Did anybody hear from Berkeley?

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My friend and I are in the same boat; the anticipation is becoming unbearable! I'm constantly re-checking my email at this point
 
Just wondering, what area of the country will you guys be coming from? I'll be flying from Florida.
 
Congratulations for those of you who received interview invitations! Do you mind sharing your GPA/OAT (TS and AA) and experience / extracurriculars for future students? Thank you and good luck on the interview!
 
qwerty03 said:
Congratulations for those of you who received interview invitations! Do you mind sharing your GPA/OAT (TS and AA) and experience / extracurriculars for future students? Thank you and good luck on the interview!
Click to expand...

Sure!
Overall GPA, Overall Science GPA: 3.37, 3.31 (as calculated by OptomCAS)
OAT TS, AA: 380, 370

Shadowing: I listed my experience shadowing two different optometrists: one at a pretty small practice (2 exam rooms) and the other at a larger practice that had some neat specialties (~6 exam rooms).

Employment: I have had experience working with opticians as an "eyewear specialist" at a Visionworks.
I recently got a job as an optometric technician (which I highly recommend, but this wasn't a part of my app).

Extracurriculars: I was part of a non-profit 501c3 leadership program for two years where I got to help run/organize events and learn professional skills.
I also described my experience as a microbiology undergraduate TA, which is relevant to one of my letters of rec.
I attended Opto-Camp, which I recommend applying to because I learned a lot about their program, optometry in more general sense, and the application process. (It's also how I got this cool picture of my eye that I'm using as an avatar.)
 
Anybody have any tips on how to prep for interview day?!
 
I'm a little confused on what exactly we need to know for the MMI portion. I've read to be familiar with current and upcoming events in optometry, laws, ethics, medicine, healthcare, but this is so broad and healthcare and insurance may soon exhibit a major change. I'm familiar with MMI from reading medical school descriptions, but Cal's may be much different. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

There is a decent website with practice MMI questions designed for pre-health professionals. To go along with this, a video covers sample answers to a select number of those questions.

Any insights?
 
crocketmeow said:
I'm a little confused on what exactly we need to know for the MMI portion. I've read to be familiar with current and upcoming events in optometry, laws, ethics, medicine, healthcare, but this is so broad and healthcare and insurance may soon exhibit a major change. I'm familiar with MMI from reading medical school descriptions, but Cal's may be much different. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

There is a decent website with practice MMI questions designed for pre-health professionals. To go along with this, a video covers sample answers to a select number of those questions.

Any insights?
Click to expand...
Hi there,

The purpose of the MMI is really to gauge how well you can think on your feet and make a decision. If you practice the med-school or similar MMI questions I think you'll get the right idea.

Best of luck next Saturday!
 
Ojos14 said:
Hi there,

The purpose of the MMI is really to gauge how well you can think on your feet and make a decision. If you practice the med-school or similar MMI questions I think you'll get the right idea.

Best of luck next Saturday!
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 
Hey all,

My friend really wants to go to this school for next cycle. However, he is a Canadian and last year they only accepted 4 internationals. He's taking the OAT this summer, he has a cgpa of 3.5. His EC's are decent with 2+ years of work experience. Assuming his OAT scores are great, will he have a good shot?

Sorry for hijacking the thread!
 
PKU said:
Hey all,

My friend really wants to go to this school for next cycle. However, he is a Canadian and last year they only accepted 4 internationals. He's taking the OAT this summer, he has a cgpa of 3.5. His EC's are decent with 2+ years of work experience. Assuming his OAT scores are great, will he have a good shot?

Sorry for hijacking the thread!
Click to expand...

Hi there,

When few people of a certain demographic are accepted, it tends to be more so due to the fact that less people from that demographic apply than anything having to do with that demographic. So in the case of Canadian/international students, not that many apply to begin with, so not that many are accepted.

What's on his application will matter more than where he's from. Make sense?
 
Ojos14 said:
Hi there,

When few people of a certain demographic are accepted, it tends to be more so due to the fact that less people from that demographic apply than anything having to do with that demographic. So in the case of Canadian/international students, not that many apply to begin with, so not that many are accepted.

