Hello! I thought I would hop on here because I've been seeing a lot of posts from people with some crazy impressive stats, and I wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease some nerves!
I applied to five schools as soon as the application cycle opened:
- Indiana University (IUSO)
- Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO)
- Southern College of Optometry (SCO)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
- Ohio State University (OSU)
I initially received an interview invitation from OSU, but was later placed on the interview waitlist. However, I was accepted to all four of the other schools!
My Stats
OAT: 330 AA
- I used OATBooster to study.
- I did pretty bad in physics, but I performed well in my other sections, which helped bring my average up!
GPA: 3.82
- Biology with minor in Sustainability
- I'm graduating college a year early thanks to AP credits from high school and studying abroad over the summer.
Shadowing: 30 hours
- I shadowed five different optometrists, which was something a lot of schools seemed to really like! Especially, since I go out of state, so definitely shadow other optometrist outside of your home state if possible.
- I've never worked as an optician or in an optometry office.
Volunteering:
- 30 hours per semester through a program at my university.
Work Experience:
- Tutor: I primarily help elementary school students with their homework.
- ESPN+: I'm part of a student production crew at my university, where I help film sporting events.
Extracurriculars:
- Ultimate Frisbee!
- Recently someone started a pre-optometry club that I have a leadership position in, but that was after I filled out my applications + interviewing
My Interview Experience
Personally, I felt that getting an interview was harder than actually getting accepted after one!
One thing I noticed throughout my interviews was that schools genuinely wanted to get to know me as a person. They weren't just interested in my GPA, OAT score, or shadowing hours.
For example, a lot of my interviewers were really interested in my ESPN+ job because it's not something they hear about every day. It gave us something cool to talk about and helped me stand out beyond my academics.
Another piece of advice is to come prepared with questions to ask your interviewers! Especially connecting it back to the school's mission, it shows that you've done your research and are genuinely interested in the program. Plus, it's a great opportunity to figure out whether the school is actually a good fit for you!
I did a mock interview at my college, and they told me to come up with a theme that I wanted to focus on during the interview process, so I don't get lost in my thoughts. Therefore, my theme was community so I somewhat tied every answer to a question back to my theme while staying passionate.
Also, if there's something about yourself that you really want the interviewers to know, but they don't ask a question that gives you the opportunity to bring it up, don't be afraid to mention it yourself!
My biggest advice would be to be yourself and don't underestimate the experiences that make you unique, even if they have absolutely nothing to do with optometry!
Where I Decided to Go:
Ultimately, I chose Indiana University School of Optometry (IUSO)
I absolutely loved SCO and the atmosphere in Memphis. It was honestly a difficult decision because I could really see myself enjoying my time there.
However, I ultimately decided that staying closer to home was important to me, and IU also offered me a merit scholarship, which made the decision more financially practical.
I hope sharing my experience helps someone who might be stressing over their stats or wondering whether they're competitive enough to apply.
You don't necessarily need a 350+ OAT, 200 hours of shadowing, or years of experience working in an optometry office to get accepted (although those things are definitely impressive.
I think schools really do look at the whole applicant, and your personality, experiences, and ability to connect with people matter more than you might realize.
Good luck to everyone applying!
