UHCO interview advice

[aosos1]

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Hello,
Does anyone have advice for the interview at UHCO? Any tips are appreciated. Thank you so much!

 

[preopt2019]

Hello,
Does anyone have advice for the interview at UHCO? Any tips are appreciated. Thank you so much!

Were you invited for a interview? I am interested in UHCO as well.. do you mind sharing your stats?

 

[poojerrr]

I interviewed there about two years ago. They’re definitely hard. They have a panel interview of about five faculty. It’s also open file so make sure you can describe anything and everything on your application like bad grades to a bad OAT.

 

[deleted941344]

Hi! I was just recently accepted to UH and the interview process was standard, I wouldn't say it was more difficult than normal. It can be intimidating to have 4-5 people interview you but really, it's an advantage because it gives the chance to have the conversation flow better and the time goes by quicker so there are no awkward pauses - just make sure you frequently make eye contact with everyone in the room even if you're answering a question 1 specific person asked you.

You'll probably be asked standard interview questions, "Why Optometry", "Why UHCO" . Depending on how the conversation flows after that they may ask you about certain grades or your OAT scores so be prepared to answer this - don't be intimidated by this question and don't get defensive in your response, you've already been invited to an interview so your stats have already been vetted. They're not trying to grill you just trying to get to know your life circumstances better. For example, if you had a particularly hard semester you can answer that you didn't do as best as you would've liked because you were also working or whatever your particular instance may be. There's always a positive to every situation and if you can emphasize what that positive is and what you've learned from it then that's what they're looking to hear.

I will say that during this interview I was asked an ethical question that I wasn't asked in any other interview, just make sure you answer from the heart and don't give any extreme one sided answers, always try to find middle ground.

Lastly, I would advise to ALWAYS ask 2-3 questions that relate to you or your interests at the end of the interview. For example, I am really interested in research and had a PhD professor on my panel so I asked about what "other" ways I could get involved with research aside from the traditional ways the school already advertised. You've been talking and answering their questions for half an hour and the panelists enjoy using this time to answer YOUR questions and talk about positive experiences in the school.

Hope you do great at your interview, don't sweat it, the faculty and staff are extremely welcoming and nice, so long as you're being yourself and are calm about answering any questions they have about your application file you should be golden! 🙂

*** the facility is really nice and HUGE, wear comfy shoes for the tour ***

 

[preopt2019]

Hi @eyes4opto! I’m also interested in UHCO and was wondering if you mind sharing your stats?? Are you IS(in state) or OO (out of state)?

 

[aosos1]

Hi! I was just recently accepted to UH and the interview process was standard, I wouldn't say it was more difficult than normal. It can be intimidating to have 4-5 people interview you but really, it's an advantage because it gives the chance to have the conversation flow better and the time goes by quicker so there are no awkward pauses - just make sure you frequently make eye contact with everyone in the room even if you're answering a question 1 specific person asked you.

You'll probably be asked standard interview questions, "Why Optometry", "Why UHCO" . Depending on how the conversation flows after that they may ask you about certain grades or your OAT scores so be prepared to answer this - don't be intimidated by this question and don't get defensive in your response, you've already been invited to an interview so your stats have already been vetted. They're not trying to grill you just trying to get to know your life circumstances better. For example, if you had a particularly hard semester you can answer that you didn't do as best as you would've liked because you were also working or whatever your particular instance may be. There's always a positive to every situation and if you can emphasize what that positive is and what you've learned from it then that's what they're looking to hear.

I will say that during this interview I was asked an ethical question that I wasn't asked in any other interview, just make sure you answer from the heart and don't give any extreme one sided answers, always try to find middle ground.

Lastly, I would advise to ALWAYS ask 2-3 questions that relate to you or your interests at the end of the interview. For example, I am really interested in research and had a PhD professor on my panel so I asked about what "other" ways I could get involved with research aside from the traditional ways the school already advertised. You've been talking and answering their questions for half an hour and the panelists enjoy using this time to answer YOUR questions and talk about positive experiences in the school.

Hope you do great at your interview, don't sweat it, the faculty and staff are extremely welcoming and nice, so long as you're being yourself and are calm about answering any questions they have about your application file you should be golden! 🙂

*** the facility is really nice and HUGE, wear comfy shoes for the tour ***

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Did you feel like the interview was relatively relaxed and conversational? Do all the interviewers ask questions? How long did you prepare for the interview and for how long?

 

[aosos1]

Were you invited for a interview? I am interested in UHCO as well.. do you mind sharing your stats?

Hi! Yes I was. My GPA is 3.79 and 380 on OAT TS/AA.

 

[preopt2019]

Hi! Yes I was. My GPA is 3.79 and 380 on OAT TS/AA.

Congrats on your score!! Are you from Texas or out of state? And what did you use to prepare for the OAT?

 

[deleted941344]

Hi @eyes4opto! I’m also interested in UHCO and was wondering if you mind sharing your stats?? Are you IS(in state) or OO (out of state)?

Sure! I’m out of state, 370 AA/400 TS 3.4 gpa

 

[deleted941344]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Did you feel like the interview was relatively relaxed and conversational? Do all the interviewers ask questions? How long did you prepare for the interview and for how long?

