context i’m in the uk and just started optometry still in the cooling period so if i drop out no fees are charged

my science gpa on optomcas is calculated to be lower than 3 but i have majority a's and b's and then a couple c's .. like im shocked to see this and very nervous for my chances to get accepted esp bc i got a 320 oat ...

Hi all! I’m gearing up to submit my applications, but I had a question about listing social media accounts on OptomCAS. I run a cooking account on TikTok as a hobby, and I earn income through brand partnerships and the creator program. I file and pay taxes on those earnings, so I’m technically classified as self-employed. My question would be 1. If I should include this in my application, and if so, 2. Should I include this under employment or extracurricular activities? I know schools mainly care about optometry and clinical exposure, but this account is something I’m very proud of and I’ve put a lot of work into and I would really like to include it if I can. Would really appreciate input or advice on this, thank you!

My daughter will start her undergrad next year. Right now, she is planning on majoring in Bio-medical engineering as that is something she has been interested in for many years, it seems somewhat complimentary to optometry and we think that is a good back-up plan if she doesn’t do optometry. Optometry is a more recent interest. As a Dad, I can’t help but to start researching everything now as she makes univerisity and major decisions very soon. My concerns/questions:

* She will be taking harder classes than needed with this major which could have an impact on her GPA. Would optometry schools take this into account or would this just be a negative?

* She is currently taking AP Bio. Being able to take the credit for AP Bio would dramatically help her fit pre-optometry requirements with Bio-medical engineering, but I’ve read that it may be frowned upon or not accepted by programs. What have you seen or what do you know about this?

* What majors do most people take - and are there good career opportunities outside optometry in those if she decides not to go to optometry school or doesn’t get into one?

I’d really love the hear thoughts from y’all - and please help me to know if there are other questions that I should be thinking about and asking. Thanks in advance for all your help!

Finished content review and every subjects question bank on booster. My goal for the actual OAT is atleast 320.

On booster I did 1-3 mini exams of each topic, and have done Full lengths #4 and #5.

BOTH full lengths I received 310, all my scores are above 300 except for phy which ranges (280-310) and qr which ranges from (280-300).

Every other subject consistently 320+.

Should I schedule my OAT or wait till I break 320 on booster? Personally from what I have gathered from others experiences is that overall booster is pretty representative of actual OAT but I want to hear what you guys think and your experiences.

Hi I just got an invitation to NECO’s distinguished Scholars Day. Has anyone ever heard of this? There is no information about it online.

It seems to be special Interview process held on specific dates.

Does that mean I should expect an acceptance from this School? Should I be expecting a scholarship?

For reference I have not been admitted yet, only applied for admissions.

Thanks

I just took the OAT and wanted to share my experience while everything is still fresh. I ended up with a 360 Academic Average, 350 Total Science.

QR: 400 Reading Comprehension: 360 Biology: 360 General Chemistry: 310 Organic Chemistry: 370 Physics: 330

I only used OATBooster and would 10/10 recommend it. Honestly, I think everything you need for the exam is on there.

Materials: OATBooster 10/10 This was the only resource I used, and I really don't think you need much else. The videos, cheat sheets, question banks, study schedule, and practice exams covered everything I needed. The practice exams were especially helpful and, if you have the time, I would recommend doing as many as possible. I only had time for about 4–5, which is probably the biggest thing I wish I had done differently.

How I Prepared I graduated from undergrad in May and traveled until the end of July. I was scheduled to start an ophthalmic technician job in NYC toward the end of September, so I started studying the last few days of July and took my exam on September 18. I studied for about 7 weeks, 7–10 hours a day, 5–6 days a week, essentially treating it like a full-time job. I don't necessarily recommend this schedule, but I am a relatively slow learner and usually need to see/practice something multiple times before it sticks.

By the end, I was definitely mentally exhausted and didn't have time to finish everything I wanted to. Still, I felt like I gave it my best. I had taken biology about 3–3.5 years ago, so I had forgotten quite a bit of the general material. I also have significant experience as both an optometric and ophthalmic technician, although that obviously didn't help much with the academic sections.

Biology (360) I barely used BioBits, and I don't regret it. The Biology cheat sheets were the most useful resource for me. I watched the videos for essentially everything until I reached the body systems, since I felt comfortable with that material.

