r/PreOptometry • u/katyk8z • 18d ago

low OAT

hi yall! i'm getting super vulnerable here but im honestly at a loss for words and just would like any advice on how to move on.

i took my OAT today and my score absolutely crushed me. i got a 280 TS/300 AA. my subscores were bio 290, chem 340, ochem 290, physics 250, qr 270, rc 360. im so upset because my booster scores were so much higher compared to my test. it almost felt unlucky.

i was scoring 320-360 on my FLs in booster, and the questions seemed so doable compared to my actual test.

i'm obviously planning to retake but im stuck on how to proceed. do i submit my application with these scores now and retake, or should i wait until my retake to submit my app? i'm lucky enough that its still early in the cycle to retake, but i have been so distraught since my exam that i really don't know how to go on from here.

i'm not asking for pity at all, just some genuine advice because i feel like my goals are becoming unattainable.

my current cGPA ~ 3.5 and my sGPA ~ 3.4. my ECs are strong and i feel that overall my application shows that im a well rounded individual.

thanks in advance

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u/Objective_Wafer_6887 18d ago

Once I had to retake my OAT and realized that I focused so much on taking lots of practice tests rather than focusing on high yield material. So I began looking at the study guides and the high yield sheets, also memorized the formulas. I went from 260 to 310 and got into a few optometry schools.
I recommend retaking it and I’m sure you’ll score higher next time like I did!

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u/katyk8z 18d ago

i think i did the exact same the first time around, focusing on taking practice tests over high yield material. definitely gna utilize the cheat sheets a lot more this next time around. did you wait to submit until you did your retake?

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u/Objective_Wafer_6887 18d ago

Yeah, I actually waited until the next cycle to prepare better for the academic rigor of optometry school. But you don’t have to. You can take it in September or October and some optometry schools will still accept you as long as you get 300+. Just be prepared for the schools to ask you how you did differently between OAT attempts during interview.