OAT, need to retake?

[puncho]

Hi, I took the OAT this past October and my mom just sent me the scores, so sorry for the late thread.

I did well on QR, Physics, Orgo, Gen Chem (all above 350) but my biology was a low 280 and the reading was 310.

My total science is 350 and the overall is 340.

I knew I was going to do bad in bio since it is my weakest subject and things just go bad when I do bio (Got a C in freshman year, but am planning on taking upper level microbio next semester)

Now, my question is should I retake the OAT? I really don't wanna spend time doing it/studying for it again....also I'm not sure if I'll do as well in the other sections as I did.

Thanks for any advice.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[JapAnime]

I personally don't think that you need to retake teh OAT. You actually did very good overall. I would just start applying to the different schools.

 

[cpw]

depends on which school you're gunning for and how many you applied to. For most schools you should have no problem with that overall score. For some of the more exclusive public schools, they have individual section minimums. I know when I applied Berkeley had an OAT section minimum of 320. (which of course they didn't tell me until I got my rejection letter)

let me add that they also didn't tell me this AND STILL INTERVIEWED ME (of course making me think I had a snowballs chance)

 

[cunikki]

depends on which school you're gunning for and how many you applied to. For most schools you should have no problem with that overall score. For some of the more exclusive public schools, they have individual section minimums. I know when I applied Berkeley had an OAT section minimum of 320. (which of course they didn't tell me until I got my rejection letter)

is this true??? it seems to me that the more i go through this process berkeley is turning into a less and less attractive optioin (no offense to anyone who goes there) but they have been extremely slow in information of any kind, they sent me someone elses information telling me that still need to turn in their transcripts and 2 lors, have yet to respond to 2 emails, have been pretty rude over the phone and have failed to change my application status to complete because one of my transcripts is supposedly missing; even though its to a state institution that has the same name as my bachelors degree; so all grades are on the same transcript (think taking one class at uc-irvine and having them say they need a separate transcript than your ucla one even though the ucla one shows all the classes on it). and now this?? so if i have a 310 in one section and above in all the rest they will automatically reject my app??? hehe sorry for the bitching but they just seem to care more about their sacred institution than students.... almost every other school i have applied to has been really wonderful and accomadating; listening when i take the time to call them.... and berkeley is the only one to be so presumptuous to assume that they can set up one interview date and 120 students will make all their other plans to suit them... oh and they have no toll free number!!!! grrrr!

 

[cpw]

is this true???

it was printed on my rejection letter. 320 section minimum and 3.2 GPA minimum. Although, I know people who did get in without that... I think they just use it to justify why they rejected you. (even though I was only lower than 320 in ONE section -- orgo, like I really needed that)

 

[puncho]

Thanks for the quick replies...as for the schools I'll be applying for, I think they'll mainly be eastern ones (Illinois, PCO, New England, SUNY, Indiana).

 

[cunikki]

it was printed on my rejection letter. 320 section minimum and 3.2 GPA minimum. Although, I know people who did get in without that... I think they just use it to justify why they rejected you. (even though I was only lower than 320 in ONE section -- orgo, like I really needed that)

did they send this letter before or after interview??? cause personally i think its unethical/bordering on somewhat criminal to lead someone on to believe they have a chance of getting into a school and making them spend money to fly out and stay in a hotel if they supposedly have minumum scores that would qualify you for a rejection..... :/

 

[cpw]

like I said.. this was all stated on my rejection letter. (post interview) I was above their GPA requirement, had above 320 on every section except orgo and interviewed very well. Oh well. I'm very happy at UHCO and all of this was a long time ago. Their policies might have changed since then. I'm not on their admission committee obviously.

 

[Rosanna]

is this true??? it seems to me that the more i go through this process berkeley is turning into a less and less attractive optioin

Hi cunikki:

I have heard the same negative response to the admissions office for the last several years. I was quite disappointed when I applied to Berkeley also because of all the extra steps that need to be taken care of. I’m talking about how you have to use their letter of recommendation print-out, transcripts sent out by the registration office of each school you’ve been to since high school, and just the general lack of feedback.

You have to realize that until this year there were only 2 people working in the admissions office. There is an admissions board but it’s basically Dr. Ledesma and Sharmila handling all the applications and processing everything. I was once in the office because I had sent an e-mail to them a week ago and never received a response. Alberto opened his e-mail inbox in front of me and he told me that it was impossible to find my message since he had over 900 new e-mails! I’m not justifying their actions in how you may be treated but I’m trying to provide you (and others) a general idea what is going on.

Fact is that we are a state school and the funds are not there for us to have more people working in the admissions office (who handle student affairs as well). Yes, if you go to SCCO (which has an awesome support team with Dawn Bunch and Barbara Breffle) you will probably have more personal interactions but again you will be paying $22,000/year in tuition.

It is up to you if you want to proceed in the application process. It can be very frustrating but you have to think about the end results.

Yes, you will need a separate transcript from UCI although it’s on your UCLA transcript. The registrar at UCI (where I was an undergraduate) is very fast in sending out transcripts though.

I did not realize that the 320 in all sections was a requirement, but I have heard that at least a 3.0 GPA is “recommended.” I had a 310 in reading comprehension.

I’m agreeing with cpw that the “320 minimum” seems like an excuse they just used for the rejection. Fact is that there are many qualified applicants for not that many seats and there has to be something for them to pick on. I believe that if you make it to the interview, your chances are as good as anyone else there. I had several friends apply last year and received a rejection letter before the interview date.

