Got questions about OPTOMCAS??

[Shellie]

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Hi all! My health advisor is planning a Q&A conference call with a correspondent from OPTOMCAS in a week.

As I am applying real soon, I know how frustrating this new application can be. I'd like to help others who are on the same boat..sooo, if you have any specific questions (relevant to OPTOMCAS, that can't be answered in their FAQ), i'll be happy to ask for you at the conference call and then post the answer here.

Of course this is only if time permits, and i'm not making any promises! If your question isn't answered, please don't take it personally 🙂 Hope this works out!

UPDATE!!!!

The call was supposed to be today, but the OPTOMCAS coordinater bailed out on us last min
🙁 supposedly, they're very busy during this time because the application just opened. Which is ironic because they asked us to choose a time in July after the app opens... Sorry everyone, i'm very disappointmented as well! On the bright side, perhaps some of the posted questions were able to be answered by our fellow peers. Hmm, i feel like i should change the thread title hehe

Good luck to those who are applying!

 

[saiwahhh]

thanks, very helpful! I will ponder some questions and post them up!

 

[opto1125]

I have a question, not sure if it applies to many people.

My school has the pre-health committee letter of reccomendation option, which I am planning on doing. But this committee not only sends their LOR, but also sends the 3 other LOR that I have to submit to them to all the schools i'm applying to.

Now on OptomCas, does the committee LOR count as one LOR including the other 3 LOR they send in, or count as 4 including the committe LOR?

Im wondering this because I also want to add a LOR from the optometrist I am shadowing right now to my OptomCas app.

I hope that wasn't a confusing questions!
Thanks!

 

[luvely]

hi i also have a question concerning the LORs on OptomCAS, some schools require a committee letter while some schools do not.

On OptomCAS. Once I enter the email addresses of my school's comittede and then also for the professors from whom I asked for letters, and they submit their letters to OptomCAS, will I be able to pick my preference for each school according to what they require, either a committee letter or the seperate letters of recommendation?

I hope this makes sense? Thanks in advance 🙂

 

[BrownEyes2011]

hi i also have a question concerning the LORs on OptomCAS, some schools require a committee letter while some schools do not.

On OptomCAS. Once I enter the email addresses of my school's comittede and then also for the professors from whom I asked for letters, and they submit their letters to OptomCAS, will I be able to pick my preference for each school according to what they require, either a committee letter or the seperate letters of recommendation?

I hope this makes sense? Thanks in advance 🙂

Question: Once we apply through OptomCas...let's say I pick 5 schools to apply to. Can we go back and add schools to apply (this seems like a silly question, but still).

 

[zxcutiemdr]

will a fee waiver/assistance thing be available in this years Optomcas application?

 

[Ash19]

will a fee waiver/assistance thing be available in this years Optomcas application?

I called and asked and they said they won't be offering any financial assistance :/

 

[ahad3]

i have a question pertaining to transcript submission. the university i go to didn't accept my AP statistics credit (meaning it doesn't show up on my transcript), while i know for a fact some optometry schools (UAB) will accept the score i received. my question is:

am i supposed to contact collegeboard and have them send my AP stats score to OptomCAS? because normally collegeboard asks for a college/university for you to send your scores to. and if i'm not supposed to send it to OptomCAS, am i supposed to send the AP score to each individual school i'm applying to? that just seems a little weird to me.

 

[gable1011]

Do you have to have all your LORs entered before you submit, or can you add new names and email addresses after you submit, given that you have not filled all 4 spots?

Thanks for the thread!

 

[TNgal21]

Hey. Does anyone know how Dual Enrollment classes are categorized under the Special Classification drop menu? My senior year of hs I took plenty of college courses at the community college while still a hs senior but the program was called Dual-Enrollment not AP classes. Thanks! =)

 

[SonyaM]

Hey. Does anyone know how Dual Enrollment classes are categorized under the Special Classification drop menu? My senior year of hs I took plenty of college courses at the community college while still a hs senior but the program was called Dual-Enrollment not AP classes. Thanks! =)

I called OptomCAS about this today. They told me that even though you technically got credit for a college class while you were still in HS, it still counts as a college class. Therefore, you have to add that community college on your school list and request a transcript from the school to be sent to OptomCAS as well. I know, it's kind of stupid because you technically never WENT to that community college, but since you received credit from them through your high school, they should have records of your grades there.

 

[TNgal21]

I called OptomCAS about this today. They told me that even though you technically got credit for a college class while you were still in HS, it still counts as a college class. Therefore, you have to add that community college on your school list and request a transcript from the school to be sent to OptomCAS as well. I know, it's kind of stupid because you technically never WENT to that community college, but since you received credit from them through your high school, they should have records of your grades there.

Hey thanks for the reply. For the special classification part though, do you just leave it as N/A or is there something special I'm supposed to choose?

 

[BrownEyes2011]

Hey thanks for the reply. For the special classification part though, do you just leave it as N/A or is there something special I'm supposed to choose?

I did the same thing (dual enroll). Just put N/A.

 

[festivus4us]

what if your undergrad doesnt have a pre-health committee to get a letter of recommendation from? Do you get looked down upon for that? I have 1 from an optometrist i shadowed, 1 from my academic advisor and 2 from professors.

 

[DawgOD]

what if your undergrad doesnt have a pre-health committee to get a letter of recommendation from? Do you get looked down upon for that? I have 1 from an optometrist i shadowed, 1 from my academic advisor and 2 from professors.

no.. i LOR's from professors are better than committee's b/c they know u better.. and therefore if u have a good relationship w/ them, it should be a great LOR.

 

[luvely]

hi i also have a question concerning the LORs on OptomCAS, some schools require a committee letter while some schools do not.

On OptomCAS. Once I enter the email addresses of my school's comittede and then also for the professors from whom I asked for letters, and they submit their letters to OptomCAS, will I be able to pick my preference for each school according to what they require, either a committee letter or the seperate letters of recommendation?

I hope this makes sense? Thanks in advance 🙂

lol in regards to this question i posted, i emailed OptomCAS and they actually called me to answer me the morning after, which is awesome btw 🙂

the woman said that all the letters you enter on the website will be sent out to the schools you apply to, you may not pick and choose so to speak, which letters will be sent to specific schools. And as always, the committee letter counts as one letter and must be uploaded under one name, I'm assuming it's the person who is actually writing the letter.

Cheers 🙂

 

[Shellie]

I have a question, not sure if it applies to many people.

My school has the pre-health committee letter of reccomendation option, which I am planning on doing. But this committee not only sends their LOR, but also sends the 3 other LOR that I have to submit to them to all the schools i'm applying to.

Now on OptomCas, does the committee LOR count as one LOR including the other 3 LOR they send in, or count as 4 including the committe LOR?

Im wondering this because I also want to add a LOR from the optometrist I am shadowing right now to my OptomCas app.

I hope that wasn't a confusing questions!
Thanks!

i'm pretty sure it counts as one gigantic letter hehe but i will ask to make sure

 

[itek2OD]

Question: Once we apply through OptomCas...let's say I pick 5 schools to apply to. Can we go back and add schools to apply (this seems like a silly question, but still).

I used optomCAS last year, and there is most definitely an option for one to add on schools later in the cycle . More money for the schools and optomCAS, of course.

 

[TNgal21]

Hey. Can a previous applicant comment on whether you put working as an Opt tech down as both optometric experience and work experience? I know it obviously counts as experience, but do I write it as both categories? Thanks!

 

[folderdh]

Hi,
I was wondering if you could please tell me how long it typically takes Optomcas to process the application before sending it out to your selected schools.
Thanks

 

[mparm]

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