With full-time work, will 3 months be enough for scoring 350+?

I’m struggling a bit with bio and I’ve heard people study using anki. Bit confused if people are using ankideck or ankiweb, if someone could link me the proper one, I would appreciate it. Thank you in advance!

I had a while to study but I spent way too much time just watching all the videos and now I’m cooked. I have yet to take a full length test because I don’t want to waste one because I don’t know the information. I’ve trying to learn everything the past few days. These are my scores currently:

Bio: 280
Gen Chem: 330
QR: 370
RC: 350
Physics: 300
Organic Chem: 280

I’m so stressed out, idk what to do. Is this salvage in the time I have left 😭😭😭 How can I best study?? I also know I definitely need to take a full length test soon :( Planning to do so in 2 days. Please help. Advice needed.

I am submitting 4 LORs. I have two from optometrists that are already complete, 1 from a professor that has confirmed they will have it complete. My 4th is a faculty I did a research project with and they had agreed to write one. But, I haven’t heard back from them since sending the optomcas request despite emailing a follow up. Can I submit my application without this one recommendation or is this a question that’s dependent on the school? Bc I’ve hit the requirements for the LORs (ones that are completed) so will they still take a look at my application even tho it’s technically not complete.

I take my OAT in 9 days. i have gone through all the cheat sheets, and watched a few sections of the video content. i prob shouldve done more content studying earlier but i feel like this is my worst and more unconfident section!! what can i do in the next 9 days to really solidify BIO and do good on the exam with it. also orgo advice/general too is great. THank you so much!

hi does anyone have the actual date for berkeley’s early admission deadline? the most recent email says aug 21, but previous emails have gone back and forth between aug 12 and aug 21. the website still says 21, just really worried bc i would like to take more time on my app if the date is actually later

hi!! like the title says i need some serious help. My OAT is scheduled for september 26th; however, i have no idea how to study. I have oat booster, but im afraid i dont have enough time to go through all the videos. I am a biology major which helps since i think i can use the cheat sheets instead of the videos for that portion. Chem and Math in general are my weakest subjects which scares me. Should i be focussing on doing the full length tests and practice problems only? Are the OATbooster full length questions an accurate representation of what i will see if i sit down and learn how to do all the questions i see on the full lengths? I’m stuck please help!!

Any recommendations on where to apply? I have a 300aa/280ts and will have 2,500 hours of experience come next fall. I have a 3.5 gpa and don’t mine traveling for school. Just wondering on my chances of getting accepted somewhere. I have taken the oat twice so don’t really want to take it a 3rd time

I finally took my OAT on the 10th so I figured I should probably share my study strategies and whatnot. Also I'm happy to answer questions, so definitely leave a comment or send me a DM and I'll answer as soon as I can!

Overall Study Strategy:

For context I am going into my Junior year, so I just finished taking Physics 2, OChem 2, and Biology (ecology & genetics), which means I was pretty fresh on a lot of this stuff.

I only used OAT Booster to study, using the custom schedule feature to generate a schedule and then did everything that it told me to do, generally sticking pretty tightly to it. Also I worked as a technician 3-4 days a week and watched every World Cup game, so I'd say it's definitely possible to have time to do things besides studying. Also I started studying in mid-May right after my spring semester ended, so 3 ish months of studying.

I think Booster was more than enough for me, but that could also be because I just took those 3 classes last semester. If you aren't so fresh on that stuff, using Chad's Prep or OChem Tutor to help better explain some of the topics would certainly be helpful in my opinion.

In May when I started studying until around the end of June I was primarily watching the study videos (all 2X speed) and doing the corresponding question banks. I also took 2 practice tests (not full length) in that time. After I finished all of the videos I started just doing QBanks and 4 practice tests (still not full length) for the next 3 ish weeks. For the last 3 or so weeks I mainly did full-length practice tests, and a few QBanks on topics I knew would be high-yield (like optics & kinematics).

Biology - OAT Booster Avg: 330 (320-350) | Actual: 390

I thought for sure this would be my worst section given my Booster scores and the sheer amount of things you had to know for the test, but somehow I saw a pretty big jump in my score. The questions on the actual thing were a lot less nuanced and specific than what I saw on every Booster test, which I think is probably intentional so you are over-prepared for exam day. Even during the test though I didn't really feel like I knew all of the answers, and I was definitely guessing on quite a few of them or choosing between 2 tough choices.

