low gpa very high oat?

[oatoptometry]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am a slacker, I'll admit it and so I only have a 2.71 GPA.

Though I just finished take the OAT and scored 380 overall. I had a couple 400 sections.

I only did good since I studied for the exam, and am quite confident i can handle optometry school. i didnt find undergrad at all hard, i was just slacking off. no excuse i know.

what do you think my chances are with this?

 

[luckyfeet]

You have a shot with those scores! Wait till optomcas calcs your gpas thought it could go up!

 

[dinkus]

I still think you'll need to improve your GPA a bit. If you can get it to 3.0 or close to it, you'll probably get in somewhere.

 

[oatoptometry]

what do you mean by my gpa will go up after it is calculated?

 

[thecgrblue]

I am a slacker, I'll admit it and so I only have a 2.71 GPA.

Though I just finished take the OAT and scored 380 overall. I had a couple 400 sections.

I only did good since I studied for the exam, and am quite confident i can handle optometry school. i didnt find undergrad at all hard, i was just slacking off. no excuse i know.

what do you think my chances are with this?

You're going to answer for that GPA in interviews. If you say, "because I'm a slacker", you will not get in anywhere.

However, if you give an actual reason for the low GPA OR show a positive trend in your last coursework you will be good to go.

I had a 340 TS/AA and had a number of schools call me and tell me to submit an application even after I was done with applying to other schools (I had sent my OAT scores, but never did the optomcas app) and my GPA was only about a 3.3. So, they only knew my OAT score and nothing else.

Goes to show you that either; 1) they were impressed by the OAT or 2) they were in need of butts in their seats and $ in their coffers.

You'll get in somewhere...don't worry about it. Just don't say, "b/c I'm a slacker", it may be true, but won't get you in.

 

[q1we3]

Goes to show you that either; 1) they were impressed by the OAT or 2) they were in need of butts in their seats and $ in their coffers.

We both know its number 2.

 

[lighty]

What do you think would be a well received "excuse"? Do you think citing mental illness would been seen as a positive or negative?

 

[meek5]

What do you think would be a well received "excuse"? Do you think citing mental illness would been seen as a positive or negative?

Citing mental illness is fine as long as it is an honest reason and you present it in a mature way. Just be yourself and be genuine in your explanation. Too many details may not be a good idea. You should maybe talk to an optometrist and get their opinion.

 

[optoapp2012]

Citing mental illness is fine as long as it is an honest reason and you present it in a mature way. Just be yourself and be genuine in your explanation. Too many details may not be a good idea. You should maybe talk to an optometrist and get their opinion.

I think that any red flags to the school that might make it seem like you would be unsuccessful there as well will make them cautious. So if there was a mental illness that was treated and/or under control now, then that's okay. But I think it's better to focus a little less on explaining in depth on excuses (like the person above said), and more on listing what you did to change into a better, more committed student (but you'll have to have more evidence for this than just a good OAT score...like that upward trend in grades that others mentioned).