As an international applicant, you are required to fulfill all of the general admission requirements, including successful completion of the Required Pre-Optometry Curriculum and the Optometry Admission Test (OAT). Because ICO offers only a graduate-level program, it is also required that you successfully complete a total of at least 90 semester credit hours of undergraduate coursework or earn a bachelor’s degree (or the equivalent). (More information)
If you have completed college-level coursework at schools outside the United States or Canada or if your transcripts are not written in English, the transcripts must be submitted to an official evaluation service for a course-by-course analysis. ICO accepts transcript evaluations from World Education Services, Inc. (WES) www.wes.org and Educational Credential Evaluations (ECE) www.ece.org. An official copy of the evaluation must be forwarded directly to the Office of Admissions from the evaluation board.
Applications for admission are always available beginning in August preceding the year you wish to enroll. As you prepare to apply, keep in mind that you do not need to have completed all requirements for admission, such as prerequisite courses and the Optometry Admission Test at the time of application. As long as you will have successfully completed all academic requirements for admission before you begin optometry school and will take the OAT by March 15 of the year you would like to enroll, you should still apply early in the process.
In addition to the standard application procedures, applicants for whom English is a second language must demonstrate proficiency in both written and spoken English. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants for whom English is a second language. If you feel compelled to forego this examination, you may submit a written request that this requirement be waived. For information on testing services, visit www.toefl.org.
The Admissions Committee will evaluate international applicants using the same criteria by which U.S. applicants are evaluated. We recommend that you begin to assess your own strengths and weaknesses early in the application process. This will allow you time to work on any areas which need improvement.
The following links will be helpful:
Compare Your Academic Background to ICO’s Entering Class Profile
Strengthen Your Application
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