help please!

[ceely]

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Here's my situation: -

I'm applying to Optometry schools (ICO, SUNY, NECO, NOVA and PCO) for Fall 2010, and I have a crappy GPA (low low 3.0s), and I haven't taken the OATS yet. I am scheduled to take it in 3 weeks, but I don't think I'm ready. I know that with my poor GPA I should apply as early as possible, but I'm not sure if I should risk getting a crappy OAT just so I can apply early.

What do you think? Should I reschedule the OATs for September so I have more time to study for it? Would this put me at a disadvantage?

Thanks! I'm really panicking here!

 

[tam2688]

Hi there,
I am sorry you are in this situation! I feel your panic and wish I knew the exact right answer. I am not an optometry student yet, but pre-optometry like you. In my opinion, I believe you should reschedule for September because you want to present yourself as competitve as possible. But FIRST I would actually call admissions of the universities that you applied for and explain your GPA situation and your projected OAT score if you were to take it in 3 weeks and ask if your chances of getting accepted would be significantly higher if you apply early. I would personally check my strengths and weaknesses - what is your overall science GPA? Are your science grades generally better? If so, if you do ok on the OAT, and land an interview, you can explain about the non-science classes and why grades in those classes were bad.

A piece of advice I have seen from visiting ICO this summer was that they said apply early - I know I said before to wait until September for the OAT, but you should listen to the other side - if you land an interview, they can request that you take the OAT gain to prove you can do well, but you already have your foot half way through the door so you have more incentive to do well on the OAT. Some students even go to the interview without taking the OAT and take it afterwards - but these students who have the confidence to do that may have higher GPAs and know they have a good chance of getting accepted without OAT scores.

You should call admissions, otherwise apply anyway - because if you don't get an interview or accepted, then you can go for the next cycle and take the OAT again.

I hope everything works out for you, relax and I wish you will get your answers.

Tam

 

[mathcod]

How unprepared are you? Is it anxiety for getting a high score or do you not know Jack (the quiz show that combines high culture with pop culture)?

If you are walking in not knowing, don't take the OAT. But it sounds like you are studying. How is your performance going? Practice test scores? What's a Hoffman product, that's a pretty important concept, do you know it? Are you ready for some subjects and not others?

Your honest evaluation of yourself suggests that you should delay taking the OAT, even though you have three weeks, which is a lot of time in dog years.

Anyways, you have three weeks to make your decision (you can reschedule 48 hours before your test date for free, i think [double check this]). I'm no expert nor am I a quality advisor, but you can look at my previous posts about students studying for the OAT and my tips for it. I consider myself a B student who tries, and I was able to study meticulously for ~100 hours and I did great. I say just do what you can in three weeks (really give it all you've got), and if you really feel like you aren't going to get a good score (based on your self-assesment of your knowledge first on every topic, and then your practice OAT scores second), then consider postponing the test. I think for your case, a good OAT score trumps the advantage of applying early (as you may be put on hold for a long time)

 

[tam2688]

Mathcod has a good point about the hold - which is why I initially hesitated on telling you it would be a good idea to apply. Again it seems only you know exactly how much you know for the OAT, if it is really ver minimal, then you should wait to apply.

 

[lilmisseyeballs]

I was in the EXACT same situation as you a year ago.. I remember wondering how on earth I let myself get into that mess when I had been researching schools, studying for the OAT, and preparing to apply to optometry school for the 4 years prior.. You are probably wondering that yourself now.. It will be a stressful year, but a year from now you will most likely be planning to begin optometry school that fall and trust me it will all be worth it!

Of the 5 schools you mentioned, the earliest deadline (according to opted.org) is 3/1.. so you want to make sure you get at least 2 good tries on the OAT before that time. And if you do great the first time, you may not even need the second one. Keep in mind the 90 day waiting period between takes, but you also want to give the schools some time to receive your scores. Based on that, I would plan to take your second OAT sometime during Christmas break, after you've had time to study without for it having to worry about classes. In order to do that, you would need to take the OAT for the first time around the beginning of September, after your fall classes begin but before you get into exams. I think that's about 5 or 6 weeks from now, so you have plenty of time to get as much studying done as possible, especially before the fall semester gets crazy.

I would aim for at least a 330 AA/TS, which is totally achievable, and try to make sure every subject score is at least a 300 or above. Don't feel pressured to get this score the first time around; there is always the second time if you don't. But in the mean time, make sure your entire application is complete, so once you've taken the OAT the first time you can apply. I also had a GPA around 3.1, which isn't on the competitive side, but also isn't "bad." It doesn't show you can't handle optometry curriculum. However, it also doesn't guarantee that you can handle optometry curriculum. A good score on the OAT (330 or above) along with a decent GPA (above 3.0) can convince admissions committees you are capable of excelling in optometry school, if everything else on your application is stellar (i.e. LofR's, extracurriculars, personality, and well-roundedness). I took my OAT the first time in October, and the second time on the last day of January. It was not smart, and if I could do it over again, I would have taken the OAT the summer before. But by applying to 5 schools, you're playing it safe. I only applied to 2 schools, which was very risky. But luckily I ended up getting interviews at both. Good luck and hang in there!! 🙂

 

[ceely]

thanks everyone for the replies! the fact that others are going through this same situation puts me a little at ease.

i'll call the schools and ask what they think. thanks again!

 

[KHE]

thanks everyone for the replies! the fact that others are going through this same situation puts me a little at ease.

i'll call the schools and ask what they think. thanks again!

You should take the OATs as scheduled and you should apply. What's the worst that could happen? You get rejected and apply again next year which is the scenario your almost going to certainly set up for yourself if you delay too much longer. Applying early is key, especially for marginal candidates.

 

[ceely]

You should take the OATs as scheduled and you should apply. What's the worst that could happen? You get rejected and apply again next year which is the scenario your almost going to certainly set up for yourself if you delay too much longer. Applying early is key, especially for marginal candidates.

What's considered "late"? I know ICO starts reviewing applications starting August 1. Would would waiting to take my OATs on Sept 1 and in the meantime having my application completed and sent in, be too late? this is so confusing! the stakes are too high!

 

[OpticalBlackOut]

What's considered "late"? I know ICO starts reviewing applications starting August 1. Would would waiting to take my OATs on Sept 1 and in the meantime having my application completed and sent in, be too late? this is so confusing! the stakes are too high!

I would say no, ICO grants interviews to applicants as late as April. It's an advantage to apply early, but I took my OATs in October and didn't interview until March.