- Joined
- Feb 14, 2014
- Messages
- 49
- Reaction score
- 16
Hi Everyone!
I have been accepted to PCO, ICO, and NECO!
I'm delighted to have the tough decision to choose where to go - though it has been heavily weighing on my mind.
I have already paid my deposit for PCO and ICO as I interviewed with them earlier and recently was accepted to NECO.
NECO was initially my first choice upon applying to optometry school because everyone I knew graduated from NECO or is attending NECO... however now the decision has come down to between ICO and NECO! I have yet to pay my deposit for NECO since it's $1k that's unrefundable. Thankfully PCO does refund their deposits. I am heavily leaning to ICO... but I'm having difficulty finding confidence in my decision as most of my network is in Boston/NECO. I just want to make sure that I won't regret not choosing NECO. I do have conditions for NECO and ICO, but luckily my backup plan is PCO (since they did not give me any conditions with my acceptance just in case if anything goes wrong with my application).
I would love to hear why people chose ICO or NECO, especially if you interviewed at both of them. I would love to hear about how you feel about your education, clinical experience, and your experience living in the city (although some argue that the city shouldn't matter - I beg to argue otherwise as it is somewhere that I will be living for the next 4ish years of my life!)
Here are my points about each:
ICO (Chicago)
+ High board pass rates
+ Everyone (students, faculty, Albert the security man) seemed super friendly and happy at the interview
+ Sense of community was emphasized and students told me that profs were sincerely concerned for the students and are willing to help outside of class
+ Campus was attached to the clinic and the RC/dorm is across the street that makes everything more convenient
+ New renovations
+ Volunteer and mission trip options
+ Liked the city (beautiful & amazing food!) - seemed like there was more to do there... after all spending 4 years of my life there!
+ Website was much more educational about the school and what to expect (esp the YouTube channel)
+ Rent if not in RC isn't as expensive
+ Fellow Canadians make up 20% of the class
- Super cold during the winters
- Don't know anyone who graduated from ICO
- Didn't mention anything about outside connections ie: VisionExpo etc
- Must retake microbiology, physics, and calculus
NECO (Boston)
+ Always just heard about NECO (my boss, his associate, and a friend's friend graduated from there... have 2 friends currently in their second year, 1 friend who is accepted to this year's class, and a couple friends who moved to Boston) = lots of familiarity and company!
+ Delocalized clinic
+ Other Canadian students
+ Masters degree option for no additional tuition
+ Seemed more up to date with current industry stuff - ie: going to VisionExpo, a student mentioned going to DC to do with some sort of legislation (forgive my ignorance on the matter)
+/~ Beautiful City - Love seafood, though it seems more of a place I feel I would visit and travel to opposed to living there for the next four years of my life!
+ Overall $2k less in tuition (according to the NECO and ICO tuition pages)
= Not sure of board pass rates, but when I looked it up on http://optometry-schools.findthebest.com/ it wasn't ranked as high as ICO - but students at the school told me it was in high 90s
= College town....?
- Asked me to retake physics, calculus I and II, microbiology, and biochemistry
- Traffic seemed terrible
- Student told me during the interview tour that it was a lot of 'self learning' - not so much of a community since people go home right after class
- Rent/cost of living super expensive
- Library hours were not so great (but students and faculty told me just to study at Boston Public Library or MIT)
- Equipment seemed older/lecture halls were small and didn't house all the students (thus electronic classrooms in basement)/ school was older
- No mention of mission trips
Thank you in advanced!!!!
I have been accepted to PCO, ICO, and NECO!
I'm delighted to have the tough decision to choose where to go - though it has been heavily weighing on my mind.
I have already paid my deposit for PCO and ICO as I interviewed with them earlier and recently was accepted to NECO.
NECO was initially my first choice upon applying to optometry school because everyone I knew graduated from NECO or is attending NECO... however now the decision has come down to between ICO and NECO! I have yet to pay my deposit for NECO since it's $1k that's unrefundable. Thankfully PCO does refund their deposits. I am heavily leaning to ICO... but I'm having difficulty finding confidence in my decision as most of my network is in Boston/NECO. I just want to make sure that I won't regret not choosing NECO. I do have conditions for NECO and ICO, but luckily my backup plan is PCO (since they did not give me any conditions with my acceptance just in case if anything goes wrong with my application).
I would love to hear why people chose ICO or NECO, especially if you interviewed at both of them. I would love to hear about how you feel about your education, clinical experience, and your experience living in the city (although some argue that the city shouldn't matter - I beg to argue otherwise as it is somewhere that I will be living for the next 4ish years of my life!)
Here are my points about each:
ICO (Chicago)
+ High board pass rates
+ Everyone (students, faculty, Albert the security man) seemed super friendly and happy at the interview
+ Sense of community was emphasized and students told me that profs were sincerely concerned for the students and are willing to help outside of class
+ Campus was attached to the clinic and the RC/dorm is across the street that makes everything more convenient
+ New renovations
+ Volunteer and mission trip options
+ Liked the city (beautiful & amazing food!) - seemed like there was more to do there... after all spending 4 years of my life there!
+ Website was much more educational about the school and what to expect (esp the YouTube channel)
+ Rent if not in RC isn't as expensive
+ Fellow Canadians make up 20% of the class
- Super cold during the winters
- Don't know anyone who graduated from ICO
- Didn't mention anything about outside connections ie: VisionExpo etc
- Must retake microbiology, physics, and calculus
NECO (Boston)
+ Always just heard about NECO (my boss, his associate, and a friend's friend graduated from there... have 2 friends currently in their second year, 1 friend who is accepted to this year's class, and a couple friends who moved to Boston) = lots of familiarity and company!
+ Delocalized clinic
+ Other Canadian students
+ Masters degree option for no additional tuition
+ Seemed more up to date with current industry stuff - ie: going to VisionExpo, a student mentioned going to DC to do with some sort of legislation (forgive my ignorance on the matter)
+/~ Beautiful City - Love seafood, though it seems more of a place I feel I would visit and travel to opposed to living there for the next four years of my life!
+ Overall $2k less in tuition (according to the NECO and ICO tuition pages)
= Not sure of board pass rates, but when I looked it up on http://optometry-schools.findthebest.com/ it wasn't ranked as high as ICO - but students at the school told me it was in high 90s
= College town....?
- Asked me to retake physics, calculus I and II, microbiology, and biochemistry
- Traffic seemed terrible
- Student told me during the interview tour that it was a lot of 'self learning' - not so much of a community since people go home right after class
- Rent/cost of living super expensive
- Library hours were not so great (but students and faculty told me just to study at Boston Public Library or MIT)
- Equipment seemed older/lecture halls were small and didn't house all the students (thus electronic classrooms in basement)/ school was older
- No mention of mission trips
Thank you in advanced!!!!