Ok so, I wrote my OAT for the third time and some of the scores went up and others went down and the TS was 270 and SS 270 for my last try. IF you take individual sections from all the previous tests, it would show that I got 300 score range in bio chem organic and RC but physics was horrible. My GPA is about 3.2 and I have already applied. I have good work and volunteer experience. I applied to six schools in the states and now I am scared because I know with these scores I might not be able to get an interview. Does anyone know how they take the previous scores into consideration? Would some schools take the highest average, the most recent score, or would they take highest individual sections from each score? I really need your opinions. Optometry is really what I want to do and I have been working so hard to achieve this dream 🙁
Disappointed what should I do?
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Don't quote me, but I would guess they would take the last test score or perhaps the highest. I don't imagine them piecing together all three to make the "best" and the "worst."
I would recommend calling the schools and see how they handle multiple tests.
I would recommend calling the schools and see how they handle multiple tests.
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Topics like this crop up all the time. Maybe.......just maybe.......optometry isn't the right field for you.
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I am not trying to beat up on the original poster, but I completely agree with KHE. If you are struggling to get an average score on the OAT after taking it multiple times, how do you expect to pass the boards? This is a serious question. The stuff on the OAT is easy compared to what you are expected to know in optometry school. There was a study commissioned by ASCO on the correlation between OAT scores and success in optometry school and the evidence was overwhelming.
Maybe optometry just isn't for you. It doesn't mean you are a failure by any stretch of the imagination. I want to be an olympic swimmer, but no matter how hard I try and how many times I swim 100m, I will never get to the standards required. Does this mean I am a failure? No. I just need to find another thing. It's an extreme example, but it's true. Just because you dream of something and try as hard as you can to accomplish something doesn't mean that that thing is in your future. I know this is harsh, but it is the reality. I've known incredibly intelligent people who did very well on their OATs struggle through optometry school because it isn't meant to be easy. Do you really want to spend the next 4 years of your life miserable because you are struggling to get by?
I think schools will look at your most recent score but also I do think they will look at your highest score too. I don't believe they will be adding up each best score from different attempts and compiling them into one great score.
When did you apply? And is this your first time applying or have you applied in previous years? How did you study for the OAT?
When did you apply? And is this your first time applying or have you applied in previous years? How did you study for the OAT?
Thank you everyone for your opinions. This is my first time applying. And to you who said maybe optometry is not the right field for me based on the OAT, I do appreciate your opinion, but I think that judging only based on the OAT is not fair. I did very well in all the prerequisite courses for optometry and as we all know they are not east and they are for sure much harder than the OAT. Not being able to score as high on the OAT, to me is not a correct expression of your abilities and how smart you are. I for a fact know that I can make it through optometry school if I get in because I am a hard worker and truly passionate about this career. I also have experience in working at an optometrist's office for the past year and I loved it. Once again, we all have different opinions.
Hello. Thanks for your reply. This is my first time applying. I studied from MCAT books and Chad's videos as well as some OAT destroyer books.
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Judging on the OAT is entirely fair. The OAT is a standardized test. How are you going to be licensed? Through a standardized test. If you can't break 300 on your third time taking the test, that starts to raise a lot of questions. I can be a hard worker at swimming and really love it, but I will never make it to the olympics let alone a varsity swim team.
What is causing you to score so low on the OATs? The sciences are pretty basic. The math is basic. If you are a hard worker as you say you are, then you should be able to get at least 300 on each section. Again, I am not trying to bash you or say you are dumb, but maybe you need the harsh reality that optometry school isn't right for you.
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Use OAT Achiever and do their practice exams over and over again. Review MCAT books for background info. For me this was the most effective. I studied for about a week and got 360/360 first attempt.
But here's the cold hard truth: The difference in the material in Optometry school and the material on the OAT is night and day. The OAT is a joke in comparison. If basic science, analytical skills and problem solving come difficult to you then unfortunately no matter how passionate you are, if you don't possess the skills then you are not fit to be a doctor. Would you trust someone who struggles to understand the pathophysiology of the eye to be diagnosing you and telling you what she/he thinks "might" be wrong with you? I certainly wouldn't.
Like any medical field, your goal is to "do no harm." An inept optometrist may not kill anyone given the nature of the profession, but don't go into the field then permanently damage someone's eyesight or worse because you failed to recognize a serious eye pathology or cannot perform an comprehensive eye exam properly. But, this is unlikely to happen because such a student would not pass the boards.
