My Second OAT attempt, so i still need to retake?

[0bumblebee0]

---

Members do not see this ad.

MY first attempt TS:300 / AA:290

QR: 280
RC: 260
BIO: 290
GCHEM: 320
OCHEM: 340
PHY: 270

MY SECOND ATTEMPT TS:310 / AA: 310

QR: 290
RC: 300
BIO: 330
GCHEM: 330
OCHEM: 310
PHY: 290

My gpa, is 3.1 and I applied for the 2012 cycle but got rejected from most of the schools except got waitlisted at PCO and MCPHS. I couldnt take the OAT before the PCO deadline but am still on the waitlist at MCPHS and just took the test today. I know i will apply again this cycle so should I take the test again to get a higher physics and OR score? i think a 310/310 is still in the low range. 🙁

 

[fly10]

I did not get accepted anywhere because my scores were low, around the same as your first one's.
Maybe someone else who has been accepted already could give you a better idea.

 

[luckyfeet]

I feel like you should get in somewhere with your second OAT scores. Apply now for fall 2013! And apply broad! I am currently applying but I am just giving my two cents!

 

[shah90]

MY first attempt TS:300 / AA:290

QR: 280
RC: 260
BIO: 290
GCHEM: 320
OCHEM: 340
PHY: 270

MY SECOND ATTEMPT TS:310 / AA: 310

QR: 290
RC: 300
BIO: 330
GCHEM: 330
OCHEM: 310
PHY: 290

My gpa, is 3.1 and I applied for the 2012 cycle but got rejected from most of the schools except got waitlisted at PCO and MCPHS. I couldnt take the OAT before the PCO deadline but am still on the waitlist at MCPHS and just took the test today. I know i will apply again this cycle so should I take the test again to get a higher physics and OR score? i think a 310/310 is still in the low range. 🙁

My scores were:

QR: 340
Reading Comp: 370
Bio: 290
Gen Chem: 330
Orgo: 350
Physics: 280
TS: 310
Avg: 330

And I applied pretty late - in February 2012 and my GPA wasn't TOO amazing (3.4 overall, 3.2 science). I got into a few schools and am attending Nova in a few weeks! I think if you apply early (now) and wow them with your personal statement/story, you'll get an interview. If some schools really don't like your scores but like your application, they may even ask you to re-take the OAT which you have time to do so just apply early - doesn't hurt to try!

Good luck!

 

[hopeisthere]

I think you'll get in few schools but make sure to work on you GPA. My friend's scores were worse than yours and she applied to optometry quite late (Feb). However, she got accepted in PCO (she only applied to PCO) because of her high GPA. Her overall GPA was 3.86 and her science GPA was 3.92. She is a smart girl but she wrote the OAT without really preparing for it.

Her scores were TS:310 / AA: 320

QR: 270
RC: 380
BIO: 330
GCHEM: 290
OCHEM: 280
PHY: 340

 

[Blondiechick919]

MY first attempt TS:300 / AA:290

QR: 280
RC: 260
BIO: 290
GCHEM: 320
OCHEM: 340
PHY: 270

MY SECOND ATTEMPT TS:310 / AA: 310

QR: 290
RC: 300
BIO: 330
GCHEM: 330
OCHEM: 310
PHY: 290

My gpa, is 3.1 and I applied for the 2012 cycle but got rejected from most of the schools except got waitlisted at PCO and MCPHS. I couldnt take the OAT before the PCO deadline but am still on the waitlist at MCPHS and just took the test today. I know i will apply again this cycle so should I take the test again to get a higher physics and OR score? i think a 310/310 is still in the low range. 🙁

I hate to break it to you, But the fact that you got wait listed at a school that didn't even exist at the beginning of the app cycle for 2012 is pretty bad news bears. You should have been able to improve your scores more than 10 points if you want to prove to schools that you can handle the program since you didn't get accepted anywhere last cycle. I would retake until I got at least a 340 or 350.

 

[BeesKnees22]

I'm going to PCO, and I was kind of in the same boat with regard to scores and GPA. I decided to take the OAT a lot sooner than I had planned, so that I could re-take it if possible, and I hardly had any time to study. I got a 320 AA, and I honestly don't even know the score breakdown because the center said they couldn't give me a copy of my scores. All I remember is my AA, but I had a 3.86 GPA and I interview well, so it wasn't a problem. I hardly even did any shadowing...it ended up being like a week of actual shadowing. I got accepted right after interviewing, so as long as something is strong (and nothing is too horribly low), then I think you should be fine. Make a good personal statement and be confident, personable, and relaxed at your interview.

