Optometry School Admissions Sandra Mc Intyre Kaplan Test

Optometry School Admissions Sandra Mc. Intyre Kaplan Test Prep Sandra. Mc. Intyre@Kaplan. com 518 -366 -4110

Optometry School Admission Trends APPLICANTS 2009 -2010 -2011 Applicants 2, 503 2, 513 Applications 12, 835 12, 775 Applications per Applicant 5. 13 5. 08 Acceptance (% of students receiving at least one offer) 67% 69% Average Applicant GPA 3. 29 3. 31 MATRICULANTS 2010 2011 Matriculants 1639 1658 Average GPA 3. 39 3. 42 Average OAT Academic Average Score 323* 319 327* 320 Average OAT Total Science Score

OAT Scoring

Choosing an Optometry School There are 21 Optometry Schools in the US and Puerto Rico • Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University • Southern California College of Optometry • Southern College of Optometry Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) School of Optometry • The State University of New York, College of Optometry • The Ohio State University College of Optometry • Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University • University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry • Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry • University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry • New England College of Optometry • University of Houston College of Optometry • Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry • University of Missouri St. Louis College of Optometry • Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry • University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry • Pacific University College of Optometry • Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry • Illinois College of Optometry • Indiana University School of Optometry • Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry •

Optometry Admissions Timeline Apr May June July Take OAT Aug Sept Nov Dec Secondary Feb Primary Applications Secondary Applications Interviews Rolling Admissions Possible • • • Jan Take OAT Primary Ideal Oct Official OAT Scores available 3 -4 weeks after test date. Primary applications take 4 -6 weeks to be verified. Earliest admissions offers come out Dec 1. Mar

Requirements for Application • OAT Scores • Optom. CAS Primary Application – Biographic and Background Info – Colleges attended and coursework – Professional Experiences • • Secondary Applications Letters of Recommendation Official Transcripts Fees – $125 for first school; $45 for each additional

Factors in Admissions • Undergraduate GPA • OAT Score • • • Letters of Recommendation th g n Optometry Experience/Volunteer Work e r t S Presumably Admit Personal Statement it on ca i l Interviews p p Presumably Deny A Research Absolutely Deny

GPA Your science and overall GPAs are incredibly important. • The most common major for Optometry School applicants in 2009 and 2010 was Biology. GPA Choose major that interests/challenges you Choose Bio major "just because" preoptometry Squeeze out every point you can. Game your GPA with easy classes or P/F “Trend-up” and do well in major. Over-estimate importance of GPA. By the numbers • Average GPA for Optometry School applicants in 2011: 3. 31 • Average GPA for Optometry School matriculants in 2011: 3. 42

Letters of Recommendation So what should they be? • The best letters of recommendation come from professors who know you, not necessarily the most prestigious professors at your school. • Remind your recommenders of your accomplishments, even if they remember you. • Tell them that you’re applying for optometry school, and what the overall theme of your application is. Be specific!

Experiences and Activities What should you focus on? • Direct optometry or patient experience – If you have these kinds of experiences, be sure to play them up! – If not, don’t worry; it’s helpful but far from necessary. • Activities – Focus on those where you’ve shown leadership; better to be president of the soccer team than a member of Future Optometrists of West Cleveland. – Highlight your accomplishments – what makes you special?

Personal Statement So what should you do instead? • Make it personal – what makes you different? Personal Statement Use past/present stories and a theme. Showcase lessons learned from experience Write effectively and follow directions Write “why I want to go to optometry school”. Speak negatively of anyone or anything. Go at it alone. Optometry schools have plenty of nice stories; you need to market yourself: be positive, have a theme, and write effectively!

Interviews What to consider with interviews: Interviews Consider every interview mandatory Discount them Schedule interviews strategically Judge schools based on ranking alone Become acquainted with admissions staff Inundate admissions staff with requests Just like every other part of your application, you must work hard to prepare for your interviews if you hope to make a great impression!

