The lowest GPA accepted with OAT SCORE accepted

[Lily08USF]

What a touching story for your little child. This must have been what motivated you to become an optometrist so badly. I wish you luck. Dont' give up.. with true motivation and determination... keep up retaking your OAT so that they will be at least 300+ for all subjects.. then you will at least be more competitive than what ur scores are now.

I believe that if optometry is what you really wanted to pursue, and you will do whatever it is in your power to get there.. you will get there.. if not sooner then later. Just make sure that if under any circumstance, you can do what others can do... Don't give up. Improve your scores and earn more experiences with the fields, ifyou have to improve ur GPA then u must do so... ask for more advice to see what else u can do in order to perform well and get into optometry school of your dreams.

Best of Luck.

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[Lily08USF]

What a touching story for your little child. This must have been what motivated you to become an optometrist so badly. I wish you luck. Dont' give up.. with true motivation and determination... keep up retaking your OAT so that they will be at least 300+ for all subjects.. then you will at least be more competitive than what ur scores are now.

I believe that if optometry is what you really wanted to pursue, and you will do whatever it is in your power to get there.. you will get there.. if not sooner then later. Just make sure that if under any circumstance, you can do what others can do... Don't give up. Improve your scores and earn more experiences with the fields, ifyou have to improve ur GPA then u must do so... ask for more advice to see what else u can do in order to perform well and get into optometry school of your dreams.

Best of Luck.

 

[Foxc1deletion]

Thank you! I am just trying to figure out whether or not my situation caused me to do poorly, or if I am truly not capable. I think about that pilot with the checkerboard background that retook tests he failed to get his pilot license. He crashed a plane last year and killed everyone on board! Maybe he should have given up when he failed. I'm thinking of holding off on applying until my girls are in school so that I can spend time with them while they are young and I will have my hands free to study, but every semester I'm out of school, the science world is leaving me in the dust. I had an A in organic chemistry and everyone wanted to study with me because I could explain it so well, and just look how low my score was in that section of the OAT. I feel like I am loosing the knowledge and that what I did learn in school is obsolete. If anyone has advice for how to salvage a wrecked GPA or ace the OAT, please feel free to chip in.
Always grateful,
Amelia Keeley Boyce

 

[blysssful]

I usually have no interest in replying to these threads but rather enjoy reading them. In your case, I find it VERY amusing that the eye icon person feels the needs to express her "natural abilities" to be an optometrist. Since everyone is expressing opinions, i think it's safe for me to express mine?...

1. There are committees members reading these.
2. Please explain what a natural ability to be an optometrist is? Until this day I've yet to find my natural ability.
3. Did you "sugarcoat" your application or interview, judging from your so called advice to the author here, I am worried for your future patients.
4. Help me find my natural abilities PLEASE!

1. I am more than aware of that, and I think it is fantastic. I believe they understand and share my desire to have the most capable colleagues. And for the record I was referring to the fact that the vast majority of the opinions given in these forums ARE NOT coming directly from admissions committees and these opinions are clearly not the last word on any matter.

2. I was referring to the ability of scientific reasoning and or curiosity that ALL health care providers should have or seek to obtain. Yes, someone can ABSOLUTELY make it through optometry school and become an optometrist without it, but would I EVER want to be referred to any type of doctor like that? No. Sample scenario using a very real case: Woman (with multiple health ailments) sees blurry. Woman goes to OD. OD can't figure out why she isn't seeing clearly & is either not interested enough to figure it out or is unable to, so just gives her a new Rx. OD sends her on her way. Woman comes into the clinic and gets a full work up by a competent OD. Woman has metastases clearly identifiable from a retinal scan. Had her previous OD been more curious about WHY she still wasn't seeing clearly, perhaps she could have been made aware of the situation before.

3. No, I did not sugarcoat my application or interview. And there is a difference between not sugarcoating and having tact. Don't have fear for my future patients-- they will at least be given the truth to the extent that it is appropriate. I would fear for the patients of spineless doctors who skirt their professional duties by passing the bearing of bad news to someone down the line (intentionally or unintentionally).

