Undergrad worried and in trouble

[yabis]

I am a 4th year undergrad majoring in Pre-Professional Biology, formerly majoring in Business Marketing. Since switching majors, I have taken a total of 8 biology, chemistry, and physics courses, averaging an awful 2.64 science gpa. Without retaking any courses, I realistically can pull my GPA up to about a 3.0. I have yet to take an official OAT, but have taken a practice exam and scored a 340.

Along with a fellow classmate, I have founded a Pre-Optometry association on campus, and am the current Vice President. I have a year experience as an Optometry Technician (being trained to become a supervisor) of an optometry office located in a fast-paced "super-chain". I have also worked as an EMT for a year, and regularly volunteered in the ER card room for a local hospital.

I am wary about my chances of getting into either ICO or SCCO. Will my experience and extra curriculars help much? Any advice?

Thank you!

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[thanotoriousfob]

I am a 4th year undergrad majoring in Pre-Professional Biology, formerly majoring in Business Marketing. Since switching majors, I have taken a total of 8 biology, chemistry, and physics courses, averaging an awful 2.64 science gpa. Without retaking any courses, I realistically can pull my GPA up to about a 3.0. I have yet to take an official OAT, but have taken a practice exam and scored a 340.

Along with a fellow classmate, I have founded a Pre-Optometry association on campus, and am the current Vice President. I have a year experience as an Optometry Technician (being trained to become a supervisor) of an optometry office located in a fast-paced "super-chain". I have also worked as an EMT for a year, and regularly volunteered in the ER card room for a local hospital.

I am wary about my chances of getting into either ICO or SCCO. Will my experience and extra curriculars help much? Any advice?

Thank you!

Are any of your science courses below a C-? If so I would strongly recommend that you retake those courses.

Your extra curriculars are good, shadow some ODs in different settings. I think if you can raise your gpa around a 3.0+ and score 340+ on the OAT and apply early you have a strong chance for interviews. Remember, starting for class of 2014, the application process starts earlier than in previous years.

SCCO doesn't take people below a 3.0 and a 300 on any section of the OAT.

 

[KHE]

I am a 4th year undergrad majoring in Pre-Professional Biology, formerly majoring in Business Marketing. Since switching majors, I have taken a total of 8 biology, chemistry, and physics courses, averaging an awful 2.64 science gpa. Without retaking any courses, I realistically can pull my GPA up to about a 3.0. I have yet to take an official OAT, but have taken a practice exam and scored a 340.

Along with a fellow classmate, I have founded a Pre-Optometry association on campus, and am the current Vice President. I have a year experience as an Optometry Technician (being trained to become a supervisor) of an optometry office located in a fast-paced "super-chain". I have also worked as an EMT for a year, and regularly volunteered in the ER card room for a local hospital.

I am wary about my chances of getting into either ICO or SCCO. Will my experience and extra curriculars help much? Any advice?

Thank you!

Here's the deal...

Your science GPA is simply too low. But it's much more of a problem than just a low GPA.

I've said dozens of times on here that in order to be a good OD, (or a clinican of any type) it requires a genuine sense of scientific curiosity and well developed sense of the scientific method. In general, people with GPAs like that do NOT have those qualities. That's neither good nor bad, but it generally makes someone unsuited for a career in the clinical sciences.

If you view your science courses as a burden, or an obstacle to be overcome, you probably don't have the right mindset for a career in the clinical sciences. If you view them as interesting and enjoyable, but just a struggle then you need some academic counselling to get to the bottom of that issue because right now, your GPA is far too low.

 

[blysssful]

SCCO doesn't take people below a 3.0 and a 300 on any section of the OAT.

Not any section. Reading comprehension, AA and TS have to be above 300 for SCCO.

To the OP: Getting a practice score of 340 is better than you think, because USUALLY the practice tests are significantly harder than the actual test (unless you took the one through opted.org, because that's pretty accurate to the real test).

Retake classes with a grade lower than a C, or focus on taking a decent amount of upper level science courses. You want to make sure you show that you can handle a full courseload. Good luck.

 

[thanotoriousfob]

Not any section. Reading comprehension, AA and TS have to be above 300 for SCCO.

To the OP: Getting a practice score of 340 is better than you think, because USUALLY the practice tests are significantly harder than the actual test (unless you took the one through opted.org, because that's pretty accurate to the real test).

Retake classes with a grade lower than a C, or focus on taking a decent amount of upper level science courses. You want to make sure you show that you can handle a full courseload. Good luck.

oops. thanks for the correction.

 

[yabis]

Thank you, everyone, for your sincere and prompt replies.

As to answer a few questions...

I have no classes in which I have earned lower than a C. During my first couple semesters after switching majors, I had a string of tragic family matters that caused my attention to drop in courses I should have received an A or B in.

I do have a genuine interests in sciences, and always excel in laboratory, having been invited to become a Lab UTA in each biology science course I have taken. Currently, I am taking a full load of solely science courses, with 3 A's, and 2 B's. I am also working full time.

My main concern is whether or not I will meet the screening requirements with a GPA below 3.0.

(blyssful: thank you for letting me know that practice exams tend to be harder than the actual exam itself!)

 

[bogion]

Hi yabis,

Let me ask you a few questions:
1) Are you sure optometry is right for you?
2) Why do you ONLY want to go to those two schools?
3) Do you have to work full-time?

The reason why I ask these questions is because I feel if you really want to be an optometrist that bad, you would apply to more schools so that you would gain admission into one of the programs. This way, you'll be an optometrist eventually. I know for sure that SCCO has a limit as to what your OAT score and your gpa are.

If I were in your shoes and I really want to go to optometry school, I would start maybe working less and spending more time in my classes to raise my gpa (because you need to get it up above a 3.0 and to show a positive trend). I say this because I used to have a low gpa; it was mainly because I had too many commitments. Having more time for class was the key. I'd also retake classes to make sure my gpa is decent. It seems like you've already got good extracurriculars; I believe this will help. And one of the last factors (and an important one at that), is your OAT score. Make sure you spend quality time on it and do well. And then once you get an interview, you can just rock that and get in! I think you'll be just fine if you keep your mind on the end goal.

Good luck!