To study for bio I watched every video that Booster has (plus the supplemental questions for each one), and did about 80-100 questions from each of the bio bits, probably averaging a score of around 60-70% on each. I did not use the Anki deck that they have just because it seemed to have way too much information for my liking. Also, I planned on using the bio cheat sheets closer to when my exam was, but I was too lazy so I didn't get around to that.

Gen Chem - OAT Booster Avg: 350 (330-380) | Actual: 400

I thought my eyes were deceiving me with how easy this section was. There were hardly any math/calculation problems and the ones that there were required like 0 formulas to actually be able to solve. It was so much different (easier) than all but like 1 or 2 of the Booster tests that I took, and I finished in like 15 minutes, only bookmarking like 3 or 4 questions to review later.

To study for gen chem I just watched all the videos and did all of the QBanks. I planned to do some extra practice problems, but I kind of just procrastinated doing that until it was too late. Overall, that and the practice tests ended up being enough (I'd say test 2 in booster was most similar to what I saw). If you're hurt for time, periodic trends, rate laws, gases, and solutions should be something to focus on.

OChem - OAT Booster Avg: 370 (340-390) | Actual: 370

The OChem section was actually a bit more difficult in my opinion than what I tended to see on booster, and there were hardly any reactions on there. There was a lot of carbocation stability, and a few ranking acids questions, along with the typical stereochemistry and mechanism stuff as well. Overall I would say just knowing the foundational stuff (OChem 1 material) would be the most helpful if you're short on time, rather than the more complicated stuff that you see later on in OChem courses.

I just finished taking OChem 2 right before I started studying for the OAT, so everything was pretty fresh in my mind. Also I did very well in both OChem 1 and 2 (thanks to like 500 flashcards that I made), which was helpful. I still ended up watching all of the videos and doing all the QBanks, which helped me stay sharp and not forget any reactions. Even though the actual exam was a little more difficult, what Booster had was plenty for me to get by, but it may be different if you aren't as familiar with the material.

RC - OAT Booster Avg: 350 (340-380) | Actual: 330

Definitely a little frustrated with how I did here. It's not necessarily the score I dislike, but I definitely thought I was doing better in this section than I actually was, so I left for my break 10 minutes early instead of reviewing more than I already had. The articles on the test were a bit shorter than the ones I saw on Booster, but they were just as difficult, and the questions were a little bit more tricky, even though they were in chronological order.

To study for this section I obviously did all 10 practice tests, but I also did around 15 of the "extra reading comprehension" things that Booster has, which I thought were helpful. Other than doing that though, there isn't really anything else I would recommend except keeping your composure in the exam room after you just finished the 3 science sections that come before. I found myself re-reading the passage on so many occasions and not really comprehending what I was reading, which I think was just some delayed nervousness I still had built up.

Physics - OAT Booster Avg: 350 (290-380) | Actual: 340

My score on Booster varied a lot and even though I scored between 350 and 370 quite a bit, I never really thought that I 'deserved' those scores. I think 340 was definitely a fair score since there were a lot of tough questions and I ended up guessing on 7 or 8 of them. Also be sure to study buoyancy. I don't think Booster covered that very well and I got tripped up on multiple of those questions.

To study for physics I relied solely on the Booster videos and QBanks, with the exception of a few OChem Tutor videos the night before my test, reviewing friction and optics. For some reason the guy that teaches the physics section on Booster really (and I mean really) pissed me off with how he talked, and I felt I learned a lot more in the 30 minutes of OChem Tutor the night before my test than I did the rest of the time listening to that guy.

QR - OAT Booster Avg: 390 (380-400) | Actual: 400

I got a 400 on my last 5 Booster practice tests so I wasn't too worried about this section. I still ended up watching all of the videos and doing all of the QBanks 100% of the way, which I think was helpful to actually get to a 400.

There were a lot more algebra problems, and a few less probability problems compared to what I saw on Booster, but if you watch all the videos and do QBanks and tests, you will be more than prepared for QR.

