OAT timeline

[optom207]

Hello!
I am currently a junior planning to apply this summer for the 2018-2019 cycle. I am planning to take my OAT in early/mid June with the hopes of applying soon after the June 28th optomCAS opening date. Is this a realistic timeline? If anyone has followed a similar timeline, what kind of study plan did you follow? I do not feel that I have a lot of time to dedicate to studying during this semester on top of a demanding course load. I'm wondering if dedicating a full-time month in May to studying would be sufficient? Would love to hear what some of you have done in terms of time spent studying!
Thank you in advance!

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[evorage]

Your time line looks reasonable if you stick to your study plan. Applying early is the best thing you can do but don’t rush through your application.
If you haven’t already, take a practice test and see where you need improvement. That will be the best way to plan out your studying. Also make sure you take at least one full timed test so you know what to expect on test day.

 

[curaga84]

Your timeline looks reasonable! It is good that you are planning to take your OAT after your cycle opens on June, otherwise you would have to pay a $100 fee to have your scores transferred to the upcoming admissions cycle. A sad and expensive mistake I made.

I needed plenty of time to study for my OAT because I am a terrible test taker. I actually started preparing for it on the October of the previous year (2016) before the application opened on June (2017). I took the OAT twice, once on May 2017 and once on October 2017. It is important that you know your own study habits so that you can find the right study materials for you. I used the Kaplan live online course but noticed that the instructor moved on too quickly for me, so I eventually upgraded to one on one Kaplan tutoring. This helped me pace my studies and get all my questions answered without feeling rushed. Expensive? Yes. But worth it? Yes, at least for a slow learner like me! I made sure to take my own notes in a blank notebook and solve lots of sample tests to make sure that I understood the material.

I also purchased the OAT Destroyed books but I only really used the Physics book. I ended up selling brand new books to other students because I did not need them. I highly recommend the DAT bootcamp quizzes and videos online because they provide good information. The only downside is that they did not have the Physics section.

I think you are in a good place to start, and good luck with your studies!

 

[optom207]

Your timeline looks reasonable! It is good that you are planning to take your OAT after your cycle opens on June, otherwise you would have to pay a $100 fee to have your scores transferred to the upcoming admissions cycle. A sad and expensive mistake I made.

I needed plenty of time to study for my OAT because I am a terrible test taker. I actually started preparing for it on the October of the previous year (2016) before the application opened on June (2017). I took the OAT twice, once on May 2017 and once on October 2017. It is important that you know your own study habits so that you can find the right study materials for you. I used the Kaplan live online course but noticed that the instructor moved on too quickly for me, so I eventually upgraded to one on one Kaplan tutoring. This helped me pace my studies and get all my questions answered without feeling rushed. Expensive? Yes. But worth it? Yes, at least for a slow learner like me! I made sure to take my own notes in a blank notebook and solve lots of sample tests to make sure that I understood the material.

I also purchased the OAT Destroyed books but I only really used the Physics book. I ended up selling brand new books to other students because I did not need them. I highly recommend the DAT bootcamp quizzes and videos online because they provide good information. The only downside is that they did not have the Physics section.

I think you are in a good place to start, and good luck with your studies!

Thanks so much for your help! Just to clarify your first point, if I am planning to take the OAT let's say June 11th, but the cycle doesn't open until June 28th, I'll have to pay extra!? That's what I was planning to do, unaware of the cost. How else can you apply early on (first week of July maybe) if you haven't taken the OAT yet? Thanks!

 

[curaga84]

Thanks so much for your help! Just to clarify your first point, if I am planning to take the OAT let's say June 11th, but the cycle doesn't open until June 28th, I'll have to pay extra!? That's what I was planning to do, unaware of the cost. How else can you apply early on (first week of July maybe) if you haven't taken the OAT yet? Thanks!

Hello! Yes, anything before the cycle opens would be applied the fee (at least from what I experienced). I would ask OptomCAS directly just to be extra sure, but I do think that they will apply the fee for anything before the cycle opens. You are still able to start your application without submitting your OAT scores. OptomCAS says "If you took the OAT exam prior to June 19, 2017 and want your scores submitted to OptomCAS, you will need to submit a request for an additional score report. Additional fees will apply." You can find this on the OptomCAS FAQ page under standardized tests.

Say you plan to submit a complete application on the first week of July, and you decide to take the OAT the second week of the same month. OptomCAS takes a few weeks to fully process your application and grades, so you have about 2 or 3 weeks before optometry schools receive your information. By the time you take the OAT that second week, OptomCAS will have reviewed your application and the OAT scores almost at the same time (OAT scores take about 1 to 2 weeks). In this case, you would have submitted your application super early and maximized your chances at a rolling admissions school granted that you prepared the best you could. Be aware that you can retake the OAT after having submitted your application and your first set of OAT scores, and the school will have marked your application as complete and wait for your new scores. It is best to send a set of scores and your application as early as possible to secure a spot for early review and potentially an interview invitation.

In my case, I took my OAT on May 2017. I had to pay $100 to have my scores "from the old cycle" transferred to the new cycle. Ironic because the previous cycle ends on March, but I still had to request my scores and pay. Hope this is helpful!