Chances of getting into Optometry school

[BigHam23]

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Hi,

This is a very long story and I'll try to keep it as concise as possible. I was hoping to determine my prospects towards getting into optometry school. Before listing my stats, I'd like to highlight some of the issues that led me to obtain said stats. Being involved in multiple car accidents in my early teens lead me to develop soft tissue injuries throughout my back and neck. This has led to years of physio and affected my ability to not only sit at a desk and study but also sleep at night. These issues along with increased anxiety and domestic issues at home led me to obtain a 2.79 culmulative gpa in my first 4 years of study. This was in part due to numerous F's or D's that I received. I was recently able to transfer to a more reputable university but my health issues led me to two sub 2.0 gpa semesters. I took the summer off to really key in on my physical and mental issues and through intensive rehab I'm at a far better place currently. With roughly 44 credits remaining, is it possible that if I hover around a 3.5 gpa the rest of the way I could get invites to interviews, or is my past simply too much to overcome?

I realistically only need to take 3 classes per term for 5 terms in order to graduate. Would taking only 3 classes seem like a red flag for schools?

I have 300+ volunteer hours, 50 shadowing hours, and was a founding member of my universities Optometry club and currently hold an executive role. I've also been working 15+ hours a week throughout this entire ordeal.

Again, I understand that is a very convoluted scenario and probably littered with grammatic errors considering I'm writing this at 3:00am. For those that read all the way through, I appreciate it! Additionally, for those that believe I'm simply using my health issues as a crutch or an excuse, unless you've gone through such experiences please don't judge!

 

[Brisks]

Hi,

This is a very long story and I'll try to keep it as concise as possible. I was hoping to determine my prospects towards getting into optometry school. Before listing my stats, I'd like to highlight some of the issues that led me to obtain said stats. Being involved in multiple car accidents in my early teens lead me to develop soft tissue injuries throughout my back and neck. This has led to years of physio and affected my ability to not only sit at a desk and study but also sleep at night. These issues along with increased anxiety and domestic issues at home led me to obtain a 2.79 culmulative gpa in my first 4 years of study. This was in part due to numerous F's or D's that I received. I was recently able to transfer to a more reputable university but my health issues led me to two sub 2.0 gpa semesters. I took the summer off to really key in on my physical and mental issues and through intensive rehab I'm at a far better place currently. With roughly 44 credits remaining, is it possible that if I hover around a 3.5 gpa the rest of the way I could get invites to interviews, or is my past simply too much to overcome?

I realistically only need to take 3 classes per term for 5 terms in order to graduate. Would taking only 3 classes seem like a red flag for schools?

I have 300+ volunteer hours, 50 shadowing hours, and was a founding member of my universities Optometry club and currently hold an executive role. I've also been working 15+ hours a week throughout this entire ordeal.

Again, I understand that is a very convoluted scenario and probably littered with grammatic errors considering I'm writing this at 3:00am. For those that read all the way through, I appreciate it! Additionally, for those that believe I'm simply using my health issues as a crutch or an excuse, unless you've gone through such experiences please don't judge!

First off, you’re not using your health issues as a crutch, so no need to explain yourself for that. It’s unfortunate that you had to go through all that, but that’s awesome that you’re doing well today!

When you say first 4 years of study and 44 credits remaining, do you mean you did 70-80 credits at your first university and now are completing your degree at another?

Also, what’s your current overall and science gpa? Optometry schools, or any school for that matter, consider your gpa from all institutions attended (transcripts from all institutions after high school must be sent).

Have you started studying for the OAT or when do you plan on taking it?

 

[BigHam23]

First off, you’re not using your health issues as a crutch, so no need to explain yourself for that. It’s unfortunate that you had to go through all that, but that’s awesome that you’re doing well today!

When you say first 4 years of study and 44 credits remaining, do you mean you did 70-80 credits at your first university and now are completing your degree at another?

Also, what’s your current overall and science gpa? Optometry schools, or any school for that matter, consider your gpa from all institutions attended (transcripts from all institutions after high school must be sent).

