The following are frequently asked questions about ICO. We hope these questions will be helpful
to you!
Application Process
Admission Interviews
International Students
About ICO
Accepted Students
Application Process
1) How long after I apply will it take to hear a response back from the Office of Admissions?
It takes approximately 4-5 weeks from the date that we receive
all of your Preliminary Application materials (application, Pre-Optometry Coursework Sheet, processing fee & official transcripts) to process and review them. The Admissions Committee
cannot review your application until we have received official Transcripts from
all colleges and universities you have attended.
Although we enjoy speaking with you and appreciate the anxiety of the application process, please keep in mind that calling to check the status of your application before the 4-5 week time frame actually slows down the processing and review of your application. After the initial review of your application, we will notify you (via email) of the status of your application.
If it has been at least four (5) weeks and you have not heard from us, please feel free to contact us.
2) How long are my OAT scores valid?
ICO accepts OAT scores reported within the past two years. For example, if you are applying for the 2006 Entering Class, we accept OAT scores from Fall 2003 through Spring 2006. You must take the OAT by the March 15th Preliminary Application deadline.
3) Is there a minimum OAT score?
There is no minimum OAT score for admission. Please refer to the most recent Entering Class Profile for the average OAT score for the current first year class.
4) Is a baccalaureate degree required?
A baccalaureate degree is not required, however, it is highly recommended. If you have not earned a bachelor’s degree, you need to have earned at least 90 semester hours (135 quarter hours) of undergraduate course work before enrolling at ICO.
5) Does it matter what major I choose for my undergraduate study?
No. A specific major is not required for admission. Typically the most popular majors are in the biological sciences, however many ICO students have had majors in a variety of areas. Please refer to the most recent Entering Class Profile for the most popular majors among the current first year class.
6) When are Letters of Evaluations required?
Letters of Evaluation are not required until you reach the Secondary Application stage, however you may have them submitted at any time during the application process.
7) When will the applications for the next year be available?
The Preliminary Application is available online immediately on August 1st preceding the application year for which you are applying.
8) Can you recommend a good university or college to transfer to when I finish my program at the community college level?
Any accredited four (4) year college or university is acceptable. Choosing an undergraduate institution is an individual choice and should be made with careful consideration.
Admission Interviews
1) Does ICO conduct off-campus admission interviews or phone interviews?
No, we do not conduct off-campus or phone interviews.
2) What is the Interview Day like?
The Interview Day usually starts at 9:15 and will last until approximately 2:30pm. The day will consist of a file review, a financial aid overview, an interview with a faculty member or a member of the Admissions Committee, followed by a tour of our campus and lunch.
3) Before I come to Chicago, do you have any advice for my interview preparation?
During the interview we are trying to assess your interest in the profession, understanding of the profession and current issues, ability to communicate and your motivation and sincerity to enter the profession of optometry. The best thing you can do to prepare for your interview is to be yourself. Think of the day as your opportunity to learn more about ICO - come prepared with any questions you might have.
International Students
1) Are courses from Canadian universities accepted?
Prerequisite courses are accepted from Canadian universities as long as they are accredited. Grade 13 English can also be accepted for your English prerequisite (as long as it is equivalent to 1 full year). English is the only course that is accepted from Grade 13.
2) Are courses from other international universities accepted?
If you have completed college or university level course work at an institution outside the U.S. or Canada, you will be required to submit detailed course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts from an approved transcript evaluation service. You will need to contact the Office of Admissions to inquire which courses will fulfill our prerequisite course requirements.
3) If English is my second language, do I need to take the TOEFL?
If English is your second language, you are strongly advised to submit TOEFL scores (Test of English as a Foreign Language). If you feel compelled to forego this examination, you may submit a written request that this requirement be waived. TOEFL results may subsequently be requested by the Admissions Committee after assessing your proficiency in written and spoken English during the application and interview process.
4) Is financial aid available for Canadian students?
Many Canadian students are eligible for federal (Canada Student Loan) and provincial loans; the application process begins with forms provided by your home province (e.g. British Columbia Student Assistance Program). Because those programs may vary by province and fall outside our area of experience, you will need to contact the appropriate administrative office (e.g. Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology) to pursue these loan programs.
If a Canadian student is a Permanent Resident of the U.S. and has an Alien Registration number provided by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, they are fully eligible for financial aid through programs sponsored by the US Department of Education. Canadian students who are permanent residents of the US should complete a FAFSA form; these forms are available online (www.fafsa.ed.gov) and are also available in the Student Financial Services Office.
If a Canadian student is not a Permanent Resident of the U.S. , but is able to obtain a creditworthy cosigner for student loans who is a U. S. citizen or Permanent Resident, there are a number of loan programs for which they are eligible. The terms of these educational loans are quite competitive and the loans can cover a large portion of your educational expenses at ICO.
If a Canadian student is not a Permanent Resident of the U.S. and is unable to obtain a creditworthy cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, there are a limited number of loan programs available to assist you with your educational expenses. At the current time, many ICO students who fall into this category are borrowing funds through the Canadian Higher Education Loan Program (CanHelp) administered by The Education Resources Institute (TERI).
About ICO
1) How much is tuition/room and board?
The rates are as follows for the 2005-2006
Academic Year:
Tuition: $25,494,
Fees: $144,
Parking fee (optional) $600/year
Books and Supplies (First Year) $1,377
Instruments (First Year) $2, 200
Residential Complex (9 month contracts)
Suite rates require 17-meals/week board plan or 12
meals/week board plan
Double $480/month
Single $696/month
Double room as Single $755/month
17 - meal: $375/month or
12 - meal: $301/month
-------------------------------------------------
3 BR Apt. $780/month
2 BR Apt. $965/month
1 BR Apt. $1,230/month
1 BR. Apt. (large) $1,290/month
2) What is the retention
rate at Illinois College of Optometry?
