Application Process

The Accelerated Scholars Program at Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) offers an alternate opportunity for highly qualified and highly motivated students with a recommended cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and an OAT academic average score of 330 or higher.*

The Scholars Program is designed for those applicants with exceptional personal and professional motivation, exceptional academic qualifications and strong leadership skills.

The Scholars Program educational model draws from the unique features currently used in the four-year degree program. The unique curriculum emphasizes guided independent learning in conjunction with lecture/lab instruction, small group learning, and case based learning, as well as online/web-enhanced instruction. Individual student learning styles and leadership skills will be emphasized.

Students enrolled in the program will accumulate the credit equivalency of students enrolled in our traditional four-year program.

The program is designed so that a Scholars cohort will not exceed 20 students. The cohort size ensures a small student-to-faculty ratio, an integral part of the Scholars Program.

The length of this professional program is equivalent to four academic years. With a maximized, 36 month academic calendar, a Scholars Program cohort will begin July each entering year.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Program

*While the OAT is strongly encouraged, applicants have the option to take the General GRE (Graduate Record Exam), MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), or DAT (Dental Admission Test)in lieu of taking the OAT. Scores in the 60% or higher are highly recommended in each section of the chosen admission exam.

TO BE CONSIDERED, AN APPLICANT MUST:

Please note: Admissions requirements have changed for the 2026-27 application cycle.

It is recommended that applicants with less than a 3.5 (B+) grade point average should consult the Office of Admissions prior to applying.

• Submit a properly completed application to the Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS) at www.optomcas.org. Detailed instructions regarding the completion of the application and the essay are provided on the OptomCAS website.
• Review the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) Functional Guidelines here. 
• Complete a minimum of 90 semester hours or 135 quarter hours of credit from an accredited undergraduate college or university, along with admissions prerequisites (listed below) at the college level with a grade of ‘C-’ or better.
• Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (or currently attending) directly to OptomCAS. Prerequisite courses must be completed prior to starting the program, not prior to application.
• Arrange to take the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT) prior to June 1 of the desired entering year; taking the OAT between July and December of the application process is highly recommended.
  • An OAT Academic Average score of 330 or higher is recommended. Academic Average and Total Science scores below 320 are less competitive.
  • The admission exam must be taken within three years, prior to the start of the OptomCAS application cycle to which you are applying. Score reports past three years will not be considered. For example, if you are applying for the 2025-26 application cycle, you must have taken the exam on or after June 30, 2022.
  • While the OAT is strongly encouraged, applicants have the option to take the General GRE (Graduate Record Exam), the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), or the DAT (Dental Admission Test) in lieu of taking the OAT. Scores in the 60% or higher are highly recommended in each section of the chosen admission exam.
  • If an applicant has taken the OAT as well as a previous or subsequent alternate exam, an OAT score will be given preference over any alternate exam.
  • The admission exam must be taken within three years, prior to the start of the OptomCAS application cycle to which you are applying. Score reports past three years will not be considered. For example, if you are applying for the 2026-27 application cycle, you must have taken the OAT or approved substitute on or after June 25, 2023.
• Three letters of evaluation are required and should be forwarded directly to OptomCAS. Any three of the following options will be accepted in order to fulfill the letter requirement:
  • A Pre-Professional Committee letter of evaluation (consult with your college/university pre-professional advisor regarding the policy for providing letters of recommendation for pre-professional applicants).
    • One committee letter will fulfill the entire letter requirement.
  • Letter from a teaching faculty member who has taught you in a course (science teaching faculty letter is strongly recommended).
  • Letter from your pre-professional or faculty advisor.
  • Letter from practicing optometrist for whom you have shadowed or worked.
  • Letter from a healthcare professional or work supervisor who is able to assess your qualifications for professional education and future career in optometry.
  • Additional letters outside of the above options will enhance the file but will not fulfill our required letters of evaluation.
• A minimum of 100 hours of patient care interaction within a healthcare profession is required (may be volunteer or paid). It is highly recommended to have direct patient interactions in an optometry or ophthalmology setting, which may include roles such as scribe, optometric/ophthalmic technician, or optician. Hours achieved through shadowing or observation are accepted, but considered less competitive. Office support or clerical work does not fulfill this requirement.
• ​International Students, please review the drop down section below for any additional requirements needed.
• ​​​​​​All credentials submitted on behalf of an applicant become a part of that applicant’s file with the University and cannot be returned.
• If accepted, an applicant must complete the University’s compliance program and meet University compliance requirements upon matriculation.
  • Pre-matriculation health standards include a criminal background check, child abuse clearance, any health clearances, fingerprinting and drug screening. Immunization requirements are in compliance with state regulations and CDC recommendations for healthcare providers.
  Students are responsible for all fees associated with these clearance protocols. Students will be responsible for uploading their required documentation via CastleBranch, an online-tracking system, and monitoring their compliance records to ensure that all information remains current and accurate. Clinical sites which require such clearances may deny a student’s participation in a clinical experience based on the results of these clearances. Students must also provide proof of health insurance prior to the start of the program.

