Hello - new member with questions ;)

[PLPrincess]

Hi all,
I just got back from taking my OAT I have a feeling I didn't do too hot. Can anyone tell me how long it takes before I get my results for this test?

Also, I am trying to get through the accelerated program (3 years undergrad, 4 years optometry school). Has anyone done this and can share their experience with me?

One more, how much does the OAT count for in the admission process? I have quite a large amount of experience in the field, def. a lot of desire, and a pretty good GPA. If I don't do too well on the OAT, are my chances still pretty good of getting in?


I'm kinda freaking out right now because of the OAT, so any advice or comments anyone may have will be very helpful.

Thanks!
Magdalena

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[JennyW]

Hi all,
I just got back from taking my OAT I have a feeling I didn't do too hot. Can anyone tell me how long it takes before I get my results for this test?

Also, I am trying to get through the accelerated program (3 years undergrad, 4 years optometry school). Has anyone done this and can share their experience with me?

One more, how much does the OAT count for in the admission process? I have quite a large amount of experience in the field, def. a lot of desire, and a pretty good GPA. If I don't do too well on the OAT, are my chances still pretty good of getting in?


I'm kinda freaking out right now because of the OAT, so any advice or comments anyone may have will be very helpful.

Thanks!
Magdalena

You probably did better than you think. Most people leave the OAt thinking they did poorly. If you have a good GPA, and did a reasonable amount of studying, you should be fine. Remember, they score based on how well you did against everyone else.

I think it takes about 2 months to get the results. At least it did when I took it about 12 years ago. It might be faster now. Try not to lose too much sleep over it.

Jenny

 

[r_salis]

I got my scores the weekend after Thanksgiving (the first weekend of December, I think) two years ago.

 

[Rosanna]

Hi Magdalena:

Don't worry too much about the OAT right now. It's over with and you can't really do anything about it right now. Almost everyone feels that they did awful but then you'll see that you did better than you thought when scores come out. When I took the OAT (Oct exam), I received my scores during the 2nd week of December. The optometry schools actually receive your scores a few weeks before they are mailed to you. A few of my friends found out their scores when they were at a SCCO Open House in November.

I did not go through an accelerated program, but my friend and I did graduate in 3.5 years through careful planning. I'm not sure if my experience will be the same as yours, but I can basically say that it was the right decision for me to start optometry school right after undergraduate. The majority of my class went to optometry school after a few years of working, so they have more life experiences and knowledge to share. But you'll find people in your class who are like you that went straight from high school to college and then optometry school so don't feel that you are the only one in this situation.

The OAT does count for a good amount in the admissions process. If you have a "pretty good GPA" (I'm guessing around a 3.3-3.5?), then the committee wants to make sure that your OAT scores reflect that (probably at least 330+ in every section). It doesn't count for everything. I personally think that desire and commitment count for a lot, and that really shows during the interview.

If you don't do too well on the OAT (under 300 in anything), you may want to consider retaking the OAT in February. That should not hurt your chances too much if you let the schools know in advance that you are considering taking the OAT again. A few schools do not accept the Feb. scores so look into that.

So, calm down and just put your focus on something else (preparing for interviews, for example) that will help you in this process.

Best wishes,

Rosanna

 

[Xalatan1]

Hi all,
I just got back from taking my OAT I have a feeling I didn't do too hot. Can anyone tell me how long it takes before I get my results for this test?

Also, I am trying to get through the accelerated program (3 years undergrad, 4 years optometry school). Has anyone done this and can share their experience with me?

One more, how much does the OAT count for in the admission process? I have quite a large amount of experience in the field, def. a lot of desire, and a pretty good GPA. If I don't do too well on the OAT, are my chances still pretty good of getting in?


I'm kinda freaking out right now because of the OAT, so any advice or comments anyone may have will be very helpful.

Thanks!
Magdalena

good gpa and medium level oat balances out, and is a pretty good application overall