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University of California Berkeley School of Optometry

Berkeley, CA

Optometry Schools | Public Non-Profit

⭐ Overall Impressions

How did the interview impress you?

No change

What was the stress level of the interview?

3 out of 10

How you think you did?

7 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

7 out of 10

How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?

7 out of 10
💬 Interview Questions

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

Describe your volunteering experience.
Why optometry?
Why UCB?

What was the most interesting question?

Ethical/scenario questions. If your professor gave you a higher grade than what you had actually scored, would you inform your professor? Would you, if you were failing the class? Would you still, if you were on probation?

What was the most difficult question?

How would you distinguish yourself among your peers?
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics

How long was the interview?

45 minutes

How many people interviewed you?

2

What was the style of the interview?

In a group

What type of interview was it?

No responses

Was this interview in-person or virtual?

No responses

Where did the interview take place?

At the school
📍 On-Site Experience

Who was the tour given by?

Student

How did the tour guide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

6 out of 10

What is your in-state status?

Out of state

What were your total hours spent traveling?

7+ hours

What was your primary mode of travel?

Airplane

About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?

$501+

What airport did you fly into?

OAK

Where did you stay?

Hotel

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

No responses

How would you rate the hotel?

5 out of 10

Would you recommend the hotel?

yes

What is your ranking of this school's location?

7 out of 10

What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?

8 out of 10

What are your comments on where you stayed?

No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions

How is the friendliness of the admissions office?

No responses

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

No responses

How did you prepare for the interview?

Reviewed the application essays, scoured the SDN forums for past questions, and searched the optometry site thoroughly

What impressed you positively?

The enthusiasm of the students.

What impressed you negatively?

At the time, the facilities were under renovation. So building was unappealing on the inside. Interview day was longer than it needed to be.

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

The interview is semi- open/closed file. The interviewers have your essays in front of them, but have not seen your transcript/LOR's .

What are your general comments?

The school is located in a lively town/campus. However, I was left with no change in my opinion about the optometry program. Beware of a long day.

What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

No responses