Home Consumer Information Private Loans and Lenders Private Education Loans Most of our US eligible students will first finance their education through the Department of Education’s Student Loan program. Through the Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program, eligible students can borrow up to $50,000 per year for four years. Students needing additional funds can seek loans through private education lenders. ICO will work with the lender of the student’s choice, we do not have a preferred lender list. You can compare lenders our students have selected in the past here. Preferred Lender Arrangement ICO does not participate in any preferred lender arrangements. If you wish to borrow through private education loan lenders, you may select the lender of your choice.

Home • Admissions • Funding Your O.D. • ICO Scholarships ICO Scholarships Discover the ways to fund your education Federal Aid ICO Scholarships Cost of Attendance While scholarship opportunities for incoming students are highly competitive, we have access to nearly a half-million dollars in scholarships and awards that we distribute annually. The following scholarships are offered exclusively by ICO to incoming students. When you apply for admission, your application is automatically evaluated by our Admissions Committee for consideration of these scholarships. Early applicants receive greater scholarship consideration as scholarships are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Presidential Scholarship Presidential Scholarships are renewable scholarships, valued at half tuition. They are highly competitive and very limited. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding academic performance at the undergraduate level and academic promise for professional education, possess a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher, an OAT score of 370 or higher, and exhibit the ability to contribute significantly to the ICO community and the optometric profession. To receive this scholarship annually, a 3.4 cumulative ICO GPA is required. Trustees Scholarship The Trustees Scholarship was established to encourage outstanding students to select ICO as their school of choice for professional education. The award amounts vary based on the available funds in a given year. A 3.2 cumulative ICO GPA is required for the annual renewal of this scholarship. Illinois Optometric Education Scholarship Exclusively available to Illinois residents, two $5,000 scholarships are offered to two students who have demonstrated academic merit and plan to practice in Illinois after graduation. A 3.0 cumulative ICO GPA is required for annual renewal. ICO also monitors for additional public, private, or grant-based awards for which our students may be eligible to apply. ..trustee scholarhsip... ICO Scholarship for Underrepresented Populations This scholarship was established to encourage students from underrepresented minority populations to pursue a career in optometry. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding academic performance at the undergraduate level and academic promise for professional education, a professional demeanor, high ethical standards and integrity, and the ability to contribute significantly to the ICO community and the optometric profession. Upon being invited to attend Interview Day, candidates should notify the Admissions Committee of their interest in being considered for this scholarship. A limited number of these $7,000 scholarships are awarded annually. Funds can increase to $10,000 in years 2 - 4 based on academic performance. ...IL optometric education scholarhips..

To apply to ICO, prospective students must complete a series of college-level, pre-optometry school courses. Home • Alumni • Get Involved • Alumni Council Alumni Council The Alumni Association's leading body Alumni Association Alumni Council Ambassador Program Host Prospective Students Precept Externs The Alumni Council is a group of alumni and students who lead the Association and serve the College. Meeting four times per year, they are governed by their own bylaws as well as a 5-year Strategic Plan. The Alumni Council creates and implements programs to serve the needs of alumni and students. Some of their annual initiatives include raising funds for scholarships for fourth year students, the Alumni Ambassador Program, and an awards ceremony recognizing excellence in optometry. Council Members Naeem Abdullah, OD ’03 Secretary Matthew Asciutto Senior Director of Development Abena Apea Alumni Engagement Mohamed Eid, OD ’03 Jennifer Harthan, OD ’06, FAAO, FSLS Immediate Past President Tekarra Humphreys, OD ’21 Soo Jung Lee, OD ’22 Samantha Love, OD ’05 President Leonard Messner, OD Vice President for Strategy and Institutional Development Lena Park, OD ’06 Vice President Joshua Rogers, OD ’16 AC BOT Representative Connor Robbs, OD ’22 Rae Teixeira, OD ’20 Student Representative Ashely King ’28 Emeriti Trustees Donovan L. Crouch, OD ’63, DOS, FAAO Storm Lake, Iowa

