BS+OD (Doctor of Optometry) Early Assurance Program

The early assurance BS in Biological Sciences and Doctor of Optometry (OD) program is available exclusively to incoming first-year applicants to Drexel University. The following additional admission requirements apply:

• Common Application or Coalition application with Scoir and essay

• Application fee

• All high school transcripts

• Letter of recommendation

• Official SAT or ACT score report (allow at least two weeks for receipt)

• Pennsylvania College of Optometry supplemental essay (by invitation to qualified applicants)

Minimum requirements for admissions consideration:

• 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale

• 1300 SAT or 28 ACT score

You can monitor the progress of your application using Discover Drexel. By logging in to Discover Drexel, you can receive important status updates about your admission application.

While in the undergraduate portion of the program, students must:

• Without repeating or withdrawing from any courses, maintain a minimum cumulative overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 (A = 4.0) and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.3 in all courses that are classified as biology, chemistry, physics, and math as determined by the BS+OD Undergraduate Advisory Committee with no individual grade less than a "C" (a "C-" is less than a "C") in any course. You must achieve this grade point average without rounding.

• Receive a required minimum OAT score of 300 in each section of the OAT. Please note that Pennsylvania College of Optometry retains the right to change these score cutoffs.

• Complete an optometry admissions interview in accordance with the existing Pennsylvania College of Optometry interview procedures.

• Complete a six-month co-op in research, clinical, or health informatics and/or health law. A co-op of 20 or 40 hours a week is possible.

• Observation Requirements – A minimum of 25 hours of observation experience in the field of optometry or ophthalmology. These experiences should be in person, although virtual experiences will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Service Requirements – A minimum of 50 hours of community service tracked through the Lindy Center for Community Engagement. Service opportunities should be approved by the program directors in advance of the engagement to ensure compliance with the program requirement. These experiences should be in person, although virtual experiences will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that acceptance into the Pennsylvania College of Optometry is not guaranteed.