- Joined
- Jan 30, 2015
- Messages
- 20
- Reaction score
- 10
Hey everyone,
I'm trying to see what my chances are for acceptance into the class of 2020.
I will be applying right around the rollover date in July so I can have the best chances for acceptance.
My stats:
Overall Gpa: 3.36
Science Gpa: 3.2ishh??? I have not took the time to calculate this
Graduating Spring 2016 with BA in Biology and Minor in Chemistry
OAT: TS:340 AA:340
Extracurricular:
Founded/President of the Pre-Optometry Association at my University. I started the organization fall of last year through flyers and finding optometry minded peers in my classes. I along with my fellow officers are bringing in guest-speakers for almost every meeting. This semester we are bringing/brought: UH admissions, Incarnate Word admissions, a prevent blindness Dallas volunteer coordinator, a fellow practicing optometrist, and an extern in his residency year.
Recently started a committed volunteering program at my local regional hospital. Mostly surveying patients for costumer satisfaction and introducing doctors to patient's families. I've been doing this 4 hours a week, which will mount up to around 50+ hours in volunteering by my application date.
Shadowed my personal Optometrist off and on for the last year and a half. He is probably the coolest, most down to earth doctor I've met. I can't count the number of times he has told me there is a job waiting for me right out of optometry school.
Shadowed another optometrist working with ophthalmologists in an advanced eye care clinic. He personally taught me about the instruments, procedures, and the bioinformatic software almost as if I was already in optometry school. Very genuine guy and I occasionally saw some pathology. Overall about 25 hours of shadowing.
Research assistant for an ongoing research into cardiac development in invertebrates. This consists of me cleaning animals weekly and shadowing live dissections.
Recently started working with Prevent Blindness Dallas. Trained to provide free vision screenings for local communities. This will probably amount to around 20 hours by my application date.
**Will possibly be a paid intern for the Retina Foundation of the Southwest's research for amblyopia in children. This will be occurring in the summer and will be 35 hours a week for 8 weeks. I will also be taking a summer course or two so I have to see how I can fit this into my schedule.
Receiving 5 letters of recommendations. Two from optometrists. One from a volunteer coordinator. One from my pre-health advisor. One from a Biology professor. Some might be quality a few might not.
The choice of schools I'm gunning for acceptance:
1) Western
2) Nova
3) SCCO
4) Midwestern (Arizona)
5) Incarnate Word
6) Possibly Puerto Rico.
Possible negative aspects of my application:
I've retaken my fair share of classes.
I've usually only taken around 12-13 credits a semester. One semester I took only 8 because I was going through a lot of difficulties in my personal life. I also received a couple Fs and Ds on my transcript but I've retaken those classes.
I've only worked during my first year at community college as a library assistant, so I can't say I was always occupied during undergrad.
Most, if not all the volunteer work I'm doing now has only recently started happening this year. So I can't say I was consistently active in my community during undergrad. Will schools take note of this?
I was put on academic probation after my first semester at community college because I did not understand nor take college seriously (I was 17 and a bit immature at the time).
I transferred from community college with a 3.5 but then my GPA slowly dropped soon after (This semester I might be making straight As).
Overall, from a straight numbers game I'm not the best applicant but I'm definitely not the worst either. For the most part I feel I understand the profession and where it's headed. I'm well versed in the interview process and will be contacting admissions for the schools I've listed. Even though I've went through a few setbacks in my life, I've grown from that and was able to become a stronger version of myself. I'm confident I can handle optometry school and be a contributing professional in the field of eye care. I'm very determined to succeed and I believe I demonstrated that with my OAT scores, initiative to start and manage a solid pre-optometry organization, and the many volunteer hours I will be doing leading up to my Optomcas application.
What are your thoughts on me getting an interview with the first three schools on my list and what do you think I should improve or focus on?
I'm trying to see what my chances are for acceptance into the class of 2020.
I will be applying right around the rollover date in July so I can have the best chances for acceptance.
My stats:
Overall Gpa: 3.36
Science Gpa: 3.2ishh??? I have not took the time to calculate this
Graduating Spring 2016 with BA in Biology and Minor in Chemistry
OAT: TS:340 AA:340
Extracurricular:
Founded/President of the Pre-Optometry Association at my University. I started the organization fall of last year through flyers and finding optometry minded peers in my classes. I along with my fellow officers are bringing in guest-speakers for almost every meeting. This semester we are bringing/brought: UH admissions, Incarnate Word admissions, a prevent blindness Dallas volunteer coordinator, a fellow practicing optometrist, and an extern in his residency year.
Recently started a committed volunteering program at my local regional hospital. Mostly surveying patients for costumer satisfaction and introducing doctors to patient's families. I've been doing this 4 hours a week, which will mount up to around 50+ hours in volunteering by my application date.
Shadowed my personal Optometrist off and on for the last year and a half. He is probably the coolest, most down to earth doctor I've met. I can't count the number of times he has told me there is a job waiting for me right out of optometry school.
Shadowed another optometrist working with ophthalmologists in an advanced eye care clinic. He personally taught me about the instruments, procedures, and the bioinformatic software almost as if I was already in optometry school. Very genuine guy and I occasionally saw some pathology. Overall about 25 hours of shadowing.
Research assistant for an ongoing research into cardiac development in invertebrates. This consists of me cleaning animals weekly and shadowing live dissections.
Recently started working with Prevent Blindness Dallas. Trained to provide free vision screenings for local communities. This will probably amount to around 20 hours by my application date.
**Will possibly be a paid intern for the Retina Foundation of the Southwest's research for amblyopia in children. This will be occurring in the summer and will be 35 hours a week for 8 weeks. I will also be taking a summer course or two so I have to see how I can fit this into my schedule.
Receiving 5 letters of recommendations. Two from optometrists. One from a volunteer coordinator. One from my pre-health advisor. One from a Biology professor. Some might be quality a few might not.
The choice of schools I'm gunning for acceptance:
1) Western
2) Nova
3) SCCO
4) Midwestern (Arizona)
5) Incarnate Word
6) Possibly Puerto Rico.
Possible negative aspects of my application:
I've retaken my fair share of classes.
I've usually only taken around 12-13 credits a semester. One semester I took only 8 because I was going through a lot of difficulties in my personal life. I also received a couple Fs and Ds on my transcript but I've retaken those classes.
I've only worked during my first year at community college as a library assistant, so I can't say I was always occupied during undergrad.
Most, if not all the volunteer work I'm doing now has only recently started happening this year. So I can't say I was consistently active in my community during undergrad. Will schools take note of this?
I was put on academic probation after my first semester at community college because I did not understand nor take college seriously (I was 17 and a bit immature at the time).
I transferred from community college with a 3.5 but then my GPA slowly dropped soon after (This semester I might be making straight As).
Overall, from a straight numbers game I'm not the best applicant but I'm definitely not the worst either. For the most part I feel I understand the profession and where it's headed. I'm well versed in the interview process and will be contacting admissions for the schools I've listed. Even though I've went through a few setbacks in my life, I've grown from that and was able to become a stronger version of myself. I'm confident I can handle optometry school and be a contributing professional in the field of eye care. I'm very determined to succeed and I believe I demonstrated that with my OAT scores, initiative to start and manage a solid pre-optometry organization, and the many volunteer hours I will be doing leading up to my Optomcas application.
What are your thoughts on me getting an interview with the first three schools on my list and what do you think I should improve or focus on?
Last edited:
