Admissions
Pennsylvania College of Optometry accepts applications only through the Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS).
Application Processing & Review
The processing of applications by OptomCAS begins the end of June, one year prior to the year of desired enrollment. Applications must be submitted on or before March 31 of the year of desired enrollment.
- Student application reviews begin when an application is verified by OptomCAS
- Interviews are scheduled and initiated, beginning in September
- Candidates meeting the requirements are admitted on a rolling basis until class capacity is reached
It is to an applicant’s advantage to apply as early as possible to ensure priority consideration for admission.
Criteria
Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry actively seeks applicants from every state in the nation as well as worldwide. Students currently attending represent many states, as well as Canada and several other countries.
To be considered, an applicant must:
- 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.
- Complete the supplemental application process (Traditional OD Program applicants only) by arranging to take the online Casper Assessment Test (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics). For detailed instructions, please refer to the Required Supplemental Application Process section below. Taking the Casper between July and December of the application cycle is highly recommended.
- Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (or currently attending) directly to OptomCAS.
- Complete admissions prerequisites (listed below) at the college level with a grade of ‘C-’ or better. 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 cycle is highly recommended.
- Information and registration for online testing: www.opted.org
- Applicants now have the option to take the General GRE (Graduate Record Exam), MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), DAT (Dental Admission Test), or PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) in lieu of taking the OAT. Please contact the Office of Admissions with any questions.
- If taking the GRE, scores can be sent directly to OptomCAS, using Designated Institution (DI) Code: 4566.
- 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 2023-24 application cycle, you must have taken the OAT or approved substitute on or after June 30, 2020.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 a teaching assistant only accepted if co-signed by faculty member.
- Letter from your pre-professional or faculty advisor.
- Letter from a 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.
- Complete a minimum of 25 hours shadowing/observation in the field of optometry or ophthalmology.
- International Students, please review for any additional requirements in the section below.
- All credentials submitted on behalf of an applicant become a part of that applicant’s file with the University and cannot be returned.
Students will be required to meet University compliance requirements upon matriculation. It is recommended that applicants with less than a 2.5 (C+) overall grade point average should consult the Office of Admissions prior to applying.
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 10 or more years prior to the anticipated entrance date will be reviewed for approval on an individual basis.
- 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 with lab, 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
- English Composition or English Literature – one year
- Mathematics – one year
- (½ year Calculus fulfills math requirement; however, one year of Calculus highly recommended)
- Psychology – ½ year
- Statistics (Math, Biology, or Psychology) – ½ year
We encourage, but do not require, additional upper level science coursework in such areas as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, Histology and Experimental and Physiological Psychology. Anatomy and Physiology course work is highly recommended.
Required Supplemental Application Process – Casper Assessment Test
Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University now requires a supplemental application for the Traditional OD Program.
For the supplemental application process, all applicants to the Traditional OD Program are required to complete the Casper Assessment Test via Acuity Insights Assessments. Taking the Casper between July and December of the application cycle is highly recommended.
The last date to take the test for the 2023/2024 cycle is April 9, 2024.
Casper is a standardized, online assessment that measures different competencies and attributes that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. This assessment will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation. In implementing the Casper via Acuity Insights Assessments, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.
How to complete Casper
In order to take the assessments, you will be responsible for securing access to a laptop or desktop computer with webcam and audio capabilities and a reliable internet connection with an internet speed of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of at least 2 Mbps. You will require the following for both account creation and completing Acuity Insights Assessments:
- Government-issued photo ID (English/French) for account validation
- Valid email address (the same one you will use to submit your application)
- Desktop or laptop computer
- Working webcam
- Working microphone
- Reliable high-speed internet connection
- Please go to acuityinsights.app to sign up for Acuity Insights Casper Assessment Test for CSP-10101 - U.S. Professional Health Sciences, and register using your valid email address and a piece of government-issued photo ID.
- Select a Casper test date. You will be provided with a limited number of testing dates and times, which have been pre-arranged/approved by your program(s) in accordance with their admissions timelines. Please note that these are the only testing dates available for your Casper test based on your program selection(s). There will be no additional tests scheduled. Please use an email address that you check regularly and that you have used for your application; there may be updates to the test schedule.
