Hi Everyone, I'm back!

Hi to all.
Thanks for those of you who wished me luck with my ICO interview. I think it went really well. It is super laid back there.
You have a one on one interview with a faculty member, a file review, a fi aid session, lunch with current students, and a tour. The interview questions are all very fair.

I REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVE ICO!!! EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE IF POSSIBLE.

I probably won't find out more about my application till the middle of October but in truth my (hopefully) acceptance won't come till after my OAT scores. I am presently feeling a little frustrated by teh waiting game. It's not ICO's fault. I just would like to have the whole thing settled.

I had a great time in Chi-town. I stayed right by Soldier FIeld and the Field Museum. That city is so amazing!!!!

 

I submitted my preliminary application August 1st. I received the secondary interview invite August 23rd. They told me they give interviews to people with good numbers, even if they haven't taken the OAt yet.

 

R_salis,

I thought that all of the interview questions were fair. The optometrist who interviewed me seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say and who I was. He asked me stuff like:

Tell me about your undergraduate education. Why did you choose XXXX? school..
Why ICO?
Why did you choose psychology as a major?
How did you first become interested in optometry?
Just the basic stuff mostly...
We did talk about problems in healthcare a bit also (HMOs, partitioning of care between people such as physician's assistants and md.'s and how insurnace companies will affect optometry in the future but it just came up our conversation, it wasn't something I was asked directly.
He talked with me for about an hour.
He also asked me the fabled "do you have any questions for me?"
I asked him about how he felt about the relationship between optometrists and opthalamologists and also how procedures such as LASIK would affect optometry in the future.
he eventually said he had better take me back to where the other interviewee was so that I wouldn't be late for lunch (I was anyway).
He said (which I hope is a good sign) that it sounded like I'd done my homework on optometry. I guess that's what you do when you're spending so much time sitting by the mailbox like I do

I LOVE ICO!!!

 

Grand Teton,
Just info for when you go to Chi-town.
I wouldn't suggest staying at the Best Western GranT Park. It wasn't a bad place to stay but not what I was expecting for the money or for a hotel in Downtown Chi. My total room charges came to about $200. They didn't really give me a special rate even though I mentioned what the website said I was supposed to mention. Also, the hotel is a little sketchy. You'd see what I mean if you just stepped into the lobby. I started to wonder if it would be okay if I walked around or not in the surrounding neighborhood. Fortunately, I was wrong about that. I had a great walk and a great dinner at a nearby hotel (the best western doesn't have a restaurant!). The rooms themselves are very nicely decorated, clean and have some beautiful views, but ifyou have loud neighbors you're in trouble. I heard toilets flushing, people talking quietly, children screaming etc...which was a little nervewracking for me, as I was obsessively practicing interview questions with an empty chair, and was worried about getting a good night's rest. Fortunately there was absolute silence by midnight. Also a lot of the rooms are right by the L and shake when it goes by. Let me stress that it wasn't a bad place but it might be diifficult to prepare calmly for an interview there. I would suggest the claridge... a little farther away around Dearborn street but inexpensive and classy. Food's good there too. Or the Essex inn (one block away) or the hilton towers (if you're rich). If you stay in the Grant Park area you can go straight down S. Michigan Avenue all the way to 33rd, turn left on 33rd, and then left again on S. Indiana and then there you are in front of ICO, at the entrance where the RC and the front of the college is located. The traffic wasn't bad on S. Mich at all (at least for Chicago). I don't know where you hail from but if you're flying in, don't rent a car. There's so much quality public transportation in Chi that you will be fine hailing a cab or taking a bus. There is a bus that goes from downtown (by Hancock building, WAtertower Place, the Drake) that stops right in front of ICO and you can grab it on S. Michigan.

I would also advise that you eat a hearty breakfast before going to ICO. Lunch comes a little later in the day, and for the first ten minutes I was with the currnet students, I couldn't talk to them because I was desperately stuffing my face with the delicious deli food. I am so silly!

 

Also, Grand Teton, don't sweat over the interview day. It is so laid back and the people are soooo nice. They make you feel welcome and like they want you to be there. Exactly what I would expect from the people at my #1 choice. I think i'm going to spontaneously combust from waiting for a few more months! I wish I'd taken the OAt earlier but I was sick during the last administration.