What are my chances of getting in to Optometry School, GPA wise? Be blunt :)

[tresrisque]

Right now, I'm a 2nd semester sophomore in college. I'm pursuing a BS degree in Psychology and a minor in Chemistry. I'm actually well ahead of schedule, so I might also get a minor in business. I'm a little bit concerned about my GPA & the number of B's I got in my science classes. :\

As of right now, I have a 3.53 overall. I'm hoping that I could boost this up. And here are my grades for my science classes:

Gen Chem 1 - A
Gen Chem 2 - B

Zoology - B
Zoology lab - (enrolled for the spring semester)

Physics 1 - C (Took the engineering one and it screwed me over! lol!)
Physics 2 - A

Organic Chem 1 - B
Organic Chem 2 - (enrolled in it for this spring)
Organic Chem Lab - (will probably take in the summer)

I'm also thinking about taking Microbiology with Organic Chem 2 next semester. Is that a bad idea?

Academically, do you think I'm in good shape?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[achirum]

Right now, I'm a 2nd semester sophomore in college. I'm pursuing a BS degree in Psychology and a minor in Chemistry. I'm actually well ahead of schedule, so I might also get a minor in business. I'm a little bit concerned about my GPA & the number of B's I got in my science classes. :\

As of right now, I have a 3.53 overall. I'm hoping that I could boost this up. And here are my grades for my science classes:

Gen Chem 1 - A
Gen Chem 2 - B

Zoology - B
Zoology lab - (enrolled for the spring semester)

Physics 1 - C (Took the engineering one and it screwed me over! lol!)
Physics 2 - A

Organic Chem 1 - B
Organic Chem 2 - (enrolled in it for this spring)
Organic Chem Lab - (will probably take in the summer)

I'm also thinking about taking Microbiology with Organic Chem 2 next semester. Is that a bad idea?

Academically, do you think I'm in good shape?

Overall GPA is not bad. You should take Micro and OChem2 at the same time.

 

[FSU PreOpt]

You seem to be doing fine. The only "bad" grade was Physics 1, but if an interviewer were to ask about it you can explain you took the course for engineers, and your A in Physics 2 shows you definitely have an understanding of the course. I had B's in all my Physics and OChem courses and it didn't hurt me with any school I applied to.

You should not have a problem doing Micro and Orgo 2 at the same time. It can be tough, but certainly not impossible. It will prepare you for the kind of workload you'll have in optometry school. Best of luck to you!

 

[Grover3060]

You're fine.

 

[tresrisque]

Ahh, thanks guys!

I don't know if it'll make any sense to you guys, but I have the option to take the Intro level Microbio or the Fundamental level. The Fundamental level one (upper division) is the only one available. Seems to be super hard :\. But I guess it may look better for my application, right?

 

[Oogilily]

Ya just remember that GPA isn't everything. You can still mess up the interview. Go read the other post recently about how that happened. Keep up the good work! You should be fine.

 

[Mc A]

Basically what everyone else said. Stick around 3.5, don't get below 300 on any part of the OAT, be prepared for your interview, and you should be good.

 

[blysssful]

You don't really have a whole lot of upper level credits to have your GPA really show. Your pre-req GPA is 3.31 based on the courses listed. This is fine, but you also need to take more bio courses, otherwise you'll suffer on the bio section of the OAT. Physiology would be much more beneficial than micro, IMO.

Part of what the admissions committee looks for is to see if you can handle taking a heavy courseload. Take organic 2 and micro at the same time and punish them both

 

[sportsdude00]

I kind of have to disagree with what most people say. I mean, GPA isnt everything, but I've heard of people with really high GPAs who have made it through the application process very easily (with decent OAT scores, that is). Some schools weigh GPA very heavily. With that said though, you do have good scores so you should be fine.

 

[zyg0te]

I kind of have to disagree with what most people say. I mean, GPA isnt everything, but I've heard of people with really high GPAs who have made it through the application process very easily (with decent OAT scores, that is). Some schools weigh GPA very heavily. With that said though, you do have good scores so you should be fine.

Yes, GPA isn't everything. As in it will not be a golden ticket. It is however the biggest part of your application (shares #1 spot with OAT) and if it is not good, can land an automatic rejection.

 

[eyelove]

Yes, GPA isn't everything. As in it will not be a golden ticket. It is however the biggest part of your application (shares #1 spot with OAT) and if it is not good, can land an automatic rejection.

My GPA wasn't all that great but I did well on my OAT. I've been accepted to NOVA, and still am waiting to hear back from PCO and NECO. My GPA was about 3.3 and I screwed up horribly my first year in college. I think it's really about how you represent yourself.

When I applied for the 2008 class my essay included a little bit of information about why my grades were not great. I didn't get accepted anywhere. But this year when I applied I made no excuses for myself, I only wrote about my strengths and determination. I believe that the schools look into your strengths and your confidence. If you don't think you can do it, why should they?

 

[OpticalBlackOut]

Ahh, thanks guys!

I don't know if it'll make any sense to you guys, but I have the option to take the Intro level Microbio or the Fundamental level. The Fundamental level one (upper division) is the only one available. Seems to be super hard :\. But I guess it may look better for my application, right?

First, as a microbiology major, I absolutely loved my upper division courses.
They focused on specific organisms, rather than memorizing general processes, but I'm not sure how your courses are structured. Who knows, maybe the Fundamental one is easier? (Ask classmates in your school who have taken it!)

However, I don't think the schools actually care what type of microbiology class you take. If you think the Fundamental one is really hard, then I think it's more beneficial for you to just do better on the Intro one. Similar to the case in Physics I...you took the harder course, and now you might have to justify it.

 

[eyelove]

Ahh, thanks guys!

I don't know if it'll make any sense to you guys, but I have the option to take the Intro level Microbio or the Fundamental level. The Fundamental level one (upper division) is the only one available. Seems to be super hard :\. But I guess it may look better for my application, right?

I would definitely call up the Opt schools and ask them. I had a choice of human physiology and animal physiology. They asked me to take the human physio class which is muchhhh easier!