How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.15 | 68 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 64 |
| Negatively | 1 |
| No change | 4 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.89 | 66 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.17 | 69 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.81 | 68 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 1 |
| Virtual | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 1 |
| 20 minutes | 1 |
| 25 minutes | 2 |
| 30 minutes | 10 |
| 35 minutes | 12 |
| 40 minutes | 6 |
| 45 minutes | 12 |
| 50 minutes | 6 |
| 55 minutes | 2 |
| 60+ minutes | 17 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 67 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 68 |
| In a group | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 62 |
| Closed file | 6 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.15 | 68 |
"How I balanced my work, student organization activities and studies, given I graduated with a very high GPA."
"What is your journey in determining that optometry was for you and why optometry?"
"What are some volunteer work you've done?"
"Why certain sections of my OAT were below average"
"Explain the trend in your grades."
"How do you relieve stress? Time management skill? How did you study for the OAT? How do your parents feel about you moving to Chicago?"
"What was your favourite course that you've taken and why? At what point did you know you wanted to do optometry? What can you bring to the school community? Where are you from? What do you like to do for fun?"
"Why would you want to put yourself through this rigorous program?"
"Why Optometry"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"What is a progression of your interest in optometry?"
"Explain the trend in your grades. How do you feel about your OAT scores? What other schools did you apply to?"
"I see that you applied to many different colleges that are so different, so I'm wondering why you did that?"
"Where do you see yourself practicing?"
"Why major in biological sciences? So many other students major in this."
"Why Optometry? Why ICO?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"(All the obvious ones were asked; why optometry? Why ICO? They also referenced my personal statement and asked me specific questions about something I mentioned in it, so know that really well.) How did you manage your time? "
"When did you get to Chicago?"
"It was conversational... nothing too challenging"
"Why did you choose your undergraduate institution?"
"What made you interested in optometry?"
"Can you handle our course work?"
"I recall the entire interview consisting of two structured questions, with one of them being "Do you have any questions?". It was very chill, definitely not stressful if you sincerely want to be an opt. "
"Do you want to do a residency? What do you know about our residency program?"
"Tell me about yourself? Why optometry? What quantitative skills do you have? Why weren’t you a full time student during certain semester? What do you know about optometry? "
"I will just list all the questions asked, including in the one-on-one file review with an admissions counselor and one-on-one interview with faculty. "
"Tell me about yourself."
"When did you get here?"
"Describe the trend of your grades and are your grades and OAT representative of your work?"
"Why Optometry?"
"Why did you move to Florida?"
"So tell me why you wanted to do optometry."
"How would you describe the trend of your grades?"
"What did you enjoy about your high school experience?"
"How did you choose optometry?"
"Why ICO?"
"If you are accepted, where do you plan to live when you graduate opt. school, and why?"
"Why do you want to come to ICO?"
"What challenges will optometrists be facing in the future?"
"So where's your suit?"
"Tell me about your undergrad experience."
"which class in college did you dislike the most? "
"Why do you want to be an optometrist ?"
"What did you think of PCO?"
"Why do you want to go into optometry?"
"Why do you want to be an optometrist"
"Why do you want to become an optometrist?"
"What are the positive and negative aspects about yourself?"
"''What kinds of things did you do to prepare for the OAT?''"
"Class you like and one you disliked."
"About my experience volunteering in a Manatee Conservation Center"
"Why (undergrad university) ?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Talked mainly about my grades and low gpa/struggles. Be prepared to explain if you have a lot gpa/got bad grades. I feel like 80% of the interview was her concern about my struggle in college and how I might struggle at ICO"
"How would you describe your quantitative skills?"
"Why is there such a drastic difference from your GPA (3.71) and your science OAT score (270)?"
"Tell me a little about yourself"
"What class you like the least/most and why?"
"Why optometry and not ophthalmology?"
"Do you know anything about the residency program?"
"Why optometry? Why ICO? How do you see yourself practicing in the future?"
"Out of all professions, why did you choose optometry? Why not a doctor or nurse?"
"What are your extracurriculars?"
"Very conversational"
"Tell me, what led you to optometry (starting from highschool)?"
"Where do you see the field of Optometry going in the future?"
"Where do you see optometry in the future?"
"What can you offer to ICO?"
"Do you think that your grades reflect your work ethic? "
"A class you thought you'd like, but turned out the opposite?"
"Don't remember.. very conversational"
"Do you really think you can handle the workload?"
"Would you like to do a residency?"
"How did you start pre-optometry club? Was it difficult?"
"Tell me about your experiences in optometry!"
"Where do you think you want to practice? What practice mode?"
"Why ICO? What factor led you to apply to the schools that you did? Did you have interviews anywhere else? How was PCO? What is your first choice? Do you have any questions for me? What is your favorite subject? What is your least favorite subject? Do you know about our residency programs? Why did you do a masters?"
"How have I come to optometry as a career choice Why optometry and what experiences led you to it? Describe your trend in grades What do you like to do for fun Why ICO? If you get accepted into more than one school, which would you pick? Where I see optometry in the future Tell me about yourself What activities are you involved in? If I could tell the admissions committee 3 things about myself before they made their decision, what would they be? Where and in which setting do you plan to practice? Classes that I am interested in. not interested in What had of exposure have I had in the workplace? What are some experiences you've had in shadowing/working How did you prepare for the OAT?"
"Why Optometry and what experiences led you to it?"
"If you are accepted to more than one school, how will you make your decision?"
"What leadership roles to you possess?"
"How did you decide on optometry."
"Did you take any business classes in undergrad?"
"Why optometry? "
"Why didn't you choose to go to Med School and go into opthalmology? (they want to make sure you have your reasons why that route isn't one you'd want to take so you don't regret being an O.D. later...)"
"Do you know of any problems that may face optometrists in the future?"
"Why ICO? Why optometry?"
"What one word would your roommates use to describe you?"
