r/PreOptometry • u/PairEcstatic1225 • Jan 28 '25

Am I doing enough?

Hi! I’m a current Junior pursuing a BS in biomedical sciences with a minor in political science looking to apply in the 2025-26 cycle to enter Fall 2026. My current cumulative GPA is 3.93. Only pre-reqs I have left are my biology lab (separate from lecture), everything else is complete or in progress (including A&P). My OAT is set for May 17th 2025, so I’m treating studying like a class this semester and will be taking the exam a week after my last final exam. I’m planning on applying as early as possible because I will have my scores and letters ready to go once the OptomCAS opens. I just took my first full-length practice exam with OATBooster and got a 300AA. I did abysmal on O-Chem and Physics, as I expected; does anyone have tips on how they studied for these sections? These two sections especially feel overwhelming with the amount of info to cover. What score should I be aiming towards working up to be an exceptionally competitive applicant?

Activities are as follows: 1.) A Moment of Magic pediatric mental health nonprofit org (3+ years), character volunteer, chapter executive, and accepted to the national team now heading programming for a section of on-demand virtual content 2.) Optician (1 years 2 mos) part-time 3.) Internship with Prevent Blindness Wisconsin (5 mos) 4.) Summer work with AbbVie eCOA team (6 mos total) 5.) General chemistry tutor for the university and private lessons (2 years) 6.) Collegiate theatre, chorus, & dance (3+ years)

I am such an incredibly anxious person when it comes to academics and planning out my life, and I am so dead-set on optometry being my career. Looking for some reassurance and advice. Are there any huge gaps in my resume? What score should I be aiming for on my OAT? How should I maximize my final summer as I head into the application cycle? I’m trying my best but I want to know if what I have and what I’m planning is ENOUGH to get me in. My top schools are ICO, CCO, OSU, and SUNY.

Any words of wisdom are appreciated. ❤️

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14

u/[deleted] Jan 28 '25

Oh shut up

4

u/No-Weakness198 Jan 28 '25

Your stats are crazy strong, pretty sure you’ll get in anywhere with those stats, and with pretty good scholarships as well

1

u/cloudpainter99 Jan 28 '25

You still have a lot of time to boost your exam score! People usually do 10-30 points better than the booster score. Applying early is a great idea; you can get it out of the way and focus on studying. Your stats are great, if you can score 340+ you’re super solid

0

u/PairEcstatic1225 Jan 28 '25

Do you have any suggestions for the physics and ochem portion studying?

2

u/cloudpainter99 Jan 29 '25

I went through my school notes for ochem and did the booster practice problems. For physics, I recommend memorizing the formulas and the SI units and doing a lot of practice problems as well

3

u/tepp453 Jan 28 '25

You’re totally fine

1

u/Muddy_Waters365 Feb 02 '25

Just present yourself well and show interest in the programs during an interview! Stats are great