Timeline to study, take OAT and apply

[eera1213]

I need help figuring out a timeline for when I'm supposed to study and take the OATs and applying to optometry schools. Right now I am finishing up my sophomore year, and I'm planning to study and enroll in Kaplan courses during the summer after my junior year. I'm not sure when I'm supposed to take the OAT or when I should start applying to schools. I want to be able to submit my applications as soon as the application submission period begins. I don't think I will take a gap year, so I'd like to head straight to optometry school right after undergrad. I don't know if this will be possible if I schedule it this way or if I really must start studying during the school year as a junior. However, I don't think I will have much time to study during my junior year since I will be taking all my core upper-div biology classes and labs for my major. A reason why I wanted to start studying during the summer after my junior year is because I didn't have to take any general biology classes since I took AP Bio, which was 2-3 years ago, and I honestly don't remember anything and I will probably do very poorly in the biology section.

Will I be unable to apply and be accepted to optometry schools (and start opt school right after graduation) if I wait to study beginning of senior year? After my junior year, I only need 3 more classes to graduate, so I was thinking of taking the 3 classes during the summer and be done in three years. However, that means I won't be able to start studying until senior year.

Or should I be thinking about taking a gap year?

Sorry if this is really long. I'm just a bit confused haha.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[EyeCaptain]

You said a lot of words, and I'm not sure they all were put together in my head, but you will want to apply the summer after your junior year if you don't want to take a gap year. You will be fine if you don't start studying for the OAT until your summer break. The longer you give yourself to study, the better off you are, but most people don't have much time during school anyway. If you only have three or four weeks I would be sure to put in 4-6 hour days studying. Just be sure (of course) that you take the classes that will be on the OAT. That means you don't need biochem, micro, psych, or calc. I actually took it without the second semesters of O-chem and Bio, but I wouldnt recommend it if you can avoid it. You will have from July until februaryish to get your application in, the closing date varies from school to school. Hope that helps!

 

[BrandNewSpaces]

I need help figuring out a timeline for when I'm supposed to study and take the OATs and applying to optometry schools. Right now I am finishing up my sophomore year, and I'm planning to study and enroll in Kaplan courses during the summer after my junior year. I'm not sure when I'm supposed to take the OAT or when I should start applying to schools. I want to be able to submit my applications as soon as the application submission period begins. I don't think I will take a gap year, so I'd like to head straight to optometry school right after undergrad. I don't know if this will be possible if I schedule it this way or if I really must start studying during the school year as a junior. However, I don't think I will have much time to study during my junior year since I will be taking all my core upper-div biology classes and labs for my major. A reason why I wanted to start studying during the summer after my junior year is because I didn't have to take any general biology classes since I took AP Bio, which was 2-3 years ago, and I honestly don't remember anything and I will probably do very poorly in the biology section.

Will I be unable to apply and be accepted to optometry schools (and start opt school right after graduation) if I wait to study beginning of senior year? After my junior year, I only need 3 more classes to graduate, so I was thinking of taking the 3 classes during the summer and be done in three years. However, that means I won't be able to start studying until senior year.

Or should I be thinking about taking a gap year?

Sorry if this is really long. I'm just a bit confused haha.

I would recommend taking the OAT in the summer after your junior year, and start the applications then too! And finish those three courses that you need to graduated in the first term of your senior year. Remember that admission into optometry schools operates off of rolling admissions, so the sooner you apply, the better!

OptomCAS usually opens up the applications on July 1st the year before the entering class you are applying for. So for example, for people who planned on applying for the entering class of 2014, the applications opened up July 2013.

If you write your OAT in the summer, and then completed your applications in late summer or early fall, your application would be considered early in the cycle which is ideal. The later you wait to apply, the more seats that have filled up, and the more competition for those remaining seats. Also, this way, if you need to re-take the OAT for some reason, you can do so sooner (there is a wait period before you can re-take the OAT).