There has been one interview date for the last 2 years. It seems like the best option for the school and I think it’s actually a great idea. The interview date is usually during a 3 day weekend when the rest of the campus is closed. It allows all the optometry students the opportunity to take their time to be on the interview day and really talk to all the interviewees. The negatives are of course that you will be nervous being in a room with 80+ interviewees vying for possibly less than 30 open seats and you will feel like “cattle” going from one section to another. The positive is that you will meet a lot of us current optometry students and a good amount of faculty members and professors will be present during Q&A and lunch. All the other schools I interviewed at had a lunch session with 4-5 current students while at UCBSO it was easily 30 optometry students who volunteered to be there on interview date. I still remember several optometry students who I spoke with at the interview day and now have become friends of mine.

There is no excuse for no toll-free number also. I’m guessing the money isn’t there to provide the office with one.

At the end of all things, I would recommend coming to the interview if you are invited. It will be the professors and other students who will define what our school is instead of the admissions office.

Best wishes,

Rosanna

 

[cunikki]

haha yeah thanks for the perspective; i really did not mean to bash your school but it can be pretty frustrating ... i really hope taht the 'minimum' gpa/oat scores is not true though; because it seems somewhat unfair to invite people to believe they have an equal shot at the school and reject them post interview because or something like minimum oat scores which they should already know before the interview. i would assume that an invitation to interview would put you on somewhat equal footing with anyone else present and that if there is a real minimum requirement that you dont meet; you shouldnt be interviewing... a waste of everyones time. as far as the transcript goes; supposedly the first time i called they said it was taken care of and they put a note in my file; but then i still got a letter about missing transcripts a week later. i understand they are a state school; i have only been to state schools in my undergraduate career; but some of these things just seem to show a lack of respect... even if it is understaffing issues and lack of money or something like that; most applicants do not know this and therefore might be getting similarly negative opinions. i guess if i am invited to interview i will see how it goes; the money thing isnt an issue for me; it will probably cost 2-3k more for me to go to berkeley actually but i really like the city. i guess we'll see what happens. i guess its also pretty important that after people get in they seem to like it there... that bodes well for them; their admissions situation just seems to leave something to be desired.
thanks for the info

 

[Dr. Monkey]

Hi cunikki,

Regarding your application to Berkeley, how do you know that your transcript is missing? Did they send you email or letter mail? I want to know my application status but have a hard time to get a hold on them too (no response).

 

[duracell]

Can someone tell me if this is an o-k score?
AA - 320
TS - 330

QR - 290
RC - 330
Physics - 330
Bio - 290
Gen. Chem - 330
Organic Chem - 320

My GPA isn't stellar it's around 2.9 Sigh..first yr killed me. I'm in 3rd yr right now, and i have fairly good references and almost 2 exp. in optometry office (With their reference) and i worked in a molecular lab.

 

[cunikki]

Hi cunikki,

Regarding your application to Berkeley, how do you know that your transcript is missing? Did they send you email or letter mail? I want to know my application status but have a hard time to get a hold on them too (no response).

hey umm well first they sent me someone elses letter stating that their transcript from the university of waterloo and 2 lors were missing; i emailed them back saying that they sent me someone elses mail and that i would like to know my status; about 2 weeks later i got an email with a letter to me saying i was missing my transcript; after this i called and spoke with someone who said she would take care of it; cause the transcript is the exact same thing from both schools since they are in the same school system; they both have the same grades written on them and everything; and then a couple weeks after that i got a new letter in the snail mail saying they have my oat scores (from oct) now but still no transcript. after this i emailed 2 people and called again; they told me they cannot give out any info over the phone at this time but would be sending out letters soon (this was prolly a month ago) and i still have received no letter or email replies. at this point i just asked for another transcript to be sent out but i dont know whatever happened and if they consider my file completed or not. basically i think i have given up hope for berkeley. its a nice town but i applied to 4 other schools and have gotten 4 other interviews and really i am kind of sick of their bull..... i understand that they are short staffed or whatever... but it just irks me that they think they are soo good that they can just throw this whole process around and still expect people to fall over themselves to go there. i dont know what i will do if i get an interview there.. i might just go cause my cousin goes to undergrad and i can stay with him for free; but i have 3 interviews before and so i will probably accept admission somewhere else first;
if you are really interested i would probably try to call them and just be really nice and say that you havent gotten any letters and you have heard other people have and you would just like to know if everything has been turned in. supposedly they will be sendin gout letters the first half of january telling you if you have everything turned in yet; but this seems kind of non-sensical; because if you find out you are missing a lor or something; its too late to get one turned in. good luck tho

 

[cunikki]

Can someone tell me if this is an o-k score?
AA - 320
TS - 330

QR - 290
RC - 330
Physics - 330
Bio - 290
Gen. Chem - 330
Organic Chem - 320

My GPA isn't stellar it's around 2.9 Sigh..first yr killed me. I'm in 3rd yr right now, and i have fairly good references and almost 2 exp. in optometry office (With their reference) and i worked in a molecular lab.

haha i love how everyone asks this. its an okay score; its not going to get you automatic admission to everywhere you apply. the bio i think is somewhat low; especially considering this is an optometry program; if i were you i think i would try to take some math and bio classes and get a's in them... 2.9 isnt soo hot but not a killer; i would at least try to see if you can pull that up to a 3.0 before you apply; i think it looks a lot better if your gpa keeps going up every semester even as you take more difficult classes... sort of a maturity issue.

 

[cpw]

cunikki is right... it's a decent score. But, if you do have the time to retake it you might want to.. to offset your lower GPA. If you keep improving your GPA semester after semester even as your classes get harder.. schools like to see that. They like to see upward progression in grades after a bad first year.

It's great that you have good letters.. keep getting more and more experience to prove to them this is what you want to do.

Good luck !