MCO Admissions: In-state vs. out-of-state applicants

Background: This article examines trends in the reasons students apply to the Michigan College of Optometry (MCO). There is currently no research in optometry that examines influential factors for graduate school selection. This retrospective study compared instate applicants to out-of-state applicants when it comes to influential factors. This information will be used to determine areas of focus for prospective students. Methods: The following study collected information on the MCO 2016-2017 application cycle. Only students who were offered an interview were studied. Data was collected on a total of 87 students. Trends regarding which factors influenced students to select the MCO as their graduate school was then analyzed. Results: Approximately two-thirds of the applicants who were interviewed were from Michigan. Over 50% of out-of-state applicants who were offered a seat declined. Both in-state and out-of-state students ranked small class size and faculty to student ratio as two of the most common reasons for applying to MCO. Conclusion: Going forward the MCO Admissions Committee and faculty should continue to highlight the small class size and faculty to student ratio to set themselves apart from other optometry schools.