Sorry, don't mean to be a buzzkill. Anyways try to get a tutor or someone else to explain things to you if you don't get it. Remember OAT is standardized so everyone is on level playing field, unlike the case when you compare GPAs. Meaning, just because you got a 4.0 at a state school does not mean you compare in intelligence to someone with a 3.5 at an ivy league.
If you are really passionate about the career, apply to the newly established schools which typically have lower entry requirements. Avoid schools like Berkeley or SUNY.
But here's the cold hard truth: The difference in the material in Optometry school and the material on the OAT is night and day. The OAT is a joke in comparison. If basic science, analytical skills and problem solving come difficult to you then unfortunately no matter how passionate you are, if you don't possess the skills then you are not fit to be a doctor. Would you trust someone who struggles to understand the pathophysiology of the eye to be diagnosing you and telling you what she/he thinks "might" be wrong with you? I certainly wouldn't.
Like any medical field, your goal is to "do no harm." An inept optometrist may not kill anyone given the nature of the profession, but don't go into the field then permanently damage someone's eyesight or worse because you failed to recognize a serious eye pathology or cannot perform an comprehensive eye exam properly. But, this is unlikely to happen because such a student would not pass the boards.
Sorry, don't mean to be a buzzkill. Anyways try to get a tutor or someone else to explain things to you if you don't get it. Remember OAT is standardized so everyone is on level playing field, unlike the case when you compare GPAs. Meaning, just because you got a 4.0 at a state school does not mean you compare in intelligence to someone with a 3.5 at an ivy league.
If you are really passionate about the career, apply to the newly established schools which typically have lower entry requirements. Avoid schools like Berkeley or SUNY.
I know there is a lot of negative feedback and its hard to read them, but if you really want to get into optometry you really need to invest some time into thinking how you can improve your OAT. You may have a shot at some of the newer schools, but if you applied late this cycle then your chances are on the lower side. When did you submit your application? So the 2 advices I can give to you is 1) Apply super early. If you don't happen to get any interview offers this cycle, be prepared to apply extremely early next cycle, that can help your chances a lot. And 2) is improve your OAT score. Have you thought about hiring a private tutor? I hear Chad's video's is pretty good (I haven't used it before), and did you ask help from him? Also have you tried Khan Academy on youtube? Khan academy is a free learning resource on youtube that teaches a variety of college subjects, math, sciences, etc and its really easy to learn. They have a variety of different topics in biology, chemistry & organic chemistry (maybe physics, i'm not sure). Also, you might think about retaking courses just to get a better understanding of subject material. I retook Ochem before my 2nd OAT attempt just to get a better understanding of Ochem, because I really needed to improve on ochem and that really helped me a LOT. And if you didn't do well on your 1st 2 attempts, what made you decide to take it a 3rd time? Don't just take the OAT to take it, its costly & each score is permanent. And what did you do in between your attempts to do better? If you are having a hard time doing well, then you may have to make the extra effort financially in finding ways to make improvements.
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To the OP: I know it seems like we're being harsh, and I hate that we have to do it, but I think you really should consider other options along with optometry. Being passionate and being a hard-worker is great, but it honestly might not always cut it. I had a near perfect undergrad GPA and a pretty decent OAT score on the first attempt, and I still think optometry school is really hard! There is a ton of material to learn in a short amount of time. For the most part, everyone in the class will be hard-working and passionate about the career. I hope that you prove us wrong and that you're able to do well in optometry school, but I think that you should be pragmatic about the matter. If you go to optometry school and find out that it isn't for you, will you be able to financially handle the loss of about 20-30K (for the first semester and also rent and other costs of living)? Will you be okay with the time that you lose? Only you can answer these questions. I truly do wish you the best of luck. OAT Destroyer was very helpful in my opinion.
I just did more practice for the latest attempt using an online Crack the OAT software. I managed to get between 300-310 on the everything except physics. Which brought he average way down. Also, on my practice tests I scored in the 300 range.
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How long did you study for the OAT? And were you taking other classes/working a lot while you were studying for it? If you do decide to take it again, I would highly recommend dedicating as much time as possible to study for it. But also make sure you're not psyching yourself out mentally, take breaks to relax and exercise, otherwise you'll wear yourself out before the test date. A huge component of standardized tests is mental, at least for me anyways.
Also, did you just go over the material once? I found that I reviewed it all a couple times (for the concepts I most struggled with) and that really helped solidify everything. And realistically, I'm assuming that's a study habit that will only help in optometry school because you learn an insane amount of difficult material.