"What was the most challenging experience of undergrad?"
"What kind of practice are you interested in working at?"
"What type of exposure do you have to the field?"
"What do you like about ICO?"
"I wonder if your bag even made it?"
"what was your favorite class?"
"Have you applied anywhere else ? Which is your first choice ? And why ? (this was not asked during the actual interview, but was asked during another part of the process)"
"Why ICO?"
"Do you know about our residency programs? Do you want to do a residency?"
"Why ICO"
"When did you know you wanted to become an optometrist?"
"Why Illinois college of optometry?"
"''What activities do you like to do outside of school?''"
"Tell me about your extracurricular activiites."
"Why did I choose my undergrad university, and how was the application process. (I'm not from the US)"
"How did you study for the OAT?"
"Why did you pick your major?"
"What ways had researched optometry and ICO?"
"Why Optometry?"
"Asked about different optometry shadowing experiences. Where do you see yourself in the future (what type of optometrist do you want to be). Do you have any questions for me?"
"Why did you choose to apply to the specific schools you did?"
"Why ICO?"
"How do you plan on managing your time in optometry school?"
"What can you bring to our school?"
"What can you offer both the field of optometry and the ICO community?"
"Your GPA for non-sciences is better than your sciences, why is that?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"You mentioned that tuition played a role in your decision to choose the undergraduate school that you attended. As you know, ICO is a private school therefore the tuition is much higher. Why ICO?"
"Explain any lower grades in the past, or any breaks from school."
"Explain why you withdrew from a certain class."
"What would you do differently at the previous optometrist's office you worked for?"
"Will you be able to handle a large class size?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What could you bring to ICO?"
"Tell me about yourself"
"What do you do at work? (I work in an optometrist's office)"
"Why did you choose to go to your undergraduate institution? What did you like about your undergrad? What is the trend in your grades? How did you study for the OAT? Why did you take the OAT twice? How did you improve your score on the OAT? Are you satisfied with your grades and OAT score?"
"There is an inpromtu Essay: You have 10 minutes to write about what "Characteristics you will bring to the ICO community""
"What is your biggest weakness and what are you doing to address the issue?"
"Describe the trend in your grades."
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"How would you describe the trend of your grades in college?"
"Why optometry over dentistry?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses. What type of activities have you been involved in."
"Tell me about any shadowing experiences you've had."
"Where else did you apply and how does ICO compare to them?"
"Why did you attend your college?"
"What good and bad characteristics do you possess?"
"What do you know about the scope of optometry?"
"What is one of your strengths?"
"How will your religious beliefs effect your experience here at ICO?"
"What did you experience in shadowing?"
"Why did I pick my major?"
"How do you explain this D you got in organic chemistry?"
"Are your parents prepared for you to be so far away? (I live in Western Canada)"
"Tell me about your optometry experiences"
"Where else did you apply?"
"Are you interested in doing a residency?"
"do you have any questions for me? (asked by everyone <--i think its a very important question. prepare for it!)"
"Why did you go to your undergraduate school ?"
"What do you know about optometry?"
"Tell me about your shadowing experience."
"Tell me about your study habits"
"What qualities do you feel an optometrist shouls have?"
"What was your favorite class?"
"''Tell me about how you became interested in the profession of optometry''"
"Tell me about yourself."
"None"
"How does my family feel about me moving to Chicago?"
"If your house was on fire what would you take with you?"
"You seem like you're very involved, how would you deal with the transition once you're in optometry school?"
"If you were to encounter a personal tragedy during your time here at ICO, how would you deal with it and how would you prevent it from affecting your studies?"
"When you were in college did you live on campus or at home? Did you live on-campus all your school years?"
"What are you looking for in an optometry school?"
"Start with when you were in high school, go up through undergrad, volunteering, and working experience and pretty much just discuss how you got here today."
"Do you have family in Chicago"
"give 3 reasons why ico should choose you over others."
"what do you do in your free time?"
"How do you see yourself practicing in the future?"
"There are three schools in California, why did you bypass those three schools? Why not Berkeley?"
"Why optometry? (Felt like I could really share with the interviewer my reasons)"
"Is there a specialty you would like to go into?"
"Name one person who has influenced you the most"
"Something random about one of the activities I mentioned participating in."
"Nothing really out of the ordinary. There were no trick questions. I think the question regarding why I withdrew was the most detailed question I had in any of my interviews."
"How do you feel about the big age gaps between your siblings?"
"Everything very basic."
"Tell me more about your research. "
"I believe I asked more questions than they did. "
"The truth is that you need to understand that each question should be geared toward your showing them that you are interested in optometry."
"None."
"why were you a parttime student?"
"Honestly...the interviewer will probably read your personal statement 15 minutes before your interview. Have this work FOR you. Read and re-read your essay 1000000 times. Be consistent, but not verbatim. They want to make sure your experiences were real and worthwhile. "
"What's your favorite book?"
"How have your parents/family supported you throughout this process?"
"none, very straight forward"
"What will you do if we accepted you?"
"If you had to tell a patient bad news, how would you go about it."
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you plan to practice?"
"Tell me about how your nontraditional majors (French and Art History) relate to the field of Optometry?"
"Where is and why did you attend your college?"
"None, really :) They're all pretty straight-forward."
"I don't even recall many questions as the whole interview was like a long conversation. "
"How would I describe the trend of my grades?"
"What did you like about your high school years?"
"Why do you want to do research and not just be an optometrist?"
"What was your most rewarding experience in college?"
"What are your main hobbies/interests?"
"What is your philosophy on embracing diversity in the workplace?"
"What are some of the challenges you that are going to face optometrists in the future?"
"So if you're parents are from Nebraska, then why are they Bears fans?"
"Specifics about what I do at work (I'm an optometric assistant). and probably what classes I liked the least/most."
"Why did you take the OATs twice? "
"This interviewer's style was so informal that for me it was pretty much just a conversation, so no questions really stand out. "
"Why should you be accepted at ICO?"