Interviews Why do you want to study optometry? • There’s no “right” answer to a question like this, but there are many bad ones: – I’ve always wanted to help people. – I think I’d be good at it. – I want to make a lot of money. – I couldn’t get into med school. Prepare in advance by thinking of your answers!

Interviews Why do you want to study optometry? • Every question has red flags, answers which definitely reflect negatively on you. Give answers which: – are honest and true to your real feelings. – are consistent with protecting patients’ interests. – show you to be well-informed about the general field of medicine. – memorably refer to the specific events you wrote about in your personal statement.

OAT Importance in Admissions 11 schools say the OAT is a significant factor in admissions; 9 say moderate. • Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University • Southern California College of Optometry • Southern College of Optometry Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) School of Optometry • The State University of New York, College of Optometry • The Ohio State University College of Optometry • Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University • University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry • Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry • University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry • New England College of Optometry • University of Houston College of Optometry • Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry • University of Missouri St. Louis College of Optometry • Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry • University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry • Pacific University College of Optometry • Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry • Illinois College of Optometry • Indiana University School of Optometry • Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry •

The OAT Section Questions Optional Tutorial Duration Topics 15 minutes Survey of the Natural Sciences 100* 90 minutes • 40 Biology • 30 General Chemistry • 30 Organic Chemistry Reading Comprehension 40* 50 minutes 3 passages with 10 -17 questions each Optional Break 15 minutes Physics 40* 50 minutes First-year, Noncalculusbased Physics Quantitative Reasoning 40* 45 minutes Algebra, Probability and Statistics, Geometry, Trigonometry Optional Post Test Survey Cost of exam is $226. Need to wait 90 days in between test dates 15 minutes

The OAT Why prepare for the OAT? • It is one of the most important factors of your application. • A few more questions right can make a significant difference in your score. • Every additional point leapfrogs you past hundreds of applicants. • It’s the one common yardstick by which every applicant is measured equally. • Most importantly, it’s the one final aspect of your application that you can change right now.

Top-Rated, Score-Qualified Instructors Only 1 in 10 candidates make the cut to teach for Kaplan. Tami Miller • Highly rated by 97% of students • Over 12 years of teaching experience “Tami Miller is an exceptional teacher. She is caring, engaging, and eager to help on all levels. She is the epitome of what a teacher should be and I thoroughly enjoyed every class. ” Stephen Grimsby • Highly rated by 100% of students • Over 3 years of teaching experience “Stephen was the best instructor ever! He made class enjoyable and packed with helpful information for prep and test day. I honestly looked forward to every class with Stephen. ” Matthew Rasmussen • Highly rated by 99% of students • Over 7 years of teaching experience “Matt was very knowledgeable about all the material presented in our study books, he engaged in the class every time the class met, he boosted my confidence level so that I will be ready to conquer this test!” Teacher ratings based on student responses received from July 10, 2010 – July 10, 2011.

Personalized Learning – Study Resources What do you need to prep effectively? • Comprehensive Review Notes for all science and math subjects • Detailed explanations to every practice question • 5 full-length, computer-based exams to practice your skills • 3, 500 practice items and over 130 hours of instruction

Personalized Learning – Smart Reports. TM Preparation that’s tailored to your needs We've designed our courses to provide ongoing, personalized learning based on your specific needs. We do this through a revolutionary, adaptive learning technology that we call Smart Reports™.

Kaplan OAT Course Options Classroom On Site Classroom Anywhere™ On Demand One-On-One Benefit from in-person, comprehensive instruction by our expert teachers at a classroom location near you. Interact with our expert teachers who deliver comprehensive instruction in a live, online classroom. Get one-on-one, personal instruction from an expert private tutor. • OAT Advantage Prep at your own pace with comprehensive video instruction from our expert teachers, accessible when and where you want. Starting at $1, 399 (3 installments of $466. 33) • OAT Advantage Starting at $1, 249 (3 installments of $416. 33) • 15 -hour package • 25 -hour package • 35 -hour package Starting at $2, 399 (3 installments of $799. 67)