Upon receipt of your Application for Admission to the School, the Admissions Committee will conduct an initial review. After the initial review, the Admissions Committee may invite you for a Meet & Greet, in which case you will be emailed before the end of November, 2023. All applicants will receive an email. Not all applicants will receive an invitation to the Meet & Greet. Unfortunately, applicants who do not receive an invitation to the Meet & Greet will no longer be considered for admission.
In
the
Meet
&
Greet,
consideration
is
given
to
knowledge
of
the
profession,
motivation
toward
a
career
in
optometry,
ability
to
think
clearly
and
logically,
poise,
self-confidence,
warmth
and
verbal
expression
of
ideas.
Selection criteria
If selected for the Meet & Greet, the Admissions Committee uses the following criteria in determining an applicant’s academic and personal qualifications for admission:
Academic requirements
- Undergraduate academic record - academic aptitude and performance
- OAT scores
Non-academic requirements
-
CASPer
- Meet & Greet
- Academic awards
- Non-academic awards
- Work experience
- Volunteer experience
- Optometry-related experience
- Job shadowing an Optometrist
- Confidential Assessment Forms (References)
In addition, a Criminal Records Check Vulnerable Sector (CRC), and proof of immunizations will be required if admission to the program is given.
From these requirements, the committee is looking for:
- Evidence of ability to handle a course load of five courses (plus labs) per term, throughout their undergraduate education
- Service to the community and university, work experience and interpersonal skills
- To ensure an understanding of the profession of Optometry, you must job shadowing with an optometrist which means observing eye exams. Job shadowing. A minimum of 8 hours with an optometrist is required however most applicants have many more hours than the minimum. We also look at time spent volunteering or working at an optometrist's office. Looking for a strong understanding of the profession.
- Proof of academic ability and achievement as well as personal qualities, leadership, integrity, resiliency, motivation, initiative, social awareness, well-rounded background, personality and the ability to work with others.
- All offers of admission are conditional upon successful completion of the current academic year and requirements. Students admitted must maintain their level of academic performance. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to deny admission to an already admitted student if their academic performance falls below acceptable standards.
Profile of past first-year students
| Applicants | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 295 | 295 | 245 | 250 |
| Enrolled Students | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| First year class size | 91 | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Gender | ||||
| Women | 67 | 66 | 57 | 62 |
| Men | 21 | 19 | 24 | 23 |
| Undeclared | 3 | 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Overall Average | ||||
| Average | 87 | 87 | 86 | 88 |
| Range | 80-98 | 79-96 | 80-95 | 79-95 |
| Optometry Admission Test (OAT) Scores | ||||
| Average | 384 | 383 | 380 | 381 |
Factors not considered by the admissions committee:
- University or Program of Study - The Admissions Committee does not look at the university or the program in science you choose to select
- No preference is shown to applicants at any particular level of training. However, a minimum of three years in a science program (in the third year when applying) is required
- Age, sex, race, religion, home province and sexual orientation are not factors considered in the selection process