- Important: To account for identity verification and payment processing timelines, ensure that you register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
- Ensure you have selected Salus University for distribution before the posted distribution deadline. Likely, there will be no additional tests scheduled, but the most up-to-date information can be found by browsing the Test Dates and Times on acuityinsights.app.
- Please note that the Duet assessment is not required for Salus University.
- Please direct any inquiries on Acuity Insights Assessments to support@acuityinsights.app. Alternatively, you may use the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen on the acuityinsights.app website.
Accommodations: Applicants requiring testing accommodations to complete their Acuity Insights Assessments should submit an Initial Request Form (Part 1 and 2) at least four (4) weeks prior to their scheduled Casper test date. More information regarding the accommodations policy can be found in this help article here.
Casper test results are valid for one admissions cycle. Applicants who have already taken the test in previous years will therefore be expected to re-take it. Applicants from Canada who may have taken the Canadian Casper Test will need to sit for the U.S. Casper Test to be considered for Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University.
International Students & Practitioners
International Transcripts
For applicants who have attended foreign and French-Canadian schools, please provide the Office of Admissions with the following information:
- A course-by-course credential review from an approved 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.
English Language Proficiency
Fluency in written and spoken English is essential for success in a Salus 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*:
- 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
- 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.
Admissions Selection Process
The Admissions Committee has established policies that include the selection of applicants best qualified to serve the public and the profession in the years to come. Many factors are considered in selecting students for our program, including:
- Academic performance
- Motivation
- Extracurricular activities and interests
- Related and unrelated work experience
- Personal achievements
- Essays
- Letters of evaluation
- Communications skills, including a demonstrated command of the English language, both written and oral
When evaluating academic performance, the applicant’s overall and science grade point averages, performance in prerequisite courses, number of college credits completed, degree status and results of the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT) are carefully considered. Please note: the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Dental Admission Test (DAT), or Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) will be accepted in lieu of the OAT.
When evaluating non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics the Casper Assessment Test (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics), is considered, among other criteria, as listed above. We believe these characteristics are important for successful students and graduates of our program, and in implementing Casper, we are attempting to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.
Interview Process
Individuals successfully meeting the required admissions selection criteria may receive an invitation to visit our campus for an interview, which provides further insight into the applicant’s character and motivation, and allows an applicant the opportunity to meet with an Admissions staff member to discuss his or her application, tour our campus and meet with faculty and students. The option for an online interview may be available upon request.
Please note it is an applicant’s responsibility to respond promptly to an interview invitation, either to accept or to decline. Information will be shared with all schools and colleges of optometry if an applicant is a “no show” for a scheduled admissions interview. Please contact the Office of Admissions with any questions regarding the interview process.
Notification of Acceptance and Matriculation Fee
An applicant may be notified of his or her acceptance as early as October, prior to the desired year of enrollment. 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:
- Return the matriculation form along with a $500 deposit within 14 days of the date of the acceptance letter
- The balance of $500 for the matriculation fee is due April 1.
- If accepted after April 1, 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. Salus University participates in Shared Acceptance Reports during the OptomCAS cycle.
Students will be required to meet University compliance requirements upon matriculation.
Deferment of Admission
An accepted student with unforeseen, extenuating circumstances prohibiting them from matriculating may request a deferment of admission in writing. The request must be directed to both the Dean of Student Affairs and the Dean of PCO, made via the Office of Admissions.
For deferment consideration, the following is required:
- A deferment request must be submitted in writing by May 15, before the August start of the academic year. Please note, submission of a deferral request by the deadline does not guarantee approval.
- Official documentation verifying the extenuating circumstance.
- All non-refundable deposit fees and the matriculation supplement must be received (as directed in the University’s official Letter of Acceptance).
If deferment is approved:
- 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 Office of Admissions, in writing, by April 1 of the deferred admission calendar year regarding his/her intention to resume enrollment.
- The student will be required to meet with a member of the Admissions Committee prior to matriculation (this may be done in person or via phone/online).
If deferment is denied:
- A student has the option to withdraw acceptance from the Program, and reapply through OptomCAS for future admission.
For questions regarding this policy, please contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@salus.edu.