"Are you interested in doing a residency?"
"What is rodeo?"
"Which class I had in undergrad which I was genuinely interested in but felt it did not meet my expectations at the end."
"What is/or are your greatest accomplishments?"
"Most of the questions were pretty standard, ''why do you want to be an optometrist'' etc. It was realy more of a conversation. I think I asked my interviewer more questions than she asked me!"
"If tell the admissions committee three things about myself before they made their decision, what would it be?"
"I didn't find any question to be difficult. It was very conversational."
"None they were all relatively straightforward and easy to answer!"
"How have you handled a situation that was especially challenging?"
"N/A"
"If you were having trouble in one of our courses here, what would you do?"
"None were difficult. Very informal, conversational, relaxed interview."
"How would you describe the trend in your grades? Explain your poor marks."
"When compared to 25 other applicants why should we choose you?"
"give 3 reasons why ico should choose you over others."
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Nothing too challenging."
"Actually the 10 minute essay was not enough time."
"(during the file review) explain your bad grades. Do you plan to retake the oats?"
"Nothing too difficult, I had to think about the question when they asked me the one person who has influenced me the most"
"None of them, really. It was very relaxed and conversational."
"In all honesty, nothing was really too difficult. "
"None. They just ask you questions leading up to more questions based on your answers, and they're really just trying to have a conversation with you. "
"Nothing... just asked simple questions about me.. I actually asked more questions."
"Tell me about your weaknesses. "
"Nothing, all pretty standard. "
"None, they were all good. "
"what were your quantitative abilities?"
"It's sometimes hard explaining WHY you want to go into a certain field, it may just be the experiences you had and words may not be enough. Practice your response, but make it sincere. It's just as bad to be mumbling throughout the interview than it is to say a bunch of BS. "
"None were all that difficult"
"none"
"Nothing really difficult. The interview was just like a relaxed conversation which made it a lot easier."
"What type of laws are being passed?"
"Nothing was difficult"
"None."
"If you had to go through college again, would you do anything differently?"
"Tell mw about a mistake that you made and how you worked to ameliorate the situation?"
"None, once again. "
"none really difficult. "
"None were difficult."
"None of the questions were particularly difficult, they all related to me or the school and us getting to know each other. They were not hard, but rather more personal."
"Why did you apply to medical school as well as optometry school?"
"If you were pre-med why didn't you persue med school to become an opthalmologist?"
"There really were no difficult questions. It was simply a conversation about my background and interests."
"None. The questions were very straight-forward."
"Nothing was really difficult, very relaxed and conversational."
"My interviewer didn't really ask me anything, we just sort of talked."
"What class in college I liked the least. It was an easy answer for me but sort of hard to explain why with out outright saying I hated the professor."
"nothing difficult"
"Again - so informal that no questions seemed difficult"
"What was it about the Reading Comprehension section of the OAT?... it seems many people have had difficulties."
"No difficult questions"
"None were difficult"
"There really were none, they were pretty basic and specific questions about my perrsonality, goals, etc."
"What are the most positive and negative aspects about yourself?"
"I was asked ''what is one aspect of your study habits that you need to improve''. Not TOO tough of a question, but I hadn't prepared for it. "
"nothing really difficult"
"SDN and Reddit."
"Read reviews about the school"
"Reading SDN interview questions and making a Word document answering them"
"Practice and preparing to answer any questions that I think the school may ask me"
"Researching the school on their website"
"Looking at interview questions here on SDN, as well as doing a mock interview with an optometrist I work with."
"Read up on everything about ICO"
"SDN interview feedback questions"
"SDN!! Also read my personal statement over, and prepped out some main points to answer some of the most common questions. Other than that, the interview felt so much like a conversation and was really easy-going."
"Pre-health advisor at my school and SDN"
"A long list of questions for interviews from online. practicing questions. practice with a friend."
"SDN, mock interview, research school website"
"Read interview feedback questions"
"Studentdoctor.net"
"SDN. Read up about what's going on in the field."
"SDN questions, and looking up interview questions relating to optometry and for ICO."
"Read over questions from SDN interview feedback and answered them."
"Student Doctor Network, sample interview questions"
"SDN, Had my friends mock interview me."
"I read SDN, read the news just in case, and my 2 interviews before this one really helped."
"Listed my strengths and weaknesses in becoming an Optometrist."
"I read a ton of these interview feedback forms on the Student Doctor Network and printed them up and just went through them a few times before each interview. I did not want to memorize anything, but I really think it helped to just get all my ideas written down."
"Questions from optstudent.com and interview feedback on studentdoctor.net"
"Preparing answers to typical questions"
"Looking at SDN interview section"
"SDN, other interviews, wrote out questions and answers"
"SDN, website FAQ, read over my personal statements and questions from previous interviews"
"Reading SDN forums, reminding myself of my accomplishments and questions I have for the school. "
"SDN and the ICO website"
"Did mocks, but I wasn't really asked any questions. "
"SDN interview feedback. "
"Looked at SDN and ICO website and mailing"
"SDN is a blessing! I went through all the questions that these interview feedbacks had and then I made sure I could answer each question (even the "stupid ones"). Like, it was for some reason hard to answer how I studied for the OAT. Why? Because when I saw that question on SDN, I thought it was "stupid" and didn't bother to answer it. "
"SDN boards, mock interviews"
"past interviews, read SDN, talked to others who had interviewed there before."
"mock interviews (practice!), sdn"
"SDN forums, wrote down possible questions, welcome packet, school website"
"Lots of research and mock interviews"
"SDN"
"SDN Interview Feedback! Compiled a list of questions that they may ask me based on my file/background."
"SDN interview database, college career center, read and thought about possible questions, and researched the school through website"
"SDN, practice with professional adults."