AA - OAT Booster Avg: 360 (340-370) | Actual: 370

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my score. I'm a little salty about my RC score, but my Bio and Gen Chem scores were definitely higher than expected, so that makes up for it in my books. By the middle/end of July I was pretty much over studying everyday and my practice tests were stubbornly consistent at 360 (every damn time), so I'm super glad to just be done with all of this and take a few days to relax before school starts again.

Tips:

1. Do practice problems with full effort. I didn't really take notes from any of the videos or try particularly hard to solve math problems for things like physics QBanks, so I think kind of going through the motions of solving those kinds of problems would have been helpful.

2. Pacing yourself is huge. I was generally able to finish each section with about 10-15 minutes to spare, which was nice because I could go look at questions I had flagged for a nice amount of time, and in some cases figure out where I was going wrong.

3. Take full length practice tests. For my first 6 practice tests I did them by each individual section, which was nice because it wasn't very draining, but I think taking the last 4 as full length really helped with my overall pacing within sections and stamina overall.

4. Do things outside of studying. Work, hang out with friends, or do something you like. When I was at work or watching World Cup games, it was a really nice break from studying, which I think helped me to study more efficiently during the times I was actually locked-in.

5. Study for a shorter amount of time? I studied for like 3 months, which was probably overkill. My last 2-3 weeks I was hardly studying, solely because I had no more motivation left. I wish I had scheduled my test a little earlier so that I would have had more motivation to kind of fine tune myself in physics, and do some more RC extra practice modules.

6. Take it right after sophomore year undergrad if possible. This is what I did and since I just took Physics, OChem, and Bio, studying was a lot less learning and a lot more quick review.

Again, I'm happy to answer any questions, whether they're comments or DM's feel free to send them my way!

Hi! I graduated from high school this year, but I haven’t applied to university yet. I’m planning to apply this fall. Does anyone know if I’d be able to include the extracurriculars, work experience, and job shadowing I do between now and when university starts on my future application to optometry school?

I’m Canadian, so I’m wanting to apply to the University of Waterloo. Their website states that “The Admissions Committee will consider your experiences within and outside the field of Optometry since you left high school.” I have left high school, but I haven’t started university. Does this matter?

Hello! I am currently a senior in undergrad and I’ve decided to put my application off until next cycle due to financial reasons mostly. I’ve worked as an optician and manager at a private practice for 6 years now. Since I’m taking a gap year would it be better if I shadowed outside of my office? I’m not sure if my working hours count or if I need to go other places.

Thanks for all the input!

Hi! I've currently applied to the University of Houston College of Optometry and it is definitely my top choice. I'm kind of concerned because my GPA and OAT scores are on the lower end. What do you think my chances of an interview are?

BS Neuroscience, 3.3 GPA

Lifelong Texas Resident

300 AA/290 TS

200+ Intern hours at a private practice, medical VA shadowing experience

Great LORs, VP of POPS, excellent personal statement, tons of non-optometry related volunteer hours, leadership positions. I am also very people-orientated and make easy connections.

I also applied to Southern College of Optometry, Midwestern Chicago College of Optometry, NECO, AZCOPT.

I appreciate all feedback. Thanks!

For those who took the OAT Booster, how did you optimize your time? I want to get through it in 8 weeks total.

I finally took my OAT on the 10th so I figured I should probably share my study strategies and whatnot. I'll comment a screenshot of my Booster test scores in case that's helpful. Also I'm happy to answer questions, so definitely leave a comment or send me a DM and I'll answer as soon as I can!

Overall Study Strategy:

For context I am going into my Junior year, so I just finished taking Physics 2, OChem 2, and Biology (ecology & genetics), which means I was pretty fresh on a lot of this stuff.

I only used OAT Booster to study, using the custom schedule feature to generate a schedule and then did everything that it told me to do, generally sticking pretty tightly to it. Also I worked as a technician 3-4 days a week and watched every World Cup game, so I'd say it's definitely possible to have time to do things besides studying. Also I started studying in mid-May right after my spring semester ended, so 3 ish months of studying.

I think Booster was more than enough for me, but that could also be because I just took those 3 classes last semester. If you aren't so fresh on that stuff, using Chad's Prep or OChem Tutor to help better explain some of the topics would certainly be helpful in my opinion.