Home • In the Classroom In the Classroom at Illinois College of Optometry Courses & Curriculum Student Resources NBEO Scores Faculty Research at ICO Library We know that you are coming to ICO well prepared. We also know there is a lot more to learn before you can provide the best possible care to your patients. Your clinical and classroom experience will challenge you, but we will work hard to ensure that you are prepared at every step of the way. We prepare you to diagnose and manage both common and rare conditions. Every year as your knowledge and experience grows, the conditions you treat will become more complex. Your education will prepare you to identify and treat anything from common refractive issues to rare sight threatening diseases. Courses & Curriculum at ICO You will have the support you need. We recognize that optometry school can be challenging. We want to make sure that throughout your optometric journey, you have the support you need: whether for tutoring or venting. Student Resources Four Years in Four Courses YEAR 1 Applied Ocular Anatomy BVS107 In Ocular Anatomy, you will learn the ins and outs of the eye. No Doctor of Optometry can treat diseases without having a full understanding of the eye’s anatomy. This course serves as the basis for all of your subsequent ocular disease courses. Clinical Methods & Procedures IV Taken in the Fall Quarter of your Second Year, this course teaches you the fundamentals of examining the health of the eye from front to back. YEAR 2 POP 262.1 We prepare you for the most advanced scope of practice, and this course instructs you in the use of laser procedures and surgical techniques relevant to optometric eyecare. Ophthalmic Lasers & Surgical Procedures YEAR 3 OCD370 Clinical Methods & Procedures IV YEAR 4 Resident Rounds during IEI Patient Care Rotation Your fourth year is all practical. Externships will take you all over the US and the world, but a portion of your fourth year will be spent in the IEI where you can participate in Resident Rounds. During Resident Rounds, you'll learn about hallmark cases picked from real IEI patients that our residents and attendings have treated. Learn More About Your Curriculum NBEO Pass Rates ICO students score above the national pass rate average on the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. You can see pass rates from the last four years by clicking the button. NBEO Scores ICO Faculty All Faculty Dr. Geoffrey Goodfellow Dr. Christine Allison Dr. Stephanie S. Messner Dr. Jaymeni Patel Dr. Michael Chaglasian Research at ICO Year over year, research at ICO has grown tremendously. Now there are opportunities at every stage of your optometric journey. As always, the quality of our clinic allows us to stand out amongst our peers. Research Initiatives

Home • In the Clinic • Clinical Resources Clinical Resources All of your resources are just steps away Illinois Eye Institute Clinical Resources Outreach Summer Opportunities Externships Residency Program Eyepod The Eyepod is our state-of-the-art facility that allows you to practice your skills on-site. We have 38 opthalmic teaching lanes with specialized lighting in two eye labs, individual assessment rooms for clinical testing, five teaching labs with separate preparation space, research labs and a study and lounge area with views of downtown Chicago. Rosenbloom Center Our Alfred and Sarah Rosenbloom Center on Vision and Aging at the Illinois Eye Institute provides specialized care to the aging population and the visually impaired. In addition to providing onsite care for these patients, the Rosenbloom Center features educational outreach programs, community health care services and research–all in a state-of-the-art, private practice-like setting. The Rosenbloom Center honors a leader in the optometric profession and at the Illinois College of Optometry, late Dr. Alfred Rosenbloom, and his late wife, Sarah. The Dr. Robert and Lena Lewenson Center for Pediatric and Binocular Vision The Dr. Robert and Lena Lewenson Center for Pediatric and Binocular Vision at Illinois Eye Institute delivers comprehensive eye care for infants, children and individual with binocular vision disorders.