I used the Kaplan OAT book and felt that it wasn't really missing anything in terms of what would be covered (it probably had way more than we actually needed to know). For any concepts that I felt I was struggling with, I supplemented with my old course notes and textbooks because the material in them was much more extensive and difficult (better over prepared than under!). I also found that physics was also a section I struggled with quite a bit on the practice tests, and I felt like a huge component of that, for me, was time-crunch rather than the actual material. To overcome this, I tried to make sure that I REALLY understood the material (I used Khan academy on youtube for extra help understanding some of the concepts). Also, while you're studying, make a cheat sheet that has all of the formulas on one page and review that over and over and over, and make sure you understand the formulas, it makes it a lot easier to remember them for the actual test. And practice, practice, practice!
Also, maybe try shaking up the way you're studying? (ex. visual learning, writing out your own notes, etc)
If you do get an interview (either this cycle or next if you apply again), be prepared to answer questions related to the multiple OAT attempts and explain what you did differently. Good luck with everything, I hope it works out! 🙂
Also, did you just go over the material once? I found that I reviewed it all a couple times (for the concepts I most struggled with) and that really helped solidify everything. And realistically, I'm assuming that's a study habit that will only help in optometry school because you learn an insane amount of difficult material.
I used the Kaplan OAT book and felt that it wasn't really missing anything in terms of what would be covered (it probably had way more than we actually needed to know). For any concepts that I felt I was struggling with, I supplemented with my old course notes and textbooks because the material in them was much more extensive and difficult (better over prepared than under!). I also found that physics was also a section I struggled with quite a bit on the practice tests, and I felt like a huge component of that, for me, was time-crunch rather than the actual material. To overcome this, I tried to make sure that I REALLY understood the material (I used Khan academy on youtube for extra help understanding some of the concepts). Also, while you're studying, make a cheat sheet that has all of the formulas on one page and review that over and over and over, and make sure you understand the formulas, it makes it a lot easier to remember them for the actual test. And practice, practice, practice!
Also, maybe try shaking up the way you're studying? (ex. visual learning, writing out your own notes, etc)
If you do get an interview (either this cycle or next if you apply again), be prepared to answer questions related to the multiple OAT attempts and explain what you did differently. Good luck with everything, I hope it works out! 🙂
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Guys, guys we all know judging someone on how good they are at scoring points in basketball is not fair lol
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You're welcome!
I can only imagine how frustrating this must be - to be working hard and not seeing the results you want. I know there's some negative feedback concerning the ability to succeed in a rigorous optometry program, but don't let that stop you. Realistically, it is something that you do need to seriously consider, there's no hiding from that. But also keep this in mind...I've been told by school reps at information sessions that some of their students that applied with lower academic standing were doing really well in the program and were sometimes some of the best clinicians in their class! Obviously, this is not always the case, but it apparently does happen! I'd say keep working hard, and do everything in your power to put together the best application you can.
This may just be me being overly optimistic, and the current optometry students/ODs who have posted have a lot more insight, so don't take their advice lightly, but at the same time don't let it stop you from trying! Let me be completely Canadian and corny in saying, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." 😉
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What is happening during the testing that is causing you to score low?
I think it is mostly the time pressure
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On what basis are you making that statement?
But for a second....let's assume it's true. If you've done well in pre-requisite courses that are supposed to be much more difficult than the OAT, then why are you doing so poorly on the OAT? Especially after taking it three times?
If the OAT is so much easier, shouldn't you be getting close to perfect scores?
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That score, though low, probably won't hold you back on its own. Standards have dropped the last few years (despite what you all want to believe) to get into optometry school.
You'll probably still get interviews, just have a soul and you'll probably get into a new school.
You'll probably still get interviews, just have a soul and you'll probably get into a new school.
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Or even into an old one.
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Yep, there is a list on here of the acceptance stats from the US schools. OP, you can take a look.
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eh....not so much. I took it 3 times got a 290, 290, and 300....last time I took it got a 340...So don't be too quick to judge. Honestly, I studied ALL wrong the first 3 times..took it one last time, worked extremly hard and got in every school I applied to. Now my advice to optom14 is to actually spend 5-6months studying with chad's videos and you should not score below a 300 in all sections...I think you can still do it.
Btw schools WILL NOT piece together your best portions of your OAT..they take the highest score.
Can you tell me exactly what you have done differently to get the 340? My worst sections are always the Maths... I did Chad's videos mostly for organic, QR, and physics...
