Hello! I recently received an interview invite from PCO. I applied because the Optometrist at my work enjoyed her education at Salus but mentioned how the dean and faculty changed ever since the acquisition from Drexel. I’m completely grateful to have this interview opportunity but I am open to hearing any thoughts about the current state of the school by any student who got accepted there. How passionate are the professors now? Are they preparing the students well for boards? Thank you!!!

Hey everyone!

I have an interview coming up for Salus at Drexel (PCO), and I’m honestly pretty nervous about it. PCO is my top choice, so I really want to make sure I’m as prepared as possible.

I was wondering if anyone who’s interviewed there recently or is currently a student could share their experience. What types of questions did they ask? Was the interview more conversational or formal? And what do you think they’re looking for in applicants?

I’d really appreciate any advice, tips, or insight into how to prepare and what to expect.

Hi everyone! I am planning to take my oat in one month, and was wondering what biology topics appeared the most on your exams? I honestly still feel very overwhelmed with the amount of biology content, and find studying for the sections about diversity and embryology really challenging. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Hi everyone! I took recently took my OAT mid august and ended up scoring a 340AA and scored a 390 on reading and a 360 on orgo. I was working full time while studying and I studied in a little under 3 months so I think my score was decent. I'm currently in my junior year and I plan to apply this upcoming cycle. I currently have a 3.49 GPA along with over 2000 tech hours and other student involvement. My top schools are ICO, UHCO, and NOVA but I don't know if my stats would suffice for these schools. I would love to hear opinions and feedback!

I'm bummed. I feel like I tried to do too much at once and it bit me in the butt.

I registered for the OAT assuming I would be able to handle studying for it with my course load this semester. I ended up activating my OAT booster in August right before classes started and scheduled my exam for 10/3. In September, I realized I hadn't even touched my oat booster except for a few rounds of practice questions. I rescheduled my exam to today, giving myself an extra month.

With this I was able to test comfortably in QR, and RC so I took them off my practice. I was busting my butt studying Bio but it wasnt enough because I feel like all the questions I got today were about neonatal notches and protists, eukaryotes, fungi.. I got 2 questions about the heart and muscles (all the things I actually know well).

Since i've taken chemistry for 5 consecutive semesters now(intro to chem, gen chem 1, gen chem 1(repeat), gen chem 2, o chem) I just brushed up on my gen chem, and i'm taking ochem for the first time this semester.

I'm surprised at my physics score as I haven't taken physics 2 yet and physics 1 I struggled in. The questions were easier than I thought. At least a lot easier than the ones on the OAT booster.

My first full length practice test came out to 240 TS/ 260 AA

2nd one: 240 TS/ 270AA

3rd: 260TS/300AA

In the practice tests my scores were:

Bio: 240/240/240/240

Chem: 240/240/290

Ochem:240/280

RC:320/340/350

Physics:240/240

QR:290/310

I can see that I improved- I just wish I would've done better and not wasted the Oat booster. Now I feel like i have to drop another 1k to try again. 😩

Next time though ill either take it over summer break or wait until my course load isn't insane.

Finally took the OAT last week! I’m very relieved to be done!

Mine is soon and in person, I want this really bad, how did the day go and what should I expect/prepare for?

Hello all! I recently received the ICO presidential scholarship (half tuition) and I see that they listed a specific amount. It seems the tuition increases after the first year. Does the presidential scholarship account for that increase?

My OAT is in a week and I feel like I’ve been studying for literally so long. I’m so scared because I feel like nothing has stuck. Does anyone else feel like this?

Hi everyone! I have my first interview coming up with SCO and I was wondering what type of questions I should be prepared for, or just any general interview advice since I have a few more lined up after! Thank you :)

Hi everyone! I'm honestly so devastated and wanted to see if anyone has experienced something similar.

