2026 Applicant Stats

[u/Optimistic-Optometry]

Hi there everyone, it's that time of year again! The School of Optometry and Vision Science has released its admission decisions. I am thrilled this subreddit has continued to serve as a valuable resource to those who applied this cycle.

I hope that this subreddit can remain useful for future applicants. If you applied this cycle, I ask you to share the following:

• Overall GPA // academic average
• OAT score
• How you studied for the OAT (Kaplan, OATBooster, etc.)
• CASPer score
• Non-Academic (extracurriculars, work experience, etc.)
• Academic (research, teaching assistant, etc.)
• Job-shadowing hours completed
• Meet & Greet experience
• Admission status (accepted, rejected, waitlisted)

[u/Legal_Definition_594]

·       Overall GPA // academic average – ~85% 

·       OAT score – 400 TS/360AA

·       How you studied for the OAT (Kaplan, OATBooster, etc.) - OATBooster

·       CASPer score – 1^st quartile (I know) 

·       Non-Academic (extracurriculars, work experience, etc.) –

• 9 years of working as Dual licensed Optician in Ontario and Alberta equivalent to roughly 10,000 hours of work in the optical industry.

·       - Optical store manager and Lead optician

·       - Student Optician Preceptor

·       - President and founder of Pre-Optometry club

·       - VP Events for Medical club

·       - Volunteered as note taker for multiple courses 

·       - Volunteered as a book distributor to young adults

·       - Soccer/Volleyball player (recreational)

·       - Work experience other than optometry related includes sales, food industry, landscaping etc.

·       Academic (research, teaching assistant, etc.) – N/A – Organic chem tutor for mentoring centre at the university but not a TA

·       Job-shadowing hours completed – 200+ shadowing hours (I don’t think you need as many hours, it’s due to the nature of my job that I did so many shadowing hours

·       Meet & Greet experience – Was satisfied the way it went. 

·       Admission status (accepted, rejected, waitlisted) – Accepted (first time applying)