Total student retention during the 2004-2005
academic year was 98.1%. The faculty and administration
of Illinois College of Optometry are dedicated to
providing both a challenging and supportive environment
for all students. Any student that leaves the program
prior to their scheduled graduation date (4 years)
for any reason is included in reported attrition data;
this may include maternity leaves, family or health
emergencies and academic difficulties.
3) What is the externship
process at ICO?
Externships are a large part of the fourth
year clinical education at ICO. There are externships
all across the United States as well as outside of
the country. Currently, ICO students spend two of
their four possible quarter rotations away from ICO.
One of those rotations must be spent at a Veterans
Administration Hospital. ICO students are required
to spend one quarter rotation at the Illinois Eye
Institute and the final quarter rotation may be spent
at the Illinois Eye Institute or away from ICO.
A key component to the externship program is to provide
the student with a varied and diverse experience in
all of optometry's specialized areas such as primary
care, contact lenses, pediatrics/binocular vision,
advanced care and low vision rehabilitation. Many
of the externship sites involve multidisciplinary
care which is instrumental in developing well-rounded
clinicians.
The selection process for the externship involves
the student making site selections based on their
preferences and matching their needs to fulfill curriculum
hours needed for graduation. The selection process
is random to allow for fairness to all students involved.
There is some flexability in the process to allow
students to switch sites before the schedule is finalized.
All students, regardless of marital status, should
plan on being away from the Chiacgo area for externship.
Please see the listing of externships http://www.ico.edu/ico3/currentstudents/externships.html
for an idea of available sites. Since the program
is continually growing and changing, new sites might
be added by the time you make your selections during
your third professional year.
4) What is the pass
rate for ICO students on the National Boards?
The National Board of Examiners for Optometry
(NBEO) is an organization charged with the task of
development and administration of standardized tests
designed primarily to assess entry-level competency
for different stages of a student's optometric training.
Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) students are allowed
to take Part I of the examination at its earliest
offering in August of their Third Professional Year
as long as they are in good academic standing (2.00
cumulative GPA) at the time of test registration.
Some optometry programs differ on when they feel their
students are prepared to take this examination and
place limits on when they will allow their students
to sit for the examination.
The following are ICO student pass rates compared
to the national average for the first offering of
each examination in the years indicated:
Basic Science
Examination (Part I) |
|
ICO |
National |
Year |
%pass |
%pass |
| 2004 |
72% |
67% |
| 2003 |
66% |
68% |
Clinical Science
Examination (Part II) |
|
ICO |
National |
Year |
%pass |
%pass |
| 2002 |
94% |
95% |
2001 |
91% |
75% |
Patient Care
Examination (Part III) |
|
ICO |
National |
Year |
%pass |
%pass |
| 2005 |
96% |
N.A. |
| 2004 |
96% |
N.A. |
Please note:
While we are very proud that ICO student performance
on all parts of the examination typically run above
the national average, NBEO performance of previous
students is only one measure of an optometry program.
All applicants are encouraged to use this data in
the appropriate context when evaluating this and other
programs
5) Does
ICO "weed-out" students?
No, ICO does not seek to "weed-out" a single student we accept. So much time and energy goes into selecting the candidates we believe are the most qualified to become optometrists, it makes no sense for us to plan to eliminate anyone from the program once they begin. It is in the College's and the student's best interest for every accepted student to graduate!
We do recognize that the curriculum is challenging, and realize that some students benefit from assistance beyond class and laboratory involvement. For these reasons, ICO has an academic enrichment program in place to help. Services such as review sessions, one-on-one and group tutoring, academic advising and study skills enhancement programming are offered at no additional cost to ICO students. It is our desire to retain every single student that we accept, and see them graduate with an O.D. degree.
Having said that, it is also important to realize there have to be academic standards. ICO's academic standards are indeed high. Do we do this to make life hard on our students or to encourage dropping out? Quite the contrary, we are mindful of our obligations to the future of the profession of Optometry and to the quality of care afforded patients. We will not compromise those obligations by lowering the academic standards. We hope that by maintaining high academic standards our graduates will be prepared to provide the best care possible.
6) How safe is the
area surrounding the school?
ICO's neighbor immediately to the west is the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), so there are lots of students in the neighborhood. We have a College Security Force, which is staffed by professional officers with considerable experience in law enforcement who are on duty 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Closed circuit TV monitors are used for surveillance of parking areas and the surrounding College property. IIT also has security that patrols the area and there is a police station close by with which we have an excellent relationship.
Like any urban environment, everyone must make common sense decisions when living in a city. Please give us a call if this is something you would like to learn more about and we will send you a copy of our Campus Security Report.
Accepted Students
1) When will school
begin for the Entering Class of 2006?
The first day of class is Monday, August
21st.
2) Are first year students required to live in the dormitory on campus?
No, however it is recommend especially if you live out of state. It is the best place for a new student to study, make friends and adapt to professional school and the city.
3) If I am a new entering First Year Student, when can I expect to receive my financial aid papers and is there a deadline for applying for the following year?
Applicants will begin the financial aid process on their interview day. Students can apply for financial aid anytime, however, we advise to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible. Prompt responses for any requests for information from the Student Financial Services Office will ensure a smooth process.
4) When can I expect to receive housing information?
Accepted students will receive information on housing (RC) in the spring (usually in April) preceding the upcoming academic year.