"I reviewed SDN questions, as well as other mock interview questions. I also overviewed the school catalog and information packets they sent me. "
"read the brochure they sent and watched all the videos on the CD. Other than that, just dropped by the campus a day earlier to make sure I knew where it was and wouldn't get lost the next day. I wouldn't advise walking around the neighborhood at night time."
"Making sure I knew as much about the school and profession as possible."
"I read all of the info about the school from their website and the materials they had sent me or that I had received at my previous visit. I said ''be yourself!''"
"I read about the school online and in the brochure mailed to me prior."
"Spoke to alumni, read over the info packet they sent, SDN interview feedback, prepared questions to ask them. "
"Read all the interview feedback on the optometry forum and the interview feedback section of this site."
"Read through SDN forum, practiced mock interviews with friends, asked myself possible questions I would be asked in the interview."
"SDN and also studied the info packet they send out"
"Student doctor and I thought about some questions I might be asked."
"Last interview of app process so I just relaxed."
"SDN, practice interviews, thinking of potential questions"
"I read over all the info that ICO had sent me, read over info I had about optometry, and prepared answers for questions I did not know how to answer from other interviews (which they did not ask)"
"PCO interview"
"Looked through the SDN forum and prepared answers to typical interview questions - ''Why optometry'', etc..."
"Had friends ask me potential questions"
"Read over some ICO information during breakfast that day and SDN."
"Reading over ICO material and and compared it to other schools material. Also, writing down all my accomplishments, reasons for wanting to become an OD, and why I would be a good candidate."
"SDN, browsed the school's website, emailed an optometrist that graduated from the school. "
"looked on SDN "
"The professors were so nice, clinic was super nice"
"The interview did not feel like an interview at all but more like a casual conversation. I really liked how laid-back it was."
"Daphne who works with career development was so energetic and welcoming, I liked her energy"
"The portion where the financial aid and career services advisers gave their presentations was really professional. The financial aid adviser really explained everything clearly and broke down the finances. The person who interviewed me was very nice and it felt more like a conversation."
"The other financial aid and career services directors that talk to you are great. They make you feel at ease, crack jokes, and are really nice. The school is a great facility, state of the art, and always finding ways to improve. Concerned about the safety of the area? The security is impressive!"
"They are very focused on the students."
"Faculty (professors and those who work there), students, clinics, lecture hall, library, IEI (Illinois Eye Institute), RC (Residential Complex)... THE ENTIRE SCHOOL AND WHAT IT CONSISTS OF!"
"The whole interview flow went smoothly. I really like how professional the environment seemed. It seemed like a really established optometry school with really focused students (everywhere we walked, students were focused with studying). I loved the clinic that was attached to the school and was excited about the diversity of patients that students could see. Overall I liked how it seemed like a serious place to learn and succeed. I went to another school that seemed more laid back and relax which you would think is a good thing... but I actually preferred ICO's slightly more "serious" environment. The security guys are really nice!"
"How they have the RC and the Host Program in place that gave me an insider view of what it's actually like being a student at ICO. I loved how the clinic was apart of the school and the various types of specialization, the early clinic exposure, and being able to interact with the faculty and students while I was there."
"The facilities (lecture halls, labs, clinic) and on-campus housing. There's also plenty of efficient public transportation around the school and city, so there's no requirement for your own car."
"i liked that there was a complex for the students to live in and i felt really safe there. The security was great."
"Faculty, Staff, and STUDENTS"
"clinic work students do throughout the 4 years, high NBEO scores, welcoming and fun vibe, facilities (preclinic, clinic, and RC), campus was a very short distance away from the heart of chicago"
"Friendliness of students and staff and eye clinic"
"facility, clinic"
"Great facilities. Friendly staff. Lots of research being done on campus."
"The clinicals. I really loved the tour and how we got to see the eyepod and how the residential complex is right across the street from the school."
"Eyepod, Clinic attached to school, they pay for personal trainers"
"Support system of faculties, staff and students."
"The residential complex, parking arrangements, the Eyepod clinic"
"Location and public transportation. ico is located next to another college, therefore the surrounding campus environment is somewhat safe. I also liked how downtown chicago is literally a train ride away. Getting around town without a car is very easy"
"Everyone was extremely friendly. Admissions staff came in to "keep us company" in between interviews. They did not seem to be all about numbers on paper and wanted to hear about your experience with and passion for optometry."
"Great clinic experience starting in the first year."
"Everyone there was extremely nice. I like that its a large class size, which allows you to meet so many different people. The facilities were the nicest of any school I went to. The living center is nice in that you are always literally, next door to school."
"The staff and students are SUPER FRIENDLY and the school caters to the students by having many student-oriented facilities and organizations. ICO really wants to make the students have the best and comfortable learning environment. "
"Beautiful facilities. Amazing clinic. Very impressive."
"Everything"
"The school's facility, the new Eyepod, The city of Chicago! "
"The Eyepod, campus, and RC"
"The amount of support I was able to get from everyone there. Students were all very very helpful. Every single person I've met from when I entered the door of ICO were extremely friendly. I was able to freely ask questions, get honest answers, and be respected for my religion, and my country of origin (Canada). I felt like they actually wanted to know who I am as a person, so that they can determine whether I a fit enough to be a doctor. I was interviewed by Dr. Pihos, and I felt that she was very direct, and honest. It was a very laid back interview. I felt like I asked her certain tough, or personal questions about the school, of which she still answered very honestly. I really respect that about the school. I did not get the feeling that they were trying to "sell" the school to me, but really help me in choosing the right school that will prepare me to be the best optometrist I can be. "
"The building impressed me as well as how friendly the people were. "
"Interviewer was fabulous. Very friendly, knowledgeable, and genuine. "
"Everybody was very welcoming. Awesome clinic!! "
"Staff, location and facilities"
"Things I like about ICO: Clinical experience exposure, diversity of patients and surroundings, Technology and clinics (Eyepods, in classrooms and library), student and faculty relationship, resources that can help students, community environment"
"The faculty/staff, the clinic, the RC"
"the technology and clinics"
"EVERYTHING! the city is amazing, the school is friendly, the new lab is phenomenal! I really did fall in love. Everyone was so nice to me, from the time that I landed to the time that I boarded my flight back home. And the transportation system is pretty reliable."
