optometry application personal statement

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Optometry Personal Statement

Use this Optometry personal statement example as an inspiration to write your own for the UK university application, if you are applying to study Optometry course.

Finding a profession that both fulfils one’s intellectual interests and provides a sense of purpose is the key to a rewarding career. It would be necessary for me to pursue a career with a solid scientific aspect to work, since I have always been fascinated by the fields of biology and chemistry, with the objective of helping people every day. As a result of my involvement in various work placements within the health sector, I have come to realize that optometry is a profession that allows me to combine both. I have been captivated by human anatomy because of my studies in sciences at school. Studying biology has allowed me to gain a great deal of insight into how the human body develops diseases and how it attempts to fight them – sometimes unsuccessfully. Studying Level Chemistry has reinforced my understanding of biochemistry, which has been of particular interest to me. In school, I have thoroughly enjoyed studying biology and chemistry, and I look forward to applying what I have learned in these subjects to gain a detailed understanding of ocular science.

An extended work placement at a local optician helped me gain a deeper understanding of optometry both as a field of study and a profession. I shadowed different opticians as they performed eye tests and contact lens fittings during the placement. The importance of good communication skills in optometry has become apparent to me. Customers and patients would have a much more difficult time navigating what can often be complex procedures without them. In cases where patients are suffering from vision problems or are distressed by the prospect of undergoing tests, opticians should also act with empathy and patience. In the laboratory, I also had the opportunity to observe – and sometimes participate in – the lens and frame preparation processes during my placement. As a result of this experience, I have a much better understanding of the different types of lenses that are used in glasses, as well as the technical skills involved in making them. Since I found the work placement so rewarding, I have continued to volunteer every Saturday at the same optician.

I have also carried out a work placement at a local pharmacy. This experience encouraged me to develop some of the personal skills that I believe are necessary for working as an optician. During the placement, I had the opportunity to interact with customers. Through this, I learnt how much I enjoy work in which I can offer advice to people, and also felt a gratifying sense of responsibility in response to the fact that the advice I gave them regarding non-prescription medication could play a role in alleviating the symptoms of their health problems.

In my spare time, I have participated in a range of activities that also allow me to be involved in helping people. In Year 12 I mentored a group of Year 7 students; I enjoyed being able to make them feel less apprehensive about starting life in secondary school. I have been involved with several fund-raising initiatives for Afrikids and Cancer Research, such as selling cakes and doing a sponsored walk. These activities gave me a sense of satisfaction by allowing me to work as part of a team with a common goal. My sense of teamwork has also been improved by my involvement in my school’s hockey and netball teams. On a more personal note, I am a highly enthusiastic musician; I play the guitar, and also particularly enjoy traditional Indian music. I have found learning to play an instrument to be both an outlet for self-expression and a way of developing my skills of perseverance. I am also an avid reader of fiction, in particular stories that ignite my sense of adventure, such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

Recommended reading:

• Personal Statement Examples
• How to Write a Personal Statement for a PhD
• UCAS Personal Statement: A Writing Guide And Tips For Success
• How to Write a Personal Statement That Stands Out
• Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for the University
• How to Write UCAS Reference Letter

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Inside OptomCAS Part II: Your Personal Statement for Applying to Optometry School

In the previous post, we zoomed in on the Letters of Evaluation (LOEs) section of the application for optometry school, clarifying requirements and providing some pearls for effectively fulfilling them. This time we turn our attention to another crucial part of the application: the personal statement, a.k.a., the essay.

The LOEs and the personal statement [both of which you’ll manage through the  Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS)]  are relied upon heavily by the schools and colleges of optometry as they determine whether you’re the type of person who can succeed as a student in their programs and as a future optometrist. Your official instructions for composing the essay are as follows: “Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career goals. Your essay should be limited to 4500 characters.”

While the instructions have a kind of “just the facts,” flat quality, your essay will need to be the opposite of that in order to provide the admissions office with information they’ll notice and appreciate. According to Michael Bacigalupi, OD, MS, FAAO, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs & Admissions at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry (NSU), “The personal statement allows me to get to know a student much better than just filling out blank spaces and checking off boxes on an application. It gives me a better sense of who the applicant is. Through the personal statement, students can convey what we’re looking for, which is motivation, dedication and a love of the profession of optometry. Those qualities aren’t measurable by OAT scores and GPAs.” By the way, Dr. Bacigalupi uses the word “love” of the profession on purpose. “I want students to be passionate about becoming an optometrist,” he says. “Like in any health profession, the rewards can be substantial, but the road to success is not easy, so you have to love it.”

Like some other schools and colleges of optometry, NSU requires applicants to submit an essay in addition to the personal statement. In fact, they ask for two supplemental essays. The two essay questions change from time to time, but for the last application cycle they were: 1) “What specifically are your reasons for choosing to apply to Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry?” and 2) “Professional school is very challenging. What experiences in your life and/or undergraduate career have prepared you for the rigors of optometry school?”

Dr. Bacigalupi says the statements and essays (he reads about 3,000 per year) that catch his attention are the ones that tell a story and talk about a crossroad or a serious decision an applicant made in life that led him or her to optometry as a career. He cites as an example, “Let’s say someone was an at-risk youth but realized that’s not the way he or she wanted to end up so instead took the right path and decided to focus on school. That’s a story that illustrates motivation.” He also recalls an essay from an applicant who had temporarily lost his vision, which led to the realization of how important sight is in daily life and the desire to help safeguard it for others. Don’t worry if your experiences aren’t as dramatic as those, Dr. Bacigalupi says, just be honest while providing insight into who you really are.

Essays that definitely don’t impress are those that seem to be quickly thrown together or are poorly crafted and contain spelling or grammar errors. “What comes across through those things is that the applicant rushed through this step without much care, which may indicate a lack of commitment or that this isn’t that important to him or her,” Dr. Bacigalupi explains. He recommends having another person or people, perhaps with no ties to optometry, read the personal statement with an eye toward content, grammar and readability before it’s submitted. “That gives you insight into whether it’s readable and will be effective,” he says.

Need more inspiration and ideas about what to write about in your personal statement? ASCO points out in its Optometry Career Guide that, in general, optometry schools are looking for students who can demonstrate strong academic commitment as well as exhibit the potential to excel in deductive reasoning, interpersonal communication and empathy. They like to attract well-rounded candidates who have achieved not only in the classroom but also in other areas, such as in leadership ability. A disposition to serve others and a work ethic characterized by dedication and persistence are other desirable qualities. Adds Dr. Bacigalupi, “We want to see in the statement and essays that we’d be admitting teachable students who ultimately will make good colleagues; therefore, the right balance of people skills and academic abilities is very important.”

The 2015-2016  OptomCAS application  cycle opens on July 1, so the time to start working on your essay is right about now. Good luck!

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How to Write a Personal Statement For Optometry School

Every year, the new application cycle for optometry schools in the US begins in late June. Students are required to fill out and submit their applications through the Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS). Within the OptomCAS portal, there are several required documents, such as a personal statement and supplementary essays. A personal statement is a written piece required by optometry schools in the US that demonstrates who the writer is as a person, their personal and academic goals, and why they would be a good fit for the optometry program. The personal statement prompt is as follows:

Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career goals.

How you choose to answer the prompt is up to you, but you must do so in 4500 characters, which is equal to approximately 750 words. Because of how broad the prompt is, getting started on your personal statement can be a daunting task. You want to be concise yet clearly describe your motivations and reasons for pursuing optometry. If you are struggling to get started or having trouble with the OptomCAS portal, feel free to keep reading or check out our OptomCAS Application Guide . In this article, we will discuss 8 tips to help you write the perfect personal statement .

1️⃣ Start Early

The OptomCAS application cycle begins in late June every year, and this year it opens on June 29 th , 2023. There is no better time to start than now, as maximizing the amount of time spent on your personal statement will allow for more time to reread and revise! Optometry schools in the US also run on a rolling admission basis, meaning that the earlier you submit your completed application, the more seats will be available in each class and the higher your chances of receiving admission. Therefore, you want to give yourself at least 3 months to get a rough draft down so that you can set it aside, revisit what you have written, and enhance it even further.

2️⃣ Find Your Angle

You are given 4500 characters, or around 750 words, for your personal statement. Due to this word limit, it’s important to get your main points across but in an engaging, eloquent way. Instead of simply listing reasons why you are qualified for optometry school or why you think a certain program would best fit you, consider using a narrative to share your story instead. For example, you could write about an experience that sparked your interest in optometry, a personal life obstacle that you had to overcome that made you who you are today, or even a relationship with a family member, mentor or optometrist that inspired you to change your career path.

3️⃣ Focus On Your Values

If you are struggling to get started on your personal statement, reflect on your three main reasons for choosing to pursue optometry and the values you want to uphold as a future healthcare practitioner. With these values in mind, you can then extend your thought process into discussing different work or shadowing experiences in order to showcase what you have learned and how these initiatives have reinforced your passion for optometry. For example, if life-long learning is an important aspect of optometry that drives your passion for the field, and you have seen first-hand how newly developing technology has shaped a patient’s life, you can describe the experience you had in seeing how much the patient was struggling with their condition and how much better they were doing after being treated. This can then be played into how much you value lifelong learning and how you hope not only to continue educating yourself but your patients as well.

4️⃣ Do Not Summarize Your Resume

As mentioned earlier, do not use your personal statement to simply list off your accomplishments. This includes your GPA, standardized testing scores (such as your OAT or GRE scores), and basic tasks that you performed at an optometry clinic. Instead, take this time to reflect and describe how you grew and what you learned from interacting with patients and doctors during your clinical experiences. The same idea also applies to listing off qualities of your personality that you believe set you apart from other applicants and make you suitable for the field. For instance, simply stating that you have excellent communication skills and work ethic will not support your personal statement and application very strongly if you do not provide any examples to demonstrate those characteristics.

