The number of applicants for admissions to SCCO regularly exceeds the number of available spaces. SCCO, as a regional and national resource, receives applications from nearly every state in the nation.
All first time applicants, re-applicants and those who have been previously enrolled in another optometry program must apply through the centralized service OptomCAS at www.optomcas.org. Applicants must follow the instructions on how to complete the application, submit transcripts and submit letters of recommendation. In addition, SCCO’s supplemental application is located on the OptomCAS site and may be completed after selecting SCCO as a program to receive the application. The SCCO supplemental application fee is $75 and must be paid directly to SCCO through the MBKU portal. Applicants will receive an automatic notification of how to pay the supplemental application fee once the application is received from OptomCAS.
The official SCCO application period is July 1 (the first day of the OptomCAS cycle) through April 1. Applicants must submit both application and college transcripts to OptomCAS by April 1.
Standardized test scores are a mandatory application requirement. While the OAT is the preferred standardized test, SCCO accepts the MCAT, DAT, or PCAT. SCCO will also accept the GRE General Test for those applicants with a BCP (biology chemistry physics) GPA of 3.5 or higher (there is no minimum GPA qualification for the OAT, MCAT, DAT, or PCAT). Applicants designate SCCO as the recipient of OAT scores, and they are automatically downloaded into the OptomCAS application. The website for the OAT program is: www.ada.org/en/oat. For standardized scores other than the OAT, it is the applicant’s responsibility to authorize release and submission of these scores to SCCO.The last test date for all standardized test scores that will be accepted is April 1.
Accepted applicants who passed the criminal background check and have been notified of their acceptance are required to submit a non-refundable matriculation fee of $750 within two weeks of their acceptance. By May 15, a second non-refundable $750 deposit is required to secure their seat. The full $1500 deposit will be credited to the Fall Quarter tuition upon their enrollment.
Accepted candidates who have not completed all course prerequisites at the time of application must do so before beginning studies at SCCO.
Send a request for more information on the application and interview process to ODadmissions@ketchum.edu.