Waterloo 2016

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eyeseaeyesee

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Lets start one for this year. Feel free to post your stats!

Current Education level: self explanatory
OAT score: TS/AA
GPA: % or 4.0 scale
Optometry Experience: shadowing/working
EC: extracurriculars

As for mine:

Current Education level: working, finished Bsc Bio
OAT score: 390 TS 360 AA
GPA: ~86%
Optometry Experience: clerical/assisting job, optical lab, shadowing 2 docs
EC: hospital volunteering, church, many other

Also, feel free to post advice/problems with filling out the application.
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Can you guys also please post what year you are in currently/what year you graduated? :) (I'm an applicant for 2017 so I just want to see this years stats)
 
Current Education level: Biochemistry 4th yr
OAT score: 370TS/340AA
GPA: 3.7
Optometry Experience: Shadowed 2 different doctors
EC: Hospital volunteering, manage intramural soccer teams, help with the local Mosque, lab volunteering, and some other stuff
 
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Current Education level: Biomed 3rd year
OAT score: 400TS/400AA
GPA: 3.9
Optometry Experience: shadowing 2 different optometrists, >60 hours
EC: volleyball (intermurals and community), student academic support organization at uni (peer tutor, mentor, class rep), school rep with recruitment team, volunteering at the mosque, etc.
 
How come it's so quiet here? There's only a couple weeks left until they send out interview invites... anyone else freaking out?
 
concussed_duck said:
How come it's so quiet here? There's only a couple weeks left until they send out interview invites... anyone else freaking out?
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ahahahah I've been trying to find other 2016 threads that have more of a discussion going on but nothing....
 
I've applied but my scores are not as high as their averages so I guess we'll see what happens :)

Current Education Level: Bio Sci Major/ Chem Minor, Fourth year graduating 2016
OAT score: 340TS/350 AA
GPA: 3.21 (80%)
Optometry Experience: shadowed 2 optometrist, >20 hours
EC: community relations exec of student group, marketing assistant of another student group, wish grantor for Make-A-Wish Foundation, local community volunteering, dance, co-founder of a local startup, etc.
 
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I have to agree that the thread has been pretty quiet, but I've been following it for a while so I'm sure I'm not alone. I feel like some of us were just a little intimidated by the first few posts... Some of you are some pretty impressive applicants. As intimidating as posting may be, it is basically all anonymous so it doesn't hurt to join the conversation guys! Hopefully more people will want to join the conversation as we get closer to hearing about interviews.

Current Education level: 4th year Biology major
OAT score: 330TS (organic was disappointingly low)/350 AA
GPA: 80% (my school works on a 4.3 so I just averaged the converted percents from the AIF)
Optometry Experience: Shadowed two optometrists
EC: Extensive volunteering at local hospital's eye care clinic, treasurer of student charity group, volunteering with CNIB, etc.
 
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Current Education level: Graduated with BSc (biochemistry major) in June 2014 University of Winnipeg
OAT score: 330 TS 340 AA
GPA: 86%
Optometry Experience: Shadowed 5 ODs (approximately 8 hours each), shadowed an ophthalmologist (6 hours). Working full time, since Fall 2014, at a private practice as a pretester and starting to dispense eyewear. Volunteered at a trade show for the Manitoba Association of Optometrists.
EC: Private tutor, instructor of a youth leadership development program at a non-profit organization, volunteer at Canadian Blood Services

I applied and interviewed last year. I was waitlisted.
 
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Current Education Level: 4th Year
OAT score: 360 TS/340 AA
GPA: 85-86%
Optometry Experience: job shadowed optometrists >100 hrs, worked in eye clinic for 2.5 years
EC: Pre-optometry club at school, Unite for Sight club, volunteered in nearby hospital
 
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mrk23 said:
Current Education level: Graduated with BSc (biochemistry major) in June 2014 University of Winnipeg
OAT score: 330 TS 340 AA
GPA: 86%
Optometry Experience: Shadowed 5 ODs (approximately 8 hours each), shadowed an ophthalmologist (6 hours). Working full time, since Fall 2014, at a private practice as a pretester and starting to dispense eyewear. Volunteered at a trade show for the Manitoba Association of Optometrists.
EC: Private tutor, instructor of a youth leadership development program at a non-profit organization, volunteer at Canadian Blood Services

I applied and interviewed last year. I was waitlisted.
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Did you have the same stats last year when you got wait listed, or have you since improved them?
 
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Dn94628 said:
Did you have the same stats last year when you got wait listed, or have you since improved them?
Click to expand...

When I was waitlisted, I called for some feedback and all they could tell me was that they suggest I rewrite the OAT. They couldn't give feedback on the interview, reference letters, etc.
I had 330AA last year, so it didn't improve by much, but it did improve. I also gained more experience since my last application (shadowed more ODs and an ophthalmologist) as well as all the hours accumulated while I continued to work at the practice.
 
