UhtredsonofUHTRED
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Hi and welcome to my post. I am a 3rd (Junior) Environmental Microbiology major. I am interested in becoming a competitive applicant for any optometry school (Although I would ideally attend whichever is cheapest). I will post below my current stats and I would be interested in any advice that can help me in my goal of getting into optometry school.
Current stats:
I have a 3.73 overall GPA.
I have only one extracurricular activity. I'm a volunteer chemistry tutor with 100+ hours.
And that's really it. Below are my pre-req grades.
Future plans:
Obviously I need to take the OAT. I'm not sure how well I will do on it; I intend to spend most of my senior year preparing for this test as I complete my pre-reqs. Typically, I've done well on standardized tests like the SATs, but who knows, I could panic on the OAT and not do so well. This happened to me on the SATs and consequently, I took it twice and did much better the second time. Anxiety is a bit of issue for me.
I have not much shadowed an optometrist, however, I've spoken to a few and have researched the profession online. I do have a shadowing opportunity lined up with an optometrist for my senior year / this summer.
Additionally, how important is additional volunteer, work, and research experience?
Some ideas I've floated are:
1. Psychology research. Typically, most people I've met who conduct research to pad their resumes focus on advanced scientific concepts in biochemistry, molecular biology, etc. Personally, I think it would be interesting to conduct psychology research in relation to healthcare provider-patient interaction.
2. Working as optometrist technician. I don't feel super stressed to apply immediately to optometry school after I graduate. I wouldn't mind working for a year or two after graduation to gain more experience.
Future profile:
After this year and my senior year, I believe I can likely achieve the following stats:
3.5-3.7 overall GPA.
50-75th percentile OAT score
(Additional volunteer work?)
(Possible research?)
But I am aware that numbers and stats alone, while important, are not sufficient alone for admission.
Current stats:
I have a 3.73 overall GPA.
I have only one extracurricular activity. I'm a volunteer chemistry tutor with 100+ hours.
And that's really it. Below are my pre-req grades.
| Introductory biology, with lab; BIO 1: A; BIO 2: A- |
| Advanced biology (animal or developmental) N/A - future class |
| Microbiology, with lab; In progress, projected B. |
| General/inorganic chemistry, with labs GEN CHEM 1: A+; GEN CHEM 2: A+ |
| Organic chemistry: ORGO 1: A- ; ORGO 2: A |
| Biochemistry (can be listed under Biology); In progress, projected B. |
| Mathematics: AP Calculus score (4). |
| General physics: GEN Physics 1: A+; Gen Physics 2: N/A - future class |
| Statistical techniques: A |
| Introductory psychology: In progress, projected A+ |
| English composition**: A+ |
| Additional intensive writing course: A+ |
Future plans:
Obviously I need to take the OAT. I'm not sure how well I will do on it; I intend to spend most of my senior year preparing for this test as I complete my pre-reqs. Typically, I've done well on standardized tests like the SATs, but who knows, I could panic on the OAT and not do so well. This happened to me on the SATs and consequently, I took it twice and did much better the second time. Anxiety is a bit of issue for me.
I have not much shadowed an optometrist, however, I've spoken to a few and have researched the profession online. I do have a shadowing opportunity lined up with an optometrist for my senior year / this summer.
Additionally, how important is additional volunteer, work, and research experience?
Some ideas I've floated are:
1. Psychology research. Typically, most people I've met who conduct research to pad their resumes focus on advanced scientific concepts in biochemistry, molecular biology, etc. Personally, I think it would be interesting to conduct psychology research in relation to healthcare provider-patient interaction.
2. Working as optometrist technician. I don't feel super stressed to apply immediately to optometry school after I graduate. I wouldn't mind working for a year or two after graduation to gain more experience.
Future profile:
After this year and my senior year, I believe I can likely achieve the following stats:
3.5-3.7 overall GPA.
50-75th percentile OAT score
(Additional volunteer work?)
(Possible research?)
But I am aware that numbers and stats alone, while important, are not sufficient alone for admission.
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