2022-23 Admissions—Southern College of Optometry

Admissions I N FOR M AT ION

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Thank you for your interest in Southern College of Optometry (SCO)! This brochure is designed to give you a complete overview of the admissions process and cover necessary information, such as:

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Pre-Professional/Pre-Requisite Courses How to Be a Competitive Applicant Application Materials The Admission Interview Financial Aid/Scholarships Living in Memphis

If ever you should have any additional questions that are not covered in this brochure, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@sco.edu or call (800)-238-0180.

The SCO application window opens on June 30 and closes on March 1 of each year. 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 early. New classes enter during August of each year, and new students are enrolled only at that time.

To offer an example of the admissions timeline: a student wishes to enroll for the class entering in the Fall of 2024, they should plan to have their application submitted as early as July 1, 2023, and no later than March 1, 2024. If accepted, their time at SCO would formally begin in August 2024.

Acceptance is based on:

a. Competitive undergraduate academic performance. b. Competitive scores on the Optometry Admission Test (OAT). c. Letters of recommendation from a preprofessional advisor/natural science professor and non-relative 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/ Pre-Requisite Courses A candidate for admission

has successfully completed a

to SCO is required to present

Calculus course, they will not

at least three years of under-

have to take any other lower-

graduate work that includes a

level undergraduate math

minimum of 90 semester (or

courses for our requirements

135 quarter) hours. A minimum

(i.e., Algebra, Trigonometry, etc.).

of 30 semester (or 45 quarter) hours must be completed at a four-year college or university.

STATISTICS

A college-level introductory course in Statistics is required.

The following courses or their

Statistics courses taken in

equivalents must be completed

any department (Psychology,

prior to enrollment:

Education, Biology, Business,

ENGLISH

One year (or two semesters)

etc.) will be accepted.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

of college-level courses in

One year (or two semesters)

Composition or Literature

of college-level General

will satisfy this requirement.

Biology or Zoology — plus

(Speech/Oral Communication

one course in Microbiology

does not fulfill this

or Bacteriology — is required.

requirement.)

Each course must include a lab

PSYCHOLOGY

One college-level course in General or Introductory Psychology will satisfy this requirement. Additional courses

component. Additional courses in Comparative Anatomy and Physiology are highly recommended.

CHEMISTRY

in Perception and Learning

One year (or two semesters) of

will be helpful in the study of

Inorganic (General) Chemistry

optometry.

and one course in Organic

SOCIAL SCIENCE

One year (or two semesters) of college-level courses in any of the Social Sciences is required.

MATHEMATICS

One college-level Calculus course is required. If a student

Chemistry are required. Each course must include a lab component.

One course in either

PHYSICS

Biochemistry or Molecular

One year (or two semesters) of

SCO accepts algebra-based,

Biology is also required;

college-level General Physics

trigonometry-based and

however, no lab component is

courses, with appropriate

calculus-based courses.

required with either course.

laboratories, is required.

Be a Competitive Applicant

1

Submit your application early in the admissions cycle.

pre-health advisor or

Since we grant accep-

relative optometrist with

tances on a rolling

whom the applicant has

admissions basis,

worked or shadowed.

competition becomes much more intense later in the process.

2 3

Submit all supporting documents as soon as they are available.

and one from a non-

5

Become familiar with the profession.

Learn about the different modes of practice by shadowing or working in multiple offices;

An admission interview,

reading optometric

which is required before

journals; viewing online

an acceptance offer can

panels and conferences;

be granted, will not be

and researching the

given until the applicant

legislative procedures for

file is completed.

state licensure.

Your level of exposure

Complete your bachelor’s degree.

and experience in the

While a degree is not

the admissions process,

required for admission,

especially in during

only 5% of SCO’s students

the interview. You will

have been accepted

also need to detail your

without a bachelor’s

experiences in your

degree. Having one

OptomCAS application.

makes for a stronger application.

4

natural science professor,

Collect required letters of recommendation.

SCO requires a minimum

field is very important in

6

Volunteer or join service organizations.

Active participation in worthwhile causes and demonstrated leadership abilities are important

of two letters of recom-

factors in the admissions

mendation: one from a

process.

7

Complete your application thoroughly.

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. Maintaining contact allows us to get to know applicants, as well as ensuring that all needed information is on file.

Submitting Your Application — One from a pre-health advisor or natural science professor.

SCO participates in the centralized application service known as OptomCAS. We also have a

— One from a non-relative doctor of optometry with whom the applicant has worked or shadowed.

required supplemental application that can be accessed via sco.edu/apply. Applications open on June 30 of each year, and applications close on

SCO can be reached at

800.238.0180 or

901.722.3224 or

admissions@ sco.edu

•

March 1. OptomCAS charges a $185 application fee to apply to one school, and a $75 fee for each additional school. SCO’s supplemental application fee is $50.

Please note: All documents submitted in support of

(Please note: All exams must be administered by the application deadline.)

DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO SCO:

• •

an application for admission become the property of the college and cannot be returned. The college

SCO supplemental application and fee.

