Optometry School Requirements

Optometry school requirements are very competitive. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics only a third of applicants in 2007 were accepted into an optometry school. But once accepted and finishing your education you can expect job opportunities to be excellent. 

1. Education.  A strong background in science is important. Many optometry school applicants have majored in a science such as biology and chemistry or have majored in something else and opted to take as many lab based science classes as they can in order to gain laboratory experience. Check with the optometry school you’d like to be accepted by and look into their requirements. 
2. Optometry Admissions Test.  Everyone applying to optometry school must take the standardized Optometry Admissions Test. This test consists of four parts: survey of the natural sciences, reading comprehension, physics and quantitative reasoning. There are many test guides and courses you can take to obtain a high score on this test.
3. Selection procedures.  Optometry school candidates can expect that college admission personnel will look for students who have a strong academic record.  They look for students who display the potential to become exceptional in deductive reasoning. Potential students are also evaluated on their grade point average, performance on the Optometry Admissions Test. 
4. Personal qualities.  Many schools of optometry have a personal interview for admission requirements. Candidates for optometry should be well rounded and have good interpersonal communication skills. Admissions staff also look for empathy in students. These are all qualities that optometry school candidates will use once they leave school and begin to practice.