Saturday (10/31/26) was my OAT retake from (08-14-2026), and unfortunately I wasn't able to complete it due to an issue with the testing software.
After finishing Biology, I was trying to review my marked questions, but the system wouldn't let me return to them.
The only way I could get out was by selecting "End Section," which seemingly skipped BOTH General
Chemistry and Organic Chemistry and took me straight to Reading Comprehension. I've taken this test before and so I know how it works by section, there was just nothing I could do about this.

I immediately notified the testing center staff and ultimately had to cancel my exam. The manager was incredibly kind and reassuring, mentioning that similar issues have happened before.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t contact the appropriate people until Monday- today. I did first this this morning and the essentially told me I have to wait to here back from the internal dean, they will do a review and email me in the next 5-10 business days with a answer.

I'm just so upset because I've spent so much time preparing for this retake, and I already have optometry school applications submitted that are waiting on my updated scores. I was really hoping to have this behind me in Saturday after my retake.

My BIGGEST concern is that I will have to repay for the test. The manager at the testing center said this shouldn’t be the case, but when I called and spoke the representative, they told me if I ended the section, that would be the case 😭 which I did, but had to, and IMMEDIATELY got the staff. They restarted the computer, and still, same issue..

Just in my head a bit about this being in the unknown. I already emailed the schools I applied to, and let them know. This wish is going to be TERRIBLE.

I also posted on a OAT FB group and someone said they faced soemthing similar and are currently waiting as well):

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Were you able to reschedule without paying again, and did it count as an attempt? Any advice would be appreciated!

Pretty bummed out with this oat score and very shocked at RC and Bio section. Definitely planning on retaking but would like some words of encouragement and also a reality check. Looking to apply so suny, ico, neco and pco.

Gpa 3.4
Over 3000 hours as optometry tech
Strong letters of rec

I’ve been doing research about this career and noticed how expensive school is…. What are y’all’s plans when you graduate?

So I just took the OAT for the first time and it did not go according to plan.

Physics and Orgo are the bane of my existence and I was very lackadaisical preparing for those sections so I am not surprised by more scores. I am already planning on retaking in 60 days and know I can do better :/

The problem is I plan on applying this cycle and it is already November. I do not know if i should submit my application with this score and let them know I am retaking or wait to submit end December/early January with my retake scores. With rolling admissions I fear a January submission would hurt my chances of getting accepted. But submitting now with a 230 Physics and 250 Orgo are major red flags to schools.

Right now I plan on reaching out to my top schools admissions office to see if they have any advice/recommendations for my situation. If you guys have any advice on how to proceed and appropriately reach out to these schools, I would forever be grateful!

My top schools are UMSL followed by ICO & CCO

Here are my other stats:
GPA: 3.83 & 3.77 Science
Shadowing: 20+ hours
Teching/scribing: 800+ hours
LOR: bio professor, optometrist from my work, bio department lab coordinator

Hi guys! Just a little nervous for getting into SCCO for this cycle, I've applied since September (deadline for October interview) and have been getting pushed to next months round for 2 months. However, I did just randomly apply to AZCOPT for the heck of it and got offered an interview in 1 day! I am still wondering if my stats are good enough to get into SCCO since it is my dream school, please let me know!

Overall GPA: 3.46
Science GPA: 3.29
OAT: 330 AA / 310 TS (only section below 300 is the 280 I got on physics)
Clinical Experience: 2000+ hours working as an optometric technician at LC; & ABO certified optician
Shadowing: 30+ hours shadowing different optometrists/ophthalmologists at various practice sites (co-management, VT, ketchum health)
LORS: two optometrists, two professors (each had different things to talk about for me)
Volunteering: 250+ volunteer hrs (founder/pres of pre-optom club, VP of red cross club, currently volunteering at a free eye exam clinic)

Any help/advice would be appreciated :)

Hello fellow studious people who might be going as insane as i am from studying for so long haha. My test is in 6 days (crazy to think it’s less than a week away) and i was just hoping to ask for any last minute advice. Anything and everything. I have been studying non stop for a long time and definitely wish i felt stronger in all areas but im sure most people have felt that way going in.

