what are some examples of questions you guys have been asking the schools when they ask if you have any questions?
jusr curious ... why did salus take 3 months after your interview to let you know you were accepted ?
I had to retake my oats! sorry i forgot to mention it up there. my interview was before i took it the second time.
How long after they got your updated oat scores did they let you know you got accepted ? For me they are waiting on my fall grades to make a decision
The new scores got updated mid december and they told me they’ll update me after christmas break. So i think they’ll take about a week or so!
Going for multiple interviews in Chicago was getting very expensive for me. And loved CCO which made it even more easier.
Date OptomCAS submitted: 12/2/18 Date verified: 12/13/18 OAT Scores: AA: 340 TS: 350 Major: Biological Sciences GPA: 3.72 (Overall Science) Extracurricular Activities: Optometry Shadowing 150hr+, Hospital Volunteering/Shadowing 450hr+, Undergraduate Researcher, Alpha Phi Omega, Circle K International, Mortar Board Honors Society Schools applied: Berkeley, SCCO, OSU, ICO, PCO, NECO, SUNY Interviews extended/date: NECO (12/14), PCO (12/17), SCCO (12/17), SUNY(12/18) Berkeley (1/4), OSU (1/8), ICO (1/9) Interviews accepted: NECO (1/28), PCO (1/8), SCCO (2/9), SUNY(1/30), Berkeley (2/2), ICO (2/22) Interviews declined: Rejections/date: Acceptance/date: PCO (1/16) Not sure if I want to interview with Berkeley and OSU yet. I will update this post as I find out more in these next 2 months. Also, just curious, is anyone applying to the military scholarship?
If you’re talking about HPSP, I think I’m going to apply to that. But I don’t think any branches have 4 year scholarships available, so we can’t apply yet.
Actually, that is what I initially thought too, but the navy offers 4 year scholarships and I am currently applying for it. I do think that it may be too late to begin the application now, but definitely go for the 3 year programs! I will too if I do not get the 4 years.
Date OptomCAS submitted: 9/30/18 Date verified: 10/08/18 OAT Scores: 330 AA / 350 TS Major: Neuroscience GPA: 3.43 Extracurricular Activities: TA, pre-health organization, 2+ years experience in optical/as a technician, 100+ hrs shadowing Schools applied: Salus, Midwestern, NSUO,ICO, NECO Interviews extended/date: Interviews accepted: Salus 10/12, NECO 01/14 Interviews declined: midwestern 11/24, ICO 10/25 Rejections/date: Acceptance/date: Salus 10/16
Hey! Congrats on your Salus acceptance. I was wondering if you had any tips/advice on how to prepare for the NECO interview?
Ah man I wish I knew this earlier! I contacted a recruiter just in case it's not too late for me, but I'll definitely go for the 3 year programs if this doesn't work out.
Date OptomCAS submitted: 11/20/18 Date verified: 11/21/18 OAT Scores: 300 TS, 310 AA Major: Neuroscience GPA: 3.4 Extracurricular Activities: ~40 hours shadowing, pre-opt club, mostly volunteering in non-optometry related things Schools applied: Salus, NECO, MCPHS, KYCO, ICO, SCO, Pacific Interviews extended/date: Interviews accepted: Salus (12/18) Interviews declined: NECO, MCPHS, KYCO, ICO Rejections/date: Acceptance/date: Salus (1/18)
@Optgal96 hey congrats on your acceptance to Salus! I got an acceptance too however they said they'll let me know about provisions in the official letter, did they say the same to you? Im so confused if Im even accepted or not lol