Home • Give • Giving Initiatives • Giving & Legacy Society Giving & Legacy Societies Moving ICO forward through planned giving and a lifetime of commitment. Leadership Circle Giving & Legacy Society Giving Societies The Lifetime Giving Societies recognize those alumni, friends and institutions whose cumulative gifts in support of the Illinois College of Optometry and the Illinois Eye Institute total $5,000 or more. Visionary’s Club: $500,000 and above Founder’s Club: $100,000 – $499,999 Chairman’s Club: $75,000 – $99,999 President’s Club: $50,000 – $74,999 Dean’s Club: $25,000 – $49,999 Benefactor’s Club: $10,000 – $24,999 Patron’s Club: $5,000 – $9,999 We are grateful to each of our donors for their generosity and recognize them as part of our Lifetime Giving Societies Honor Roll. For full details, please see our Annual Report. The Legacy Society Legacy Society members share the honor of having included the Illinois College of Optometry in their wills or estate plans. Through careful gift planning, these donors have made a significant impact on the future of ICO. Learn more here. The Legacy Society Honor Roll The Legacy Society honors individuals who participate in the Illinois College of Optometry’s planned giving program. Thank you to the following members, who have included ICO in their wills or estate plans. Estate of Dolly Adams Thomas E. Artley, OD Frank E. Baldwin, OD Jordon Beller, OD Otto H. Bender, OD Dr. and Mrs. Neil S. Boderman John E. Brandt, OD, DOS C. Richard Brewer, OD Estate of Constance A. Bryniczka Estate of Robert W. Bumbleburg, OD Sandra L. Bury, OD Richard P. Chlapecka, III, OD Estate of Mary H. Condon Wayne A. Covioux, OD Estate of John Stephen Curtis, OD Gregory R. Davis, OD Max L. DeBolt, OD Trust Mary B. Demetros Estate The George Lloyd Demetros, OD and Mary B. Demetros Trust Gurpreet K. Deol, OD Robert Eastland, OD Charitable Remainder Trust Dr. and Mrs. Dick Edwards Robert L. Fait, OD John P. Fitzpatrick, OD Willard B. Glime, OD Geoffrey W. Goodfellow, OD Estate of Mary Gooding Dwight E. Halligan, OD Estate of Helen E. Hasiak C. K. Hill, OD, DOS, PhD, ScD Estate of Kenneth S. Holm, OD Bradie O. Hopper, OD George L. Jacober, OD Kanode Family Trust Yale C. Knight, OD Dr. and Mrs. R. M. Kendrick Estate of Ernest I. Kiekenapp Millicent L. Knight, OD Walter Kominsky, OD Estate of Jessie Lofgren Kraft Dr. Alan A. Mandel and Mrs. Rae F. Mandel Marquardt Charitable Remainder Trust Marie L. Miske Revocable Trust Floyd D. Mizener, OD, DOS, PhD Dr. Peter and Mrs. Elizabeth Nelson Roland G. Peaslee Richard T. Pedersen, OD Estate of Elmer J. Pieper, OD R. Elliot Politser, OD, DOS Estate of Erma S. Quick Franklin D. Reinhardt, OD Robin C. Rinearson, OD Elmer Z. Robinson, OD Alfred A. Rosenbloom, Jr., OD, MA, DOS and Mrs. Sarah Rosenbloom John N. Schoen, Jr., OD Michael D. Schloss, OD Delmar E. Spronk, OD Estate of Dennis P. Steinhart, OD Estate of Dr. Bruce and Mrs. Flora M. Thomas Donald W. Turner, OD Lawrence R. Vogel, OD Estate of Ann B. Webb Estate of Philip E. Wells Howard I. Woolf, OD, DOS

