Most pre-optometry students apply to optometry schools the summer between their Junior and Senior years, leaving a whole year of classes that schools do not see... WITH GRADES that schools do not see. You do not have to take prerequisite courses before you apply, just make sure that you have received a C or above in them before your first day of optometry school. Hopefully you see where this is going.

I knew that I would perform poorly in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, physics, and other random, but hard, graduation requirements. I took each of those my senior year… after I applied to optometry school. I ended up getting some ‘A’s, but I also got some ‘C’s. I’m glad I did not take that gamble of trying to take them before I submitted my application. I applied with a 3.81 GPA, but I graduated college with a 3.62– a small difference, but a notable one. The only drawback was that I wouldn’t have taken some core classes by the time I took the OAT, but that was a draw-back I was willing to take to preserve my GPA. Choose to take the classes that will be harder for you after you apply. Know, however, that all classes are not easy; and you cannot reasonably take a majority of your pre-reqs after you submit your application.

CLASSES THAT HELP WITH THE OAT

A good rule of thumb is that taking these classes with help you with the OAT, and most students try and fit a majority of these classes in during their first two years of undergrad. This does not mean that you absolutely need to have taken them all before studying for and taking the exam, but it is a good idea to have at least a majority of these classes under your belt before taking the OAT.

Here's my list (sorry for significant overlap with the graphic above):

-Biology (general for sure, but courses like 'genetics', 'anatomy & physiology', and other upper-level classes wouldn't hurt, but are definitely not required)

-General Chemistry (yes, non-negotiable, take both semesters of it before the OAT)

-General Physics (This one is not a non-negotiable, but will definitely make studying for the physics section a lot easier)

-Organic Chemistry (Definitely first semester of O-chem, but the 2nd semester of O-chem material is not as applicable for the OAT)

-English (not a non-negotiable, but keeps your skills fresh)

-College level math (not a non-negotiable, but also good to keep those skills fresh)

Classes I Recommend Leaving Until the Last Minute

There are a few good reasons to put off classes until the last few semesters of undergrad. One that I already covered is that they are generally harder to get an 'A' in, so if you submit your application before finishing the course, your GPA will probably be higher. To take full advantage of this apply early! Applying early could potentially save you 2 (maybe even 3 if you need to take summer classes) semesters of posted grades that the optometry school will not see on your application!

The second reason is that not all schools require the same prerequisites, so you could potentially not have to even waste the time and energy to take some of these classes if you choose to attend a program with less steep pre-req requirements.

Here's my List:

-Anatomy & Physiology (These courses are not required for most programs, so put it off until the end because you might not even have to take it. Plus they are usually pretty hard)

-Biochemistry (This class was hard for me, definitely a hit to my GPA)

-O-Chem Lab (Or any other lab that has a reputation for taking a long time and being impossible to get a good grade in. These classes are just annoying, so might as well put them off to a time when you don't have to try as hard)

-Calculus & Statistics (Math is hard, depending on your strengths, so consider taking this later if you are worried about the hit to your GPA. I know I would have gotten a D in calc if my teacher didn't grade on a curve)

-Any other major or graduation requirement with a reputation for being hard (I know the American History graduation requirement class at my school was stupid hard for no reason. Best to leave classes like that until the end)