Yeah it was a provisional acceptance that said it would be finalized when I completed my missing requirements (English classes) with a C or higher
You're accepted don't worry lol. They emailed and mailed it to me (the acceptance letter and the matriculation forms)
Hello again! Date OptomCAS submitted: 10/21/18 Date verified: 10/22/18 OAT Scores: 320TS/310AA Major: biology GPA: 2.8 (had my ups and downs lol) Extracurricular Activities: pre-optometry, BSU, Caribbean student association, over 1000 hours of optometry experience Schools applied: NSU, Salus Supplemental Application: NSU Academic Update submitted: 12/17 Academic Update verified: 1/14 New GPA: 2.92 Interviews extended/date: Salus (10/24) Interviews accepted: Salus (11/12) Interviews declined: Rejections/date: Acceptance/date: Salus (1/16) I'm still waiting to hear from NSU lol
Date OptomCAS submitted: 9/30/18 Date verified: 10/08/18 OAT Scores: 330 AA / 350 TS Major: Neuroscience GPA: 3.43 Extracurricular Activities: TA, pre-health organization, 2+ years experience in optical/as a technician, 100+ hrs shadowing Schools applied: Salus, Midwestern, NSUO,ICO, NECO Interviews extended/date: Interviews accepted: Salus 10/12, NECO 01/14 Interviews declined: midwestern 11/24, ICO 10/25 Rejections/date: Acceptance/date: Salus 10/16, NECO 1/18
Date OptomCAS submitted: 7/16/18 Date verified: 7/26/18 OAT Scores (6/8/18): AA 280/ TS 280 OAT Scores retake (1/15/19): AA 310/ TS 320 Major: Science GPA: 2.96 Extracurricular Activities: 4 yrs ophthalmic tech, 300+ shadowing hours, ophthalmic surgery shadowing, medical org., ophthalmology lab tutor. Schools applied: SUNY, PCO, ICO, UAB, SCCO, SCO, NOVA, KYCO, IUSO, WesternU. Interviews extended/date: PCO(9/7/18), SCO(2/1/19), KYCO(2/25/19), NOVA (2/29/19) Interviews accepted: PCO Interviews declined: SCO, KYCO, NOVA Rejections/date:UAB(9/4/18), IUSO (2/16/19) Acceptance/date: PCO(1/23/19)
Can you email the program? Especially if it's weather-related with the flights, I would definitely let them know. Keep proof of your attempts to contact them, in case they wish to use it against you.
hi. you got interview in SCO (2/1/2019) are you going to have interview with them on SCO on Feb 1? if you don't mind. could you please PM? thanks
I tried to pm but you’re on private I believe. I am cancelling my interview with SCO and KYCO since I prefer PCO over them.
Hello! Date OptomCAS submitted: 10/21/18 Date verified: 10/22/18 OAT Scores: 320TS/310AA Major: biology GPA: 2.8 (had my ups and downs lol) Extracurricular Activities: pre-optometry, BSU, Caribbean student association, over 1000 hours of optometry experience Schools applied: NSU, Salus Supplemental Application: NSU Academic Update submitted: 12/17 Academic Update verified: 1/14 New GPA: 2.92 Interviews extended/date: Salus (10/24) NSU (1/29) Interviews accepted: Salus (11/12) (2/22) Interviews declined: Rejections/date: Acceptance/date: Salus (1/16) Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Date OptomCAS submitted: Dec 24 Date verified: Dec 27 OAT Scores: 320/330 Major: Gen Bio GPA: 3.2 overall, 2.8 science Extracurricular Activities: 50+ job shadowing hours, working as optometric tech, leadership roles in university clubs Schools applied: WUCO, CCO, PUCO, ICO Interviews extended/date: WUCO (1/9) CCO (12/28) PUCO (1/10) ICO (supplemental invite 1/9) Interviews accepted: PUCO Interviews declined: ICO (did not complete supplemental), CCO, WUCO, ((I canceled these interviews after being accepted to PUCO!)) Rejections/date: Acceptance/date: PUCO (1/24!)
