Pre-Optometry

How US Universities Assess Applicants

US universities use a holistic admissions review. Beyond grades and standardized test scores, they weigh the strength of your overall profile to understand who you are as a student and a person.

• Profile Assessment: In the United States, Medicine and Dentistry are normally graduate-entry professional programs. Students usually complete a four-year bachelor’s degree, including required pre-medical or pre-dental science courses, before applying through the relevant professional admission process. Veterinary Medicine is also commonly a graduate-entry pathway. Therefore, high-school applicants normally shortlist an undergraduate major such as Biology, Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences or another suitable subject rather than applying directly to Medicine or Dentistry.
• Advanced Placement(AP) Guidance: AP availability depends on the student's school. Relevant APs can strengthen an application and may earn university credit, but are not compulsory unless the university or programme explicitly requires them.
  • AP Biology
  • AP Chemistry
  • AP Calculus or Statistics
• Essays & recommendations: Personal essays and teacher/counselor recommendations give context to your achievements and help demonstrate fit with the program.