5️⃣ Be Specific

Adding onto the last tip, you can describe your experiences through short personal anecdotes. Instead of writing a long, elaborate life story, use a short personal narrative that includes specific details like the names of doctors you worked with or certain ocular or health conditions you saw. This will help illustrate important experiences you had or aspects of the field that have facilitated your learning and reinforced your passion for optometry. In other words – show, not tell!

6️⃣ Minimize Negativity

Another point to keep in mind when writing your personal statement is to keep any negative talk to a minimum. Although negative experiences with an optometrist or health care provider may have been the driving force or spark to your interest in pursuing optometry, try to keep the description short so you can move on and discuss what you have learned from the experience instead. Use your writing to focus on how the experience shaped you or changed your outlook for the better. This also applies to negativity such as addressing poor grades or hardships in your life – if you believe mentioning these aspects will do more harm than good, consider not mentioning them at all in your personal statement. With the limited word count, it would be best to focus on the positives instead of accentuating your flaws.

7️⃣ Ask For Feedback

Lastly, make sure to ask for feedback before submitting your personal statement. This goes hand in hand with starting early, as you want to allow yourself enough time to get a rough first draft down and an improved second draft before sending your work out for feedback. Consider sharing your draft with people of different backgrounds and stages of life to get a variety of perspectives – this includes professors, mentors, current optometry students, optometrists, friends of different academic backgrounds, or a pre-health advisor, if possible. Ask specifically for constructive criticism, especially regarding how clearly your piece answers the personal statement prompt and how strongly your experiences support your points.

8️⃣ Read, Review, and Read Again

Once you have asked for feedback, take some time to make any adjustments according to the criticism received. Afterward, step away for a few days before revisiting your personal statement with fresh eyes to make any necessary changes. Set a personal deadline for when you will have all your required documents ready to go. Within the remaining time, go through a few more cycles of editing so that you can better refine your piece before submitting the final copy.

👉 Conclusion

With the OptomCAS cycle up and running, it’s important to get a head start on your personal statement. As discussed, there are many aspects to your personal statement, so starting as early as you can will provide you with enough time to perfect your work and best express yourself through your application. Hopefully these 8 tips have been helpful and will get you on the right track to starting your piece. At the same time, there are also other required documents in your OptomCAS application, such as your Optometry Admission Test (OAT) scores and reference letters. For more information on the OAT and how to ask for a strong reference letter, feel free to read our articles: How to Study for the OAT , How Is the OAT Scored , What Is a Good OAT Score , What to Expect on OAT Exam Day and How to ask for Reference Letters for Optometry School Applications . Good luck!

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Optometry Personal Statement Examples

• 1 Personal Statement Example Links
• 2 Career Opportunities
• 3 UK Admission Requirements
• 4 UK Earnings Potential For Optometrists
• 5 Similar Courses in the UK
• 6 UK Curriculum
• 7 Alumni Network

Personal Statement Example Links

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• Personal Statement Example 2
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• Personal Statement Example 6

Ever been intrigued by the complexity and wonder of human vision? Inspired by the idea of improving and preserving sight through the science of eye care?

If so, a degree in Optometry could be your perfect journey. This fascinating field equips you with the knowledge and skills to diagnose and treat a variety of eye conditions, enhancing people’s quality of life through better vision.

As an optometrist, you will be responsible for diagnosing and managing vision problems, prescribing corrective lenses and medications, and providing advice on eye care and hygiene.

You may also work alongside ophthalmologists, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive eye care services.

To become an optometrist, you will need to complete a Doctor of Optometry degree program, which typically takes four years after completing a Bachelor’s degree.

During your degree, you will gain in-depth knowledge of ocular anatomy, physiology, optics, and pathology, as well as practical experience in clinical settings.

A career as an optometrist offers a high level of job security, competitive salaries, and the opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives by improving their vision and overall quality of life.

👍 When writing a personal statement : Highlight your passion for the course, demonstrating your understanding of it. Use relevant personal experiences, coursework, or work history to showcase how these have fostered your interest and readiness for the course.

Career Opportunities

Someone with a degree in optometry can pursue a number of different careers and professions. These include:

• Optometrist: An optometrist is a healthcare professional who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of eye and vision care. Optometrists provide comprehensive eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses, diagnose and treat eye diseases, and perform vision therapy.
• Ophthalmologist: An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists provide comprehensive eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses, diagnose and treat eye diseases, and perform surgery.
• Optician: An optician is a healthcare professional who specializes in the fitting and dispensing of eyeglasses and contact lenses. Opticians also provide advice on the selection of frames and lenses, as well as the maintenance and repair of eyeglasses and contact lenses.
• Vision Therapist: A vision therapist is a healthcare professional who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of vision-related problems. Vision therapists provide comprehensive vision therapy, including eye exercises and vision training.
• Optical Scientist: An optical scientist is a scientist who specializes in the study of light and its properties. Optical scientists research and develop new optical technologies, such as lenses, optical instruments, and optical systems.
• Optometric Technician: An optometric technician is a healthcare professional who assists optometrists in providing eye care services. Their responsibilities include conducting preliminary eye tests, maintaining optical instruments, and assisting with patient care.

UK Admission Requirements

In order to be accepted into an Optometry course in the UK, applicants must have achieved a minimum of three A-Levels at grade A or above, with at least one of these being in a science subject. Additionally, applicants must have achieved a minimum of five GCSEs at grade A*-C or equivalent, including Maths and English.

The entry requirements for an Optometry course in the UK are generally more stringent than those for similar courses such as Ophthalmology or Orthoptics. For example, applicants to an Optometry course are usually required to have achieved higher grades in their A-Levels and GCSEs than those applying to other courses.

Additionally, applicants to an Optometry course must usually have studied a science subject at A-Level , while those applying to other courses may not be required to do so.

UK Earnings Potential For Optometrists

The average earnings for someone with a degree in optometry vary depending on the location and type of practice. According to the Association of Optometrists, the average salary for optometrists in the UK is £58,000 per year. The highest salaries are typically found in London and the South East of England, where salaries can exceed £70,000.

In terms of trends in the job market, the demand for optometrists is expected to increase over the next few years due to an aging population and an increasing awareness of the importance of eye health.

The introduction of new technologies such as telemedicine and virtual reality are likely to create more opportunities for optometrists.

Similar Courses in the UK

Other university courses related to Optometry include Ophthalmic Dispensing, Orthoptics, and Vision Science.

Ophthalmic Dispensing focuses on the practical application of optical science, teaching students the skills needed to design, supply, and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Orthoptics is a specialized area of optometry that focuses on the diagnosis and management of eye movement disorders.

Vision Science is an interdisciplinary field that combines the study of optics, vision, and neuroscience to understand how the visual system works.

The key differences between these courses and Optometry are that Optometry focuses on the diagnosis and management of eye and vision problems, while the other courses focus on specific areas of the eye and vision field.

In short: Ophthalmic Dispensing focuses on the practical application of optical science, Orthoptics focuses on the diagnosis and management of eye movement disorders, and Vision Science focuses on the study of optics, vision, and neuroscience.

UK Curriculum

The key topics and modules covered in an Optometry course in the UK typically include:

• Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye: This module covers the structure and function of the eye, including the anatomy of the eye, the physiology of vision, and the optics of the eye.
• Ophthalmic Optics: This module covers the principles of optics and the use of optical instruments, including the use of lenses and prisms, and the measurement and correction of refractive errors.
• Clinical Optometry: This module covers the diagnosis and management of eye diseases and disorders, as well as the application of optical aids and contact lenses.
• Contact Lens Practice: This module covers the use and fitting of contact lenses, and the management of contact lens-related problems.
• Low Vision and Rehabilitation: This module covers the diagnosis and management of low vision, as well as the use of low vision aids.
• Professional Practice: This module covers the professional responsibilities of an optometrist, including the ethical and legal aspects of practice.

Hands-on experience and practical work are integral to an Optometry course. Students will typically have the opportunity to work with patients in a clinical setting, as well as practice fitting contact lenses and using optical instruments.

Alumni Network

Notable alumni from the course of optometry include Dr. George Waring IV , who is a professor at the University of Alabama School of Optometry. He is an internationally recognized leader in the field of optometry and has contributed to the advancement of the profession through his research, teaching, and clinical practice.

Dr. Waring has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has lectured extensively on the topics of contact lenses, ocular disease, and vision care. He is also the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the American Academy of Optometry’s Distinguished Service Award and the American Optometric Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The University of Alabama School of Optometry also hosts an annual Alumni Reunion, which is a great opportunity for alumni to connect with each other and stay up to date on the latest developments in the field.

Alumni also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of networking events, such as the Alumni Networking Dinner, which is held twice a year. This event provides alumni with the opportunity to meet and network with fellow alumni and faculty members. Additionally, alumni can join the Alumni Association, which provides access to exclusive events and resources.

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Welcome to OptomCAS

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.

Login to the 2023-2024 OptomCAS Application

The 2023-2024 cycle will open on June 29, 2023 and will close on May 23, 2024. The 2024-2025 cycle will open on June 27, 2024.

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There are 24 schools and colleges of optometry in the United States.

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How to write a wicked awesome personal statement

Today I want to reach out to those prospective students out there who are trying to tackle the ever-daunting personal statement.

For some of you, writing isn’t your strong suit, writing about yourself is uncomfortable, and fitting everything within 4,500 characters seems impossible. However, personal statements are extremely important. They are the “face” to your application. Without it, you’re only a list of achievements and scores.

Kristen Tobin, Director of Admissions at NECO, says, “The purpose of a personal statement is for a student to provide a more personalized overview of who they are as a person and as an applicant.  The personal statement is great opportunity for a student to talk about their journey and what has led them to the decision to pursue optometry.” This is your chance to show admissions who you really are before they call you in to interview!

