UMSL Interview

[Dblvsn]

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I haven't seen that many posts about UMSL and I have an interview there on Thurs. 4/7. I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice, suggestions, or any school-specific tips.

I've read through the interview threads and have found some great information, I'm looking for UMSL-specific information. 👍

TIA

 

[PreOptMegs]

I haven't seen that many posts about UMSL and I have an interview there on Thurs. 4/7. I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice, suggestions, or any school-specific tips.

I've read through the interview threads and have found some great information, I'm looking for UMSL-specific information. 👍

TIA

I am pre-optometry at UMSL right now and I have looked into how they conduct interviews. From what I have been told, if you have an interview you are almost guaranteed a spot for next year. Whether you choose to take it or go to a different school is a different story... In the interview they are really just looking to see that you have personality and really care about the field of optometry and aren't a total fruit cake. I have been told they scruitinze your transcript for any lower grades (possibly a lazy freshman year or something) and they ask you the usual questions of: why do you want to be an optometrist? What is an Optometrist? How did you get interested into the field of optometry? What features does UMSL have that you are looking for in an optometry school?.. Things like that. I hope this helps! Good luck with the interview and keep us posted. Also, if you do not mind me asking, what did you get on the OAT, what is your GPA, and how did you prepare for the OAT? GOOD LUCK!!! 🙂

 

[pre-opt]

PreOptMegs,
What year are you? Have you taken the OAT yet?

I am pre-optometry at UMSL right now and I have looked into how they conduct interviews. From what I have been told, if you have an interview you are almost guaranteed a spot for next year. Whether you choose to take it or go to a different school is a different story... In the interview they are really just looking to see that you have personality and really care about the field of optometry and aren't a total fruit cake. I have been told they scruitinze your transcript for any lower grades (possibly a lazy freshman year or something) and they ask you the usual questions of: why do you want to be an optometrist? What is an Optometrist? How did you get interested into the field of optometry? What features does UMSL have that you are looking for in an optometry school?.. Things like that. I hope this helps! Good luck with the interview and keep us posted. Also, if you do not mind me asking, what did you get on the OAT, what is your GPA, and how did you prepare for the OAT? GOOD LUCK!!! 🙂

 

[PreOptMegs]

PreOptMegs,
What year are you? Have you taken the OAT yet?

I am a sophomore athletically (I play b-ball for UMSL) and a junior academically. I am in the 3 +4 program, so I only have one more year of undergrad, or at least I hope so because that would mean I got into UMSL's optometry. ANyway, I take the OAT in october, but i am going to be taking Organic 1 and 2 this summer at UMSL and the Kaplan prep course as well.

 

[pre-opt]

Well if you are a junior academically, wouldn't you have been able to apply to optometry school this year then. I am a 3rd year student and have been accepted into UMSL's 2005 entering class. Good luck with the OAT...I just took mine in February. I didn't take the Kaplan course, but I used the book (much cheaper) and found it to be helpful.

 

[PreOptMegs]

Well if you are a junior academically, wouldn't you have been able to apply to optometry school this year then. I am a 3rd year student and have been accepted into UMSL's 2005 entering class. Good luck with the OAT...I just took mine in February. I didn't take the Kaplan course, but I used the book (much cheaper) and found it to be helpful.

Have you completed all of your pre reqs? I still have to take microbiology (I will take it second semester next year because that is only when it is offered) and I still have to take orgo lab and a writing class. Did you take the OAT for the first time in February? If you don't mind me asking, what did you get on the OAT and what is your GPA and did you apply to any other schools? Sorry for all of the questions, but I am extremely nervous and excited for this next year!!

 

[pre-opt]

Yes, I have all my pre-reqs done. Thank goodness. No, I had actually taken the OAT back in Feb 04, but didn't do the greatest. The thing that killed me was that I had only had 1 biology class and did really badly on my 1st OAT because of that reason. On my 1st OAT I only got a 290 AA and 290 TS. I managed to get an interview because of my high GPA (3.95) and good work experience (2+ years). After the interview they told me to retake the OAT, so I retook it this past Feb and ended up raising it quite a bit (350 AA and 360 TS). I basically raised all of my scores at least 30 points...and some how I ended up getting a 390 in organic chemisty, and I'm only a psychology major. Are you doing the 3+4 through the honors college or one of the science majors (biology or chemistry)? No I didn't apply to any other schools because UMSL was really the only school that I wanted to go to and because this is only my 3rd year. I was prepared though to have to apply to other schools next year, but now I don't have to!!! I am so relieved. I totally understand why you would be nervous and excited because I was and still am. Are you originally from the St. Louis area? That is awesome that you play basketball at UMSL. Good luck on the OAT...I'm sure that you will do great! If you have any other questions feel free to ask anything you want to know. 🙂

