Essay Questions

Frequently Asked Question: What are the essay questions that I will be expected to answer through OptomCAS? 

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Through OptomCAS in the Program Materials section, you will compose a personal statement for the general application and also answer SCCO’s supplemental application questions. Once an applicant submits these essays, no further essays are required by our program.  


Pro tip: Because some word processor characters will not translate to text correctly, applicants are strongly encouraged to compose their statement in a text-only word processor (e.g., Notepad, not Word), cut and paste the final version into the text box, and then do a final review for errors. 


OPTOMCAS’ PERSONAL STATEMENT

 A personal statement essay is required as part of the OptomCAS centralized application. Typically applicants use the same essay for all schools, and only if necessary, slightly personalize the message for each school.  

The personal statement prompt is: “Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career goals.” (4500 character limit including spaces)


SCCO's Supplemental Essay Questions

Category 1: Tell us About Yourself

  1. Tell us about something you’ve accomplished or an obstacle you’ve overcome that has helped shape who you are. (2000 character limit including spaces) 
  2.  MBKU’s CORE Values are Accountability, Caring, Excellence, Respect, and Innovation. Choose one of these values and tell us how it aligns with your own 
  3. personal values. (2000 character limit including spaces) 
  4.  When considering optometry as your future career, where do you see yourself in ten years? (1000 character limit including spaces) 
  5.  If you are a re-applicant, please tell us what season you applied (i.e., 2021-22) and what you have done to improve your application since then. If you are not a reapplicant, please enter “N/A.” (1000 character limit including spaces) 


Category 2: How have you gotten to know SCCO?

  1. What resources did you use to research SCCO’s program? Select all that apply. (Multiple choice) 
  2. What admissions events did you use to research SCCO’s program? Select all that apply. (Multiple choice) 
  3. If you used resources to research SCCO’s program other than those already specified in questions 1 and 2, please list them here. (200 character limit including spaces) 2575 YORBA LINDA BOULEVARD, FULLERTON, CA 92831  |  ketchum.edu 
  4. Which resource provided the most help when making your decision to apply to SCCO? (200 character limit including spaces) 5. If you have shadowed or      
  5. worked with any SCCO alumni, enter their first and last name(s) and relationship to you (ie “Dr. Tong is my employer” or “I shadowed Dr. Smith”.)  If you have not shadowed an alumnus, enter ”N/A.” (200 character limit including spaces) 6. Is a parent or a relative an alumnus of SCCO’s program? If so, what year did they graduate and what is their relationship to you? Enter “N/A” if you have no such relative. (200 character limit including spaces) 


Category 3: Coursework Questions 

  1. AP credits for prerequisite coursework will be accepted as long as the appropriate number of credit hours was received. If you wish to use AP credits to fulfill any of the prerequisite requirements, list them here. An example may be, "AP credits for 2 English courses, 1 statistics class, and 1 semester of chemistry with lab." If no AP credits are applicable, enter "No AP credits claimed." Note: if your AP credit is not itemized on your transcript to show exactly which courses you received credit for, you MUST upload proof in the "Documents" section of your application. 
  2. If you are in the process of completing SCCO prerequisites, please list the courses that you are completing, the term when you will be taking each course, and if known, the college/university where you will be completing the course.  If you are finished with all of the prerequisite requirements, please enter, "All prerequisite requirements are complete." (1000 character limit including spaces) 
  3. SCCO requires the completion of a bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 90 semester/ 135 quarter units of undergraduate coursework. Please indicate which option you have or will complete by August 2024. (Multiple Choice, select one.) 


Category 4: Optometry Admissions Test (OAT) or Other Standardized Test Scores 

  1. If you have scheduled an OAT exam, indicate your planned test date: (enter date) 
  2. Though OAT scores are preferred, SCCO accepts MCAT and DAT scores as well. If you are applying using test scores other than the OAT, select which ones you will be submitting, then upload alternate test scores in your OptomCAS application in the "Documents" section using an "other" category. We recommend uploading scores ASAP to avoid delays in processing your application. Note: tests dated prior to June 30, 2020, will not be accepted. 


Category 5: Optional: Additional Information 

  1. If you wish to provide any information about your academic journey, please list it here (e.g., specific reasons you feel you didn’t do well in a particular term, an explanation of performance related to your standardized test, etc.) Please do not disclose any needs for disability accommodations in this section. If there’s nothing you would like to share, put N/A.