Optometry Optomcas Help

[DecadoSlade]

Hello Everyone,

I am currently in the process of applying to optometry school through optomcas and I am having trouble with the application.

I am a Canadian student so I am having trouble on what to enter to the application. My transcript encodes marks in the percentages, should I input them directly how it is on my transcript or should there be a conversion since I am a Canadian student?

The other question I have is in regards to credit conversion. My understanding is that 1 credit is 3 hours if it is a standard course and is 4 hours if there is a lab. So a full year course with a lab would be 8 hours and a full year course without a lab would be 6 hours? In Canada we only have full year courses or just a semester course, so I'm not really sure how to covert this.

The final question is in regard to the decimal part of the credit input. How would I know what to assign for a course?

I was hoping someone who has already done the application to help me. I wanna send this asap with no errors so they can review it.

Thanks Everyone

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[pstifter]

As a Canadian student your situation is pretty unique and I don't think many people on here would even be capable of helping you. OptomCAS customer service is actually pretty great, just give them a call. Good luck!

 

[whymisha]

Hey there, I'm Canadian too. It's been 3 years since I used optomcas but I think I put the hours in exactly as they're written on my transcript. My school did 3.0 credit hours for 1 semester (half year) course, and 6.0 credit hours for a full year course, with labs not being worth any additional credit hours. Optomcas gets lots of Canadians and they adjust the GPA (and I think hours) as needed when they approve it. It doesn't make much difference to your application anyway, but matching it to your transcript will probably make the approval process run smoother.

 

[DecadoSlade]

As a Canadian student your situation is pretty unique and I don't think many people on here would even be capable of helping you. OptomCAS customer service is actually pretty great, just give them a call. Good luck!

I sent them an email. It wasn't that helpful to be honest. They literally just copy and pasted what as on the optomcas application FAQ. I wanted to call them but the number they have on their website states it's only for US residents

 

[DecadoSlade]

Hey there, I'm Canadian too. It's been 3 years since I used optomcas but I think I put the hours in exactly as they're written on my transcript. My school did 3.0 credit hours for 1 semester (half year) course, and 6.0 credit hours for a full year course, with labs not being worth any additional credit hours. Optomcas gets lots of Canadians and they adjust the GPA (and I think hours) as needed when they approve it. It doesn't make much difference to your application anyway, but matching it to your transcript will probably make the approval process run smoother.

3 credit hours for 0.5 Credits and 6 credits hours for 1 credit is what I am familiar with. However, on their website and the reply optomcas sent me was " At times, a credit conversion may be necessary (e.g. 1.00 credit = 4 semester hours)."
What value for the credit should I give for 1 semester course and what should I give for a full year course?

Thanks

 

[Em1850]

I am also Canadian and in the process of applying, did you get a hold of optomcas customer service? I am wondering the same things. What i've done so far is just put exactly what is on my transcript. Ex, my Gen Chem 1 course with lab is worth 3.00 credits on my transcript, so that is what I put on optomcas. Also, do you know how much they boost our GPA since we are Canadian, and if optomcas does this or the universities you apply to changes your GPA.

 

[DecadoSlade]

I am also Canadian and in the process of applying, did you get a hold of optomcas customer service? I am wondering the same things. What i've done so far is just put exactly what is on my transcript. Ex, my Gen Chem 1 course with lab is worth 3.00 credits on my transcript, so that is what I put on optomcas. Also, do you know how much they boost our GPA since we are Canadian, and if optomcas does this or the universities you apply to changes your GPA.

I emailed optomcas before I posted here. I emailed them the exact saame thing I posed in my original post. They replied with,

"
When entering course credits, please follow the following instructions:

Refer to the back of your official transcript to determine the Term Type (semester, quarter, or trimester). At times, a credit conversion may be necessary (e.g. 1.00 credit = 4 semester hours). Please be sure to make any credit conversions before you submit your application. DO NOT convert quarter to semester hours, the OptomCAS system will do that automatically.