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Current Education level: Graduated June 2015, Physio and Psych majors. Currently picking up some American pre-reqs part-time
OAT score: 350 TS/350 AA
GPA: ~84%
Optometry Experience: Volunteered at two clinics - now working at one of them (NCTs, fundus photos, filing, etc), shadowed 4 optometrists >30 hrs
EC: Research assistant in psychology + counselling labs + marine physio, Co-President of Art/Mental health club, worked as an artist for student paper, drawing, painting, and photography

Interviewed last year (not waitlisted) - had the same avg, 320TS/330AA, and 8hrs shadowing at that time
I was also suggested to re-take my OAT, had an orgo score of 270 the first time around

Round 2 this year :D
 
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I just heard back about an interview! I'm sure everyone else will be hearing soon...

Super excited!!!!!
 
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Me too! I wasn't expecting them to send out invites so soon! Congratulations!
 
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Me too!! I thought we were going to hear back in December so I wasn't expecting an invite this soon but i'm excited!
 
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Congrats everyone!!! When is everyone's interview dates?
 
I got the impression that all interviews were that day minus the external ones! Mine is also January 9th
 
ThiaminePyroPhosphate said:
Just curious, what does a 85% translate to in terms of a 4 point GPA scale?
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I think it depends on the buffer your marks create. For my average of 84% it has stayed pretty much the same even though my GPA went from 3.81 to 3.79 in my last year. GPA is more sensitive and the % average can take more hits haha
 
I've actually decided to do the external interview in Calgary on Jan 11th instead! Anyone else doing this or know what it's like??
 
ODpookie said:
I've actually decided to do the external interview in Calgary on Jan 11th instead! Anyone else doing this or know what it's like??
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Hey! I did the external interview in Calgary last year, it was a smaller group (only 3 of us per group) with the interview in a hotel near the airport. There were only 3 interviewers, one in each room and we did 2 questions per interviewer. It felt quite informal, there wasn't really a set time limit, we could speak as much as we wanted and it was more like a conversation. But in the end, all 3 of us in my group got in, so it definitely isn't a disadvantage to do an external interview :) Good luck!
 
Has anyone experienced how long it typically takes to get a police clearance? I spoke to my city's police department and they said it would only take about 2 weeks (much less than 6-8 weeks stated in the email)... Is the timing that the police department gives usually accurate?
 
eyeseaeyesee said:
Has anyone experienced how long it typically takes to get a police clearance? I spoke to my city's police department and they said it would only take about 2 weeks (much less than 6-8 weeks stated in the email)... Is the timing that the police department gives usually accurate?
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In the past I have only waited 2-3 weeks... I did however go into the police department to order it, so maybe that made a difference? Perhaps it is just in smaller or extremely rural areas of the country where it takes 6-8.
 
Are you guys getting the police department to send it directly to the school?
 
When I went, the police officer printed it out for me right away. They don't mail it for you, you have to mail it yourself to the address provided.
 
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whoa, wait, do you guys need to get a police check this year? What for?
 
yangos1 said:
whoa, wait, do you guys need to get a police check this year? What for?
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It was in the email:
As you are invited to an admissions interview, you are required to provide a Criminal Record Check - Vulnerable Sector (CRC). It can take 6-8 weeks to get a CRC Vulnerable Sector completed. The Criminal Record Check - Vulnerable Sector (CRC) is due by January 31, 2016.
 
The station I ordered it at said they won't mail them to waterloo, you have to do it yourself. They told me it'll take 30 days to process lol :/
 
I went to the station today and they printed it out right away and gave it to me. Guess it depends on where you are?
 
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Woow, haha, you guys are the first year to have to do that (I was in last year's cycle). I'm just wondering why they decided to do it this year, did they almost accept a convicted criminal (or worse, is there one in our class? oh damn...)
 
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ODpookie said:
I went to the station today and they printed it out right away and gave it to me. Guess it depends on where you are?
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Did you do a vulnerable sector check? Is there anything wrong with starting multiple police checks? I might order one at another station if it's faster...
 
ThiaminePyroPhosphate said:
Did you do a vulnerable sector check? Is there anything wrong with starting multiple police checks? I might order one at another station if it's faster...
Click to expand...

Yes I did the vulnerable sector check. I don't think there's anything wrong with it but you may want to ask the people at the station directly if it will slow the process down or anything. I think generally every station within a city or county will have the same system so going to another one may not even make a difference. My advice would be call the station you are going to go to and ask them about the multiples and if it will be any faster before you waste your time going down personally.
 
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ThiaminePyroPhosphate said:
The station I ordered it at said they won't mail them to waterloo, you have to do it yourself. They told me it'll take 30 days to process lol :/
Click to expand...

Wow 30 days seems like a long time... Maybe that is just the maximum they say to be safe? I haven't gone in to get mine yet, but in the past when I have gotten them done it only took like 2 weeks to get mailed to my house.
 
If I want to check if Waterloo has received the Vulnerable Sector check yet, I'll have to call in right? Because I don't see anything on Quest.
 
I actually wondered today whether it would show up on Quest, but there currently isn't a spot for it that I could find. I would think that they would contact us to confirm it got there. Perhaps if it has been 2 weeks since you sent it I would call to confirm.
 
Does anyone know have any recent stats on how many people Waterloo generally interviews, and how many people end up being accepted?
 
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