How were your grades in high school?

[hautecouture]

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Hi everyone!

I'm still in high school and I'm looking into going in the optometry field. I was wondering, how were your high schools grades/gpa, classes, etc so I can compare my self and see where I stand. I'm going to give optometry my best shot and I know I won't give up on it, because i love it! I just hope I don't struggle. I consider my self a very good and studious student. Thank you! =)

 

[sportsdude00]

Hi everyone!

I'm still in high school and I'm looking into going in the optometry field. I was wondering, how were your high schools grades/gpa, classes, etc so I can compare my self and see where I stand. I'm going to give optometry my best shot and I know I won't give up on it, because i love it! I just hope I don't struggle. I consider my self a very good and studious student. Thank you! =)

high school doesnt matter as much as your undergrad scores, as long as you dont do too bad. i had a 4.0 in high school, 3rd in my class with pretty tough courses. but its nothing compared to undergrad like i said...just try you're best for now. good luck!

 

[optsuker]

I get asked this one fairly often by students interested in the field, but more so by parents.
My stock answer is:

For a good student that works hard, optometry school is doable, but in general, you should be able to get an "A" in everything but honors courses with little effort. For college, the ability to retain information with it being presented just once or twice and being an analytical thinker is most important. Get A's & B's in the pre-req courses and mostly A's in the rest.

Once in optometry school, the volume of information is much greater and you won't have the time to review everything 10 times until you know it. The clinical part is a combo of confidence, communication skills, and being a good problem-solver.

Your actual high school transcripts will have almost no impact on the admission process though.

 

[JMU07]

high school doesnt matter as much as your undergrad scores, as long as you dont do too bad. i had a 4.0 in high school, 3rd in my class with pretty tough courses. but its nothing compared to undergrad like i said...just try you're best for now. good luck!

Agreed. I graduated 9th in my class in high school and I was incredibly average in college. You're still in high school, just concentrate on doing the best you can! 🙂

 

[prettygreeneyes]

Just graduate from high school and do well enough to get into college. High school is WAY to early to be worrying about optometry school.

 

[eyestrain]

High School: 3.65
College: 3.55
OPT school: 3.5

I just found out how much effort it took to get a consistent B+/A- and did that.

 

[WoodyJI]

I think it's great that you're looking into this already. My advice is that you should really push yourself in high school. Not so much for the grades (as other people have said, it probably won't make a difference), but more to see what you are capable of.

Personally, I feel like I established my level of work ethic and sized myself up academically primarily in high school. Once I got into college, I was well setup and actually found it to be easier for the first two years. Once you start getting into the upper level prerequisites like organic chemistry—stuff that will be on the OAT (i.e., affect your application)—you should be able to fall back on your old high school academic discipline. Students who have never pushed themselves before might find out that they need to change majors half-way through college. Better to know what you're capable of before you even pick your major.

For the record, my stats were similar to eyestrain's above. 3.7 in high school, more like 3.5 now.

 

[sportsdude00]

I just found out how much effort it took to get a consistent B+/A- and did that.

way to shoot for the stars 👍 haha

 

[eyestrain]

way to shoot for the stars 👍 haha

It's called efficiency. If I can work at a 60%-70% level and get a 3.5, is pouring another 30-40% into it worth an extra couple points on the GPA? Not for me.

 

[sportsdude00]

It's called efficiency. If I can work at a 60%-70% level and get a 3.5, is pouring another 30-40% into it worth an extra couple points on the GPA? Not for me.

i know, just messing around. i do the same, actually

 

[SR08]

Don't worry so much about your high school grades as your work ethic you learn during high school. Remember, you still have plenty of room to improve in college. Your goal can (and probably should) be to always get A's, but don't beat yourself up if you don't consistently achieve that. I worked much more efficiently in college (and a heck of a lot harder), but my G.P.A. in high school and undergrad is almost exactly the same.

High school > 3.58
Undergrad > 3.59

I had no problem getting into the opt school I wanted, because grades are only a small portion of what schools look at in an applicant.

The best advice I have is get involved in the field, know you want to do it, and don't back down to the challenges that will confront you on the way to your goal. Going to a competitive college for undergrad helps, but do what suits you.

Best of luck!

 

[IndianaOD]

If it helps?

High School 3.83
Undergrad 3.7something in a competitive program(this makes a difference, IU grades undergrad difficulty)
OD 3.8

 

[thanotoriousfob]

If it helps?

High School 3.83
Undergrad 3.7something in a competitive program(this makes a difference, IU grades undergrad difficulty)
OD 3.8

Show off.🙂

 

[achirum]

high school doesnt matter as much as your undergrad scores, as long as you dont do too bad. i had a 4.0 in high school, 3rd in my class with pretty tough courses. but its nothing compared to undergrad like i said...just try you're best for now. good luck!

Actually, they can be important. SUNY requests High School transcripts. I'm not saying they are important or equally as important as undergrad, but you never know when they will come up.

 

[KHE]

Don't worry so much about your high school grades as your work ethic you learn during high school. Remember, you still have plenty of room to improve in college. Your goal can (and probably should) be to always get A's, but don't beat yourself up if you don't consistently achieve that. I worked much more efficiently in college (and a heck of a lot harder), but my G.P.A. in high school and undergrad is almost exactly the same.

High school > 3.58
Undergrad > 3.59

I had no problem getting into the opt school I wanted, because grades are only a small portion of what schools look at in an applicant.

The best advice I have is get involved in the field, know you want to do it, and don't back down to the challenges that will confront you on the way to your goal. Going to a competitive college for undergrad helps, but do what suits you.

Best of luck!

Let me make a couple of points here...both as an optometrist and a former teacher.

Grades may not be the only thing that optometry schools look at but they constitute a LOT more of your application than a "small portion." You can have the most brilliant application in the workd and isn't going to make up for a 2.5.

I also disagree with the notion that you will have "plenty of room to improve in college." That rarely works out well.

Yes, we all know students who blew off a lot of high school, squeaked into college and excelled. Some people on this board may be one of those people.

But on the whole, the time management and study skills learned in high school provide the foundation upon which you build the skills needed in college. If that foundation is not in place, it is not common that students succeed in college. Those habits are generally not switches that can be flipped on once you get to college, or optometry school. Study after study bears that out.