confused?

[pinkpenguins]

I am a biology major, health sciences minor - pre optometry. I have plans to take summer courses and graduate in December 2011. My current standing is a junior. My GPA is 3.157 and I am taking the OAT on May 24, 2011. Do I have any chances of getting into optometry school?

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[Shnurek]

I am a biology major, health sciences minor - pre optometry. I have plans to take summer courses and graduate in December 2011. My current standing is a junior. My GPA is 3.157 and I am taking the OAT on May 24, 2011. Do I have any chances of getting into optometry school?

Yes, if you are in a private institution and you are graduating early then it's all up to the OAT. Otherwise, you are pretty much an average applicant I'd say. Honestly I cannot emphasize this enough: the OAT is the #1 thing when it comes to applying to opto school.

It really will make or break your app.

Example:
I had a friend at my institution with a 3.6 GPA and a 300 TS/AA OAT and she did NOT get into SUNY while I had a 3.2 GPA and a 330 TS/AA OAT and I did get into SUNY and every other school I applied too. (I also scored 93rd percentile on the physics)

 

[KHE]

Yes, if you are in a private institution and you are graduating early then it's all up to the OAT. Otherwise, you are pretty much an average applicant I'd say. Honestly I cannot emphasize this enough: the OAT is the #1 thing when it comes to applying to opto school.

What are you basing that statment on besides your anecdote of getting in and your friend not getting in?

Are you on an admissions committee?

Have you ever been?

 

[Shnurek]

Lol you sound like my dad asking sarcastic questions. No, but the OAT is the only thing that admissions boards can compare directly between students. Colleges inflate and deflate grades, professors can be easier and harder, and many other subjective variables. The OAT is objective.

I said it before but I think that admissions boards weigh the OAT as 50%, GPA 40% and extracurriculars at 10%.

Now in case it wasn't obvious, these are just my opinions.

 

[Xtermination]

HI,

I've 3.24 GPA and majored on BS in BIO. I did 70+ hours of shadowing/Volunteering in a Vision Therapy facility. I have a C- in my general chemistry 2, but got a A in my general chem 1, B- in orgo 1, and B+ in orgo 2. So, my question is, do I have to repeat general chem 2 or if I do good in the OAT in the general chem section - will that help? I'm asking all this because I've graduated (Brooklyn college NY) already. Any suggestion will be appreciated, and thank for any info.

 

[InHim11]

HI,

I've 3.24 GPA and majored on BS in BIO. I did 70+ hours of shadowing/Volunteering in a Vision Therapy facility. I have a C- in my general chemistry 2, but got a A in my general chem 1, B- in orgo 1, and B+ in orgo 2. So, my question is, do I have to repeat general chem 2 or if I do good in the OAT in the general chem section - will that help? I'm asking all this because I've graduated (Brooklyn college NY) already. Any suggestion will be appreciated, and thank for any info.

I talked to one of the members of the admissions committee at SCO (even though you may not be applying there) and she told me to not just retake courses to get a higher grade (granted you don't have like all C's in your prereqs) but to gain a better understanding of the material. IMO most schools look at OAT scores as a major factor...I know that IAUPR and SCO does.

 

[Shnurek]

HI,

I've 3.24 GPA and majored on BS in BIO. I did 70+ hours of shadowing/Volunteering in a Vision Therapy facility. I have a C- in my general chemistry 2, but got a A in my general chem 1, B- in orgo 1, and B+ in orgo 2. So, my question is, do I have to repeat general chem 2 or if I do good in the OAT in the general chem section - will that help? I'm asking all this because I've graduated (Brooklyn college NY) already. Any suggestion will be appreciated, and thank for any info.

My friend from CUNY-Brooklyn went to med school but his GPA was 3.8.

In any case, I'd just destroy the OAT and use that as leverage when you call the individual schools about your situation.

 

[KHE]

Lol you sound like my dad asking sarcastic questions. No, but the OAT is the only thing that admissions boards can compare directly between students. Colleges inflate and deflate grades, professors can be easier and harder, and many other subjective variables. The OAT is objective.

I said it before but I think that admissions boards weigh the OAT as 50%, GPA 40% and extracurriculars at 10%.

Now in case it wasn't obvious, these are just my opinions.

So....you're pretty much saying that your opinion is based on nothing more than a guess?

 

[Shnurek]

So....you're pretty much saying that your opinion is based on nothing more than a guess?

Lol KHE I can tell you don't like me and I won't explode on you because I fear thy ban hammer. However, I do not expect any admissions officers to speak on an informal site like this, nor do I think they would ever want to truly divulge their methods for selecting candidates. Therefore, people like me express their opinions.

 

[Commando303]

I am a biology major, health sciences minor - pre optometry. I have plans to take summer courses and graduate in December 2011. My current standing is a junior. My GPA is 3.157 and I am taking the OAT on May 24, 2011. Do I have any chances of getting into optometry school?

I think your odds are O.K., but a strong factor in your candidacy to optometry college will simply be to which schools you apply: clearly, some are more selective than others, and not every admissions committee must weigh things by the same rubric. Do you have a few particular schools in mind?

 

[Bioflare]

I am a biology major, health sciences minor - pre optometry. I have plans to take summer courses and graduate in December 2011. My current standing is a junior. My GPA is 3.157 and I am taking the OAT on May 24, 2011. Do I have any chances of getting into optometry school?

Short answer YES you can get into several optometry colleges with that GPA. To get into the more selective ones is just really how well you do on your OAT.
A 3.2 GPA and a 400 OAT distinguishes yourself, and would at least cause the committee to consider you.

Now you don't have to score that high, but the higher the OAT the more beneficial when you have a lower GPA than some of the entry averages.

Check this link out (it was posted in another thread)
http://www.sco.edu/admissions/Documents/profileoptometry.html

If you look at it, most Optom schools have 3.2-3.5 for GPA averages but the OAT average is 310-330. Just distinguish yourself with the OAT, which isn't that hard to achieve 350+ with a good amount of time and effort put into study.