 

[fly10]

The average OAT score at PCO is always in the 310/320 range so I think the 310/310 should be fine. I have seen people in the 2016 acceptance thread with lower scores who have gotten in.

 

[Shnurek]

The average OAT score at PCO is always in the 310/320 range so I think the 310/310 should be fine. I have seen people in the 2016 acceptance thread with lower scores who have gotten in.

Ya, PCO is actually the easiest accredited and American school to get into. Most likely because of the high tuition. Not to hate on it though because once the Doctors come out they are all basically the same no matter the school they went to. The biggest hinderences between graduates are the loan burdens.

 

[Blondiechick919]

Ya, PCO is actually the easiest accredited and American school to get into. Most likely because of the high tuition. Not to hate on it though because once the Doctors come out they are all basically the same no matter the school they went to. The biggest hinderences between graduates are the loan burdens.

With PCO having a class of 160 and the 2nd highest tuition in the country, it seems to be a slight cash cow operation.

 

[balltc]

Couldn't agree more

 

[Optomchick]

MY first attempt TS:300 / AA:290

QR: 280
RC: 260
BIO: 290
GCHEM: 320
OCHEM: 340
PHY: 270

MY SECOND ATTEMPT TS:310 / AA: 310

QR: 290
RC: 300
BIO: 330
GCHEM: 330
OCHEM: 310
PHY: 290

My gpa, is 3.1 and I applied for the 2012 cycle but got rejected from most of the schools except got waitlisted at PCO and MCPHS. I couldnt take the OAT before the PCO deadline but am still on the waitlist at MCPHS and just took the test today. I know i will apply again this cycle so should I take the test again to get a higher physics and OR score? i think a 310/310 is still in the low range. 🙁

wait what? how is that even possible? Do you have virtually no extra-curriculars/interning experience? I feel like those scores should have gotten you into MCPHS...did you try applying to UIW or Midwestern?

 

[Optomchick]

With PCO having a class of 160 and the 2nd highest tuition in the country, it seems to be a slight cash cow operation.

Ya, not to mentioned they gave EVERYONE an interview to increase their enrollment/waitlist...smh.

 

[0bumblebee0]

umm i was actually shocked too..
I have 3 different research experience in labs(Marine Biology, Entomology, Pharmacology) am currently working in a lab and may get a publication out of it. I have 500 hours of volunteer at different local hospitals, Breast Cancer foundation, Unite for Sight chapter...(Ive been volunteering since I was in High School).. I have 80 hours of shadowing and for some reason they still waitlisted me...by the way in canadian, so i dont know if that makes a difference.

 

[Hersnape]

^
I think that actually proves that it's not always that easy. Maybe your interview wasn't great?

Also even if it may be easier to get into, it's not the only one with high enrollment and costs (ie ICO). And there are people that get in with weak scores but may have strong backgrounds (like that 2.9 person in Berkley). Also everyone has to take the same board exams, weak ones will get weeded out no matter what.

 

[Optomchick]

umm i was actually shocked too..
I have 3 different research experience in labs(Marine Biology, Entomology, Pharmacology) am currently working in a lab and may get a publication out of it. I have 500 hours of volunteer at different local hospitals, Breast Cancer foundation, Unite for Sight chapter...(Ive been volunteering since I was in High School).. I have 80 hours of shadowing and for some reason they still waitlisted me...by the way in canadian, so i dont know if that makes a difference.

Being Canadian doesn't make a difference, in fact, I felt like the Canadians were more liked at my interviews...maybe your essay wasn't very good? How many schools did you apply to/interview at? I would apply more broadly and have a stronger essay.

 

[Optomchick]

^
I think that actually proves that it's not always that easy. Maybe your interview wasn't great?

Also even if it may be easier to get into, it's not the only one with high enrollment and costs (ie ICO). And there are people that get in with weak scores but may have strong backgrounds (like that 2.9 person in Berkley). Also everyone has to take the same board exams, weak ones will get weeded out no matter what.

strong background? lol The only thing that gets you into Berk with a 2.9 is being African American, Mexican, or Native American. I'm not even being racist here, just stating the truth.

 

[0bumblebee0]

Being Canadian doesn't make a difference, in fact, I felt like the Canadians were more liked at my interviews...maybe your essay wasn't very good? How many schools did you apply to/interview at? I would apply more broadly and have a stronger essay.

YA, at my interviews they all seemed to like me.. lol. and i felt like my interviews went really well. I honestly cant figure out what it was. i actually think my personal statment was really powerful as I was diagnosed with glaucoma when i was 16..
My friend from here (canada) just got into berkley, but she had a 4.0 with a BSC in bio and a 380 AA/370 TS.