"The brand new third floor clinics and labs, the use of technology in classrooms and library, and the friendliness of students and faculty I met. The convenience of having the RC right across the street."
"The technology"
"Was able to see the new labs on the third floor. Was very cool to see a new building"
"The friendly staff and faculty. Enthusiastic students. Great facilities. RC across the street."
"Nice facilities."
"the student and faculty relationship, the eye institute, and that they have a residential complex"
"Quite honestly, I like how the clinic was attached to the school itself. Since the location is not entirely the best, the physical connection was more of a safety ordeal for me. "
"How friendly and inviting everyone was. Anthony, the information clerk at the front desk, is a crack-up and although he's got that tough-guy italian accent, he's actually incredibly friendly. The clinical exposure to ocular disease is immense and gives you plenty of experience if you're looking for a strong background in it."
"The passion the students and faculty had for their school."
"The diversity of disease I would see in the clinic and how close the clinic is to the school (right inside it, really). Most of the facilities were really nice (the clinicals lab was a bit cramped)."
"The clinics inside the building and the housing across the street. "
"The students seemed happy and normal, everyone was very very nice. "
"All the facilities seemed very new and high tech. Also, everybody was very nice."
"How much time and effort they put in to the whole day - interview, file review, tour, lunch etc. They really tried to show you how great their school was. It really felt like I was going to be a student there and they told us exactly what to expect and what we would experience."
"Students were great, I loved the facility."
"The person who interviewed me. He was completely unbiased towards all the optometry schools and was only trying to help me choose the school that best fit my needs."
"A lot. I was very impressed with the caring faculty, the students all seem close, the facilities are really nice, as well as the IEI. Oh and also the RC right across the street!"
"everyone was very nice, my interviewer was actully a teacher and was easy to talk to. the tour was awesome, but what topped it off was the type of experiences that you can get working at IEI."
"I was extremely impressed with the resources that the school had to help their students learn and the things that they were doing to try to improve the school to make it even better. I was also impressed the community the school has. It really seems like professors and the school overall cares about the students"
"THE STUDENTS... I got to stay in the RC which was not a 5 star but the students were so nice, helpful and positive I felt attached."
"The students, the faculty, the facilities, the clinic"
"I loved the city of Chicago"
"How friendly the staff and students were."
"The facility and the proximity to downtown chicago."
"The whole interview day was very well organized, lots of opportunities to ask questions. All of the faculty, staff and students who I met were very friendly, and seemed genuinely passionate about the school and what it has to offer. "
"My interviewer was very welcoming and the interview went smoothly.. it was conversation-like."
"They misspelled the abbreviation for my home state on my name tag, but I wasn't too fazed by it."
"The building is old looking (it is an old school after all) and that the school doesn't offer a lot of opportunities for IPE"
"Nothing in particular.. I was surprised that the school is a little bit of a maze."
"Gym and cafeteria are not as updated as the rest of the campus but that didn't really affect my judgement too much."
"It was slightly intimidating how the students seemed a bit stressed - but that is optometry school and you're there to work hard and learn. It was a bit stressful that everything seemed so "dark". Outside the building was dark and cold. Inside the building lights were extremely dimmed, and it just seemed like a dark, dark cold place. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm from California lol. Students were nice, but not as nice as another school interviewed at. Maybe they had an important test coming up or something. Oh, there was this lady at the front desk that was not that pleasant at all. I think she was an older Caucasian lady that really just did not have common sense when it came to manners. I'm surprised she's allowed to work there, given her personality. She wasn't extremely mean, but I was expecting a different personality (nice, warm, welcoming), given that she was the first person I saw, walking into the school for the first time."
"Nothing!! Maybe only the traffic getting into Chicago, but the school was great!"
"The area around the school didn't feel so safe, but there are tons of cameras and security monitoring 24/7"
"it wasn't in a bad neighborhood but there wasn't much around it. it was kind of randomly placed."
"none"
"the immediate areas surrounding campus is not as nice as the heart of chicago and the cold weather"
"a few uncomfortable moments with an unfriendly admission office staff."
"No clinics until your second year."
"The fact that it was an open interview file and the person told us that telling them what schools we applied to and where we have interviews would not affect our status. Also, when going in for the one-on-one interview, I was asked about the schools that I had interviews at and why I chose those schools as well. I thought they weren't going to ask that, so it seemed kind of unfair."
"Research oriented school"
"The admissions lady"
"the residential complex is essentially freshman style undergrad dorms. No sense of privacy. They say that single dorm rooms are available, but those are pretty much for upperclassmen. Incoming class usually get placed in a double"
"I don't know that anything did actually."
"Location of the college."
"The talk about how difficult it would be to live off campus. I understand they want people to live in the living center, which is a really great amenity, but they really make it sound like its impossible to do well there unless you live there. "
"the area wasn't as diverse, but chicago is really large so I didn't get to explore past the ICO area and downtown. "
"The neighborhood the school was in"
"The interviewer, who will be remained nameless, was not friendly, and I felt like he was trying to convince to go elsewhere. He made me feel like I would not belong at ICO. The cost to attend, a bit ridiculous. "
"Cost, but that was there before the interview. "
"The lights in the RC were a little too dim to me. "
"The extremely large class size."
"Drawn out process. The first thing that occurred the day of the interview was a file review, where they told me my file would be put on hold... kind of disappointing to hear before a five hour interview process. "
"It was toooooo cold... :("
"How long the process was. I had already visited ICO twice and didn't need to see the dorms again. Long, but worth it. "
"Location was a little scary but not scary enough to make me not want to go to ICO"
"the area around the school"
"Nothing really, just that I had to sign out of the RC Complex in the morning and take my luggage with me. It would have been nice to have had a place to change after the interview, and not stress about cleaning up in the morning!"