In this blog I’ve compiled some strategies I found helpful, some advice from NECO Admissions, and web resources to help you write a killer personal statement.

Start early.

Writing is a process, and this is one of the most important things you’ll write, so you want to give yourself plenty of time. Begin your brainstorming at least a month in advance! Ms. Tobin advises, “As students sit down to write their personal statement, I encourage them to take some time to reflect on their own academic, professional and personal experiences and how those experiences led them to applying to optometry school and to NECO.” After cranking out your first draft, put it away for several days. Look at it again with fresh eyes, then revise and revise again. When you think you’ve finished, take it to a friend, mentor, or writing center for feedback. Repeat as necessary. You’ll go through several revisions before you have a final copy.

Avoid summarizing your resume.

Your personal statement is not your resume in word form. Admissions will already have a list of your achievements and extracurricular activities in addition to your GPA and OAT scores. What they really need to know is who you are as a person, what you value, and what kind of doctor you will be. Ms. Tobin explains, “At NECO we complete a very holistic approach of applications which includes reviewing grades, test scores, work, volunteer and extracurricular experience, and letters of recommendation. What the personal statement adds to the equation is insight into the student as a person and also as a potential student and optometrist.”

Tell a story.

Admissions staff will be reading through hundreds of applications; yours needs to stand out. Try structuring your personal statement in a way that follows a narrative. Begin with a hook, something that draws the reader in, such as a particular experience or personality trait that makes you unique. Then use that throughout the paper to keep a natural flow. While a thesis statement is not necessary for personal statements, I recommend having one to guide and structure the rest of your paper.

For example, I began my personal statement by describing the scene at one of my volunteer experiences. I then used aspects of that experience throughout the paper to illustrate why optometry is a good fit and what traits I felt qualified me to be admitted.

One of the purposes of the personal statement is for admissions to find out what kind of person you are. This is your chance to show your personality! Talk about why you chose optometry and what motivates you to succeed. It might feel more natural to talk about your family, the doctors you shadowed, or particular patient experiences, but remember to focus on  you . The admissions staff at NECO wants you to know “The best personal statements are reflective, thoughtful, honest and most importantly, well written!  We understand that not every student has a radically compelling story but we know that everyone does have something to share.  I find that optometry students are some of the most dedicated, hard-working and compassionate people I have ever met and often times the best essays exude these qualities.

Still feeling lost? Check out these articles written for students just like you:

• “Your application to [optometry] school is a testimony to your desire to ultimately be a doctor. The admissions committee will look at your essay to see that you’ve answered the obvious, but not so simple, question “Why?” You must be able to explain your motivation for attending [optometry] school.” The Student Doctor Network
• “Remember that you’re selling yourself as a great addition to the profession. This is where you talk about your strengths, passion for the field, and all your extra-curricular hard work you’ve done in preparing for optometry school.” oatcracker.com/blog
• “The goal of this essay is to have your reader put down your [personal statement] and say to themselves “wow, this applicant knows exactly why they want to become a [optometrist] and it’s legit.” NOT “oh wow this applicant is very qualified.” reddit.com/the-personal-statement

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Basic Guide: OPTOMCAS Personal Statement Example

Table of Contents

A great OPTOMCAS personal statement is a time capsule of your experiences, perspectives, and what you want to offer. This guide provides an OPTOMCAS personal statement example to help you write a winning personal statement.

It also dissects how to write a tremendous OPTOMCAS personal statement that stands out from others. Read on!

What Is an OPTOMCAS Personal Statement?

An OPTOMCAS personal statement is a document you submit with your optometry school application. Your statement allows you to introduce yourself to the admissions committee .

It should highlight your academic and professional achievements and why you are interested in pursuing optometry as a career.

The best way to write this statement is to discuss how much you care about optics with great examples that show your passion.

How to Write a Captivating OPTOMCAS Personal Statement

The best way to create a captivating personal statement for OPTOMCAS is by focusing on your story. Also, ensure that your tone of voice is professional and polished. Other important points to note are:

• Be sure to capture the reader’s attention with an engaging introduction.
• Provide information about yourself that showcases your unique qualifications and experiences.
• Demonstrate your passion for optometry by sharing examples of how you’ve used this field to help others.
• Make it clear why you are interested in optometry school and what you hope to gain from the experience.
• Share how you became interested in optometry and why you want to pursue this career.
• Remember to highlight your academic achievements, volunteer work, and other relevant experience.
• Finally, close with a firm conclusion that leaves the reader eager to learn more about you.

OPTOMCAS Personal Statement Example

A personal statement like the one below is essential when applying to optometry school. It allows admissions staff to see your qualifications and get insight into who you are as an individual .

As an optometry student, you must possess excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In my academic experience, I have honed these skills by working closely with professors and classmates on various projects.

For example, while completing my undergraduate degree in biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, I conducted research specializing in eye health. This opportunity allowed me to develop strong analytical abilities and understand how different scientific findings can impact clinical care.

Additionally, as a member of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society at UCLA, I worked on team projects that required creativity and precision. Through this involvement, I learned how to communicate ideas effectively within a group setting and work toward a common goal.

My background positions me well to thrive in the optometry program at your school. The rigorous coursework and hands-on experience will allow me to expand my knowledge base and become an effective clinician.

Furthermore, being part of a diverse classroom community will challenge me academically while providing opportunities for collaboration outside of class time.

Final Words

The OPTOMCAS personal statement example above aims to show a successful strategy for writing a captivating personal statement.

It details what to include in your statement and how to organize the information. Make the most of your opportunity to market yourself in your statements.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Optometric Medicine

“doctors of optometry are the primary care doctors of the eye and the frontline protectors of vision—our most valued sense. as primary-care providers, doctors of optometry are educated, just as other physicians are, in general health and systemic disease. optometrists are often the first to detect critical health issues—from diabetes to hypertension, from stroke to cancer—and refer their patients for timely treatment. optometrists therefore enjoy the dual satisfaction of having the specialized knowledge to manage their patients’ eye health as well as the medical education to protect their overall wellness.” – association of schools and colleges of optometry.

• Individual Private Practice The individual private practitioner usually is a primary care optometrist with a stand-alone practice. Such practitioners may specialize in fields such as: » Contact lenses, » Pediatrics, » Low vision/geriatrics, and » Vision therapy. An individual practice may be in a variety of settings and locations, ranging from a free-standing to a professional building.
• Partnership or Group Practice This mode of practice is very similar to an individual practice except that there are two or more optometrists in the group. Each member of the group may specialize in a different area of practice. This is an increasingly popular form of practice.
• Retail/Optical Settings In this setting, optometrists usually rent space from or are employed by a large retail outlet. However, they remain independent practitioners.
• Optometric/Ophthalmologic Professional Settings The optometrist practices in conjunction with the ophthalmologist and comanages the patients in this setting.
• Military/Public Health Optometrists are commissioned officers who work in a hospital or clinical setting with other health care practitioners.
• Interdisciplinary Care The optometrist works with other health care practitioners in a hospital-based or clinic setting, such as in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Academic/Research The OD teaches about primary care and/or performs research in a university setting. Academics pursue additional training after optometry school and have completed a residency, or a master of science or doctoral program.
• Corporate/Industrial Optometrists are employed by large corporations to perform clinical research or to provide patient care in a clinic within the corporate setting.
• Consultants Optometrists work as consultants to the ophthalmic industry, education, sports (high school to professional), and government.

Optometry Programs Admissions Directory

• Updated each year
• View detailed statistics for all US programs

Centralized Application Service

• Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS)

Personal Statement

• Brainstorming : A well-crafted personal statement takes time. Begin by brainstorming ideas for your statement, thinking about what you would like to share with the admissions committees. Consult with mentors, friends and family on topics.
• Outline:  Look for themes within your list of brainstorm ideas. Choose a few points from your list that seem especially salient, and develop them into an outline of your essay.
• Working Draft(s):  Once you have written a draft, have people read it and give you honest feedback. Incorporate feedback and come back to it in a couple weeks and see if you still feel that it conveys the impression that you meant to give, and make necessary edits. Consider making an appointment with the  Writing Center . Make sure that you have a developed draft on MAP, to review during your Application Readiness Meeting.
• PreHealth Personal Statement Workshop
• “ How to Write a Strong Statement of Purpose” by Shayna Joubert

Secondary Applications

• Secondary applications may be included within the primary application or sent directly to applicants by a school’s admissions office. In most cases, you will receive secondary applications after your primary application has been verified by the application service (4-6 weeks after submission).
• Schools have varying criteria for who they invite to submit a secondary application. Some schools will send them to every candidate who applies to their program. Others will send them only to applicants who meet their GPA and entrance exam score requirements. Some schools will select only candidates who they are very interested in for secondaries. Your application is not considered to be complete until you have submitted your secondary application.
• Secondary applications are designed by individual programs to learn more about applicants. It is important to realize that secondary applications are both labor intensive and expensive. They typically require answers to essay questions and a fee. Set aside time and money in preparation for writing your essays and paying for submission. Returning your secondary applications within a week or two of receipt demonstrates your continued interest in that program. Waiting longer may hurt your application.
• When you formulate your list of schools to which you plan to apply, take these secondary applications into account. Don’t apply to so many schools that you won’t have the time or money for secondary applications.

General Timeline

• January of year prior to matriculation – Begin Application Readiness Program (see below)
• June/July of year prior to matriculation- OptomCas application opens
• August/September – Applications start to be forwarded to optometry schools, supplemental application are sent to applicants
• September through April of year of matriculation – Interview invitations are sent out on a rolling basis, acceptances are offered on a rolling basis
• Late Spring  – Make final decision if holding multiple offers (follow OptomCAS traffic rules)
• Summer – Start optometry program

Optometry Admission Test

• The OAT is offered year-round
• Should be taken by early Fall of the year of application

Optometry applicants can begin to prepare for their application cycle by participating in the PreMed and PreHealth Advising Application Readiness Program. This includes completing a Qualtrics Self-Assessment survey in MAP, which encourages applicants to reflect on academic and experiential preparation for their designated health profession program.