In order to correctly calculate your OptomCAS GPAs, you are required to enter all courses completed at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution. This includes courses where credit was granted through completion of a course in high school (such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate), courses where credit was granted through the completion of placement exam (CLEP or a departmental exam), courses completed at a community college and courses completed during summer terms.
Applicants are NOT required to report coursework taken at non-U.S. institutions.
We strongly recommend that applicants use a personal copy of an official transcript to properly enter ALL college coursework attempted and earned. Enter courses chronologically, beginning with the oldest transcript to most recent. Within each term, enter the courses in the order in which they appear on your transcript. Enter each course once from the transcript where it was originally taken, even if the credits transferred to another institution.
Refer to the back of your official transcript to determine the Term Type (semester, quarter, or trimester). At times, a credit conversion may be necessary (e.g. 1.00 credit = 4 semester hours). Please be sure to make any credit conversions before submitting the application.
OptomCAS will verify your self-reported coursework against your official transcripts. OptomCAS will not enter your courses for you. OptomCAS will return your application to you for corrections or explanation if we identify a significant number of course discrepancies or omissions. If you fail to properly enter all of your courses when you first submit your application or do not make corrections as requested, your application will be delayed in processing and you may jeopardize your chances for admission consideration."

If your transcript said that a course is 3 semester hours then maybe put that. I'm just confused because they said 1 credit is 4 semester hours. But in Canada, I've had 0.5 courses (for only one semester), so do I put 2 semester hours for those?

I ordered my transcript so I am just waiting on that. I was hoping to input it and just double check when I get my transcript but I guess not.

 

[DecadoSlade]

I am also Canadian and in the process of applying, did you get a hold of optomcas customer service? I am wondering the same things. What i've done so far is just put exactly what is on my transcript. Ex, my Gen Chem 1 course with lab is worth 3.00 credits on my transcript, so that is what I put on optomcas. Also, do you know how much they boost our GPA since we are Canadian, and if optomcas does this or the universities you apply to changes your GPA.

Did you have full year courses? Or were they divided into halves? For example first year bio, was that a full year course for year?

 

[MTL_OD]

I called OptomCAS the other day, and they told me that they generally advise students to input their credit info as it exactly appears on your official transcript, so I think it's safe to say that you can put 1 credit there for a 2-semester course. This is what I did for a summer course I took at Carleton. Submitted my application 2 days ago. If you'd like I can let you know if my transcript gets verified okay!

 

[DecadoSlade]

I called OptomCAS the other day, and they told me that they generally advise students to input their credit info as it exactly appears on your official transcript, so I think it's safe to say that you can put 1 credit there for a 2-semester course. This is what I did for a summer course I took at Carleton. Submitted my application 2 days ago. If you'd like I can let you know if my transcript gets verified okay!

Thanks MTL_OD! I guess ill have to wait for my transcript. I was wondering if I have a full year bio, should I put a bio for the fall semester and the winter semester? or should I just put it for Fall but for 6 credits, instead of 3?

 

[MTL_OD]

Thanks MTL_OD! I guess ill have to wait for my transcript. I was wondering if I have a full year bio, should I put a bio for the fall semester and the winter semester? or should I just put it for Fall but for 6 credits, instead of 3?

I think you should stick to whatever is on your transcript. If you took a two-semester class, you should put it for both Fall and winter. If it's an intensive one-semester course (6 credit language courses for example), then put it just for the semester that you took it in. However, I dont work for OptomCAS, so I'd say if you want a 100% accurate answer you should call OptomCAS yourself. Just put some credit into a Skype account and call them. I find their customer services very helpful

 

[DecadoSlade]

I think you should stick to whatever is on your transcript. If you took a two-semester class, you should put it for both Fall and winter. If it's an intensive one-semester course (6 credit language courses for example), then put it just for the semester that you took it in. However, I dont work for OptomCAS, so I'd say if you want a 100% accurate answer you should call OptomCAS yourself. Just put some credit into a Skype account and call them. I find their customer services very helpful

Thanks For the help. I guess I'll have to wait for my transcript to confirm. And call them if Im still having trouble. I appreciate the help!

 

[MTL_OD]

Thanks For the help. I guess I'll have to wait for my transcript to confirm. And call them if Im still having trouble. I appreciate the help!

No worries. Where did you go for your undergrad?