During the 2014-2015 application cycle, 2,729 people applied to attend the 21 U.S. schools and colleges of optometry, an increase of 4.8% compared with the same period last year. A total of 13,255 applications were submitted through the Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS), and applicants applied to an average of 4.86 programs each. A full report on the 2014-2015 application cycle will be available at the end of the year.
The current (2015-2016) application cycle, the seventh for OptomCAS, launched on July 1. The service enables applicants to schools and colleges of optometry to use a single web-based application and one set of materials to apply to multiple institutions. All 21 ASCO member schools and colleges participate in OptomCAS.
For answers to questions about the applicant pool or OptomCAS, visit www.optomcas.org or contact Paige Pence, ASCO’s Director of Student and Residency Affairs.