Congrats on your acceptance! Did you have to retake your OAT? or did they not mention that? I have the same score
Date OptomCAS submitted: 11/17/18 Date verified: 11/19/18 OAT Scores: 350 TS/AA Major: Biomedical Sciences GPA: 3.74 Extracurricular Activities: 30+ hours shadowing with two diff optometrists, SickKids volunteer, CNIB volunteer, pre-opto club executive, research, golden key international honour society member, other school clubs/etc. Schools applied: SUNY, PCO, NECO, Waterloo, ICO (supp. invite 11/28) Interviews extended/date: SUNY (11/21), NECO (11/21), PCO (11/26), Waterloo (11/29) Interviews accepted: SUNY (11/28), NECO (01/25), Waterloo (1/12) Interviews declined: PCO, ICO (did not complete supp.) Rejections/date: Acceptance/date: SUNY (11/30) w/ 10,000 per year, NECO (01/30) Just waiting on Waterloo to make a decision! Also for anyone who's received a scholarship from NECO, did they let you know you've received one in the acceptance letter or at a separate time?
I was wondering how the interview day was at Western and what you liked and didn't like about the school
Let me know if you need any help connecting with an Army healthcare recruiter. Our board results just came out for this year for the 3 and 2 year scholarships. Would be glad to help!
Congrats!!! NECO let me know about my scholarship in my acceptance letter. My deposit is due tomorrow and I won't be putting one down so that scholarship ($10,000/yr) will be going back into the pot! Now we both wait on Waterloo... haha
I am posting to give people hope if you are changing careers. I am 33 and come from an art and design background. I have strabismus and had multiple eye operations that were unsuccessful, but more recently gained the ability to read without speech-to-text software, see 3D, and drive safely through vision therapy. I also did not receive the proper approved accommodations(large font) on the OAT, which made my eyes cross most of the time during the exam. Date OptomCAS submitted: 9/2018 Date verified: 10/2018 OAT Scores: 260TS/300AA (took it 1/28) Major: I am an older adult student with BA in Photography, BFA in Visual Arts, MFA in Art and Technology, and partial PhD in Higher Ed GPA: wide ranging, 3.8 in most recent science coursework Extracurricular Activities: Developed animations and games to help others achieve binocular vision, adjunct art and design professor and full-time I write Bachelors to PhD level curriculum for the College of Nursing at a university. Schools applied: ICO, CCO, NSU, OSU, SCO, UAB Interviews extended/date: ICO 10/5 Interviews accepted: ICO 11/5 Interviews declined: Rejections/date: OSU 2/3 Acceptance/date: ICO 2/4 The other schools have my application on hold due to my OAT score. If I can get proper accommodations from the testing organization, I plan on taking the OAT again. If not, I am very excited to go to ICO. I have heard that is a great school and from optometrists in the field that it has a great VT program.
Thanks for posting! You give all of us and future Optometry students hope. Was there a specific reason why ICO took 3 months after interview to accept?
Date OptomCAS submitted: 11/2018 Date verified: 12/2018 OAT Scores: 300 TS/330 AA Major: Biology, older applicant that took time off after completing undergrad GPA: 3.3, 3.0 science gpa Extracurricular Activities: Shadowing experience in optometry Schools applied: ICO, PCO, UHCO, SUNY, NSUCO, CCO, AZCOPT, Western, UIWRSO, MCPHS, NECO, SCCO Interviews extended/date: 12/2018 for all of the above Interviews accepted: PCO, UHCO, SUNY, NSUCO, CCO, AZCOPT Interviews declined: ICO, Western, UIWRSO, MCPHS, NECO, SCCO Rejections/date: N/A Acceptance/date: PCO, CCO (12/2018); UHCO, SUNY, NSUCO, AZCOPT (1/2019)
Date OptomCAS submitted: in process.. Date verified: in process.. OAT Scores: have yet to take! Major: Biological & Physical Science | Minor: Microbiology & Biology GPA: Overall 3.32 -- Waiting on OptomCas to Verify! Extracurricular Activities: Basketball team at University. 2 Research labs. Elementary school volunteer. Volunteer at homeless shelter. Prison ministry volunteer. Nursing home volunteer. Unload food truck for a drive. Over 2000+ optometry experience. Ambassador of my university. Schools applied: UIWRSO. Salus. UPIKE, NECO. (in process, not yet submitted). Interviews extended/date: Interviews accepted: Interviews declined: Rejections/date: Acceptance/date:
I'm sorry, I'm very confused. When did you submit your application and, if it's verified, when did it get verified?
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