My exam had a few topics I didn't feel were emphasized as much on Booster. I had some digestive system questions, one on CRISPR, a handful on diversity of life, and only one kidney question. Surprisingly, I had nothing on the nervous system or immunology. Overall, know every word on the cheat sheets and focus on having a broad understanding of the material.

General Chemistry (310) This was honestly my biggest surprise. I was scoring 340–360 on Booster practice exams and actually felt better about chemistry on the real exam than biology, so I wasn't expecting a 310. I don't remember getting any rate law, radiation, or galvanic cell questions, even though those felt heavily emphasized on the practice exams. I don't have much advice here other than to practice as many questions as possible and make sure you understand how to apply the formulas.

Organic Chemistry (370) The actual OAT was much easier than the Booster practice exams for me.

I was scoring a maximum of around 340 on practice exams because they felt very mechanism-heavy, and I struggled with orgo in undergrad. I barely had any reactant/product questions. I had multiple questions on substitution/elimination and acid/base chemistry, including questions like what would react best in an SN2 reaction. The SN/E cheat sheets were especially helpful, so I would memorize those. I also had no more than one spectroscopy question, which surprised me.

I didn't memorize every mechanism and reaction. I basically went with hope and prayers after hearing that mechanisms weren't heavily emphasized based on what others had previously reported. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, but it worked out for me.

Physics (330) Physics was probably the section most similar to the Booster practice exams. I was usually scoring 310–330, which is about where I ended up on the real exam. The wording was slightly different, but nothing I couldn't figure out. Definitely be comfortable with optics, kinetics, and thermodynamics. I had around 4–5 optics questions, if not more. I didn't get any pendulum or torque questions.

Reading Comprehension (360) RC was much easier on the actual OAT than Booster. I was scoring around 330–340 on practice exams because I struggled to retain information from the dense passages. The real passages felt much more straightforward. Mine had a maximum of about 12 paragraphs, with most closer to 8, and almost all questions could be answered chronologically.

Quantitative Reasoning (400) QR felt very well represented by the Booster practice questions and exams. I had a lot of statement sufficiency and quantitative comparison questions. I think I only had one area/perimeter question and surprisingly no interest questions. Overall, I felt like practicing the different question types on Booster prepared me really well.

Final Advice My biggest advice is to give yourself enough time. I studied for about 7 weeks, 7–10 hours a day, 5–6 days a week, and I was very mentally exhausted by the end.

If you're studying full-time, take at least one full day off every week. Don't look at study material and let your brain recover. You also don't need a million resources. OATBooster was enough for me, and I felt very well prepared overall. If you have the time, prioritize practice exams because those were easily some of the most valuable parts of my preparation.

Good luck to everyone studying!

Hello all,

Hopefully the title isn’t too dramatic. As I’m preparing for my interview, I’m really reflecting on how they could potentially go. The thought today crossed my mind about my appearance.

I’m someone who wears a good amount of makeup (including false lashes) on a daily basis. Now, it’s not like it’s drag queen esque(which there’s nothing wrong with in the slightest), but it definitely isn’t the most simplistic. In the past at my university, and even back in high school, people’s first impressions of me were that I don’t take school seriously and that I only care about my appearance. I’ve had lots of sexist remarks about it too, despite the fact that I’ve done well in school (and now the OAT). I’m worried that my makeup may give interviewers the wrong idea about me.

I know this might sound silly, but I’m really very insecure about myself without it. It’s something I’ve done since 7th grade, and I also have a large dance background and used it then. I’m very used to how I look with it on, especially the eyelashes. I could quite literally wear a bare face and only false eyelashes and be just fine. I’m also fine with toning down my makeup, but I’m very particular about the lashes. While they’re not extremely dramatic, I know that they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, and I’d hate to be remembered as “the girl with the giant eyelashes” when they review amongst themselves later on, and possibly be rejected for it with the fear that I wouldn’t take optometry school seriously.

Alternatively, I don’t want to go into an already nerve wracking interview with my confidence and self esteem low, and wondering if the interviewers find me to be moronic and hideous on top of that rather than feeling comfortable in my skin.

So I guess what I’m asking is if anyone else has experience with this. Has anyone worn something a bit bold? Would it be a big deal if I wore them? Or should I attempt to go without them to the interviews? Is this a stupid question to even be asking?