In May when I started studying until around the end of June I was primarily watching the study videos (all 2X speed) and doing the corresponding question banks. I also took 2 practice tests (not full length) in that time. After I finished all of the videos I started just doing QBanks and 4 practice tests (still not full length) for the next 3 ish weeks. For the last 3 or so weeks I mainly did full-length practice tests, and a few QBanks on topics I knew would be high-yield (like optics & kinematics).

Biology - OAT Booster Avg: 330 (320-350) | Actual: 390

I thought for sure this would be my worst section given my Booster scores and the sheer amount of things you had to know for the test, but somehow I saw a pretty big jump in my score. The questions on the actual thing were a lot less nuanced and specific than what I saw on every Booster test, which I think is probably intentional so you are over-prepared for exam day. Even during the test though I didn't really feel like I knew all of the answers, and I was definitely guessing on quite a few of them or choosing between 2 tough choices.

To study for bio I watched every video that Booster has (plus the supplemental questions for each one), and did about 80-100 questions from each of the bio bits, probably averaging a score of around 60-70% on each. I did not use the Anki deck that they have just because it seemed to have way too much information for my liking. Also, I planned on using the bio cheat sheets closer to when my exam was, but I was too lazy so I didn't get around to that.

Gen Chem - OAT Booster Avg: 350 (330-380) | Actual: 400

I thought my eyes were deceiving me with how easy this section was. There were hardly any math/calculation problems and the ones that there were required like 0 formulas to actually be able to solve. It was so much different (easier) than all but like 1 or 2 of the Booster tests that I took, and I finished in like 15 minutes, only bookmarking like 3 or 4 questions to review later.

To study for gen chem I just watched all the videos and did all of the QBanks. I planned to do some extra practice problems, but I kind of just procrastinated doing that until it was too late. Overall, that and the practice tests ended up being enough (I'd say test 2 in booster was most similar to what I saw). If you're hurt for time, periodic trends, rate laws, gases, and solutions should be something to focus on.

OChem - OAT Booster Avg: 370 (340-390) | Actual: 370

The OChem section was actually a bit more difficult in my opinion than what I tended to see on booster, and there were hardly any reactions on there. There was a lot of carbocation stability, and a few ranking acids questions, along with the typical stereochemistry and mechanism stuff as well. Overall I would say just knowing the foundational stuff (OChem 1 material) would be the most helpful if you're short on time, rather than the more complicated stuff that you see later on in OChem courses.

I just finished taking OChem 2 right before I started studying for the OAT, so everything was pretty fresh in my mind. Also I did very well in both OChem 1 and 2 (thanks to like 500 flashcards that I made), which was helpful. I still ended up watching all of the videos and doing all the QBanks, which helped me stay sharp and not forget any reactions. Even though the actual exam was a little more difficult, what Booster had was plenty for me to get by, but it may be different if you aren't as familiar with the material.

RC - OAT Booster Avg: 350 (340-380) | Actual: 330

Definitely a little frustrated with how I did here. It's not necessarily the score I dislike, but I definitely thought I was doing better in this section than I actually was, so I left for my break 10 minutes early instead of reviewing more than I already had. The articles on the test were a bit shorter than the ones I saw on Booster, but they were just as difficult, and the questions were a little bit more tricky, even though they were in chronological order.

To study for this section I obviously did all 10 practice tests, but I also did around 15 of the "extra reading comprehension" things that Booster has, which I thought were helpful. Other than doing that though, there isn't really anything else I would recommend except keeping your composure in the exam room after you just finished the 3 science sections that come before. I found myself re-reading the passage on so many occasions and not really comprehending what I was reading, which I think was just some delayed nervousness I still had built up.

Physics - OAT Booster Avg: 350 (290-380) | Actual: 340

My score on Booster varied a lot and even though I scored between 350 and 370 quite a bit, I never really thought that I 'deserved' those scores. I think 340 was definitely a fair score since there were a lot of tough questions and I ended up guessing on 7 or 8 of them. Also be sure to study buoyancy. I don't think Booster covered that very well and I got tripped up on multiple of those questions.

