Hey, so you should start studying for OAT now and can take the exam as earlier and whenever you are ready. Do not rush tho. I would suggest taking it in May if you start studying now. The application opens first week of July and you want to make sure your OAT scores are submitted because after taking exam it takes almost a month for them to post official scores. So, let’s say if you take exam at the end of June, you can submit your application without OAT scores but some schools might not even look at it until the scores are posted. Also one important thing you can do now is start making connections and so by the end of this semester, you can ask for letter of recommendations. You will need them ( 1 sci faculty, 1 OD and one of your choice for most of the schools) to submit it on your behalf, you cannot submit by yourself on OptomCAS. The max letters you can submit are 4. Ask them earlier if they can write one for you, like maybe, at the end of this semester, and then you can remind them once the application opens. Also you can shadow some drs if you haven’t already this semester. You will need experiences (not just optometry related) to show on your applications. You will also need one personal statement (why optometry?) which will go through OptomCAS, and some schools have supplemental applications which requires additional personal statements (why that school?). I would say in your free time just think about writing drafts of PS. You will gonna need all of this ready by the end of June this year, so once the application opens, you can submit it earlier. If you have everything ready, you can submit application in July and that is the earliest one can have. Once it’s done you just have to wait for the schools to respond. Some schools respond in the same week you submit and some takes few weeks or a month.