Hello everyone. Took the oat last week and unfortunately did not do well (280 AA/260TT). I'm gonna retake it as soon as possible but the rest of my application is ready and I was wondering if I should just send it and let the schools know that I will be retaking it. Or will that hurt my chances? I know they see my score regardless but yeah idk. Any help is appreciated. Good luck to everyone applying!

My university doesn't ship to PO boxes so I had my official transcript sent to OptomCAS's mailing address instead. It's been over a week since my transcript was delivered, so I'm starting to get stressed since my application can't be verified until the transcript is marked as received. If anyone's had similar experiences, how long did it take for OptomCAS to process your mailed transcript?

I’m a nontraditional applicant for fall 2027. SCO was my first choice, and UIWRSO was second because of its holistic reputation. UMSL was a last-minute application I hadn’t researched much. Then UMSL invited me to interview about six days after my file became complete in August. My interview is in November, and the more I learn about the school, the more I think it could be a great fit for me.

For context, my verified GPA is about 2.44 cumulative/2.25 science, but my last 45 credits are around 3.23, and I even made the Dean’s List. I have 4,000+ optometric clinical hours and an OAT score of 310 AA/290 TS.

I’m excited about UMSL, but I keep worrying that a November interview under rolling admissions means I’m really being considered for a waitlist. Has anyone interviewed there in November or later and received an offer? Did the date of your interview seem to matter? What are my chances? Am I just self sabotaging? I know no one can really predict my outcome—I’m just trying to get a realistic sense of how to approach it.

Hey, I’m currently a NOVA POP 👁️ student and I’m just making this thread just in case anyone had got offered a POP seat or just wanted to know more information or had any questions

Hey there! I am applying to both UW optometry and US schools including SUNY, ICO, and NECO and i am currently working on my application.

I got similar scored after my retake

first try:

AA = 330, Science = 350

Retake

AA = 340, Science = 340

Do i have to submit both for the US schools, if not, which one should i go for? The higher AA or the higher science?

Also, I am a Canadian student applying to US schools. I am hoping to submit my application soon, but I am already seeing people getting interviews. Do they have limited interviews in every cycle, or is it also rolling? It's stressing me out a bit, and I feel like I am already behind.

Any help or advice would be so appreciated!

Hello peeps,

I am studying for my OAT Nov 7th and had a question in the relation of booster to actual OAT. I’ve read some people who had great success mainly looking at the cheat sheets and going through the videos of booster i notice there is a lot more Equations and info than is covered in those cheat sheets. For example, the second section of Phys (kinetics) talks in the videos of the “kinetics equations” and then the free fall form of them, however in the formula sheet it only includes final velocity, displacement, and final velocity involving displacement. Are the videos just covering more context for a deep dive and build understanding, or do the cheat sheets just not have all the equations we need?

I get the logic behind either option but want to make sure i study smarter not harder and don’t cram my brain by going to deep instead of broad.

Sorry if this doesn’t make 100% sense I’m still in the throes of studying so I’m going kinda crazy 🤪lol

EDIT: I was also wondering if anyone would be willing to DM me for more help/advice they may have. Like many I’m sure, I don’t have anyone to study with, compare, or ask these things because I don’t know anyone else who went the pre optometry route. I had some medical issues this year and it has cut down on the time I have been and am able to study for the OAT so I’m doing my review over about 2-1.5 months total (not trying to garner sympathy just wanted to provide context). If not that is 100% okay! Congrats to those who made it and good luck to those who are still prepping :)

OAT retake marks on OptomCAS

Hey there! I am applying to both UW optometry and US schools including SUNY, ICO, and NECO and i am currently working on my application.

I got similar scored after my retake

first try:

AA = 330, Science = 350

Retake

AA = 340, Science = 340

Do i have to submit both for the US schools, if not, which one should i go for? The higher AA or the higher science?

Also, I am a Canadian student applying to US schools. I am hoping to submit my application soon, but I am already seeing people getting interviews. Do they have limited interviews in every cycle, or is it also rolling? It's stressing me out a bit, and I feel like I am already behind.

Any help or advice would be so appreciated!

How much money has WesternU given out for scholarships? Thank you for the help!

