SCCO Video

Not sure if you should take a Gap Year? Already took a gap year or two...or three... or more? Decided to make a Career Change after college? You're not alone! Student Ambassadors shared how they overcame their struggles and adversities after taking 1 or more years off after undergrad, and admissions officers shared how  you can highlight your unique characteristics because of your interesting background! Watch the recording.  

Learn more about our program, the admissions process, connect with Current Students and go on a live virtual tour! This is the perfect event for pre-optometry clubs to host a watch party, or for individuals who aren’t involved in a club to join our community for support! Watch the recording.

Want to know more about what life is like as an Optometry Student at SCCO? Join Student Ambassadors to learn more about Clubs, Classes, Clinic, Community Service and more. Click here to watch the recording.

At the time of recording, our Student Ambassadors had just completed 2 weeks of finals and were streaming live during their Spring Break to serve you! Admissions Officers were also the call to address questions. Topics covered ranged from student life, finding housing, tips for balancing classes with extra curricular activities to who to have write letters of recommendation, when to apply, and more! Watch the recording. 

Admissions Officers shared what SCCO looks for in Competitive Applicants and the top 3 most common (and easily avoidable) mistakes we frequently see in applications. We also addressed questions submitted prior to the event and asked live. Watch the recording.

Looking for a presentation for your pre-optometry or pre-health club to join to learn more about SCCO? Don’t have a club but want a way to get connected and learn more about SCCO? You're in the right place! Admissions Officers and Student Ambassadors co-hosted this event to share stories and real-life examples of SCCO's curriculum, community service, clinical opportunities, ways to get involved on campus, and more. The students also took guests on virtual tours as we broadcasted live from campus. Whether you're coordinating a watch party or viewing solo, we hope this gives you a glimpse into your future as an optometry student at MBKU! Watch the recording.

Join Out-of-State Student Ambassadors and SCCO's new Director of Admissions who joined us from New York as they share about topics such as “Moving Tips + Things to Consider", “How to Find Roommates and Housing”, “Things You Don't Want to Overlook When Looking at Schools" and more! Watch the recording.

Looking for a presentation for your pre-optometry or pre-health club to join to learn more about SCCO? Don’t have a club but want a way to get connected and learn more about SCCO? You're in the right place! Admissions Officers and Student Ambassadors co-hosted this event to share stories and real-life examples of SCCO's curriculum, community service, clinical opportunities, ways to get involved on campus, and more. The students also took guests on virtual tours as we broadcasted live from campus. Whether you're coordinating a watch party or viewing solo, we hope this gives you a glimpse into your future as an optometry student at MBKU! Watch the recording.

Planning to complete undergrad then start optometry school a few months later but nervous about how to apply while still in school? Still deciding if you want to take a gap year or not? Join Student Ambassadors as they share their journeys and how they juggled classes, clubs, working on their application, preparing for the OAT, interviews and more. They did it and you can too! Watch the recording.

We all have those nagging thoughts in the back of our minds that threaten to hold us back from pursuing our dreams. Am I enough? Do I have what it takes to get through grad school? Did that term I messed up on ruin my chances of getting into optometry school? Join Admissions Officers and Student Ambassadors as we get real about how to own your past and embrace the present so you can pursue your future as an optometrist! Watch the Recording.

At SCCO, our interviews aren't one-size-fits-all. Your interview will be one-on-one with a faculty member, however, the questions aren't scripted, and the dynamic feels more like a conversation than an interrogation. Join Student Ambassadors as they share what their experience was like, how they prepared for their interview, and learn strategic ways to communicate your strengths in our conversational-style interviews. Watch the recording.

What makes a grad school essay stand out? Is it a catchy intro? A tear-inducing story with a happy ending? Some sort of shock factor? Possibly, but what reviewers really want to see goes beyond these flashy “go-to’s." SCCO’s Senior Director of the Office of Admissions, Eryn Kraning, has reviewed tens of thousands of essays and worked with our Admissions Policy Committee for over ten years. In this 30-minute webinar, she will share the mindset behind writing compelling, stand-out grad school application essays as well as a few automatic “deal-breaker” mistakes to avoid. She’ll also be happy to answer questions at the end. Watch the recording. 

Looking to apply early next cycle? Whether you're applying for the first time or reapplying, admissions officers shared ideal timeline options, tips to be a competitive applicant, and additional resources to help you prepare to apply early! Watch the recording.

Whether you're considering applying late in the cycle or gearing up to apply for the next one, this 60-minute presentation provides information to help you decide what the best route is for you. The presentation includes what we look for in competitive applicants, suggestions for how to evaluate whether or not you should apply now or later, and open Q&A on a wide range of topics submitted by event attendees. Watch the recording.

This event was created for students, by students! SCCO's Student Ambassadors created this event to let prospective and admitted students walk in their shoes to get an idea of what it's like to be an optometry student at MBKU. We held campus tours, hands-on demos, taught guests some basic service skills they can use during vision screenings, and more! Most of the event was hands-on and took place all over campus, but the students did come together to walk guests through a "week at a glance" regarding schedules, extra curricular activities, support services, and more. You can watch the Student Life presentations here, and watch the brief event recap video here.