4. N/A


And again, for the record, my belief is that in order to truly excel and be an expert in ANY FIELD, some sort of combination of EFFORT and ABILITY IN THAT FIELD is required. It could be any combination of the two. The point that I was trying to make earlier was that if you choose a profession in a field that you have an extremely hard time understanding or learning, you will have to put in MUCH MORE EFFORT compared to a field where you naturally excel in. I was unaware that would be such a controversial statement.

Hello all. I took the OAT and to my dismay got a 290! So I googled 290 OAT to see if anyone ever scored so low and found this thread. I have some extenuating circumstances of my own, and I would be grateful to hear your comments about them. I have been chomping at the bit to get into optometry school since I graduated high school early in 2004. I took 18+ hours of prerequisite courses (just what was needed for OS entry of course) and I applied to SCO. I was not surprised that I was rejected, I was young with no degree. Then, I had my first baby at 19. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington the next semester at the age of 20, three years after I started school, and with a baby on my hip. Did I mention that in this time I also acquired a license in Nail Technology and was working my way through college as a manicurist part time? I took some time to raise my little girl, mean while teaching Biology Labs at the local community college when my second daughter was conceived. In this time I was praying every night asking if I should try for optometry school again or give up and submit to a life of teaching (which was fun, but not so challenging). My daughter was born in September last year with glaucoma in both eyes. It is very rare, 1/100,000! Is that my sign? So I started taking more classes. I will retake Physics in the spring. I just retook my OAT, but time to study is limited raising two children under 3, one visually impaired with 15+ eye surgeries this year. One advantage is that I am learning a great deal from Amelia's eye anomaly, bless her heart. After getting a 290, I'm somewhat discouraged, but I am wondering, should I give up? Are my circumstances extenuating enough? This is the print out from the testing center incase anyone is interested or wants to give advice.
Q Reasoning--230
Reading Comprehension--340
Biology--320
General Chem--300
Organic--260
Physics--290
Total--290
Sorry so long, and mind numbing. I just want to give a well rounded picture of the tribulations I face to see what you think. Optometry is my greatest dream. I want so much to be a guardian of this previous gift, vision. I am so grateful to those who helped my daughter have sight!
Cheers,
Amelia Keeley Boyce

When you took the OAT, did you feel adequately prepared for it? If it's been such a long time since you took the courses, maybe you need to spend more time than you thought reviewing concepts. You could think of it as a refresher on how to study.

 

[Commando303]

Hello all. I took the OAT and to my dismay got a 290! So I googled 290 OAT to see if anyone ever scored so low and found this thread. I have some extenuating circumstances of my own, and I would be grateful to hear your comments about them. I have been chomping at the bit to get into optometry school since I graduated high school early in 2004. I took 18+ hours of prerequisite courses (just what was needed for OS entry of course) and I applied to SCO. I was not surprised that I was rejected, I was young with no degree. Then, I had my first baby at 19. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington the next semester at the age of 20, three years after I started school, and with a baby on my hip. Did I mention that in this time I also acquired a license in Nail Technology and was working my way through college as a manicurist part time? I took some time to raise my little girl, mean while teaching Biology Labs at the local community college when my second daughter was conceived. In this time I was praying every night asking if I should try for optometry school again or give up and submit to a life of teaching (which was fun, but not so challenging). My daughter was born in September last year with glaucoma in both eyes. It is very rare, 1/100,000! Is that my sign? So I started taking more classes. I will retake Physics in the spring. I just retook my OAT, but time to study is limited raising two children under 3, one visually impaired with 15+ eye surgeries this year. One advantage is that I am learning a great deal from Amelia's eye anomaly, bless her heart. After getting a 290, I'm somewhat discouraged, but I am wondering, should I give up? Are my circumstances extenuating enough? This is the print out from the testing center incase anyone is interested or wants to give advice.
Q Reasoning--230
Reading Comprehension--340
Biology--320
General Chem--300
Organic--260
Physics--290
Total--290
Sorry so long, and mind numbing. I just want to give a well rounded picture of the tribulations I face to see what you think. Optometry is my greatest dream. I want so much to be a guardian of this previous gift, vision. I am so grateful to those who helped my daughter have sight!
Cheers,
Amelia Keeley Boyce

All I can say is, if you want to pursue the path to an O.D., do so; if it isn't something that genuinely interests you, forgo the option. You seem to have a handle on your obstacles and your passion, though, so I'm somewhat confused as to what guidance you might be hoping to find here.