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Ya i replied in my thread but you just have to dedicate your time to Chad's videos. I took notes and reviewed those notes every night. Regardless of what some may believe, just because you don't do well the first few times doesn't mean you won't make it. You have to approach studying differently. I have faith you can get above a 300 in all areas and be accepted if you are as motivated as you seem.
I had to step back and realize that my future depended on the movtivation and time I was willing to dedicate to this test and it got me exactly where I needed to be.
Good luck!
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i see your point, but i assume that sometimes the way these things are graded, it can help someone significantly or hurt them. for example, not all of the questions you answer in a section are graded. e.g., of the 100 survey of natural sciences questions, they might only grade like 90 because they put in 10 new questions that they're trying out.. well, say you got those 10 right, but they're not graded, and instead you got 10 wrong that were graded, so you get the idea. :/
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i say DON'T GIVE UP!!!! however, i learned that you can only take the OAT 3 TIMES MAX if you take it more than that you need a letter from the school that they want you to retake the OAT. your GPA is better than mine. honestly my overall GPA is a 2.89 and my prereq GPA is 3.55. you have to also consider when you are applying. unfortunately, for me i am applying pretty late and i'm worried that the seats are already full. how are you studying for the OAT? MY NUMBER 1 MISTAKE IN STUDYING FOR THE OAT was that i spent so much time REVIEWING my old notes watching chad's videos BUT i did not apply them to the practice problems! BIG BIG mistake. the best way to prepare for this exam is to do the practice problems i recommend OAT DESTROYER for math physics and general sciences. for biology use AP BIO book i think barrons? i studied this 2 weeks before my exam and made cheat sheets every morning and every night i reviewed them! i used the destroyer for everything else. however, in the destroyer it covered a year of ochem, when most optometry school if not all only require 1 semester of ochem. i screwed myself over and i was scared so i just learned the second half of ochem. i STUDIED 10-12 hours a day for about a month and i was taking microbiology so it got in the way of studying. i took the exam dec 2013 my score:
QR: 310
READING: 280
BIO: 310
CHEM: 380
OCHEM: 360
PHYSICS: 280
AA: 320
TS: 330
i did poorly on the reading partly because of time and physics. i definitely think if you change your studying strategy you can score higher for sure! try a different approach maybe? i wanted to know everything to the last detail but realized that it was nearly impossible. why? because during lecture there were some concepts i just didn't understand and trying relearn it again was the same case so what i did was tried to understand the difficult material as much as i could or at least a broad general overview. if i really couldn't grasp the concept i skipped it because what is the probability of you getting that question will probably be just 1 question. but if you can maximize on what you know 100% ur better off that way. my weak subjects were physics and math and reading comp. and it obviously showed especially reading comp i just didnt do well for the timing and i guess i just read slow :/ well that was my approach and it paid off. i also used kaplan which i kept scoring 270 and 260!!!! KAPLAN WAS WAYYYYYY MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE REAL TEST!!!!!! the only useful thing i got out of kaplan was the math that's it. other than that its a waste of your money!!!! but taking the real deal obviously was much more straight forward and simple. optometry schools from what i have been told take the best score, but they also consider that you have taken it more than once. DON'T GIVE UP! if this is what you want to do keep going! nothing in life is easy and difficult things are not impossible! i took precalc 3 times!!!! because i couldn't pass it for the life of me! i failed physics once and retook and got an A. but the point is i didn't quit. keep trying u have a 3.2 so it shows that you are competent enough to pass the prereqs with B average.
QR: 310
READING: 280
BIO: 310
CHEM: 380
OCHEM: 360
PHYSICS: 280
AA: 320
TS: 330
i did poorly on the reading partly because of time and physics. i definitely think if you change your studying strategy you can score higher for sure! try a different approach maybe? i wanted to know everything to the last detail but realized that it was nearly impossible. why? because during lecture there were some concepts i just didn't understand and trying relearn it again was the same case so what i did was tried to understand the difficult material as much as i could or at least a broad general overview. if i really couldn't grasp the concept i skipped it because what is the probability of you getting that question will probably be just 1 question. but if you can maximize on what you know 100% ur better off that way. my weak subjects were physics and math and reading comp. and it obviously showed especially reading comp i just didnt do well for the timing and i guess i just read slow :/ well that was my approach and it paid off. i also used kaplan which i kept scoring 270 and 260!!!! KAPLAN WAS WAYYYYYY MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE REAL TEST!!!!!! the only useful thing i got out of kaplan was the math that's it. other than that its a waste of your money!!!! but taking the real deal obviously was much more straight forward and simple. optometry schools from what i have been told take the best score, but they also consider that you have taken it more than once. DON'T GIVE UP! if this is what you want to do keep going! nothing in life is easy and difficult things are not impossible! i took precalc 3 times!!!! because i couldn't pass it for the life of me! i failed physics once and retook and got an A. but the point is i didn't quit. keep trying u have a 3.2 so it shows that you are competent enough to pass the prereqs with B average.