Have you started studying for the OAT or when do you plan on taking it?

Hi,
Thanks for the reply!
At my previous university I completed roughly 80 credits. After transferring to a more reputable institution, I had to complete 60 credits in order to graduate from there even if I'd already have 120+ credits. I'm not sure what my exact science gpa is right now, but the majority of my remaining 44 credits is going to be science classes, while my previous 80 probably consisted of 50 science credits and 30 arts credits. I'm hoping these new science credits will hold higher value then my previous ones considering my current university is ranked as one of the toughest ones on the west coast.

I'm hoping to write the OAT right before the deadlines in January 2019, I'm hoping to start studying this winter but I won't be taking off a semester to study.

 

[Brisks]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply!
At my previous university I completed roughly 80 credits. After transferring to a more reputable institution, I had to complete 60 credits in order to graduate from there even if I'd already have 120+ credits. I'm not sure what my exact science gpa is right now, but the majority of my remaining 44 credits is going to be science classes, while my previous 80 probably consisted of 50 science credits and 30 arts credits. I'm hoping these new science credits will hold higher value then my previous ones considering my current university is ranked as one of the toughest ones on the west coast.

I'm hoping to write the OAT right before the deadlines in January 2019, I'm hoping to start studying this winter but I won't be taking off a semester to study.

Oh okay, I thought so. A 2.79 gpa can definitely be repaired a bit if you really put in the work for the rest of your classes (especially put in the work since they're science classes). I'd recommend trying to retake a couple of the courses you did very poorly in or the pre-reqs required for the optometry schools you'd be applying to. You'd also need a decent foundation of the pre-reqs for the OAT, so prepare for that well. If you can raise your overall gpas to 3.0+ and get a really decent OAT score then you definitely have chances of getting into a program.

I'm assuming you'll be graduating/completing your degree by around spring of 2019? If you're applying in the next cycle definitely take a lot of time to study for the OAT. Applying earlier would be better for your situation as well. You can also explain to admission committees your health issues got in the way of your studies at your previous university. If you show them a upward trend from now on then you might make way for possible interviews. Another thing you may or may not have to do is a post-bacc where you'd take some courses after completing your degree and just get a high gpa in that while retaking old courses or new ones.

Edit: I would also be prepared to expect no interviews and/or acceptances next year, but realize that you can apply the cycle after as well to strengthen your application, gpa, and oat.

Disclaimer: Also, I'm not the most knowledgeable in this sort of stuff nor do I recommend only relying on my advice! Definitely talk to others and your school advisors/pre-health advisors.

 

[BigHam23]

Oh okay, I thought so. A 2.79 gpa can definitely be repaired a bit if you really put in the work for the rest of your classes (especially put in the work since they're science classes). I'd recommend trying to retake a couple of the courses you did very poorly in or the pre-reqs required for the optometry schools you'd be applying to. You'd also need a decent foundation of the pre-reqs for the OAT, so prepare for that well. If you can raise your overall gpas to 3.0+ and get a really decent OAT score then you definitely have chances of getting into a program.

I'm assuming you'll be graduating/completing your degree by around spring of 2019? If you're applying in the next cycle definitely take a lot of time to study for the OAT. Applying earlier would be better for your situation as well. You can also explain to admission committees your health issues got in the way of your studies at your previous university. If you show them a upward trend from now on then you might make way for possible interviews. Another thing you may or may not have to do is a post-bacc where you'd take some courses after completing your degree and just get a high gpa in that while retaking old courses or new ones.

Edit: I would also be prepared to expect no interviews and/or acceptances next year, but realize that you can apply the cycle after as well to strengthen your application, gpa, and oat.

Disclaimer: Also, I'm not the most knowledgeable in this sort of stuff nor do I recommend only relying on my advice! Definitely talk to others and your school advisors/pre-health advisors.

Thanks for the information, I'll definitely take all of that into consideration. I'm really hoping that an upward trend for 5 semesters will be enough to at the very least get me into the interview room!