After applicants complete their self-assessment, they will be invited to set up an Application Readiness Meeting (ARM). This 45-minute meeting will allow the applicant to meet with their advisor to discuss their self-assessment and plan for the upcoming application cycle. This will also be a great time to ask questions about the OptomCas application, OAT, and other elements of the application process.  

Optometry APPLICATION READINESS Program TIMELINE*

January 31 :  Self-Assessment survey due (accessible via MAP). (First Time Applicants ONLY)

May 1:  Self-Assessment survey due (accessible via MAP). (Re-Applicants ONLY)

May 15 : Deadline to complete required Application Readiness Meeting with your individual PreMed/PreHealth Advisor

*To be completed in your application year

Individual Letter Processes

As composite letters of evaluation (I.e., Committee Letter or Letter Packet) are not a traditional piece of an optometry school application, those applying to optometry programs will apply with individual letters of recommendation. Please do not request individual letters through MAP. Instead, follow the instructions in the common application for your profession ( OptomCas Letters of Evaluation ), or the directions of the specific schools if they have a different application process.

• Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS): Quick Start Guide & FAQs

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY APPLICATION GUIDE

• 2025 Cycle Optometry Application Guide
• Explore Health Careers
• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Association of Schools of Optometry (ASCO)
• American Optometric Association

Consumer Information

Admissions policy.

As a graduate professional program, ICO admits only those students who have previously completed a baccalaureate degree or those who have completed either 90 semester/135 quarter hours of undergraduate work in good standing from an accredited undergraduate degree program. All candidates for ICO Admission must meet the following criteria to enter into our Doctor of Optometry program.

For consideration of admissions to the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO), applicants must successfully complete the outlined prerequisites listed below with a grade of “C” or better from a regionally accredited institution. Completion of additional science coursework, preferably in human-based biological science is strongly recommended. Coursework may be planned or in-progress at the time of application.

ICO will accept Advanced Placement (AP) courses for the prerequisites if the minimum number of credit hours is met. AP courses must appear on an applicant’s official college transcript or in a letter from the institution’s Registrar where the AP coursework was awarded. ICO accepts applications from all majors.

REQUIRED PREREQUISITE COURSEWORK

Semester Hours

Quarter Hours

English Composition/Literature

Or similar graded non-remedial writing courses. One course in public speaking is acceptable.

College Calculus

Pre-calculus is not acceptable.

Business statistics is not recommended. Psychology statistics or biostatistics are acceptable.

Biology with Laboratory

General biology, physiology, zoology and comparative anatomy are all acceptable. Botany does not apply.

Microbiology with Laboratory

Bacteriology is also acceptable.

General Chemistry with Laboratory

Inorganic Chemistry is also acceptable.

Organic Chemistry

Laboratory is not required.

Physics with Laboratory

The sequence does not need to be calculus-based.

Both introductory and upper-level psychology courses are acceptable.

Social Science

Economics, political science, anthropology, sociology or an additional psychology course are acceptable.

The following areas will be taken into consideration as applications are reviewed:

Academic History (GPA’s/transcripts, prerequisite courses, and bachelor’s degree(s))

OAT and/or GRE scores

Letters of Recommendations (2)

Professional Knowledge (shadowing, observation, internships, extracurricular activities, as well as knowledge of pertinent websites and publications in the profession)  

ICO has rolling admissions. Applicants are not required to have completed all admissions requirements at the time of application. As long as applicants complete the OAT by the application deadline and have a plan to successfully complete the academic requirements by August of their desired year of entry an applicant can apply. Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Applications to ICO must be initiated via the Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS) starting at the end of June of each year and must be submitted by the application deadline each year. The OptomCAS Online Application includes a personal statement & fee. The following items are to be submitted to OptomCAS:

Official Transcript(s)

Optometry Admissions Test (OAT) and/or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (Only scores reported within the last two years are acceptable.)

Letters of Recommendations:

Professor or an Academic/Pre-Health Advisor. Pre-health faculty committee letters are also acceptable. We do not accept letters from research supervisors or teaching assistants (TAs).

Practicing Optometrist (non-relative)

TOEFL, if English is a second language

After receiving an applicant’s completed application from OptomCAS, applicants can expect to hear back regarding their application status within 3-4 weeks via email. For those deemed competitive, applicants are invited to interview and complete the online Interview Profile Form (essay & Pre-Optometry Coursework Sheet). Due to COVID-19, interviews are taking place virtually, instead of on campus. Interviews are conducted mid-September through the end of April and are conducted primarily by faculty and/or college administrators. Applicants are notified of their decision within 2-3 weeks of their interview date.

ICO does accept applications from applicants who have previously applied or looking to transfer from another optometry school. To re-apply, applicants must apply through OptomCAS and provide updated transcripts (if applicable). It is recommended re-applicants call the Office of Admissions to schedule a counseling session prior to reapplying.

Transfer applicants (those who are currently enrolled in good standing at an optometry school) must contact the Office of Admissions for instructions on how to apply. If an applicant was dismissed or no longer in good standing at an optometry school, the applicant must apply through OptomCAS. Any applicants who previously attended an optometry school will be considered for a seat in the first-year class. Only after gaining acceptance can an applicant apply for advanced standing.

ICO accepts applications from international applicants. International applicants must fulfill all general admissions requirements and apply through OptomCAS. For those educated outside of the United States or Canada, or if an applicant’s transcripts are not in English, the transcripts must be submitted to an official evaluation service. ICO accepts transcript evaluations from the World Education Services and Educational Credential Evaluators. The final report must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions.  

Applicants for whom English is a second language must demonstrate proficiency in both written and spoken English. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants for whom English is a second language. If an applicant feels compelled to forego this examination, a written waiver request must be submitted to the Office of Admissions.

International students who are selected for admissions to the program must present proof of financial responsibility mid-June of their admitted year. Evidence of financial responsibility will allow ICO to issue the student an I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility) which must be presented to the US Consular Office in their home country (or, for Canadian citizens, at the port of entry/Canadian border) to apply for an F-1 nonimmigrant visa.

International accepted candidates will use the following documents to apply for an F-1 Visa:

Form I-20 AB

Evidence of English ability

Evidence of intent to depart the US after completion of studies

Passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of your expected stay

Financial support documentation

Student and Exchange Visitor Information System fee receipt

In addition, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations require that individuals seeking status as an F-1 nonimmigrant student pay a $350 fee to cover the costs for the continued operation of the Student Exchange Visitor Program, including the administration and maintenance of SEVIS. Student and exchange visitors will have the options to pay with a check by mail or with a credit card via the Internet. The DHS will also accept fee payment from a third party, either in the US or abroad. For current SEVIS fee information, applicants should refer to the US Immigration & Customs Enforcement website.

As applicants navigate the application process, they are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions should they have any questions and/or updates to their application.

How to Write – A Killer Personal Statement Optometry Example

The Personal Statement Optometry Edition

The personal statement for Optometry plays a significant role in the application process for many universities. They provide the admissions team with information on your academia, work experience, and personality, to help them determine whether you’re a good fit for their program.

Personal Statement Format - Optometry

A structured and well-written personal statement will highlight your strengths and demonstrate your transferable skillset. You should include your educational background, work history, volunteering, extracurriculars, hobbies, and aspirations (whether you want to stay in primary care, work in a hospital, or create your own business). If you’ve taken courses related to optometry, be sure to mention those too.

If you’re not too sure what to write about, ask yourself these questions:

What do I hope to accomplish by applying to optometry?

How have my experiences prepared me for university?

Why should they choose me?

This guide has you covered with keywords, bonus tips, and a successful personal statement optometry example.

If you’re applying through UCAS, then you’re limited to 4000 characters (including spaces) and up to 47 lines. Check your length by pasting your draft here , you may need to remove the spaces between paragraphs- this is normal and you will not be penalised for that. 

Table of Contents

• Step 1 – Scope of Practice
• Step 2 – Keywords
• Step 3 – Mentor/Editing Service
• Killer Personal Statement Optometry Example
• Overview of the statement

Step 1: Understand an Optometrist's Scope of Practice

An optometrist’s  Scope of Practice simply means what their roles are, what they’re allowed to do, and day-to-day roles. 

Roles – Research the difference between roles of dispensing opticians, optometrists, ophthalmologists, and

– this will show off your background research and understanding.

If you have shadowed an optometrist, mention their roles in educating, advocating, and treating patients. This isn’t somewhere to list roles but suggests how you hope to make a difference through these roles.

Standards of Practice – Look into the General Optical Council Standards – These are 19 standards each optical professional must abide by. Integrate some of these in your personal statement optometry.

e.g., Standard 5: Keep your knowledge and skills up to date – Show your ability to research outside of your currciculum, mention an article, or research that you read. Show that you’re aware that learning extends beyond university!

Step 2: Keywords

• Collaboration- an ability to work closely with others
• Educator- willingness to teach others, educate patients on their vision health
• Advocate- care and support those with visual conditions, impairments & vulnerable patients
• Leader- handle the business side of optometry, manage a clinic, and mentor juniors
• Empathy- work with a diverse community, care for the young, elderly, those with disabilities etc…
• Communication- an ability to speak coherently, clearly, jargon-free, and alter your tone

Purchase the full guide with 3 successful examples, keywords, insider knowledge, top tips, full structure breakdown, and more...

Step 3: mentor/editing service.

Find a Mentor

Most applicants resort to their career adviser for help with their optometry personal statement. Make sure your career adviser has a track record of successful students who have previously applied and helped with a personal statement optometry application.

