Not ready for My OAT. Help?

[blanctu]

I am taking my OAT in a week, and I am severely unready.

I recently graduated university and had a study schedule planned out, but once I started working full time, my study time and energy went DOWN.

My problem is that I have already done the whole application process and wanted to be admitted into this cycle. I now know this won't happen with my upcoming OAT score, and I am already resigned to reapply for next cycle.


I know I will do badly on this test, is there a way to NOT have my OAT scores sent out to schools, since I know it will be embarrassingly low.

Also will it seem strange that I finished my application process, but cancelled my scores to reapply next year. Is that something I can explain?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank ypo!

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[tnacolada]

Hi! I am sorry to hear that you feel discouraged about the OAT. If your application has been verified, you have to contact the programs directly to withdraw your application. Otherwise, you can find out how to do it via OptomCAS (Refunding/Withdrawing Your OptomCAS Application)

I would advise taking the OAT first before deciding to rescind your application since you already did all of the work. Your OAT score is just one of many factors that they consider when looking at applicants. If the rest of your application is fairly strong, then it can help buffer a lower OAT score.

I was under similar circumstances last fall while preparing for my OAT. I felt so unprepared because there was a lot of material that I was not able to cover (literally all of biology lol I just relied on being a bio major). However, the OAT was a lot more manageable than I thought. If you studied from Kaplan or OAT Destroyer, then don't worry because those prep books are unnecessarily difficult and designed to make you feel like crap lmao. Just try your best, and see how it goes! Which schools are you applying to?

If it doesn't work out, you can always retake the OAT and apply next cycle. Applying to optometry school is incredibly stressful and especially while juggling a full-time job, so props to you!

 

[blanctu]

Hi! I am sorry to hear that you feel discouraged about the OAT. If your application has been verified, you have to contact the programs directly to withdraw your application. Otherwise, you can find out how to do it via OptomCAS (Refunding/Withdrawing Your OptomCAS Application)

I would advise taking the OAT first before deciding to rescind your application since you already did all of the work. Your OAT score is just one of many factors that they consider when looking at applicants. If the rest of your application is fairly strong, then it can help buffer a lower OAT score.

I was under similar circumstances last fall while preparing for my OAT. I felt so unprepared because there was a lot of material that I was not able to cover (literally all of biology lol I just relied on being a bio major). However, the OAT was a lot more manageable than I thought. If you studied from Kaplan or OAT Destroyer, then don't worry because those prep books are unnecessarily difficult and designed to make you feel like crap lmao. Just try your best, and see how it goes! Which schools are you applying to?

If it doesn't work out, you can always retake the OAT and apply next cycle. Applying to optometry school is incredibly stressful and especially while juggling a full-time job, so props to you!

Thank you for the reply!

I unfortunately know that I will not do well on this test, as my job overwhelmed me most days. So I am pretty sure that my best bet would be to reapply next cycle.

My biggest concern is whether it is possible to be able to hide the scores of my first attempt at taking the OAT, as I feel it will be embarrassingly low, and only have the scores of my 2nd attempt be visible?

Thanks again!

 

[tnacolada]

Thank you for the reply!

I unfortunately know that I will not do well on this test, as my job overwhelmed me most days. So I am pretty sure that my best bet would be to reapply next cycle.

My biggest concern is whether it is possible to be able to hide the scores of my first attempt at taking the OAT, as I feel it will be embarrassingly low, and only have the scores of my 2nd attempt be visible?

Thanks again!

Unfortunately, you cannot void your scores. Your options would be to cancel your test entirely or take the test (rescheduling might be too late? I forget what the cut off date was). The latter, imo, would be a good because it can serve as a test run to gauge how you need to study in the next round.
It is not the end of the world if you receive a bad score in your first attempt. It happens to a lot if people. My friend applied with a 280 AA, and her school made her retake it before the interview. She got a 330 and made it into UHCO. They may or may not ask you about the difference in your scores between attempts during your interview, but as long as you improve significantly and explain yourself, you will be fine. Just make sure to show an upward trend in all subject areas. For whichever schools you apply to, research what their average OAT ranges were for previous classes. When I visited SCCO, they emphasized that a competitive applicant should have at least >300 in each subject and an average of 330/340. However, there are applicants who have been accepted that have gotten less than this, so don’t be too discouraged by the numbers. Having a good OAT score can help get your foot in the door, but schools consider a variety of factors when selecting applicants.

I only applied to Berkeley, so I don’t have too much knowledge about other schools, but feel free to DM me with any questions! Best of luck to you. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

 

[HM-boss]

Take the GRE instead and see how it goes


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

 

[futureoptt]

Take the GRE instead and see how it goes


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

did you get accepted with your GRE??

 

[HM-boss]

did you get accepted with your GRE??

i did really bad on the GRE and had to take the OAT instead. But I'm sure I would have gotten in the first time if i did better on the GRE

 

[BeckyG98]

My advice is to just take it, providing you have the funds to retake again if needed. Is anyone ever truly ready for the OAT? I don't think so unless they have studied solid for like a year or more, because it's literally so much information. I have taken it twice, first time I studied for a month straight. The second time I studied for 4 months straight.....I got the same score . We are not promised tomorrow, so take a chance you might surprise yourself. EDIT: Just realized OP posted in March lol, oh well my advice still stands.

 

[futureoptt]

i did really bad on the GRE and had to take the OAT instead. But I'm sure I would have gotten in the first time if i did better on the GRE

I am applying for the upcoming cycle and I have a GRE score of 165 quant and 159 verbal and 4 in writing. 3.53 gpa do you think schools will give me a chance for interviews? I am so scared they look down upon GRE