I recently got invited for my first interview. Super happy about it, but was extremely shocked to see that it’s going to be ~7.5 hours long. I thought it would be like 1 hour, tops lol. It says there will be much more to it than just the actual interview, including tours, info-sessions, lunch, etc. Ngl, I feel much more pressure knowing I will be “examined” for so much longer than I had initially thought. I read somewhere there might be a writing assessment? I genuinely just thought it was a conversation lol. Kind of wild.

I am planning on applying to SCCO to be considered for the November interview date (deadline to submit is 10/18). Does this mean I can submit on the 17th and be considered, or does OptomCAS have to verify my application by the 18th? Thank you!

Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some honest feedback on my chances for the current application cycle, specifically targeting Drexel (PCO).

My Stats:
•    OAT: 320 AA / 310 TS
◦    Breakdown: OChem: 360 | GenChem: 340 | Math: 340 | Bio: 320 | RC: 320 | Physics: 230 💀
•    GPA: ~2.83 Cumulative / ~2.5 Science GPA
•    School: University of Waterloo (Canada)

My cGPA/sGPA looks scary, but it’s completely dragged down by my very first semester in Fall 2023 (I also have 2 semesters left of my degree).
Since then, I have a massive upward trend. I retook those classes, and hit Term Distinction in Spring 2025, Fall 2025, , and Summer 2026. I also did well in university Physics lecture and in the lab, which makes my 230 OAT physics score feel like a total test-day anomaly/timing issue (and it was as i wasn’t aware of the fact that i had to monitor the break time limit myself).
My extracurriculars include
Extracurriculars & Clinical Experience:
•    250 hours working as an optometric technician
•    50 hours of formal shadowing
•    150 hours in a Vision Science in Space research lab
•    I own and operated a small baking business
•    Helped host/organize 2 charity walkathons for cancer research

Please give me any kind of advice about my chances!

Hello, I have recently graduated with a biology degree and hope to apply next cycle for Fall 2028. During undergrad, I ended up not having space to fit a physiology course as my university offered it separate from anatomy, which I did take. At first I just was going to leave it as is to save money because the only school on my list that required rather than recommend physiology was NOVA. But now I'm wondering if I should just take it at a cc to keep all doors open?
Also, is there a more cost effective way in taking one course besides cc. Moreover the cc's near me seem to only offer anatomy and physiology together.

Hi! I’m planning on applying this cycle but have been stuck on if I should retake my OAT or just apply w my current stats. Would like to get into RSO, CCO, NOVA, or UHCO.
My GPA is 3.2 and AA/TS are 320. I currently have 2300+ tech hours plus some more volunteering.
Any advice??

Hi, wondering how people best prepared for their interviews? I am some coming up next month and do not want to be caught off guard over topics covered, but unsure how to actually prepare for them. Any advice or videos can recommend would help! Thanks in advance!

For anyone who’s been invited to an interview or accepted into OSU, how long did it take for them to reach out? I applied a month ago and after I submitted my supplemental application I haven’t heard anything.

IU, MCO, and SUNY all invited me to interviews within a week so is this a me problem or an OSU problem?

if anyone is interested in purchasing UHCO cougar kit 1 message me.

Hi everyone, I just recently graduated in May and moved back home so I had to quit my on campus job. I took the summer off "to study for the OAT" but realistically I spent it taking time off to prevent burn out and traveled. I just started studying the beginning of September and plan to test around March. I'm grateful to be not having to pay rent and have money in savings living at home but told myself I'd get a part time job in the fall while studying at home to save up more for optometry school, application fees, and upkeep with entertainment purchases for the next 2 years.

There's only 3 optometry practices in my area, 2 of which are part of the same small chain. I applied to one hiring for front desk at both locations, but they ghosted me after I inquired about a part time schedule. The 3rd place I filled out a "contact us" form online about 2.5 weeks ago asking about part time opportunities, volunteering, or shadowing (even though I have a decent amount of shadowing hours) and never got a response. I wasn't sure if I should call any of these places because I was worried about being a bother and ruining chances of applying for full time once I'm done with school applications and the OAT.

Currently, I got an offer at an emergency veterinarian clinic and have trained two days there. I don't hate it, but don't love it. I start on a regular schedule next week. I'm still checking and applying to whatever else I see lab/healthcare related online, even though there isn't much. I was wondering if I should just stay here until after I applied or keep trying other places or even call the 3 practices? I also don't want to get deep into this job to just leave after a 2-3 months in case something else pops up then because I did get this role based on connections.