Pre-req + Application help

[popskittles]

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Hello fellow-SDN'ers,

I'm in my 3rd year at an Canadian university(majoring: Biology). I'll be finishing up my honors degree next year and will graduate in 2011. I still have to do the OAT's and have 3 pre-req's outstanding. I plan on finishing the pre-req's in the summer of 2010 and finish up my OAT's before summer school( already studying for them). Most probably I'll be done with my pre-req's by 2nd week of August. In order to get accepted in the fall term of 2011, when do I need to start applying? I know June 15th is for the early decisions but by then I won't be done the pre-req's and the thought of being put on hold/rejected is really depressing me, right now.

Also, my volunteer/EC's include shadowing MD/OD's, volunteering at hospitals (but in non-eye care related sections), child care centers, libraries, dental offices, uni. clubs n councils. Getting some more research done this year and ofcourse, next year for my honors. I hope that will be sufficient.

Any help and further advice is appreciated. Thanks🙂

 

[Arctic]

Sounds like you're on a good track there. If you want to apply for admittance in Fall 2011, you'll obviously be applying in next year's application cycle. I can't comment on any early decision information; contact schools directly for that. However, if not early decision, it sounds to me like you'd just be applying as a normal applicant next cycle, which would start a little less than a year from now. Just get your application in as early in the cycle as possible to give yourself the best chance; it's perfectly fine to be completing a few pre-req's during your final year of undergrad before entering optometry school if that's what your concern was (although obviously the fewer you have left, the better your chances will be).

 

[Framecontrol]

Hey my friend, a little bit off topic but I read your post and it reminded me about letters of recommendation. It would be great if you started accumulating them now since you know that you are set on optometry school.

I just wrote this article about though so check it out if you want a realllly detailed description about letters of recommendation.

http://optometrystudents.com/letters-of-recommendation-for-optometry-school/

best of luck my friend 🙂

 

[SonofanOpt]

You will be fine.
I am currently applying for the Fall of 2010 and I have not completed my Statistics, Microbiology, or Biochemistry requirements. These unfinished courses have not been an issue with any of the schools I am applying to. As someone else mentioned, start talking with your professors/health committee about your letters of recommendation. The sooner you get those set up, the easier it will be come application-time.

 

[popskittles]

Arctic, FrameControl and SonOfanOpt: thanks for all the tips, help and encouragement. I just dont want to leave stuff till the last minute and rush in my application. Hence, just wanted to clear thing out with the help of you knowlegable one's😀

FrameControl: AWESOME article!!! thanks thanks thanks..I'm going to my undergrad office on monday and setting up the LOR file😎. Oh and one more question, is it okay if I get an LOR with a prof. who knows me very well but is not related to the field of human biology (but more like ecology)??

SonOfanOpt: I'm currently doing Intro. to Biostats, so thats been taken care of (its like grade 12. discrete math🙂) I have viro. next sem, but almost all uni's particularly are looking for micro. so yea taking it in the summers and an intro to ethics course, too. Also, if I may ask, when did you apply for the fall 2010 term? (eg. this year, what month? looking for a time-line to set up my action plan😉) and have they contacted you back with any conditional acceptance, perhaps?

Oh gosh, I hope I'm not troubling you ppl with too many questions I know, I'm just stressing out too much, perhaps