As the name suggests, the Illinois College of Optometry is a school exclusively dedicated to providing Optometry education and practice. It is one of the largest schools in the metropolitan areas of the country the United States in Chicago, Illinois. This college has been most popular for its quality education in optometry school since it was founded in 1872. Let’s find out more about, Illinois College Of Optometry Admission Requirements And GPA
ICO Institute is a postgraduate college that is dedicated to sharpening its students for the real world by providing the best educational exposure and practice in Optometry. Hence, getting admission to this school is tough since it has high requirements. With an admission rate between 10-20 percent, Illinois College of Optometry is regarded as one of the most extensively selective colleges in America.
What is the Admission Policy to Illinois College of Optometry?
This College admission policy includes a provision of certain documentation and a list of test score requirements including the GPA score and coursework. Illinois College of Optometry has a limited number of students intake, this also contributes to the low admission rate this school exhibits. Nonetheless, the college is still open to welcoming all deserving prospective students including international students.
A GPA score of 3.15 on a scale of 4.00 is considered ideal for admission among many other factors at Illinois College of Optometry, this also includes the Mathematics/Science GPA score. However, acceptance requirements may differ according to different programs and levels of study. Other academic test scores like GRE (Graduate Record Exam) or OAT (Optometry Admission Test) are also considered.
Besides the test scores, science coursework, and GPA, the Illinois College of Optometry admission committee is looking for prospective students who exhibit great interest in the field of Optometry and have background knowledge of the program and its requirements. An ideal applicant would be someone who fulfills all the acceptance prerequisites and is confident in their career choice of pursuing Optometry.
Acceptance Prerequisites of the Illinois College of Optometry
As Illinois College of Optometry is limited to graduate students, thus a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution is one of the requirements for admission. However, prospective applicants with a Bachelor of Science degree are preferred but those with A.B.A degrees are also accepted.
Applicants are required to provide their results of one of the following admission tests:
1. Optometry Admission Test (OAT) (Most preferred for the Optometry program admission)
2. Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
3. Dental Aptitude Test (DAT)
4. Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT)
5. Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
The applicants are urged to have a test score that is above average, for this would help better their chances of securing an admission. Also, all test results submitted must be less than 5 years old. For the applicants to be able to start attending classes during the Fall semester, their test results must be submitted to the institution before the 30th of April.
Additionally, the Optometry program at Illinois College has prerequisite courses (pre-professional science or general science courses) that must be completed before matriculation with grades not lower than C.
It is advised to have two or three letters of recommendation along with the application. The recommendations must be from different professionals, like an employer, teacher, pre-health advisor, or practicing optometrist.
Engage in extracurricular activities gives you room for upskilling and therefore the stronger your application would be. Community Service is also one of the things a student must consider to boost their personal and professional development. This would also prove to be beneficial for securing admission at Illinois College since it is one of the requirements.
Additionally, prospective students with some understanding of optometry are given preference at Illinois College of Optometry.
Thus, applicants are urged to occasionally visit eye clinics and plead to tail and observe practicing optometrists to better understand what an optometrist does.
What Does Illinois College of Optometry Offer?
Illinois College of Optometry offers an internal clinic that serves over 100 000 patients yearly. This clinic adds to the experience of the student Optometrists because it provides them with a first-hand experience in real-life health care service, allows the students to build professional connections, and exposes them to the business side of optometry. Therefore, Illinois College graduates come out of college already equipped with experience and knowledge. This contributes positively to the graduate’s outcome outside the college.
Student apartments of the College of Optometry are located on campus. Therefore, campus life in general and the level of safety and security is top tier.
As the student residents are on campus, the schools’ libraries, clubs, clinics, and organizations are easily accessible to students.
The Illinois College of Optometry also provides Summer Programs which is a program solely organized to create exposure for the undergraduate students to the Optometry program. Undergraduates are allowed to connect with practicing optometrists and introduce them to ICO. This is a one-week summer program that familiarizes the participants with the faculty of optometry including the alumni and staff members.
Master and Doctor of Optometry degree programs are also offered at Illinois College of Optometry. These programs are demanding and gruesome, however, obtaining one of these/both degrees is an awarding experience in every aspect including financially.
Qualifying applicants for Masters’s or Doctoral degrees in Optometry must meet the school’s high requirements and provide the following documents to be assessed by the Admissions Committee: academic test scores below the mean of each exam, pre-optometry academic records with a cumulative and science grade point averages below 3.00 on a 4.00 scale and prerequisite science/math coursework completed more than 10 years ago.
Conclusion
Conclusively, all applicants are welcome at Illinois College of Optometry but the school prefers applicants who are sure about pursuing Optometry as a career, therefore it is advisable to exhibit your interest through hard work and dedication to introducing yourself to the field of Optometry. Outstanding non-degree applicants are also welcome at ICO as long as they have completed a minimum of 90 semester hours of biological science education before registering at ICO.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Does Illinois College of Optometry offer online courses?
Illinois College of Optometry does not offer online courses.
• What is the Illinois College of Optometry tuition and fees for United States Residents?
For United States student residents tuition fees and fees amount to $44,360.00 for Illinois College of Optometry.
• What is the average score of total science OAT at Illinois College of Optometry?
At Illinois College, the average score for total science OAT is 317.