Optometry is a unique field, focusing on the eyes and a part of healthcare. It’s competitive, meaning you want to use each paragraph to add value rather than repeating what’s already on your UCAS application.

The universities will have your academic records, predicted grades, and final results- so they know you’re hard working and can handle the workload. They want to know how you are as a person, your work experience, knowledge beyond the A Level curriculum, and evidence of your caring nature.

Professional Mentor – a personal statement editor or advisor is someone who helps applicants for a living. They should have had experience with optometry and the application process. My services include editing, rewriting, content addition or budget services which include proofreading, review, and grammar corrections .

Optometrist – if you’ve shadowed an optometrist you might be able to ask them to read through your personal statement for optometry. They can highlight any technical errors or fact-check to make sure the content is correct

Personal Statement Optometry Example

“As an avid photographer, I grew passionate about learning the different camera lenses, apertures, and their impact on focus. This intertwined with my anatomical interests, which stemmed from biology, where I dissected an eye. Visualising the ciliary muscles and learning their function alongside the zonular fibres helped me to understand their function on the lens. A simple contraction causes tension enabling us to focus on near objects. This significant but small muscle carries out an essential function, if impaired, our vision would be hugely affected. Researching this inspired me to understand ocular anatomy and age-related conditions. My research and the dissection tutorial sparked my fascination for vision health. As a teenager, I was always drawn to healthcare, but I was now drawn to this fascinating sector of healthcare. Following my research on age-related conditions, I came across cataracts which are prevalent within the geriatric population. I oversaw the impact cataracts had on elderly patients while volunteering weekly at a residential home. Many residents lacked independence due to their visual impairments and mobility issues. I recognised that many required visual aids, glasses, or regular medication and appointments. To understand the impact this had on their quality of life, I spoke to many who were happy to share their stories. I empathised with their struggles and understood how vision is essential. I also learned how residents coped with their deteriorating vision by improving their room lighting, colour-coded medication, and asking for help. I was able to help with tasks like clipping nails, meal times, and cleaning. I found the team to be very helpful, and we worked closely to make sure everyone was cared for. This work was undoubtedly rewarding, but it made me wonder how those in developing countries or of a lower income are able to access or afford such care. This made me grateful for the cataract surgeries and extensive care the NHS provides for all ages. I hope to use this experience to understand my future patients and educate them on coping methods while they await surgery. I found myself using a more gentle and slower speech when communicating with elderly patients; some suffered from hearing issues and additionally required me to write things down or speak facing them while accentuating my words. I now bear this in mind and am more patient and empathetic toward others. To understand what optometry entails, I shadowed my optometrist for two weeks. I oversaw consultations, eye health checks, diabetic checks, and the use of OCT scans. Being eager to learn, I curiously asked the optometrist to explain the purpose behind each check. I’m grateful that she was kind enough to explain the procedures and the various conditions that can arise. We spoke about retinal detachment, symptoms, and the risk of sudden vision loss. I recognised how crucial it is to care for those in the chair, whether it be elderly patients or those with limited English. Each required a thorough check and an explanation that they could understand. In order to gain a comprehensive experience, I learned about the administrative side of optometry, what is involved in running a clinic, and ensuring referrals are followed up. I had a chance to respond to phone calls and book appointments. This improved my communication skills and ability to empathise with those who were distressed by their symptoms, I could relate as I had recently suffered from allergies, which caused a great deal of irritation and itchiness. Overall, I believe my shadowing, rooted interests in anatomy, and willingness to work in a patient-centred profession have drawn me to optometry. I, therefore, wish to learn, develop, and treat those who are in my care by providing a quality service that will continue beyond university.”

Remember- Scope of Practice, use keywords, and get help with your Personal Statement Optometry

Sentence structure, flow, spelling, and grammar are equally important. Without flow and good transitional sentences, it becomes difficult to read, losing the admission tutor’s interest.

Therefore, I strongly advise getting professional help with the draft once it is written. Invest in your future now to maximise your chances of getting into your dream 0ptometry course.

Get help from an experienced writer Volunteering in your local area Top 3 Dental Personal Statements  

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Applying to optometry school

Applying to optometry school can be complicated, but we are here to help! Advisors at the Health Professions and Prelaw Center can help you develop your best strategy and troubleshoot problems you encounter in your application. Make sure to attend one of our Personal Statement Writing Workshops so you can get started early on your application essay.

Consult the information below for helpful advice.

OPTOMCAS application #

Applicants apply to optometry schools through an electronic, centralized application administered by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry called OptomCAS . Once you complete your OptomCAS application, it will be processed and sent to all the optometry schools you select to receive it. All schools and colleges of optometry in the United States participate in OptomCAS.

For the OptomCAS application you will create your own User Name and Password that will allow you to create your electronic application. You can log in, fill out part of the application, and save your changes before logging out. Once you are satisfied that everything is accurate and complete, you submit it electronically and it is sent to OptomCAS for processing.

Coursework section #

On the OptomCAS application, you will fill out information regarding every college course you have taken, so you will need to refer to transcripts from every college or university you have attended. You will also need to order official transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attended to be sent to the application service. At IU Bloomington, you can order your transcript from Student Central .

OptomCAS will not process your application without all of your transcripts. You can check the status of your online application to see if your transcripts have been received.

OptomCAS will verify that you have entered your coursework correctly on the application by matching your application against the transcripts from the colleges and universities you have attended. After OptomCAS processes your application, they will send it to the schools you have selected to receive it.

Experiences and achievements #

The OptomCAS application includes a section where you can provide information on experiences and achievements such as employment, extracurricular activities, optometric experience, shadowing, volunteering, awards and honors. Shadowing of optometrists should also be listed here. For further information, please refer to the application instructions on the OptomCAS website.

Supplemental program materials and personal essay #

The “Program Materials” section of the OptomCAS application will ask you to submit supplemental materials for each individual optometry school where you are applying.

In the “Program Materials” section, individual optometry schools will ask that you submit an essay. Most of the schools ask that you write an essay no more than 4500 characters (including spaces) responding to this prompt: “Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career goals.”

The admissions committee will read your essay to learn why you want to become an optometrist. An effective approach is to write about the series of events in your life that have led you to optometry. What started you on the path toward the goal of becoming an optometrist, and what kept you on that path once you started, even at times when it wasn’t easy? Drawing material from your prehealth journal can provide useful insights and help bring your writing to life.

Make sure to attend one of the Personal Statement Writing Workshops offered by the Health Professions and Prelaw Center to help you begin a draft of your essay. Schedule an appointment with a HPPLC advisor for feedback on a draft of your essay.

Letters of recommendation #

Optometry schools require that you submit letters of recommendation written by others on your behalf along with your application.  Letters of recommendation can provide admissions committees insight into your personal qualities. Recommendation letters can tell them about your communication and interpersonal skills, and your readiness for optometry school.

Developing relationships with your professors is an important part of your intellectual growth and will help you obtain strong letters of recommendation.

Optometry schools vary in their requirements for letters of recommendation. Most optometry schools will require a minimum of three letters of recommendation. The Indiana University School of Optometry requires three letters of recommendation. At least one should be from a science professor.

Consult the individual optometry school websites for information on the recommendations each school requires or reference the OptomCAS website's page on letters of recommendation .

Letters of recommendation are sent to optometry schools directly from the recommenders through the OptomCAS application system.  For more information please consult the instructions on the OptomCAS website.

On this page...

• OPTOMCAS application
• Coursework section
• Experiences and achievements
• Supplemental program materials and personal essay
• Letters of recommendation

Optometry Admissions Blog

Southern california college of optometry at marshall b. ketchum university.

• Applying Through OptomCAS: Your Application Through Its Stages

This article about applying through OptomCAS is broken down into two segments:

• Start Through Submit provides tips about getting started and all phases leading up to submitting your application electronically through OptomCAS
• Hitting Submit ,  meaning that your application is now being processed by both OptomCAS and SCCO.  What are the key steps in that process?

Start to Submit

Submitting an application to a professional school is inherently anxiety-producing. While some of this anxiety is warranted, much is unnecessarily produced simply from a lack of knowledge regarding the admissions process.

SCCO’s admissions advisors are here to help!  This two-part article will guide you toward appropriate resources and insider tips—all provided to ensure smooth sailing on your journey to being admitted to optometry school.

Please note that while much of this information may apply to any or all optometry programs, some content is specific to SCCO. Applicants are advised to thoroughly review the OptomCAS website for current and accurate information, especially each school’s admissions policies.

Steps in the Process:

All optometry schools require applicants to submit their applications through OptomCAS. Each cycle begins on July 1.  The deadlines for submitting an application vary from school to school. Once the online application is accessed, OptomCAS allows applicants to work on their applications, save changes, and submit the application when ready.

Reading the directions provided throughout the application thoroughly is important because some entries are irreversible/permanent even if the application has not yet been submitted.

We highly recommend you become an expert in the application process by reading through OptomCAS’ helpful sections with tips to help before and after you submit your application:

• Frequently Asked Questions

Once you create a login, the first section you’ll want to tackle is “Manage My Programs,” where you can select the various programs you plan to apply to. You may go back and edit this section anytime if your program choices change. OptomCAS charges processing fees, which are addressed in this section. Viewing 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.

The four categories of the OptomCAS application are:

• Personal Information
• Academic History
• Supporting Information
• Program Materials

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. Such professional qualities include: paying attention to details, being thorough, double checking your grammar and content. Many applicants make the mistake of laboring over their personal statement for weeks yet neglect to proofread the rest of their application, editing for the use of proper punctuation and grammar throughout.

While the application is central, there may be additional requirements or information that is specific to a program’s admissions requirements that are not stipulated on the OptomCAS application. Become an expert in the admissions process for each school you apply to. Know what makes a competitive applicant . 

