A series of articles written by SCCO Student Ambassadors.

Why I Chose the “No Undergrad Degree” Route & Encouragement for Those Doing the Same

by SCCO Student Ambassador, Matthew Nguyen

I wanted to become an optometrist for quite a while, and a big part of pursuing my dream was creating a plan to get into an optometry school. While there are many different paths, I wanted to recommend the one I chose and why I think more students should consider it.

Some important things to know about optometry schools are the requirements to be accepted into each program. Although each school is different, most require certain prerequisites, a certain number of units, and the OAT. However, what most people often miss is that around half of them don’t require a bachelor’s degree.

Because I already knew I wanted to be an optometrist, my main goal for undergrad was to get into optometry school. Although getting a bachelor’s degree is a huge accomplishment, it wasn’t something for me. I believed taking upper division courses wasn’t the best way to spend my time and money, so I decided not to pursue a bachelor’s degree. I suggested the idea to a few optometrists, and they all supported it. I then decided to spend my years in undergrad to just focus on preparing myself for optometry school.

Since I was not interested in getting a degree, I enrolled in a community college to complete all my prerequisite courses. I also began working part time at an optometry office, started volunteering every week at the Children’s Ministry at my church, and took on leadership positions for my club. This helped me become a well-rounded applicant while strengthening my time management skills. After three years, I completed enough units, finished all my prerequisite courses, took the OAT and was ready to apply. After getting to know more about SCCO and meeting with their admissions team, I knew it was the right place for me. I submitted my application in November, got invited to the interview for December, and was so overjoyed when I received my acceptance letter. My goal of getting in finally came true.

Without having to take the upper division courses required for getting an undergraduate degree, I was able to save a lot of money and time. This allowed me to start optometry school earlier than most, and I could finally start studying things I was truly passionate about. Starting early also helped me start to consider options such as residency to strengthen my skills.

Throughout my time in undergrad, I constantly worried and felt anxious when I compared myself to other students. I thought attending community college and not getting a bachelor’s degree put me at a disadvantage against those that took the “normal” route. However, after talking with the admissions team at SCCO and hearing from other students, they reminded me that we are so much more than our grades and how they want to know the story behind each applicant. I then decided to use my path to illustrate my story and how dedicated I was to optometry. This helped me remember how far I have come and gave me the confidence I needed.

To close, I want to offer some final encouragement to anyone in a similar situation and to let you know that it is totally doable. Try not to compare yourself too much to others and be proud of all the things you have accomplished to get you where you are. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I would love to help in any way I can.

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