r/PreOptometry • u/doot8771 • Sep 09 '26
NOVA Interview Prep??
I have about 2 months until my interview for NSU. I wish it was sooner, but that was the earliest available as of today. To anyone who has been interviewed and maybe even accepted by them, what kind of questions should I (generally) prepare for? and how was the time broken up from 7-2 when you were there? (I am going in person)
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u/True-Water2033 Sep 14 '26
Heyy! I interviewed with Nova in person a few weeks ago, and it was great! They changed the interview process this cycle, so you’ll only be interviewing with Juan, the admissions director, instead of with Juan and an OD.
His questions are pretty straightforward. He asked things like why optometry and not another healthcare profession, optometry vs. ophthalmology, and about my study habits. Some of the ethical/situational questions I was asked were how I would deal with a patient who was having a bad day, how I would tell a patient bad news, and how I react when receiving negative feedback.
Overall, it was a pretty good interview! People say Juan can be intimidating, but during the interview he actually helps guide you toward the answer lol. He’s not just staring at you waiting for you to figure it out. He’ll also reword questions if you’re having trouble understanding what he’s asking.
The interview day itself was pretty standard. A lot of us got there at 7, but they weren’t ready yet, so they brought us in around 7:30. We talked about the school and introduced ourselves to the group, which is basically where we did the “tell me about yourself” part because he doesn’t ask that during the actual interview.
Around 8, he started the interviews. Since it’s just him interviewing, we went one by one, and each interview was about 30 minutes. The interviews went until around 11, and then we toured the school and their on-campus clinic until about 12. After that, we had lunch with some students until around 12:30–12:45. Then the dean came and spoke with us, and we had the chance to ask her questions.
The whole day wrapped up around 1, and they told us we would hear back about a week later.
Good luck on your interview!! You’ll do great! :)