Advisor Tip: So you know how many elements are completed and to gauge your progress, OptomCAS provides an icon entitled “Sections Completed” for each category. While this is helpful, you are advised to communicate with your designated programs after submitting your application to verify that your application is in fact considered complete by their program.

Personal Information:

Academic History:

In this section, you will record ALL colleges and universities attended, including dates attended and degrees earned or expected. OptomCAS requires grades for every school and course to be entered. For details regarding how coursework should be classified, refer to OptomCAS’ FAQ section referenced at the beginning of this article. Even if you only took one class at a school or the coursework appears on another school’s transcript, you will need to input the information and submit the original transcript directly to OptomCAS for verification purposes. OptomCAS will review the transcripts for accuracy and supply the information for each optometry program to use the verified grades to evaluate GPAs, identify trends, etc.

Advisor Tip:  Admissions advisors may counsel you as to what academic benchmarks you should meet to be a competitive applicant; however, when the season begins, competition within the applicant pool must take place and you will be forced to compete with other applicants in the pool for a shot at an interview invitation.

Optometry Admissions Test (OAT) or Other Standardized Tests:

In this section, you will add “Standardized Tests,” such as the Optometry Admissions Test. This section allows you to enter scores if you have already taken the test or enter a date when you plan to take the test. Be encouraged to enter future test dates as this information factors into our decision-making process.

In addition to entering the above information into OptomCAS, you must also let the testing facility know that you would like your scores released to the various programs to which you apply.

Each program processes test scores differently, so it is important that you research each program’s preferences and requirements regarding standardized tests. SCCO will not offer an interview invitation before receiving OFFICIAL standardized test scores directly from the exam administrators.  Also, unofficial copies submitted by applicants are not acceptable.

The OAT is the preferred test; however, the MCAT and DAT are also accepted.

Advisor Tips : 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 from the date of your test for the scores to populate in OptomCAS. If you have taken the OAT before applying, it will take about 10 days for your OAT scores to populate in OptomCAS. You do not need OAT test scores to apply;  however, your application will not advance in the process until OAT scores are received and evaluated.

For evaluation, SCCO uses the highest set of scores from the most recent OAT test date.  Within the admissions cycle, SCCO is proactive in informing applicants should it be necessary to retake the OAT to improve competitiveness.

If you retake the OAT, please inform us via email at [email protected] 

There is a wealth of firsthand information on the Blog regarding OAT preparation and timeline strategy for taking the OAT by applicants who have taken it:   Tips for OAT Preparation and Other Strategies

SCCO does not require TOEFL scores from foreign applicants.

Supporting Information:

This section includes Evaluations, Experiences, Achievements, and a Release Statement.

Letters of Recommendation are not required by SCCO but are highly recommended as part of your OptomCAS application. Should you wish to submit LORs with your application, the following information should prove helpful.

The email from OptomCAS provides instructions for the recommender to upload an electronic copy of the LOR he or she has prepared, as well as how to fill out a “rating of attributes,” the form where the recommender rates the applicant on various skills and qualities.

Hardcopy letters will not be accepted by OptomCAS. Each school has specific recommendations or requirements regarding LORs; therefore, it is important to research each program’s individual requirements.

When a recommender submits his or her information, an email is triggered to notify you of its completion. You DO NOT need to wait until all LORs have been received in order to hit “submit” on your application. LORs will continue to populate in your application even after you have officially submitted.

Advisor Tip:   Though submitting LORs is not a mandatory requirement, they will be read and considered should they be submitted as part of your application. When deciding between the recommenders who will write LORs on your behalf, a rule of thumb is to choose the recommender who knows you best.  Sometimes this is impossible, (i.e. when you have an academic adviser who had you in class for, say, only one term, and didn’t really know you all that well).  Because the recommender states how long he or she has known the applicant, it is a more authentic source when there has been a longer relationship with the applicant.

Experiences may be classified on OptomCAS in one of these categories:  employment, extracurricular, shadowing, optometric experience, or volunteer. You will enter the name and contact information of the organization or individual you interacted with and experience dates and details.

Many students fail to include experiences or activities because they don’t think they relate directly to optometry. This is a big mistake! Admissions officers and application reviewers are trying to get the whole picture of who you are as a person in order to answer the important question of “is this person doctor material?” While much of these experiences are explored during the interview exchange, your application can tell us more about you than you know!

Here are just a few examples to provide insight as to what your experiences may convey:

Does this applicant have good time management skills? While evaluating experiences, we also cross-reference your activities with your grades and course load to determine if you could effectively multi-task, balancing your schoolwork and activities, much like you will be doing during optometry school.

Will this applicant work well with classmates and faculty members? Being the captain of an intramural soccer team may not tell us if you’ll be a good clinician, but it does tell us you have leadership qualities and know how to work with a team.

Will this person work well with patients? Community service and employment are very effective ways to learn how to deal with the public and develop excellent people skills. Applicants are advised to seek opportunities that will allow them to directly work with people from various demographics. Participating in a cancer fundraising walk does not help you learn compassion for patients the way that volunteering in a pediatric cancer hospital will. Tutoring your classmates is great, but tutoring at-risk youth will help you stretch yourself and get out of your comfort zone. Stuffing goodie bags for a holiday party at a senior citizen’s home is far less impactful than volunteering to talk with residents once a week.

Does this applicant have a heart for service, and have they proven this with the experiences outlined?  Talk is cheap. If your personal statement describes your passion for serving the less fortunate and your experiences don’t indicate that you’ve chosen to do this with your discretionary time, you’ve dug a hole for yourself.

Adviser Tip:   Confusion may arise as to what experience to list under which heading. For example, you completed an internship with an optometrist. Is that shadowing or optometric experience? If there is any confusion about under which heading your experience should be listed, choose the section you feel it best belongs under; there is no right or wrong answer for this situation and all experiences will be reviewed.

Frequently asked questions about the Experiences section:

How far back should I go when including information? Typically admissions committees prefer work and experiences from the past few years or your entire undergraduate career. If you have been involved in something since high school and are still currently involved, this is worth mentioning because it shows your commitment level to this experience.

What if I have an experience planned, but it won’t take place until after I’ve submitted my application? (For example, you’ve secured an internship for the month of August, but you are submitting your application in July)  If you have an experience planned but not completed by the time you submit your application, you are best advised to include as much information as possible and note that the experience will be taking place.  These experiences are explored fully in the interview, which is when you need to have information about additional shadowing and experiences ready to discuss.

What if I don’t know the end date of the experience?   OptomCAS will allow you to leave the “End Date” section empty.

Achievements are awards and honors earned and should be self-explanatory.  Include high school awards, especially if they are academic.

Program Materials:

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.

Some schools, such as SCCO, have OptomCAS host their supplemental essay questions, which allows applicants to submit their supplemental essay questions through the OptomCAS application instead of sending them separately to the schools.  Here are the Essay Questions .

SCCO communicates with applicants in two ways: 1) email updates regarding the status of your application or missing requirements, and 2) we provide each applicant with a secure personal login for your own personal online Applicant Portal which allows you to track your status, read helpful documents pertaining to the particular stage of the process you are in, submit school-specific payments, and check on which requirements have been received or may be missing.

  Hit Submit

You’ve tediously entered transcripts, proofread your personal statement 2,020 times (because you’re after perfection, of course), and you’ve contacted all of your letter of recommendation writers, right? You’ve hit “Submit,” so congratulations, your application is done!

Many applicants assume that as soon as they hit “Submit,” there’s nothing left for them to do but sit around and wait to hear back from schools. Not so. Instead, now you must proactively manage your application all season long by periodically logging onto your OptomCAS application and making sure that 1) transcripts and LORs have been received, 2)  your “Experiences” sections stay updated with new activities and new shadowing experiences,  3) you are adding updated test scores should you have retaken any tests, and 4) making sure that no further action is required on your part.

You’ve made certain your application is complete, and will continue to make updates to it as necessary. What does the rest of the process look like for the applicant through OptomCAS and SCCO?

Advisor Tip: In preparation to read this entire article, click here for the PDF version  for the overview Map of  SCCO’s Admissions Process as pictured below (the links are functional in this version): There are six statuses in which OptomCAS may categorize your application:

The OptomCAS Statuses Are: “In Progress”:  Application has been started for this program, but has not yet been submitted to OptomCAS for processing. “ Received” :  Applicant has e-submitted application, but required documents and/or payment have not been received. “Complete” : Applicant has e-submitted the application, and all required documents and payments have been received. Applicant is currently in queue for verification and to have GPAs calculated. As soon as you hit submit, your application goes to OptomCAS and NOT directly to the schools. OptomCAS will cross-reference/verify your transcripts for accuracy, and collect your letters of recommendation prior to releasing your completed application to your designated schools. This process typically takes 3-4 weeks. Applicants are encouraged to monitor their application through the “My Application” section of their application and contact OptomCAS with any questions. SCCO will inform you via email when your application reaches this stage in the process. “Verified”: Application is completed, verified, and has been released to schools electronically as ready for review. Once your application reaches this stage, SCCO will contact you through two separate emails: 1) to let you know your application has reached our program and is eligible for review and, 2) to provide you with a personal login for our My.Ketchum.edu Applicant Portal. This Portal will allow you to pay your $75 Supplemental Application Fee, which initiates the review process on our end. “ On Hold ” or “ Undelivered ” are designations made by OptomCAS. If this is your status, OptomCAS customarily will notify you as to the reason why; however, you are best advised to proactively contact OptomCAS to find out if there is any action required on your part to move the process along.

As you periodically check in on your application, if you see that your application is in any category but “verified,” it means that it is not eligible for review.  If this is the case, direct all questions about your application to OptomCAS .

Advisor Tip: SCCO’s supplemental essay questions are included in OptomCAS, so there is no need to submit any additional content beyond the payment. As soon as this payment is received, we will access your standardized test scores (unless you haven’t taken any tests yet) and begin reviewing your application. Here is the  overview of our first qualifying round in the process, the  academic qualification .

