Ready to apply Fall 2008? Want to know how to be a more competitive applicant? Back by Popular Demand - Summer Admission Workshops! Attend this workshop given by Dr. Jane Ann Munroe, SCCO’s Director of Admissions. Click here for a link to the flyer, reservation and parking instructions. View the current catalog - Click here (1.8 MB) Admissions ProceduresApplications for admission are accepted each year from September 1 to March 15 for classes beginning the following fall. Due to Rolling Admissions, the Admissions Policy Committee encourages applicants to apply as early as possible during this period. What is Rolling Admissions? We begin accepting and processing applications on September 1st of each year. This means that we immediately begin scheduling interviews as academically qualified applications are received. For more information about academic qualification, contact Dr. Munroe at jmunroe@scco.edu. We fill a class with 98 students each year. If you apply early for one of our first seats in a class, your chances for success are greatest. The earlier in the season you start the application process, the better your chances are to be admitted. Apply Online! Click here. A First-time Application consists of the following:
In the case of re-application, we keep your application file contents for two years. You do not need to resubmit old transcripts or previously answered essay questions. A Re-application consists of the following:
Once all application materials have been received, those students who are determined to be academically competitive are invited for a personal interview by the Admissions Policy Committee. The committee attempts to respond to each applicant regarding his or her acceptance, within two weeks following the interview. To request more information about the interview process, contact Dr. Munroe at jmunroe@scco.edu. All accepted applicants must complete a matriculation agreement form and send a matriculation fee of $1,000, which applies to the first-year tuition, to confirm their space in the class. The Southern California College of Optometry, as a regional and national resource, receives applications from nearly every state in the nation, as well as Canada.The College has a nondiscriminatory policy regarding race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, or handicap. Important: Applying for classes starting Fall 2010? Prerequisite requirements have changed. Prerequisite Requirements ONLY for applicants applying for classes starting Fall 2009 Academic requirements for admission to SCCO are based on standards set by the California Optometry Law, the accrediting bodies and the judgment of the Admissions Policy Committee. A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required for admission. A student may apply during his/her senior year of college and supply documentation certifying that they will be receiving their degree prior to the start of the first-year classes in August. Secondly, students may apply during their junior year in college for an early decision. If accepted, their enrollment will be guaranteed for the following year after the completion of their bachelor's degree. An early decision acceptance implies a commitment on the part of the applicant to not apply to other programs during the year they are completing the bachelor’s degree. Applicants are expected to have completed a traditional college education including a broad foundation in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities and must demonstrate facility in writing and speaking the English language. The following courses must be completed at a regionally accredited institution, in the United States or Canada, with a grade of "C" or better, prior to enrollment and are the minimum requirements for all applicants:
The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) must be taken by all applicants. The test is given by the Optometry Admission Testing Program, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611; Telephone 800.232.2159; email www.opted.org. The Optometry Admissions Test (OAT), which has traditionally been offered two times a year in February and October, is now being offered as a computerized test at Prometric Testing Centers, www.2test.com, located in the United States as well as Canada. You will be allowed to take the exam an unlimited number of times, but must wait at least 90 days between testing dates (the 90-day wait includes any combination of written and computerized tests). SCCO will receive the computerized scores within three weeks after the test has been taken. For entry in 2007, the OAT must be completed by March 15, 2007. For more information about the OAT, contact Dr. Munroe at jmunroe@scco.edu.. Foreign ApplicantsApplicants who have completed a bachelor's degree outside of the United States are individually evaluated. Applicants with coursework completed outside the USA or Canada, must submit a certified course equivalency evaluation of all work on their transcripts. The minimum prerequisite courses must be completed at an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. In addition, foreign applicants who are not permanent U.S. residents must submit a certified bank statement showing their ability to pay for the four years of education prior to an I-20 form being issued for immigration purposes. Transfer StudentsStudents wishing to transfer from another optometric school or college in the United States or Canada must meet the following criteria: make formal application to SCCO; be in good academic and disciplinary standing at the transferring institution; supply a letter of recommendation and permission from the chief executive officer of the transferring institution; supply a letter from each of two full-time members of the faculty of the transferring institution recommending the transfer; provide a letter explaining in detail why the transfer is being requested; meet all current admissions requirements and standards of SCCO; supply official transcripts of all collegiate work completed, including that taken at the transferring institution; and submit scores for the Optometry Admission Test (OAT). Decisions on transfer applications are made by the Admissions Policy Committee in cooperation with the Office of Student Affairs. Factors considered include: available space, admissions standards, reason for the transfer request, appropriateness of courses completed to the academic level to which transfer is requested, and personal attributes of the applicant. |
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