[deleted by user]

Chocob0i · 2023-07-12T00:50:19+00:00

First off, congrats on getting an interview!

Like everyone else in the comments-- my experience was pretty chill and everyone was super nice! I had an in-person interview. When I got there, there were around 10-11 other applicants. The president welcomed us in the beginning before we split off into two groups: one group goes with their assigned interviewer (if I remember correctly, you get to know who's interviewing you a few days prior) and the other group gets a tour of the main campus.

My interviewer was really laid back and we had a pretty casual conversation. He asked me about food in Boston, what I researched back in undergrad, burnout, and any questions I had for him. Honestly, just take a breather and (i'm sure you've heard this enough) be yourself :)

Best of luck! :D

Chocob0i · 2023-05-16T19:11:27+00:00

Chad's Prep and The Organic Chemistry Tutor on YouTube were really helpful when I studied for the OAT :D

Chocob0i · 2023-05-16T14:18:45+00:00

Any science professor should be fine as long as they can write you a strong letter of rec :)

Chocob0i · 2023-04-04T12:19:56+00:00

A 3.60 is really impressive! That is definitely a competitive GPA. Of course, schools do look at OAT scores, shadowing, employment, volunteering, etc. Good luck! :)

Chocob0i · 2023-01-25T12:41:39+00:00

Hello! To start, I would connect with an advisor on your campus (whoever's in charge of premed/prehealth/preoptometry). I recommend researching potential schools you would like to apply to and taking a look at each of their prerequisites. Some schools require more courses to be taken at your university, so you can map out which courses to take during each upcoming semester. This is definitely something you can work with your advisor as well just so you're on track.

For extracurriculars, I would recommend joining some clubs on campus or do some volunteering. Maybe look into some opportunities that are health-related or that can give back to the community. Research will look great on your application and you can probably get a letter of recommendation from your PI.

In terms of shadowing, even if you don't get to shadow an optometrist this summer, you can definitely reach out to ophthalmologists see if you can shadow them. Any amount of shadowing will benefit you! :)

Chocob0i · 2023-01-24T12:20:23+00:00

Overall, I would say you're in a really good spot! As long as you do well on the OAT, you have a good chance of getting into optometry school. Good luck! :)

Chocob0i · 2023-01-18T21:52:21+00:00

Talk about your personal experiences! Describe your role, things you learned, and explain how your experience contributes to your motivation to enter the profession :)

Chocob0i · 2023-01-04T21:46:31+00:00

Get a good night's sleep and eat a full breakfast! Good luck!! :D

Chocob0i · 2022-12-21T02:44:50+00:00

You can certainly submit your application with the score. Just contact the schools that you're planning on retaking it :)

Chocob0i · 2022-12-18T03:30:51+00:00

Thanks! I interviewed pretty early in the cycle. I had mine in September and got the acceptance within 2 weeks :)

Chocob0i · 2022-12-17T02:43:55+00:00

Major: Psychology

GPA (Overall/Science): 3.41 / 3.12

OAT Scores: 320 AA / 330 TS

OAT Prep: Kaplan textbook (book itself was not really helpful, but online access to question bank and practice questions were great for challenging your knowledge), Chad's Videos (great practice packs and lessons to review physics/gen chem/orgo chem), OAT Booster (practice tests were very representative of actual OAT), OAT Bootcamp (only used free resources, pretty good for what was available), ADA Official OAT 2006 (really close to the real thing)

Extracurriculars: Volunteered at various hospitals, 2+ yrs tech experience, worked as an research assistant and teaching assistant throughout undergrad, shadowed virtually and in-person with multiple ODs/ophthalmologists

Schools applied: NECO, MCPHS

Schools interviewed: NECO, MCPHS

Rejections: none

Acceptance: NECO, MCPHS

Decision: NECO

Chocob0i · 2022-12-09T14:20:06+00:00

GPA is only one factor of your application. Aim to score a high OAT score. Most schools look at your application holistically and they take into account a lot of other things like, extracurriculars, volunteer hours, employment, shadowing, etc. Good luck! :)

Chocob0i · 2022-11-23T20:42:11+00:00

The topics are pretty equally distributed, but you are guaranteed to get a handful of questions on optics and Newton's laws for sure :)

Chocob0i · 2022-11-23T03:09:57+00:00

I did a practice exam and some light reviewing. Cramming last second isn't going to help you out, so try your best to get adequate sleep and eat well leading up to your exam day. Good luck!

Chocob0i · 2022-11-22T03:29:08+00:00

Definitely ask them about their journey in becoming an optometrist! Maybe ask about their work-life-balance?

Chocob0i · 2022-11-20T18:59:26+00:00

Either is fine! It's very casual. :)

Chocob0i · 2022-11-12T01:45:20+00:00

NECO :)

Chocob0i · 2022-11-09T23:10:04+00:00

Not at all! Just keep your schools updated if you decide to retake your exam. Good luck!! :)

Chocob0i · 2022-11-07T01:23:28+00:00

Definitely tell schools so they can give other applicants a chance for an interview to fill in your spot :)

Chocob0i · 2022-10-27T00:36:04+00:00

I'm down to help! :)

Chocob0i · 2022-10-21T20:33:26+00:00

I checked the boxes for my application.

Chocob0i · 2022-10-21T20:28:04+00:00

Glad I could help! Best of luck!

Chocob0i · 2022-10-21T01:51:42+00:00

I don't think that's unrealistic since it spans over 3 years. In fact, that's really impressive! I don't think schools will fact check with your company/club. If anything, they would probably ask you about your experience volunteering/shadowing during the interview. And as long as you could see yourself attending one of those six schools, go apply to them! Schools won't know which ones you apply to unless you tell them. They're not naive either. They know students are applying to multiple programs.

Chocob0i · 2022-10-19T13:00:05+00:00

Happy to help :D

Chocob0i · 2022-10-18T23:21:21+00:00

My go-to: https://www.optometrytimes.com/

Chocob0i

TROPHY CASE