2018 Admissions

ADMISSIONS I N F O R M AT I O N / T I P S

135 quarter hours. A minimum of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours must be completed at a four-year college or university. The following courses or their equivalents must be completed prior to enrollment to SCO: ENGLISH

This requirement will be satisfied by completing at least one year of collegelevel courses in composition or literature. (Speech/oral communication does not fulfill this requirement.) The successful applicant must have effective oral and written communication skills.

MATHEMATICS

One calculus course is required; the course short calculus is not accepted. If a student has successfully completed a calculus course, he/she would not have to take any other lower level math courses (i.e., algebra, trigonometry) for our requirements.

STATISTICS

An introductory course in statistics is required. Statistics taken in any department (psychology, education, biology, business, etc.) offering an appropriate course will be accepted.

New classes enter during August of each year, and new students are enrolled only at that time. Applications for admission may be submitted one year prior to the expected year of entry but must be received no later than March 1. Because applications are processed as they are received and acceptances offered on a rolling admissions basis, it is advantageous to submit applications and supporting documents as early as July 1 of the year preceding desired enrollment.

Acceptance is based on: a. competitive undergraduate academic performance b. competitive scores on the Optometry Admission Test c. letters of recommendation from the pre-optometry advisor and non-related optometrist d. admission interview e. amount of direct exposure/experience in diverse optometry settings f. factors such as motivation and goals, professionalism, communication skills, consistency in achievement, and extracurricular performance.

Pre-Professional Courses A candidate for admission to the college is required to present at least three years of undergraduate work that includes a minimum of 90 semester or

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

One year of college-level general biology or zoology plus one course in microbiology or bacteriology is required. Each course must include appropriate laboratory work. Additional courses in comparative anatomy and physiology are highly recommended.

CHEMISTRY

One year of inorganic (general) chemistry and one course in organic chemistry is required. Appropriate laboratories must be completed with these classes. One course in either biochemistry or molecular biology is also required, however, no lab is required with either course.

PHYSICS

One year of college-level general physics courses, with appropriate laboratories, is required. SCO accepts algebra-based, trigonometry-based, and calculus-based courses.

PSYCHOLOGY

One college-level course in general or introductory psychology will satisfy this requirement. Additional courses in perception and learning will be helpful in the study of optometry.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

One year of courses in any of the social sciences is required.

Be a Competitive Applicant

1

Submit your application early in the admissions cycle. Since we grant acceptances on a rolling admissions basis, competition becomes much more intense later in the process.

2

Submit all supporting documents as soon as they are available. An admission interview, which is required before an acceptance offer can be granted, will not be given until the applicant file is completed.

3

Complete your bachelor’s degree. While a degree is not required for admission, less than 5% of SCO’s students were accepted without a bachelor’s degree and having one makes an applicant stronger.

4

SCO requires a minimum of one letter of recommendation from a pre-health advisor or natural science professor and one letter of recommendation from an optometrist with whom the applicant has worked or shadowed but is not related. OptomCAS accepts up to four letters of recommendation, so be sure these two are among those sent to OptomCAS.

5

Become familiar with the profession. Talk with several optometrists and learn about the different modes of practice by shadowing or working in multiple offices; read optometric journals and other professional literature; and research the legislative procedures for state licensure.

Your level of exposure and experience in the field is very important in the admissions process, especially in the admission interview. You will also need to detail your experiences in your application with OptomCAS.

6

Volunteer or join service organizations. Active participation in worthwhile causes and demonstrated leadership abilities are important factors in the admissions process.

7

Remember that you cannot be considered for an admission interview until all required information is received. OptomCAS will be able to answer questions about application items submitted to them, however, feel free to contact SCO’s admissions office for questions regarding the supplemental application or your application status. SCO can be reached at 800.238.0180 or 901.722.3224 as well as by email at admissions@sco. edu. Maintaining contact allows us to get to know applicants, as well as ensuring that all needed information is on file.

Submitting the Application Southern College of Optometry participates in the centralized application service known as OptomCAS. Applications open each year on July 1 and can be accessed by visiting their website at www.optomcas.org. SCO’s application deadline is March 1 each year. OptomCAS charges a $175 application fee to apply to one school and a $70 fee for each additional school. SCO’s supplemental application fee is $50.

The following documents must be submitted to OptomCAS for an applicant to be considered for an interview: 1) Official transcripts from all previous colleges attended.

2) Two letters of recommendation, including one from a pre-health advisor or natural science professor, and one from a Doctor of Optometry with whom the applicant has worked or shadowed but is not related.