Home • Admissions Admission to Illinois College of Optometry Why ICO? Visit ICO Applying to ICO Funding Your O.D. There are many reasons to choose ICO: our clinic, our great city, but more than any other reason, students choose ICO to be part of a community that has dedicated itself to the well-being of our patients. At ICO you will have a lasting impact. Our patient population will prepare you to diagnose and treat whatever cases you encounter as a practicing doctor of optometry. Throughout your time at ICO your patients will be your best teachers. Learn all that you can for them and from them. Exclusively optometry for optimum education Our curriculum is developed by optometrists for optometrists. We are exclusively optometry because we believe that by specializing, we can best prepare you for anything you may encounter as a Doctor of Optometry. In the heart of Chicago In the Heart of Chicago. In minutes you can be downtown. This city is brimming with cultural events and food. It's a great place to call home. Located where we can do the most good Our location is intentional. Here, we have a significant impact by providing exceptional care to an underserved community. We can't wait to see you at ICO. What I love about ICO is the community of students and professors who really have your back. Everyone ... wants you to succeed. There's no competition between students because we all want to be the best doctors we can be. - Kashifa Ansari, OD '23

Home • In the Clinic In the Clinic at Illinois College of Optometry Illinois Eye Institute Research Opportunities Outreach Summer Opportunities Externships Residency Program If there is one thing that makes us unique, it’s our clinic. Your experience at Illinois Eye Institute will prepare you incredibly well for any patient you will treat as a Doctor of Optometry. In the IEI, you will experience new and challenging cases every day — whether basic eyecare or rare diseases. You will serve a community in need We are in Chicago and on the South Side for a reason: this is where we can have the biggest impact. Here you will not only read about sight-threatening conditions but see them in real life every day in the clinic. Illinois Eye Institute Opportunities During Every Optometric Year At nearly every stage of your optometric journey there will be research opportunities for you. You can work with faculty, residents and our attendings on cutting-edge treatments. Not only that, but there are awards and fellowships to help fund your research. No matter where you turn at ICO, research opportunities abound. Research Opportunities Four Years in Clinic Clinical Assistant Program We get you into clinic your very first year. You'll start with clinic observations during fall quarter and during your Spring quarter will participate in the examination of patients alongside third years in Primary Eyecare. In your second year, you’ll put the skills you’ve learned into action and perform a complete eye exam on your own! After working with a partner during the fall and winter quarters, in spring quarter you will perform eye exams on your own. Patient Care Program You will spend third year in Primary Eyecare and specialty clinics like Cornea and Contact Lens. In Primary Eyecare, you will build on your last two years of experience while rotating through Vision Rehabilitation, Cornea/Contact Lens, Pediatrics, and Glaucoma units at the Illinois Eye Institute. Specialty Rotations Clinical Methods & Procedures IV Externship Rotations Your fourth year is all clinical. This is the year that will help you define what you really want to do as an optometrist when you graduate. Students rotate through the IEI and speciality externships. Serve a community in need. Our Community Commitment Our commitment to the Bronzeville neighborhood (and those neighborhoods that surround us) goes back generations. We are here to serve Summer opportunities in year one. As one of the largest optometry schools in the nation, we have many optometric specialists. Here you will have the ability to pursue your passions -- whether low vision or pediatrics. Summer Opportunities at ICO Your impact will reach well beyond Chicago As one of the largest and oldest optometry schools in the nation, ICO offers externships all over the country and the world. Our Externship Program Become an expert in your field Our graduates are not only some of the best- prepared and best-trained optometrists, but every year we offer several post-graduate residency programs to deepen recent ODs' optometric knowledge. Residency Opportunities