So, I just want to throw my $0.02 in...
I did terribly in college for 5 years just goofing off, getting Fs, not attending class, etc. I got kicked out of school and started all over again when I was 23. My GPA will never recover (it's a result of weighted averages... you can't average a 1.7 GPA with anything to get a respectable GPA...) but I stomped the OAT. For those who posted that they took a class 3 times, etc, I failed over a dozen courses and have received interviews at Berkeley and NECO. My point in relaying this to you is that no matter how bad it may seem, you don't have 14 Fs on your transcript. You need to improve your OAT score, there's no debating that. One person above brought up a great point, I thought: if you did well in the courses that the OAT pulls its material from (general biology, general chemistry, survey of organic, algebra-based physics) then why aren't you doing better on the OAT itself? You might look into ways of dealing with text anxiety or just general test-taking strategies. It is hard to believe that you truly don't know the material, perhaps you're just squandering precious time by not recognizing the shortest path to an answer.
In all standardized exams, MCAT included, there are red herrings, erroneous information, and --often times-- answer choices that can be eliminated at first glance. If I were you, I'd be pursuing some test-taking strategies. I used no OAT-specific study guide. I went back to my textbooks from the courses I mentioned above and went through end-of-the-chapter questions and problem sets very briefly to make sure I was familiar with the material and if I wasn't quick with it, I'd dive into the chapter in its entirety. Painstaking? Perhaps, but it seems to be your best avenue for success.
Best of luck to you.
I am going to give you both sides: (please note I just skimmed all the responses, it's to long for me to read >.< so if I missed something someone said or I'm repetitive, forgive me)
Schools do not piece together your best scores. They will consider how well you did on your previous exams but more weight is placed on your final score, they like to see improvement.
Yes OATs are important. As many people have mentioned they are standardized, and thus give schools the best idea how you compare to other applicants in terms of knowledge of the basic required science courses. This is important because it is difficult to compare science courses across various schools. Doing well in your OATs is typically a indication that you will do well in optometry school. This is because the OATs covers the basic information that appears in your pre-req courses, and the school expects you to have mastered. With a 3.2 gpa I'm sure you know your stuff. Does this mean that doing poorly will mean you will never become an optometrist? NO! of course not! But the fact of the matter is that the first thing schools look at are your GPA and OAT scores, they need to see something they like before bringing you in for interviews where the magic really happens and you can show them how intelligent and dedicated you are. I have trouble with standardized tests as well but this is how the world of academia works, there will always be standardized tests, and YES that includes boards. Boards will be 10xs worst than OATs, more time constraint, more stress, more everything! Learn to overcome standardized test now rather than later. I suggest looking into adjusting how you're studying, learn some test taking strategies, the Kaplan course helped me a lot, I got 340 my first try. Did you give yourself enough time to study? The month before my exam I really buckled down and STUDIED! I did every practice test I could get my hands on. Watched hours of ochem/ physics videos on youtube, with the occasional cat video of course =) . When I wasn't working/ in class I was studying or napping. I didn't even remember what my family looked like at the end of it all, seeing as how I barricaded myself in my apartment and was living off of hot Cheetos. Everyone studies differently but maybe my method will shine some light onto what you think would work for you. I believe anyone can do well if given the time, right study material, and a determined mindset. If optometry is truly your dream don't give up, ignore all those who say you will fail and just work hard for yourself. That being said IF you can't find it in yourself to put your mind into overcoming one stupid test to reach your dream, maybe it's time for some soul searching. Get to a point where you're willing to do what ever it takes to "make the grade". Just because you want it doesn't mean that it will just be handed over to you, it sucks but dreams take work! But you sound like you're willing to put in the effort. It doesn't hurt to apply and try if you feel ready, and if not there's next year! There is nothing wrong with taking a yr off to study and take OATs again. Remember all schools are looking for is an improvement, and a 300 minimum (you're so close!). Best of Luck =D
Schools do not piece together your best scores. They will consider how well you did on your previous exams but more weight is placed on your final score, they like to see improvement.
