Here's a breakdown of the average GPA's and OAT scores for the 2012 entering classes at each school:
Avg. GPA
3.65 Alabama-Birmingham
3.62 NSU-Oklahoma
3.57 Michigan
3.55 Pacific-Oregon
3.54 SCO
3.54 Ohio St.
3.53 SUNY
3.53 Indiana
3.51 Missouri-St. Louis
3.48 University of Houston
3.46* Cal-Berkeley (only considers biology, chemistry and physics GPA for admissions)
3.44 SCCO
3.41 NECO
3.38 ICO
3.38 PCO
3.33 Nova
3.26 Midwestern-Arizona
3.23 Rosenberg-Texas
3.18 Western-California
3.17 MCPHS (First year program in Massachusetts.)
3.08 IAU-Puerto Rico
Avg. OAT (AA)
354 Cal-Berkeley
342 SUNY
332 SCCO
327 NECO
326 University of Houston
325 Ohio St.
324 ICO
324 SCO
324 Michigan
321 Indiana
321 Alabama-Birmingham
320 Pacific-Oregon
320 Nova
318 Midwestern-Arizona
316 Missouri-St. Louis
316 Western-California
315 NSU-Oklahoma
310 PCO
308 Rosenberg-Texas
298 MCPHS
293 IAU-Puerto Rico
Avg. OAT (TS)
359 Cal-Berkeley
347 SUNY
330 SCCO
325 NECO
323 University of Houston
322 Ohio St.
321 SCO
320 Pacific-Oregon
320 Michigan
318 ICO
318 Nova
318 Alabama-Birmingham
316 Indiana
314 Western-California
313 Midwestern-Arizona
307 Missouri-St. Louis
306 NSU-Oklahoma
301 Rosenberg-Texas
300 PCO
290 MCPHS
280 IAU-Puerto Rico
Here's a link that compares all applicants' stats/admitted applicants' stats:
http://www.opted.org/files/Profile of Applicants 2012.pdf
Here's a link with the necessary pre-req's needed/recommended for each school:
http://www.opted.org/files/public/Prerequisites June 27, 2012.pdf
As far as optometry experience and volunteering, these are nice bumps to your application but as long as you aren't completely lacking and prove to be competent during your interview I wouldn't think they'd make or break your chances (I got offered interviews to every school I applied to and accepted into both interviews I went on, having less than 20 hours of shadowing and zero optometry work experience). The biggest keys to your chances, good GPA, good OAT, apply early.