What's on his application will matter more than where he's from. Make sense?
Click to expand...
That's a good point. I'll be sure to tell him. Lastly, with the stats posted, do you think he has a decent shot at the school considering he gets above average on the OAT?
 
I think it's hard to say... it really will depend on his application as a whole. There are people with a great GPA and great OAT scores who don't get in, and also people with lower numbers that do get in.
Every part of the application matters, and if he gets an interview then I think chances of getting in are pretty high. When I interviewed I believe they offered interviews to twice as many people as they planned to accept, so by that point it was almost 50/50.

Let me know if this helped, otherwise feel free to PM me.
 
As we approach mid-February I can't wait to hear more #theanticipationstruggleisreal

Btw, my stats were...
OAT Scores: TS 300 / AA 320
Major: Science & Political Science
OptomCas GPA: 3.84
Extracurricular Activities: Pre-Optometry Club President & Bouldering Team Member at school, plus working at an optometric clinic and doing external shadowing of other optometrists (~40 hours), as well as volunteering (medical services and charitable fundraising).
 
Last edited:
Just got a call 5 mins ago!! Everyone don't freak out yet if you haven't gotten a call. They told me they're still calling.

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!!!:clap:Now I gotta decide between SUNY and UCB. Anyone going through similar decisions? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
 
sclera2020 said:
Just got a call 5 mins ago!! Everyone don't freak out yet if you haven't gotten a call. They told me they're still calling.

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!!!:clap:Now I gotta decide between SUNY and UCB. Anyone going through similar decisions? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...


congrats!! i'm having some trouble deciding between scco and ucb as well. right now I'm leaning towards UCB because it feels like a shame to say no to Berkeley. I mean, IT'S BERKELEY. Are you having the same thoughts?
 
Congrats to those that have gotten in so far!

Does anyone know about how long they take to notify everyone about decisions? I haven't heard any news yet and am getting very anxious waiting to hear back.
 
I would check your email for updates as well! I'm a current student at Berkeley so let me know if you have any questions.
 
eyeheartyou93 said:
congrats!! i'm having some trouble deciding between scco and ucb as well. right now I'm leaning towards UCB because it feels like a shame to say no to Berkeley. I mean, IT'S BERKELEY. Are you having the same thoughts?
Click to expand...
Go where you feel you have the best fit! You're going to spend 4 years of your life at your school, and you want it to be an environment you'll be happy in.
 
eyeheartyou93 said:
congrats!! i'm having some trouble deciding between scco and ucb as well. right now I'm leaning towards UCB because it feels like a shame to say no to Berkeley. I mean, IT'S BERKELEY. Are you having the same thoughts?
Click to expand...

I am in the same boat! I gave SCCO my deposit and started planning things and getting excited but now I'm like do I listen to my brain or my heart...
 
Grape Expectations said:
I am in the same boat! I gave SCCO my deposit and started planning things and getting excited but now I'm like do I listen to my brain or my heart...
Click to expand...

Wow, I'm in the same boat as you two (admittedly I'm glad I'm not alone). Throughout undergrad I thought I'd be going to SCCO, but since my UCB acceptance I've flipped because I found out how amazing their program is! The choice is literally keeping me up at night
 
sclera2020 said:
Just got a call 5 mins ago!! Everyone don't freak out yet if you haven't gotten a call. They told me they're still calling.

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!!!:clap:Now I gotta decide between SUNY and UCB. Anyone going through similar decisions? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...

I have the same decision to make!
 
PKU said:
Hey all,

My friend really wants to go to this school for next cycle. However, he is a Canadian and last year they only accepted 4 internationals. He's taking the OAT this summer, he has a cgpa of 3.5. His EC's are decent with 2+ years of work experience. Assuming his OAT scores are great, will he have a good shot?

Sorry for hijacking the thread!
Click to expand...

Hi there! I myself am a Canadian and got in this cycle to UCB! The best advice I can give to your friend is to try his best for an interview and when that day comes to leave it all on the table. I did ALOT of prep for interview day and it really helped me not only do well but also remain confident with the odds! If he has any specific questions about my process feel free to get in touch
 
So what'd you all who were on the SCCO/UCBSO fence decide on and why??
 
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