How late is too late?

[thunderfan]

How late is too late to turn in your application. I'm planning on turning my application in the next month. I'm waiting to turn my application in until i retake the OAT in a week, I didn't want to turn my application in with a below 300 OAT score. I'm starting to get worried that most the spots will be filled by the time I get my application in. Anyone have any input that got accepted in previous years that turned their application in around December?

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[paasnaas]

I think you are approaching the later side of the application cycle. You still have time and its not super late to apply but I would try to get your application submitted at your earliest convenience. I submitted my application super early so can't speak for those that turned it in late. If you can finish and submit it soon then I think you should still try and apply and see what happens. If you don't mind me asking, what schools are you applying too? As of now a lot of schools may not have yet filled up their class completely yet, but as the application cycle ends a lot of students will cancel their applications to other schools and more spots will open up. If you are willing, can you provide some more details of your application, depending how strong and competitive your application is can determine you chances too.

 

[thunderfan]

I think you are approaching the later side of the application cycle. You still have time and its not super late to apply but I would try to get your application submitted at your earliest convenience. I submitted my application super early so can't speak for those that turned it in late. If you can finish and submit it soon then I think you should still try and apply and see what happens. If you don't mind me asking, what schools are you applying too? As of now a lot of schools may not have yet filled up their class completely yet, but as the application cycle ends a lot of students will cancel their applications to other schools and more spots will open up. If you are willing, can you provide some more details of your application, depending how strong and competitive your application is can determine you chances too.

Thank you for your response. Like I said before I've had my application pretty much ready to send in for a while I just didn't want to risk turning in my below 300 OAT score and risk getting my application thrown out. I am retaking it next week and am going into it with a lot better attitude and less pressure so I feel like I am ready. I have a 3.3 gpa 4 years of college basketball (2 years juco) (2 years ncaa D2) team captain, president of optometry club at my school, over 100 shadowing hours, will graduate with a BS of biology in the spring. I realize my gpa is kind of low so I really need to do well on the oat. I'm applying to Northeastern Oklahoma, SCO, RCO, Midwestern Arizona, and Houston.

 

[thisguy88]

Hello, I also have a below 300 OAT score and I have scheduled to retake in January. I too, was contemplating on whether I should turn in my app now, or wait until my retake. After emailing a few schools, they told me to turn in my application anyways and MARK on OptomCAS and write in the supplementary essays that I am planning to retake.

So I did just that, and do you know what happened? I applied to four schools: PUCO, PCO, MCPHS, and Western.
I have received interviews to PUCO, PCO, MCPHS, and still waiting to hear back from Western.
PUCO is my #1 choice and they have expressed that they still want me to retake the OAT, but I guess they were impressed with my overall application.... so they invited me for an interview (I'm so grateful).

In conclusion, it definitely wouldn't hurt to turn in your application now. Just make it clear on your application that you are planning to retake the OAT. Who knows, you may get a few interviews before your retake. It takes a couple of weeks for OptomCAS to process your application and send it out and another several weeks for the schools to review your application, so the quicker you send in your app, the better.

Hope this helps, you can PM me if you want to know any of my stats.

 

[thunderfan]

Hello, I also have a below 300 OAT score and I have scheduled to retake in January. I too, was contemplating on whether I should turn in my app now, or wait until my retake. After emailing a few schools, they told me to turn in my application anyways and MARK on OptomCAS and write in the supplementary essays that I am planning to retake.

So I did just that, and do you know what happened? I applied to four schools: PUCO, PCO, MCPHS, and Western.
I have received interviews to PUCO, PCO, MCPHS, and still waiting to hear back from Western.
PUCO is my #1 choice and they have expressed that they still want me to retake the OAT, but I guess they were impressed with my overall application.... so they invited me for an interview (I'm so grateful).

In conclusion, it definitely wouldn't hurt to turn in your application now. Just make it clear on your application that you are planning to retake the OAT. Who knows, you may get a few interviews before your retake. It takes a couple of weeks for OptomCAS to process your application and send it out and another several weeks for the schools to review your application, so the quicker you send in your app, the better.

Hope this helps, you can PM me if you want to know any of my stats.

Thank you very much for your response, that is what kind of info I needed to hear! Goodluck with your interviews and OAT!

 

[Mewcakes]

I submitted my application to SCO very late in the cycle, February. I received an interview invite within 2 weeks and interviewed 4-6weeks later. I was admitted 6-8wks after that. All my statistics were good except for my undergraduate gpa, but I made it in. So you'll probably be OK, at least with SCO. They say apply early, and I think that's true if you think you have a strong application. If you are weak anywhere, I think I'd recommend waiting towards the end of the cycle when the schools are starting to scramble to fill their seats. All the stellar applicants will have already been applied and admitted and when they're going through the applications, yours will be sitting next to the other late applicants...typically people who also have some weak point. Hopefully you'll look better by comparison or not as badly as you would compared to the 3.76gpa 370OAT students. Good luck!

 

[thunderfan]

That makes a lot of sense! Thanks for taking the time and giving your input!

 

[dejablue10]

Hey there! I realize this is an old thread... But I'm currently going through the application cycle and I was wondering if you could inform me about your outcome. I probably won't be applying until late September, and sometimes I worry that even that is too late. I'm aiming for Houston... So do you mind telling me if Oklahoma, Houston and/or RCO sent you an invite for an interview, or acceptance, even after you submitted everything in December? Did you have a difficult time with the process of applying and acceptance after applying a little later in the cycle?
Thank you so much in advance!

 

[Nnhi_89]

Hey there! I realize this is an old thread... But I'm currently going through the application cycle and I was wondering if you could inform me about your outcome. I probably won't be applying until late September, and sometimes I worry that even that is too late. I'm aiming for Houston... So do you mind telling me if Oklahoma, Houston and/or RCO sent you an invite for an interview, or acceptance, even after you submitted everything in December? Did you have a difficult time with the process of applying and acceptance after applying a little later in the cycle?
Thank you so much in advance!

I submitted mine last October but did not take oat until January and still get accepted in houston and other schools. Just so you know, houston sometimes pretty slow in getting back to you in compare to other schools.

 

[Snakedoctor1]

September is really not that late. Of course earlier is better, but I have classmates who interviewed in February. Also, I can vouch for the Houston comment. They were the last to invite me to an interview, about a month after I had already been accepted elsewhere.

 

[Ab2749]

September is really not that late. Of course earlier is better, but I have classmates who interviewed in February. Also, I can vouch for the Houston comment. They were the last to invite me to an interview, about a month after I had already been accepted elsewhere.

I actually submitted mine September 30th and still not verified.. I don't know if should be worried. But what about Nsu? Do you know how they are with late applicants, oat scores and stuff. I'm taking my oats tomorrow

 

[Snakedoctor1]

I applied to Nova toward the beginning of September 2013, and I think they invited me for an interview some time in October. I didn't end up going for the interview so I don't know anything more.