Does the university you attend for undergrad effect your chances?
For example a 3.1 GPA at university of Texas verses a 3.4 at Texas tech?
For example a 3.1 GPA at university of Texas verses a 3.4 at Texas tech?
Does the university you attend make a difference?
- Thread starter noki
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I don't think it necessarily matter what school an applicant comes from, it's more about the experiences they have in their resume and grades. Although, an interviewer might be impressed if you come from a well-known school. I am graduating from a undergrad school that is considered more on the mediocre side, but I still got into optometry school (though, I did get a good education from there!).
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
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It changes the way that they look at your application, sure.
But as long as you've proven yourself a capable student, it will show through no matter where you happened to do your undergrad.
But as long as you've proven yourself a capable student, it will show through no matter where you happened to do your undergrad.
Itching of it this way: two students go to two different schools. One got a 4.0 and a 330 on his oat. The other went to a tougher undergrad and got a 3.2 and a 330.
If they went to the same school, they'd probably have done about the same. Unfortunately, GPA does matter and is reported, but the school isn't. A friend of mine went to Cornell for undergrad, but only managed average grades for law school and went to a so-so law school. If she had gone to an easier school she would have had better grades and therefore a better shot (assuming the same LSAT score).
School matters less than GPA/OAT.
If they went to the same school, they'd probably have done about the same. Unfortunately, GPA does matter and is reported, but the school isn't. A friend of mine went to Cornell for undergrad, but only managed average grades for law school and went to a so-so law school. If she had gone to an easier school she would have had better grades and therefore a better shot (assuming the same LSAT score).
School matters less than GPA/OAT.
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What? Of course you report on your application what undergrad you went to. Didn't you send in transcripts?
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Yes, your school's name does matter to an extent. It's taken into consideration.
I do believe that optometry schools do take schools into consideration, otherwise we can all just go to the cheapest schools possible 😉
But GPA and OAT are more important than what school you went to. That's part of the reason why the OAT is there because it puts everyone in an even playing field, regardless of what school you went to.
But GPA and OAT are more important than what school you went to. That's part of the reason why the OAT is there because it puts everyone in an even playing field, regardless of what school you went to.
The school you attend definitely matters a bit. I know that UT is rated as a tier 4 school and Tech is a tier 2 school when applying to UH Optometry, so they definitely take it into account by either bumping up the GPA by scale for each tier or just by using personal judgement. But overall, it is much smarter to go to a school like Tech, Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU etc... to get a very high GPA rather than push yourself at UT and receive a low-mediocre GPA. I went to UT and worked my butt off for a 3.4 GPA while my sister (who I am smarter than and always have been haha) is a freshman at Alabama and just cruised through her first year with straight A+'s and she said it was extremely easy and low stress.
So moral of the story is, if you are trying to get into a pre-professional school, take the route that is going to be easier to achieve a desired GPA while having more fun doing so (SEC schools).... not saying that UT isn't raging, but you have to study a lot more and go out a lot less to get a really high GPA. If you are already in a tough school like UT, just stick it out, because I have talked to people on admissions boards and they DO take into account the school you went to, but in the end, GPA is the most important thing, but the OAT is the great equalizer.
Exactly. And if you push yourself at a tougher school, you are going to score better on the OAT than someone who took it easy at a weaker school ten times out of ten.
