University of California Berkeley School of Optometry Individual responses

⭐ Overall Impressions ▼

How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

4 out of 10

How you think you did?

8 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

9 out of 10

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

9 out of 10

💬 Interview Questions ▼

What is one of the specific questions they asked you?

What distinguishes optometry from other healthcare professions?

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What were my duties in my previous job before I switched into optometry?

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What were your volunteer experiences in undergrad? Did they seem to make a difference?

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What was the most interesting question?

You're a first-year optometry student. Your grandfather has been diagnosed with a disease that will kill him in 5 years. There's a procedure that can be done to cure him, but there is a 10% mortality rate. He wants to do it, but mom does not want him to. What would you do?

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What was the most difficult question?

They asked a lot about my ESSAY. Know yours well!

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🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼

How long was the interview?

60+ minutes

How many people interviewed you?

10

What was the style of the interview?

One-on-one

What type of interview was it?

Closed file

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?

5 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?

$301-$400

What airport did you fly into?

SFO

Where did you stay?

Friends or family

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?

No responses

What is your ranking of this school's location?

9 out of 10

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

10 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?

10 out of 10

How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?

10 out of 10

How did you prepare for the interview?

SDN, reading sample MMI questions

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What impressed you positively?

The school shut down to give us interview day. There were plenty of student volunteers and faculty that wanted to partake in the experience.

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What impressed you negatively?

The one set of interviewers from the MMI had a really stern, upset look on their face. It was the only interview portion that made me nervous and stutter. The other MMI interviewers were far more welcoming with positive body language to make me feel comfortable.

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What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

How awkward the first MMI would be. You have 3 minutes to read a prompt in front of a door. You open the door, sit, and have 4 minutes to answer. You leave when you are done answering even if 4 mins isn't up yet.

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What are your general comments?

The school itself has not seen much remodeling since they first opened, so the equipment is much older. The Berkeley education is unparalleled and they are clinically superior with the almost 100% board passing rate. You start vision science courses immediately and see about 2500 patients by the time you're done. The pros outweigh the cons!

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What are your suggestions for the admissions office?

Nothing. For such a large interview group, the interview day was conducted with as most organization as possible.

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University of California Berkeley School of Optometry

Success!

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