Hi, I am about to graduate from Texas A&M and am considering finishing my prereqs. for vet school. However, my cummulative GPA is about a 3.2 so I'm not really competetive for A&M's vet school. I was wondering if there are any schools that I might have a shot at. Also, what about vet schools in the Carribbean? Any info on those? Thanks!

I think you shoud still try to Texas A & M they are a good school. I was considering applying there myself. Don't just look at yourself as a GPA number (which is easy for me to say because mine isn't all that great, LOL). Vet schools will look at you as a whole (experience, EC activities, references, class load, personality). Where I lack in GPA I make up in other areas that are equally important. A semi big wig vet I spoke with at a conference earlier in the year told me that vet schools are really lacking people with the right personallity and good people skills.
From what I've heard about Ross in the Carribean is that you don't want to go there. You take your first 3 years there, or something, straight through with no brake and then are sent to the states to complete your final year at a school that is not your choice. This is just what I've heard and read so I would research it a little more. Good Luck!

Thanks for the info DizzyJon. I will definently do some more research. Good luck yourself.

Thanks!

Vet schools not only look at your GPA, EC activities, and other academic stuff, they also like to see if you've had any experience in the field. Another big thing that they look at is your GRE test score. Score high on that and you should get in.

Apply to other schools... I know a couple out of staters who got in to Kansas and Minnesota. A huge help in the application process is diverse animal experience.

Ross is not a bad school. They are expensive and intensive - you do 2 1/2 years in the Carribean (they don't want to waste your time and money with vacations and making you fly back and forth) and then the last year is in the USA with an accredited school for rotations. (Obviously there are limited spots at each school that takes Ross' students, so you're not going to be able to pick where you want to be.) St. Kitts is too small to support any kind of diverse rotation experience, so this isn't a bad option.

One of the vets that I interviewed with at IL went down to Ross to give a talk and he was very impressed with it. He said Ross opted to not get accredited because their students are doing fine as licensed veterinarians in the USA, and Ross didn't want the hassle and regulations that come with accredidation. So it is worthwhile for you to look in to it, if you can afford it and you don't get in to a US school.

That is some interesting information about Ross. I never knew it turned down accreditation. The only information I had on the school was that it has changed hands quite a bit. I am considereing putting in an application there. Does anyone have any more information about the school?

Keep in mind, by not going to an accredited Vet school you will have to gain licensure in the US by either the ECVGF route (paying to spend an additional year in clinics in a US school) or paying to take a licensing exam that (last I knew) ran in the 6-7K range. I guess you would have to look into this.

Ross is an expensive school. The general consensus I hear is that it is easy to be admitted, but once admitted, it's not so easy to stay in and the attrition rate is quite high compared with other schools. We have a few Ross students here doing their clinical year at Cornell. They seem to fit in fine. The way it was explained to me was that the students can pick some schools they would like to do their clinical years at, but their GPA's would have to be on par with the studens at the vet school they wanted to go to. I have no idea how this is all worked out an calculated.

I'm not sure if I would immediately believe the accredidation story listed above. I know if you talk with Ross students, they usually all say they are pro-accredidation, and would rather go through a school that was accredited rather than not. I would think that would play a role in the administration's decision. I don't know for sure. We did have a lecture by the AVMA president a while ago and he did say that they were willing to offer accreddiation to Ross, but that Ross didn't want it. But when I talked with students, they said differently. Maybe somewhere in between lies the truth.

I think all students would rather go to an accredited school. However, Ross takes those students that can't get in to accredited schools. The administration doesn't need to gain accreditation because they still get students to apply - and enroll - and the students are successful. If they experienced a decrease in applications or the number of students attending, they would probably get accredited to draw more students. But until then, students who go there really have no choice over what the administration does... it's sort of a final option for those that really want to be a vet.

But you're right, you have to pass the CPE (http://www.avma.org/education/ecfvg/#cpe) and that costs $6000 in addition to then having to pass the state licensing exam (which every potential vet has to take in the state they want to practice in). The state exams are $400-$500.

Ross is a "in case of emergency, break glass" kind of school. It'll get you where you want to go - but first, try to get in to an AVMA certified school.