matters). As for shadowing, just about every candidate does it (it's typically required, isn't it?); the aim in doing so is to understand the profession. Once you've spent enough time learning what vocational optometry entails, it might not matter you've stuck with a practice for an extended period (in fact, I'm almost sure it would be better to shadow a number of offices for short times rather than to paste yourself to a single clinic for weeks upon weeks).

Altogether, good luck with your endeavor (I say that sincerely, not with snideness).
 
there are three grades because there are 3 qtrs. we dont grade lab and lecture sep. i went to cc because i met with the admissions director of a school and she said that would be better for me (scco)

Well, no offense, but, with those numbers, I don't feel you should be admitted (no, it isn't all about grades and tests, but that doesn't excuse poor ones).

If you do get an interview, bear in mind, if it is open-file, you'll almost certainly be asked why your grades look as they do; be prepared with a better answer than, "Uh...I don't know." If there were extenuating circumstances, if it was a bad time in your life, if there's any explanation except, "I didn't understand or care for the material," plan how you'll lay it before an interviewer.

You mention you're re-taking your chemistry classes (why are there three grades? Is one for lab.? Did you get [at best] a C+ in the lab.?) at a community college. Not only do schools tend to look less favorably upon courses completed at non–four-year colleges, they're suspicious when courses are repeated at such institutions after an applicant has fared poorly in them in maybe a more challenging program. Be ready to explain this decision.

Your extra-curricular eye-health–related activities might make you stand out from the crowd, but don't overestimate their value (committees didn't, for instance, seem to mind my scant experience in the area when I stated I worked throughout school [as did most people I knew], and simply didn't have much time for other matters). As for shadowing, just about every candidate does it (it's typically required, isn't it?); the aim in doing so is to understand the profession. Once you've spent enough time learning what vocational optometry entails, it might not matter you've stuck with a practice for an extended period (in fact, I'm almost sure it would be better to shadow a number of offices for short times rather than to paste yourself to a single clinic for weeks upon weeks).

Altogether, good luck with your endeavor (I say that sincerely, not with snideness).
 
I agree with the above posters who say you should raise your grades first. It's a little late in the game taking the OAT right now, as classes are filling up quickly. You need to be prepared going into optometry school and you should feel confident about your application. You want to want the school and the school wants to want you. Sounds stupid, but it's the simple truth. If you raise your scores, you'll get to save a lotttt of money by applying to ~2-3 schools and being confident that you'll get into at least one (kinda kills two birds with one stone). Your best bet is to raise your scores, study real hard for the OAT, and blast your app out of the water. Good luck and keep us posted! As always, feel free to PM me if you have any questions :)
 
Let's say if a person is wait-listed, how much money would they have to pay to be on the waitlist to reserve the spot? And would we get the waitlist money back if we enroll at that school?

Like if someone gets waitlisted at like 20 schools, then they would have to pay each waitlist fee 20 times and only get one of their waitlist fees back if they enroll at one school?
 
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