Lauren.. Lauren.. Lauren..
You said everything I wanted to say. People have different reasons to get into a profession, and you can only hope that it is for the right reasons.
But getting back to Suey's question, Lauren and I do have a friend that only applied to one school like rpames. She did apply early, so she knew that she could always apply the next year if she was not accepted. When I was mock interviewing her, I asked her the question, "What would you do if you weren't accepted this year?" She said she would reapply next year and she would apply to more schools to improve her chances. So, I would recommend applying to at least 2 or 3 schools in addition to your top pick. You'll be surprised sometimes at how much you like a school when you go there for an interview. I was really impressed with ICO and SUNY, which I never expected.
If you could, follow r_salis' advice by researching the schools you are interested in, and even try to visit their school or get to know their current students. A lot of optometry schools do have an undergraduate outreach program you can inquire about, and you could even join current optometry students for social events.
Back to our friend, she lives 15 minutes from SCCO and had visited the campus numerous times since freshman year. Right now, she has several friends at SCCO. Because there are only 17 optometry schools, all of them are pretty good. When you decide which school to go to, remember to factor in how feel towards the students and if you could imagine being at that school for nearly 4 years.
Also, if you are interviewing at UCBSO, listen to cpw and don't wear a black suit
My friend that was accepted was wearing a white t-shirt with tennis shoes with his suit. He didn't actually plan it that way. What happened was that the airline lost his luggage. However, the look did suit him because he told his interviewers that his dress style reflects how he would practice: professional, yet still fun.
I wouldn't recommend dressing like that unless you're comfortable with it, though.
Best wishes,
Rosanna