PREREQUISITES

An applicant must have completed a minimum of 90 semester hours or 135 quarter hours of credit from an accredited undergraduate college or university. These credits must include the pre-optometry courses listed below completed with a 'C-' or better.

An applicant need not have completed all prerequisites prior to filing an application but must be able to complete all outstanding prerequisites prior to enrolling.

Prerequisite credits completed ten or more years prior to the anticipated entrance date will be reviewed for approval on an individual basis.

Please note: Prerequisites for the Scholars Program have changed for the 2026-27 application cycle.

• General Biology or Zoology (with labs) - one year
• General Chemistry (with labs) - one year
• Organic Chemistry (with labs) - one year or
  • ½ year Organic Chemistry plus ½ year of either Biochemistry or Molecular Biology (lab highly recommended)
• General Physics (with labs) - one year
• Microbiology or Bacteriology (lecture only) - ½ year
• Anatomy or Physiology - ½ year
  • separate Anatomy and Physiology courses or combined courses are acceptable; labs are highly recommended.
• English Composition or English Literature - one year
• Mathematics - one year
  • ( ½ year Calculus fulfills math requirement; however, one year Calculus highly recommended)
• Psychology - ½ year
• Statistics (Math, Biology or Psychology) - ½ year

While not required, we highly encourage additional upper level science coursework in such areas as Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, Histology, and Experimental and Physiological Psychology. 

INTERNATIONAL TRANSCRIPTS

For applicants who have attended foreign and French-Canadian schools, the following is required:

• A course-by-course credential review from an accredited agency (such as World Education Services), which evidences all post-secondary studies completed. Please consult agency’s web site for requirements to complete the evaluation.
• An official evaluation may be sent from the agency directly to OptomCAS.
  • Instructions for submitting a foreign credential evaluation.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Fluency in written and spoken English is essential for success in a University academic program as well as to help ensure patient/client/student safety and/or effective communication with members of a healthcare or education team.

Official results from the TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS or Duolingo examination are required of all non-native English speakers. One of these approved exams must be taken within two years prior to the start date of the entering class to which an applicant seeks admission.

While we recommend that applicants submit TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS or Duolingo, exceptions will be considered for foreign applicants who meet one of the following criteria*:

1. successfully completed a degree or diploma held from an accredited, post-secondary institution where the coursework was entirely in English, and provide evidence that it was conducted in English; or
2. successfully completed, and provide evidence of, an approved English language learner’s program

*Note: All exemption materials and other appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and subject to the admission committee’s final discretion. Should any exceptions not be accepted toward the English language requirement, the Office of Admissions will inform the applicant of an alternative to fulfill it.

• academic performance
• motivation
• extracurricular activities and interests
• related and unrelated work experience
• personal achievements
• essays
• letters of evaluation
• communication skills, including a demonstrated command of the English language, both written and oral

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Eligible applicants will be invited to participate in an optometry interview process designed specifically for the Scholars Program. Unlike the traditional one-on-one interview, applicants will participate in six to eight multiple mini-interviews (MMI), each lasting five to eight minutes.