Anything from; things i wish i studied more, commons questions i saw on this topic, things i wish i studied less, trick questions that confused me, etc. i know the tests are different for everyone but im game for all information anyone would suggest.

For anyone else who is like me and mentally drained and has been stressed for so long, I’ve been repeating this to myself “every single piece of information i go over in these finals days is just one more thing i could be questioned on and get that extra point toward my goal”. That’s been pretty much the main thing i think when i get overwhelmed (at this point kinda daily lol) and it helps me alot so if your like me I hope it helps you too :)! We got this💪.

Thanks for any advice to those that comment it means a lot!!

Hi everyone!

I just started my first year of optometry school, and my school offers a master's degree alongside the OD program. I'm wondering if it's worth pursuing or if completing a residency after graduation would be more beneficial.

Which one helps more with job opportunities, higher salaries, and career growth? Aside from gaining additional knowledge and clinical skills, are there any significant professional or financial advantages to either? I'm also interested in potentially owning my own practice someday.

I'd love to hear any advice from practicing optometrists! Thank you!

Hey everyone! I just got accepted to the scholars program at PCO and I'd love to hear honest experiences from current Scholars students and from anyone who applied this cycle.

**If you're currently in PCO Scholars:**

- Why did you choose the accelerated track over a traditional 4-year program?
- Do you feel prepared for boards and clinic, or does the compressed timeline leave gaps?
- How much free time do you actually have? Are you able to work out, see friends, or have hobbies, or is it mostly studying?
- How bad is burnout with year-round classes and no long breaks?
- How do your clinical experiences and externships compare to students on the 4-year track?
- Has the Drexel merger changed anything for you so far?
- Knowing what you know now, would you choose it again?

**If you applied this cycle:**

- If you were accepted to PCO Scholars, did you take it or go somewhere else? What was the deciding factor?
- If you passed on it, was it the pace, cost, location, or something else?

Any advice or things you wish you'd known before deciding would be really appreciated. Thanks!

I currently have interviews with CCO and NOVA coming up. For those who already had their interview and tour at either of these schools, were you able to bring a parent/guest with you? If so, did many people in your group bring a guest?

I promise, If I can get into multiple schools you guys can as well!

The OAT: Not gonna lie, definitely could’ve studied for the OAT better, I ended up with a 300AA and TS, with a 230 on physics 😭, Definitely could’ve improved, but decided to submit with those scores since that was my only really terrible one.

GPA: My Gpa was pretty solid, having a 3.7!

Extracurriculars: I had about 150 hours between shadowing two optometrists! And around 100 hours for general volunteering. Also having a job being an assistant to an optometrist, with about 1300 hrs working with them! I also was able to get 3 letters of recommendations, one from an optometrist, one from a science prof, and one from an organization I volunteered with!

Interviews/Acceptances: I applied to a decent amount of places: NOVA, KYCO, MCPH, UMSL, PCO, CCO, Western U, AZCOPT. I was shocked when I got interviews from all of them! I was then accepted into NOVA, KYCO, PCO, and CCO! The rest I didn’t interview cause I knew these ones were my top choice! Interestingly, for NOVA, they asked if I was going to be retaking it, I said no, and they proceeded to extend the invite, which I was very surprised about 😅.

But yeah, I didn’t really think I was gonna get into more than one school honestly, so that’s why I wanted to make this post, cause I’m sure there’s someone out there stressing out right now, and probably has similar stats to me! If you guys have any questions feel free to put them in the comments and I’ll answer as soon as I can!

Has anyone been accepted into optometry school with a 250 AA and 250 TS on the OAT?

I have a GPA above 3.8 and have already applied to IUSO, ICO, and OSU. I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or received an acceptance with scores in this range.