Home Consumer Information Estimated Cost of Attendance (2024 - 2025) You might notice years 1 and 4 are 9-month years while years 2 and 3 are 12-month years. This means the total cost reflects an extra quarter of tuition and living expenses. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Home • Admissions • Applying to ICO Apply to Illinois College of Optometry Why ICO? Visit ICO Applying to ICO Funding Your O.D. In 2022, we marked 150 years of preparing Doctors of Optometry for their practice modality of choice. We're ready to partner with you and we're excited to have you start your journey to Doctor of Optometry with us. Gather your material 1 Submit application 2 Interview at ICO 3 Celebrate your acceptance and deposit! Due Dates & Pre-Reqs When evaluating candidates, we look at the big picture. We do know that there are certain courses that prepare students well for the rigorousness of ICO. We have a rolling admissions process and we admit students as they complete their applications. Due Dates and Pre-Reqs Get to Know Our Class Wondering where students at ICO are from? Or what their average OAT scores were? Check out our entering class profiles to get to know your future colleagues better. See Entering Class Profile 3+4 Program Accelerate your entry into optometry school with this exciting new program! Learn More OD/MS Degree Program The Illinois College of Optometry has a new degree option for students already enrolled in the College’s Doctor of Optometry program. Learn More Interviewing at ICO Interview Day is just as much about you getting to know us as it is about us getting to know you. We want this day to be open, fun and informative. We look forward to seeing you soon! Interview Day Details International Admissions We welcome candidates from all over the world. No matter where you are from, we prepare you to smoothly transition into life as a doctor following your education at ICO. Learn More We can't wait to have you join the ICO family!

Home Consumer Information Vaccination Policy Immunization Requirements The optometric training program requires classroom, laboratory and clinical training. Therefore, an ICO student is not only considered a “student” in the traditional definition of a student enrolled in an institution of higher education but also a health care provider. So, the ICO student has to consider their obligations, as it pertains to disease control, to themselves and their colleagues but also, more importantly, to their patients. The student also needs be prepared to meet their obligation to patients not to be a source of infectious disease in several settings including the Illinois Eye Institute, hospitals, private practices, and other multidisciplinary sites. Therefore, ICO’s requirements for proof of immunity reflect the state’s requirements for college students but also other requirements for health care workers. In response to state law, the Centers for Disease Control recommendations, OSHA regulations and other related standards, the College requires certain immunizations and tests. Prior to entering ICO students are required to provide proof of immunity to Varicella, measles, mumps, rubella, and a current booster for tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (1). ICO recommends that all employees and students stay up to date on Covid19 vaccinations. Also prior to entry, students are required to have had 2 stage skin testing for tuberculosis administered and interpreted between March and August of the year of entry. The vaccinations for the Hepatitis B Virus (2) are recommended prior to entering the program, but are required prior to the beginning of the second professional year. Due to the length of time involved in completing this series of vaccinations, it is highly recommended that students complete it before coming to ICO. If you have specific questions about required pre-matriculation immunizations they may be directed to the Assistant Dean for Student Success at x7415. Since immunization records are kept with the student record, any requests for this information should be directed to the Office of the Registrar. 1 1 The Illinois College Immunization Law specifies proof of immunity for measles, mumps, rubella and diphtheria/tetanus. The College Registrar is required by law to officially report compliance. If a student chooses not to complete the Immunization Record by the end of the first quarter that student cannot by law register for the next quarter. 2 HBV vaccinations, and Varicella titer, proof of immunization while not included in the state immunization law, are required by the College. The consequences for not complying with these College requirements may include suspension from the academic program and or prohibition from clinical activities.

Home • Admissions • Visit ICO Visit Illinois College of Optometry Why ICO? Visit ICO Applying to ICO Funding Your O.D. There are lots of ways to get to know us better! We are happy to welcome you on campus. Throughout the year, we might be visiting near you as well. We look forward to meeting you and having an opportunity to learn more about each other. Visit us in Person There’s no better way to get to know us than to visit us. We’re always happy to have you. How to Visit ICO Book an Appointment Visiting Chicago? In our area? We’re always happy to have you. Fill out the form below to visit campus anytime! Schedule a Tour Chat with a Student! We are now giving prospective students the opportunity to chat with current students! Chat with an ICO Student Other ways to connect? ICO Visits You We participate in MANY virtual and in-person events all over the country. Come say “hi”! View Events Summer Open House Visit Us Soon Shadow an Optometrist Shadow an Optometrist We hope to see you around soon! Learn about Focus on Your Future Explore More Office of Admissions CONTACT P. 312-949-7400 E admissions@ico.edu LOCATION Illinois College of Optometry Office of Admissions 3241 S. Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60616 CONNECT