January 17, 2025

Event

NBEO Score Cutoff Date is January 31

January 31 is the cutoff date after which NMS will no longer obtain verified NBEO score information for submitted applications. ORMatch will send applicants’ verified NBEO scores to all programs they applied to by this date

For applications submitted after January 31, ORMatch will not send verified NBEO scores to the programs. Applicants will need to provide their official score information directly to the programs for those applications.

We strongly recommend applicants submit their applications by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 31, 2025, to ensure their verified NBEO scores are sent through ORMatch.

November 6, 2024

Best Practices

Application Tips for Applicants

Here are some tips for preparing and submitting your applications:

1. Add Programs to Your List of Pending Applications
As soon as you find a program of interest, add it to your list of pending applications in the NMS Match System. The Program Coordinator will be notified of your interest and will have access to your contact information. Some Program Coordinators may contact you with more information about their program, others may not. You can remove a pending application at any time if you are no longer interested in applying.

2. Plan a Margin of Time to Address Potential Difficulties
We strongly recommend that you allocate more than enough time for each step of the application process (e.g., writing letters of intent, obtaining transcripts, requesting references, etc.) and submit each application well before the application deadline date for each program. This allows time to address any unexpected issues in each step of the application process.

3. Customize Your Application Content
You can prepare and upload multiple letters of intent or CVs to the NMS Match System, and send different versions to different residency sites. Be sure to give each document a unique and descriptive name so that you know which document you are including when you assemble each application.

4. Contact Your Reference Writers
You may request as many different letters of reference as you wish, and you can attach different letters to each application. Each application must include at least 3 letters of reference from different individuals.

5. Consult the Website for More Instructions
The ORMatch website has helpful information about the application process and a User Guide for the ORMatch Application Service.

If you have any questions, please contact NMS.

October 2, 2024

Event

Applicants Registration and Applications Now Open for the 2025 ORMatch

ORMatch is now open for applicants to register and begin preparing applications for programs. Match registration information and instructions are available on the Applicants Registration page.

The List of Participating Programs shows the programs participating in the 2025 ORMatch. This list is updated regularly, whenever there are updates to information about programs participating in the Match.

Information about preparing and submitting applications is available on the Applications page. Each residency sets its own application requirements and deadline date. You should check with each residency as soon as possible regarding its application requirements.

October 2, 2024

Event

NMS Match System Open for Schools

The Director of Residencies of each optometry school will have access to information in the NMS Match System about their students and programs participating in ORMatch. Instructions and initial login credentials for accessing the NMS Match System will be sent to Director of Residencies by October 4.

August 1, 2024

Event

Program Registration for the 2025 ORMatch is Now Open

The Program Coordinator of each eligible residency site is sent an email from ORMatch with a personalized link and instructions for registering their residency site. If your residency site did not receive the registration email, please contact NMS for assistance.

ORMatch registration for applicants opens on October 2, 2024.

August 1, 2024

Event

New Features in the NMS Match System

We have added several new features to the NMS Match System for the 2025 ORMatch that will benefit programs, applicants, and schools.

For Programs

• More Tag Colors for Organizing Applications: We've increased the number of colors available for programs to tag applications from 6 to 18.
• Enhanced Application Exports: The Export Applications feature has been enhanced to give programs the option to download a single zip file with all of their submitted PDF applications.

For Applicants

• NBEO Score Reports Added to Applications: Applicants are now required to upload a copy of their unofficial online NBEO score report as part of their application. Applicants can download their unoffical online NBEO Score Report from the NBEO website.
• Additional Credits for Post-Match Applications: Applicants who do not match will be given an additional 10 credits for free to submit applications in the Post-Match Process.

For Schools

• Secondary Users for Schools: Schools will be able to add secondary users to their Account in the NMS Match System who will have access to information on the schools' students and residency sites.