When to apply??

[lifegoeson!]

Hi,
I made a career goal change last semester of my Junior year (dentist --> optometrist) due to unforeseen circumstances.
I have already taken the DAT last summer (21 AA, which is ~87th percentile), have about 3.97 GPA, 400+ hours of research, 100+ hours of volunteering (mostly at hospital), and 1 year of working as a TA at my university. I have also taken most pre-requisite courses. Supposing that I will have gained about 50 hours of shadowing an optometrist by August, should I apply by the end of August/early September (or December)? Or should I gain more experiences working/volunteering in optical field, shadowing more, and then apply early next cycle (so I would be applying after I graduate)?
I just don't feel very confident in my application because I wouldn't have any experiences in the optical field besides shadowing, and I want to maximize my chances of getting in.
My goal is Chicago College of Optometry, as it is driving distance from my house and thus the cheapest option.

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[FinnMac]

If Chicago College of Optometry accepts the DAT, you should be fine. I'd apply in August or September.

 

[cloudpaint]

You could apply this cycle since your stats are pretty good but I would recommend having a solid reason for your career shift since it may come up during the interviews. Also, if you're okay with a gap year, then waiting until the next cycle and spending the interim time working/shadowing in different optometry settings may be beneficial to expand your interest.

 

[snpat824]

Anything up to September is pretty early, after that you want to get it done with as quickly as possible as seats fill up in classes, and they become more selective with who they admit