 

[UIWSO student]

Hello all. I took the OAT and to my dismay got a 290! So I googled 290 OAT to see if anyone ever scored so low and found this thread. I have some extenuating circumstances of my own, and I would be grateful to hear your comments about them. I have been chomping at the bit to get into optometry school since I graduated high school early in 2004. I took 18+ hours of prerequisite courses (just what was needed for OS entry of course) and I applied to SCO. I was not surprised that I was rejected, I was young with no degree. Then, I had my first baby at 19. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington the next semester at the age of 20, three years after I started school, and with a baby on my hip. Did I mention that in this time I also acquired a license in Nail Technology and was working my way through college as a manicurist part time? I took some time to raise my little girl, mean while teaching Biology Labs at the local community college when my second daughter was conceived. In this time I was praying every night asking if I should try for optometry school again or give up and submit to a life of teaching (which was fun, but not so challenging). My daughter was born in September last year with glaucoma in both eyes. It is very rare, 1/100,000! Is that my sign? So I started taking more classes. I will retake Physics in the spring. I just retook my OAT, but time to study is limited raising two children under 3, one visually impaired with 15+ eye surgeries this year. One advantage is that I am learning a great deal from Amelia's eye anomaly, bless her heart. After getting a 290, I'm somewhat discouraged, but I am wondering, should I give up? Are my circumstances extenuating enough? This is the print out from the testing center incase anyone is interested or wants to give advice.
Q Reasoning--230
Reading Comprehension--340
Biology--320
General Chem--300
Organic--260
Physics--290
Total--290
Sorry so long, and mind numbing. I just want to give a well rounded picture of the tribulations I face to see what you think. Optometry is my greatest dream. I want so much to be a guardian of this previous gift, vision. I am so grateful to those who helped my daughter have sight!
Cheers,
Amelia Keeley Boyce

Hey
Amelia,


I think you should seriously apply, Most Prospective students lack the motivation you have, and if you feel OD is what you want, I would say you apply this year, I do not think it is too late. Most students do Get better grade when they take the OAT the second time and you will too. APPLY early as possible and you should be able to get in the program.

 

[ucbsowarrior]

Circumstances should be taken into consideration, but only upto 5% of the class size. The remaining 95% of the class size should be chosen based on their competitive academic / overall profile balanced with their motives of entering the profession. There shouldn't be too many pity points given out, because for every underqualified applicant, there is one person who is qualified that is not being admitted. How fair is that???

 

[blysssful]

Circumstances should be taken into consideration, but only upto 5% of the class size. The remaining 95% of the class size should be chosen based on their competitive academic / overall profile balanced with their motives of entering the profession. There shouldn't be too many pity points given out, because for every underqualified applicant, there is one person who is qualified that is not being admitted. How fair is that???

 

[Winggirl2]

What is the lowest oat score Puerto Rico accepts?

 

[EyeCU09]

What is the lowest oat score Puerto Rico accepts?

I had a 290/290 and I got accepted to ICO (which is surprising) and IAUPR as well, and I'm on the alternate list for Pacific and PCO! so if I can do it so can you good luck ! what is your OAT score?

 

[Winggirl2]

Omg that's awesome! You're so lucky. I haven't taken it yet but I scored horrible on the practice. I just submitted my application for Puerto Rico today. I take my oat next month, hopefully they still will accept me.

 

[Winggirl2]

Also, what was your science and over all gpa if you don't mind me asking. Which school did you plan to go to?