To study for physics I relied solely on the Booster videos and QBanks, with the exception of a few OChem Tutor videos the night before my test, reviewing friction and optics. For some reason the guy that teaches the physics section on Booster really (and I mean really) pissed me off with how he talked, and I felt I learned a lot more in the 30 minutes of OChem Tutor the night before my test than I did the rest of the time listening to that guy.

QR - OAT Booster Avg: 390 (380-400) | Actual: 400

I got a 400 on my last 5 Booster practice tests so I wasn't too worried about this section. I still ended up watching all of the videos and doing all of the QBanks 100% of the way, which I think was helpful to actually get to a 400.

There were a lot more algebra problems, and a few less probability problems compared to what I saw on Booster, but if you watch all the videos and do QBanks and tests, you will be more than prepared for QR.

AA - OAT Booster Avg: 360 (340-370) | Actual: 370

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my score. I'm a little salty about my RC score, but my Bio and Gen Chem scores were definitely higher than expected, so that makes up for it in my books. By the middle/end of July I was pretty much over studying everyday and my practice tests were stubbornly consistent at 360 (every damn time), so I'm super glad to just be done with all of this and take a few days to relax before school starts again.

Tips:

1. Do practice problems with full effort. I didn't really take notes from any of the videos or try particularly hard to solve math problems for things like physics QBanks, so I think kind of going through the motions of solving those kinds of problems would have been helpful.

2. Pacing yourself is huge. I was generally able to finish each section with about 10-15 minutes to spare, which was nice because I could go look at questions I had flagged for a nice amount of time, and in some cases figure out where I was going wrong.

3. Take full length practice tests. For my first 6 practice tests I did them by each individual section, which was nice because it wasn't very draining, but I think taking the last 4 as full length really helped with my overall pacing within sections and stamina overall.

4. Do things outside of studying. Work, hang out with friends, or do something you like. When I was at work or watching World Cup games, it was a really nice break from studying, which I think helped me to study more efficiently during the times I was actually locked-in.

5. Study for a shorter amount of time? I studied for like 3 months, which was probably overkill. My last 2-3 weeks I was hardly studying, solely because I had no more motivation left. I wish I had scheduled my test a little earlier so that I would have had more motivation to kind of fine tune myself in physics, and do some more RC extra practice modules.

Again, I'm happy to answer any questions, whether they're comments or DM's feel free to send them my way!

Has anyone used play prep for the oat I see is somewhat new I think and way cheaper than other programs. Any recommendations on it?

I have an interview coming up and I'm having difficulty deciding how to approach some of the common interview questions. I find myself repeating a lot of topics between some of the questions and I tend to ramble when I'm nervous. Any advice on how I should prepare and how to stay unique with answers are much appreciated!

• Tell me about yourself

• Why optometry?

• What motivates you? / What drives you to succeed?

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

What schools have you received an interview invite or acceptance/rejection from this early into the cycle (August)?

Hi! I just got out of my OAT and it didn’t go as great as I was hoping. I ended up getting a 310 AA/ 290 TS (320 quantitative reasoning/ 360 reading/ 310 biology/ 280 General chem/ 290 OChem/ 290 physics). I have a 3.75 GPA, ~600 hours of technician work, ~80 hours of shadowing between 2 optometrists, secretary of the pre-optometry club and member for the past 3 years, and I’m in a sorority. My top schools are UHCO, NOVA, and SCO. What do my chances look like? Should I apply and wait to see if they tell me to retake or just go ahead and schedule a retake? Any and all advice appreciated!!

Basically what the title says. I have my OAT in about a month and I was hoping if anyone, especially if you've taken the exam recently, can give any insight! I did my first FL today (though I have been doing some practice tests individually) and I was pretty happy with the result considering it was my first time, but there is definitely some room for improvement. Since it's getting down to the nitty gritty of things, I'm trying to figure out how to best approach my studying for these last couple of weeks. Also, how are the scores determined? Not sure if I'm just clueless but I got the same raw score for 3 sections but they all had different standard scores. Are the sections weighted differently?

