Applicants are advised to thoroughly review the OptomCAS website, especially each individual school’s admissions policies for current and accurate information. All optometry schools require applicants to submit their applications through OptomCAS. Each cycle begins on July 1. The deadlines for submitting an application varies from school to school.
You can submit your application before your transcripts, recommendations, and/or official test scores are received by OptomCAS. Will OptomCAS update me on the status of my application?
When you click on a particular optometry school, it brings up an overview of their program as well as a “Questions” section. This is where you will submit your 4500 character Personal Statement.
OptomCAS recommends that you contact your programs directly to determine their requirements. If OAT scores are required, you must request that ADA send your official OAT scores electronically to OptomCAS. Paper copies are not accepted.
OptomCAS Processing Overview Correct OptomCAS application fee. OptomCAS will allow up to four letters of recommendation. The letters of recommendation are not required for verification and will be forwarded to the designated schools and colleges of optometry once they are received at OptomCAS.
It takes OptomCAS 3-4 weeks to get your application verified and delivered to the various optometry programs. The first time you take the OAT, it takes roughly 3-4 weeks from the date of your test for the scores to populate in OptomCAS.
Submitting Your Official OAT Scores to OptomCASSelf-report your OAT scores in the Standardized Tests section of the application and include your OAT PIN. ... Go to ADA and request your scores be released to OptomCAS. ... After ADA processing, scores are sent to OptomCAS in batches and then posted to applications every weekday.
P Pass No grade point credit. Applies only to nondevelopmental studies courses. Pass grades carry academic credit but are not included within GPA calculations.
320The OAT is scored based on the number of correct answers, therefore candidates are not penalized for guessing. The score ranges from 200 to 400 with a median score of 300 and a standard deviation of 40. A 320 is a very good score and a 350 is an excellent score representing approx. 90% ile.
OptomCAS verification process may take up to six weeks after your application, transcripts, and payment are received. you wish to apply. View the ASCO General and School-Specific Prerequisites. each school or college of optometry to which you are interested in applying.
Sending Transcripts by MailContact the registrar at each institution you attended and request one transcript be sent to OptomCAS.Provide the registrar with the following items: OptomCAS Transcript ID Form. Ask the registrar to attach it to your official transcripts.
How and where do I send my Letters of Recommendation? The applicant will provide the name, email address and phone number for a maximum of four (4) people providing LORs. OptomCAS will send an email evaluation request to the Recommender with information on how to electronically submit their LOR.
23 schoolsThere are 23 schools and colleges of optometry in the United States and two in Canada.
1 pointGPA Weight At many high schools, honors and AP classes both offer more heavily weighted training compared to regular classes. While honors courses usually add 0.5 points to your GPA, AP classes often add 1 point. In other words, a 3.5 GPA would be boosted to a 4.0 in an honors class and a 4.5 in an AP class.
One of the biggest perks of AP classes is that you can get college credit as long as you score well on the AP Exam at the end of the semester. AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. Many colleges accept a score of 4 or 5 on an AP exam as college credit in that subject area.
AP scores won't affect your high school GPA or your chances of college admission.
Login to the 2021-2022 OptomCAS Application. The 2021-2022 cycle will open on June 30, 2021 and will close on May 27, 2022.
OptomCAS is the Optometry Centralized Application Service. Through this service applicants may file one application and send it to multiple optometry programs. All schools and colleges of optometry participate in OptomCAS.
Before you begin the OptomCAS process, there are several ways you can prepare:
Contact and confirm your evaluators and complete the Letters of Recommendation section of the application. To avoid SPAM filters, please notify your evaluators that they will receive an email from optomcasinfo@optomcas.org.
If all of your course credits are listed in "1.0" or "0.50" format, then your transcript is listing credit units and you need to perform a conversion. Check the back of your transcript for a conversion ratio, which will say something like "1 unit is equivalent to 4 semester hours."
Academic status refers to your status during the term you are inputting, not your current status. Refer to the list of Academic Status definitions below for more information. If you're entering courses for a term that is currently in progress or planned, select In Progress/Planned . Click Save .
Test credit types include Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), CLEP, DANTE, Regents, and courses you "tested out of" at college or university. List these credits under your first term at the school that awarded you the credit and enter "CR" as the grade.
If you received AP credit, select Yes and click Continue. Then, click the plus sign next to the advanced placement courses.
If your transcript lists labs separately, you must list them as separate courses on your application as well. Record the labs exactly as they appear on your transcript. If your transcript combines lab and lecture courses into one course, list it as one course on your application.
Coursework must exactly match your official transcripts; don' t use an unofficial version, like a print out from your school's website. List your courses under the correct term, year, and class level. Department prefixes and course numbers must precisely match those on your transcripts.
Report all courses on your transcripts, not just prerequisites. Be sure to include courses from which you withdrew, repeated courses, ungraded labs, test credits, gym courses, orientations, or other non-graded courses. Use official copies of your transcripts.
Once your application is complete, it takes on average two weeks to be verified.
Once your application is complete, it takes on average two weeks to be verified.
Indicate if you repeated any of your courses. Courses should only be marked as repeated if you repeated them at the same institution (i.e., you retook the course for a higher grade). Withdrawn courses, courses taken at different schools, and courses taken multiple times for new credit (i.e., school band, physical education, etc.) are not considered repeated.
Lab Credits. If your transcript lists labs separately, you must list them as separate courses on your application as well. Record the labsexactly as they appear on your transcript. If your transcript combines lab and lecture courses into one course, list it as one course on your application.
All optometry schools require applicants to submit their applications through OptomCAS. Each cycle begins on July 1. The deadlines for submitting an application varies from school to school. Once the online application is accessed, OptomCAS allows applicants to work on their applications, save changes, and submit when ready.
This process typically takes 3-4 weeks.
OAT scores are sent directly from the OAT testing agency to OptomCAS. It takes OptomCAS 3-4 weeks to get your application verified and delivered to the various optometry programs. The first time you take the OAT, it takes roughly 3-4 weeks from the date of your test for the scores to populate in OptomCAS. After a retake, it takes roughly 1-2 weeks ...
Apart from making sure you’re providing accurate information, it is important for you to know that admissions officers look at the ENTIRE application to determine if an applicant has what it takes to serve as a health care provider.
SCCO holds five to six interview days each season, typically on Saturdays and once a month from September through May. For more information about the interview day or how to prepare, you’re sure to find all of these resources helpful:
As you view the program options, you will notice that OptomCAS provides a deadline date. Adviser Tip: it is VERY important that you research the schools you are selecting to find out if they utilize rolling admissions. If they do, waiting until the last minute to apply jeopardizes your chances of being admitted.
DAT and PCAT are accepted. Applicants must take the OAT or GRE on or before 2/15/2022. Retake scores will be accepted on or before 3/15/22. Not required, but applicants without a bachelor’s degree must fulfill the prerequisite requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree Completion Option.
Applicants must take the OAT or GRE on or before 2/15/2022. Retake scores will be accepted on or before 3/15/22. Not required, but applicants without a bachelor’s degree must fulfill the prerequisite requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree Completion Option. Please check school website for more information.