Admissions FAQ
Prerequisites
- Question Do you offer transcript evaluations?
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Answer
Student can submit their transcript to our Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. They can use this link, http://gpadmissions.osu.edu/prof/find-prereqs.html, or call 614.292.9444.
- Question What is the oldest course you will accept towards prerequisite requirements?
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Answer
All prerequisite courses must be completed within 10 years of your application submission. This timeline is in relation to the expected year of matriculation. For example, if a student intends to matriculate in the Fall of 2026 any courses taken in 2016 or earlier would not be accepted.
- Question Can I substitute a prerequisite course with another course?
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Answer
No, all applicants are required to complete all prerequisite courses.
- Question What courses count towards the fulfillment of the humanities and social science prerequisites?
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Answer
Humanities focuses on literature, history, religion, philosophy, art, film, cultural studies, etc. Social science would be courses in disciplines including economics, political science, psychology, sociology, anthropology, history, linguistics, etc. Please note, we cannot count Intro to psychology as a social science because it is a prerequisite course. However, if you have taken additional psychology courses, we can use those courses to fulfill the social science requirement.
- Question Will online labs taken during COVID count towards the fulfillment of prerequisite requirements?
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Answer
Yes, labs taken online during COVID will be considered if the course was mandated online due to COVID.
- Question What acceptance exams can be submitted in lieu of the OAT?
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Answer
We will accept the GRE, MCAT, PCAT, and DAT in lieu of the OAT as long as they were taken within the last two years.
- Question Can prerequisites be completed online?
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Answer
Students can complete prerequisites online as long as any required labs are completed in person. Online labs taken outside of COVID will not be counted towards the prerequisite fulfillment.
- Question What documentation is required for observation hours?
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Answer
Students will be prompted to enter in the details of their observation hours under the “Shadow Experience” section in OptomCAS. These details include site information, doctor name, and contact information. No additional documentation is required.
- Question Are students required to complete all prerequisites prior to applying?
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Answer
Students are not required to complete all prerequisites prior to applying. If you have one to three prerequisite courses that are outstanding, you can still apply and go through the admissions process. If you are admitted, we will add the outstanding courses as an admissions condition to complete before you matriculate into the program. They can list their intended courses in OptomCAS, and the completion of these courses will be made a condition of matriculation.
- Question Do you accept pass/fail courses for prerequisite fulfillment?
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Answer
No, students must have a passing letter grade of a C- or better accompanying any course they would like to be consider for prerequisite fulfillment. The exception to this would be AP credit. AP credit must be listed on the student’s transcript but does not need to have an accompanying letter grade.
- Question Do you accept AP or IB courses?
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Answer
Yes, we accept AP/IB course credit as long as your undergraduate institution accepted the credits and counted them toward your degree credits.
- Question What does “one year of courses from a baccalaureate-granting institution” mean?
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Answer
This means that all applicants are required to complete one-year of full-time enrollment (8 courses or 24 credits) at a four-year institution in order to be eligible for admission.
Application
- Question Do you offer application fee waivers?
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Answer
Yes, applicants may request a fee waiver for your supplemental application. Applicants may use this link to see which waiver they may qualify for.
http://gpadmissions.osu.edu/resources/fee-waivers.html - Question How do applicants receive the supplemental application?
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Answer
Our Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions will send a link to our supplemental application to the email listed on the students OptomCAS application. This link will be sent within 1-2 business days after a student’s application is verified by OptomCAS.
- Question How do applicants send in their OAT scores?
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Answer
Applicants should request their official OAT scores from ADA website to be sent directly to OptomCAS. This process can usually take about 3-5 weeks. In the meantime, applicants can submit their unofficial scores to us to be reviewed alongside their application. You may send unofficial scores to admission@optometry.osu.edu
- Question How should students send in their letters of recommendations?
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Answer
Applicants should ask their recommender to upload their letters of recommendation to the OptomCAS application using the link they received. If the recommender cannot upload the documents, they can mail them to
The Ohio State University College of Optometry
ATTN: Candace Johnson
642 Fry Hall
338 West 10th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210 - Question How should students report their hours of observation?
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Answer
Students should report their observation hours under the “Shadowing Experience” section of the application. No additional documentation is needed.
General questions
- Question Can an ophthalmologist cover the admissions requirement of having a letter of recommendation from an optometrist?
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Answer
No, due to the difference in the professions, ophthalmologist cannot serve in lieu of a letter of recommendation from an optometrist.
- Question Are committee letters considered one letter of recommendation or multiple?
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Answer
If the student’s committee members included that of an OD, a professor, and a choice individual, the letter can fulfill all letter of recommendation requirements.
- Question What is your minimum GPA requirement?
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Answer
We do not have a minimum GPA requirement. We conduct a holistic review therefore we consider all parts of the application
- Question What is you minimum OAT requirement?
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Answer
We do not have a minimum OAT requirement. We conduct a holistic review therefore we consider all parts of the application
- Question Does having more than the required hours of observation make an applicant stand out?
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Answer
No, hours are judged on the fulfillment of the requirement only.
International Students
- Question I am an international student, do have to take the IELTS or TOEFL exam?
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Answer
Yes, international applicants must take one of the listed English proficiency exams. Applicants who are citizens of, or who have received a bachelor’s degree or higher by the time of matriculation from, one of the following countries or territories are exempt from the English proficiency requirement:
American Samoa
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
British Indian Ocean Territory
Canada (except Quebec)
Cayman Islands
Christmas Island
Cook Islands
Dominica
England
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Ghana
Gibraltar
Grenada
Guam
Guernsey
Guyana
Isle of Man
Jamaica
Jersey
Liberia
Montserrat
Netherland Antilles
New Zealand
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Ireland
Northern Mariana Islands
Pitcairn Island
Puerto Rico
Republic of Ireland
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Scotland
Singapore
Tokelau
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
United States
Virgin Islands (U.S and British)
Wale - Question What are the requirements for international students?
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Answer
All international students must complete our standard admissions requirements in additional to an English language proficiency exam.
- Question How long are my IELTS or TOEFL scores valid?
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Answer
TOEFL/IELTS exam expires two-years from test date
- Question What is the minimum score requirement for the English proficiency exams?
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Answer
TOEFL
- 19 on each section of the paper-based TOEFL
- 79 on the TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition
- 550 on the TOEFL ITP for students in the American Language Program
IELTS
7.0 on the IELTS Academic test or IELTS Indicator (6.5 for Moritz College of Law applicants)
Duolingo
- 120 or higher
- Note: The Duolingo test cannot be used to exempt an admitted student from the English placement exam or the Oral Proficiency Assessment for Graduate Teaching Associates.