3) Official Optometry Admission Test (OAT) scores. Please note scores from exams administered prior to June 29, 2017 should be sent directly to the colleges. All exams must be administered by the application deadline.

Additional items that must be sent directly to SCO for an applicant to be considered for an interview include: 1) SCO supplemental application and fee found on the SCO website at sco.edu.

2) Official Optometry Admission Test (OAT) scores from exams completed prior to June 29, 2017.

3) Certification of state residency (if applicant is from a state participating in the SREB or other contract program). A list of residency certification officers will be provided upon receipt of admission application.

A candidate should contact the admissions office before submitting an application under any of these circumstances. a. GPA of less than 2.50; b. Previous enrollment in another optometry school or any health professions school.

All documents submitted in support of an application for admission become the property of the college and cannot be returned. The college reserves the right to reject an application which is not properly submitted.

Optometry Admission Test

there are no strict passing or failing scores, an academic average score of 300 signifies average performance on a national basis. Over the last few years, SCO’s entering class OAT average has been around 330. Anyone scoring below this range and/or with inconsistent subscores, should contact the SCO admissions office for individual counseling. Candidates can register to take the OAT online at ada.org/en/oat. Scores more than two years old are not acceptable.

The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) is conducted by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry and is required by all optometry schools for applicants seeking admission. The OAT is a multiple-choice test covering six areas: biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, quantitative reasoning, and reading comprehension.

SCO applicants may take the OAT an unlimited number of times , however, after the third attempt, a school or college of optometry must recommend a retake.

Although we will review all of your scores, we will place the greatest significance on your highest academic average. For more OAT information or a registration form, please contact oatexam@ada.org.

A student’s performance on the OAT is scaled to a scoring range from 200 to 400 in all six areas, as well as an academic average and total science. While

programs. To be eligible for one of the regional seats, the applicant must be a bona fide resident of that state and be so certified by the appropriate state authority. Residency certification instructions are provided after the supplemental application for admission is received. It should be noted that residency certification does not guarantee a regional position. Once the applicant has been admitted to the college, the state of residence may not be changed for regional consideration.

Although the college has contracts with these states, more than half of each entering class is accepted as non-regional students. Currently the fouryear program at SCO is represented by students from 44 states, Canada, the Bahamas and Vietnam. A current list of regional states may be found at www.sco.edu/tuition-and-fees.

The Admission Interview An integral part of the admissions selection process is the admission interview.

SCO invites the most promising applicants (based upon GPA, OAT scores, letters of recommendation, optometric exposure, and extracurricular activities) for an admission interview.

Interviews are conducted on campus each Friday beginning in September and continue through March during each admissions cycle. Applicants are interviewed “one-on- one” by an SCO faculty member covering general topics in optometry, academics and extracurricular activities. The interviews are “blind”, meaning faculty do not have access to applicants’ files.

SCO encourages applicants to research the college, as well as optometry, before the interview and to ask questions during the interview. Sessions covering your applicant file, financial aid and housing will be held the same day, and you will be given a tour of our campus by one of our students.

Regional and Non-regional Admissions Southern College of Optometry accepts applications from all states and foreign countries. Limited contract positions are available for applicants from regional states participating in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) contract program, as well as some other types of state supported tuition assistance

Financial Aid/Scholarships Approximately 90% of SCO students are financing at least part of their education through student loans. Our students receive extensive counseling on how to control student indebtedness through the college’s debt management program.

The financial aid office works individually with students to provide the best possible program including the various Federal Loan Programs and Federal Work Study.

SCO also awards numerous academic scholarships to students who have demonstrated exemplary achievements in areas such as undergraduate GPA, OAT scores, leadership and service. SCO currently offers more than 200 scholarships in addition to the $65,000 received by students through the Annual Student Awards Program.

SCO actively helps entering students to find living accommodations and provides students an abundance of housing information at their admission interviews. The majority of our students live in apartments close to the college, and we match entering students with current students to field questions about where to live and the city. The college also provides a roommate list for accepted students interested in sharing an apartment.

Living in Memphis

More information about Memphis, housing and the admissions process may be found on the SCO website at sco.edu or by calling the admissions office at 800-238-0180.

There are numerous attributes that SCO students enjoy when they move to Memphis to attend optometry school. Memphis is a city known for its music, restaurants, parks, museums, hospitality, and important to all students – its low cost. Having one of the lowest cost of living in the nation, Memphis allows our students a chance to enjoy what the city has to offer without a great expense.

1245 Madison Avenue • Memphis, Tennessee 38104-2222 • 901-722-3224 • 800-238-0180 • sco.edu