I need some advice!

[giraffe1990]

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I'm about to graduate from undergrad and I've taken most of my pre-opt requirements. The problem is I'm starting to freak out that I wont get admitted anywhere because I have a 3.1 GPA and a even lower science GPA. I got Cs and C-s in physics and biology.

The only things that are keeping me a little more hopeful are my extracurriculars and the OAT. I work at a pretty prestigious dry eye lab and I've interned at an opthalmology office so I've experienced the difference between the two fields.

My plan is to try to do better in the remaining required courses that I still need to take (biochem and microbio). I was also thinking about taking half a year off after I graduate to retake some of the courses that I did really badly in at a local community college. Would retaking the courses be a good idea, or would my grades from the first time be weighed more heavily?

Thanks so much for your advice!

 

[darcyohara]

Many opto school websites have their entering class stats, you should look there and see where you fall. A 3.1 GPA is probably not going to keep you from getting into optometry school especially if you rock the OAT. As for classes, you should probably take other science classes instead of repeating them. Here are some helpful stats http://www.opted.org/files/public/ApplicantPaige.pdf

 

[LilGreenGhoul]

If it were me I would just do really well in all remaining courses. As long as you don't have a C- in any prerequisite course you should be fine. Although, I also don't know your entire academic history. If you're really concerned then you should contact your top choices for optometry school and ask them to advise you on this. Some schools are more competitive than others. As far as I know, they do not weigh your first attempt at a course more heavily. I would expect them to take it into account with your cumulative GPA but nothing more than that.

Your application as a whole is what matters. I got in with a 3.0 but I pulled a 3.7 last year and 3.5 the year before that with a full course load. You just have to show them that you can handle it. GPA isn't always the best indicator of this.

 

[IAUPR15]

I got into optometry school with a 3.1 GPA. My advice for you is to try your best on your remaining classes and do well on the OAT. If you're going to retake classes, I would take them before graduating. Schools take the GPA you graduated with. I retook a class after I graduated and unfortunately, they didn't accept my new GPA after I graduated with my Bachelor's.

 

[Shnurek]

You will have to retake the classes you got below a C in. Learn to spell ophthalmology correctly please as no one will take you seriously. A 3.1 from a private university is a lot better than a 3.1 from a state university. You have a chance and you will get in somewhere. But that somewhere might be a good school or a bad school depending on what you do in the next few years. And trust me there are tiers of schools in every profession. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.