Pomona, CA
Optometry Schools | Private Non-Profit
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Ask questions about this school. Answers use aggregated data and are subject to error.
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 36% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.0
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 110 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiring about strengths and weaknesses, leadership experiences, overcoming obstacles, handling challenging situations, displaying creativity in problem-solving, and going above and beyond to achieve goals. Responses suggest a focus on assessing interpersonal skills, resilience, leadership qualities, and ethical decision-making. Some respondents may have experienced an MMI format with potential nondisclosure agreements in place.
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Name a strength and a weakness.
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What leadership positions have you had?
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Tell me about yourself
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What are some hardships you've encountered and how did you deal with it?
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Give me an time when you displayed leadership
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry discussed various topics including communication skills, study habits, accomplishments, transition to optometry school, personal interests like soccer and travel, and handling patient inquiries about refractive procedures. The interviews seemed to focus on behavioral questions, with some personal inquiries based on responses, rather than specific unique or intriguing questions.
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How did you improve your communication skills?
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How do you like to study?
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biggest accomplishment
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How do you think you will transition into optometry school?
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Do you play soccer
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry discussed various behavioral-based questions, with a focus on personal experiences and interpersonal skills. Some respondents mentioned challenges with questions related to convincing others, showcasing creativity, and reflecting on meaningful volunteering experiences. There were no specific mentions of MMI or nondisclosure requirements in the responses provided.
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List one of your most meaningful volunteering experiences and how it impacted you.
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none
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None, everything was straight forward
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What is your preferred study method/learning environment? (I hadn't prepared an answer to this one)
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What have you accomplished?
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had a closed file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by researching behavioral interview questions on platforms like Student Doctor Network (SDN) and Google, practicing their responses with family members or through mock interviews. Many emphasized the importance of having 2-3 relevant experiences ready and adjusting them to fit different questions during the interview.
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Student doctor network
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SDN and other behavioral type questions from Google
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I went over SDN example questions and went through the wording of my answers with my aunt.
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sdn feedback
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Writing answers to questions that schools
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness, enthusiasm, and helpfulness of the staff and students they interacted with during the interview process. They found the facilities to be modern, well-equipped, and conducive to learning, and appreciated the conversational and welcoming atmosphere that helped alleviate stress during the interviews.
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My interviewers were nice.
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They made the interview more like a conversation.
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Everyone was extremely nice, the interview felt more like a conversation which helped me since it was my first one.
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how kind the interviewers were
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Very friendly and welcoming staff and students
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the negative portrayal of the school area by student ambassadors, issues with Zoom meetings kicking them out, short and seemingly unimportant interviews, and perceived lack of accreditation and externship opportunities. Suggestions included improving campus security, addressing the unappealing surroundings, and reducing the duration of interview days.
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The student ambassadors didn't really paint the school area in a positive light (dangerous area). I asked about if the area was dangerous and their response to me was to not be stupid and drive to places I need to be instead of walking.
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Sometimes Zoom would kick us out of our meeting rooms.
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nothing
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None
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My interview was three questions and was only 20 mins long. I felt like the interview portion of the day was the least important part to them. It is a behavioral type of interview and it was mostly just conversation between us, but I really got the sense that they were more or less just selling the school to us.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known about the importance of preparing questions for the start of the day and having an itinerary beforehand to understand the schedule better. Additionally, many applicants mentioned a desire for more information on the location of the HEC building and how to approach behavioral interview questions.
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Have questions prepared for the beginning of the day. Interview is one of the first things that will happen once check in.
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I wish I had an example iternary beforehand so I had an idea of what the day would look like.
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Where the HEC building was
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That they were really innovative and thinking outside to box to provide the best education and experience. I can see them being successful in the future. Just not now
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It would be nice to have an itinerary ahead of time.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally appreciated the friendly staff and students at the school, but some expressed concerns about the surrounding area. Feedback included expectations about interview questions, the structure of the interview day, and positive impressions of the program's faculty and resources, highlighting the potential of the university's program.
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In general, the staff and students say the best thing about the school is how people there are genuinely nice. Personally the area seems very sketchy and ultimately I wouldn't go to the school because of that.
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They know about your profile / work and volunteer experience beforehand.
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Good school and be yourself
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I thought because it was a closed file interview that the first question they would ask is tell me about yourself or why optometry, but the first question was give me an example of a leadership role. It was a short interview and i left it wishing i could have spoke more. Also there were no follow-up questions to any of my responses.
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The tour of the campus was given by three students, who also ate lunch with us, and the tour of the eye center was given by one of the faculty.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants generally praised the admissions office for their positive impact on the school's reputation and suggested improvements in communication, such as providing a detailed itinerary before interview day and addressing email responsiveness issues.
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None, it was great!
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None
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The admissions department helps make WesternU such an attractive school.
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It'd be nice to get an itinerary of the day beforehand so we can get an idea of what we're going to be doing on interview day. For example, I didn't know lunch was going to be offered so I brought a bunch of food with me and had to carry it around all day.
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Some of my e-mails were left unanswered! I had to e-mail the same message several times to different people just to get a response.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are in state students.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 7+ hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by airplane to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent between $201 and $300.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Ontario International Airport (ONT)
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I used Long Beach but because it was closer to my aunt's house.
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LAX
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ONT
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ontario
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
The most commonly mentioned hotel among the responses is "Hampton Inn Chino Hills".
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Comfort Inn
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Hampton Inn Chino Hills
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Hotel Seville
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Sheraton
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best western
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What are your comments on where you stayed?
Based on the user's response, the most commented aspect of where they stayed is the loud air conditioning machine and thin walls allowing noise from next door neighbors to be heard. They also mentioned concerns about the parking lot being sketchy due to homeless people hanging around. Positive comments included the daily room cleaning and fast check-in process.
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Air conditioning machine is VERY loud. Walls are pretty thin so you can hear next door neighbors. Parking lot is a bit sketchy since a lot of homeless people hang out around in front. The good thing are that they clean the rooms everyday and check in is very fast.
All Responses
| Application Cycle ▿ | Impression | Performance | Interview Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | No change 😐 | Average | In Person |
| 2019-20 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2019-20 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2019-20 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2018-19 | N/A | Good | N/A |
| 2018-19 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2016-17 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2015-16 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2014-15 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2014-15 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2013-14 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2011-12 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2011-12 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2010-11 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2010-11 | Positively 🙂 | Average | N/A |
| 2010-11 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2010-11 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
| 2010-11 | Positively 🙂 | Good | N/A |
| 2009-10 | Positively 🙂 | Great | N/A |
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