Would you attend a school that was just a backup option?

[Comeonman]

I've been accepted into three schools and to be honest I don't really like the area of the two I visited, third one I did by Skype, and the one school I really wanted to attend didn't invite me.

I know it's kind of naive to have an impression of school you haven't visited, but I feel that it'd be the best school for me. Would any of you reject acceptances and kind of intentionally "skip" a year just to try to get into your number one school? I know that a lot of people I asked said this would be a huge waste of time and that you should just tough it out with any school even if you are not completely happy with it, because you all will come out as an optometrist in the end.

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[Groucho Marx]

There are quite a few factors at play here. First, do you feel that you will be accepted into your top choice school if you wait another year? Did you merely apply late or are you statistically a lower applicant? Have you spoken with the admissions committee about why you weren't accepted?

Second, do you have something productive that you can do for the year? A year off isn't necessarily a year wasted. You can work on increasing your chances by research, shadowing, or a number of other activities. You can take a job that you might otherwise never work…in other words, there are many ways in which you can better yourself, and it doesn't even have to be optometry related.

I personally wouldn't tell someone to "suck it up" and go to a school that they don't like. In some cases that might be the wisest option, but I don't that is true for everyone. Optometry school is four whole years, and they're often long and grueling. You don't want to set yourself up for misery. If you're unhappy with your school and location, then your passion for the career might start to be affected and your ability to learn can suffer as well. Mental health is extremely important in something as demanding as a doctoral program.

Your actual school options are also very important. There is no official ranking per se, but if you read and listen to what current students (and statistics, for that matter) are saying, some schools are stronger than others.

I wouldn't look at it as, "Hey, we'll all have the same degree," as that phrase ignores that fact that you have to live through four real years in order to obtain the degree.

 

[mathcod]

Which schools were you accepted to? Maybe some reassurance is all you need, but if you have a tremendous gut feeling about something, usually it is right to follow it. If you absolutely think you cannot live a happy and typical life because of the area, then I don't think it is worth the stress. I'm speaking as a home-owner. But I would imagine most of the schools are located in big cities which always have their wealthy areas and poorer areas - just commute if it solely is an area thing.

If I'm comically missing the point on what you mean by area, then in my opinion as long as it is an established school, you'll likely be fine and can be happy if you control your situation.

As for taking a year-off, I personally would dread the idea mainly because the alternative is usually me wasting my life because I'm a destructive individual. just saying.

 

[Capsnduck]

I agree with Groucho 100%. If you have a very negative feeling about a school, it might not be the best place for you to spend the next four years, but I would really think through why you didn't feel comfortable there. Is it something that might change once you're there, or something that might get worse?
As far as taking a year off, if you use it to shadow, to increase your stats by retaking classes or the OAT, or even to work and save up money then it might not be a wasted year. The question is, do you think that you'll get into the school of your choice next year. Chances are, if you decline acceptance at the other schools, you will not have that opportunity again. Are you hinging all of your hopes on getting into the one school, or are you broadening your search and now including other schools that you hadn't thought about initially?

 

[tkuhug]

Imho there is only so much you can learn shadowing. It might not be completed wasted but it is wasted in the sense you are delaying graduation, a job, marriage, family. Of course, for some people those factors aren't on the top of their list. But for me it is so that's why I would think it wasted