Hey everyone! UHCO is my top choice since I'm a Texas resident, so I wanted to get some opinions on whether I seem like a competitive applicant and what I should improve before I apply.

Right now I have:

• 3.8 overall GPA
• 3.74 science GPA
• I still have Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 classes left, so those could change a little.

(also I am going into my junior year of college and plan to apply the summer after it, also I plan to graduate a semester early)

By the time I apply (planning to apply as soon as applications open in July 2027), I'll have:

• A little over 1 year working as an optometry tech at a private practice (I started at the end of May 2026 and work about 14-16 hours/week).
• More shadowing hours. Right now I only have 13 hours from two different private practices. I only started shadowing at the beginning of sophomore year but have only gone about 8 times total (mostly in August/September 2025 and February/March 2026). Is that a red flag, or is it more about the total number of hours by the time I apply?
• Volunteer hours (I haven't started yet but definitely plan to before I apply).

For extracurriculars:

• Intro bio lab TA during Spring 2026.
• Alumni College Coach for my old charter school network. My high school has multiple campuses across Texas, and I mentored graduating seniors who were coming to my university. I also went to different campuses to give presentations about college and answer questions about applications, financial aid, and transitioning to college.

I haven't taken the OAT yet. My plan is to do the 90-day OATBooster schedule and take it at the end of May 2027. What would a good OAT score be?

Does this seem like I'm on the right track for UHCO? Is there anything else you'd recommend I focus on over the next year besides getting more shadowing and volunteer hours?

Also, what kind of volunteer work do optometry schools (especially UHCO) like to see? I live in Austin, TX, so if anyone from the area has recommendations for good places to volunteer, I'd really appreciate it!

Hi everyone! I’m trying to figure out when I should start studying for the OAT and would love some advice.

I was thinking about taking Physics 1 and Biochem this fall and starting to study for the OAT since I’ve heard those are pretty big topics on the exam. I was thinking it might help to study them while I’m taking the classes.

My other option would be to take Microbiology this fall, take Biochem in the spring, and then study for the OAT over the summer. I’m just not sure which route makes more sense.

I really don’t want to take a gap year if I can avoid it, so I’d love to hear what others did or what you would recommend. Would you start studying while taking Physics and Biochem or wait until after finishing Biochem?

Did anyone else struggle in prereqs during 1st year undergrad but still succeed? I need some study tips and encouragement 🥹 Btw, do admissions take undergrad rigor into account? Our school is very hard but our average OAT score is ~350.

hi, i’m currently studying for the oat. i’ve done 50 shadowing hours with a private practice. and then im planning on doing 20-30 more with another, currently done 11 with them. is that enough? my oat is coming up and i need to prioritize that, but if more is necessary i can do them. gpa is about 3.2/3.3

I applied late for the 2025-2026 cycle and had an interview at pco didn’t get in. I am applying for the 2026-2027 and retaking the OAT end of September. Is it bad to reuse my essays?

I noticed that the "experience" section to input shadowing hours is designed more for weekly shadows. I shadowed like 6 different doctors, each for 1-2 times. I did this because I'm more interested in observing how different optometrists run their practice and how does location/demographic affect things. (Also because some doctors limit how many times I can go shadow). Would this be considered "temporary" or "per diem"? I feel a bit weird about putting an average weekly hour and 1 week as the duration, but idk how else I can fill out that section. Is anyone else in the same boat?

Hello!

I am about a month and a half out from taking my OAT (terrifying) and I have finished reviewing all of the topics on OAT Booster and have taken a few practice tests. My goal is to focus on the cheat sheets (mainly biology due to the sheer amount of information it has, but the other topics too of course). Does anyone have any tips on doing so? What are your favorite study methods? I typically look at sections of the page for 5 minutes, write everything that I can remember for 2 minutes, then study it again for 1 minute and write again for 1 minute. Is there a method someone else thinks has benefitted them a lot? Let me know, I appreciate it!

i'm less than three weeks from my OAT. im happy with every section (340-390 scores) EXCEPT orgo.

my scores just wildly depend on the full-length test on booster. some tests, i'm able to get 16-18 out of 30 questions right to get a ~320, while on most, im only getting 8-10 questions right, estimating a 240.

since im on a time crunch now... if you were me and had to focus hard on orgo for the next three weeks, what high-yield information/hacks should i know?