Yeah I’d say it say it was relaxed and conversational, i did get asked specific questions by specific people but not everyone asked me a question. I’d say there was maybe a total of 4 (why opto, why UH, a specific question about my application, and ethical question) in between there was conversation back and forth and finally I was asked if I had any questions for them. My interview ran slightly longer than the 3 people before me (mine specifically was 40min but i didn’t even notice, I know the ones who went before me ranged from 20-30min).

To prepare for the interview I looked through my application that I submitted on optomcas once again (they may ask you specific details about an experience or activity you wrote about) and looked through their website to make bullet points as to why UH and why I chose to apply there. I chose talking points that I could relate to and things that the school offered that appealed to me. Hope this helps!

 

[preopt2019]

Sure! I’m out of state, 370 AA/400 TS 3.4 gpa

Thanks! I am out of state as well - Louisiana. I am hoping to get accepted into UHCO as well. My GPA isn't the greatest. But I am hoping my OAT score will make up for it.. What did you use to study for the OAT?

 

[deleted941344]

Thanks! I am out of state as well - Louisiana. I am hoping to get accepted into UHCO as well. My GPA isn't the greatest. But I am hoping my OAT score will make up for it.. What did you use to study for the OAT?

Hang in there 🙂 when you get an interview it’s really your personality that shines! I used a few different resources. I first went through the Kaplan big book for content but to be honest it’s not all that helpful and I wouldn’t recommend it. I purchased chad’s OAT videos on course saver and looked at every single video + did the associated practice problems. Aside from that i did some practice problems from OAT destroyer and for full lengths I used a combination of OAT Aciever(the 3 pack) and the 2 free Kaplan practice tests online.

At the very end I thought I didn’t have enough practice and decided to purchase the DAT Bootcamp. This was really pricy and not necessary but I will say it helped me quite a bit for QR (this doesn’t have a physics section keep in mind).

All in all I think having a good study plan is key, I made a google doc sheet with calendar dates and set goals of which sections/ practice problems to complete every day for 2 months. I did a full length every Saturday. If you had to pick only one resource, I would recommend Chad’s videos.

 

[preopt2019]

Hang in there 🙂 when you get an interview it’s really your personality that shines! I used a few different resources. I first went through the Kaplan big book for content but to be honest it’s not all that helpful and I wouldn’t recommend it. I purchased chad’s OAT videos on course saver and looked at every single video + did the associated practice problems. Aside from that i did some practice problems from OAT destroyer and for full lengths I used a combination of OAT Aciever(the 3 pack) and the 2 free Kaplan practice tests online.

At the very end I thought I didn’t have enough practice and decided to purchase the DAT Bootcamp. This was really pricy and not necessary but I will say it helped me quite a bit for QR (this doesn’t have a physics section keep in mind).

All in all I think having a good study plan is key, I made a google doc sheet with calendar dates and set goals of which sections/ practice problems to complete every day for 2 months. I did a full length every Saturday. If you had to pick only one resource, I would recommend Chad’s videos.

Thank you so much! I def need to make a calendar and set a schedule of what I need to do for about 2 months. I haven't taken the OAT yet, so i am thinking about applying next cycle instead of now. I've heard alot about Chad videos and I def will purchase them! 🙂

OAT Videos | CourseSaver is this what you purchased?

 

[deleted941344]

Thank you so much! I def need to make a calendar and set a schedule of what I need to do for about 2 months. I haven't taken the OAT yet, so i am thinking about applying next cycle instead of now. I've heard alot about Chad videos and I def will purchase them! 🙂

OAT Videos | CourseSaver is this what you purchased?

Yes! That’s the one 🙂 wishing you the best of luck, I do think applying early plays a major role - once you apply in the later half of the cycle, naturally, your odds are reduced and schools have most likely handed out their best scholarships. UH has a great one that lowers tuition to match instate for example, but they’re limited to competitive students and if you’re one of the first to apply you get first dibs!

I’d recommend you take as long as you need to, I took 2 months just in practice question/full length phase, I studied for much longer than 2 months. Took 4 months total time off to dedicate to OAT. I know most people don’t take this long but if you have the time I’d highly recommend, you don’t want to retake so give it your best shot the first time around.

 

[preopt2019]

Yes! That’s the one 🙂 wishing you the best of luck, I do think applying early plays a major role - once you apply in the later half of the cycle, naturally, your odds are reduced and schools have most likely handed out their best scholarships. UH has a great one that lowers tuition to match instate for example, but they’re limited to competitive students and if you’re one of the first to apply you get first dibs!

I’d recommend you take as long as you need to, I took 2 months just in practice question/full length phase, I studied for much longer than 2 months. Took 4 months total time off to dedicate to OAT. I know most people don’t take this long but if you have the time I’d highly recommend, you don’t want to retake so give it your best shot the first time around.

Thanks!! 🙂 I definitely agree that I should take my time studying and not rush it. I would only like to take the OAT once and score high!
Are you still in undergrad and graduating this year?

 

[deleted941344]

Thanks!! 🙂 I definitely agree that I should take my time studying and not rush it. I would only like to take the OAT once and score high!
Are you still in undergrad and graduating this year?

That's the spirit, you'll do great! 🙂 I've graduated already but I'm taking one class this year that is a pre-req that I never took for my degree.

 

[preopt2019]

That's the spirit, you'll do great! 🙂 I've graduated already but I'm taking one class this year that is a pre-req that I never took for my degree.

That’s awesome! 🙂 I’ll be graduating this spring but might need to take a pre req post bacc