Conducted by program faculty mentors, College administrators, as well as members of the Drexel community, each mini-interview presents the applicant with a scenario aimed at assessing one or more attributes deemed to be essential for success in the Scholars Program. (For more information on MMI: New York Times article and an overall description of the process of the MMI).

The Scholars Program multiple mini-interviews are designed to assess critical thinking skills, cultural sensitivity, collaboration and communication skills, as well as time management. Collaboration and team building are key features of the Scholars Program. For this reason, applicants also take part in a group exercise to further evaluate the applicant’s abilities in these areas. The invited applicant’s participation in the MMI process does not require that an applicant have specific scientific knowledge on a particular topic to be successful during the interview process.

Mentorship is another important feature of the Scholars Program. Students in the program will work closely with carefully selected faculty mentors who will supervise the program’s students through each aspect of this curriculum; as group discussion leaders, clinical problem solving coaches, and supervisors of the intense and diverse patient care experiences that Scholars Program students will encounter. Throughout the interview process, applicants will be interacting with the core faculty members who will serve as mentors to the Scholars Program students.

During the interview process each applicant has multiple opportunities to fully demonstrate their suitability, as well as their willingness, to participate in the Scholars Program. Additionally, each applicant learns about the program and has the opportunity to reflect and assess thir own abilities in relation to the program’s demands. As with the traditional four-year program, Scholars Program applicants will have the option to tour the Elkins Park campus and The Eye Institute, meet current PCO students, as well as obtain information about the University, housing opportunities, and financial aid. The MMI interview process may be done in-person or virtually.

Please note, it is an applicant's responsibility to respond promptly to an interview invitation, either to accept or to decline. Please contact the Elkins Park Campus Office of Admissions with any questions regarding the interview process.

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE

Upon receipt of acceptance, an applicant is required to pay a $1,000 matriculation fee to the University prior to the start of classes, payable as follows:

• Confirmation of enrollment by submitting a $500 deposit within 14 days of the date of the acceptance letter.
• The balance of $500 for the matriculation fee is due April 15.
• If accepted after April 15, the offer of acceptance will detail payment requirements.
• All monies received above are non-refundable and will be applied toward first term fees.

Please note that all applicants are to respond promptly to all offers of admission. Once an applicant has accepted an offer, it is the applicant’s obligation to immediately notify and withdraw any outstanding applications or to decline offers of admission from other schools and colleges of optometry. The University participates in Shared Acceptance Reports during the OptomCAS cycle.

DEFERMENT OF ADMISSION

An accepted student with an unforeseen, extenuating circumstance prohibiting them from matriculating may request a deferment of admission in writing. The request must be directed the Elkins Park Campus Office of Admissions.

For deferment consideration, the following is required:

• A deferment request submitted in writing by May 1st, before the August start of the academic year. 
• All non-refundable deposit fees and the matriculation supplement must be received (as directed in the University’s official Letter of Acceptance).

Please note:

• Admission will be extended to August matriculation of the next academic year.
• A deferment will not extend beyond one admission cycle.
• The student must contact the Elkins Park Campus Office of Admissions, in writing, by April 1st of the deferred admission calendar year regarding the intention to resume enrollment.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Enrolled students who withdraw or are dismissed from the University will be responsible for the payment of tuition in accordance with the institutional refund schedule.

• University Policies
• Refund Policy

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

Pennsylvania College of Optometry has requested that students utilize a device(s) that meet certain technical capabilities for use throughout the duration of the program. These devices are required to ensure each student’s ability to access educational websites/databases/software during the didactic and clinical year. For example, students will need a device for testing, to access evidence-based websites, Blackboard for course access, e-books and designated course materials during the didactic and clinical year. Students are responsible for the maintenance of their personal devices.

Details on specific Computer Requirements (PDF).

SCHOLARSHIPS

The University offers optometry students a number of grants and scholarships each year that provide incentive for learning and research. These awards are monetary gifts and do not require repayment. Available Internal Optometry Scholarships

There are also various external scholarships for eligible candidates. Available External Optometry Scholarships