Start Here…

By Jane Ann Munroe, OD, Assistant Dean of Admissions, SCCO on February 20, 2020 • ( 1 Comment )

Welcome to the SCCO Admissions Blog with information for the student planning to apply to optometry school. The best way to explore the information hosted here is to use the navigation tabs in the bar on the top of this page:

Admissions and Applying tabs list articles on everything you should know about being an applicant to optometry school; click directly on the tabs to read all the articles categorized under these headings and make also make selections from each of the corresponding drop down menus, with two popular articles:
- Applying Through OptomCAS: Your Application Through Its Stages
- Timeline Strategy for Applying with Rolling Admissions
- What Makes a Competitive Applicant for SCCO’s Program
- Essential Resources for the Applicant to SCCO’s Program: One stop shopping in this concise list with hyperlinks to the essential articles/videos for applicants to SCCO’s program
OAT tab provides information on how to prepare to take the OAT and also has a section where you may list your used OAT prep materials for sale or to purchase those listed
Student Life tab will give you a glimpse into what it would be like to be an optometry student, and provides a description of MBKU’s Peer Adviser Program for incoming students
Visit/Connect tab provides links to:
- SCCO Webinar Series for Pre-Health and Pre-Optometry Students: Presentations designed for all interest levels: from the pre-health students interested in optometry to the pre-optometry student who is ready to apply.
- SCCO Student Ambassadors: Got questions about any aspect of the admissions process or student life? Contact one of our Student Ambassadors.
- SCCO’s Admissions Brochure is a concise and beautiful guide to features of both our program and what SCCO looks for in a competitive applicant
- Virtual Admissions Events for Students Seeking to Learn More About SCCO and Its Program:
  - SCCO’s Virtual Spring Admissions Open House: For the beginning interest level of learning more about the profession of optometry, the admissions process, and what SCCO offers potential students
  - SCCO’s Virtual Admissions Workshop: For those who are ready to apply with topics from how to be a competitive applicant, to completing the application, interviewing tips, and more.
- SCCO’s Why Choose SCCO Magazine
- Social media for SCCO Admissions is the Official Facebook Group for pre-optometry students
- Spotlights tab has a variety of categories:
  - SCCO Slide Show
  - Video Interviews with SCCO Faculty Who Teach 1st Year Students
  - How I Made My Final Decision Between My Top Two Optometry Schools, written by a 1st year student who had to make, for her a tough decision
FAQs tab and pulldown menu with detailed information about the admissions process:
- FAQ ‘s with all answers to the questions you may have and ones you haven’t thought to ask!
- Canadian students ramping up to attend SCCO need additional help with planning, and the Resource Guide for the Canadian Student Planning to Attend a U.S. Optometry School will provide that assistance
- If you’re planning on choosing an online option to complete one of SCCO’s prerequisite courses, this article is a must-read: Online Courses: Buyer Beware!
- Financial Aid 101: Making Sense of the Cost of an Optometric Education: will help you put together all the pieces of the puzzle so that you can make an informed decision about where you want to attend optometry school
About Us tab lists all the distinctive features and benefits of SCCO’s program:
- Video Presentation: “What SCCO Offers Optometry Students in an Optometric Education,” is an overview of the features and benefits of our program.
- Virtual Campus Tour of MBKU’s main campus in Fullerton, CA
- Clinical education program for 4th year students, the features of the program that make it outstanding
- Interprofessional education, what it is and why it is a key feature of our program
- Virtual learning technology for SCCO students
- SCCO’s MS degree program, Master in Vision Science
- SCCO’s residency program:
  - Have you Considered an Optometric Residency?
  - SCCO Leads the Nation in Breadth of Residency Program
- Research projects currently underway at SCCO
- MBKU’s Student Achievement Center
- Marshall B. Ketchum Memorial Library
Top Posts and Pages in the right navigation bar on the homepage has a listing of the current most visited information, and some of the most popular ones are:
- Applying Through OptomCAS: Your Application Through Its Stages
- Favorite Personal Essay Question: “What Will You Bring to the Table?
- Why I Opted Not to Get My Bachelor’s Degree Before Entering Optometry School
- Help with OAT Preparation: Here are just some of the many articles under this category
  - “Super Advice from an OAT Test-Taker”
  - “How a Successful OAT Test-Taker Prepared”
  - “OAT Preparation Advice from OAT Test-Takers”
  - “OAT Prep: Test Takers’ Opinions on Kaplan, OAT Destroyer and Chad’s Videos”
  - “Strategy for Success with the OAT: Managing Test Taking Anxiety”
  - “My Step-by-Step Method of Preparing for the OAT”
  - “My Unofficial Study Guide for the OAT”
  - “Preparation to a Perfect Score: How I Prepped for the OAT”
- Navigation Tabs at the Top Will Take You To These Categories:
  - Writing Personal Statements:
  - Shadowing:
    - How to formulate shadowing experience to talk about during the interview and writing personal statements
    - An alternative to in-person shadowing: The Informational Interview
    - SCCO’s Alumni Shadowing Program for those seeking to be hosted for a shadowing experience by one of SCCO’s Alumni
  - Interviewing:

Applying to optometry school is an exciting time, and we are eager to help with the process. Feel free to contact us with any questions at ODadmissions@ketchum.edu.