"There isn't much convenient housing around campus other than the RC, unless you live in the city which is pretty expensive."
"That you are recommended to live in a dorm first year."
"It was cold!"
"As a private school, they work hard to fund themselves thus have little funding and few planned recreational/extracurricular activities. "
"this is not really important but i didn't like the way the gym looked and their labs are a bit outdated but is getting renovated this year"
"Nothing really. "
"nothing really. the workers at the local McDonald's weren't very nice, but don't let that even affect your decision to apply to this school."
"The clinicals lab was small/cramped and the area of town is really not that safe. I also did not like that basically every student in the Residential Complex was drinking alcohol when I came for my visit. I was not sure I would fit in as a student on campus."
"The surprise essay we were given to write when we first got there. "
"People's guests."
"I don't like the location of the school, but it's not like they can just pick it up and move it."
"Nothing."
"Nothing really, the location was fine I thought and that is the main complaint I have heard."
"I know everybody says the location and that probably is the most negative thing about the school, but don't be too intimidated, I was wandering around the area at 2 am & I was fine."
"Honestly, the location. Its not even just that its in a ''bad part of town'' It didnt feel that dangerous to me even though my cab driver said ''I wouldn't walk around here at night'', but there isn't much around. But I do realize dwntwn Chicago isn't too far. "
"nothing was bad, the location of the school isnt the greatest, but i think it is fine."
"The location is not ideal, I hate cold weather ! Plus I would prefer not to be as down town, riding the L to the airport with a bunch of luggage was not fun !"
"The physical appearance of the building were not the most pleasing."
"Nothing"
"Nothing really"
"On the way to the school the area was a little ''run down'' but the actual area in which the school is situated in is not as bad as people make it seem."
"The school is on the border of a bad part of town, however, it seemed safe."
"The part of town that ICO is in isn't the greatest, but it's not as bad as I'd heard it was, and people said it is improving. "
"The area that the school itself is in, isn't that great.. but once you get into the city.. that definately makes up for it"
"There is no essay portion in the interview day anymore so no need to stress out about it!"
"To not be so nervous"
"It was my first interview so I didn't know what I was looking for in a school. I wish I had thought it through more and known what I wanted (great facilities, location of clinic, etc)."
"You have a chance to look around the bookstore, which I didn't, and I wish I had."
"N/A"
"How to get back to the airport. After the interview was over, I wasn't sure what to do next, haha. They were just sort of like - Okay, that's all, bye! And I felt so lost and stranded. (At the other school I interviewed at, I won't mention which school, the admissions office asked if I knew how to get back to the airport ok, and one even offered to walk me to the subway! Wow!) But at ICO, I walked around outside with my luggage and had to ask a student how to get a taxi. I wanted to ask my-not-so-favorite-lady at the front desk, but she was busy talking on the phone (obviously for personal/pleasure, not business) and ignored the fact that I was lingering around waiting for her assistance. Eventually she went away and another nice lady (African American descent) helped me with calling a taxi. She was very nice."
"I should have gotten a shuttle from the airport to ICO instead of taking a cab. I sat a while in traffic and had to pay for that .."
"I was pretty prepared so not too much surprised me."
"i wish i had done a mock interview. i wish i would have known they were going to hound me for my OAT scores so i could have been more prepared for that"
"Writing Sample about what ICO can benefit from you"
"there's a 10 minute writing sample"
"Use a pencil instead of pen when writing essay"
"File review toward the beginning of the day turned out to be an actual part of the interview when it was conducted by the admission office staff (not a faculty interviewer). I say this because the actual one hour interview did not include anything from my academic file."
"There is a lot of down time."
"I knew what was going to happen after reading SDN. :)"
"Nothing"
"I stayed in the RC, and it would have been nice to know that secure internet required a Ethernet cord for guests."
"that the file review is pretty much an interview in itself"
"To RELAX and eat a very large breakfast despite my nervous stomach."
"That it really is nothing to fret about. The best way to handle the interviews is to just be prepared like you would a job interview and be confident. Its pretty relaxed and everyone is so nice!"
"How conversational the interview was. They are just trying to get to know you. All questions are about you."
"That they were going to do a file review and ask me what schools I applied to, interviewed at, and gotten into.. is that legal?"
"Knowing about the pop essay really helped"
"That they have already sent out 200 acceptances (only 130 or so put in their deposit though) Either way, it was such a great experience, I don't regret flying there at all, no matter what my outcome is. "
"How easygoing the interviewer would be. By the way, just keep in mind that they are looking for someone who can is his or herself and is honest. "
"THAT MY FILE WOULD BE PUT ON HOLD! "
"That the area isnt really downtown, but its next to downtown and that the commute isnt that bad even during rush hour, just 20 mins from hotel (10 mi from school). Also, there is space for parking your car, just come a lil early"
"It's nice to have someone with you. Maybe not your whole family, because that's overkill, but I was lonely :( Wear a suit....I know a lot of people say you can wear a nice sweater or whatever, but common. This is a professional interview. Wear a nice, clean, IRONED suit. And easy to walk in shoes. And look nice. First impressions are everything. "
"Not to stress so much"
"The essay topic for the 20 min. essay portion of the interview"
"That it would be so relaxed."
"Pop-essay was given before the essay. Something about what characteristics will you bring to ICO community."
"That the entire day was really relaxed and the admissions committee really try to make you feel comfortable. No need to over-stress."
"its location is not as bad as i thought it would be and that flying into chicago is horrible"
"Location is not superb, no social life within walking distance, students seem cloistered onto campus."
"Nothing else, I guess. "
"that I could have actually taken the subway from Midway Airport into town right by my hotel for $2.00 instead of the $24 I spent on a cab. Oh well."
"Nothing."