Students who were exploring the health professions joined us to:

• Learn about our fully integrated model of Interprofessional Education at MBKU
• Hear Overviews of each Program and Profession at MBKU (Optometry, Pharmacy, and PA)
• Meet Admissions Officers and discuss the application timeline and tips for being a competitive applicant
• Experience hands-on labs led by Faculty and Student Ambassadors
• Explore the Campus 

Click here for more information and to review event recording and admissions presentations about what it takes to become an OD, PharmD, or PA.

This event, hosted in person and virtually on July 15, 2023, was specifically designed for those preparing to enter optometry school in the next 1-2 years. Get tips and timeline advice from admissions officers, hear what SCCO looks for in competitive applicants and how to highlight your strengths in your application, watch a mock interview, learn about SCCO's program presented by the Dean, hear presentations about Optometry Legislation, Interview Day Tips & attire and more! 

• Orientation (7:07) |  Explanation of the event, start here if you're planning to watch the entire event from start to finish
• Admissions 101 (5:52) |  Senior Director of the Office of Admissions walks through a live OptomCAS application and provides tips along the way
• Competitive Applicant 101 (29:36) | SCCO's Dean explains the 6 things we look for in competitive applicants and the Sr. Director of Admissions discusses where we look for these qualities as we review applications
• SCCO 101 (24:09) |The Dean shares an overview of SCCO's Program
• Competitive Applicant 102: Interview Attire Interactive Session + Mock Interview (44:39) | Interactive Interview Attire Game, followed by a faculty members interviewing a current student while admissions officers "time out" the interview to point out what the student did well, and how you can highlight your strengths during your interview
• Elevate Your Mindset Around Applying (14:16) | Sr. Director of Admissions dives into our admissions philosophy "SCCO will not admit you unless we're confident we can help you become a Doctor of Optometry" 
• Finding the Right School for You (20:25) | 3 Student Ambassadors share what factors they considered when choosing an Optometry school as well as insight into things they think you should know when making your choice
• Elevate Your Understanding of Legislation and Advocacy (14:59) |  A recent Alumni shares about the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA), the importance of advocacy, and experiences he had as an SCCO student to get involved in the scope of practice expansion 
• Admissions Wrap Up (19:25) | An Admissions officer explains how to apply, what is needed to apply, application timeline tips, how to be a competitive applicant, and additional resources to help you navigate the graduate school admissions process

The Optometry Open House is geared toward those who want to learn more about the profession, the admissions process, and SCCO's program. This event was held in person and virtually on April 1, 2023, and included presentations from the admissions team and current students, an Alumni panel, and recent alumni shared about community service opportunities local and abroad. Feel free to watch the event in order (total video time is about 2 hours and 15 minutes) or pick and choose which presentations you'd like to watch based on the descriptions.

• Welcome + About MBKU (10:40) | Explanation of the event, and overview of our University's history and commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility and Interprofessional Education at MBKU
• Why Choose Optometry (9:30)  |  A 4th-year Optometric Intern shares about the profession of Optometry and explains what the role of an Optometrist is in healthcare
• Program + Clinic Overview + Student Life Slideshow (31:26)  |  Administrators and Current Students provide insight into a day in the life, as well as student support services, how SCCO prepares our students to have some of the highest national board pass rates in the nation and more
• Alumni Panel: Insight on Ways to Utilize your OD Degree (32:00)  |  Alumni ranging from the Classes of 2022-1977 highlight the vast and diverse opportunities for a Career in Optometry
• Community Service Local and Abroad (28:00)  |  A recent Alumni who did over 400 hours of community service takes the audience on a fun and engaging "choose your own adventure" tour of his service experiences as a student at SCCO
• Q&A with Student Ambassadors (4:20)  |  A first-year student from Michigan answers questions that came through on the chat from virtual participants
• Wrap Up + Overview of Admissions Process (15:20)  |  An Admissions officer explains how to apply, what is needed to apply, application timeline tips, how to be a competitive applicant, and additional resources to help you navigate the graduate school admissions process

Join 4th year student, Maeve McDonnell and 6 different faculty members for our Specialty Spotlight Series. They'll take you inside the University Eye Center at Ketchum Health for an in-depth look at the six specialties listed below to share about typical patient demographics, demonstrate equipment and technology utilized, as well as provide an overview of what a “day in the life” of an Optometrist who practices in this specialty might look like. This is a great way to learn more about optometry’s scope of practice! Click the links to watch these 60-minute event recordings.

• Cornea Contact Lens  |  Recorded Live on February 22, 2023
• Comanaging with Opthalmology  |  Recorded Live on March 2, 2023
• Primary Care and Ocular Disease  |  Recorded Live on March 9, 2023
• Low Vision Rehabilitation  |  Recorded Live on March 14, 2023
• Pediatrics  |  Recorded Live on March 23, 2023
• Vision Therapy  |  Recorded Live on March 30, 2023