Applying to optometry school can be a daunting process. OptomCAS (the official application site for all optometry schools) requires a lot of information, and figuring out where to start can be tricky. Guess what? We’re here to help! We have combined our experiences to give you a guide for filling out your OptomCAS in the most efficient manner we know! Here are 10 tips and things we wish we knew when we applied:
- Before you even open your application, think about who you will want to write your letters of recommendation. Contact them. We advise doing this early to assure you have letter writers (“evaluators” in OptomCAS) once the application opens and to make sure they have plenty of time to complete their part.
- Start early! The application opens July 1 of every application year. We recommend creating your account as close to July 1 as you can! Most admissions are on a rolling basis, so the earlier you complete the application, the better, and the better shot you have of securing a seat!
- Remember those evaluators we talked about in #1? It’s time to enter their information! Across the board, we all agree that this is the most time consuming part of the whole application – relying on others to fill out the questionnaire.
Tip: you can submit your application without the letters of recommendation being submitted, but we do not recommended this. Once your application is submitted you will not be able to track which evaluators filled out your evaluation!
- Selection Time!- choose the schools in which you would like your OAT scores to be sent. These should match the schools in which you will be applying. Think objectively about what you want out of optometry school: Do you want to stay close to home? Do you want a private or public school? A large or small school? Check out the statistics about each school and their Boards scores, admitted student average GPAs, OAT scores, etc. to find a school you think you’ll be interested in!
- Transcripts: order your college transcripts. Often times, your ungraduated institutions require you to fill out paperwork and also require a small fee to send your transcripts to OptomCAS, so be prepared for that expense. There is an option to have OptomCAS fill out your transcript for you as well. We recommend this to anyone who has attended many colleges.
Tip: Order a copy of your transcript(s) for your personal file. It will make completing #7 below much easier.
- Essay- It’s time to write the easiest essay of your life. It’s all about you! Let the selection committee know just how great your experience has been with optometry so far and how excited you are to join the profession! You’ll also be asked to which schools you’d like your essays sent.
- Enter your grades: This is another time consuming process. Entering every semester, class, and grade you’ve ever gotten (don’t forget Post-secondary grades/other colleges if you’ve attended more than one!) is fairly monotonous, but it must be done! We don’t recommend completing this all in one sitting…you’ll go nuts!
- OAT (Optometry Admissions Test) scores- enter your most recent OAT scores into the designated section or indicate when you will be taking the OAT. Make sure the schools you have selected are the same ones where your official OAT scores are sent. If they are different, you must have the official scores sent to the schools! This is easy to do on the same website you signed up for your OAT!
Tip: You can submit your application without having taken the OAT! Your scores won’t be uploaded to OptomCAS after taking it, but the schools in which you indicated to send scores will receive a copy of your scores after the test.
- Submit! You’ve checked your work countless times, and now it’s time. We know, it’s a scary click of a button, but you can do it!
- Fill out any supplemental applications you receive in a timely manner. The faster you fill these out and get them back to the schools, the faster you can get an interview and ultimately get accepted!
Now all your hard work has paid off and you’re on your way to your dream career. Congratulations!
Let us know if you have any questions and we will be glad to answer them! Our emails are listed below!
Good luck and Go Bucks!!!
Paula, Kevin, & Jenni (as well as a few other optometry students 🙂 )
Paula Kelbley: kelbley.9@osu.edu | Kevin Rodda: rodda.5@osu.edu | Jenni Richard: richard.99@osu.edu