Optometry School
Entrance Exam Information
Forms
Optometry Schools CLU students have been accepted to (Partial List):
- Southern CA College of Optometry in Fullerton
- Western University of Health Sciences
The application for optometry school takes at least a year, so be sure to finish your required sciences, as well as any volunteer work or research by the end of your junior year. For more information, go to:www.opted.org
Check back for updates to this site. Contact Career Services with any optometry school application questions or make an appointment using the link below.
What is the Pre-Optometry Committee (POC)?
The Pre-Optometry committee at CLU is a committee of Career Services professionals and Science Faculty formed to assist CLU students and alumni to gain entrance into Optometry School. The main purpose of the POC is to submit all students Letters of Recommendations to various schools and build CLU’s reputation as a Pre-Optometry university.
What are the benefits of using the Committee?
Many Optometry schools prefer a formal committee turn in recommendations, ensuring their confidential delivery. The committee is also useful when asking faculty or off campus letter writers for letters that may need to be sent to 10-20 schools. The Pre-Optometry Committee will handle mailing letters by deadlines to various schools. Writers need to send letters to Career Services by April 15th of each year. In addition, the committee drafts a cover letter and attaches to the separate letters. When your letters are mailed to schools, the committee will include a statement that the student applying has waived all rights to the contents of their Pre-Optometry file, mostly referring to the Letters of Recommendation. Lastly, Optometry Schools get accustom to committees submitting letters and start to recognize the quality of the students who go through the formal committee. Students are still responsible for applying online, taking the OAT or other exams, and forwarding transcripts.
What do I need to do to take advantage of this program?
Pick up a Pre-Optometry packet at the Career Center. It will include:
- Student Information Form/Waiver of Rights to Pre-Optometry File – This form starts your file. Complete and sign and begin to turn in transcripts, resume, personal statement, and OAT or other scores. Then when secondary requests from schools come in, your file is ready and you just provide us via email with where you want us to send letters. Also includes waiver statement to be signed and dated which states you will not have access to your file and that it is confidential.
- Applicant Summary Sheet – Used as a guide for letter writers. You will submit the completed Applicant Summary Sheet to faculty or employers, which provides information about you.
- Packet of handouts including timeline, OAT information, Optometry School interviews, etc.
What is the deadline to have letters sent by faculty to the Committee?
Faculty will need to address letter to “Dear Optometry School Admissions:” and send letter to Career Services/POC (mail code 2400) by the April 15th deadline. We will make copies of all letters and send out to Optometry Schools who request a secondary application. There is no limit for the number of schools to which the POC will send the Composite Letter and copies of your Recommendations.
When will the Committee send my letters to schools?
From July 15th to Nov. 30th. The Committee will keep original copies of all letters.