Yes OATs are important. As many people have mentioned they are standardized, and thus give schools the best idea how you compare to other applicants in terms of knowledge of the basic required science courses. This is important because it is difficult to compare science courses across various schools. Doing well in your OATs is typically a indication that you will do well in optometry school. This is because the OATs covers the basic information that appears in your pre-req courses, and the school expects you to have mastered. With a 3.2 gpa I'm sure you know your stuff. Does this mean that doing poorly will mean you will never become an optometrist? NO! of course not! But the fact of the matter is that the first thing schools look at are your GPA and OAT scores, they need to see something they like before bringing you in for interviews where the magic really happens and you can show them how intelligent and dedicated you are. I have trouble with standardized tests as well but this is how the world of academia works, there will always be standardized tests, and YES that includes boards. Boards will be 10xs worst than OATs, more time constraint, more stress, more everything! Learn to overcome standardized test now rather than later. I suggest looking into adjusting how you're studying, learn some test taking strategies, the Kaplan course helped me a lot, I got 340 my first try. Did you give yourself enough time to study? The month before my exam I really buckled down and STUDIED! I did every practice test I could get my hands on. Watched hours of ochem/ physics videos on youtube, with the occasional cat video of course =) . When I wasn't working/ in class I was studying or napping. I didn't even remember what my family looked like at the end of it all, seeing as how I barricaded myself in my apartment and was living off of hot Cheetos. Everyone studies differently but maybe my method will shine some light onto what you think would work for you. I believe anyone can do well if given the time, right study material, and a determined mindset. If optometry is truly your dream don't give up, ignore all those who say you will fail and just work hard for yourself. That being said IF you can't find it in yourself to put your mind into overcoming one stupid test to reach your dream, maybe it's time for some soul searching. Get to a point where you're willing to do what ever it takes to "make the grade". Just because you want it doesn't mean that it will just be handed over to you, it sucks but dreams take work! But you sound like you're willing to put in the effort. It doesn't hurt to apply and try if you feel ready, and if not there's next year! There is nothing wrong with taking a yr off to study and take OATs again. Remember all schools are looking for is an improvement, and a 300 minimum (you're so close!). Best of Luck =D
Hello there,
I took the OAT for the first time and got 320 after 2 weeks practice with Kaplan. Their practice exams did help me a lot in the physics and math. I also did 1 practice exam a day in my last week during the time of the day when I suppose to take the OAT.
And yes, OAT is very important. I have visited a few schools and asked for their advice in my application before I take the OAT. They said I should get at least 300 but they recommend 310 to be considered for an interview. If you have a strong transcript, good LORs, and lots of experience and shadowing, they might want you to retake the OAT. But remember, you can't retake OAT until 90 days after the last time you took it and there is a limit how many times you can take in a year. I don't wanna pressure you but the competition gonna be harder when the classes don't have much left to fill. My advice to you is apply for schools that have lower average OAT from last year acceptance (you can google it) and send an email to a recruiter of the schools you applied and express your concern and ask for advice, you might not need to retake OAT at all if the school ok with your OAT.
I took the OAT for the first time and got 320 after 2 weeks practice with Kaplan. Their practice exams did help me a lot in the physics and math. I also did 1 practice exam a day in my last week during the time of the day when I suppose to take the OAT.
And yes, OAT is very important. I have visited a few schools and asked for their advice in my application before I take the OAT. They said I should get at least 300 but they recommend 310 to be considered for an interview. If you have a strong transcript, good LORs, and lots of experience and shadowing, they might want you to retake the OAT. But remember, you can't retake OAT until 90 days after the last time you took it and there is a limit how many times you can take in a year. I don't wanna pressure you but the competition gonna be harder when the classes don't have much left to fill. My advice to you is apply for schools that have lower average OAT from last year acceptance (you can google it) and send an email to a recruiter of the schools you applied and express your concern and ask for advice, you might not need to retake OAT at all if the school ok with your OAT.
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did you get any interviews ?
Did you hear anything from any schools at all? Did you get accepted to the wait listed schools?
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You will always get mixture of positive and negative point of views when you ask this kind of question. I do agree with you that one shouldn't be judged by OAT score alone. Don't be discouraged, because schools will take a look at everything else. There are stories about people getting into with 2.8 gpa, and less than 300 oat score. For instance, while i was volunteering at the eye institute which is a part of PCO teaching facility. There was a student who had less than 3.0 gpa and less than 300 oat score. He is in his 2nd year now. So, just hope for the best and keep trying if that's what you want to pursue in life.