"I wish I would've have mentally prepared ahead of time for the fact that I'd have to write an essay on the spot."
"That we had to do an essay without being told, and that Chicago weather is terrible in February and they take you outside for part of the tour."
"The file review portion of the interview is more intense that I though. They ask you why you got certain grades, etc..."
"Nothing. I was pretty well prepared just from reading these forums."
"That the interview was going to be so relaxed. "
"There is a 10 minute essay right before the interview which I did not know about, but it wasn't that big of a deal."
"How to get from the train to the school on foot. I ended up walking around for like an hour in the middle of the night and it was like -4 and I didn't have a coat because my luggage got lost."
"It was -4 degrees =O"
"gotta prepare questions, not just for the interviewer, but everyone you meet. "
"I was so excited that they did not say anything in the info they had sent me about writing an essay, but you end up writing one anyway : ( it wasn't too bad though, but they give you very little time."
"I wish I knew that the tour of the school was going to take to long. I at breakfast but it was quite a long time before lunch. "
"There is a short writing sample for 10 minutes - the question is not difficult though"
"How stress free it would be"
"Know that you should not pay taxi more than 30 dollars from Midway! (make sure it is a taxi cab..not a car service)."
"Price of a taxi from the airport."
"That it would be so relaxed. It really seemed like "
"It was a very conversational interview."
"I really loved ICO's campus and how everything was in close proximity to each other like the RC, lecture hall, and clinic. Everyone was really nice and the interview was very casual. Also, my interviewer was the Dean of Academics and she invited to go to presentations that the residency students at ICO were doing and it was so interesting! Such a good school and great OD program!"
"Overall, good experience"
"Stay at the RC!! You'll get a feel if the living situations provided works for you. Bring food with you so you don't starve during the night. On interview day, security can keep your luggage for you. Learn how to use the public transportation! All the applicants were wearing business professional clothing (jacket, button up/blouse, slacks/skirt, conservative shoes). Come prepared with questions for the interviewers, faculty members, and students! Don't leave them hanging. It's awkward."
"ICO seems like such a great community of students, how everyone lives there and goes to school and does clinic all within the same vicinity, it seems like an awesome place to pursue your optometric education."
"Beautiful campus. Big city, lots to do in your free time. Also a plus is that most of the school's facilities are accessible 24/7 for studying (not all classrooms and the library are, but there are little study areas all around campus). Tuition is pricey, but it is the oldest and largest OD school in the US and has some of the most updated facilities and equipment."
"overall it was a relaxed interview. one on one in an office. it wasn't even up tight and across a desk or anything like that. we both sat in comfortable chairs just kind of chilling as we answered questions. everyone says go in confident and relaxed but i know that is hard to do when you are freaking out about an interview. just practice your questions and be prepared."
"DONT DRINK COFFEE Before interview"
"I had a fun time there. Definitely try to stay at the RC if you can."
"One-on-one interview was very relaxing but everything that lead up to it (writing, file review, and WAITING AROUND!!) can be pretty stressful."
"The interview was incredibly relaxed. They make it a point to make you feel comfortable. The interviewer consciously makes the interview conversational. Great experience."
"I loved Anthony Barone. He's such a great and hilarious person who really eased the tension and stress in the beginning."
"There's a short essay you have to write in the beginning about qualities you possess."
"I should have been more prepared for the weather."
"Choose your words carefully during the interview. They feed off of what you say. Say you answer one question, the interviewer's NEXT question will dig deeper into the answer you mentioned before."
"It is one of my top choices of school. All around really great."
"They have approximately 1000 applications, 450 interviews, and a class size of only 160 or so. I'm honored to be amongst the 450, and am even more glad to have met such a wonderful bunch of people there. The support the students give each other, the amount of school spirit they each have are incredible! It definitely is contagious. The students there will pretty much determine one's life outside of school, and that is important to me. Everyone will be on the same schedule, most people will live together, the school has an awesome work-study program, and it's just a wonderful place to be. Most importantly, their clinic will allow me to be exposed to a large variety of diseases because of the type of community they are in. The school is all about reaching out to the community, and I truly see the humanitarian side of the school. The staff, the students, the CLINIC**, the fact that they have a residence complex is beyond awesome to me. I had a great experience, and I hope everyone who got invited for their interview will attend, because it will really be worth it! "
"Good luck with your interview!"
"The interview was very laid back. "
"There is an essay and you literally get 10 mins. and our question was what are the 3 qualities that make will make you a good optometrist"
"I am not kidding when I say this...practice every single question you think they could possibly ask you...twice! GOOD LUCK!"
"I really liked ICO. From the minute your interview day starts until the minute it ends, people are always making sure you're comfortable. They don't try to intimidate you or anything, which happened to me at other interviews. The clinic is phenomenal and all the students I talked to really love the school. "
"I really loved everything about this school! Downtown is about a ten minute bus ride away from the school. "
"Good interview, very relaxed day. Nothing really to stress about just show them that you are interested in optometry."
"Arrived in the morning and checked in with Anthony. Met the other applicants before we were all taken up to the welcome room. File review, financial aid presentation, one-on-one interview, tour of the school, RC, and IEI, then lunch. Overall the experience was great! "
"It was a great day and I absolutely loved it there! The day was very relaxing and informative."
"Visit the school before applying, keeping in mind the tuition, and accept small-school atmosphere beforehand."
"You get to meet Anthony, the information desk person, who is absolutely hilarious! You would think he is part of the mafia or something by the way he acts and talks but he was a real comic relief. Then you get brought up to the welcome room, where an admission staff will take you in one at a time to review your file. Afterwards, you are asked to write a 10 minute essay. Then you meet a financial person. Afterwards, you meet with a faculty member for your interview. Once that is over, you get a tour of the institution and a luncheon with some fellow students. "
"I really enjoyed the interview, which didn't seem like much of an interview at all but more a conversation (like most others mention). Even though I read that it was a conversation, it doesn't put you at ease until you're actually there having your interview. I had a great interviewer and we had much to talk about. The students really loved it there and felt they were getting a solid education and clinical experience. The security on campus and at the residential complex across the street are great (for those worried about the immediate area) and Chicago is such a great town. "
"The interview day was sort of long, but very relaxed. The interview itself was more of a conversation than an interview, and it was extremely comfortable. I felt rather confident when I left after the day was over."
