Hey everyone!
So I have a question.... I'm a third year science student at my university, and I won't have my degree completed until Spring 2020 (5 years total!). I was originally planning to apply during summer of 2019 just because I wanted to have my degree finished before hand.... the thing is I only have 4 courses left to finish off in my 5th year and they're mostly general education courses/science option classes to fulfill credit requirements. I will be completing all my optometry prerequisites this coming fall 2018 (except physics II is the only one in the following semester, I have been putting it off because physics. =p ), so a classmate recently brought it to my attention that I should at least try to apply this summer since my 5th year isn't relevant/many classes anyways! She did the same and got accepted to a few schools - no degree and was offered a scholarship!
My GPA is 3.72 and I'm in a Canadian university, and I've read on here as well as heard through the recruitment sessions from American schools that canadian GPA's are "boosted" when reviewing applications cause our programs are apparently more challenging?
My extracurriculars are sort of lacking - I have volunteer experience here and there, but was planning to get the bulk of my volunteering and shadowing over the next year for when I applied in summer 2019. I have probably just under 30 shadowing hours, however, I have many great connections to optometrists to shadow so I plan on getting LOTS of hours in over the next several months.
The OAT I wasn't planning on taking until next spring either once I had all prereqs done, but I've been told I would be in good shape since the only prereqs I am missing are not necessarily heavily tested (Micro, Bchem, 1 English, Physiology... and Physics 2 but I am confident I could teach myself what I need to know to write the test ) . I would start studying end of June and try to take the OAT end of August or early September... is 2 months enough time to study? I work 4 or 5 days a week in evenings through the summer.
This all has got me thinking I would rather get a head start on finishing optometry, rather than wait it out a whole year just to finish a few courses.
Would it be realistic to try and apply this coming September or should I just wait until my degree is completed? I am looking to apply to probably Pacific, Midwestern, and SCCO....
Let me know what y'all think!!
So I have a question.... I'm a third year science student at my university, and I won't have my degree completed until Spring 2020 (5 years total!). I was originally planning to apply during summer of 2019 just because I wanted to have my degree finished before hand.... the thing is I only have 4 courses left to finish off in my 5th year and they're mostly general education courses/science option classes to fulfill credit requirements. I will be completing all my optometry prerequisites this coming fall 2018 (except physics II is the only one in the following semester, I have been putting it off because physics. =p ), so a classmate recently brought it to my attention that I should at least try to apply this summer since my 5th year isn't relevant/many classes anyways! She did the same and got accepted to a few schools - no degree and was offered a scholarship!
My GPA is 3.72 and I'm in a Canadian university, and I've read on here as well as heard through the recruitment sessions from American schools that canadian GPA's are "boosted" when reviewing applications cause our programs are apparently more challenging?
My extracurriculars are sort of lacking - I have volunteer experience here and there, but was planning to get the bulk of my volunteering and shadowing over the next year for when I applied in summer 2019. I have probably just under 30 shadowing hours, however, I have many great connections to optometrists to shadow so I plan on getting LOTS of hours in over the next several months.
The OAT I wasn't planning on taking until next spring either once I had all prereqs done, but I've been told I would be in good shape since the only prereqs I am missing are not necessarily heavily tested (Micro, Bchem, 1 English, Physiology... and Physics 2 but I am confident I could teach myself what I need to know to write the test ) . I would start studying end of June and try to take the OAT end of August or early September... is 2 months enough time to study? I work 4 or 5 days a week in evenings through the summer.
This all has got me thinking I would rather get a head start on finishing optometry, rather than wait it out a whole year just to finish a few courses.
Would it be realistic to try and apply this coming September or should I just wait until my degree is completed? I am looking to apply to probably Pacific, Midwestern, and SCCO....
Let me know what y'all think!!