Now SCCO Gets Involved:

Within 1-2 weeks of submitting your $75 payment, you will receive an email from SCCO regarding the status of your application. Upon initial review, there are two possible outcomes:

The First Possible Outcome is “On Hold”: This may happen for various reasons such as missing or low OAT scores, awaiting fall grades, etc.

If your application is placed on hold, you will be notified by email stating the reason for the hold, and we will provide details of any action required on your part.

Once the requested items are received, we will review your application again, and you will be notified of a status update. If your application is indeed placed on hold, don’t get discouraged because applicants who are placed on hold may be taken off hold and offered an interview at any time during the season.

The Second Possible Outcome is “Offered an Interview”: Congratulations! Through your Portal login, you will have access to schedule an interview time slot for an interview.

Onto the Interview:

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:

• The “How to Apply” page on our website outlines the entire application process, including details about how interviews will work for each specific cycle.
• “ The Interview-The Second Qualifying Round ”  will provide information about the interview day.
• Blog Articles About Preparing to Interview  is a series of articles written to prepare you for SCCO’s applicant interview.
• Blog Articles About Shadowing will help you with this all-important interview topic. It’s important to shadow, but it’s even more important to know how to discuss your shadowing experience in the interview.
• The Medical School Interview by Jeremiah Fleenor, MD, MBA is a book that is highly recommended  as a tool to prepare for the interview. this book serves as the code-cracker for understanding why interviewers ask the questions they ask. It gives practical tips on how to prepare yourself to an interview and even about how to dress for the encounter. It is a must!

Advisor Tip: Interview time slot reservations are first come first serve. We utilize rolling admissions explained  so applicants are encouraged to take the first available interview time slot.

After the Interview:

Applicants will be notified of their status  within a week of the interview.  There are two possible outcomes:

The First Possible Outcome is “Being Placed on the Alternate List”: Applicants placed on the Alternate List are still being considered for admission but have not qualified for immediate acceptance. For more information on how the Alternate List functions in a rolling admissions cycle .

The Second Possible Outcome is “ Offer Made”: Congratulations! You have been provisionally accepted to the Southern California College of Optometry! Terms of your acceptance include submitting a signed Matriculation Agreement, paying the first half of your $750 non-refundable deposit, and initiating your Criminal Background Check (CBC) . Prior to May 15, applicants have 2 weeks to submit these 3 requirements. After May 15, applicants have 1 week to do so.

Finishing Up:

Securing your seat in the incoming class is contingent upon completing the above three requirements by a deadline. The CBC needs to only be initiated by the accepted applicant before the deadline and not necessarily received by SCCO as it may take up to several weeks for the company to complete the check. Once the satisfactory CBC is received, your official acceptance will be granted, and your seat in SCCO’s incoming class is secure. Welcome to the MBKU Family!

Applicants who were placed on hold and not offered an interview and thus not moving forward in the process to an interview invitation will typically be notified by March or April at the latest.

SCCO’s Incoming Class of 2017 on Orientation Day

Applicants who interview and are placed on the Alternate List may be offered a seat in the class at any time during the season prior to Orientation but typically are called up after all interviews have concluded in the spring. Past season’s trends suggest that anyone not admitted off the Alternate List by mid-June will likely need to accept an offer elsewhere or reapply; however, it is possible to be admitted even as late as mid-August should an open seat become available.

Peer Advisors will be assigned during the summertime for students who are admitted to the class. The Peer Advisors help with any questions matriculating students may have leading up to Orientation in mid-August. Peer Advisors also host a Peer Advisor Blog, and here are some sample Peer Advisor blog articles written for incoming students .

So now you have it. For those who confidently work through the process, it should be very enjoyable.

If you swing by the area to look for housing, pop into campus and say hello to the Admissions Officers! We love seeing our incoming students and their families as they prepare to embark on an exciting four years with us at SCCO!

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The Illinois College of Optometry Student Blog

• Rachel Shackelford
• Jul 30, 2019

Applying for Optometry School: My Steps and Mis-steps

As I prepare for my first year at ICO, I’ve been reflecting a lot on how I got here. About a year before I began applying to optometry school, I was already pretty anxious about where to apply, whether my grades and OAT scores would be good enough, and trying to fit shadowing hours into a busy schedule. When the time to apply came around, things went relatively smoothly. I thought I’d share some pro-tips for those experiencing the same anxieties I did.

Shadowing and Experience

What I did right…

The summer before my junior year of undergrad, I registered for a 1 credit hour health science class where the only requirement was doing 35 hours of shadowing. This was a great motivator for me to rack up a lot of hours in a short amount of time. I wanted to get a wide variety of shadowing experiences, so I called nearly every vision clinic in driving distance. I was able to schedule either a full or half-day with four different doctors. Each site was a different type of practice; I saw something new at each place. My summer class required that I uphold a journal of what I saw. So, I kept a copy of what I wrote for when it came time to apply for schools.

Since shadowing helped solidify my desire to become an optometrist, I knew I needed to gain a better understanding of day-to-day life in the profession. The best way to do this was to get a job in a private practice, so the summer before I applied to optometry school, I worked as an optometric technician. Over three months, I began to see what goes into a business and how an entire clinic works together to treat patients.

What I did wrong…

I was able to learn a lot through my optometric experiences, but I know my work in a private practice only scratched the surface. I would like to have spent more time working with the doctor and learning even more about the profession. Working another summer with an optometrist would have helped me develop a better working relationship at the practice and may have allowed me to take on more duties that could have benefited me in the long-run.

Optometry Admissions Test (OAT)

As I’m sure most of you have, I read everywhere that the best thing to do to prepare for the OAT was to begin studying early. I tried my best to take this advice to heart. I began studying about nine months before my test date. At first, all of my studying was through the Crack the OAT website. The site had practice OAT tests for individual topics, sections, and full exams. I used the exams to gauge what areas I most needed to study. From there, I made a study plan for what I should work on each week over the months leading up to the exam.

Just weeks before the exam, I went into my undergrad’s health science office and checked out one of their Kaplan test prep books. I highly recommend buying, renting, or borrowing one prior to your OAT. I found the questions and passages in the prep book to be much more similarly formatted to those on the actual exam than the ones I had worked through on Crack the OAT. The book gave me great tips for how to use my time and resources wisely that benefited me greatly during the exam.

I failed to keep to my weekly study schedule for the OAT, only studying during academic and holiday breaks. This limited the amount of topics I was able to review and added to my pre-test anxiety.

I also waited way too long to check out the resources the Health Science Office had. The books I read were incredibly helpful and free to use. I wish I had taken a little time each week to browse them throughout the school year leading up to my exam.

The OptomCAS portion of your application is where you can really showcase the amazing things you have done as an undergraduate student to prepare for optometry school. For me—and I’m sure all of you—this meant outlining shadowing, work, and volunteer experiences.

My #1 tip for OptomCAS: take advantage of the “Description” box! Since I kept a journal of my shadowing experiences, I knew how many hours I had logged and what I'd observed at each practice. This allowed me to describe on OptomCAS the unique experiences I had at each office I visited. Not only did this show the admissions committees that I had a comprehensive understanding of the profession, but it also supplied talking points for my interviews. The same goes for work and volunteer experience. Describe your responsibilities, especially those that directly relate to your ability to succeed as an optometry student.

I chose a rather broad topic for my personal statement on OptomCAS. Before I submitted my application, I had my health science adviser read through my personal statement. She thought that I could make a more compelling impression on admissions committees by choosing to focus on one aspect of my life rather than attempting to share all of my optometric goals in one essay. I couldn't find a specific angle to use, so I narrowed my essay as far as I could, then submitted it. The broad topic didn’t necessarily hinder my application, but it may have kept me from standing out to those that read my application.

Hopefully, reading about my journey applying for schools has helped you in some way. Whether you take after my successes or learn from my mistakes, I want to help future ODs showcase their skills the best they can. If nothing else, remember this: despite some of my false steps, I was still accepted into optometry school and am about to begin my journey at ICO. So, don’t stress as much as I did, and be confident that you too can achieve your goals!

• RachelShackelford

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OptomCAS Program Materials

• Last updated
• Save as PDF

The Program Materials section includes additional information and requirements for the programs you selected in the Add Program tab. Each program's requirements may vary, so it's important you review this section in detail.

Your selected programs appear on the left side of this page; click each program's name to begin your review. Note that depending on your program's requirements, you'll see one or more of the tabs outlined below.

The Home tab contains the Program Details provided by each program at the start of the application cycle. It includes deadlines and other information specific to the program. Be sure to review this page carefully for any additional instructions, information, and/or requirements.

The Questions tab is only available for certain programs. Here, you can answer questions specific to each program. Questions may be multiple choice or open-ended text boxes. Some programs require an additional essay. Contact each program directly if you have questions.

Select your answers for each question and then click Save . If copying a response into a text box, check for possible formatting changes. We suggest using simple formatting, as tabs, italics, multiple spaces, etc., will not be saved. To delineate paragraphs, type a double return between each paragraph.

The following essay question is required by each program for the OptomCAS application:

Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career goals.

The essay has a 4,500 character limit.

The Documents tab is only available for certain programs. Uploaded documents will only be visible to that specific program. Documents that do not have a red asterisk are optional and do not need to be uploaded for you to submit your application.

Contact the program directly if you have any questions about their specific requirements.

If your program provides a PDF form to fill out and upload in this section, you must save and upload it as an image. Depending on your computer's operating system, there may be multiple ways to do this; a Google search can point you in the right direction.

Once your application is submitted, you cannot re-upload, update, or edit the documents in any way; however, you can upload new documents.

