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What You Need to Know to Apply
Application and acceptance fees
All applicants must pay a $60 application fee ($70 for international students). Applicants who are admitted to the College of Optometry will pay a $25 acceptance fee and a $475 tuition deposit to reserve their spot in the admitted class. Neither the application fee nor the acceptance fee is refundable or credited toward any other fees charged by Ohio State. The $475 tuition deposit is refundable through May 15th.
Admission is competitive
Applicants to the College of Optometry must meet the minimum prerequisite course requirements with above-average standing. Students are selected on a competitive basis. Academic performance, OAT scores, motivation, interest, background, general qualifications for the profession, and a personal interview are all factors considered in the selection of candidates. Only those qualified applicants with the strongest credentials will be invited to the College of Optometry for interviews. Candidates selected for admission will be contacted by the Optometry Admissions Office.
OptomCAS
Students applying to any school or college of optometry in the United States and Puerto Rico must do so through the optometry centralized application service, OptomCAS.
The OptomCAS service allows prospective students to submit one application that will be sent to multiple optometry programs. The service is designed to streamline the application process and make it more efficient and user-friendly. All prospective students applying for Autumn 2012 admission to the Ohio State Doctor of Optometry program must apply via OptomCAS. To access the OptomCAS site, please use the following link:
After you submit your OptomCAS application, it will be reviewed by all schools to which you have applied. Competitive applicants to The Ohio State University College of Optometry will be invited via email to submit a brief supplemental application that will provide additional information for our Admissions Committee to consider. Selected applicants will be invited for an admission interview.
Feel free to contact Justin Griest, Manager of Admissions Information, by phone at 614-292-8825 or by email using our online contact page, if you have questions about the Ohio State Optometry application process.
General admission information
Admission to OSU Optometry is done on a rolling basis therefore early application is strongly recommended. Applicants must have completed three or more years of undergraduate work, and preference will be given to those with an earned bachelor's degree. Please see the Admission Requirements page for more details.
Optometry Admission Test
The Optometry Admissions Test (OAT) is an assessment of your academic ability and knowledge in six sections: biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, math (quantitative), and reading comprehension.
The OAT is offered throughout the year at Prometric Testing Centers. You should plan ahead for taking the OAT and schedule a testing date several weeks in advance. Information about registering for the test can be found at: www.opted.org. Please note that you must register with OAT before you can contact a Prometric Testing Center for a testing date. You must have your official scores sent to OSU College of Optometry directly from OAT as we cannot accept copies of your score report from Prometric. Scores are good for two years and are generally sent to the college within two weeks of your test date. You must submit your OAT scores by March 31st preceding the autumn term for which you are applying.
The OAT can be retaken once every 90 days. In addition to registration instructions and materials, the OAT website (www.opted.org) also provides a tutorial, test preparation materials, and a sample test.
You will receive an individual score for each of the sections as well as an Academic Average score (the average score for all six sections) and a Total Science score (a recalculation of the science sections only). The test is scored from 200 (minimum score) to 400 (maximum score). The average score for an admitted student generally falls between 310 – 330 for each section and for the Academic Average and Total Science scores. Scores below 300 are less competitive. Please contact our Office of Student Affairs if you have any questions about your specific scores.
Knowledge of the profession
In order to gain valuable information about the practice of optometry, applicants must complete a minimum of 10 hours of observation in at least two different types of optometric settings. Email Admissions for contact information on optometrists in your local area.
Information on gaining in-state residency status
Applicants from other states are subject to nonresident tuition. If the necessary conditions are met, it is possible to establish Ohio residency after one year, or immediately if certain other conditions are met. (This is applicable to U.S. citizens only). Please contact the Office of the University Registrar at 614-292-9330 for more information on residency issues.
Number admitted
In order to maintain the quality of instruction and to provide ample clinical facilities for enrolled students, the College of Optometry limits the number admitted into each class to the capacity of the facilities (typically 64 students per year).
Admission with advanced standing
Due to the specific course work in the Doctor of Optometry program at The Ohio State University College of Optometry, admission with advanced standing from other optometry programs is typically not possible. A student at another optometry program who wished to apply to the OSU College of Optometry would need to meet the customary competitive admissions requirements (see "Admissions Requirements" page), and would also need to provide a letter from a Student Affairs officer at the former optometry program attesting to their good academic standing currently or when they exited the program.