 

[Optomchick]

YA, at my interviews they all seemed to like me.. lol. and i felt like my interviews went really well. I honestly cant figure out what it was. i actually think my personal statment was really powerful as I was diagnosed with glaucoma when i was 16..
My friend from here (canada) just got into berkley, but she had a 4.0 with a BSC in bio and a 380 AA/370 TS.

Did you apply late? haha I mean I thought my interviews went well and I got waitlisted at a couple schools too, it's really a crap-shoot sometimes, I would try again tho, maybe even take the OAT a 3rd time to see if you can improve or try to raise your GPA...

 

[BeesKnees22]

With PCO having a class of 160 and the 2nd highest tuition in the country, it seems to be a slight cash cow operation.

It's also ranked as one of the highest for clinical training.

 

[BeesKnees22]

Bumblebee, I am seriously perplexed by your lack of acceptances. Your GPA and scores are within the acceptable range, and you have a lot of experience/volunteer work. How do you think your interviews went? Also, did you apply late into the cycle? I think a lot of schools do rolling admissions, so that could have been an issue. You seem to be a better candidate than others who were accepted.

 

[0bumblebee0]

I still cant figure out what it was, i actually applied in late july and had my first OAT scores sent off in October. I also interviewed at PCO ealy October. most schools asked me to retake right away, which I agreed with, beacuse I knew I could do a lot better than 290 in bio and 260 in ready comp.

But I was even willing to go to MCPHS because I did not want to take the year off or go to PR. I thought I would have a chance because I was talking to someone here on sdn that got in a week before my interview with a 280 TS and 290 AA and a 3.2. Not saying that my first OAT attempt was amazing but my science was still a 300.

When I called them(mcphs) last week to update about my new OAT scores, I found the girl I spoke on the phone with to be a little rude. I was asking if there is anything else besides my OAT scores that I could improve and she said more shadowing (I was thinking to myself, I already have 80 hours! I've seen ppl here get in with 20 hours!) Trust me my resume and extracirrular's are an over kill (as many of my friends have pointed out to me and compared to other ppl on this site that get accepted). I have so much volunteer and research, I thought maybe some schools would take that into consideration.
and Most of my pre-reqs are B,s. I have some A's and 1 C in physics. I had one D in micro bio which I retook and did really well.

I dont know why I never got in. Im not a big beliver in luck but that seems to be the only other explanation I can think of. But at the end of the day I know this is what I want with my life so I will keep trying, even if i have to apply again next cycle. 🙂

 

[Optomchick]

I still cant figure out what it was, i actually applied in late july and had my first OAT scores sent off in October. I also interviewed at PCO ealy October. most schools asked me to retake right away, which I agreed with, beacuse I knew I could do a lot better than 290 in bio and 260 in ready comp.

But I was even willing to go to MCPHS because I did not want to take the year off or go to PR. I thought I would have a chance because I was talking to someone here on sdn that got in a week before my interview with a 280 TS and 290 AA and a 3.2. Not saying that my first OAT attempt was amazing but my science was still a 300.

When I called them(mcphs) last week to update about my new OAT scores, I found the girl I spoke on the phone with to be a little rude. I was asking if there is anything else besides my OAT scores that I could improve and she said more shadowing (I was thinking to myself, I already have 80 hours! I've seen ppl here get in with 20 hours!) Trust me my resume and extracirrular's are an over kill (as many of my friends have pointed out to me and compared to other ppl on this site that get accepted). I have so much volunteer and research, I thought maybe some schools would take that into consideration.
and Most of my pre-reqs are B,s. I have some A's and 1 C in physics. I had one D in micro bio which I retook and did really well.

I dont know why I never got in. Im not a big beliver in luck but that seems to be the only other explanation I can think of. But at the end of the day I know this is what I want with my life so I will keep trying, even if i have to apply again next cycle. 🙂

Well let's say schools didn't really consider you until you retook your OAT...how late in the cycle was it? plus it takes a couple weeks for the schools to receive your OAT scores. While there's always the exceptions, applying after January seems very competative because most schools already filled most of their spots.

I don't really understand the MCPHS thing tho, i thought they would be more desperate for students, maybe your interviewer really didn't like you haha :/

 

[0bumblebee0]

I just E submitted my aoolication. Any suggestions to which schools I should apply too.
so far I reapplied to PCO, MCPHS, ICO, SCO, and NOVA.

 

[OPTOM3TRY]

Did you retake? Did you get accepted? I'm currently applying and my scores are similar to your first attempt. I've got interviews already scheduled and do plan to retake the OAT. Any advice?