Certification of State Residency (if applicant is from a state participating in the SREB Contract Program).

— A list of residency certification officers will be provided upon receipt of a student’s complete application. The list is also available on our website at sco.edu/stateresidencycertificationofficers.

reserves the right to reject an application which is not properly submitted.

Application materials for SCO are submitted in two ways: through OptomCAS and directly to SCO.

Official Optometry Admission Test (OAT) Scores.

If a candidate reflects either of the below circumstances, they should contact the Admissions Office

DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED THROUGH OPTOMCAS:

•

Official transcripts from all previous

•

Two letters of recommendation:

colleges attended.

before applying:

• •

GPA of less than 2.50.

Previous enrollment in another optometry school or health professions school.

Candidates can register to take the OAT online at ada.org/en/oat.

While the OAT is the most preferred test for the admissions process, SCO will evaluate other entrance exams on a case by case basis under special circumstances.

For more information about the OAT or other entrance exams accepted by SCO, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@sco.edu or call (800)-238-0180.

Regional and Non-regional Admissions SCO is one of the most regionally diverse optometry schools in the nation. For the 2021-2022 academic year, the student population represented 45 states, Canada, China and Ethiopia.

The college accepts applications from all states and foreign countries. Limited contract positions are available for applicants

The OAT The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) is conducted by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry and is used by

from regional states participating in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) contract program, as well as some other types of state supported tuition assistance programs.

all optometry schools for applicants seeking admission. It is a

As of the 2021-2022 academic year, SCO partners with the following

multiple-choice test covering six areas: Biology, General Chemistry,

states for regional contract seats:

Organic Chemistry, Physics, Quantitative Reasoning and Reading Comprehension.

The OAT scoring scale ranges from 200 to 400 in all six areas, as well as an Academic Average score and Total Science score. While there are no strict passing or failing scores, an Academic Average of 320 signifies average performance on a national basis. The OAT averages

• • •

Arkansas Georgia Kansas

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Louisiana Mississippi South Carolina

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bona fide resident of that state and be so certified by the appropriate state authority. Residency certification instructions are provided after the Supplemental Application is completed.

Anyone with an Academic Average below 310 and/or inconsistent

Please note:

counseling.

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 exam with the highest academic average. Scores more than two years old are not acceptable.

West Virginia

To be eligible for one of the regional seats, the applicant must be a

for SCO’s entering classes have consistently been around 340.

sub-scores, should contact the Admissions Office for individual

Tennessee

• •

Residency certification does not guarantee a regional position.

Contract positions are limited, competitive and awarded on a first- come basis.

— The state of residency may not be changed for regional consideration once admitted to SCO. For example: If your state of residence is Wyoming prior to your enrollment at SCO, you will still be ineligible for a contract seat when you move to Tennessee.

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

Once a student’s application is completed via OptomCAS, and the SCO supplemental application is submitted, SCO will invite them for an admission interview. Interview invitations are based upon a student’s GPA, OAT scores, letters of recommendation, optometric exposure and extracurricular activities.

Interviews are conducted on a rolling admissions basis.

Interviews are in-person and held “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 before or during the interview.

Sessions covering a student’s file, financial aid and housing — in addition to a campus tour — are traditionally held on the same day as the admission interview.

SCO encourages applicants to research the college, as well as the field of optometry, before the interview, and come prepared to ask questions.

Financial Aid/Scholarships Approximately 90% of SCO students are financing at least a fraction of their education through student loans. The Financial Aid Office works individually with students to provide the best possible program, including the various Federal Loan Programs and Federal Work Study options. Our students also receive extensive counseling on how to control student indebtedness through the college’s debt management program.

SCO awards numerous academic scholarships to students who have demonstrated exemplary achievements through their transcript, OAT scores, leadership and service experience.

The college currently offers approximately 250 scholarships in addition to the $150,000 received by students through the Annual Student Awards Program.

Living in Memphis Memphis is a city known for

Although SCO does not provide

live. The college also provides

its music, restaurants, parks,

on- or off-campus housing, we

a roommate list for accepted

museums, hospitality, history,

actively help entering students

students interested in sharing an

culture and — important to all

find living accommodations and

apartment.

students — its affordability.

provide an abundance of housing

Having one of the lowest costs

information at admission

of living in the nation, Memphis

interviews. The majority of our

allows our students a chance to

students live in apartments close

enjoy the amenities of bustling

to the college, and we match

city life without the high

entering students with current

expense associated with

students to field questions

other major cities.

about the city and where to

For more information about the admissions process here at Southern College of Optometry, please visit sco.edu or contact the Admissions Office at admissions@sco.edu or call (800)-238-0180.

1245 Madison Avenue • Memphis, Tennessee 38104-2222 • 901-722-3224 • 800-238-0180 • sco.edu Information for this publication was gathered from the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, the American Optometric Association (AOA), the Journal of the AOA, the Academy of Ophthalmology and the Opticians Association of America.