Prerequisites

The Prerequisites tab is only available for certain programs. In it, you can assign courses you took (or plan to take) to fulfill the program's required prerequisites. You must complete Transcript Entry and Transcript Review in order to complete this section. You should only add additional courses if necessary to reach the minimum credit requirement. Do not exceed the listed requirements by matching extra courses.

Note that assigning these courses does not necessarily mean you meet the program's prerequisite requirements ; the program wants you to self-identify these courses for their review. Contact each program directly if you have questions about these prerequisites.

Assign a Prerequisite

• Click Assign Course .
• Click the plus sign next to the course(s) that you believe fulfills the prerequisite. You can match multiple courses to one prerequisite, if applicable. If you do not have a prerequisite course to add, click I Am Not Matching Any Courses to this Prerequisite .
• Click Save and Exit .

 There are many pieces to the optometry school application, including your GPA, OAT score, personal statement, list of experiences, letters of recommendation, and biographical information. Use the navigation below to explore each aspect of preparing for optometry school.

• What is an Optometrist?

A Doctor of Optometry is a primary health care professional who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of vision problems and other abnormalities.

Optometrists can prescribe optometric treatment such as corrective lenses, contact lenses or vision therapy that may be required to provide the patient with clear and efficient vision.

Optometrists are different from (1) ophthalmologists, who are physicians specializing in eye surgery and the treatment of eye diseases, and (2) opticians, who fill lens prescriptions written by optometrists or ophthalmologists.

The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) is your go-to place when considering a career in optometry.

• Becoming an Optometrist

• Optometry School Prerequisites

*Check your major requirements before choosing classes. **These courses are also recommended before taking the OAT * If you have already taken BIS 105, we encourage having the syllabus ready to share with schools. Applicants don’t necessarily need to take additional classes before they apply. Requirements vary by school. Please call HPA’s Express Advising for questions.​ Updated 2/2023.

See the  Optometry School Prerequisite Chart  for a sample list of optometry programs and their requirements.

Note: The above courses are only suggested, not absolute.  You can choose any major and apply to optometry schools.  If you choose a non-science major, you still have to take the science prerequisites required by most schools. Always cross-check your major requirements with the optometry school prerequisites when choosing classes.

Complete all of your prerequisite courses for a letter grade -  DO NOT  take any of them P/NP.

HPA recommends that pre-optometry students maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, although many optometry schools will have GPA averages above this minimum. 

Each optometry school has different prerequisites. Check each school's prerequisites before applying. 

• Optometry Admission Test (OAT)

The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) is currently required by all colleges of optometry in the United States and is offered throughout the year. It is recommended that you take the OAT prior to beginning the application process. 

You can only take the test once every 60 days.

The OAT lasts just over 4 hours.

Composed of four subjects, including: Survey of the Natural Sciences ( 40 Biology Questions, 30 General Chemistry, 30 Organic Chemistry Questions) Reading Comprehension Physics Quantitative Reasoning Learn more about the OAT on the ASCO OAT Information Page!

Health Professions Advising recommends that students take the following courses before taking the OAT:

BIS 2ABC Introduction to Biology

CHE 2ABC General Chemistry

CHE 118ABC Organic Chemistry

PHY 7ABC General Physics

NPB 101 Human Systemic Physiology

Other classes that may help:

EXB 106 Human Gross Anatomy

BIS 101 Genes & Gene Expression

BIS 102 & 103 (or 105) Biochemistry

• Experiences

Optometry schools emphasize the importance of gaining experiences in the field of optometry before applying. Shadowing or interviewing an optometrist can showcase your interest in the field. One way to find opportunities to observe optometrists is through ICC's Health Related Internships. 

Choose experiences that are meaningful to you and think outside the box! Here are some good places to start looking for pre-optometry experiences at UC Davis: Health Related Internships   through the Internship and Career Center (ICC) Opportunities to publish and present research through the  Undergraduate Research Center Global Health Internships through  Study Abroad Health Internships through the  Washington Program Volunteering for the  UC Davis Pre-Health Conference Completing community service using the  ICC Volunteer Opportunities Database Join a Pre-Health related club or other student organizations through the Center for Student Involvement Volunteer at a  Student Run Clinic

• Applying to Optometry School
• Frequently Asked Questions

Studying abroad is a wonderful experience that we encourage you to pursue. It is a valuable experience that provides the opportunity for growth in both maturity and cultural awareness.

You should not study abroad because you are pre-health in an effort to make your application stand out. You should study abroad because you want to gain the experience.

Lower and upper-division English (ENL) and University Writing Program (UWP) courses will satisfy the English requirement for optometry schools unless an OD program's website says otherwise. You may also take similar classes at a community college. 

Note: Testing out of the upper division UWP course requirement via the  Upper Division Composition Exam (UDCE)  for graduation  does not  count towards the optometry school requirement. 

Many pre-health students take  UWP 104F  ( see course description here ). This is a great option because in this class you will produce a personal statement draft. Consider waiting to take UWP 104F until your junior or senior year, or closer to when you will submit your application. Which courses count towards the science GPA? You can find science classes classified by OptomCAS  and how to calculate different types of GPA .

To calculate your science GPA, pull up your Academic Record in OASIS. Along the left side of the course list you will see boxes next to each course. Check off the boxes for the courses you wish to be included in the GPA calculation on the right side of the page. What is an optometric residency? An optometric residency is a program of a minimum of twelve months designed to strengthen your preparation as a provider of patient care beyond entry level practice. It takes place after graduating from optometry school and must be comprised of supervised clinical eye/vision care. It should include a mix of self-directed learning, seminar participation, instructional experiences and scholarship. Where do Optometrists practice? Optometrists practice in a wide variety of settings, from hospitals and clinics to educational institutions or in the industry. They can also practice in an array of communities, and can choose to work alone or with other health professionals. To get a sense of the scope of optometry, try shadowing optometrists in varying modes of practice. More questions? Visit our FAQ page or schedule an appointment with an advisor.

Application process: Optometry (MSci) (4 years)

Some applicants find the interview for our four-year Optometry course daunting. We've tried to make the interview process as clear and transparent as possible through this step-by-step guide to what we are looking for in successful applicants.

How to apply

All applications for entry to undergraduate study in the UK must be directed through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

UCAS application forms can be obtained from schools or directly from UCAS. This should be done nine to 12 months before intending to start the course (21 to 24 months in the case of gap year students).

Please refer to the UCAS website for further information on key dates and the application process.

How your application is considered

We will review your entire UCAS application to determine whether you have satisfied the criteria for interview selection.

For applicants based in the UK, Republic of Ireland and the Channel Islands, the interview will be held at The University of Manchester.

For applicants residing outside the UK (international and EU), this may involve a Skype/Zoom interview.

As a general rule, applicants who are given the opportunity to attend an interview will have:

• a good set of GCSE grades, with Grade 5 in Mathematics and English Language;
• predicted A-levels at a minimum of ABB (or equivalent qualifications). The Grade A must be in a science subject ;
• a well-written personal statement that confirms your interest in studying optometry;
• a supportive academic reference.

We receive approximately 1,100 applications each academic year and hold 7 interview dates per session from November to March. Skype/Zoom interviews will be arranged on an ad hoc basis.

All offers are based on a combination of predicted/achieved A-levels (or equivalent), personal statement, reference and interview assessment.

Candidates whose primary choice of course is Medicine or Dentistry

Applicants who have applied for Medicine or Dentistry as a first choice will still be considered for Optometry.

Subject to meeting the advertised requirements, you will be invited to submit a revised personal statement that confirms your interest in Optometry. If this is satisfactory, you will be invited for an interview in March/April.

About the personal statement

Your personal statement offers an opportunity for you to stand out from other applicants. A well-written statement that demonstrates enthusiasm and commitment to optometry will improve your chances of success.

You should include details of outside interests, work experience and any position of responsibility you have held.

Please note: we have a zero tolerance policy on plagiarised personal statements. Any statements that are flagged by the UCAS Similarity Detection Service will be automatically rejected.

About the interview

For the 2022-23 admissions cycle, interviews will be scheduled via Zoom and will be conducted one-to-one with an academic member of staff.

The interviews will be timetabled for 20 minutes and this will allow you to ask any questions you might have about the Optometry course.

We will ensure that you are given plenty of notice about the interview and, if necessary, we will be happy to reschedule if the date/time is inconvenient.

Please note that the interview is an essential part of the application process. Those who fail to attend, without prior explanation, will have their application withdrawn.

Students with non-standard or non A-level qualifications

We understand that not all applicants will have taken A-levels and we may still offer an opportunity for an interview to an applicant, even when a gap in their entry qualifications means their proficiency in one or more subjects has not been proven.

After the interview

While our aim is to inform applicants of our decision as soon as possible after the interview, there will be a number of cases when our decision will be delayed, and we will need to wait until ALL interviews have been completed before we are able to update UCAS Track.

In this scenario, we will inform applicants of a potential delay and the timeline of when we expect to be able to confirm our decision. All decisions are based on the assessment of your interviewer.

Reconsideration

The overwhelming majority of unsuccessful applicants are rejected because they do not satisfy our entry requirements, but requests for reconsideration of a decision can be made.

Requests should be made via email to the Admissions Manager ( [email protected] ) while also being supported (again via email) by the applicant's tutor/academic advisor.

Advice to applicants

Conditional firm (cf) and conditional insurance (ci) choices.

We have a non-academic requirement that all CF and CI applicants must fulfil. This is the completion and submission of a health questionnaire that is assessed by the University's Occupational Health Service (OHS).

The health questionnaire will be sent to you via email after you have selected Manchester as your firm or insurance choice.

Following assessment, OHS will issue your Certificate to Commence Studies and, at this point, we will confirm that you have satisfied this (non-academic) requirement.

You should choose your CF and CI choices with care. Ideally, the CF choice should be at the university where you really want to study.

However, you should be aware that if we are able to offer any leeway on the requirements for entry, this will be given to CF applicants only.