 

[PreOptMegs]

Yes, I have all my pre-reqs done. Thank goodness. No, I had actually taken the OAT back in Feb 04, but didn't do the greatest. The thing that killed me was that I had only had 1 biology class and did really badly on my 1st OAT because of that reason. On my 1st OAT I only got a 290 AA and 290 TS. I managed to get an interview because of my high GPA (3.95) and good work experience (2+ years). After the interview they told me to retake the OAT, so I retook it this past Feb and ended up raising it quite a bit (350 AA and 360 TS). I basically raised all of my scores at least 30 points...and some how I ended up getting a 390 in organic chemisty, and I'm only a psychology major. Are you doing the 3+4 through the honors college or one of the science majors (biology or chemistry)? No I didn't apply to any other schools because UMSL was really the only school that I wanted to go to and because this is only my 3rd year. I was prepared though to have to apply to other schools next year, but now I don't have to!!! I am so relieved. I totally understand why you would be nervous and excited because I was and still am. Are you originally from the St. Louis area? That is awesome that you play basketball at UMSL. Good luck on the OAT...I'm sure that you will do great! If you have any other questions feel free to ask anything you want to know. 🙂

I am in the 3 + 4 program through the Honors college. I am doing really well as far as GPA goes (3.83 and should get A's this semester as well), but I was told by Dr. Brown (don't know if you met her but she is my pre-opt advisor) that GPA really didn't matter as long as you had above a 3.5. I don't really know what that means or how I should take it. I sort of took offense to it because I work so hard to keep my GPA up and she obviously doesn't put as much emphasis on it. Anyway, have you been at UMSL for all of your undergrad? If so, did you feel prepared for the OAT from your academic experiences at UMSL? How did you study for the OAT? Are there any scholarships for 1st years? One last question: were you on a wait list at UMSL when you got the 290 on the OAT because with such a high GPA, that should have counted for something, right? Thanks for everything, and again sorry for all of the questions, but you are definately giving me peace of mind so I can sleep at night!! LOL.

 

[PreOptMegs]

I haven't seen that many posts about UMSL and I have an interview there on Thurs. 4/7. I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice, suggestions, or any school-specific tips.

I've read through the interview threads and have found some great information, I'm looking for UMSL-specific information. 👍

TIA

So, how did the interview go? I know Dr. Bennett does a good job trying to make you feel at home!

 

[Ryan_eyeball]

So, how did the interview go? I know Dr. Bennett does a good job trying to make you feel at home!

Dr. Bennett is very nice, but god forbid if a Soft contact lenses ever touched his eyes. He's very obsessed with RGP's but at least I feel more confident in fitting them if I have to.

 

[bambola]

Hello everyone,
I graduated from UMSL with a biology degree and applied to their optometry school. I was very dissapointed from the optometry building itself. Dr. Brown continuously told me that I had no chances for an interview, but by middle of February I was invited for an interview. Interview experience: Terrible. Professor Venkatesan (Vangoo for short) conducted the most unprofessional and rudest interview I have ever been into. I do not care how many PhDs the guy has, but he is a total jerk and lacks common courtesy. You cannot expect to be treated with respect when your interviewer shows up in an interview process wearing shorts and a wrinkled T-shirt. Even though Dr. Benett tried to counduct a professional interview, it was impossible after the way Mr. Vangoo was snorting and ironically laughing at my answers. I mean who does this guy think he is to treat students like this? Even if they begged me to come to their school I would never go after this experience. Honestly this professor hated the fact that I had other interviews done and already accepted in another optometry school, so he developed an attitude towards me since the beginning of the interview. My opinion about UMSL (used to be my first choice) towards other schools in Negative. I hope all of you here have a more pleasurable interview than I did. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

bambola

 

[Ryan_eyeball]

Professor Vengu was the prof. that I liked least of all the faculty at UMSL. But please don't base your decision on one faculty member. Besides him, the rest of the professors are very nice at the school, but I agree he's very unprofessional. Often he tries to make you feel like you know nothing, shows up to teach in shorts, leaves after twenty minutes of class. I always felt that I learned nothing from his classes, and taught myself optics for the boards. I'm sorry you had to see the very unattractive side to the school.