Will doing a 2-year Opticianry program help me get accepted to Waterloo?

[smellsaCan]

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Hello everyone,

I am a soon-to-be graduate from a very academic university in Ontario, Canada. I have applied to optometry for the 2004-05 year and have been accepted to PCO, invited to interview at SUNY, Nova, and NECO, and am still waiting to hear from Waterloo.

Although I have been accepted to PCO, and would love to go there, I am having trouble with the thought of spending ~$200,000-$250,000 CAD to go to school there vs. a fraction of that at Waterloo. I would much prefer to stay in Canada and attend Waterloo; however, I am quite nervous about being accepted there as my grades are on the low end of their acceptable range (though I do have a solid OAT score, recommendations, optometric, and volunteer experience). Although my program and institution are quite competitive and respected, I'm not convinced I'll even be granted an interview. I am thus already trying to decide what I will do if I am rejected from Waterloo.

My question is this: Is it a good idea to do a 2-year Opticianry college diploma to improve my application to Waterloo? It seems to me that the 2 years lost are offset with the gain in optical experience, the assumed significant boost to my grades, the huge financial savings, and hopefully the chance to stay in Canada and attend Waterloo. But what I am wondering is, will the admissions committee at Waterloo (or optometry schools in general) like to see this background, and be more inclined to admit me? I have seen a few postings on the forum of people who have 'optical experience' who went on to attend optometry programs. I think it is also a good idea also since I will no doubt be able to use these skills later on as an optometrist.

So: Is going from opticianry to optometry a logical, or even desirable, progression in the eyes of optometry schools, and will it help me get into Waterloo?

(Thanks for your opinions - I'd also like to give a shout out to any Ontario optometry applicants, and good luck to all the Waterloo applicants specifically. Apparently we need it...)

 

[jefguth]

I wouldn't not suggest this route. Becoming an optician will isn't going to do anything for you except perhaps demonstrate an interest in the field - in a very general sense. There is also the chance that doing this will raise some admissions eyebrows - one of the most important factors they consider is choosing candidates that are are truly dedicated to the profession and who will complete the program. The people at UW can be rather critical and they will really wonder why an optician is applying... is this person going to be a good representative of the profession, where do their loyalties lie (opticianry, optometry...)? In your interview you will most certainly be asked what you plan to do if you don't get in this year; don't tell them you are considering other professions - they will think you are confused and not fully aware of what are you trying to get into.

It might also be something that makes them cringe.... some of these people are not very happy with the challenges being made by opticians in Canada such as unsupervised refraction in BC, and autorrefraction eleswhere.

Hope this helps you. I would also suggest that you only consider opticianry if you can honestly see yourself spending the rest of your working life as an optician, it makes no sense to begin one professional program with hopes of leaving for another.

Good luck with Waterloo - I think we all really do need it!

 

[smellsaCan]

Thanks, you make a really good point 🙂

Now is a good time to ask then, what IS a good way of improving one's application for the next year? I know previous threads have sort of addressed this, but if the only thing hypothetically keeping me out is my GPA, how should I go about changing this? Getting into a Master's program or doing a second degree would be a bit difficult, not to mention uninteresting to me since I want to be involved in optometry. Taking more random courses seems a bit useless as well, since I'd have to take a fair amount to significantly raise my GPA.

Let me know what you would all suggest 🙂

 

[jd4me]

I suggest not getting ahead of yourself here. First off, you still don't know what your status is with UW. Have interview invites even been sent out yet for non-UW students? Wait until that happens at least. Then if you do get an interview, wait and see what the admissions committee does. You never know what might happen there. Only when you're absolutely sure you're not going to UW should you worry about which other paths to follow. Take it one step at a time.

 

[Loncifer]

Thanks, you make a really good point 🙂

Now is a good time to ask then, what IS a good way of improving one's application for the next year? I know previous threads have sort of addressed this, but if the only thing hypothetically keeping me out is my GPA, how should I go about changing this? Getting into a Master's program or doing a second degree would be a bit difficult, not to mention uninteresting to me since I want to be involved in optometry. Taking more random courses seems a bit useless as well, since I'd have to take a fair amount to significantly raise my GPA.

Let me know what you would all suggest 🙂

Hi,
You will also want to consider that those extra years of school will eat into your OD earning potential - you finish with fewer earnings or work longer. I guess what I'm saying is that instead of a two year optician license or Masters, consider going to PCO and using those two years of future earnings as an OD to offset the tuition differential.

 

[jb4teen]

I suggest not getting ahead of yourself here. First off, you still don't know what your status is with UW. Have interview invites even been sent out yet for non-UW students? Wait until that happens at least. Then if you do get an interview, wait and see what the admissions committee does. You never know what might happen there. Only when you're absolutely sure you're not going to UW should you worry about which other paths to follow. Take it one step at a time.

Waterloo interviews for non-UW students havn't been sent out yet. They are sent out about the end of april. I would hold your horses and see what happens.

 

[JennyW]

Thanks, you make a really good point 🙂

Now is a good time to ask then, what IS a good way of improving one's application for the next year? I know previous threads have sort of addressed this, but if the only thing hypothetically keeping me out is my GPA, how should I go about changing this? Getting into a Master's program or doing a second degree would be a bit difficult, not to mention uninteresting to me since I want to be involved in optometry. Taking more random courses seems a bit useless as well, since I'd have to take a fair amount to significantly raise my GPA.

Let me know what you would all suggest 🙂

I would not pursue the extra education you mentioned.

If you have been accepted to PCO, I would send them the deposit to hold your spot. If you get accepted to Waterloo, then go there and you will just lose your deposit.

Otherwise, I would just go to PCO. There is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the school of your choice next year. If your grades are on the low end of acceptable you would have to do extremely well in any other coursed you have taken just to raise your GPA a small amount.

If you turn down PCO, they are unlikely to admit you again.

Jenny

 

[smellsaCan]

Thanks for all the good advice everyone!

I paid my deposit immediately when I was accepted at PCO, for the very reasons Jenny mentions. I plan on going there unless I am accepted to Waterloo. I'm really excited, as I loved the school when I visited and I felt 'it'. However, I am also interviewing in Boston in a few weeks just to see another American school and get some more practice interviewing (that, and the Red Sox home-opener just happens to fall at that time...). So likely, I will be going to PCO!

The reason I am exploring other 'back-up' options is just to make sure that going to PCO is the best decision. As I'm sure most other Canadians on the forum can attest, convincing the parents that going into such crazy debt is a good idea is no small feat, and understandably so.

I knew I would get some intelligent, thoughtful, educated advice from this forum - I'm so glad this resource exists for all of us isolated Canadians!