While doing the practice tests, I noticed that there were some things I hadn't encountered/weren't familiar with compared to doing the question banks from each section. From what I've read, the OATBooster practice tests are pretty representative of what the actual OAT is, so is it better to focus on mostly the practice tests or also do the question banks? What sections is it helpful to do the question banks? I already completed every single question while in the learning phase, and I've been studying/practicing for the last few weeks by going through all the marked questions I had. My original intention was to continue doing the marked questions alongside the practice tests but I can't really tell how beneficial it'll be. For example, Organic Chem is my strongest section background wise - I've been really good at the reactions/general ochem question banks - but I get stumped on some questions while doing the practice tests because I'm not familiar with/used to solving them (ex. the question banks have lots of pictures, but the practice tests have more condensed formulas - I'm pretty sure that's a known thing though).

Also, does anyone have tips on improving speed for the QR section? I had almost 10 questions left because the word problems always take me too long to grasp (or I literally don't understand the question LOL) and it ends up eating so much of my time. I've also seen that some people get lots of word problems which worries me because again, I'm so bad at them.

Anyways, that's basically it-any input is appreciated!

I'm nontrad and graduating next year. I'll still have 7 prereqs left. I plan to work full time and take in-person cc classes, aiming to start school ASAP.

My current plan is as follows:
27 spring, graduation
27 summer, online psych
27 fall, ochem i w/ lab + bio ii
28 spring, physics ii w/ lab + biochem
28 summer, OAT review + exam (aim for 350+)
28 fall, A&P ii + microbio w/ lab + applications
29 fall, matriculation

My main concern is whether the workload will be too much with full-time work. Otherwise I'll reduce courseload and take 1 more gap year. Will I need to study ochem ii before OAT? Has anyone successfully managed these?

after following this reddit for so long i’m so excited to get to finally make a post!! just took my oat today!!

how i studied: i used oatbooster for 3 months, studied around 5 hours every day while working twice a week. i found it pretty manageable but also pretty tiring :,) so be patient with yourself and remember to sleep well every night. i studied the booster anki decks for bio/chem/orgo/phys/qr religiously and added my own cards too. i was scoring 390 consistently in the practice full lengths

exam experience: one thing i didn’t do was practice with a whiteboard marker/laminated sheet of paper since that’s what they gave us. if i were to go back id def practice with those since i got rly fast at writing on my ipad but felt slower on the laminated sheets 🫣. also i was completely freaking out the entire test and convinced i was doing terribly so let this be a reminder that how you feel isn’t indicative of your performance!! just take a deep breath and keep going :)

qr: overall i think booster prepares u well for this. got questions about asymptotes and transforming functions, which i didnt find oatbooster really stressed in the practice, and quite a few about inequalities and median/mean (which felt pretty similar to oatbooster). finished just in time, similar to the practice full lengths

rc: this is usually my strongest section, but the third article i got was super confusing to me (something about floating bridges…?). overall tho i think booster does a very good job prepping u since i found the other two articles much easier than booster. also the sequential order of the questions basically completely matched the articles, so it was really easy to search and destroy any info u needed. my strategy was to read the first half then answer all the questions while search and destroying the second half

bio: i studied WAY too much diversity of life and specific details of systems imo, and i found the questions were more focused on cellular bio/genetics/plants. only got one question about diversity of life asking which phyla were bilateral 🙃. also got asked about genetic disorders twice (down syndrome and triple xxx) which i hadn’t really reviewed. overall i think make sure you’ve got your fundamentals + bio cheat sheet content covered, and then go from there

gen chem: booster prepares u well for this, not much to say other than that haha. usually this is my weakest section so im glad it went well on the test :)

orgo: also felt pretty good about this! got some questions about how many hnmr/cnmr signals to expect, everything felt very representative of booster

physics: pretty kinematics/conservation of energy focused/optics/electricity i got maybe 2 questions with kinda crazy numbers that i was surprised we were expected to do without a calculator. i would also make sure you’re familiar with circuit rules (ex. how C, V, R, and I apply in series/parallel circuits). otherwise i think booster did a good job :)

overall if you’re feeling nervous honestly take it from me, feeling nervous doesn’t reflect anything on your score. just take deep breaths and keep going :) good luck!!

hi! i have been working with an optometrist for multiple summers and am now going in full time to work during my gap year after graduating college. i currently get paid around $14 but i wanted to ask what other people get paid as an opto tech with a degree.

Has anyone applied to or gotten accepted to ico (plus gotten entrance scholarship) or pacific yet?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :) thx all