Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry
Pomona, CA
Optometry Schools | Private Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 36% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
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.
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
💬 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, experiences overcoming obstacles, leadership roles held, volunteering experiences, handling disagreements, displaying creativity in problem-solving, and instances of going above and beyond to help others. Some respondents mentioned non-disclosure agreements, suggesting they may have been part of an MMI format where specific questions asked are not disclosed.
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Name a strength and a weakness.
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Name an obstacle in your life and how you overcame it.
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Why optometry school?
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Did anyone help you get through an obstacle? (family or friends)
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What leadership positions have you had?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry discussed various topics such as communication skills improvement, study habits, transitioning into optometry school, personal accomplishments, and handling patient inquiries. While the majority of questions were behavioral in nature, there were no specific standout inquiries mentioned, indicating a focus on standard interview topics rather than unique or surprising 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 topics such as volunteering experiences, preferred study methods, accomplishments, convincing others to change their opinion, and demonstrating creativity. Some respondents mentioned behavioral-based questions while others found questions challenging due to lack of life experience. No specific optometry-related questions were highlighted, suggesting a broad range of inquiry.
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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 Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
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.
📍 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.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
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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ontario
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ONT
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LAX
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I used Long Beach but because it was closer to my aunt's house.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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ontario grand inn and suites
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best western
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Sheraton
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Hotel Seville
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Hampton Inn Chino Hills
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 is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
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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.
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Many applicants prepared for the interview by researching common behavioral questions on platforms like Student Doctor Network (SDN) and Google. They practiced answering questions, sought feedback, and reflected on personal experiences to be well-prepared for 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 and enthusiasm of the staff and students, as well as the high-tech and new facilities. They appreciated the welcoming atmosphere, interactive interviews, and the focus on providing a stress-free experience. There were positive comments about the new buildings, equipment, and curriculum, highlighting the school's commitment to excellence and innovation.
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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 were frequently unimpressed by the negative portrayal of the school's area by student ambassadors, concerns about safety and security, short and seemingly unimportant interviews, and the overall impression of the location being unappealing or 'ghetto'. Suggestions for improvement include addressing safety concerns, improving the interview process, enhancing the school's image, and providing more engaging experiences during the admissions process.
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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?
Many applicants wished they had received an itinerary ahead of time to better prepare for the day and know what to expect. Additionally, some suggested having questions prepared for the beginning of the day and being aware of the laid-back nature of the process to help alleviate stress.
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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 found the staff and students at the school to be genuinely nice and welcoming, with positive feedback on the interview process and campus tours. Some expressed concerns about the surrounding area, while others were impressed by the program's potential and resources, leading to a favorable view of WesternU.
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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 had positive experiences with the admissions office, noting its role in making the school attractive. However, common suggestions included providing a detailed itinerary for interview days in advance and improving response times to emails to enhance communication efficiency.
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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.
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