"I had done most of the interview day activities on an earlier visit, so not mucb surprised me. It was a really long day and the doorman (Anthony Barone, I believe) was trying to scare us all and came off like a big idiot. That was really off-putting. Be prepared to get grilled by him at the door, but remember that he has nothing to do with you getting into the school."
"Overall it was ok, not my best one. The surprise essay really flustered me, and the tour was very long and confusing. The staff was very nice and the facilities were great, though. "
"A+"
"I am a naturally high-strung, nervous person, so naturally I was really nervous. In retrospect, I wish I had just chilled out becuase there is really nothing to worry about. Relaxing is easier said than done!"
"Overall, I had a great interview experience. Not only did they learn alot about me but I also learned alot about the school and what they had to offer. "
"It was very relaxed and I was really only asked 4 or 5 direct questions while the rest of it was simply conversation or me asking questions."
"It was good. My luggage got lost at the airport so I interviewed in jeans and a hoodie and nobody seemed to mind."
"Long day, but very informative and laid back. The student tourguides were great, as well as the students we ate lunch with, everyone seemed very happy to be there. "
"it was great, i had mixed feelings about ICO before i interviewed. Now im really excited, and its will definitely be in my mind when the time comes to choose a school, if i get accepted to more than one"
"I was not sure how well I did when I came out. But I got accepted. I guess I answered the questions right:) I told my intervierwer about my experience with all the 1st year students the night before and then we talked about stuff (sports and volunteer work)."
"The interview started with a file review, then the interview, a financial aid presentation, school tour, and lunch with current students. Overall it was a great interview experience."
"The interview was more like a conversation, did really ask me to many questions, just talked about my background and qualities"
"I was turned off about the school from the what I had heard from others but I ended up really enjoying the school. Do not go by what people say, it is important that you actually go to the school and see things for yourself. I felt the interview went well and the friendly people there made the visit that much more pleasant."
"I was one of 7 people that interviewed that day, however, i was also one of two guys. The process started around 9:30 as the receptionist decided to shoot the breeze with us for awhile. Next was the file review, that took 15-20 mins. Following that was the financial aid talk. Finally progressing on to the interview with a staff member- all who were extremely nice according to the feedback from my fellow interviewees. The day ended with a tour, lunch, and question/answer session. It was a goodtime had by all. Very stressless and comfortable the entire duration."
"There was a group of four of us that had interviews on the same day, and we were all together for the tour of the school and the financial aid presentation. There was also a file review (really not a big deal, they just make sure you have all the pre-reqs and LOR's etc), that was conducted individually. All four of us were interviewed at the same time, by four different interviewers. Seems like it's the luck of the draw as to what interviewer you get. I heard that some are tougher than others. My interviewer was very nice, and put me at ease right away. The actual interview is really nothing to stress over, if I had known that it would be so relaxed I would have enjoyed the day a lot more! At the very end, there was a LONG tour of the school, followed by lunch with some current students. "
"The interview was layed back."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 64 |
| Faculty member | 3 |
| Admissions staff | 0 |
| Other | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 60 |
| Neutral | 7 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.13 | 67 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 8 |
| Out of state | 58 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 12 |
| 2-3 hours | 15 |
| 4-6 hours | 31 |
| 7+ hours | 10 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 44 |
| Automobile | 18 |
| Train or subway | 5 |
| Other | 0 |
O'Hare (ORD)
Midway Airport
Chicago Midway
MID
Ohare
O'hare
Midway
ORD
MDW
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 31 |
| With students at the school | 0 |
| Friends or family | 9 |
| Hotel | 18 |
| Home | 1 |
| Other | 0 |
Hilton Oak Lawn
Hyatt
congress, in DT
Club Quarters
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
Chinatown Hotel
Hyatt Regency
Best Western
RC Applicant Host Program
Holiday Inn Express at Midway bedford park
HI-Chicago Hostel
Chicago Hilton
Hampton Suites and Inn
The one they recommended which is really nice and close to school but expensive
Chicago South Loop Hotel
Holiday Inn Express downtown
Palmer House Hilton
Yes
Hilton Oak Lawn
Hyatt
congress, in DT
Club Quarters
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
Chinatown Hotel
Hyatt Regency
Best Western
RC Applicant Host Program
Holiday Inn Express at Midway bedford park
HI-Chicago Hostel
Chicago Hilton
Hampton Suites and Inn
The one they recommended which is really nice and close to school but expensive
Chicago South Loop Hotel
Holiday Inn Express downtown
Palmer House Hilton
Yes
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 13 |
| $101-$200 | 6 |
| $201-$300 | 16 |
| $301-$400 | 8 |
| $401-$500 | 6 |
| $501+ | 11 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.75 | 67 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.59 | 69 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.42 | 69 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.70 | 46 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.72 | 46 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.84 | 45 |
"Nothing!"
"None"
"Keep up the good work."
"Nothing really, I thought the interview process went really smoothly."
"Maybe be a little friendlier. The woman who spoke with me about having all of the materials for my application seemed a little rude at times. everyone else was nice."
"I loved the admissions office"
"I am not sure what can be done but there was a lot of waiting around where I felt like I got more and more nervous about the interview."
"Nothing much. All was well."
"notify acceptance by e-mail in addition to sending a hard copy through snail mail. The wait feels like forever"
"Everyone were super nice, even better than I expected. I wish I had more time to talk to the admissi"
"Keep up the good work!"
"The process is unnecessarily drawn out."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?