UND offers excellent preparation for any optometry school.  The Pre-Optometry Program offered through the College of Arts and Sciences sets guidelines and timetables for UND students to successfully complete the prerequisite coursework and other requirements relating to optometry schools.

Current or prospective UND students are encouraged to meet with the Health Sciences Advisor, Mrs. Kimberly Ruit, as early in your UND undergraduate education as possible.  Mrs. Ruit can help in all aspects of your undergraduate preparation for optometry school:  from scheduling to study skills, to OAT preparation, to interview preparation.  Together, you can plan the undergraduate curriculum that is right for you.

Competitive Applicant Profile
No matter what optometry school a student chooses to attend, there are 6 areas that will be scrutinized by any Admissions Committee when reviewing applications.  It is therefore very important that the student is well prepared in order to present his/her best possible application.  The table below summarizes these areas:

Academics	Degree needed?  Most schools require or prefer a degree. Major?  Any major, science or non-science, is fine as long as prerequisite coursework is done. These schools want well-rounded and broadly educated applicants. GPA?  School averages range from 3.10 - 3.60 (the mean of all schools was 3.41)
OAT Scores	School averages range from 290 - 376 (the mean of all schools was 338)
Letters of  Recommendation	Required, although numbers and authors vary from school to school.
Relevant  Life Experiences	Essential!!!!!  Especially experiences that include contact with patients or clients in an optometrist's office or optician setting.
State of Residency	Because North Dakota does not have a school of optometry, the state has made arrangements with several schools to take our students either as WICHE students, or on a contractual or reciprocal agreement.  The state also has a limited amount of funds (through PSEP) with which it can support several optometry students each year.  You need to apply for these when you apply to optometry school.  Check with the Health Sciences Advisor about this early in your undergraduate education.
Legal Record	Keep your legal record and personal image squeaky clean!! 1. Background checks a. More and more health professional schools are now doing background checks on all matriculants and/or applicants. => If you have been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor of a violent or sexual nature, you will be prohibited from professional health care practice in many states, so health professional schools will not accept you. => All other misdemeanors (underage drinking, drug possession, etc.) will also show up on background checks (even if they happened before you were 18). Having just one of these can definitely hurt your chances of acceptance into a health professional school! b. UND's medical school will ask you to list any violations beyond a simple parking ticket on their application! You will have to disclose everything – no matter how old you were!! The legal drinking age in North Dakota is 21. Illegal drugs are just that – illegal at any age. Stay away from alcohol and illegal drugs and any activities or instances where they may be present!! Why risk it? Is it worth ruining your future?   2. MySpace, Facebook, etc. a. As more and more companies and schools use the internet to research potential employees and students, it is essential that you make sure comments posted by you and about you are wholesome, reflect good character, and show maturity. => Limit visitors to your site to friends only. => Regularly check and remove any unwanted postings by others b. Be sure pictures are in good taste and not incriminating. => Regularly check and remove any unwanted postings or tags by others. => At UND, students may be written up by their RA's for university conduct violations with evidence provided by just a picture!

Bulletin Board

Welcome New and Returning Students! Don't forget to check in with Mrs. Ruit this year to make sure you are on track with your program!     Freshman Pre-Health Student Orientation Meetings Dates: August 22, September 12, October 17, 2011 Time: 8:00pm Place: Reed Keller Lecture Hall, UND Medical School Come meet Mrs. Ruit, the Health Sciences Advisor, and find out what you need to know to be a successful Pre-Optometry student!     OAT Information A computerized version of the OAT is now available, and the written test has been phased out. The computerized version is the same test that had been available in a written format, however testing is available year round and an examinee can select the date, time, and place to test. In addition, examinees receive their scores immediately after the completion of the test at the test center. Information about the computerized OAT is available at: http://www.opted.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1     New at UND for 2011-2012!!! *$ Pre-Optometry Club$   For information contact: Student President: Tyler Rose (tyler.rose@und.edu)

Pre-Optometry Links
Check out these links to sites of interest for pre-optometry students:

Mrs. Ruit's Office Hours for 2011-12